November 2024

Arts in the Afternoon and Reception: Candace Johnson

Women’s Faculty Club
Women’s Faculty Club, UC Berkeley Campus
Thursday, November 21 @ 4:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Ticket includes reception with food, a certificate to return to the WFC for lunch at a later date, swag, and raffle**

Performance by soprano master teacher one woman show Candace Johnson: https://cjsings.com/

There will be music, and a reception with food!

Special NONO offer: Every attendee gets a Women’s Faculty bag, is entered in a raffle, and will get to return to the Women's Faculty Club for free lunch with the NO/NO group!

December 2024

Jaja's African Hair Braiding

Berkeley Rep Theatre
Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Tuesday, December 3 @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Post show discussion and reception with photo ops**

Step into the vibrant world of Jaja’s African Hair Braiding, a beloved Harlem hotspot where West African immigrant braiders work their magic on the locals’ locks. Amidst the lively buzz of a scorching summer, love ignites, dreams soar, and secrets unravel. But beneath the surface lies a current of uncertainty, pushing this close-knit community to confront the challenges of being outsiders in their own neighborhood. From the pen of acclaimed Ghanaian American playwright Jocelyn Bioh (Goddess, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) and directed by Obie winner Whitney White, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding is “a play that is equally affecting as it is hilarious,” hails Entertainment Weekly.

Post Event Add Ons
Post show discussion: Join us after the show for a postshow discussion, expertly guided by members of Berkeley Rep’s artistic team
Post show reception: Join us for a post show reception and a photo op with the actors!

Hamilton

Broadway SF
Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Wednesday, December 4 @ 7:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring as many guests as you’d like @ the guest price)

A revolutionary story of passion, unstoppable ambition, and the dawn of a new nation.

HAMILTON is the epic saga that follows the rise of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton as he fights for honor, love, and a legacy that would shape the course of a nation. Based on Ron Chernow’s acclaimed biography and set to a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON has had a profound impact on culture, politics, and education. HAMILTON features book, music, and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler, and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire. In addition to its 11 Tony Awards, it has won Grammy®, Olivier Awards, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and an unprecedented special citation from the Kennedy Center Honors.

Spring 2025

February 2025

Samara Joy

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Wednesday, February 5 @ 7:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

In jazz, every generation has a few “old souls” who skip the line to join the pantheon of greats—young artists who burst on the scene seemingly out of nowhere, fully formed. Fresh out of music school but with a deep history in gospel music, the wildly talented vocalist Samara Joy is just such a figure. Joy won Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best New Artist at the 2023 Grammy Awards for her debut release, an old-school affair that explores classic tunes associated with Carmen McRae, Nat King Cole, and Billie Holiday, and followed it with a third Grammy, for Best Jazz Performance in 2024. This year, she’s nominated for two additional Grammys—Best Jazz Vocal Album (for A Joyful Holiday) and Best Jazz Performance (for her rendition of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Me” with pianist Sullivan Fortner) “Listening to Samara Joy, I’m struck by the sound of her voice—warm, grounded and sturdy, an impression reinforced by her sure sense of pitch… Her understated, swingy rhythm can feel lighter than air” (NPR).

Fairview

Contra Costa Civic Theatre
951 Pomona Ave, El Cerrito, CA 94530
Sunday, February 9 @ 2:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

BY JACKIE SIBBLIES DRURY
DIRECTED BY TERRENCE TYRIE IVORY

ABOUT THIS PRODUCTION:
In this 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama, we see a middle-class Black family preparing for Grandma's birthday, and everything's going wrong--the food isn't ready, the radio is on the fritz, and there's something strange in the air. But what starts as a typical family comedy turns into one of the most startling examinations of the paradigms of race in America...and into a night of theatre you will never, ever, EVER forget.
Simultaneously hysterical and scorching, we are honored to present this piece that celebrates everything that theatre was meant to accomplish.

ABOUT YOUR DIRECTOR:
Mr. Terrence Tyrie Ivory is a lecturer, film director, acting coach, and community leader. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre from Grambling State University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the prestigious Actors Studio Program in New York City. Recently, Ivory filmed a short feature called Blue Eye Shadow (IMDb.com), and the short drama is currently circulating film festivals. Ivory is excited to shoot a feature film called In The Midst of Them in Summer 2024. In short, In the Midst of Them is The Color Purple meets Stranger Things. Mr. Ivory is blessed to have a supportive and loving partner, Ronda J. Ivory, and two beautiful and handsome boys: Breslan (12) and Brycen (10) Ivory.

Exotic Deadly: Or the MSG Play

SF Playhouse
450 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Wednesday, February 19 @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

It’s 1999, and Ami is an awkward Asian American high schooler whose world comes crashing down with a terrible discovery: her family is responsible for manufacturing MSG, the mysterious ingredient getting all the kids hooked! Meanwhile, a cool new girl arrives from Japan, and she’s not playing by the rules. In Keiko Green’s new play, Ami vows to redeem her family name and save the world from MSG. This whimsical, time-traveling adventure is a riotous and hilarious romp through wild teenaged crushes, family legacies, and the magical properties of instant ramen!

