IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Livermore Valley Arts 

Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306 

[email protected] 

Livermore Valley Arts Announces Exciting 2025 Summer Season, 

Full of Returning Favorites and Thrilling Debuts, at The Bankhead 

Livermore, CA – (February 5, 2025) – Livermore Valley Arts is thrilled to announce its bustling 2025 summer season in Downtown Livermore, full of favorites making patron-requested return visits as well as some exciting Tri-Valley debuts. The summer starts out on Juneteenth weekend 

with Bankhead favorite, the triumphant and moving Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, on Saturday, June 21, followed next by a return visit from “the funniest woman in the world” (Judd Apatow) Maria Bamford on Friday, June 27. Summer Saturdays in August will kick off paying tribute to Taylor Swift’s Iconic Eras Tour at Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience on August 2, followed up by “The World’s Most Unique 2-Person Circus Show,” perfect for families to enjoy together while the kids are still out of school, The Great Dubois: Masters of Variety on August 9, culminating in welcoming back a comedy legend at not one but two shows on August 16 with Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. All of these exciting evening performances will be at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore. Tickets to the full 2025 Summer Season will be on sale to members only beginning February 8 and on sale to the general public beginning February 15, 2025. 

Back to cap off our Juneteenth Celebration once again, The Bankhead is overjoyed to present the acclaimed Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir (OIGC), making a triumphant return this June. Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir will celebrate Juneteenth with experience and music that brings and shares the African-American community’s resiliency, joy, and strength. Under the direction of Terrance Kelly, this diverse, inclusive group takes us through a gospel music journey – introducing different styles of Black gospel music and connecting it to the Freedom Songs of the Civil Rights movement and music today. Founded in 1986 by Kelly, the mission of OIGC is to inspire joy and unity among all people through Black gospel and spiritual music traditions,

weaving together more than 300 singers across multiple choirs from a wide range of faiths, races, and cultures. Under Artistic Director Kelly, the Choir performs 25-30 times a year. It is inclusive of an ensemble of nine to fifteen singers representing OIGC at additional events, with performance highlights including jazz festival tours, the CA Governor’s Tree Lighting, inauguration ceremonies, and annual performances with the Oakland and San Francisco Symphonies. Returning for the third year in a row, Tri-Valley audiences can once again get ready to stand up, clap, and even sing along with a joyful sound with OIGC on June 21. As proven over the past two years, this will be a moving and inclusive performance, perfect for the entire community. 

A week later, The Bankhead will be presenting the return of a true force in female comedy, Maria Bamford, who Stephen Colbert called his “favorite comedian on earth” and Judd Apatow said is “the funniest woman in the world.” Maria is the first female comic to have two half-hour “Comedy Central Presents” specials, as well as two well-received specials on Netflix called The Special Special Special and Old Baby. Awarded Best Club Comic at the American Comedy Awards and Breakout Comedy Star at the Montreal Comedy Festival, her critically acclaimed work includes her web series “The Maria Bamford Show” (featured at MOMA NY), “Ask My Mom” (recommended by The New Yorker), and her Netflix series Lady Dynamite (2 seasons). Beyond the screen, Maria’s writing has been featured in The New York Times, LA Weekly, and The Onion. She has 5 hours of stand-up available on iTunes including her latest recording “20%.” Maria has contributed comedic voiceovers for such animations as Netflix’s Big Mouth and BoJack Horseman, Cartoon Network’s Adventure Time, PBS’s Emmy-winning series Word Girl, Nickelodeon’s Kung Fu Panda and Legend of Korra, and the international hit Talking Tom and Friends. For her mental health advocacy, she’s been presented with The OCD Foundation Illumination Award and featured at the Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, The Chautauqua Institution, and the Saks Institute for Mental Health Law, Policy, and Ethics Symposium. The Bankhead is on cloud nine to be able to bring this modern comic icon back to the Tri-Valley on June 27. 

