Bay Area in-person and online events coming up in 2022

Just because you may be stuck at home during the pandemic doesn’t mean you can’t explore the greater world. Here’s a sampling of family-friendly in-person and virtual Bay Area shows, concerts, activities and other events over the next several weeks.

‘Babes in Ho-Lland’: Jan 20-23, 27-30, Feb 3-6, 9-12, (live streaming Jan. 27 and Feb. 3; video on demand Feb. 9-20) Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Ave., Berkeley. While attending a predominantly white college, two Black students create their own bubble of self-discovery, music and sanctuary in their dorm room. $22-$25. shotgunplayers.org

Berkeley Symphony Chamber II Concert: 4-6 p.m. Jan. 16, 801 Magnolia Ave., Piedmont. Enjoy a mix of classic and contemporary works performed at the Piedmont Center for the Arts. $35. berkeleysymphony.org/events/chamber-ii/

‘Big, Scary Animals’: Feb. 5-19, Live Oak Theatre, 1301 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley. A hilarious collision of race, sex, guns and sports. Ticket information to be announced. www.aeofberkeley.org

‘Excavations’: Through Jan. 31, Crescendo Gallery inside the Throckmorton Theatre, 142 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley. View paintings by San Francisco artist Karen Johnson by appointment only. throckmortontheatre.org/december21gallery

50th Golden Jubilee Revival Fungus Fair: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Jan. 23, 28 Orinda Way, Orinda. Organized by the Mycological Society of San Francisco, this fair includes family-friendly events and activities, mushroom species displays, identification tutorials, cooking demonstrations and more. Free-$15. mssf.org/fungus-fairs/index.html

Historical Walking Tours of History Park: A museum guide will lead small groups of visitors through San Jose’s History Park discussing the historical and architectural background of each building. 1 p.m. (by appointment only) Tuesdays and Thursdays. $0 to $12. historysanjose.org

Isaac Mizrahi’s Cabaret Show — Moderate To Severe: 7:30-9 p.m. Jan. 15, Albert and Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall (Bldg F), 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Backed by a six-piece jazz band, Mizrahi shares his hilarious musings on everything from politics to dieting to his latest Instagram obsessions. $90. Eventbrite: bit.ly/3Jovpaj

Let Us Entertain You — Vintage Amusements from Earlier Eras: Now through Feb. 13, Museum of American Heritage, 351 Homer Ave., Palo Alto. moah.org

Men on Boats: Live Jan. 14-30 (streaming on-demand Jan. 27-30.), Lucie Stern Theater, 1305 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto. See this 19th century adventure story about 10 men, four boats and two rivers. $20 streaming, $27-$57 live. Paplayers.org

Sawyer Rose — Carrying Stones: Now through Jan. 23, New Museum Los Gatos, 106 E. Main St. in Los Gatos. Browse an exhibition of sculpture and photography. numulosgatos.org

‘The Who’s “Tommy” ’: Jan. 13-Feb. 6, Novato Theater Company, 5420 Nave Drive, Novato. A rock opera that tells the miraculous story of the deaf, dumb and blind kid who achieves stardom as The Pinball Wizard. $15-$30. novatotheatercompany.org/

28th Festival of Women Authors: 8:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Feb. 5, DoubleTree by Hilton, Berkeley Marina, 200 Marina Blvd., Berkeley. Enjoy a continental breakfast, luncheon, book purchases and book signings by authors including Melanie Valentine, Martina Reaves, La Rhonda Crosby-Johnson and Karen Grassle. $95 in person, $35 virtual. Reservations and payment by Jan. 17. ywca-berkeley.org/

Barefoot All-Stars play Consort Music by Ward: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 7, El Cerrito Hillside Community Church, 1422 Navellier St., El Cerrito. Barefoot Chamber Concerts’ shows are known for their good music and informal presentations. $25. BrownPaperTickets.com/event/5230189

Yamato — The Drummers of Japan: Jan. 29-31, 101 Zellerbach Hall, #4800, Berkeley. A powerhouse program of traditional taiko drumming, playing massive drums built from animal skins and ancient tree trunks. $36. Cal Performances: bit.ly/3z5GGYa

Virtual events

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 show you want to see to connect to the BATS virtual theater. improv.org/online-shows

Bay Area Children’s Theatre Creativity Corner: This virtual “playborhood” offers kids stories that unfold via video, 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. bactheatre.org

Beat the Lock Escape Room: 10 a.m. to 10 p.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. 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 step-by-step videos and activities with instructions written out. 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 online at themarsh.org.

Concord Couch Concerts: 8 p.m. first Friday of the month. This showcase for local indie bands and artists will be streamed on Facebook Live and YouTube; facebook.com/concordcouchconcerts and youtube.com/c/concordcouchconcerts.

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. 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 how to adapt their recipes to what you have access to. Learn new recipes and techniques. 18reasons.org

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: youtu.be/jHV9wLvNYxA.

Full Moon Fridays — Live Cabaret Series: 8 p.m. Fridays. Featuring live cabaret style performances. 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 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. livermoreshakes.org/educates

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. tinyurl.com/mdpjc-artandwriting2020 

Persian and Central Asian Dance Classes: Take daily classes on Zoom with teachers from nations and regions all over the world including Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, China’s Xinjiang region and more. $10 to $20. 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-on-one remote lessons and access to master classes on music theory, songwriting, instrument exploration and genre journeys. Cost varies. schoolofrock.com/sanramon

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. theescapegame.com/remote-adventures

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