Thu, Sep 18

Peter Cincotti Pop/jazz pianist and singer, mentored by Harry Connick Jr and Ellis Marsalis. 7:30pm. $28-$33. Carriage House Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858.

Triton Museum of Art A reception for the opening of an exhibit of abstract works by Mike Henderson. 6pm-8pm. Thru Nov 2. Mon-Wed, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun, 11 am-5pm. 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.

Fri, Sep 19

Herbie Hancock and Bobby Hutcherson Legendary musician Herbie Hancock and jazz maestro Bobby Hutcherson perform. 8pm. $35-$65. Garden Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858.

The Seagull The Pear Avenue Theatre opens its second season with Chekov's classic drama, in a translation by Tom Stoppard. Opening night, 8pm. Also plays Sat, Sep 20, 8pm and Sun, Sep 21, call for time. Thru Oct 12. The Pear Avenue Theatre, 1220 Pear Ave, Unit K, Mountain View, 650.254.1148 or www.thepear.org.

Sunset Symphony Symphony Silicon Valley presents a special pre-season oceanside concert featuring guest conductor Patrick Flynn and a program of works by Smetana, Erik Satie, Rossini and Beethoven. 6pm-9pm. Free (VIP tables available for $1500-$2500. Proceeds will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation). Ritz-Carlton Hotel, 1 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay, 650.712.7000 or www.ritzcarlton.com.

Sat, Sep 20

Desert Dance Festival A festival featuring performances of belly dancing and Middle Eastern music and dance. Vendors selling costumes, artifacts, books and perfumes will also be featured. Sep 20-21. $10-$15. San Jose Civic Auditorium, Market and San Carlos streets, San Jose, 510.667.9333 or www.desertdance.com.

Morton Marcus The Poetry Center of San Jose presents two writing workshops led by respected poet Morton Marcus. Each workshop takes place over two days and will include in-class and take-home assignments, critique and other writing exercises. "What You Must Learn to Be a Writer," Sep 20-21, 9am-noon, and "The Prose Poem: Reading It and Writing It," Sep 20-21, 2pm-5pm. $125 nonmembers/$100 Poetry Center members. Markham House, History Park, 1650 Senter Rd, San Jose, 408.292.3254 or www.pcsj.org.

A Night in Italy The Italian American Heritage Foundation presents an evening of dinner and dancing. Featuring social hour, an Italian dinner and music and dancing with the band Flashback. 6pm. $22.50 per person. Italian American Heritage Cultural Center, 425 N. Fourth St, San Jose, 408.293.7122.

Sun, Sep 21

Remembering Shakti Featuring guitarist John McLaughlin and Zakir Hussain. Concert is cosponsored by Vibha, a nonprofit organization with the mission of enabling child development in India and the U.S. 7:30pm. $36-$57. Garden Theatre, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5858.

Gidget Gallery Talk Kathy Kohner Zuckerman, the real-life person on whom the 1960s movie character of Gidget was based, presents a gallery talk in conjunction with the exhibit "Surf Culture: The Art History of Surfing." Zuckerman will talk about her days as a teen surfer in Malibu. 3pm. $7 nonmembers/free to museum members. San Jose Museum of Art, 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.294.2787.

Ongoing

Art Museum of Los Gatos Whimsical multimedia sculptures by Richard Knight. Exhibit runs thru Sep 26. Tait and Main streets, Los Gatos, 408.354.0071.

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story San Jose Stage Company presents a play that tells the story of early rock & roll legend Buddy Holly, featuring Holly's music. Thu, Sep 18-Sat, Sep 20, 8pm, Sun, Sep 21, 2pm, Wed, Sep 24, 8pm. $28-$38. Extended thru Sep 28. San Jose Stage Company, 490 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.7142 or www.sanjosestage.com.

Triton Museum Sunnyvale Community Players present a 1950s comic musical about the trouble a teen idol's publicity stunt causes a small town. Thu, Sep 18, 7:30pm, Fri, Sep 19-Sat, Sep 20, 8pm, Sun, Sep 21, 2:30pm. Thru Oct 5. $13-$18. Sunnyvale Community Center Theatre, 550 E. Remington Drive, Sunnyvale, 408.733.6611 or www.sunnyvalecommunityplayers.org.

d.p. Fong Galleries "N-Style Fashion" blown glass artworks by Todd Kobashi. Thru Sep 30. 371 S. First St, San Jose, 408.298.8877.

Don Pasquale Opera San Jose presents Donizetti's well-loved opera buffa about an old man who gets taught a lesson in love with a sham marriage. Thu, Sep 18-Sat, Sep 20, 8pm, Sun, Sep 21, 3pm. Thru Sep 27. $43-$63. Montgomery Theatre, Market and San Carlos streets, San Jose, 408.437.4450 or www.operasj.org.

Mission Chamber Orchestra American Musical Theatre of San Jose opens its season with a musical about the life of entertainer Fanny Brice. Thu, Sep 18-Fri, Sep 19, 8pm, Sat, Sep 20, 2pm and 8pm, Sun, Sep 21, 1pm and 6:30pm, Wed, Sep 24, 2pm and 8pm. Thru Sep 28. $44.50-$75.50. San Jose Center for the Performing Arts, 255 Almaden Blvd, San Jose, 888.455.SHOW or www.amtsj.org.

