Thru July 13: Northside Theater Co. presents Picasso at the Lapin Agile. This long running, off-Broadway comedy by Steve Martin places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904. The meeting takes place just before Einstein changed physics with his Theory of Relativity and Picasso turned the art world upside down with Cubism. A cast of other colorful characters adds dashes of extra humor. Thurs-Sat 8pm; Sun, 3pm. (San Jose: Black Box Theatre, 848 East William St.; 408/288-7820; www.northsidetheatre.com)
Thru July 13: TheatreWorks presents Snapshots, the West Coast premiere of acclaimed composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz’s musical. Part comedy and part poignant drama, the story is about a marriage that’s gone off-track but ultimately finds its way again through the passages of time and a photo album filled with memories. Tues-Wed, 7:30pm; Thurs-Fri, 8pm; Sat, 2pm and/or 8pm; Sun, 2pm and/or 7pm. (Mountain View: Center for the Performing Arts, 500 Castro St.; 650/903-6000; www.theatreworks.org)
Thru July 19: West Valley Light Opera presents Grease, the rockin’ and rollin’ hit Broadway musical about the high school romance between a leather jacket-clad greaser and the innocent, fresh-faced new girl. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. (Saratoga: Civic Theater, 13777 Fruitvale Ave.; 408/868-1291; www.wvlo.org)
Thru July 20: San Jose Rep presents The Reduced Shakespeare Company’s smash hit, All the Great Books (Abridged). With razor-sharp wit, wacky costume changes and high-energy zaniness, this three-man act takes you on a rollicking romp through 89 beloved works—in under an hour and a half. June shows: Wed-Fri, 8pm (additional show at 11am on June 25); Sat, 3pm and 8pm (no 3pm show on June 21); Sun, 2pm & 7pm (no 7pm show on June 29). July shows: Tues, 7:30pm; Wed-Fri, 8pm (no show on July 4); Sat, 3pm & 8pm; Sun, 2pm. (San Jose: 101 Paseo de San Antonio; (408)367-7255; www.sjrep.org)
July 10-27: Broadway By the Bay presents Thoroughly Modern Millie, a rollicking Broadway favorite set in the Roaring 20s. Naïve country girl Millie moves to the Big Apple in search of a new life, and falls into hilarious predicaments while trying to get by in the modern world. Thurs-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. Saturday matinees, July 19 & 26 at 2pm. (San Mateo: Performing Arts Center, 600 N. Delaware, San Mateo; 650/579-5565; www.broadwaybythebay.org)
July 15-Aug 31: Shakespeare Santa Cruz kicks off its new season with four plays, two performed outdoors among the towering redwoods, and two performed indoors. On the schedule: Shakespeare’s tragic love story Romeo and Juliet (previews start July 16); The Bard’s romantic comedy about unrequited love, All’s Well That Ends Well (previews start July 27); Itmar Moses’ masterful comedy about seven organists trying to get ahead, Bach at Leipzig (previews start July 15); and Lanford Wilson’s story about three roommates trying to cope with a death of another roommate in New York, Burn This (previews start July 30). Various times. (Santa Cruz: UC Santa Cruz Theatre Arts Center; 831/459-2159; www.shakespearesantacruz.org)
July 16-Aug 10: Theatreworks presents Doubt, a Parable. John Patrick Shanley’s riveting award-winning play about a nun who takes matters into her own hands after suspecting inappropriate conduct between a priest and a young student. But truth proves to be more complex as doubt clashes with assumptions and conscience and conviction collide. Tues-Wed, 7:30pm; Thurs-Fri, 8pm: Sat, 2 & 8pm; Sun, 2 & 7pm. (Palo Alto: Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd.; 650/903-6000; www.theatreworks.org)
July 17-Aug 24: City Lights Theatre Company presents Hair. The turbulent 60s come alive in this Broadway rock musical, which follows a group of politically active friends (also known as “The Tribe”) living in New York’s East Village who rail against the Vietnam war while trying to live a peaceful, bohemian lifestyle. Wed-Sun, 8pm; 7pm on July 27. (San Jose: 529 S. Second St.; 408/295-4200; www.cltc.org)
July 25-Aug 16: Coastal Repertory Theater presents The Full Monty. Based on the hit movie, this Broadway hit tells the tale of six down-and-out construction workers who come up with a brilliant plan to raise cash for a friend in need. It’s the perfect summer feel-good story! Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. (Half Moon Bay: 1167 Main Street, 650/569-3266; www.coastalrep.com)
July 25-Aug 17: Foothill Music Theatre presents The Pajama Game, a big and brassy musical comedy set in the 1950s. When employees of a pajama factory go on strike and the company’s ambitious new president goes head-to-head with the union’s beautiful yet feisty leader, they end up discussing more than labor disputes. Thurs-Sat, 8pm, Sun, 2pm. (Los Altos: Smithwick Theatre at Foothill College, 12345 El Monte Rd.; 650/949-7360; www.foothill.edu)
July 30-Sept 21: San Jose Stage Co. presents Altar Boyz, a comedy about five small-town boys—one of them Jewish—trying to save the world with pious pop songs like “Girls You Make Me Wanna Wait” and “Jesus Called Me On My Cell Phone.” Wed-Thurs, 7:30pm; Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. (San Jose: 490 S. First St.; 408/283-7142; www.sanjose-stage.com)
