March 7. Thursday. (Tonight). 8 p.m., Freight and Salvage Coffee House, Berkeley. Jewish Music Festival. The always terrific, the legendary Theodore Bikel, along with Bosnian accordionist Merima Kljuco and, from Amsterdam, singer of Yiddish, Shura Lipovsky. Journeys through Yiddish and Bosnian/Sephardic cultures. Is this for kids? Older kids to be sure, and it depends on the child. But for those young teens that have an interest in Jewish culture, who are curious about identity and the past — and music — and who are perhaps sophisticated beyond their years, this is a door to new worlds. Call first. Advance tickets are sold-out but you may be able to get something if you get there early, say at 6-6:30 p.m. and wait in a line for cancellations. The box office told us, “We want to get as many people in as we can to see this.” Tickets are $28 to $30. There is an alternative: concertwindow.com. Webcast tickets are $5. Live, at 8 p.m. PST. In HD, but one camera only; no commercials.
March 9 and 10. Saturday and Sunday. 7:30 p.m., Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. Zellerbach Hall, UC Berkeley. CalPerformances present The Secret Garden, the story of Mary Lennox, the consummate little rich girl at the turn of the last century, whose wealthy self-obsessed parents die in India, leaving Mary to go live with her uncle in England. You might think of this as a girl’s version of Kipling’s Captains Courageous, although no hard knocks. And so Mary encounters children her own age and together they discover a secret garden, where all bad things come to an end and beauty springs eternal. Here’s a trailer for the 1993 film version, which starred Maggie Smith. This version is in collaboration with the San Francisco Opera; Directed by Jose Maria Condemi. Tickets are $30 to $80. Highly recommend.
March 9. Saturday, 4 p.m., All Saints Episcopal Church in Palo Alto. Kids Can Groove Family Music Series presents Gustafer Yellowgold’s “Rock Melon Tour.” This is a multimedia show for the whole family; a mix of rock concert and cartoon movie. Featuring the debut of a new hand-drawn animated video/song, Rock Melon, about Slim, an eel who works himself into a frenzy whenever he comes into contract with a cantaloupe. Free admission; go to gustaferyellowgold.com for more information.
March 9. Saturday, 11 a.m., The Bay Area Discovery Museum presents Ballet Afsaneh. This is one of the Bay Area’s less-known treasures. Dance critic Alan Ulrich puts them “in the top tier of Bay Area world dance.” Repertoire includes dances representing Iran, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Armenia, Turkey, Chinese Turkistan, Azerbaijan, Kurdistan, and Northern India. “Ballet Afsaneh brings to light the history, poetry, iconography, and spiritual heart of these enduring cultures.” The troupe includes 15 core dancers, poets, and musicians who are themselves from Central Asian families. A majority are women. Tickets: members, $7; General admission $17. For more information call (415) 339-3900. The museum is in Sausalito.
March 10. Sunday, Ashenaz Music and Dance Community Center in Berkeley. Melita Doostan’s Octopretzel. “Fantastically folksy, magically musical, dreamily danceable, and singably sweet.” For kids of all ages, including those on Medicare. Show includes handmade puppets, bubbles, hulahooping, kiddie mosh pits and five musicians playing mandolin, marimba, and a Middle Eastern tambourine. Ms. Doostan, a music specialist for kids, is joined by David Doostan; Sarita Pockell; Jen Miriam Kantor; and David Rosenfeld. 3:00-4:30 pm. Tickets are $6 adults, $4 kids. More info and advance tix: www.ashkenaz.com, (510) 525-5054. If your kids haven’t seen this, we highly recommend.