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This week brings a variety of ways to enjoy the days post-Thanksgiving, whether it’s diving into the holiday season with “A Christmas Story: The Musical” or a “Nutcracker” production that includes a sensory-friendly matinee, or finding some time to relax on Friday while exploring the great outdoors with a guided hike, taking in a comedy show, or dropping by the Computer History Museum’s new AI exhibit. And coming up: a special concert by Polyphony Ensemble, made up of Arab and Israeli classical musicians.
‘A Christmas Story: The Musical’
Los Altos Stage Company presents the musical stage adaptation of the beloved 1983 film “A Christmas Story” – the 1940s-set holiday comedy classic about young Ralphie, his quirky family, and his fervent Christmas wish for a toy BB gun (despite the risk of shooting his eye out). The musical features music and lyrics written by the team behind “Dear Evan Hansen,” “La La Land” and “The Greatest Showman” (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) and preserves many of the film’s most iconic elements, such as the prize “leg lamp,” the freezing flagpole and those pink bunny PJs.
Nov. 29-Dec. 22, 97 Hillview Ave., Los Altos; $28-$51; losaltosstage.org.Â
Hike at Picchetti Ranch Preserve
Docent naturalists from the MidPeninsula Regional Open Space lead a moderately-paced 4.5 mile hike to learn about adaptations of various local plants and to observe the effects of changing seasons on local plant communities. If weather permits, hikers can have a picnic lunch with the option for wine tasting on their own at Picchetti Winery. Hike will go ahead in light or moderate rain.
Nov. 29, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Picchetti Ranch Preserve (meet at preserve parking lot on Montebello Road); free; openspace.org.
Grapes and Giggles
Looking for a good laugh? Domenico Winery in San Carlos hosts monthly comedy shows, featuring a variety of stand-up comedians. According to Domenico’s Instagram post, the post-Thanksgiving event will feature two headliners. Attendees can order wine, beer, cocktails and dessert via QR code to be delivered to their table during the show. Limited reserved seating for groups is available for those booking ahead.
Nov. 29, 8:30 p.m., Domenico Winery, 1697 Industrial Road, San Carlos; $33.85 general admission;.eventbrite.com.
Pacific Ballet Academy NutcrackerÂ
Productions of “The Nutcracker,” with its whimsical story and holiday theme, are a go-to event for young families at this time of year. As has become its annual tradition, Pacific Ballet Academy is staging two versions of the favorite ballet that showcase its students. Performances Nov. 29-Dec. 1 feature the academy’s full-length traditional production while a matinee, also on Nov. 29, offers a sensory- and autism-friendly performance of just Act II of the ballet, which takes viewers on a trip to a magical candy land. For this 45-minute performance, the overall atmosphere in the theater will be more relaxed when it comes to audiences talking or reacting, as well as offering scaled-down lights and sound and a quiet zone outside the theater.
Full-length performances take place Nov. 29, 6 p.m., Nov. 30, 1 and 6 p.m.; and Dec. 1, 1 p.m.; sensory- and autism-friendly performance at 2 p.m. All shows take place at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Tickets are $28-$34 for full performances; $18 for sensory-friendly performance. tickets.mvcpa.com.
Polyphony Ensemble
Founded in 2006 as the first classical music conservatory in the Arab-Israeli city of Nazareth, Polyphony “shortens the distance between Arab and Jewish communities in Israel through music, while serving as a worldwide model for cooperation based on cultural exchange, dialogue, and partnership,” according to the event description. The Polyphony Ensemble’s upcoming concert at the Oshman Family JCC. Violinists Yuval Shem Tov, and Loor Jabareen, violist Yoav Yatsken, cellist Butrus Selrh, harpsichordist Gordon Haramaki and vocalist Doreen Saasine will perform selections including Haydn’s String quartet Op. 76, No 2 (“Quinten”), arias by Vivaldi and Handel, a selection of Maya Belsitzman’s hits and more. The ensemble is making a return visit to the Peninsula.
Dec. 5, 5 p.m., Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto; $33.85; eventbrite.com.
Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI
Get a chance to interact with chatbots past and present and learn about their potential future at the Computer History Museum’s new exhibit, “Chatbots Decoded: Exploring AI.” The exhibition, designed in collaboration with AI experts, traces the history of chatbots from their earliest days to ChatGPT and invites attendees to consider important questions, such as the possible impacts of AI-human interaction on society. “We wanted to create a fully immersive and interactive exhibit that not only traces the evolution of chatbots but also invites visitors to think critically about AI’s growing role in our lives,” Chief Curatorial and Exhibitions Officer Kirsten Tashev stated in a press release.
The Computer History Museum is open Wednesdays-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1401 N. Shoreline Blvd., Mountain View; $6-$19.50 depending on ticket category (children under 7 free); connect.computerhistory.org.