Calling all Swifties! Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience, paying tribute to Taylor Swift’s Iconic Eras Tour is coming to The Bankhead. Taylor Swift has been ranked by Billboard

as one of the greatest artists of all time, alongside other legends like The Beatles, Michael Jackon, and Madonna, to name a few. Swift has deservedly earned this spot, and is undoubtedly loved and adored by her fans, known to the world as “Swifties.” After close to 20 years in the music industry, Swift has proven herself as a music icon, being the first and only artist to win a Grammy for Album of the Year 4 years in a row. In 2023, Taylor Swift began her iconic Eras Tour in the US. Since then, the Eras Tour has become a billion-dollar global phenomenon and the highest-grossing tour in history. Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience recreates the magic of the Eras Tour in a spectacular, unforgettable show starring Traci Marie as Taylor. Traci’s attention to detail will not go unnoticed by Swifties. Her authentic costumes, mannerisms, and voice embody the essence of Taylor Swift. This theatrical-style show is filled with everything you’d expect to see from the Eras Tour: choreography, stunning multimedia visuals, costume changes, and audience participation. Traci, a small-town theater girl from the suburbs of Chicago, grew up surrounded by musical talent. Throughout her career, she has opened for national touring artists like Tony Orlando, The Righteous Brothers, Chubby Checker, and others. She’s performed with Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals, and Dennis Tufano of The Buckinghams fame. This former “Miss Congeniality” winner is also currently nominated for Tribute Artist of the Year (2024), for the Josie Music Awards. Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience features a live band tribute to the most successful tour in music history. Whether you’re a Swiftie or new to Taylor’s music, this fast-paced, energetic, captivating show is a must-see event in Downtown Livermore on August 2. 

A week later, The Great DuBois: Masters of Variety will mystify the Tri-Valley, a fast-paced, high-energy circus show for all ages, showcasing incredible feats of juggling, hula hoops, unicycle, aerial, circus stunts, contortion, magic, and audience interaction all wrapped up in a blanket of comedy. Simply put, this spectacle is the most unique 2-person circus show you will ever see! Recently featured in Hugh Jackman’s hit movie The Greatest Showman, The Great DuBois has amassed an impressive list of credits, including appearances in the Tony Award-winning Pippin on Broadway, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with David Letterman, Britney Spears’ World Circus Tour, and the movie Burlesque, to highlight just a few. The award-winning combination of Michael DuBois and Viktoria Grimmy have five generations of circus performing between them and have wowed crowds at countless shows at theatres,

universities, cruise ships, fairs, and festivals all over the world. The Bankhead looks forward to welcoming these incredible talents in Downtown Livermore on August 9. 

Closing out the summer season, in a star return to the Tri-Valley, Emmy Award-winning comedienne Vicki Lawrence, one of the most beloved television personalities of her generation, returns to bring comedy gold with Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show.  Plucked out of total obscurity as a high school senior, Vicki went on to become part of the now-legendary cast of The Carol Burnett Show. “I went to the Harvard School of Comedy in front of America,” says Lawrence of her Burnett Show training. In the seventh season, and hundreds of hilarious sketches later, at the ripe, old age of 24, Vicki created her most endearing character to date, Thelma Harper, or “Mama” as she is better known to her fans. After the Burnett Show, Vicki went on to star in Mama’s Family, which consistently topped the ratings for its entire six-year run of original shows. “Mama” has attained almost a cult status among her legions of loyal television viewers, who still enjoy her in reruns twice daily throughout most of the country and the world. No stranger to television, Vicki perfected her hosting skills on her own daytime talk show Vicki! from 1992 to 1994. She received critical acclaim when she was the only talk show host since Oprah to be nominated for a Daytime Emmy in her freshman year. Through the years Lawrence has made appearances on other television programs, such as Laverne & Shirley, Major Dad, Roseanne, Hannah Montana (Hannah’s Grandma Stewart), and Yes, Dear. Lawrence has also appeared with Burnett, Korman, and Tim Conway in the Burnett show retrospectives. Lawrence most recently co-starred in the popular FOX-TV 2018 comedy series The Cool Kids. The unprecedented ratings for the “Carol Burnett Showstopper Special,” which delighted more than 50 million viewers, convinced Ms. Lawrence that the time is right to take Mama out of the closet, dust off her sensible shoes, and hit the road with her new touring production, Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show. Vicki will take the stage first. “My show is not a retrospective,” she explains. “The show is a mixture of stand-up comedy, music, and my observations about real life.” The multi-talented entertainer is mostly known for her acting and comedic talents, but she also earned a gold record for the 1973 hit, “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia.” “I think people will get a kick out of the things Mama has an opinion about. We’re creating new material with a more modern and cutting edge. Where Mama is concerned, expect the unexpected. There’s really nothing she can’t do,” she says. “I hope

