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This weekend, Bay Area musician Robert Powell performs at Feldman’s Books, Schola Cantorum presents a multimedia concert inspired by the notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci; TheatreWorks celebrates an icon of musical theater with a world premiere and author Vicky Fang celebrates the launch of her latest book at Linden Tree Books.
Robert Powell
Musician and producer Robert Powell is a longtime member of the music scene, with a recording studio based in Fairfax in Marin County. Over the years he’s worked with artists from all over the world, had membership in Bay Area bands including Shana Morrison & Caledonia, Clothesline Revival, The Venusians, Opafire, Kundalini Boombox and Hologramatronand, and currently leads his own band, Everett Tree. He’s also composed the scores for numerous films. Powell – and some friends – return to Feldman’s for a Friday evening concert on June 7.
June 7, 6 p.m., Feldman’s Books, 1075 Curtis St., Menlo Park; $5 donations suggested; feldmansbooks.net/events.
‘The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci‘
Schola Cantorum pays tribute to a genius for the ages with their concert, “The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci.” After all, what could be more fitting for the original Renaissance man than a performance that weaves in many disciplines and makes the most of new tech? The 75-voice, Peninsula-based choir presents a multimedia performance that synchronizes choral and orchestral music by American composer Jocelyn Hagen with visuals of da Vinci’s notebooks using the digital sync software MUSÈIK. Hagen was inspired to create the work by da Vinci’s ability to connect “disparate ideas” and by the visual beauty of his writings and drawings, according to the composer’s website.
June 8, 8 p.m., at First United Methodist Church of Palo Alto, 625 Hamilton Ave., Palo Alto, $30, scholacantorum.org/concerts/davinci.
‘Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration’
The late, great Stephen Sondheim is one of the biggest names in musical theater history, with a résumé including classics like “Into the Woods,” “Sunday in the Park with George,” “Merrily We Roll Along,” “Company,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “West Side Story.” TheatreWorks Silicon Valley is offering a world-premiere homage to the maestro with “Being Alive: A Sondheim Celebration.” The show “spotlights an interconnected group of performers, exploring the tumultuous and ever-changing nature of love in their personal lives,” according to a press-release by the Tony Award-winning organization. The new musical is a collaboration between TheatreWorks founder Robert Kelley and TheatreWorks Resident Musical Director William Liberatore, and features performances by Anne Tolpegin, Nick Nakashima, Melissa WolfKlain, Noel Anthony Escobar, Solona Husband and Sleiman Alahmadieh.
Through June 30, Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View; $27-$100; theatreworks.org.
Vicky Fang
Mountain View children’s author and illustrator (among other things) Vicky Fang comes to Linden Tree for the launch party of her newest book, “Ava Lin, Best Friend!” The chapter book – the first in a new series – follows boba and animal-loving first-grader Ava on her quest to find a best friend, which doesn’t turn out to be quite as easy as she’d expected, as she’s challenged by the primary-school social scene. Some of Fang’s other works include “Alphabot” and the “Layla and the Bots” early chapter-book series. At the launch party, Fang will be in conversation with local author Christine Evans, do a live drawing demo, read from the new book and even share some boba and stickers.
June 9, 11 a.m., Linden Tree Books, 265 State St., Los Altos; lindentreebooks.com.