Japanese American Museum "1942: Luggage From Home to Camp." Thru June 2004. Tue-Fri, 11am-3pm, Sun, 11am-2pm. 535 N. Fifth St, San Jose, 408.294.3138 or www.jamsj.org.

Keeble & Shuchat "Hakone Gardens," photographs by Cheryl Pope. Thru Oct 13. Mon-Sat, 9am-5:30pm. 290 California Ave, Palo Alto.

A Midsummer Night's Dream The Shady Shakespeare Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's magical romantic comedy. Fri, Sep 12-Sun, Sep 14, 7pm. Thru Sep 14. Free (parking $4). Sanborn Skyline County Park, 16055 Sanborn Road (off Highway 9), Saratoga, 408.298.0649 or see www.shadyshakes.org.

Montalvo Gallery "Bean Finneran: Arcs in Time," an exhibition of site-specific installations in ceramic sculpture by artist Bean Finneran. Thru Nov 2. Regular gallery hours are Wed-Sun, 1pm-4pm. Montalvo Gallery, Villa Montalvo, 15400 Montalvo Rd, Saratoga, 408.961.5813.

Noises Off San Jose Repertory Theatre opens its season with the popular farce about a bad play. Thu, Sep 18-Fri, Sep 19, 8pm, Sat, Sep 20, 3pm and 8pm, Sun, Sep 21, 2pm and 7pm, Tue, Sep 23-Wed, Sep 24å, 8pm. Thru Oct 5. $18-$52. San Jose Repertory Theatre, 101 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, 408.367.7255 or www.sjrep.com.

San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art "Introductions South," a group show of works by emerging artists. Thru Sep 20. Also: "I'm the Pretty One," a nighttime installation by Kerry Loewen, thru Oct 25, and "Dwellings," a nighttime installation by Tracy Snelling. Thru Sep 20. Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm, Sat, noon-5pm. Closed Sun and Mon. 451 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.8155 or www.sjica.org.

San Jose Museum of Art "Keith Carter: Poet of the Ordinary," an exhibit of black-and-white photography. Thru Sep 14. "Bean Finnerean Installation," sculptures of thousands of handmade clay cylinders (thru Oct) and "Hidden Lives: Eleanor Prager and Don Martin," works from the museum's permanent collection (thru Jan 2004). "Collection Highlights," an exhibit of works from the museum's permanent collection. Thru Fri, Sept 12. Walking tours of public art in downtown San Jose. Docents lead four different 45-minute tours, which alternate weeks. Rain cancels tours. Every Mon thru Sep 29, noon. Meet at the museum. Tue-Sun, 11am-5pm, Fri, 11am-10pm, closed Mon. 110 S. Market St, San Jose, 408.271.6840 or www.sjmusart.org.

San Jose Museum of Quilts "Under Cover: Political Expressions in Traditional Quilts," an exhibition which focuses on traditional American quilts that give voice to political viewpoints or support political movements or social causes. Museum admission $4-$5. Thru Oct 26. Tue-Wed, Fri-Sun, 10am-5pm, Thu, 10am-8pm. San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 110 Paseo de San Antonio, San Jose, 408.971.0323 or www.sjquiltmuseum.org.

Stanford's Cantor Arts Center "Print Matters: Explorations With Paper in Contemporary Prints." Ongoing thru Oct. "The Changing Garden: Four Centuries of European and American Art." Thru May 2004. The center also features free docent-led tours of the Stanford campus' outdoor art collection. Two different tours are offered, one on the first Sun of the month, the other on the third Sun of the month. Both tours begin at 2pm. Tours are held rain or shine on an ongoing basis. Wed-Sun, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-8pm. Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University, Museum Way (off Palm Dr), Stanford, 650.723.4177 or www.stanford.edu/dept/ccva.

Triton Museum of Art An exhibit of abstract works by Mike Henderson. Thru Nov 2. "New Works by California Artists: Ev Thomas." Thru Sep. Works by Theodore Wores. Thru Feb 2004. "A Woman's Place," an exhibit of works by the South Bay Area Women's Caucus for Art. Thru Sep 29 at the Rose Shenson Community Art Gallery at the Triton. Mon-Wed, 11am-5pm, Thu, 11am-9pm, Fri-Sun, 11 am-5pm. 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.

Upcoming

Euphrat Museum of Art "Daily Dramas: Currents and Undercurrents," an exhibit of works by six artists who depict people or imply human presence in various dramas of our day, some chosen freely, others imposed by systems or regimes. Opens Tue, Sep 30. A reception featuring artist presentations will be held Tue, Nov 11, 6pm-8pm. Thru Nov 26. Hours: Mon-Thu, 10am-4pm. De Anza College, 21250 Stevens Creek Blvd, Cupertino, 408.864.8836, http://www.deanza.edu/euphrat/

Talking Art The San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art presents the first in a series of monthly salon-style discussions focusing on issues of importance to the Bay Area artistic community. Every second Thu, Oct 9, 6pm-7pm (schmoozing), 7pm-9pm (discussion). Free to SJICA members/$5 nonmembers. San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, 451 S. First St, San Jose, 408.283.8155.

Triton Museum of Art "New Works by California Artists: Ron Guzman." Opening reception and gallery walk: Thu, Sep 25. Thru Nov 9. 1505 Warburton Ave, Santa Clara, 408.247.3754 or www.tritonmuseum.org.