FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Livermore Valley Arts
Contact: Ruth Egherman (925) 583-2306
Returning Favorites & Exciting Debuts Kicking Off January at The Bankhead
Livermore, CA – (December 18, 2023) – The holidays will be over in a few weeks, but that does not mean the excitement stops at Livermore Valley Arts, as some absolute powerhouses in music, comedy, and dance will be coming to the Tri-Valley in the beginning of the New Year. From the perfect combination of the classics, pop culture, and musician virtuosity with the electrifying trio TAKE3 on Friday, January 19, at Where ROCK Meets BACH, to an evening with comedian, actor, and former SNL Weekend Update anchor Kevin Nealon on Friday, January 26, to the much-demanded return engagement of the satirical, the silly, the skilled Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo on Monday, January 29, The Bankhead will be bringing some unforgettable performances to delight the Tri-Valley in the first month of the year. All of these performances will be at the beautiful Bankhead Theater in Downtown Livermore.
With a flair for the wild and unexpected, the genre-defying trio TAKE3 brings the refinement of a rigorous classical music background and infuses it with rock-star charisma. Trained at the world’s top conservatories, TAKE3 has expanded their repertoire from Bach and Beethoven to Bieber and The Beach Boys. The Nevada Sagebrush says of TAKE3, “…. this group gave us a
tremendous night of undisputed talent from some of the most passionate musicians around.” Known for their infectious and down-to-earth onstage personalities, this threesome leaves their indelible mark on captivated crowds around the country performing their arrangements of top pop hits, Americana, and their signature classical mashups. Upcoming performances include notable debuts in NY, including Feinstein’s 54 Below, Rockwood Music Hall, and The Cutting Room, and around the country at Acansa Music Festival, Telluride Chamber Music Festival, and, of course, The Bankhead, Where ROCK Meets BACH. TAKE3’s interactive lighting shows and comedic stories of their journey from scales in conservatory practice rooms to pop music in packed stadiums come together in unforgettable
experiences that have fired up concertgoers nationwide. In addition to extensive touring, the group has earned accolades for its outreach programs for children of all ages, delivering a message of hope, inspiration, and the importance of following dreams with vigorous tenacity. TAKE3 was created by violinist/vocalist Lindsay Deutsch, Yanni’s featured violin soloist, with whom she has toured throughout most of the 7 continents. Ms. Deutsch began her career as a classical soloist, performing concerti with symphony orchestras nationwide. Her performance of Astor Piazzolla’s “Four Seasons of Buenos Aires” with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra conducted by Jeffrey Kahane was selected for NPR’s Symphony Cast Program. Ms. Deutsch has become an ambassador for the Violins of Hope project, performing on violins saved in the Holocaust in venues around the country, including the Soraya Center in Los Angeles and with the Livermore-Amador Symphony, where she first wowed audiences in the area back in February of 2023. Ms. Deutsch can be heard throughout Netflix’s popular show The Witcher and the Hulu series All About Pam. Her performances on these Sony soundtracks reached No. 1 on the Billboard charts and received millions of streams worldwide. Livermore Valley Arts is beyond elated to be able to present Lindsay Deutsch once again, this time with her trio group TAKE3, on the Bankhead stage in an electrifying night of music on January 19.
The following Friday, LVA is thrilled to present an icon of comedy right here in the Bay Area: 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. 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 an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team. Also an author, Nealon released his first book in 2008, Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?, a comical look at the male perspective of pregnancy, as well as I Exaggerate: My Brushes with Fame in 2022. Part art book, part memoir, this recent book is full of original full-color caricatures Kevin has created, along with funny, endearing personal essays about his famous friends. More currently, Nealon’s 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. He still tours his stand-up globally, and he is coming right to Livermore on January 26 in an almost sold-out Bay Area performance (interested patrons are urged not to delay on tickets for this hot seller).
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. “One of the most unusually gifted dance companies in existence” (Neil Norman, The Stage), “the Trocks may show you how to laugh at ballet, but they also teach you to love it” (The New York Post). 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 Trocks are “a guaranteed hoot for people who know nothing of ballet and an absolute must for those who think they know the originals” (Sydney Star Observer). Tri-Valley audiences definitely do not want to miss out on “the funniest night you’ll ever have at the ballet” (The Guardian) on January 29. In conjunction with the live appearance, LVA has partnered with the Livermore Public Library for a showing of the documentary Ballerina Boys on Sunday, January 28th at 2 pm in the Storytime
Room at the Civic Center Branch. Ballerina Boys is a portrait of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (The Trocks). For over 45 years, the company has shared its signature style and message of equality, inclusion, and social justice with audiences around the world. The film follows The Trocks on tour in the Carolinas, an epicenter of continued struggles for LGBTQ+ rights. Ballerina Boys interweaves original interviews and contemporary and archival performance footage to tell the remarkable history of the company and culminates with The Trocks’ 2019 performance at the Stonewall 50th anniversary concert at Central Park’s SummerStage in New York City. In the words of ballerina Kevin Garcia, “Every time the curtain opens, we represent progress for equality. We just do it dancing.” The screening will be followed immediately by a Question and Answer session with co-director and co-producer Martie Barylick. Ballerina Boys is a production of Merrywidow Films in association with American Masters Pictures and ITVS, directed and produced by Chana Gazit and Martie Barylick, with Michael Kantor as executive producer of American Masters. The screening is free and open to the public but space is limited.
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.
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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 and over 40 studio artists and cultural arts instructors. LivermoreArts.org
Show: TAKE3: Where ROCK Meets BACH
Date/Time: Friday, January 19, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Tickets: $25—$60 ($25 student/military personnel) Bankhead Hot Seller!
Show: Kevin Nealon
Date/Time: Friday, January 26, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Tickets: $25—$65 ($25 student/military personnel) Almost Sold Out!
Show: Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo
Date/Time: Monday, January 29, 2024 at 7:30 pm
Tickets: $25—$120 ($25 student/military personnel) Past Bankhead Sellout! Dates, times, and ticket prices for other events available at www.LivermoreArts.org
