Some think of ballet as a stuffy art form. At this year’s Dance Series 1, the Smuin Contemporary Ballet shatters that assumption, with a performance of “The Man in Black,” a ballet danced in cowboy boots and featuring the music of Johnny Cash. Also on the bill, the former Smuin artist Rex Wheeler’s “Take Five” is set to the jazzy beat of Dave Brubeck. The program will also feature a piece by the late Michael Smuin—“Carmina Burana”—set to Carl Orff’s sensuous cantata of the same name.

Dance Series 1
Thu-Sun, $25+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

Celebrated pianist Mona Golabek memorializes her mother, Lisa Jura, in this internationally acclaimed, one-woman show and musical performance. Created and directed by a TheatreWorks regular Hershey Felder The Pianist of Willesden Lane features performances of Bach, Beethoven and Rachmaninoff fused with lively storytelling as it tracks Jura’s escape from Nazi-occupied Austria to a children’s home in London. Originally scheduled to close on Feb. 9, the show has been extended to Feb. 16 due to popular demand.

The Pianist of Willesden Lane
Thu, 8pm, $25+
Mountain View Center for Performing Arts

It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and reel. A series of climbing films are coming to Mountain View to keep all you Silicon Valley senders stoked, even as the days get shorter, colder and (presumably… eventually) wetter. The event will feature three short documentaries: The High Road, about bouldering boundary-pusher Nina Williams, United States of Joe’s about climbers colliding with conservative Utah natives, and The Nose Speed Record, wherein Alex Honnold and Tommy Caldwell attempt to take their title back from Jim Reynolds and Brad Gobright.

Reel Rock
Mon, 7pm, $27+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

If you missed veteran actor Dan Hiatt singing in ACT’s recent production of Vanity Fair, he leads the cast of Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman’s River of Song. Join Mark Twain and friends on this TheatreWorks Silicon Valley production as they travel down the Mississippi River singing traditional songs, including “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” and “Deep River Blues.” This rollicking adventure features guitars, banjos and harmonicas—and, of course, some of Twain’s most iconic characters. River of Song runs Tuesday through Sunday until Oct. 27.

Mark Twain’s River of Song
Wed, 8pm, $30+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

The Bay Area’s powerhouse dance company Smuin Ballet kicks off its 25th season with a performance of several new works by a variety of choreographers. This year’s Dance Series 01 includes a tribute to the late diva Etta James; founder Michael Smuin’s piece inspired by the iconic work of the sculptor Rodin, as well as his classic ballet set to Schubert; and a trio of pieces from Smuin performers-turned-choreographers. The show runs through Feb. 24 with two performances on Saturday and a Sunday matinee.

Smuin Ballet: Dance Series 01
Thu, 7:30pm, $58+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

Three years after his resignation in 1974, Richard Nixon is looking for a way to rehabilitate his public image and legacy. The former president, who resigned from office to avoid impeachment in the wake of the Watergate scandal, agrees to a series of interviews with British journalist David Frost. Though Nixon’s literary agent viewed the interviews as an opportunity for the disgraced Commander in Chief to take control of his own narrative, Frost proved to be a formidable opponent. His challenging, pointed questions ultimately put Nixon on his heels and further cemented his reputation as a crook. Runs through Feb. 10.

Frost/Nixon
Fri, 8pm, $40+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

Much like The Nutcracker, Smuin Ballet’s annual production of The Christmas Ballet has become a favorite of the Bay Area Christmas season. Unlike The Nutcracker, however, The Christmas Ballet isn’t constrained by centuries of tradition, animated toy soldiers and dancing rodents. Instead, the local dance company will present a medley of holiday musical favorites, with the company’s talented dancers pirouetting through jazz, ballet, tap and other dance styles. Founded in San Francisco in 1994, Smuin Ballet has grown into one of the premier Bay Area ballet companies, with its contemporary, innovative and awe-inspiring productions.

Christmas Ballet
Wed-Sun, 7:30pm, $58+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

For its fourth annual music festival, the Bay Area Chinese Musician Association presents “Hello Summer,” a collection of performances featuring bands from the area playing alongside international stars of Chinese folk, pop and rock. The theme this year is “Be Real,” and the music is meant to reflect love and passion. Filipino band Underscore will share the stage with San Francisco natives Nervous Factor. Both blend Chinese rock, nu-metal, alternative and punk. Luo Qi, a female vocalist from China, will also take the stage.

Hello Summer Music Festival
Sat, 8pm, $23+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

In the wake of recent mass shootings and the supercharged political climate, KQED is exploring a number of hot button issues in a new six-part series. The public news outlet will host live conversations that explore race, gender, immigration, extremism and more at multiple locations around the Bay Area. The focus is to find what divides us—and unites us—and find ways for opposing sides to have meaningful conversations. During the gender equality segment in Mountain View, panelists will discuss the #MeToo movement and what comes next. Through interactive conversations, audience members will have the opportunity to tackle some of the most difficult questions surrounding the issue. (JR)

Walls and Bridges
Thu, 7pm, Free
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts

The life and works of Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky live on in this dramatization of the famed Russian composer’s life. Pianist and actor Hershey Felder has previously channeled Gershwin, Beethoven and Chopin. Now he takes on the man best known for composing Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and the 1812 Overture in Our Great Tchaikovsky, presented by TheatreWorks Silicon Valley. Written and performed by Felder, the musical tribute tells the story of Tchaikovsky and his body of work alongside Russian politics of the 19th and 21st centuries to provide historical context. The play runs through Feb. 11.

Our Great Tchaikovsky
Wed, 8pm, $45+
Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts