Freebie of the week: Many fans of Dolly Parton likely mourned her passing privately. The legendary singer, songwriter, actor and philanthropist died of cancer Aug. 25. On Friday, however, anyone is invited to celebrate Parton’s life in a “Dolly Day” celebration at San Francisco’s Union Square. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of like-minded Dolly worshippers will descend on Union Square from noon to 3 p.m. Attendees can expect lively entertainment, although the musical lineup has not been announced. Participants are welcome to dress up to shine, with cowboy hats, sparkles, and big hair encouraged as a nod to Parton’s iconic style. “Dolly spent her life giving joy to people through her music and philanthropy,” said event organizer Matt “Haze” Kaftor of Gold Digger Records. “Dolly Day isn’t about mourning. It’s about coming together to celebrate everything she gave us, loudly and proudly, the way she’d want it.” The event is free and open to the public. For more information, go to dollyday.org.
Shot in the arm: When East Bay playwright Jonathan Spector’s “Eureka Day” premiered at Berkeley’s Aurora Theatre Company in 2018, it felt amazingly fresh, timely and hilarious. The production was piercingly perceptive about how some issues manage to bring out the worst in the kind of people who seem hellbent on having the worst brought out of them. The comedy is set in a progressive private elementary school in Berkeley, which is run by an executive committee of parents who pride themselves on being inclusive, compassionate and enlightened. This committee runs things without a ripple of conflict until a mumps outbreak arrives and the issue of vaccines comes up. As Spector cleverly depicts, it’s impossible to bring up the topic of vaccines and not start a fracas. The play’s success has brought it to stages throughout the Bay Area and around the country, winning a Tony Award for its 2025 Broadway run. Now it’s returning the Bay Area at City Lights Theater in San Jose, with Lisa Mallette directing. Performances start Thursday and run through Oct. 18. Tickets from $25-$73 can be found at cltc.org.
Every dog has its day: It’s unclear who coined that phrase, but Queen Elizabeth II put it to good use and drew global adoration for her famed collection of corgis. But this Saturday, it’s not royal pooches that are being celebrated – it’s the everyday, lovable, short-legged corgis that will get their spotlight at Corgi Con. At the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, corgi fans from all over the Bay Area will gather to see hundreds of corgis show off their best costumes or participate in contests. The event includes a parade, running races, a “Corgi Ninja Warrior” agility test, a costume contest and lots of corgi swag. It runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for teens and adults and $8 for kids aged 7-12. Go to corgicon.com for more information.
An embattled ruler: Now that San Francisco Opera has settled its contract dispute with the orchestra members, composer Thea Musgrave’s dramatic “Mary, Queen of Scots” makes its slightly delayed main-stage debut at War Memorial Opera House Thursday at 7:30 p.m. in a co-production with the English National Opera. Stewart Laing, the director and production designer, presents the extraordinary story of the 16th-century woman, first the Queen of France who, widowed at 19, arrives back in her native Scotland to assume the throne. Laing updates the action to the modern era, where factionalism between equally fanatical Catholics and Protestants threatens to tear the kingdom asunder. Starring in the title role is soprano Heidi Stober, who won rave reviews as Mary in the English National Opera’s production in London last year. Fiercely determined to bring stability to her politically embroiled Scotland, she is besieged on all sides by a trio of toxic, power-hungry men: her illegitimate half-brother James, sung by British baritone Thomas Mole; her second husband, the dissolute Lord Darnley, played by heldentenor Christopher Sokolowski; and the Earl of Bothwell, a supposed ally who turns predatory, sung by tenor Thomas Kinch. Baritone Hadleigh Adams steps into the sympathetic role of David Riccio, Mary’s trusted secretary and the object of Darnley’s scheming. Additional performances are at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Tuesday, and Oct. 2 and 2 p.m. Oct. 4. Saturday night’s performance is being live streamed for $25. Tickets for seats in the house are $30-$456, available at sfopera.com or by calling 415-864-3330.
Starring – the players: Walnut Creek-based California Symphony opens its 40th season Saturday night at the Lesher Center for the Arts with the spotlight illuminating each of the orchestra’s sections with various compositions. Composer Béla Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra, composed in 1943 and now considered one of the most magnificent orchestral showpieces, gives center stage to the strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion over the course of five movements. With music director Donato Cabrera at the podium, the program also includes Finnish composer Jean Sibelius’ “Oceanides,” a 1914 work that evokes both the calm and the thundering movements of the sea. Pulitzer Prize and Grammy Award-winning composer Jennifer Higdon’s Cello Concerto is having its Northern California premiere, played by soloist Julian Schwarz, who performed it to great acclaim at its world premiere earlier this year in Rochester, New York. Performance time is 7:30 p.m. Saturday with a repeat on Sunday at 4 p.m. Find tickets, $25-$110, at californiasymphony.org or call 925-280-2490.