Arts & Events

LOWER BOTTOM PLAYAZ 

West Oakland’s Lower Bottom Playaz, in residence at the shady outdoor Sister Thea Bowman Memorial Theater at the Prescott Joseph Center (920 Peralta St. in West Oakland) are throwing a season-opening dinner at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11. Dinner and red wine included with the price of the show ($10) for the first 25 paid spectators to see Marvin X’s Flowers for the Trashman and Opal Palmer Adisa’s Bathroom Grafitti Queen, with another dinner on Saturday, July 18. There’s also a block party performance at 14th and Willow from noon to 6 p.m. July 11—free if you live in the 94603 zip code—and other good deals before the troupe plays the San Francisco Theater Festival July 26. True local community theater. For reservation, call 208-1912. For more information, call 457-8999.  

‘THE MASTER AND MARGARITA’ AT GHOST TOWN GALLERY 

The Master and Margarita, staged from the novel by the great Russian man—and martyr—of the theater, Mikhail Bulgakov, is described by Four Larks Theatre as a “junkyard opera featuring the Devil and his retinue, a six-foot-tall [revolver-wielding] black cat, a naked witch, a mater writer and his lover, and a decapitation.” It’s a tale both uproarious and enchanting. Four Larks returns to Oakland after a season in Melbourne. Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12, and July 16-19 at Ghost Town Gallery, 2519 San Pablo Ave., Oakland. $10. 967-0426. info@fourlarkstheatre.com. 

DAN HICKS AT ANNA’S 

Dan Hicks, of Hot Licks fame, fronts the Bayside Jazz quintet and delivers standards—though “don’t be surprised if you hear some new lyrics here and there”—with “that Hoagie Carmichael kinda thing” former KPFA music programmer David Gitin ascribed to him. 8 p.m. Saturday, July 11 at Anna’s Jazz Island, 2120 Allston Way. $14. 841-JAZZ. www.annasjazzisland.com. 

JIM KWESKIN AND THE JUG BAND 

Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band, a name to conjure with for the Great American Songbook—and musical humor—in the 1960s, a fun, raucous combo which included Geoff and Maria Muldaur, singing “I’m A Woman,” “Never Swat a Fly,” “Mr. Christopher Columbus,” among others. Kewskin performs solo this Saturday at 8 p.m. at Freight & Salvage, $18.50-$19.50. www.freightandsalvage.org. 

‘PETER PAN’ AT WOODMINSTER 

Woodminster Summer Musicals begins their 42nd season with Peter Pan, flying over the 1940 WPA Amphitheatre, high above the bay atop the hills in Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Rd. 8 p.m. Friday-Sunday, through July 19. $25-40. 531-9597, www.woodminster.com.