About the Playwright
KEIKO GREEN, is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and performer, currently based in Los Angeles and Seattle. Her plays have been produced/developed by the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference, the Kennedy Center, National New Play Network, Atlantic Theatre Co, Ensemble Studio Theatre, the Playwrights Realm, Seattle Rep, the Old Globe, ACT, Cygnet Theatre, among others. She is Chance Theatre’s 2023 Playwright in Residence and holds commissions from the Old Globe, ACT Theatre, and Seattle Shakespeare Co. She was previously Part of Theatre Mu’s inaugural new play incubation group the Mu Tang Clan, as well as Seattle Rep’s Resident Writers Group.

This Land is Our Land

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Friday, February 28 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

This Land is Our Land
Featuring Martha Redbone Roots Project and American Patchwork Quartet

Martha Redbone, guitar and vocals
Clay Ross, guitar and vocals
Falguni Shah, vocals
Yasushi Nakamura, bass
Ocie Davis, drums

Roots music singer and songwriter Martha Redbone lends her soul-stirring voice to a new collaboration with the genre-defying American Patchwork Quartet (a 2025 Grammy nominee), for a performance exploring the United States’ rich cultural tapestry. Redbone draws on her southeastern Cherokee/Choctaw and African American heritage to craft uplifting songs that celebrate the human spirit, infused with the folk and blues sounds of her childhood in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky. She has said, “I feel that the one thing that still resonates physically and emotionally with people is music… [It] is the one field where we still have a fighting chance to be able to share some important, powerful, profound messages.”

March 2025

Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Saturday, March 1 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Beloved South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, with one of “the most distinctive and uplifting choral sounds around” (NPR), visits with its unforgettable harmonies and inspiring message. Since its launch to global stardom on Paul Simon’s Graceland album in 1986, the group has won five Grammys and sung for millions across continents. Born from struggle under its country’s apartheid regime, Ladysmith sings songs of freedom, love, and peace, and Nelson Mandela famously cited the group’s music as a source of strength and inspiration during his imprisonment, later calling them “South Africa’s cultural ambassadors to the world” (Theaterscene).

Raymonda

SF Ballet
War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Friday, March 7 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $25 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

SF Ballet Premiere
DIRECTION AND CHOREOGRAPHY Tamara Rojo, after Marius Petipa
COMPOSER Alexander Glazunov
RUNTIME
Act I – 65 min
Intermission – 20 min
Act II – 31 min
Intermission – 15 min
Act III – 36 min
Total runtime: 2 hours, 47 minutes

Tamara Rojo’s Bold Reimagining of a Timeless Tale of Love and Courage

Raymonda, a woman ahead of her time, embodies the resilience and compassion reminiscent of Florence Nightingale. Set against the backdrop of the 19th-century Crimean War, this adaptation redefines the role of women in both wartime and society. Tamara Rojo’s bold reimagining of Petipa’s timeless classic highlights its heroic and elegant qualities, set to Alexander Glazunov’s soaring score performed by the Grammy Award-winning SF Ballet Orchestra.

WHO IT'S FOR: Anyone who is brat and loves a strong female lead, fans of historical drama, overwhelming orchestral masterpieces, and those who appreciate love triangles of epic proportions. Love Island has nothing on the emotionally charged relationship between Raymonda and her admirers.

Zakir Hussain and Masters of Percussion

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Friday, March 21 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

featuring
Zakir Hussain, tabla
Melissa Hie, djembe
Anantha Krishnan, mridangam and vibraphone
Shikhar Naad Qureshi, multiple percussion instruments
Sriram Ramesh, khanjira
and a tabla choir

Google Zakir Hussain’s name and a Who’s Who of the music world populates your screen: Edgar Meyer, Béla Fleck, Herbie Hancock, George Harrison, Van Morrison, Earth, Wind & Fire, John McLaughlin, Mickey Hart, Kronos Quartet, Yo-Yo Ma…and the list goes on and on. A wildly prolific collaborator, the tabla virtuoso has brought the ecstatic rhythms of Indian classical music to the farthest corners of the globe, masterfully connecting his own musical traditions to a breathtaking array of pop, rock, and folk genres. This latest edition of his popular Masters of Percussion program invites a dynamic cast of virtuoso performers to the Zellerbach Hall stage.

April 2025

Fat Ham

SF Playhouse
450 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Friday, April 4 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama

Critically-acclaimed playwright James Ijames reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece with his new drama, Fat Ham. Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. It feels like a familiar story to Juicy, well-versed in Hamlet’s woes. What’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.

About the Playwright
JAMES IJAMES is a playwright, director and educator. James’ plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theater Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia), The National Black Theatre, JACK, The Public Theater (NYC), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, Timeline Theater (Chicago) Shotgun Players (Berkeley) and have received development with PlayPenn New Play Conference, The Lark, Playwright’s Horizon, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theater, Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre and Victory Garden.

