One Man, Two Guvnors at 6th Street Playhouse
Recently fired from a skiffle band and in search of work, Francis Henshall finds himself inadvertently employed by two rival small-time gangsters, Roscoe Crabbe and Stanley Stubbers. Fighting a mounting sense of confusion, Francis goes out of his way to serve both bosses. But with the distractions of a pneumatic bookkeeper, a self-important actor and select members of the criminal fraternity (not to mention his own mammoth appetite), how long can he keep them apart? This hilarious comedy is staged at the G.K. Hardt Theatre now through Feb. 7.
Info: 523-4185, www.6thstreetplayhouse.com. 52 W. 6th Street, Santa Rosa.
It's Football, Charlie Brown!
If you can't make it to Santa Clara for Super Bowl 50, why not go to the Charles M. Schulz Museum's exhibition, It's a Foul, It's a Field Goal, It's Football, Charlie Brown! on view now through July 25, and featuring approximately 70 original Peanuts comic strips and highlights of the gang's gridiron efforts. Peanuts fans know that for nearly 50 years, Schulz drew an annual fall comic strip of Lucy pulling a football away from poor old Charlie Brown. It all started with a childhood memory of being unable to resist the temptation to pull the football at the kick-off. We all did it; we all fell for it, Schulz once explained.Info: www.schulzmuseum.org. 2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa.
Chili Bowl Express
Hundreds of beautiful, handmade bowls created by local artists working out of the Sonoma Community Center will be for sale on Jan. 16. Fill those bowls with chili created by local chefs and fill the halls of the Center with laughter, and you have what has become a winter's tradition in the Valley - the annual Chili Bowl Express. The bowls, all crafted and donated by potters using the ceramics studios of the Community Center, would retail for $35 or more. But Chili Bowl guests get these works of art filled with delicious, piping hot chili for the price of admission, which is just $25. Lunch will be served from 12 to 2 p.m. and supper from 5 to 7 p.m. All proceeds go to the ceramics program at the Center, which desperately needs a new kiln.
Info: 938-4626, www.sonomacommunitycenter.org/chili-bowl.html. 276 E. Napa St., Sonoma.
Library Open Mic
Redwood Writers hosts a Library Open Mic at the Santa Rosa Central Library, on Jan. 16, 10 a.m.-noon. The theme is In the Nick of Time, and the general public is invited to sign up to read. Open Mic Readings are held every other month at the Santa Rosa Central Library, and each Open Mic has a theme, but readers are welcome to share any writing they like. The event is hosted by Redwood Writers member Jean Wong, and refreshments will be served. The first half of Open Mic is reserved for Redwood Writers members, and the second half is open to the general public, limited to five minutes per person.Info: 545-0831, www.redwoodwriters.org. 211 E St., Santa Rosa.
Laugh, cry, eat pizza
Everyone is invited to the Sonoma Valley Democrats Watch Party to view the Democratic Presidential Debate on Sunday, Jan. 17, 5 p.m., at Round Table Pizza in the Marketplace Shopping Center in Sonoma. This is a no host event and a great way to meet your friends and neighbors.Info: Beth, bethh@sonic.net. 201 W. Napa St., Sonoma.
Hitchcock thriller at Sebastiani Theatre
January's Vintage Film at the Sebastiani Theatre is Alfred Hitchcock's North by Northwest, starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint. Grant plays a hapless New York advertising executive mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, who is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive. Don't miss the intrigue of this Hitchcock thriller! Monday, Jan. 18 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $9 at the door, or call 996-9756 for advance purchase.
Info: 996-2020, 476 First St. E., Sonoma.
Conservation Burn and Biochar 101 Workshop
The Sonoma Biochar Initiative and the Sonoma Ecology Center are holding a Conservation Burn and Biochar Workshop at Circle Bar Ranch on Jan. 19, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Workshops feature hands-on, in-the-field training, and a classroom component. The morning session will focus on biochar itself, including why it works to improve soil, the benefits of using it in both animal and plant agriculture, how to properly condition it prior to use, and how to apply it. Conservation burn theory and methodology will also be covered along with safety and permitting considerations, pile construction, burn management, and maximizing production of biochar. The second session will include hands-on field training using a pile of vines and vine trimmings. Come ready to do some physical labor to help manage the burn piles. Workshop fee is $50.Info: Raymond Baltar, 291-3240, raymond@sonoma.biocharinitiative.org, www.sonomabiocharinitiative.org.
Taxpayers hear from Golden Fleece Awards creator
The Sonoma County Taxpayers' Association's Jan. 21 meeting will feature Lawrence J. McQuillan, Senior Fellow and Director of the Center on Entrepreneurial Innovation at the Independent Institute. McQuillan created the California Golden Fleece Awards to highlight a state or local spending program or regulation that fleeces California taxpayers, consumers, or businesses, and he has appeared on NPR, Fox Business Network, CNBC, C-SPAN, CNN, and radio stations across the U.S. The luncheon meeting begins at noon at the Fountaingrove Inn. Cost is $25 for members with prepaid reservations (must be received by noon on Jan. 18) and $30 for all others and at the door.Info: 481-1089, taxpayer@sonic.net. 101 Fountaingrove Pkwy., Santa Rosa.
Ferocious fingers of Marc-André Hamelin
Canadian pianist and composer Marc-André Hamelin is known as a fearless technician whose ferocious fingers easily conquer works that would leave lesser pianists in a cold sweat. This program showcases Hamelin's range both as a composer and as a thoughtful interpreter of more nuanced works. The Boston Globe writes: From hushed clusters to hammered accents, one always feels that Hamelin is drawing the maximum amount of color from the instrument. Hamelin will perform on Jan. 22, 7:30 p.m. at Weill Hall in a program including works of Schubert, Mozart, and Debussy.Info: 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu. 1801 E Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park.
