|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
As if last weekend’s parade weren’t enough of a sign, the Firehouse Arts Center performance schedule surely solidifies that the holiday season is in full swing in Pleasanton.
And what a slate of shows it is — from a youth theater troupe’s rendition of a Christmas classic to local musicians playing on their hometown stage to a returning Vegas-style revue, just to name a few for you.
“It’s wonderful to offer such spectacular local talent this holiday season, right here in Pleasanton,” said city recreation supervisor Mark Duncanson, who leads the Firehouse scheduling effort.
“Year after year, when we gather in the lobby after a holiday performance like Jeff Bordes & Friends or The Golden Follies, audience members share with us that they start their holiday season by attending a Firehouse Arts Center performance. We love being a part of so many people’s holiday traditions,” Duncanson told me.
Things will get a less formal start this Friday night with the city presenting its “Holiday Open Mic Night” from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Firehouse’s Harrington Gallery.
“Community members ages 14 and up will have an opportunity to share their talents … Whether you want to perform or watch, tickets are only $10 per person. It’s wonderful to be able to offer the public a chance to shine as well,” according to Duncanson.
Then on Saturday afternoon, the Golden Follies will be back on the Firehouse main stage with their “A Very Follies Holiday”, a revue show in the Las Vegas mold with “high-energy senior performers who captivate the audience with their stylish choreography, lavish costumes and unforgettable tunes,” according to Firehouse officials.
The next evening, dancer Jenida Yang (who studies at Xiaopei Chinese Dance here in the Tri-Valley) will lead a personal performance spotlighting her growth over the years. “Because I Dance” on Sunday will also feature guest dancers, musicians and singers.
Meanwhile, just blocks away starting this Friday night and running for two straight weekends, the Firehouse’s in-house Pleasanton Youth Theater Company is presenting “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, JR” at the Amador Theater – an hourlong adaptation with all of the familiar characters from the famed television special: Santa, Hermey the Elf, Bumble and of course … Rudolph himself.
The production features two groups of young actors alternating shows, with the “Peppermint” and “Gingerbread” casts. It will be onstage at Amador Valley High School on the next two Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and the Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. Each Saturday matinee will be a sensory-friendly version.
Coming up at the Firehouse next Thursday (Dec. 14) will be the “Winter Wonderlands” concert by Chorus Eclectic, a group of “individuals from a variety of professions and backgrounds, including physicists, realtors, stay-at-home parents, students, bankers, voice teachers and more” who come together under the direction of Alex Taite to “transport audiences to a magical world of sound,” city officials said.
“Taite is an artistic visionary that has curated and arranged a rich set of holiday music from around the world for their Dec. 14 program at the Firehouse,” Duncanson told me.
Pleasanton native and master trumpeter Jeff Bordes has been a December staple at the Firehouse over the years, and he is returning again next Saturday (Dec. 16) as Jeff Bordes & Friends present “A New Orleans Christmas” from 8-10 p.m.
Closing out the month’s performance calendar will be Jared Freiburg & The Vagabonds’ “A Rockin’ Holiday Revue” on Dec. 21. “From Chuck Berry to Bing Crosby to Jerry Lee Lewis, they will bring Firehouse audiences many timeless hits and classics like ‘Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree’, ‘Blue Christmas’, ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and more,” Firehouse reps said.
Oh, and don’t forget to consider ringing in 2024 – a few nights afterward – with Pleasanton native Lauryn Marie in concert on her hometown stage. The singer-songwriter who melds folk, indie rock and bedroom pop is bringing her “Happy New Year!” show on Jan. 6.
For tickets or more information about performances at the Firehouse, visit firehousearts.org.
And if you do catch a show there this month, or just happen to pop in during normal hours Wednesdays to Saturdays, remember to check out the Pleasanton Art League’s 16th annual “Fall Members’ Show” on display inside the Harrington Gallery through next weekend.
With nearly 85 original works via various media, the exhibition shows off the range of talents Tri-Valley artists possess.
Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly.
Appeal over redevelopment project at old Chevron HQ coming to San Ramon councilApril 6, 2026 10:32 pm
