In Brief: Arts events in and around Modesto

SRT Christmas stories

Sierra Repertory Theatre presents "Every Christmas Story Ever Told" from Nov. 16 through Dec. 16 at its East Sonora theater. The show weaves together Rudolph, Tiny Tim, Cindy Lou Who, Frosty, Santa, Scrooge and a crazy mix of Christmas music.

The show is directed by Marc Liby, longtime artistic director of Great Plains Theater in Kansas, and features a three-person cast: Ty Smith, JD Kellman and Tommy J. Dose.

Sierra Rep's East Sonora theater is at 13891 Mono Way. Tickets are $18-$30; (209) 532-3120 or www.sierrarep.org.

'Brighton Beach Memoirs' at Stage 3

Stage 3 Theatre in Sonora presents Neil Simon's 1983 comedy, "Brighton Beach Memoirs," Nov. 16 through Dec. 23. The play is set on the eve of World War II near the end of the Great Depression and centers on two families shoe-horned into a single small house to make ends meet.

The story is told through the eyes of teenager Eugene Jerome. The play asks the questions: How much will you give up for those you love? What is someone's "dream come true" worth to you? Tickets are $20 general, $12 students and $18 for seniors on Sundays. Stage 3 is at 208 S. Green St. Call (209) 536-1778 or visit www.stage3.org.

Taste of Holidays in Copperopolis

Copperopolis Town Square, off Highway 4, will host a Taste of the Holidays celebration Saturday. The event runs from 1 to 4 p.m.

Representatives from 14 vineyards will pair wine with dishes and desserts. There will be live music by Leroy and Jana, an auction, door prizes and ornament making for children. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door, with proceeds benefitting the Copperopolis parks and recreation, which will donate money to a local food pantry to assist in holiday dinners.

Red Dog Ash plays at West Side Theatre

Turlock bluegrass band Red Dog Ash is having a CD-release party Nov. 16 at the West Side Theatre in Newman.

The show begins at 8 p.m. The band describes its music as "Kentucky bluegrass made in California."

The West Side Theatre is at 1331 Main St. Tickets are $13 reserved and $10 general; (209) 862-4490 or www.westsidetheatre.org.

'Lines and Colors: Celebrating Degas'

About 40 works of art from 28 regional artists are on display through Feb. 3 in the juried show "Lines and Colors: Celebrating Degas" at the Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock. The show is designed to run concurrently with the main exhibit, "Edgar Degas: The Private Impressionist." The "Lines and Colors" exhibit takes its name from Degas' interest in the formal qualities of art. The show features drawings, paintings, textiles, photographs and mixed media. The grand prize winner is Waterford resident Rob G. Bearden's photograph "Abandoned Dreams," featuring an empty chair. Honorable mentions went to Aida Fry (Stuart, Fla.), Ivan Sohrakoff (Woodland) and Bill Conrad (Turlock).

The Carnegie Arts Center is at 250 N. Broadway. Admission is $10 general, with children under 12 admitted free. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays. Call (209) 632-5761 or visit www.carnegieartsturlock.org.

Orchestra Day

Orchestras from eight high schools in Stanislaus County will perform at Modesto Junior College's annual High School Orchestra Day on Thursday. The event runs from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the main auditorium, 435 College Ave. The concert is free and open to the public. MJC orchestra conductor and string professor Anne Martin also will lead a clinic for high school musicians. Each high school will perform a 15-minute selection, with the event concluding with a performance of the Scottish-Irish jig "Off She Goes" performed by all 200 participating high school musicians. The event is free and open to the public. Call Anne Martin at(209) 575-6646.

Broughton fete

The Modesto Art Museum will celebrate what would have been Modesto-born filmmaker James Broughton's 99th birthday Saturday with a movie and poetry night Saturday at the Building Imagination Center downtown. The program begins at 7:30 p.m. and will feature screenings of several Broughton movies, including the 1968 cult favorite "The Bed" and the autobiographical work "Testament," which was partly filmed in Modesto.

Many of the movies contain nudity and sexual situations considered cutting edge at the time. The event also will feature some of Broughton's poems. Broughton lived from 1913 to 1999 and was honored with the American Film Society's lifetime-achievement award. The Building Imagination Center is at 1009 J St. Tickets are $5 from www.buildingimaginationcenter.com or at the door. For more information, call (209) 524-7451.

'Singers and Ringers'

Modesto Junior College presents a concert of "Singers and Ringers" tonight. The program begins at 7:30 in the main auditorium, 435 College Ave. Performers are the MJC concert choir and chamber singers and the Opus Handbell Ensemble. The program is directed by Richard Colla and will feature works by Mozart, Monteverdi and more. Tickets are $5 general and $4 students and seniors. Call (209) 575-6081.

Met Opera live

The Metropolitan Opera in New York will broadcast a live performance of Thomas Ades' "The Tempest" on Saturday at 9:55 a.m. to movie theaters around the country, including in Riverbank and Manteca. Baritone Simon Keenlyside stars as Prospero. Director Robert Lepage recreates the interior of 18th-centuryLa Scala in the staging. Locally, the production can be seen at the Riverbank 12, 2525 Patterson Road; AMC Showplace Manteca 16, 848 Lifestyle; and Stockton City Center Stadium 16, 222 N. El Dorado St. Tickets in Manteca are $22 adults, $20 seniors and $18 children. Tickets in Riverbank and Stockton are $24 general, $22 seniors and $18 children. Visit www.fathomevents.com.