LIVERMORE — Livermore Valley Arts performances for the Bankhead Theater will offer a number of unique shows in its lineup for the winter months.
Featuring entertainers of global music, comedy, and dance, these star-filled additions will be sure to delight.
* Irish Christmas in America: Sunday, Dec. 3, at 3 p.m.; Tickets: $25 to $60 ($25 student/military personnel)
* Pink Martini: Monday, Dec. 11, at 7:30 p.m.; Tickets: $25 to $110 ($25 student/military personnel)
* Kevin Nealon: Friday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m.; Tickets: $25 to $65 ($25 student/military personnel)
* Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo: Monday, Jan. 29at 7:30 p.m.; Tickets: $25 to $120 ($25 student/military personnel)
Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events are available at www.LivermoreArts.org.
All of the performances will take place at the Bankhead Theater, 2400 First St., Downtown Livermore.
Back for an 18th season, Irish Christmas in America features special guest musicians, singers, and dancers from Ireland performing a captivating program featuring top Irish talent.
The hugely popular holiday show brings a fascinating performance of music, song, dance, and stories of seasonal Irish traditions, the perfect treat for all ages. Produced by Sligo fiddler Oisín Mac Diarmada, this long-running show is an engaging performance rich in humor and boundless energy.
The 2023 tour features special guest singer Caitríona Sherlock, a vocalist from Monaghan who is one of the finest new voices from Ireland.
The family-friendly performance also features lively instrumental tunes on fiddle by Mac Diarmada, flute and uilleann pipes by Sean Gavin, and harp by Gráinne Hambly, all performing along with thrilling old-style Irish dancing from Samantha Harvey.
Additionally, evocative photographic images provide a backdrop to some of the rich historical traditions of Ireland, providing a memorable glimpse into the enchanting spirit of Christmas, as the finest traditional artists from Ireland bring audiences on a fun-filled start to the 2023 holiday season.
The holiday show was first conceived in 2005 as a way to bring traditional and often unknown Irish customs to the States.
“One of the most heartfelt themes of Irish Christmas is emigration,” says Mac Diarmada.
In the middle of December, Portland’s sensational “little orchestra” Pink Martini featuring China Forbes, will delight audiences with their engaging take on multilingual pop, jazz, and classical tunes since 1994.
Called “utterly cosmopolitan yet utterly unpretentious” by The Washington Post, Pink Martini has staked out a unique place in the hearts of music fans with their appealing blend of old-school elegance and modern-day humor.
After more than 25 years, several EP releases, numerous songs, and countless shows, Pink Martini continues to be a sensation. A genuinely American band, they have the opportunity, as band leader Thomas Lauderdale says, “to represent a broader, more inclusive America … comprised of people of every country, every language, every religion” through their music.
Featuring a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages, Pink Martini has performed on concert stages and with symphony orchestras around the world. They have toured and recorded with such guests as the four Von Trapp siblings, great-grandchildren of The Sound of Music family, Rufus Wainwright, and Portland-native NPR White House correspondent Ari Shapiro.
Pink Martini has released 11 studio albums on its own independent label Heinz Records (named after Lauderdale’s dog), selling over 3 million albums worldwide. With their sizzling vocals, smooth instrumentals, and infectious rhythms, a Pink Martini concert is to be sipped, savored, and remembered.
Kevin Nealon is an Emmy and SAG-nominated actor and comedian who sets himself apart from other comedic performers with his unique sense of humor, dry wit, and likable demeanor, best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live and for playing Doug Wilson on the hit Showtime series Weeds.
Nealon’s extensive television credits also include the CBS sitcom, Man With a Plan (in which he starred alongside Matt LeBlanc), two critically acclaimed stand-up specials for Showtime, and a number of appearances on Hot In Cleveland, Franklin & Bash, Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Still Standing.
Nealon has found great comedic success in his extensive film career: in Anger Management, he played opposite Jack Nicholson and fellow SNL comedian, Adam Sandler, with whom he also teamed up in Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, Blended, and You Don’t Mess with the Zohan.
In Joe Dirt, Nealon joined another SNL alumnus David Spade, and he also appeared in Daddy Day Care with Eddie Murphy, Good Boy with Molly Shannon, Bucky Larsen: Born to be a Star with Nick Swardson, Roxanne with Steve Martin, and the cult hit Grandma’s Boy, also with Nick Swardson and Jonah Hill. As one of the longest running cast members on SNL (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters, including ‘The Subliminal Man’ and ‘Hans and Franz.’
Nealon’s recurring role as self-produced, edited, and hosted digital series Hiking with Kevin is a smash hit, where he interviews his A-list friends like Michael Keaton, Jimmy Kimmel, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Al Franken, Hilary Swank, Kumail Nanjiani, Conan O’Brien, and more on hikes throughout the country.
A few days later, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, the world’s foremost all-male comic ballet company, will be returning with its internationally beloved troupe of dancers to Downtown Livermore as part of its landmark 50th anniversary season, featuring gems from across the company’s groundbreaking repertoire.
Founded in New York City in 1974, the company, affectionately known as the Trocks, has grown from its roots in late-late shows in off-off Broadway lofts to a global touring sensation, performing from Tokyo to Toronto and everywhere in between.
The company dances en travesti with razor-sharp wit and breathtaking pointe work, performing polished parodies of works that span the classical ballet canon. Revered by ballet aficionados as well as by those who don’t know a plié from a jeté.
The Bankhead Theater keeps COVID safety protocols in place with enhanced air circulation and no touch ticketing. Proof of vaccination is not required for entry at ticketed performances unless noted as part of a contractual obligation with the artist.
Tickets for all shows in the 2023-2024 Bankhead Presents season are available online, by calling 925-373-6800, or at the box office windows. For a complete list of events, visit livermorearts.org.
