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Oct 19, 2023

Arts briefs: 'Steel Magnolias,' PV Palooza, Freddy Jones Band

This weekend, get all the gossip at TheatreWorks' 'Steel Magnolias,' get your

This weekend, get all the gossip at TheatreWorks' 'Steel Magnolias,' get your music festival fix at PV Palooza or find yourself 'In a Daydream' with Freddy Jones Band and two other free concerts at Palo Alto's Lytton Plaza.

Steel Magnolias

Hairstyles have changed — and shrunk considerably — since audiences first peered through the cloud of hairspray into Truvy's Salon, where a group of memorable Southern women shared their hopes and dreams, and gossiped a bit, too, but the supportive sisterhood at the heart of "Steel Magnolias" remains steadfast. Playwright Robert Harling's touching tribute to his sister went from a 1987 off-Broadway hit to a well-loved, oft-quoted 1989 movie that may have helped bring the phrase "the bigger the hair, the closer to God" into wider awareness, for better or worse. TheatreWorks Silicon Valley has convened a multicultural cast at Truvy's for an updated look at the favorite play, celebrating women supporting each other through happiness and heartache. Elizabeth Carter directs TheatreWorks' visit to this most special salon.

June 9-July 2 at the Mountain View Center for Performing Arts, 500 Castro St., Mountain View. Tickets start at $30. theatreworks.org.(HZ)

Freddy Jones Band

Though the implied frontman of Freddy Jones Band, one Freddy Jones, doesn't exist, that hasn't stopped the band's actual lineup from making a name for themselves with high-energy, guitar-driven tracks. Best known for 1992's freewheeling "In a Daydream," a reworking of which appears on "EP23," the band's 2023 EP that also includes the new single "Mirror Ball," these rootsy alt-rockers have a soaring sound that's a fitting way to usher in the summer as they play a free concert June 9 at Palo Alto's Lytton Plaza. The show kicks off a weekend of free concerts, all presented by Earthwise Productions, at the downtown Palo Alto spot. Taking the stage on June 10 is a jazz-infused double bill of Cien Mil Mangos and the duo of Larry Ochs and Gerald Cleaver, while the world-premiere pairing of guitarist Jim Campilongo and cellist Ben Davis closes out the weekend on June 11.

Freddy Jones Band plays June 9, 7 p.m.; Cien Mil Mangos, Larry Ochs and Gerald Cleaver play June 10, noon; Jim Campilongo and Ben Davis play June 11, noon, at Lytton Plaza, 200 University Ave., Palo Alto. Admission is free. eventbrite.com. (HZ)

PV Palooza

Feeling down after missing Coachella this year? The Portola Valley Cultural Arts Committee is here to fill that music festival-shaped void in your heart with their second annual PV Palooza, an all-day musical extravaganza at the Portola Valley Town Center on Saturday, June 10. Fourteen local bands, specializing in genres ranging from pop hits to R&B and alternative folk, are set to perform across two stages between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m., including Salty Licks, Up and to The Right, The Bubbles, Los Trancolizers, and many more. Not sure what to do with your little one? The event promises kids special entertainment expertly curated just for them, featuring musical acts on separate stages. Food trucks, local wine, and local beer will be available on site throughout the day of eclectic entertainment.

June 10, 11 a.m.- 8 p.m. at Portola Valley Town Center, 765 Portola Road, Portola Valley. Admission is free. pvpalooza.com. (AJ)

— Briefs by Akhil Joondeph (AJ) and Heather Zimmerman (HZ)