“James Ijames’s outstanding transformation of Shakespeare’s tragedy into a play about Black masculinity and queerness both echoes Hamlet and finds a language beyond it.” The New York Times

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Wednesday, April 9 @ 7:30 PM
Thursday, April 10 @ 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 12 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Strength, precision, and passion remain the hallmarks of the august Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater more than 65 years after its inception. The company’s legendary dancers return to Berkeley with vibrant programs of new and classic works that showcase and synthesize a dazzling range of cultural influences, from spirituals and church hymns, jazz, R&B, and hip-hop, to African dance and classical ballet. Many of the earliest Ailey works and the newest company creations share a common focus: illuminating the rich panorama of Black American experience. Ailey’s monumental Revelations serves as a beacon through it all, and as former company dancer and keeper of the Ailey flame Sylvia Waters observes, “It’s a testament to Alvin’s understanding of humanity and the human spirit. That, yes, people experience despair, struggle, repression, oppression, but they have the resilience and strength to go forward.”

Broken Love

SF Ballet
War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Friday, April 18 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $25 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

BROKEN WINGS
CHOREOGRAPHER Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
COMPOSER Peter Salem
“La Llorona” performed by Geo Meneses and Los Macorinos
MARGUERITE AND ARMAND
CHOREOGRAPHER Sir Frederick Ashton
COMPOSER Franz Liszt
RUNTIME
Broken Wings – 49 min
Intermission – 20 min
Marguerite & Armand – 36 min
Total runtime: 1 hours, 45 minutes

Two Love Stories Retold

In our 2024 Season, you were first introduced to these two strong females leads. This season they return for a retelling of the enduring power of love. Step into the colorful world of Frida Kahlo with Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s critically acclaimed Broken Wings. This mini masterpiece explores the life and art of the celebrated Mexican painter. Enter the realms of the paintings themselves through the lens of Kahlo’s wildly creative spirit. Making its comeback after a popular run of shows last season, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand is a story of fervent love, heartbreak, sacrifice, and forgiveness.

WHO IT'S FOR: Lovers of Frida Kahlo’s surrealist art, anyone with an ear for traditional Mexican folk music, and fans of stories with a powerhouse female lead. The perfect evening for anyone who has CDMX, London, or a trip to the Royal Opera House on their bucket list.

Grupo Corpo

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Friday, April 25 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Brazil’s riveting Grupo Corpo visits in its Cal Performances debut, with two works that showcase the company’s distinctive style, rooted in classical ballet but enriched by folk and popular dance. Co-led by brothers Paulo and Rodrigo Pederneiras, the troupe’s dancers are celebrated for their athleticism, versatility, and deep respect for the connections between music and movement. The choreography in 21 is derived from the rhythmic sequences in the score by Marco Antônio Guimarães and Brazilian instrumental group Uakti. Gira (“SPIN”) is inspired by the Afro-Brazilian religion Umbanda and features music by São Paulo band Metá Metá that combines ritual chanting with animal cries, bird calls, and searing saxophone. “Their…dancers are masters of a scintillating eclecticism of style, able to whip a languorous Latin shimmy into a sharp pirouette, to flip from samba to jazz to ballet in a single phrase” (The Guardian).

Past Events - Fall 2024

Carmen

SF Opera
War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Tuesday, November 19 @ 7:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Her Passion is Freeing. His Obsession is Deadly.

As free as a rebellious bird, it is hard to escape the magnetic allure of Carmen. Entranced by her passionate seguidilla, the soldier Don José descends into a dangerous spiral of desire.
Jealousy and obsession lead to fatal consequences in Francesca Zambello’s production in which matadors bump shoulders with factory workers in the heat of Seville. 
Bizet’s evocative score features some of the most recognizable music in opera, brought to life by conductor Benjamin Manis.

Complete synopsis here.
Run Time: 2 hours and 46 minutes with one intermission
Language: French

Sweet Honey in the Rock

SF Jazz
SFJAZZ Center, Miner Auditorium, 201 Franklin St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Sunday, November 17 @ 3:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

A dynamic and influential a cappella ensemble deeply rooted in Black history and culture, the GRAMMY-winning Sweet Honey in the Rock make their Miner Auditorium debut with a series of concerts celebrating five decades of musical alchemy.

Founded in 1973 by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, the group’s name is derived from a biblical passage that refers to a land rich with sweet honey and in which the rock symbolizes strength and resilience. This imagery reflects the essence of their music, which is both sweet and powerful, infused with spirituality and social consciousness.

Their repertoire spans gospel, blues, jazz, and traditional African melodies, often interwoven with themes of empowerment and love. Through their intricate harmonies, vocal percussion, and soul-stirring performances, Sweet Honey in the Rock have captivated audiences around the world and recorded 27 acclaimed albums including the group’s latest, #LoveInEvolution.

4th New Roots Theatre Festival

SFBATCO
Brava Theater Center, 2781 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Thursday, November 14 - Sunday, November 17
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may buy as many tickets as shows you’d like to see, with one guest @ guest price per student ticket purchased)

4th New Roots Theatre Festival

New Roots is a 4-day arts festival that
🌱 unearths artistic voices in the Bay Area
🎭 celebrates the development of new work
📣 and centers BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices

The 2024 festival line-up features 2 SFBATCO commissions, 1 SFBATCO co-production, 1 presentation by Z Space, and a showcase of works from our beloved Creators Lab program.

All five of these dynamic projects are in various stages of development, and the festival offerings range from staged readings to fully memorized workshop productions.