people will be pleasantly surprised by a side of Vicki they may never have seen…I know they will be looking forward to Mama, and for her part, that crazy old gal will be up to the challenge.” This is not Vicki’s first foray into theater. She has appeared in numerous productions, including Carousel, Send Me No Flowers, No, No, Nanette, My Fat Friend, Chapter Two, Twigs, Hello Dolly!, Special Occasions, I’m Getting My Act Together and Taking It On The Road, Annie Get Your Gun, and live from the Grand Ole Opry, Nunsense 3: The Jamboree which aired on TNN. Having last delighted Tri-Valley audiences in 2018, Livermore Valley Arts is ecstatic to present this comedy great once again on August 16, back at The Bankhead

Tickets for all shows in the 2024-2025 and 2025 Summer 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. 

# # # 

Livermore Valley Arts is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit offering wide-ranging programs that provide access to the arts for the Tri-Valley community and beyond. The Bankhead Theater and Bothwell Arts Center are home to eight resident performing arts companies, over 40 studio artists, and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org 

Show: Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir 

Date/Time: Saturday, June 21, 2025, at 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$35 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% 

Show: Maria Bamford 

Date/Time: Friday, June 27, 2025, at 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$70 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% 

Show: Are You Ready For It? A Taylor Experience 

Date/Time: Saturday, August 2, 2025, at 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$70 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% 

Show: The Great Dubois: Masters of Variety 

Date/Time: Saturday, August 9, 2025, at 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$70 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% 

Show: Vicki Lawrence and Mama: A Two-Woman Show 

Date/Time: Saturday, August 16, 2025, at 3:00pm and 8:00pm 

Tickets: $25—$90 ($25 student/military personnel) / Groups of 10 or more save 20% Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org

YOUTH ALWAYS FREE!

Fandango! 

SAT OCT 18 | 2PM 
One of the most exciting groups on Chicago’s musical scene, Fandango! presents a spicy mix of Latin, Spanish, Sephardic, Balkan, and classical sounds. Founded by four multi-award-winning, globe-trotting virtuosi who hail from SpainFranceBosnia, and Taiwan, they have played, separately and together, on the world’s most prestigious stages.

Get Tickets Now for a Semi-Staged
co-production with Broadway South Bay starring Nicole King as Anya

24th Annual
ArtWalk Livermore
THIS SATURDAY!

Annual ArtWalk
Saturday, October 11 | 11am – 5pm
Join us at ArtWalk – the Tri Valley’s premiere one day art festival. Over 200 artists display their works on sidewalks and plazas, in parks and galleries, surrounded by boutique shops, wine tasting rooms and restaurants in historic downtown Livermore.

Livermore Valley Arts offices are closed today,
Thursday, June 19th.

Join by Mail

Download and Complete the form and then mail to us at:
Bankhead Theater
2400 First Street
Livermore, CA 94550

Our Team

Directory

Executive Director
Chris Carter
[email protected]

Director of Finance and Administration
Reanna Bradford
[email protected]

Director of Marketing
Ruth Egherman
[email protected]

Director of Operations
Eric Johnson
[email protected]

Production Manager
Gary Brunclik
[email protected]

Assistant Production Manager
Rachel Anderson
[email protected]

Front of House Supervising Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Carol Edwards
[email protected]

Facility Manager and IT Coordinator
Julio Gomez
[email protected]

Box Office Manager
Debra Olson
[email protected]

Visual Arts & Education Manager
Anne Giancola
[email protected]

Development Manager
Brittany Mulgrew
[email protected]

Front of House Supervising Manager/Volunteer Coordinator
Bernice LaRosa
[email protected]

Programs Coordinator
Treg Van Dyke
[email protected]

Marketing Manager
Andrew Kracht
[email protected]

Social Media Manager
Allie Lopiano-Hastey
[email protected]

Food and Beverage Manager
Ann Rice
[email protected]

Development Assistant
Tracy Sahn
[email protected]

Visitor Center Supervisor
Susan Miller
[email protected]

RESIDENT COMPANIES

Get to Know Our Resident Companies

Home to ten Resident Companies with over 270 combined years of artistic experience, the Bankhead Theater’s state-of-the-art facilities enable these organizations to grow artistically and institutionally, develop audiences and collaborate on key projects while maintaining their respective missions and identities.

