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 asamplingoffamily-friendly shows, concerts, activities and more virtual events over the next several weeks.

Virtual

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: Nowthroughoct. 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 Francisco-based 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 showyouwanttoseetoconnect to the BATS virtual theater. www. improv.org/online-shows/

Bay Area Children’s Theatre Creativity Corner: This virtual “playborhood” offers kids storiesthatunfoldviavideo, plus follow-up 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.to10p.m.daily.solveavirtual 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 experiencestoenjoyasafamily. 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 stepby-step videos and activities with written-out 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 worksthathavebeenperformed and recorded at Lesher Center for the Arts in past years. www. diablosymphony.org/

18 Reasons 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 howtoadapttheirrecipesto what you have access to. Learn newrecipesandtechniques. https://18reasons.org/

Family Game Nights: 7to

8:30 p.m. 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-game-nights/ 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 26states, eight countries and five continents. They represent two dozen orchestras, ensembles,operacompanies 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 68-year 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 SingA-longs: Enjoy free familyfriendly, 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 motivatesthem.visitthelamorinda 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 planstoofferitsvirtualperformanceswithspanishandvietnamese 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

Playful People Productions Family Game Nights: 7to 8:30 p.m. Feb. 19, March 19. Musical theater-themed game nights range from trivia to danceoffs, bingo to musical chairs. Free. https://playfulpeople. org/?s=game+nights

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-on-one remote lessons and access to master classes on music theory, songwriting, instrument exploration and genre journeys. Cost varies. schoolofrock.com/sanramon

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