Thursday, April 27
Historical Hilarity
For history buffs and comedy fans alike, Something Rotten! is coming to Carmel’s Outdoor Forest Theater. This musical-comedy is set in the 1590s where brothers Nick and Nigel are trying to write a hit play but find themselves stuck in the shadow of the one and only William Shakespeare. In attempts to stand out and make a name for themselves, the brothers set off to create the world’s first musical. This show is presented by Monterey Peninsula College in collaboration with Monterey High School. Something Rotten! has been a hit with both critics and audience members for its clever lyrics, catchy tunes and hilarious performances. [KH]
7:30pm Thursdays and 4:30pm Sundays, April 27-May 2. Outdoor Forest Theater, Santa Rita Street and Mountain View Avenue, Carmel. $27; $14/student. 622-0100, pacrep.org/forest-theater-events.
Friday, April 28
Power of Poetry
Whether or not you have what you’d call a “spiritual side,” perhaps you have encountered the spiritual realm – songs or scents or places might bring back the presence of someone who is long dead, even from generations ago. Two local poets invite you to explore the thin line between life and death, and the idea of poetry as a mechanism to explore connections to the past, in this event titled “Prayers for Everyday Ancestors.” CSU Monterey Bay faculty members Pilar Graham and Daniel B. Summerhill will read from their recent collections, and sound healer Katie Koo offers songs and crystal bowls. Graham’s latest collection is Currents, published in December; Summerhill’s is Mausoleum of Flowers. [SR]
5:30-7pm Friday, April 28. Pacific Grove Public Library, 550 Central Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-5760, pacificgrovelibrary.org.
Saturday, April 29
Dance with Dragons
The 14th annual Salinas Chinatown Asian Festival is an opportunity to get to know the neighborhood’s Chinese, Japanese and Filipino communities, past and present – all at one single event. The street fair component of the event features cultural and historical exhibits, food, music, lectures and more. Visitors are encouraged to join the guided walking tour around the neighborhood and get to know locations like the Buddhist Temple, Japan Town, Confucius Church and more. The historic Republic Café, which the city of Salinas bought in 2022, is also part of the tour, and the city will provide an update on its restoration and future. [TCL]
11am-3pm Saturday, April 29. Salinas Chinatown. Free. salinasace.org/asian-festival.
On Purpose
Darryl Purpose plays guitar and sings. But you will probably want him to set the ol’ six-string aside. Is he that bad? Hardly. Purpose’s style draws from the spirit of folk music, when songs were part of an oral tradition sharing tales and truths about life, backed by fingerpicking that wrings the most from a guitar (think of the great Maybelle Carter) – and that would be good enough on any evening. But you see, Purpose can tell stories. Real stories. Like the time he walked across the Soviet Union. Or the time when he hitched to Las Vegas. Maybe the high-stakes tension of the blackjack table – did you know he’s in the Blackjack Hall of Fame? Did you know there was one? Well, he can tell you about that, as well as all the characters he met along the way. So yeah, the music is a bonus to an already enlightening, entertaining evening. [DF]
7pm Saturday, April 29. Henry Miller Memorial Library, 48603 Highway 1, Big Sur. Free. 667-2574, henrymiller.org.
Sunday, April 30
Brunch Bunch
Monterey is now home to a growing drag scene, and the folks at Cannery Row’s Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club have helped pave the way with their regular Diamond Drag Champagne Brunch. Held on the last Sunday of each month, the show draws performers from all over California. There’s a brunch buffet (included with admission), as well as the requisite mimosas and fabulousness. You can catch either the 10am or noon showtimes – or both, because you know you want to. [RM]
10am and noon (doors open at 9:30am and 11:30am) Sunday, April 30. Paper Wing Theatre & Supper Club, 711 Cannery Row, Suite I, Monterey. $39. 905-5684, paperwing.com.
Cherry on Top
The Cherry Trio (Elizabeth Gaver on baroque violin, Penny Hanna on viola da gamba and Michael Peterson on harpsichord) is ready to open springtime at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. The local trio will be joined by guest artist Francis Toldi (dulcian) to perform Italian and Spanish music from the 17th century. The dulcian is a double-reed woodwind instrument from the Renaissance period, and is the predecessor of the modern bassoon. It is a versatile instrument – played quietly, it has a sweet, vocal sound suitable for chamber music, but it can play loudly and join a consort of other instruments. The concert program includes three trio sonatas with melodic parts for both violin and dulcian. The Cherry Trio has performed at the Cherry Center annually for over 10 years to welcome the new year. They are happy to be performing their first spring concert at the center. [AP]
3pm Sunday, April 30. Carl Cherry Center for the Arts, 4th Avenue and Guadalupe Street, Carmel. $25. 624-7491, bit.ly/3ou80OO.
Key Notes
What would the sound of a volcanic eruption be like if it were played on a piano? Chloe Canton Rice, a renowned Filipino-American pianist with a teaching studio in Monterey, has the answer to that question, and more. On April 30, Seaside nonprofit Palenke Arts hosts Rice for her program “Piano Soundscapes from the Philippines,” where Rice will be playing a number of pieces written by esteemed Filipino composers that include stories from the past, love songs and images from the Filipino countryside. It’s a chance for listeners to learn and experience the richness of Filipino culture and be swept away by its sounds. Following the concert, there will be light Filipino bites to sink one’s teeth into and help complete the cultural experience. [DS]
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