It’s a big weekend for Kikau Alvaro, the new artistic director of Children’s Musical Theater of San Jose, who is directing “Finding Neverland,” the musical based on the 2004 movie about Peter Pan author J.M. Barrie.
Alvaro’s directed lots of shows before, but this is one of CMT San Jose’s Marquee Productions — a fundraiser that includes working actors and CMT alumni in the cast. While the season started with two shows last month, this one will likely draw a wider audience and put Alvaro in a bigger spotlight as the person who took over for Kevin Hauge, who retired this spring after 30 seasons in the role.
But Hauge’s legacy as a national leader in youth theater is more inspiring than intimidating for Alvaro, who worked with Hauge since he performed in a production of the jukebox musical “Leader of the Pack” as a teenager.
“He was my mentor for so many years, directing and choreographing my own shows,” said Alvaro, 45. “It’s been glorious being in this spot because I can really appreciate the kind of artistic excellence he held at every level. It has really felt like I have inherited a really amazing opportunity, and I can appreciate every single second of it.”
Alvaro’s career has woven together education and regional theater. He served as associate artistic director at Virginia Repertory Theatre from 2017-21 and most recently as an associate professor of musical theater at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. His CMT credentials include directing or choreographing “Once on this Island,” “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Avenue Q,” as well as serving as an associate director or choreographer on several other shows and working in similar roles with Bay Area companies like TheatreWorks Silicon Valley.
At CMT, Alvaro expects to honor and continue some longstanding traditions while being open to new things, too. This year, the company held an open house for the first time at its Creative Arts Center on Parkmoor Avenue that allowed residents in the neighborhood to enjoy an ice cream social and peruse the costume shop. “It was a good example of how new traditions can be born,” he said.
He’s also excited for San Jose audiences to see “Finding Neverland,” which ran on Broadway about a decade ago, followed by a national tour in 2016-18 (which had its second to last stop at the Center for the Performing Arts).
“Not a lot of people may be familiar with the show, but they know the characters,” he said. “I really do think ‘Finding Neverland’ is a great family show,. While it doesn’t have anything to do with the holiday season, there’s something really family related about it.”
“Finding Neverland” runs through Dec. 14 at the Montgomery Theater. You can get more information about the show and the rest of the current season at www.cmtsj.org.
ARTISTIC COLLABORATION: MACLA has partnered with the Montalvo Arts Center on its new exhibition, “From Their Hands to Ours,” which opens Friday night at MACLA’s downtown San Jose gallery.
The exhibition, which highlights how ancestral wisdom and childhood experiences shape identity, features new work by Estefania Ajcip, Miguel Arzabe, rafa esparza , Edra Soto and Arleene Correa Valencia. The artists — whose work includes painting, sculpture, textile art, and video — will be part of an artist talk during an opening night reception, which begins at 5 p.m.
The opening is just one of many events taking place Friday night during the monthly South First Fridays Art Walk. You can get a full listing and a walking map at www.southfirstfridays.com.
HOLIDAY CALENDAR: Wanda Buck, a longtime community leader and volunteer in Santa Clara, will be the Honorary Tree Lighter at the city’s 114th annual Holiday Tree Lighting in Central Park on Friday evening. The festivities begin at 5:30 p.m., but Buck won’t perform her official duties until 7 p.m., leaving time for entertainment from groups including the Roberta Jones Junior Theatre Choir and the Santa Clara Elite Dance Team as well as taking photos with Santa and the recently unveiled FIFA World Cup Countdown Clock. You can get more details at santaclaraca.gov/holidaytreelighting.
Los Gatos also will have its tree-lighting festivities Friday night starting at 5 p.m. at Town Plaza Park, where the grand Deodar Cedar tree — planted in 1923 — will be illuminated. Of course, that’s just a prelude to Saturday’s big event, the 69th annual Los Gatos Children’s Parade, which will have Los Gatos High School teacher Kurt Kroesche as grand marshal. The parade, organized by the Lions Club of Los Gatos and Los Gatos-Saratoga Recreation, starts at 11 a.m. at North Santa Cruz and Almendra avenues. It proceeds through town before the finish in front of the Civic Center.