***Updated Access!!***
One NO/NO Ticket gets you a ticket to ONE of the follow performances of your choice. When we are closer to the festival date, NO/NO will email you a code for you to redeem a ticket to the specific performance of your choice. You may buy multiple tickets to see multiple shows (one guest ticket @ guest price per student ticket).

• The Day the Sky Turned Orange: Fri 11/15: 8:00 PM, Sat 11/16: 5:00 PM, Sun 11/17: 4:00 PM 

• Cuckoo Edible Magic: Sat 11/16: 2:00 PM, Sun 11/17: 8:00 PM

• Library Play: Fri 11/15: 6:30 PM, Sat 11/16: 3:30 PM, Sun 11/17: 6:00 PM

• Creators Lab Showcase: Thu 11/14: 6:30 PM, Sat 11/16: 6:30 PM, Sun 11/17: 2:00 PM

The Day the Sky Turned Orange (SFBATCO)
MAIN STAGE
Fri 11/15: 8:00 PM, Sat 11/16: 5:00 PM, Sun 11/17: 4:00 PM
September 2020. San Francisco. An ominous sky.
High school science teacher Amari must let go of her grief while starting a new relationship; her brother, QC, grapples with the realities of long-COVID and his future as an artist; and her student, Alé, is just trying to pay for remote therapy.
Painted with the background of the ongoing pandemic, Black Lives Matters uprisings, and an upcoming election, these interconnected San Franciscans face yet another sobering moment: the day the sky turned orange.
This R&B and pop musical from Julius Rea, Olivia Kuper Harris, and David Michael Ott is a testament to living through the trials of 2020 as well as a compassionate reminder of the importance of caring for our planet, our communities, and ourselves.

Cuckoo Edible Magic (SFBATCO)
MAIN STAGE
Sat 11/16: 2:00 PM, Sun 11/17: 8:00 PM
When otaku-besties Ren and Mai step outside to discover an anime-blue sky, their first thought is, “Damn, this edible is strong.” But they quickly discover something more sinister afoot. A Sailor Moon-esque adventure through the Bay Area pits our nunchuk-armed heroes against one villain after the next - from a maniacal rice cooker to evil BART contortionists to supercharged Dim Sum cart ladies. These unlikely heroes must save the Bay Area, but they can’t do it alone: they’ll need help from Mai’s tough-love parents, Ren’s over-involved sister, and maybe even a cute corner store employee. 
The two friends’ quest is as wacky as it is poignant. CHamoru playwright Reed Flores explores themes of Bay Area AAPI life, Queer love, and complex family dynamics–both “born” and “chosen.” Developed through SFBATCO’s Creators Lab, Cuckoo Edible Magic promises to evoke laughter, tears, and a craving for some ha gao.

Library Play (Z Space)
STUDIO THEATER
Fri 11/15: 6:30 PM, Sat 11/16: 3:30 PM, Sun 11/17: 6:00 PM
Step into the mesmerizing world of 'Library Play,' an Afrofuturistic Monodrama that delves into the essence of being a guardian of stories and histories, especially those of forgotten people. Follow the journey of a new librarian who must protect the library and its untold stories from the encroaching threat of A.I. cyborgs. With the unlikely alliance of a resourceful middle schooler and a minstrel superhero, they embark on a daring quest to safeguard the rich tapestry of black oral history within the library's archives.
As the plot unfolds, a profound revelation surfaces: each of us is a custodian of our own stories, and it is our duty to preserve and honor these narratives as sacred. This innovative solo performance is a whirlwind of action, humor, and introspection, offering a message of hope and resilience that resonates deeply in today's world.

Creators Lab Showcase (SFBATCO)
STUDIO THEATER
Thu 11/14: 6:30 PM, Sat 11/16: 6:30 PM, Sun 11/17: 2:00 PM
SFBATCO’s 2024 cohort of creators – Maya De La Rosa-Cohen, Hasti Jafari, Christina Li, Ashley S Raggs, and Edith Castorena –  present five original works developed in in SFBATCO’s incubation space for emerging creators. Excerpts from these unique pieces explore themes of family, heritage, San Francisco life, freedom, and more. 
The First Three recounts a gay couple’s battle to become California’s first family to share equal parenthood. Homing Pigeons & Co follows two friends whose activism and differences become more disastrous with each passing day. In Clay Street, Chinatown, a Chinese woman learns freedom’s cost in 1850s San Francisco. Bay Dreaming tells the story of an African American girl in San Francisco losing her mother and her acting dreams. Finally, Named After My Mother explores fathers and lovers’ impact on three generations of San Francisco women linked by magic, fog, and one name.

Cabaret Latino “Cantos De Mi Tierra” - CANCELED (rescheduling)

Cabaret Latino Cantos De Mi Tierra
Women’s Faculty Club, UC Berkeley Campus

Hola! Bienvenidos! Cabaret Latino Cantos De Mi Tierra was born when five Martuni’s regulars joined voices to bring to the beloved piano bar the first-ever, all-Spanish, music event. The shows include rhythms that have influenced each performer’s individual musical journey and songs near and dear to their hearts from all across Latin America. Songs that have helped shape a sense of belonging, express love, process grief, and celebrate life through the beauty of the Spanish language. All the songs performed are from some of the best performers and composers from Cuba, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and beyond.

