You can spend ‘A Night with Janis Joplin’
“A Night with Janis Joplin” Since it’s the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love and its watershed moment, the Monterey Pop Festival, this seems a good time to revisit Joplin’s brief but groundshaking career. She catapulted to fame following her incendiary performance at Monterey Pop and became one of the most distinctive and uninhibited stars in rock history before dying of a heroin overdose in 1970 at age 27. Following an 11th-hour change in its 2016-17 season, American Conservatory Theater is bringing “A Night with Janis Joplin” back to the Bay Area. The musical revue/confessional features all of Joplin’s top songs — “Me and Bobby McGee,” “Piece of My Heart,” “Cry Baby” and “Mercedes Benz,” among others — and delves into her life, loves and inspirations. Talented singer Kacee Clanton, who performed the title role when the show got its regional premiere at San Jose Repertory Theatre in 2013, is back to anchor this production as well.
DETAILS >> In previews through June 13, main run is June 14-July 2; Geary Theater, San Francisco; $20-$120; 415-749-2228, act-sf.org. “Cabaret” The famed Kander and Ebb musical about a Berlin nightclub in 1931 has landed at Broadway San Jose in a production by New York’s acclaimed Roundabout Theatre Company. The politically charged show has certainly gained new relevance in today’s political landscape, but it is also a thoroughly engaging musical in its own right.
DETAILS >> Through June 11; Center for the Performing Arts, San Jose; $43$128; sanjosetheaters.org, broadwaysanjose.com. Lizz Wright I rarely pass up a chance to see this sublime Georgiaborn singer, who melds gospel, soul, jazz and R&B with a voice that is a warm, earthy slice of heaven and is accentuated by her obvious love for performing. Wright returns to SFJazz Center in San Francisco for two performances.
DETAILS >> 7:30 p.m. June 9, 2 p.m. June 10; $30-$70; 866-920-5299, sfjazz.org. “An Ideal Husband” Oscar Wilde’s popular 1890s comedy about the perils of being forced to maintain an immaculate public image offers plenty of still-relevant insights into the nature of politics, the battle of the sexes and class warfare — not to mention some seriously delicious comedic dialogue. Lafayette’s Town Hall Theatre is closing its
season with the gem.
DETAILS >> Through June 24; $25-$32; 925-2831557, townhalltheatre. com. The Choral Project The acclaimed San Jose choir closes its 21st season with a wide-ranging program that takes a walk on the spiritual side. Works include Ola Gjeilo’s “Unicornis Captivatur,” R. Murray Schafer’s “Epitaph for Moonlight,” and Harry Belafonte’s “Turn the World Around.”
DETAILS >> 8 p.m. June 9 at the Congregational Church of San Mateo; 8 p.m. June 10 at Mission Santa Clara de Asis, Santa Clara; 5 p.m. June 11 at Peace United Church of Christ, Santa Cruz; $10-$25; choralproject. org. “Black Girl, Funny World” Faith Rodman Alpher’s latest solo show recounts her Jewish-Irish-black Pentecostal wedding and other chapters of her life as she re-creates scads of colorful personalities. She’s bringing the show to Livermore’s Bankhead Theater June 9 for one performance only.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m.; $30$36; 925-373-6800, lvpac. org. “Not a Genuine Black Man” The wildly talented and engaging Brian Copeland scored a breakout hit with this biting and humorous solo show about growing up in San Leandro, billed by a housing research group in 1972 as a “racist bastion of white supremacy.” It’s been nearly a decade since he has brought the show to San Jose, but he will do so on June 10 for a single performance.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m.; Hammer Theatre Center; $41; 408-924-8501, sjsu.edu/ hammertheatre. IMomSoHard Live Los Angeles comedians and mothers Kristin Hensley and Jen Smedley have become YouTube sensations, riffing with utter candor on such matters as dealing with body hair and the crapshoot of making playdates with new momfriends -- often while sipping mimosas. The Moms have taken their show on the road, and land at the Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose on June 13.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m.; $38.75$48.75; sanjosetheaters. org. “Next to Normal” In the current arts climate, you often have to worry about theater companies closing, so it’s nice to note when a new one has begun. The Performing Arts System (P.A. System for short) aims to bring a wide variety of works to its intimate home in central Contra Costa County, and is kicking things off the with Tony-winning rock musical “Next to Normal.”
DETAILS >> June 9-18; Poison Apple Playhouse, 847 Arnold Drive, Martinez; $20; thepasystem.org. 10 Valerie Teicher The Argentina-born singer, songwriter and producer better known as Tei Shi has been drawing raves for her new album, “Crawl Space,” released in April. She’s touring behind the release and comes to the Swedish American Hall in San Francisco on June 13.
DETAILS >> 8 p.m.; $15; swedishamericanhall. com.