It’s almost time to dust off the boots and grab a cowboy hat for the seventh annual Round-Up Country Music Festival. Hosted by the Kiwanis Club of Simi Valley, the festival will take place Sat., March 30 at Hummingbird Nest Ranch, 2940 Kuehner Drive, Simi Valley. Gates will open at 11 a.m. Headliners include national acts the Eli Young Band[…]

In its nonstop cycle of Gilbert & Sullivan operas, the Ventura County Gilbert & Sullivan Repertoire Company has finally returned to the rarely seen “Utopia Limited,” the duo’s penultimate effort, which had its premiere in 1893. VCGSRC’s last production of the show was in 2012, so it’s been a long time coming. Luckily, the current production —running through March 24[…]

A familiar face from the not too distant past has returned; 5-Star Theatricals welcomes back Lewis Wilkenfeld, who was the company’s artistic director back when it was known as Cabrillo Music Theater. From 2005 to 2016, Wilkenfeld led the troupe during some of its most rewarding as well as challenging years as the Conejo Valley’s resident professional theater company. Wilkenfeld[…]

“Even if you’re little, you can do a lot,” sings the young title character in “Matilda.” The musical, which 5-Star Theatricals is staging March 22 through 31 in the Kavli Theatre at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, is about an ultra-smart British girl saddled with cruel parents and a soul-crushing school headmistress. Matilda doesn’t just dream of a better life.[…]

After such a short time being open, including having to contend with the Woolsey fire during its soft opening effort in November, Julio’s Agave Grill in Westlake Village has still managed to gain a regular following. So much so that reservations are required on Friday and Saturday nights, otherwise there’s no guarantee that you’ll get in on those evenings. And[…]

Are your taste buds ready? The 43rd annual Thousand Oaks Chili Cook-Off and Craft Brew Festival will be from noon to 5 p.m. Sun., May 5 at Conejo Creek Park North, 1379 E. Janss Road, Thousand Oaks. VIP ticket entry is 11 a.m. The all-day, family-friendly event will feature over 40 chili tasting booths. Free unlimited chili tasting is included[…]

The New West Symphony will perform “The Orchestra Swings,” a family concert featuring swing and jazz music, from 2 to 3 p.m. Sun., March 10 in the Kavli Theatre at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks. The fun concert will include a sing-along and featuring music by Leonard Bernstein, George Gershwin and Duke Ellington.[…]

Anytime a theater company decides to take on a show written by Stephen Sondheim, its creative team takes a collective breath. Sondheim shows always present unique challenges to casts due to their musical complexity, often employing difficult time signatures, range-taxing vocals and tongue-twisting lyrics. Celeste Russi has always wanted to direct a Sondheim musical, and she got her chance when[…]

‘Stomp’ ready to make some noise The Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza will present “Stomp,” the international percussion show created by Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas, at 7:30 p.m. Tues., March 12 in the Kavli Theatre at 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. From its beginnings as a street performance in the U.K., “Stomp” has grown over the past 25 years. in[…]