Five original members formed this ensemble in the summer of 2023. On October 15, 20 and 21, 2023 we performed three sold-out shows at our home away from home, Martuni’s. Due to popular demand, we added two more shows at Martuni’s on January 15 and 21, 2024. Soon after, we were thrilled to be invited to perform at the beautiful nightclub, Feinstein’s at the Nikko. For this show, we added a bassist and a percussionist to our ensemble. Our performance on August 17, 2024 was also sold out. If we have to define Cantos De Mi Tierra we would say we’re a concept, much more than a band. We have always envisioned a rotating cohort of incredible Latino talent. Our goals for our shows are to always offer something fresh and different, to introduce our audiences to new sounds they may not have heard before, and to provide an outlet for local talent.

CURRENT MEMBERS

Armando Fox, Musical Director: Armando is a Cuban-American New Yorker living in San Francisco. A classically trained pianist since age 5, and a pretty bad accordionist and woodwind player, Armando has handled the orchestration for many musical theater productions and has served as Music Director for dozens of Bay Area shows. By day he is an award-winning computer science professor and diversity officer at UC Berkeley.

Edu González, Vocalist: Edu was born and raised in Puerto Rico and moved to the Bay Area for graduate school in 2010. He joined the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus after discovering his talent for singing at a karaoke bar in Palo Alto. Edu stumbled upon Martuni’s one night after chorus rehearsal and has been a regular at the piano bar ever since. He made his theatrical debut last year as a tenor in 42nd Street Moon’s production of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “A Grand Night for Singing”.

Laura Ramos, Vocalist: Born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico, Laura grew up surrounded by music. Her father was a skilled guitarist and well-connected to the local music scene of the era. Bohemian nights at home were the norm where both her father and mother would sing. It wasn’t surprising when Laura started singing in her elementary school’s choral ensemble and later became the lead vocalist for well-known music bands in her town of Córdoba.

David Kelly-Tuason, Bass: David is an accomplished musician. He has played dozens of musicals in the Bay Area, and he’s the regular choir director and accompanist at St. Anthony church in Oakland. David is also a member of the Ukulenny & Dos Pogi Boys!

Ryan Friedman, Percussion: Ryan is a multi-disciplinary, classically-trained, percussionist with more than 20 years of experience performing in musical theater, jazz big band, and symphony orchestras. He has performed in more than 60 theatrical productions throughout the Bay Area, and played at very high-profile venues like Davies Symphony Hall and Saint Mary’s Cathedral in San Francisco, and the Sorbonne in Paris!

Stories From Home

Berkeley Symphony
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Sunday, November 10 @ 4:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Pre-concert chat**

Embark on a soul-stirring journey with Berkeley Symphony’s Stories From Home. Silvestre Revueltas’ Redes Suite immerses you in the vibrant world of Mexican fishing communities, while Samuel Barber’s Knoxville: Summer of 1915, featuring acclaimed soprano soloist Lisa Delan, evokes nostalgic charm. Kris Bowers’ For a Younger Self invites introspection through Grammy-winning violinist Charles Yang’s enchanting and expressive musicianship. Experience the magical allure of Leonard Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, a fusion of jazz, Latin rhythms, and classical motifs. Celebrate music’s power to unite and shape our collective stories.

Joseph Young, Conductor
Lisa Delan, Soprano
Charles Yang, Violin
Silvestre Revueltas, Redes Suite
Samuel Barber, Knoxville: Summer of 1915, Lisa Delan
Kris Bowers, For A Younger Self (Bay Area Premiere), Charles Yang
Bernstein, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story

Free Pre-Concert Chat 1 hour before the show
These informative and engaging pre-concert talks offer fascinating insights into the music you are about to experience. Learn about the program’s cultural and historical context, along with guided listening. Additionally, there will be live interviews with guest artists, composers, and orchestra musicians! Music talks take place one hour before all Symphonic Series concerts. Admission is free to all ticket holders.

Two Black Churches + Carmina Burana

Oakland Symphony
Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Friday, November 8 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Pre-concert talk**

Program:
SHAWN OKPEBHOLO Zoom!
SHAWN OKPEBHOLO Two Black Churches
     Oakland Symphony co-commission
CARL ORFF Carmina Burana

Meechot Marrero, soprano
Ashley Faatoalia, tenor
Will Liverman, baritone
Oakland Symphony Chorus
Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir

Pre-concert talk by John Kendall Bailey begins at 7:05 pm

Tristan and Isolde

SF Opera
War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Tuesday, November 5 @ 6:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Torn by Hate, They Become One in Love.

Isolde has been captured by Tristan, who is delivering her as a trophy to his uncle, King Marke. She seeks death for them both, but when her maid swaps out the intended poison with a love potion, so begins an epic romance.
Though their love is doomed from the start, the couple cannot help but meet in secret, until the King uncovers their tryst and banishes Tristan forever. Can they find a realm vast enough to hold their passion?
The apex of Romanticism and one of the world’s most influential artworks, Wagner’s opera is a unique expression of love at the extremes of human possibility. Music Director Eun Sun Kim continues her journey through Wagner’s operas, bringing back this transcendent score for the first time in 18 years.