Cantabella Children’s Chorus

Cantabella Children’s Chorus is a non-profit organization located in the Livermore Tri-Valley. CCC strives to foster and promote the appreciation of choral music in the community through performances at various local corporate and civic functions and churches but above all to have fun.

Del Valle Fine Arts

Del Valle Fine Arts has been presenting outstanding classical music concerts in Livermore for over 35 years. This highly-regarded series offers dazzling performances by acclaimed professional chamber music groups and soloists from throughout North America and beyond. A particular objective of DVFA is to introduce young persons to the appreciation of fine music. To that end, children are admitted free to its concerts, and full-time students above high school can procure tickets at a special reduced price.

Livermore-Amador Symphony

Livermore-Amador Symphony – The symphony offers four concerts a year, as well as a Pops fundraiser. Symphony Guild – If you enjoy LAS concerts, join like-minded people of the Symphony Guild and support this community orchestra! Guild members encourage interest in the symphony and sponsor fund-raising activities. The Livermore-Amador Symphony has received funding from: Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC, City of Livermore Commission for the Arts, City of Livermore Tourism and Special Event Fund, Livermore Cultural Arts Council, Clorox Company Technical Center-Pleasanton, Target and Livermore Rotary.

Livermore Valley Opera

Livermore Valley Opera combines the talents and expertise of professional music, stage and chorus directors, principal singers, musicians, and designers with the dedication and practical abilities of a volunteer board, adult chorus, stage crew, props master, stitchers, and set builders. Each fall and spring, LVO presents locally produced, fully staged operas with orchestra. Additionally, LVO presents special concerts, events and fundraisers in the winter and “Opera in the Vineyard” in the summer. LVO promotes local talent and attracts outstanding Bay Area singers, directors and conductors.

Pacific Chamber Orchestra

The Pacific Chamber Orchestra (PCO) is a 40 piece symphony orchestra composed of professional musicians from throughout the Bay Area. It was founded over 20 years ago by its talented conductor and musical director, Lawrence Kohl. The orchestra combines the precision of a small ensemble with surprising dynamic range and power. PCO is notable for innovative and insightful interpretations of music of all eras.

Rae Dorough Speaker Series

The Rae Dorough Speaker Series features leading thinkers in science, literature and the arts who discuss topical issues of particular interest to the Livermore community in the intimacy of the Bankhead Theater.

Sycamore Strings Academy / Bothwell Arts Center

The Sycamore Strings Academy (formerly Suzuki Strings Academy) carries on a tradition from 1984 of quality music education in the Tri-Valley area. The Academy includes certified Suzuki instruction on string instruments, licensed Kindermusik classes and a popular guitar program. Students perform across the region in year-round concert series.

Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre

Formerly Pleasanton Playhouse, Tri-Valley Repertory Theatre presents a variety of audience-pleasing musical theater. As a non-profit, volunteer regional arts organization, we continue our mission to provide affordable quality theatre, training and cultural experiences, with a focus on children and family participation.

Valley Concert Chorale

The Valley Concert Chorale is a chorus of about 40 singers, many of whom live in the Tri-Valley area, including Livermore, Pleasanton, San Ramon and Danville. VCC’s director is John Bush and featured pianist is Daniel Glover. If you would like to sing with VCC, why not arrange for an audition? You can audition at any time, and then join the chorus at the beginning of the next quarter.

Valley Dance Theatre

Valley Dance Theatre is a non-profit organization committed to providing exceptional dance instruction and productions to the Tri-Valley Area. Their focus is in classical ballet and modern dance. Each year they present a full-length Nutcracker with a live orchestra, and a Spring show with varying themes.

accessibility at the bankhead

Accessibility

TICKETS
Wheelchair accessible seats cannot be purchased online. You must call our Ticket Office in advance at 925.373.6800 for seating and to ensure your needs are thoroughly met.

