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This week, Community School of Music and Arts hosts a free concert with Latin folk musician Diana Gameros; vocalist Martha High brings a whole lot of funk to Club Fox; and a tribute to the music of Willie Nelson will raise funds for LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Plus, Greek deities clash with academics in “The Gods of Comedy” at The Pear; Pocket Opera stages a classic Mozart opera in English and families with young children can enjoy story time at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center.
Diana Gameros: Music at the Borderlands
Latin folk singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist Diana Gameros was born and raised in Juarez, Mexico, and moved to the U.S. as a teen. She has been based in the Bay Area for the past decade, and her albums of original songs in Spanish and English have earned her attention from NPR and KQED (which released a documentary film about her in 2020) as well as performances with the likes of Joan Baez and the San Francisco Symphony. At her free concert at the Community School of Music and Arts, she’ll be joined by jazz woodwind player Patrick Wolff, with whom she’s been collaborating for many years.
Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., Tateuchi Hall, Community School of Music and Arts, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View; free; arts4all.org.
‘The Gods of Comedy’
In Ken Ludwig’s “Gods of Comedy,” two classics professors who’ve just made a major discovery get more than they bargained for when they summon a pair of goofy Greek gods, who show up at their university campus. Naturally, hilarity ensues. For the Pear Theatre’s production, directed by John R. Lewis, expect an updated and refreshed take on the play, with plenty of laughs, according to a press release. “​​The world will be in a very tense place on opening night of this show, and I hope we’re able to coax some smiles and laughs out of people, and showing them just how essential it is to be smart and silly at the same time,” Lewis wrote in the statement.
Feb. 21-March 16, The Pear Theatre, 1110 La Avenida St., Mountain View; general admission $42; thepear.org/season23.
‘The Marriage of Figaro’
In Mozart’s comedic opera “The Marriage of Figaro,” the unwanted advances of a lecherous count threaten the impending wedding of two of his servants, Susanna and Figaro. The lovebirds must use their wits to foil the count’s seduction plans and celebrate their marriage. Pocket Opera brings the classic to the stage in Mountain View in English, in a performance recommended for audience members age 12 and up. Pocket Opera has been bringing accessible opera, translated into English by the company’s founder Donald Pippin, to the Bay Area for more than 40 years.
Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m., Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View; 7:30 p.m.; $33-$87; tickets.mvcpa.com/eventperformances.asp?evt=661.
Martha High’s Funky Divas
Club Fox is about to get funky. Vocalist Martha High sang with James Brown for decades, including appearing on the “Original Funky Divas” album. Trombonist Fred Wesley worked with the Godfather of Soul in the 1960s and ’70s as well, later playing with Parliament-Funkadelic and the Count Basie Orchestra. Martha High’s Funky Divas, backed by Wesley and The New JBs, perform a show packed with favorite hits sung and played with Brown back in the day.
Feb. 21, 7:30 p.m., Club Fox, 2209 Broadway St., Redwood City; $55.95; tinyurl.com/MarthaHighFunkyDivas.
‘On the Road Again’ fundraising concert
Los Altos residents Steve and Nancy Gill and their daughter, Anne, continue their tradition of hosting fundraising concerts for LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. The annual concerts pay tribute to the work of a different music legend each year — with this year’s show going more than a little bit country with the theme “On the Road Again: Willie Nelson’s Letters to America.” This concert, which takes place Feb. 22, features the talents of Steve Gill, a Bay Area actor and singer, who organizes and performs in the shows, along with singer Mollie Hudner Thomson, guitarist Bob Feiner and drummer Steve Beitler. Nelson’s memoir, “Letters to America” serves as the basis for the show, which will celebrate the music and the ideas of this well-loved artist.
“On the Road Again” takes place Feb. 22, 7:30 p.m., at Menlo School, 50 Valparaiso Ave., Atherton. Requested donation is $20. Those planning to attend are asked to contact Nancy Gill at 650-948-4648 or gillnancyg@gmail.com.
Story Time at the Cantor
February’s edition of Story Time in the galleries at Stanford’s Cantor Arts Center features tales inspired by African and African American storytelling traditions: “Anansi the Spider: A Tale from the Ashanti” by Gerald McDermott and “Tar Beach” by artist Faith Ringgold. Participants will meet and explore art in the Cantor’s African Art Gallery. The Story Time series is designed for children ages 2-6, with the goal of connecting youngsters to the museum and its art through stories and activities.
Feb. 27, 11 a.m. to noon; Cantor Arts Center, 328 Lomita Drive, Stanford; Free; thethirdplace.is/event/story-time-at-the-cantor-1/rsvp.
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