Weekend Preview Weekend Preview (April 27, 2005)

THURSDAY

"Crowns" will run through May 1 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts. Adapted from Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry's book "Crowns: Portraits of Black Women in Church Hats," playwright/actress Regina Taylor's "Crowns" is an uplifting celebration of faith and family. Show times are Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets are $20-$50, with discounts available for youth, students, seniors and members. For tickets and information please call (650) 903-6000 or visit www.theatreworks.org.

"On the Edge: Contemporary Chinese Artists Encounter the West" will run through May 1 at Stanford's Cantor Arts Center. The exhibition explores the artists' position in the art world and China's position in the world. The Cantor Arts Center is located off Palm Drive, at Lomita Drive and Museum Way. It is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Thursday until 8 p.m. Admission is free. Docents will give free tours of the exhibition on Thursdays at 12:15 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Wallace Stegner: Throwing a Long Shadow" will run through June 12 at the Los Altos History Museum. The retrospective covers the life and influence of Stegner, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, teacher, environmentalist and Peninsula treasure. Regular viewing hours are Thursday through Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is located at 51 South San Antonio Road in Los Altos. For more information, please call (650) 948-9427 or visit www.losaltoshistory.org.

Stanford Art Spaces presents a "Philippine Art Exhibit" through June 23. The exhibition features works by 14 Philippine artists. The Center for Integrated Systems Art Spaces is located on the Stanford University campus. Admission is free. The center is open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information please call (650) 725-3622 or visit http://cis.stanford.edu/~marigros.

"Color and Light" is currently on display at the Palo Alto Junior Museum & Zoo, 1451 Middlefield Road. Viewing hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, please call (650) 329-2111 or visit www.pajmzfriends.org/membership.htm.

FRIDAY

"Zombie Prom" will preview tonight at 8 p.m. at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Presented by Palo Alto Players, the production is a zany musical send-up of 1950s and "B" horror films. It will officially open on Saturday at 8 p.m. and run through May 15. Regular show times are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $22 for Sunday performances; $24 for Wednesday and Thursday performances; $25 for Friday evenings; $27 for Saturday evenings; $29 for Saturday's opening-night performance. Students and seniors receive a $3 discount for Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday performances. For tickets please call (650) 329-0891. For more information please visit www.paplayers.org.

Stanford Savoyards will present Gilbert & Sullivan's "Iolanthe" tonight at 8 p.m. at Stanford's Dinkelspiel Auditorium. Additional show times are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 general; $10 seniors; $8 student sand will be available by phone or in person from the Stanford Ticket Office at 650-725-2787. For more information please visit www.stanford.edu/group/savoyards.

"The Belle of Amherst" will open tonight at 8 p.m. at the Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Avenue, Unit K in Mountain View. Written by William Luce, the play is a solo-performance piece based on the life and writings of Emily Dickinson. Additional show times are Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. The production will be repeated at similar times the weekend of May 5-8. Tickets are $10-$20 ($25 for the opening-night gala). For more information call (650) 254-1148 or visit www.thepear.org.

"Peter Pan" will be presented tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the Palo Alto Children's Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Based on the play by J.M. Barrie, the musical features music by Mark Charlap and Jule Styne and lyrics by Carolyn Leigh, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. Additional show times are April 30 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m.; May 4 at 4:30 p.m., May 5 at 4:30 p.m., May 6 at 7:30 p.m. and May 7 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $6 adults; $3 children and will be available from the Palo Alto Children's Theatre Box Office Tuesday through Saturday from 1:30 to 6 p.m. or by calling (650) 463-4970.

"Human Exhibit" will run through May 5 at Modernbook Gallery, 494 University Ave. in Palo Alto. The exhibit features Rick Chapman's photographs of Cuba and India. Modernbook Gallery is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. For more information please call (650) 327-6325 or visit www.modernbook.com.

SATURDAY

Gallery House will feature glass work by Paul Armel and photographs by Pete Zivkov through April 30. Admission is free. Viewing hours are Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Gallery House is located at 320 California Ave. in Palo Alto. For more information please call (650) 326-1668 or visit www.galleryhouse2.com.

The Ives Quartet will perform tonight at 8 p.m. at St. Mark's Episcopal Church, 600 Colorado Ave. in Palo Alto. The concert will feature Swiss clarinetist Dimitri Ashkenazy, with the American premiere of "Hymn to Artemis Locheia" by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. Other works will include "String Quartet, Op. 13" by Mendelssohn and "String Quartet, Op. 135" by Beethoven. Tickets are $25 general, $20 seniors, $15 students, free for children 12 & under. For more information please call (650) 328-0990 or visit www.ivesquartet.org.

The Fortnightly Music Club will host a benefit concert tonight at 8 p.m. at the Palo Alto Art Center, 1313 Newell Road. Program highlights will include Ravel's "Sonatine," Gounod's "Ave Maria," Bennett's "Four Piece Suite for Two Pianos," Beethoven's "Appassionata Sonata" and Mendelssohn's "Trio in C minor Op.66." Tickets are $15 general; $12 students. Proceeds will go toward caring for pianos at the Palo Alto Art Center auditorium. For more information please visit www.fornightlymusicclub.org.

SUNDAY

Tom Chapin will perform today from 1 to 4 p.m. at Foothill College's Smithwick Theatre, 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills. This family concert is recommended for children ages 4 and up. Tickets are $15 ($17 at the door). Proceeds will be donated to Music For Minors, which provides music-education classes in elementary schools throughout San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, as well as to other groups. All seats are reserved and may be purchased at www.peopleofnote.org or by calling (408) 255-8322. Group rates are available.

Film
A preview of the San Francisco International Film festival, which will be screening locally at the Aquarius Theatre in Palo Alto.

Theater
A review of the Stanford Savoyards' production of "Iolanthe."

Eating Out
A review of Sun Tofu in Palo Alto.

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