Bay Area virtual events

Just because you’re stuck at home during the COVID-19 shutdown doesn’t mean you can’t explore the greater world. Here’s a sampling of family-friendly shows, concerts, activities and more streaming over the next several weeks.

All-star Storytime Series with Berkeley Symphony: 11 a.m. Fridays on Berkeley Public Library’s Facebook page. Each week, a Bay

Area celebrity will read a beloved children’s book with musical accompaniment by members of the Berkeley Symphony. www.facebook. com/berkeleypubliclibrary/ Banff Centre Mountain Film Festival World Tour Virtual Screening: Now through Oct. 24. This year’s tour features a streaming collection of action, environmental and adventure films. Benefits Rio Theatre Santa Cruz and the Banff world tour. $15. http://bit. ly/3asd8vj

BATS Improv Online Shows: This San Franciscobased improv group will stream free shows each week to bring a little improv magic into homes via Zoom. At 7:30 p.m. on the night of each show, click the link next to the show you want to see to connect to the BATS virtual theater. www. improv.org/online-shows/ Bay Area Children’s Theatre Creativity Corner: This virtual “playborhood” offers kids stories that unfold via video, plus followup activities they can do on their own, inspired by the make-believe they’ve seen.

Parents can submit their children’s creations to BACT, which is planning to share examples online. https:// bactheatre.org

Beat the Lock Escape Room: 10a.m. to 10p.m. daily. Solve a virtual escape room with your friends via an audio/video call and live feed that lets you play by instructing a game master to search for clues. $25. www.beatthelock.com

Bringing BADM to You:

Bay Area Discovery Museum offers a series of fun, engaging learning experiences to enjoy as a family. Explore three different themes — science and math, body and brain and talk and play — designed to develop skills for children to succeed in school and life. Within each theme, you’ll find both step-by-step videos and activities with writtenout instructions. https:// bayareadiscoverymuseum. org/bringing-badm-to-you

Broadcast Platform, Marshstream:

7:30 p.m. nightly. Programming varies by night with offerings including short performances, book/writer discussions, singalongs, storytelling, game nights and more. Find more information at: www. themarsh.org.

Diablo Symphony Orchestra Virtual Concerts: First Thursday of each month. Featuring works that have been performed and recorded at Lesher Center for the Arts in past years. www. diablosymphony.org/ 18Reasons Cooking School: Check out a slate of new online classes. You may not have everything listed in the equipment and shopping list, but instructors will give you guidance on how to adapt their recipes to what you have access to. Learn new recipes and techniques. https://18reasons.org/ Family Game Nights: 7 to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 15, Feb. 19 and March 19. The musical theater-themed game nights range from trivia to dance-offs, bingo to musical chairs. Free. https://playfulpeople.org/family-gamenights/

Festival Napa Valley’s Remote Ensemble Project: This virtual performance of the “Va, Pensiero” chorus from Verdi’s opera “Nabucco” features instrumentalists and singers from 26 states, eight countries and five continents. They represent two dozen orchestras, ensembles, opera companies and music conservatories, such as the Juilliard School, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and San Francisco Opera Orchestra. The performance can be seen on Festival Napa Valley’s Youtube channel: https:// youtu.be/jhv9wlvnyxa Full Moon Fridays — Live Cabaret Series: 8 p.m. Fridays. Featuring live cabaret style performances. https://www.facebook. com/42ndstreetmoon/ Funkmode Dance Studio Digital Workouts: Offering free dance videos, including breakdance, hip hop, youth dance party and more. Find the videos at https://www.youtube.com/ USER/FUNKMODE

Lamplighters Music Theatre Multimedia:

Lamplighters brings their wit and musicality to the virtual stage with an inside look into the company and the rich history of Gilbert and Sullivan. The monthly assortment includes new interviews and video essays, alongside archival vignettes highlighting the best of the company’s 68year performance history. Free. lmt.lamplighters.org/ patreon

Livermore Shakes Educates: A Shakespeare resource webpage for kids and parents, this is an extension of the company’s “So Wise So Young” program for second, third and fourth graders. http:// livermoreshakes.org/educates/

Magical Bridge Foundation Virtual Concerts and Sing-a-longs: Enjoy free family-friendly, multigenerational and sensory-friendly shows at noon daily on the Magical Bridge Facebook page. https://www. facebook.com/pg/magicalBridge/events/

Moraga Art Gallery Virtual Tour: View the Moraga Art Gallery exhibit and hear artists talk about their work and what motivates them. Visit the Lamorinda Arts Alliance website for the link to the virtual tour: https:// laa4art.org

Mount Diablo Peace & Justice Center 2020

Art & Writing Challenge:

Middle and high school students in Contra Costa County are invited to submit visual art (any medium), creative writing and essays on the topic of “Our Connected Planet.” No fee. http://tinyurl.com/mdpjcartandwriting2020 “Dichterliebe (‘A Poet’s Love’)” from Opera San Jose: Available for streaming. In addition to English supertitles, Opera San Jose has announced plans to offer its virtual performances with Spanish and Vietnamese translations. $15-$50. www.operasj.org

Persian and Central Asian Dance Classes:

Take daily classes on Zoom with teachers from all over the world including Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Xinxiang and more. $10 to $20. www.pomegranategardendance.com

School of Rock Remote Lessons: School of Rock is a performance-based music school for ages 5 to adult. Learn to play drums, guitar, keyboard, bass guitar and vocals by putting on seasonal rock shows. The school is offering a combination of one-onone remote lessons and access to master classes on music theory, songwriting, instrument exploration and genre journeys. Cost varies. schoolofrock.com/ sanramon

Silicon Valley Dance Festival — Renewal: Now through Jan. 3. The third annual event features a diverse line up of seven main stage choreographers and seven young choreographers from around the world and works centered around the theme of renewal. $15-$50. www.zirudance.com/ticketing

Smuin’s Virtual Classes: Dancers of all levels participate in Zoom-based drop-in lessons covering styles from ballet to contemporary, to hip-hop. All classes are “pay what you can”. https://bit. ly/smuinclasses

Square One Yoga: Stay fit and grounded practicing live, interactive yoga. Check out the schedule of classes available at bayareane. ws/2yfh3oc.

The Escape Game Remote Adventures Virtual Escape Rooms: Your team will communicate with each other and a host at The Escape Game using Zoom. $30 per player. https://theescapegame.com/remoteadventures/

Tiny But Mighty — Honoring RBG: Featuring the artwork of 26 Lamorinda Arts Alliance member artists with mixed media, collage, photography, monotype, watercolor, oil and acrylic paints. Opening reception from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Jan. 9, pending COVID regulations. Also available online starting Jan. 8. www.mainstreetarts.net/

Voices of Music 202021 Online Season:

11 a.m. Sundays now through March 7. A series of talks and interviews with internationally acclaimed performers. $15 to $120. https://app. arts-people.com/index. php?ticketing=vom