New Worlds. Dec. 2, 8 p.m. In this spirited
one-night-only celebration of music
and literature, Murray brings his charismatic
presence to the stage as both singer and
narrator, complementing Vogler’s singing
Stradivari cello. Featured in this intimate
showcase are Twain, Hemingway, Whitman,
and more of the strongest voices that influenced
generations of Americans and drove
the creative voice of the New World. Tickets
$145-$250. Oshman Family JCC. 3921
Fabian Way, Palo Alto. 650/223-8649.
Selected Shorts. Dec. 10, 2:30 p.m. A
public radio favorite for years, “Selected
Shorts” broadcasts weekly on 150 stations
to 300,000 listeners across the country. On
tour from its home at Symphony Space in
New York City, each show follows a single
theme through short stories from both established
and emerging writers, performed by a
cast of actors from stage and screen. Tickets
$15–$50. Bing Concert Hall, 327 Lasuen St.,
Stanford. 650/724-2464.
Snow Queen. Dec. 15–16, times vary. When
the Snow Queen’s spell captures a young
boy, his best friend sets out on a quest
to save him. A journey filled with
whimsy and intrigue, friends
and foes, this beautiful original
youth ballet will take you
on a magical journey where true
love and enduring friendship overcome
evil. Tickets $38–$53. Mountain
View Center for the Performing
Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View.
650/903-6000.
Scrooge: One Christmas Carol.
Dec. 16, times vary. Kellan D. Baker
re-creates the roles of Scrooge, Tiny
Tim, Bob Cratchit and a host of supporting
characters in this solo tour de
force rendition of Dickens’ classic story of
redemption and hope. Tickets $25–$30.
Montgomery Theater, 271 S. Market St., San
Jose. 408/792-4111.
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.
Through Dec. 17. Revisit your favorite characters
from “Pride and Prejudice” as they come
together for Christmas at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Darcy. It’s a continuation of Jane Austen’s
beloved tale with the focus on Mary Bennet,
still feeling like the odd sister out as she spends
the holidays with her newly married sisters.
Tickets $23–$39. City Lights Theater, 529 S.
Second St., San Jose. 408/295-4200.
The Millionth Production of a Christmas
Carol. Through Dec. 17, times vary. A small
theater fears closing its doors after mounting
costly shows with poor sales. Hoping to
appeal to a larger audience, the artistic director
puts up Dickens’ classic “A Christmas Carol.”
This comedy gives serious consideration to
the compromises between art for art’s sake
and art that pays. Tickets $28–$32. Pear Theatre,
1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View.
650/254-1148.
the perfect holiday treat for the whole family.
Tickets $20–$38. Bus Barn Theater, 97 Hillview
Ave., Los Altos. 650/941-0551.
JANUARY
Disney’s Aladdin. Through Jan. 7, times vary.
From the producer of “The Lion King” comes
the timeless story of Aladdin, a thrilling new
production filled with unforgettable beauty,
magic, comedy and breathtaking spectacle. It’s
an extraordinary theatrical event where one
lamp and three wishes make the possibilities
infinite. Directed and choreographed by Tony
Award winner Casey Nicholaw of “The Book
of Mormon.” SHN Orpheum Theatre, 1192
Market St., San Francisco, 888/746-1799.
Our Great Tchaikovsky. Jan. 10-Feb 4, times
vary. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley presents
the regional premiere of Hershey Felder in his
newest work of one of the legendary composer.
Virtuoso Felder presents a bold and engrossing
story of the culture and politics that haunted
the composer of some of the world’s most
beautiful music. Ticket prices vary. Mountain
View Center for the Performing Arts, 500
Castro St., Mountain View, 650/463-1960.
Alabama Story. Jan. 18–Feb. 18, times vary.
It’s 1959 and the Civil Rights movement starts
to grip America. A fight over a controversial
children’s book in
which a black rabbit marries
a white rabbit pits
librarian Emily Wheelock
Reed against segregationist
Sen. E.W. Higgins. This drama
explores tests of character and emotions that
reshaped our nation. Tickets $23–$39. City
Lights Theater, 529 S. Second St., San Jose.
408/295-4200.
Rent. Jan. 23–28, times vary. Broadway San
Jose brings us this Pulitzer Prize– and Tony
Award–winning masterpiece that follows an
unforgettable year in the lives of seven artists
struggling to follow their dreams. “Rent” is a
timeless celebration of friendship and creativity
that reminds us to measure our lives with
the only thing that truly matters—love. Tickets
$48–$128. San Jose Center for the Performing
Arts, 255 S. Almaden Blvd., San Jose.
669/242-8555.
The Laramie Project. Jan. 19–Feb. 4, times
vary. When Matthew Shepard was brutally
murdered in 1998, the residents of Laramie
reacted to the antigay hate crime and surrounding
media storm with anger, bewilderment
and sorrow. Their reactions were
recorded and masterfully spun into a piece
of theater as important today as it is relevant.
Tickets $31–$85. Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305
Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. 415/597-6705.
1984. Jan. 25–Feb. 18, times vary. From the
novel by George Orwell. Winston Smith lives
in a world perpetually at war with unseen
forces, where personal electronic devices can
be used by the government to spy upon the
30 South Bay Accent
CALENDAR
Brandi Carlile, Dec. 15, Memorial
Auditorium, Stanford; Henry
Kapono, Jan. 27, Montalvo Arts
Center, Saratoga
The 1940s Radio Hour. Through Dec. 23,
times vary. It’s 1942, and station WOV in
New York is preparing its final holiday broadcast
for America’s fighting men overseas. Filled
with nostalgic music and a cast of lovable, colorful
characters, “The 1940s Radio Hour” is