GROOVE: Keyboard Conversations with Jeffrey Siegel / Feb. 3
Jeffrey Siegel is a piano man with the gift of gab — he furnishes his catalog of melodic classics with commentary on the origins and importance of each song and its composer. His latest concert at the McCallum Theatre celebrates some of music’s most beloved greats, including Brahms, Tchaikovsky, and Stenhammar. mccallumtheatre.com
GROOVE: Shoshana Bean / Feb. 4
With a voice that’s soared on Broadway stages as Shelley in Hairspray and Elphaba in Wicked, Shoshana Bean croons tunes from her Aretha Franklin and Frank Sinatra–inspired album Spectrum (2018) at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. mccallumtheatre.com
VOLUNTEER: Trail Stewardship / Feb. 4
Help keep our amazing trails safe and sustainable for all! Volunteer with the Friends of the Desert Mountains installing signs, repairing damage, and building new trails throughout the Coachella Valley. desertmountains.org
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY FRIENDS OF DESERT MOUNTAINS
GO: Senior Games & International Sports Festival / Feb. 4-9
More than 1,000 athletes compete in individual and team events representing 24 states and Canada ranging in age from 55 to 90+. desertseniorgames.org
GO: Cooking with Class / Feb. 4
Celebrate the Chnese New Year with a fun workshop featuring favorite little Chinese dishes. Dim Sum is an interactive and time-honored tradition in the Chinese community, and you can learn some of the artistry of the culture along with simple, delicious recipes and the chance to roll up your sleeves and work in the kitchen. constantcontact.com
GO: Wild Coachella: History of Joshua Tree / Feb. 5
It’s undeniable that those spiky Joshua trees are some of the California desert’s most iconic flora. At the University of California, Riverside’s Palm Desert campus, speaker William West shares the history of the trees’ eponymous national park. palmdesert.ucr.e
GO: CRAFT COCKTAIL CHAMPIONSHIP / FEB. 5
Up to 10 of the Coachella Valley’s top bartenders will compete for the coveted championship, as well as the Audience Choice award starting at 5:30 p.m. at Moxie Palm Springs. Tickets include bites of food and tastes of all the competing cocktails. pscraftcocktails.com
GROOVE: Top of the World / Feb. 6
The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert presents this tribute to the sweet songs of sibling duo Karen and Richard Carpenter, including fan favorites “We’ve Only Just Begun” and “(They Long to Be) Close to You,” the latter of which nabbed a Grammy in 1970 despite contemporary critics’ now-heavily contested view of the pair’s music as too “bland” and “squeaky-clean.” mccallumtheatre.com
GO: AUTHOR ALEXANDRA FULLER / FEB. 6
Alexandra Fuller is the author of several memoirs including Leaving Before the Rains Come and Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness. Her new book, Travel Light, Move Fast, is the unforgettable story of her father. The author speaks at this free event, and the first 200 people will receive a free copy of her latest work. ranchomiragelibrary.evanced
GROOVE: LINDA LAVIN AT THE PURPLE ROOM / FEB. 7
Tony and Golden Globe winner Linda Lavin, star of TV’s Alice and many Broadway plays and musicals, takes the Purple Room stage with Billy Stritch in piano and jazz violinist Aaron Weinstein accompanying. purpleroompalmsprings.com
GROOVE: One of These Nights / Feb. 7
A groovy Eagles tribute group appears at Spotlight 29 Casino in a series aptly titled “The Next Best Thing.” Sing along to the record-busting ballads that made the band’s Greatest Hits (1971–1975) the No. 1 best-selling album of all time in America. spotlight29.com
GO: Tour de Palm Springs / Feb. 7-8
One of the largest cycling charity events of its kind in America, Tour de Palm Springs has distributed nearly $4 million to over 150 local nonprofit organizations. Every year the event entertains between 6,000 to 10,000 cyclists from 46 different states including 4 countries. tourdepalmsprings.com
GROOVE: Beautiful / Feb. 7–9
This stunning jukebox musical gives McCallum Theatre audiences the chance to journey alongside singer Carole King, from her teenage forays into Manhattan to sell her songs to the recording of her acclaimed album Tapestry (1971) and a solo performance at Carnegie Hall. mccallumtheatre.com
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY MCCALLUM THEATRE
GROOVE: Peter White / Feb. 8
Smooth jazz guitarist Peter White got his start accompanying British folk revival icon Al Stewart. Now a Billboard Jazz Chart–topping artist, White stops by the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa in Rancho Mirage as part of their popular Grooves at the Westin series. groovesatthewestin.com
GROOVE: Swing ’n Hops Street Party on El Paseo / Feb. 8
Swing back in time with live swing music, dance performances and instruction, craft beer gardens, gourmet food booths, vintage cars and nonstop hop. Wear your best look from 1920s to 1940s to this family event free between San Pablo Avenue and Larkspur Lane on El Paseo in Palm Desert. discoverpalmdesert.com/first-weekend
GO: Dr. George Charity Car Show / Feb. 8
The main fundraising event of the Palm Springs Cruisin’ Association, which promotes camaraderie among car enthusiasts, the Dr. George Car Show features street rods, classics, muscle cars, special interest cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Held on the grass at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden, the event benefits the Desert Cancer Foundation. palmspringscruisinassociation.com
GO: Palm Desert Half Marathon / Feb. 9
Beginning and ending at the Palm Desert Civic Center Park, the oldest half-marathon in the Coachella Valley offers a relay option, plus a low-key 5K for those seeking a shorter-distance race and a 1K for the kiddos. Make sure to stick around after the race for energy-restoring eats and some suds in the beer garden. palmdeserthalfmarathon.com
GROOVE: Concert Series on The Gardens on El Paseo / Feb. 8
The Gardens on El Paseo hosts the 22nd annual concert series every Saturday through March 15. The one-hour concerts take place on Saturday’s on the center lawn in front of Saks Fifth Avenue. Since the concerts inception, The Gardens has been able to help raise more than $1 million for those in need. thegardensonelpaseo.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFFREY WATTS
Take in an outdoor concert at The Gardens on El Paseo on Saturday evenings through March 15.