Complete sysnopsis here.
Run Time: 4 hours 33 minutes with two intermissions
Language: German

Step Afrika! The Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence

Cal Peformances
Zellerbach Hall, 101 Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720
Sunday, November 3 @ 3:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Washington DC’s celebrated step dance company celebrates its 30th anniversary with a powerful production that tells the story of the Great Migration through Black dance forms, bold visual art, and vivid theatricality. The Migration is based on Jacob Lawrence’s famous series of paintings from the early 1940s that explored the Black American migration experience in a modernist style with a distinctive earth-tone color palette. Set to an uplifting soundtrack that includes music by Nina Simone and John Coltrane, gospel, and West African drumming, the movement traces a historical arc from Africa to the post–Civil War South to a new life in the North, the choreography a mix of stepping, tap, body percussion, and modern dance. “A life-affirming evening of theater” (DC Theatre Scene). Step Afrika’s past season performances sold out, so get your tickets now!

Día de los Muertos

SF Symphony
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Saturday, November 2 @ 3:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Check out the photo exhibit**

Join us for a celebration of Latin American music and culture including lobby installations by local artists. The dynamic concert program features traditional music with contemporary works honoring the rich heritage of this ancient holiday. The event is curated by longtime collaborator Martha Rodríguez-Salazar.

CONCERT EXTRAS
Photo Exhibit: Nature in Art. Art in Nature. Head to Davies Symphony Hall’s First Tier lobby for a photography exhibit exploring the intersection of nature and art, with artwork by First Exposures. On display Sep 19–Nov 2.

Wilkins Conducts Rhapsody In Blue

SF Symphony
Davies Symphony Hall, 201 Van Ness Ave, San Francisco, CA 94102
Saturday, October 26 @ 7:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest)
**Check out the photo exhibit**

Conductor Thomas Wilkins celebrates the verve and vigor of 20th-century American music in a program featuring Rhapsody in Blue and music from Porgy and Bess, two works that have lured many an innocent ear into lifelong Gershwin fandom. Leonard Bernstein’s Candide is a valentine to European music, but the music is deeply American: inclusive, empathic, endlessly curious. William Grant Still’s orchestral suite Wood Notes is inspired by the landscapes of the American South and the poetry of Joseph Mitchell Pilcher.

CONCERT EXTRAS:
Photo Exhibit: Nature in Art. Art in Nature. Head to Davies Symphony Hall’s First Tier lobby for a photography exhibit exploring the intersection of nature and art, with artwork by First Exposures. On display Sep 19–Nov 2.

The Thanksgiving Play

Altarena Playhouse
Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High Street, Alameda, CA 94501
Friday, October 25 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Food and drinks in the lobby after the show**

From Larissa FastHorse, the first known female Native American playwright on Broadway, this wickedly funny satire cleverly shows how good intentions and cultural assumptions collide when a troupe of misguided teaching artists scrambles to create a pageant that somehow manages to celebrate both Thanksgiving Day and Native American Heritage Month.

OPENING NIGHT SPECIAL: There will be food and drinks in the lobby after the show!

Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse Live in Concert

Broadway SF
Golden Gate Theatre, 1 Taylor St. San Francisco, CA 94102
Sunday, October 20 @ 6:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring as many guests as you’d like @ guest price)

Building on the success of the sold-out global shows of the first Oscar®-winning Spider-Man™ animated Spider-Verse film, comes the highly anticipated sequel: SPIDER-MAN™: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, set to captivate audiences in concert venues worldwide.
These films have garnered immense popularity, largely due to their groundbreaking soundtracks praised for their innovative fusion of orchestral and electronic elements alongside scratch DJ techniques.
The upcoming spectacle will feature the movie showcased on a colossal HD screen, complemented by a diverse ensemble of musicians and instrumentalists performing the film’s iconic score and soundtrack live. This extraordinary lineup includes a full orchestra, a skilled scratch DJ on turntables, as well as percussion and electronic instrumentalists. 

ABOUT THE FILM
In SPIDER-MAN™: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE, we witness the return of Miles Morales, our beloved friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, he embarks on an interdimensional journey across the Multiverse. Here, he encounters the Spider Society, a formidable team charged with safeguarding the very fabric of reality. However, when differing approaches to a new threat divide the heroes, Miles must navigate this rift alone, driven by a determination to protect those he holds dear.

Angels In America Parts I & II

Oakland Theater Project
Marin Shakespeare Company, 514 Fourth Street, San Rafael, CA 94901
Saturday, October 19, Part I @ 2:00 PM, Part II @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Double Header! Ticket includes both Part I and Part II

PART 1: MILLENNIUM APPROACHES
PART 2: PERESTROIKA
by Tony Kushner, directed by Michael Socrates Moran

New York City, 1985. Amid the AIDS crisis, two couples struggle to navigate their relationships, families, careers, illness, and dreams. As the lives of Prior, Louis, Joe and Harper unfold, so do questions of cosmic justice.
In Tony Kushner’s multi-award-winning American epic, each person is confronted with truths they have struggled to face—about themselves, about one another, and about the world at large—and the painful, transformative power of those realities.
As ghosts of historical figures mingle with contemporary prophets and timeless angels, the power of Kushner’s narrative reverberates into the perils of the present, as America barrels toward another historic election.
As humans—those with the power to change and create—Kushner’s timeless drama offers much-needed hope for our future—and an opportunity to re-engage with the “Great Work” before us

