February 3 11:00am - 12:00pm, Curator Tour of Bikes Exhibition- The Culture of Speed. Gain a deeper understanding of Customized: the Art and History of the Bicycle exhibition from the curators that developed the exhibit. This month's tour will focus on transportation inventions at the turn of the 20th century and the culture of speed. The tour meets in the lobby of the Sonoma County Museum and costs $4, in addition to regular admission. Tour is limited to 15 people. The exhibit closes on February 5. www.sonomacountymuseum.org
February 3 5 - 7pm, First Friday at Corrick's - Meet the Artists Susan Sohl and Yvonne Giambrone-Martin. The ARTrails Gallery at Corrick's has been formed in association with the Arts Council of Sonoma County to promote local artists year-round. With elegant hors d'oeuvres from Bistro 29. 637 Fourth Street. www.corricks.com
February 3-5 Walking Elephant Theater Company presents Civil Disobedience: The Musical at The Glaser Center. Actors 8 to 18 interviewed brilliant, charismatic people about civil disobedience. Now watch as these young actors portray them, word for word, live - on stage, with original songs and movement pieces. Directed by Brian Glenn Bryson. www.glasercenter.com
February 4 Family Day at the Sonoma County Museum. Join us in conjunction with the museum's exhibition Native-American Kashaya portraits for the Family Day that celebrates Native American history with activities, demonstrations, and hands-on crafts. Free admission for children 12 and under, and free for members of the museum. Regular admission applies for all others. www.sonomacountymuseum.org
February 4 5-8pm, Small Works 2012: Open Studio Evening at SOFA (South A Street Arts District), 5-8pm. Visit several artist studios in the SOFA district to view affordable, small artworks, including Gallery 300 and Backstreet Gallery.
Thru February 5 The Drowsy Chaperone. It all begins when a die-hard musical theater fan plays his favorite cast album on his turntable, and the musical literally bursts to life in his living room, telling the rambunctious tale of a brazen Broadway starlet trying to find, and keep, her true love. This all-singing, all-dancing, Tony award-winning, brassy Broadway musical is a sure-fire hit for those of us who love musical theatre, and who maybe secretly have that one favorite show that they “star” in when no one else is looking! 6th Street Playhouse, 52 W. 6th Street. www.6thstreetplayhouse.com
February 6 - 25 The Sonoma County Museum will be closed for the installation of our upcoming exhibition The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs.
February 10 - 26 Proof, Directed by David Lear, at the 6th Street Playhouse. Winner of 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award for Best Play. Catherine, a troubled young woman, has spent years caring for her brilliant but unstable father, a famous mathematician. Now, following his death, she must deal with her own volatile emotions; the arrival of her estranged sister, Claire; and the attentions of Hal, a former student of her father's who hopes to find valuable work in the 103 notebooks that her father left behind. www.6thstreetplayhouse.com
February 12 Love, 6th Street Improv Style (Note: Show will probably sell out. Advanced ticket purchase highly recommended.) Put a smile on your sweetie's face this Valentine's Day with the gift of laughter! Once again, 6th Street Improv brings you a fabulous evening of laughter and poignant reflection on matters of the heart. 6th Street Improv takes audience suggestions and makes up delightful scenes, songs, and poetry on the spot. They even get a few audience members into the act. For a Valentine's celebration you won't soon forget, head on down to 6th Street and let us be your Funny Valentines! www.6thstreetplayhouse.com
February 24 SSU Department of Theater Arts & Dance presents How I Learned to Drive, The Pulitzer-winning play by Paula Vogel. Fasten your seatbelt. Life takes some dangerous curves!'How I Learned to Drive' is a wildly funny, harrowing and beautiful play tracing a young woman's path through time as she recalls learning the rules of the road (and life) from behind the wheel of her uncle's '62 Buick Riviera. This 1998 drama delicately tells the story of Lil; Bit and her Uncle Peck, while exploring issues of abuse, adolescent sexuality, family alienation and manipulation. This critically acclaimed production was presented last year at Sonoma State university, In a very special benefit for the Glaser Center, it is being restaged as an encore presentation. Age recommended 15 and older. www.glasercenter.com
February 25 5-7pm, Grand Opening Reception for The Tsars’ Cabinet at the Sonoma County Museum. Join us for an evening of live music, a vodka bar and Russian-style appetizers, as we celebrate the opening of the exhibition, The Tsar’s Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Russian Decorative Arts under the Romanovs. Admission: Museum Members are Free. $15 for the general public. sonomacountymuseum.org
February 25 - 26 An Unfinished Life, A Musical Tribute to Kate Wolf by Randall Keith Horton. The acclaimed California Redwood Chorale presents the world premiere of Randall Keith Horton's moving and electrifying musical-theatrical tribute to one of America's most gifted folk musiciains, the late Kate Wolf. Along with original pieces, the choral pice inlcudes some of Wolf's best-known songs, including 'Across the Great Divide,' 'Give Yourself to Love,' 'Red Talied Hawk,' and more. The California Redwood Chorale will be joined by musician Don Coffin, singer Bonnie Brooks, and vocalist Jacob Brown. www.glasercenter.com
February 26 - May 27 The Tsars’ Cabinet: Two Hundred Years of Decorative Arts Under the Romanovs, Kashaya Portratis: Historic and Contemporary, and Inez Storer exhibitions. In honor of the 200th anniversary of Fort Ross, SCM will present The Tsar’s Cabinet exhibition. Organized by the Muscarelle Museum of Art at the College of William and Mary, the exhibition highlights more than 200 years of decorative arts under the Romanovs during the 18th and 19th centuries. Most of the works were designed for use by the tsars' and members of their families, while others illustrate prominent styles of the period. Comprising objects ranging from porcelain services, glassware, enamel, silver gilt, and decorated eggs, the exhibition is a comprehensive and inclusive collection demonstrating the majesty and luxury of the Romanov reign. sonomacountymuseum.org
Thru March 1 Obie G Bowman: Biomorphic Imagery, an exhibition at City Hall Council Chambers. 100 Santa Rosa Avenue. Opening Reception: January 20, 5-7pm (More info)