Things are looking up for Flux Vertical Theatre’s ‘Void’ dance
1 “Void”: Pole dancing is not just for strip clubs and aerobics classes. Just ask Flux Vertical Theatre, the Bay Area troupe that specializes in theatrical productions utilizing pole, aerial and contemporary dance choreography. The company’s latest production, “Void,” depicts people filling gaps in their lives left by grief, malaise or the drum of everyday life. The company is presenting the work at Oakland’s Kinetic Arts Center.
Details: Through April 22, 8 p.m. Fridays, 7 and 10 p.m. Saturdays; $15-$20; www.kineticartscenter.com, www.fluxverticaltheatre.com. 2
Dmitri Matheny: The terrific Bay Area flugelhornist and his band have Bay Area shows booked April 13-15. On April 13 at Cafe Stritch in San Jose, the group performs a set with acclaimed saxophonist Charles McNeal. On April 14 at Armando’s in Martinez and April 15 at Bird & Beckett Books and Records in San Francisco, the group will showcase its 2016 album “Jazz Noir,” featuring Matheny’s distinctive take on scores from such classic noir offerings as “Chinatown,” “Twin Peaks,” “Vertigo” “Taxi Driver” and more.
Details: 8:45 p.m. April 13 at Cafe Stritch, San Jose; $5-$10; www.cafestritch.com; 8 p.m. April 14 at Armando’s, Martinez; $15; 925-228-6985, armandosmartinez.com;
7:30 p.m. April 15 at Bird & Beckett, San Francisco; contact venue for prices; www. birdbeckett.com. 3 “Glengarry Glen
Ross”: Anyone who has seen David Mamet’s play or the film it inspired about desperate real estate agents trying to land the big sale and save their careers know it is full of the aggressive, macho language and posturing for which Mamet is famous. But a new take on the play by Concord’s B8 Theatre Company features an allfemale cast tackling the decidedly R-rated dialogue. (The show is not for young viewers).
Details: Through April 22; B8 Theatre, Concord; $20-$25; www.b8theatre.org. 4 St. Lawrence String Quartet: The group, in the midst of a residency at the Stanford Live performance series, presents a free Good Friday
concert at Stanford’s Memorial Church, at which it will perform Haydn’s hourlong contemplative work “The Last Seven Words of Our Savior on the Cross.”
Details: 5 p.m.; live. stanford.edu. 5 Lee Ritenour and David Grusin:
Ritenour is a contemporary contemporary jazz guitarist with mad skills who gained fame as part of the Los Angeles supergroup Fourplay. Grusin is a pianist, composer and producer probably best known for scoring such hit films as “The Graduate” and “Tootsie.” The pair have collaborated on the albums “Harlequin” (1985) and the Grammy-nominated “Two Worlds” (2001) and “Amparo” (2008). Now they’re touring together, with stops in Santa Cruz and Oakland.
Details: 7 and 9 p.m. April 14 at Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz; $38-$48 (early show is sold out); www.kuumbwajazz.org; 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. April 15 and 7 and 9 p.m. April 16 at Yoshi’s, Oakland; $29-$69 (early show April 14 is sold out); 510-238-9200, www. yoshis.com. 6 “Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin”: Felder, the storyteller, actor, writer and pianist, has created a cottage industry out of portraying famous composers. He’s played Bernstein, Chopin, Gershwin and Beethoven, and now he’s appearing as Berlin at Berkeley Repertory Theatre. Felder’s shows use a blueprint that has him portraying the composer, talking about his life, loves and music. He’s awfully good at it, the accompanying visuals are effective, and his piano playing is top-notch.
Details: Through April 30; Berkeley Rep’s Peet’s Theatre, Berkeley; $45$97; 510-647-2949, www. berkeleyrep.org. Felder returns to the Bay Area June 7-July 2 to perform “Beethoven” at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts; $45$105; theatreworks.org. 7 Erik Griffin: The comedian sure has it going on. He’s earned a following playing the recurring character Montez on TV’s “Workaholics.” He released his first comedy album, “Technical Foul: Volume One,” last month, and he’s ready to debut a Comedy Central special later this year. He does a popular stand-up show, too, and comes to San Jose Improv this weekend.
Details: 7:30 and 9:45 p.m. April 14; 7 and 9:15 p.m. April 15; $20; sanjose. improv.com.
8 “The Lost Years”: Contra Costa Civic Theatre presents the world premiere of Cynthia Wands’ period farce about a wedding in 1599 England spiralling comically into chaos. Company artistic director Marilyn Langbehn helms the production.
Details: Through April 30; Contra Costa Civic Theatre, El Cerrito, $13$24; 9 ccct.org. “Autobiography of a Terrorist”:
As a Jewish Iranian-American, Said Sayrafiezadeh has encountered pretty much all of the standard responses to his background: confusion, hostility, exaggerated faux friendship and more. He addresses all of them in a new stage comedy getting its world premiere by Golden Thread Productions.
Details: In previews April 14-16, main run is April 17-May 7; Potrero Stage (formerly Thick House theater); $15 previews, $26-$36; www. goldenthread.org. 10 Chuck Prophet:
The Bay Area singer-songwriter dropped his latest album, “Bobby Fuller Died for Your Sins,” in February. Recorded in the Hyde Street, San Francisco studio where he began his career, the new release has songs about Fuller, the L.A. rocker perhaps most famous for his bizarre death; the fatal shooting of Alex Nieto by San Francisco police, David Bowie and other topics on which Prophet can apply his considerable storytelling talents. Prophet will showcase the album at a show April 15 at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.
Details: 9 p.m.; $20; www.slimspresents.com.