Legends of Latin Music
The Eddie Palmieri Latin Jazz Band and the Pete Escovedo Latin Jazz Orchestra will take the stage at the Green Music Center on Jan. 23, 7:30 p.m. These two legends of Latin music continue to thrill audiences. Ten-time Grammy Award-winning pianist and bandleader Eddie Palmieri is the acknowledged inventor of the salsa sound. Opening the show is master stickman Pete Escovedo who, like Palmieri, has spent decades fusing Latin, jazz, soul and funk into a new sound world. Two shows, one amazing night!
Info: 866-955-6040, gmc.sonoma.edu. 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park.
Crab & Ceviche fundraiser
Join the North Bay Italian Cultural Foundation for their 2nd annual Crab Feed Fundraiser on Jan. 23, 5 p.m. at St. Rose Parrish Hall. The menu includes All-You-Can-Eat crab, ceviche and other appetizers, pesto pasta, salad, garlic bread and dessert. Doors open at 5, dinner at 6 p.m. Proceeds benefit the NBICF Scholarship Fund and cultural activities of the foundation. Cost is $55 and all reservations must be received by Tuesday, Jan. 19. Mail checks payable to NBICF to 64 Brookwood Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Tickets are also available by credit card on BrownPaperTickets.com, Event Number 2405505 or search on NBICFCrabFeed2016.Info: 398 10th Street, Santa Rosa.
A new take on Peter and the Wolf
The Santa Rosa Symphony and members of Platypus Theatre present a lively version of Peter and the Wolf on Jan. 24 at the Green Music Center. In this fresh take on one of Prokofiev's most revered works, Peter is a dreamer dealing with the pressures of everyday life who suddenly finds himself in the middle of a mystifying mission to capture a wily wolf. Two dancers, colorful sets and incredible masks take the stage with the Symphony to present this humorous re-telling of an enduring story. Presented by the Santa Rosa Symphony as part of its popular Sonoma Paradiso Family Concert Series, the music begins at 3 p.m., with pre-concert fun, including an Instrument Petting Zoo, starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17 for adults and $12 for children 12 and under.
Info: 546-8742, www.santarosa-symphony.com. 1801 E. Cotati Ave., Rohnert Park.
Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra
Wells Fargo Center for the Arts welcomes the popular New Zealand group the Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra on Jan. 27 at 8 p.m. The orchestra is in hot demand for their winning combination of Kiwi humour, disarmingly small instruments and sublime musicality. Led by award-winning New Zealand musician Age Pryor, these skilled performers live to entertain, making sure audiences forget their troubles and sing their hearts out. Their signature sound features high-octane ukulele solos, multi-part vocal harmonies and an impressive range of ukuleles. Flamboyant outfits, theatrical effects and convivial crowd participation complete the night. Tickets are $49, $39, and $29 and include a pre-show discussion at 7 p.m.Info: 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org, 50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa.
Writing your life and times
Susan Bono, North Bay editor and author, will offer tips for sharing Your Life and Times on Jan. 28 as part of the Festival of Parties series offered by the Santa Rosa Symphony League. Bono edited and published Tiny Lights: A Journal of Personal Narrative in print and online from 1995-2015. Her work has appeared in anthologies, magazines, and newspapers, as well as on stage and the radio. Most recently, the Petaluma resident published What Have We Here: Essays about Keeping House and Finding Home. The event, which begins at 11:30 a.m., includes luncheon and wine in the Vista Del Lago Club House in Santa Rosa. Tickets are $35. The League's events support youth education programs of the Santa Rosa Symphony.Info: 522-8786, www.srsymphonyleague.com. 3150 Lakeview Dr., Santa Rosa.
Get Ready for LumaCon!
The Second Annual LumaCon! Comic Convention for Youth takes place on Jan 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Petaluma Community Center and Lucchesi Park. Artists' Alley will offer an opportunity to meet well-known artists, illustrators and writers of comic books and graphic novels, giving local youth the chance to display and sell their artwork alongside established artists. Nick and Ingrid Dragotta (Howtoons), Brian Crane (Pickles), Paige Braddock (Jane's World), and many others will display their work and share their passion about comics, graphic novels, and pop culture publications. Children's crafts, Live Action Role Play, a Magic: the Gathering tournament, and a cosplay (costume) competition are featured activities. Everyone is invited to dress as a favorite character from comics, movies, books, or pop culture. LumaCon! is a project of the libraries of Petaluma, working together to celebrate and encourage creativity and literacy.Info: Diana Spaulding, dspaulding@sonoma.lib.ca.us. 320 N. McDowell Blvd., Petaluma.
Learn how to make olives edible
Come to Jacuzzi Family Vineyards in Sonoma on Jan. 31, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., to hear olive expert Don Landis give a free talk all about olives. Landis will review the history of the olive and the history of the olive in California, and give a thorough description of how to make olives edible without lye. Find out about the many varieties of olives, when to pick them, and other important tips. Landis will demonstrate three ways to de-bitter olives - the Greek style brine method, the water method, and the dry salt method - making the whole process easy for all. The talk will be followed by an olive tasting with cheese and crackers. Be sure to leave time to explore the Olive Press, too. A short tour of the mill will be offered. RSVP required.Info: 931-7506. 24724 Arnold Dr., Sonoma.