"To attend Oakland Theater Project’s Angels in America: Part 1: Millennium Approaches is to witness a 33-year-old work becoming a classic in real time... the overwhelming feeling watching the show... is that this play is about us, right now." —San Francisco Chronicle

Family Matinee With Marcus Shelby & Friends

SF Jazz
SFJAZZ Center, Miner Auditorium, 201 Franklin St, San Francisco CA 94102
Saturday, October 19 @ 11:00 AM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Meet and Greet with Marcus Shelby**

We are always happy to celebrate the music of jazz pianist and composer Thelonious Monk, who was born in North Carolina on October 10th, 1917. Monk was known as the “genius of modern music,” and his compositions are some of the most well known and most recorded jazz pieces in the world. Along with saxophonist Charlie Parker and trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, Monk is considered among the most important composers, instrumentalists and innovators of modern jazz. For this special birthday tribute, bassist and band leader Marcus Shelby shares his love of Monk’s music and his legacy. 

Special Meet and Greet: Meet Marcus Shelby in the lobby after the show!

Kedrick Armstrong Inaugural Inextinguishable Oakland!

Oakland Symphony
Paramount Theater, 2025 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Friday, October 18 @ 8:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Pre-concert talk**

Program:
JULIA PERRY A Short Piece for Orchestra
Celebrate the 40 Year Anniversary of Living Jazz
with three jazz-rooted compositions.

Allison Miller, Modern Jazz
John Santos, Afro-Latin
Meklit, Ethio Jazz

Valley of the Giants (for Eddie Marshall)
Composer by Allison Miller
Arrangement and Orchestration by Todd Sickafoose
Featured Artist: Allison Miller
Guest Artist: Dayna Stephens

Medley: Ethio Blue, My Gold, Stars in a Wide Field
Songs and Lyrics by Meklit
Arrangement and Orchestration by Sam Bevan
Featured Artist: Meklit
Guest Artists:
Sam Bevan, Bass
Colin Douglas, Drumkit
Marco Peris Coppola, Tupan/Percussion

Un Levantamiento (An Uprising)
Composer, percussion: John Santos
Arrangers: Saul Sierra and John Santos
Featured Artist: John Santos
Guest Artists:
Pedro Pastrana, Puerto Rican cuatro
Maria Cora, spoken word

CARL NIELSEN Symphony No. 4, “The Inextinguishable”

Pre-concert talk by John Kendall Bailey begins at 7:05 pm

Choir Boy

Shotgun Players
Ashby Stage, 1901 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, California 94703
Thursday, October 17 @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Post show discussion**

Tony Award-winning vocal arrangements by Jason Michael Webb 

Pharus attends the Charles R. Drew Prep School for Boys and is the lead singer for their renowned choir. He is not only open about his queer identity, he also questions long-held traditions. With contemporary arrangements of traditional African American spirituals and dance, Choir Boy is a brilliant, moving, and uplifting play from Academy Award-winning playwright, Tarell Alvin McCraney. This is not a coming-out story. It's a story about the power of self-love.

“In his stirring and stylishly told drama, Tarell Alvin McCraney cannily explores race and sexuality and the graces and gravity of history.”  - NY Daily News

RUN TIME: 1 hour and 55 minutes with no intermission 
Post show conversation hosted by Shotgun Players!

Disney on Ice Mickey’s Search Party

Disney on Ice
Oakland Arena, 7000 S Coliseum Wy, Oakland, CA 94621
Thursday, October 17 @ 6:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $25 (you may bring as many guests as you’d like)

Join Mickey and his friends at Disney On Ice presents Mickey’s Search Party, an adventure filled with world-class skating, high-flying acrobatics and unexpected stunts! Explore the colorful spirit realm of Coco, sail away with Moana, see Belle in the sky as the enchanted chandelier comes to life, and sing-along with Elsa. Make memories during Aladdin, Toy Story and The Little Mermaid as the search party becomes an all-out celebration!

Port Chicago 50

Great Star Theater
Great Star Theater, 636 Jackson St, San Francisco, CA 94133
Friday, October 11 @ 6:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Talk back, reception with food, and photo ops**

Stage Play: The Untold Story of the Port Chicago Disaster

Inspired by true events, this powerful theatrical production sheds light on the forgotten history of African American sailors recruited by the United States Navy during World War II. These men were assigned to the highly dangerous task of loading artillery onto ships at the Port Chicago shipyard in California, a segregated facility where Black sailors faced unsafe working conditions and racial discrimination.

In the summer of 1944, tragedy struck. A massive explosion ripped through the shipyard, killing 320 sailors—202 of them African American. The disaster raised crucial questions about the treatment of Black servicemen in the U.S. military, igniting one of the largest mutinies of the war and a landmark moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Through gripping performances and historical accuracy, the play explores themes of bravery, sacrifice, and the quest for justice in the face of systemic racism. Meet these heroic men. Get to know their hopes, dreams and quest for The American Dream. Written by David Shackelford and Dennis Rowe, Port Chicago 50 is a roller coaster of laughs and drama.

Join us as we bring to life this important, yet often overlooked, chapter of American history—a story of courage, loss, and the fight for equality amidst the chaos of war. Produced by Dennis Rowe Entertainment.