DROP OFF/PICK-UP
There is a drop-off/pick-up area located on Railroad Avenue, on the right side of the street, before you reach the stoplight to enter the parking garage.

PARKING
Handicapped-reserved spaces are located on the lower level of the Livermore Valley Center parking garage.

SEATING
An elevator is located on the West end of the main lobby.

LISTENING DEVICES
Assistive listening devices are available free of charge from the House Manager’s Office in the lobby. Please let us know when purchasing your ticket of your special needs.

RESTROOMS
Fully accessible restrooms are located in the main lobby and in the upper lobby.

Support the Arts

Inscribed Pavers

Dedicate one of the decorative paver blocks that frame and define the entry from the Livermore Valley Plaza to the Bankhead Theater. Each size allows you to personalize your dedication and/or message. Once you’ve placed your order we’ll contact you to help you choose the exact message for the paver you’d like to donate.

LOGO & BRICK ART
Permanently commemorate a company or brand, feature your family crest or create your own custom design while supporting the arts with an engraved logo or artistic brick. The image will be etched in black on a sand-colored paver (6×12 or 12×12) or light gray granite tile (24×24). They are visible to thousands of people each year attending a variety of events and performances on the Livermore Valley Plaza and in the Bankhead Theater.

24″ x 24″ – Madden Family Courtyard – $1,500
12″ x 12″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $1,000
Logo Art Brick – Livermore Valley Plaza $500
6″ x 12″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $375
6″ x 9″ – Livermore Valley Plaza $150


PERSONALIZED SEATS
Seat donations will be recognized by a commemorative medallion on your chosen chair in the Bankhead Theater as well as on the Donor Wall in the Lobby.

Grand Tier Seats $5,000
Central Tier Seats $2,500
Upper Tier Seats $1,000

Please note: donating a personalized seat does not guarantee the right to sit in that seat for a given performance.

Leave a Legacy

With a legacy gift to Livermore Valley Arts, you can be sure your charitable intentions will be realized while achieving the most favorable income tax benefits available. We are happy to meet with you to talk about your intentions and situation. However, we strongly recommend you consult with your estate planning professional or tax advisor to fulfill your goals for your financial portfolio and tax needs.

Making a legacy gift to the Center also qualifies you to join the Legacy Society, a group of philanthropic and pioneering members who share a strong bond with LVPAC and a desire to ensure a meaningful, lasting home for the arts in Livermore Valley.

If you have already included LVA in your plans (or if you intend to), please let us know. Contact Chris Carter, Executive Director, at [email protected] or call (925) 583-2311.

We accept a range of planned giving options:

In Your Will
The simplest way to leave a planned gift is to make a bequest including specific language in your will or living trust naming LVA as the recipient. The following is an example of suggested language to include in your will/trust:

“I give and bequeath to the Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center, a California non-profit corporation, located at 2400 First Street, Livermore, CA 94550, the sum of $____, or ______% of my estate, to be used for the accomplishment of its general purpose (or for a specific purpose as indicated).”

Charitable Gift Annuities
A charitable gift annuity (CGA) is the easiest way to create dependable income for life and help the Center. Please note that LVA does not administer CGAs but can recommend an administrator.

Charitable Trusts
A Charitable Remainder Trust or Charitable Lead Trust allows you to receive an estate or gift tax deduction and create a source of income for you or your loved ones while supporting the Center. Please note that LVA does not administer these trusts but can recommend an administrator.

Real Estate/Appreciated Assets
A variety of assets can be donated such as real estate, appreciated securities, and tangible personal property such as art or jewelry. Donating appreciated assets can help offset income and capital gains taxes. If you are contemplating gifting an investment property or a vacation home, a gift of real estate offers an excellent option for tax-wise giving. You can also include the Center as a beneficiary of real estate or appreciated assets in your will. Please be aware that as part of our gift acceptance policy, all gifts of real estate, appreciated assets and tangible personal property are examined on a case-by-case basis.

Retirement Plan Donations or Life Insurance Policies
You can name Livermore Valley Arts as the beneficiary of your IRA, 401k or 403b retirement plan or life insurance policy. This is a simple, effective way to support the arts while reducing or eliminating significant, often unanticipated tax penalties.