The Conejo Valley offers a myriad of options for enjoying the arts around town. Make a date this month with your sweetheart to appreciate some of the many cultural offerings right here at home.
1. “Dreamgirls In Concert”
Friday, Feb. 16, 8 p.m.
Fred Kavli Theatre in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
The Ovation Award-winning resident musical theatre production company of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 5-Star Theatricals, presents a dream come true for musical theater fans. This concert production of “Dreamgirls” presented with minimal sets and costumes, focuses on Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger’s powerhouse, Tony-nominated songs, which reverberate with pulsating gospel, R&B, pop and disco rhythms. “Steppin’ to the Bad Side” and “Cadillac Car” will rev up your heart, and the emotion-packed “(And I’m Telling You) I’m Not Going” will rattle the rafters. If you love Motown, there ain’t no party quite like “Dreamgirls in Concert.” Tickets start at $40. CivicArtsPlaza.com
2. “Poe-Tea”
Feb. 10, 3-4:30 p.m.
California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks
Sip tea and enjoy a live reading of ekphrastic poems commissioned to enrich artists’ works at CMATO’s monthly readings and discussions hosted in their main gallery. A cultural institution dedicated to engaging, educating and uplifting the human spirit through the palette of art, CMATO was established in 2008. The museum showcases established and emerging contemporary artists, with a unique focus on participatory art. As part of its mission to connect people to creativity, ideas and to each other, CMATO features rotating temporary exhibitions, guest artist lectures and educational programs that foster discussion, participation and an appreciation for the visual arts. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 12-7 p.m.CMATO.org
3. “The Little Prince”
Feb. 1-17, with additional Conejo Theatre for Everyone Performances Feb. 22-24
Hillcrest Center for the Arts
The Young Artists Ensemble’s second show of its Family Theatre Season is sure to delight audiences of all ages. Magic is everywhere in Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s delicate and enchanting tale of mysterious little boy and his adventures through the universe. Follow the Little Prince as he journeys from his tiny planet with a single rose, through the cosmos, to ultimately share his adventures with a pilot stranded in the Sahara Desert on Earth. Tickets start at $16. HillcrestArts.com
4. Thousand Oaks Arts Association, 2019 Open Juried Art Show
Feb. 2-26
Thousand Oaks Community Gallery (next to Newbury Park Library)
The Thousand Oaks Art Association will present $2,400 in cash prizes for outstanding entries. Categories include Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Pastel/Graphics, Mixed Media, Photography/Digital Art, and 3D & Sculpture. The public is invited to the reception and awards presentation on Sunday, Feb. 10, from 1 to 3 p.m. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Thousand Oaks Arts Association aims to further artistic appreciation and endeavors in the field of Fine Art. OnlineJuriedShows.com
5. “The Romantics”
Feb. 9, 7 p.m.
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
Fawzi Haimor guest conducts New West Symphony's concert featuring Romantic masterworks including Brahms’ monumental Symphony No. 1, which took 14 years to complete, and which many have called “Beethoven’s 10th.” Rodolfo Leone performs Beethoven’s vigorous Piano Concerto No. 1, and Ventura County composer Pauline Frechette presents "The Sacred Mountains of Ojai" and "Reflections (Song for Michael)." NewWestSymphony.org