THEATER
Camelot / Jan. 17–Feb. 9
The writers of My Fair Lady penned this classic King Arthur musical. Take your own seat at the round table at Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs. palmcanyontheatre.com
Those Musclebound Cowboys From Snake Pit Gulch / Jan. 17–Feb. 9
Desert Rose Playhouse in Rancho Mirage lassoes in audiences with this cheeky, modern take on the American western, in which an east coast detective disguises himself as a woman for an investigation and finds himself fighting crime — and falling in love — in the all-men gold rush town of Snake Pit Gulch. desertroseplayhouse.org
Old Jews Telling Jokes / Feb. 6 – March 15
Get ready for an outrageous evening of one-liners, double-entendres and hysterical routines. Created by Peter Gethers and Daniel Okrent, Old Jews Telling Jokes showcases five actors in a comedy that pays tribute to and reinvents classic jokes of the past and present. palmspringslife.com
Ballroom / Through Feb. 16
The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre worked with Ballroom’s original authors to breathe new life — including three brand-new songs and several others that were previously cut before they reached the stage — into the 1976 Broadway musical about love at a dance hall. cvrep.org
Rumors / Feb. 7–March 1
Join Desert Theatreworks at the zany, mystery-packed anniversary party of the deputy mayor and his missing wife by Bronx-born playwright Neil Simon. dtworks.org
Art Exhibitions
Alexander Girard: A Designer’s Universe / Through March 1
Girard wore many hats in the world of design — buildings, furniture, fabrics, and more all bear his mark. More than 400 objects, plus a replica of one of his celebrated interiors, bring the artist’s unique sense of whimsy to the galleries of the Palm Springs Art Museum. psmuseum.org
Imaging Change: History, Memory, and Social Justice / Through April 5
Inspired by Dawoud Bey’s moving photographic series honoring and remembering the six children who were murdered by white supremacists in Birmingham, Alabama, on Sept. 15, 1963, this exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum features artists whose photos engage with the past, the contemporary moment, and the need for a different future. psmuseum.org
Lino Tagliapietra: Il Deserto Fiorito / Through April 12
Renowned Italian glassblower (and mentor to American glass master Dale Chihuly) Lino Taliapietra exhibits more than 30 vibrant glass sculptures at the Palm Springs Art Museum. psmueum.org
Reach for the Sky: Tradition + Inspiration / Through June 7
A striking 30-foot-tall totem pole has greeted visitors to Walter and Leonore Anneberg’s Rancho Mirage estate, Sunnylands, since 1978. Carved by indigenous artist Henry Hunt and later restored by his son Stan and grandson Jason, the totem pole serves as the focal point for a new exhibition featuring work by the Hunts and American sculptor Herb Alpert. sunnylands.org
Touching History: Stonewall 50 / Through March 29
Fifty years after the uprising at the Stonewall Inn in New York City that kickstarted the fight for LGBTQ rights, the Palm Springs Art Museum presents this beautiful exhibition of photographs and collages exploring the power of queer intimacy and touch. psmuseum.org
Gerald Clarke: Falling Rock / Jan. 18–May 31
Palm Springs Art Museum mounts Cahuilla artist Gerald Clarke’s first major solo exhibition, highlighting around 80 works, including branded books and metal signs, that approach modern issues with a dry wit and a singular cultural perspective that refuses to let viewers shy away from America’s fraught history. psmuseum.org