Video: Port Chicago 50 at the Great Star Theater
Doors open at 6:30pm, show starts at 7pm.

Meet some special guests after the show:
Join us for a talk back with the cast, a reception with food, photo opportunities with possible special guests flying in from Washington DC, General Counsel and Chief Legal Officer of the Department of the Navy, Sean Coffey. Coffey will participate in the talk back and discuss the recent pardon of the men of Port Chicago

Arts in the Afternoon and Reception: Ken Ueno

Women’s Faculty Club
Women’s Faculty Club, UC Berkeley Campus
Thursday, October 10 @ 4:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $10 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Ticket includes reception with food, a certificate to return to the WFC for lunch at a later date, swag, and raffle**

New work by composer, vocalist and sound artist professor Ken Ueno: https://kenueno.com/

There will be music, and a reception with food!

Special NONO offer: Every attendee gets a Women’s Faculty bag with 2 free gift certificates for lunch at the Women’s Faculty Club at a later date! and is entered in a raffle.
A fun recommendation: Bring your favorite faculty member of color when you go back for lunch at a later date

The Moth StorySLAM - STRANGE ENCOUNTERS

Freight & Salvage
Freight & Salvage, 2020 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Wednesday, October 9 @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $15 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Meet and Greet with Executive Director Clayton Shelvin**

The Moth StorySLAM is an open-mic storytelling competition in which anyone can share a true, personal, 5-minute story on the night's theme. Sign up for a chance to tell a story or sit back and enjoy the show!

Tonight’s theme is…

STRANGE ENCOUNTERS: Prepare a five-minute story about unexpected brushes with the peculiar, the wild, and the extraordinary. Cryptozooilogical creatures, familiar faces with unfamiliar behaviors, and peculiar places that have branded themselves on your brain. Whether haunting, heartwarming, or utterly confusing, we want to know about your most uniquely bizarre experiences.

Pre-show Meet and Greet: Meet with the Executive Director of Freight & Salvage, Clayton Shelvin, before the show in the lobby!

Mexodus

Berkeley Rep Theatre
Peet’s Theatre, 2025 Addison St, Berkeley, CA 94704
Tuesday, October 8 @ 7:00 PM
Special GSOC Price: $20 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)
**Post show discussion and reception with photo ops**

History meets hip-hop in Mexodus, an electrifying live-looping musical, composed in real-time by multitalented writer/performers Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Mexodus explores the often-untold stories of the Underground Railroad that led south into Mexico. Don’t miss this groundbreaking, theatrical experience of resilience and resistance, celebrating the power of Black and Brown solidarity.

Post Event Add Ons
Post show discussion: Join us after the show for a postshow discussion, expertly guided by members of Berkeley Rep’s artistic team
Post show reception: Join us for a post show reception and a photo op with the actors!

SF Community Fashion Week

Friday, October 4th & Saturday October 5th, 2024 (TWO DAYS)
Special GSOC Price: $30 (you may bring one guest @ guest price)

Join us to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Award-winning Fashion Community Week, taking place this October 3rd to 5th. Day one (Oct 4th) features a pop up, crafted cocktails, red carpet fashion photography and mingling with influencers. Day two (Oct. 5th) commences with a VIP reception, social hour and a one-of-a-kind fashion show featuring global designers and models on the runway. The evening continues with music and a celebration gathering.

The Special GSOC ticket will provide you access to the following events:

Fashion Week Opening Party
Friday, October 4th, 7 PM -11 PM
Executive Order Bar & Lounge 868 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94103
You are invited to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of the Award-winning Fashion Community Week's opening party on Friday, October 4th at the chic Executive Order Lounge. Join us to enjoy crafted cocktails, delectable bites, viewing trendy fashionable pieces and socializing with the local fashionistas! We invite you to wear your favorite attire to join us in fun photo sessions. We look forward to having a fun time with you at our Fashion Week Party!

Fashion Week: One of a Kind Fashion show
Saturday, October 5th, 6 PM - 12 AM
The Marker, 501 Geary Street San Francisco, CA 94102
You are cordially invited to the 10th year anniversary of the Award- Winning Fashion Community Week. Join us to the most popular fashion show of the Bay Area! It is taking place at the majestic Marker Hotel at the Union Square in San Francisco. The show gained 120 media coverage hits in 2023 and has sold out every season. This evening will feature a runway show featuring extravagant collections by outstanding global designers!
The evening will begin with a VIP Red Carpet and social hour at 6pm followed by an exquisite one of a kind fashion show at 7.30pm. The evening will continue with a celebration gathering at 9pm with cocktails and music. We look forward to having a Fashionable time with you at our Fashion Week show!

Wicked

Broadway SF
Orpheum Theatre, 1192 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94102
Thursday, October 3 @ 7:30 PM
Special GSOC Price: $30 (you may bring as many guests as you’d like @ the guest price)

WICKED, the Broadway sensation, looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin—smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships…until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “wicked.”

From the first electrifying note to the final breathtaking moment, WICKED—the untold true story of the Witches of Oz—transfixes audiences with its wildly inventive story that TIME Magazine cheers is “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart and courage.”

Check out the Past Events pages to see previous events!