A community theater: Firehouse schedule heats up as winter moves into February

After a bare calendar for nearly three weeks around the start of the year, shows are ramping up at the Firehouse Arts Center in downtown Pleasanton. 

Following the run of “Finding Nemo KIDS” production by the city’s Pleasanton Youth Theater Company this weekend, the Firehouse has five concerts and four improv specials on tap for the next five weeks – a slate that gets underway next Friday with Grammy nominee Mark Hummel. 

“To kick off the new year, the Firehouse has curated a captivating and diverse lineup of performances for audiences to enjoy this January and February,” city recreation supervisor Julian Mireles told me by email. 

“We are thrilled to present a variety of shows that promise to delight and inspire individuals of all ages and tastes,” he said. “We invite you to join us on a journey of varied artistic experiences ranging from blues and big band jazz concerts to inspiring art exhibitions and delightful youth shows.”

Mireles added, “Audiences can also look forward to three incredible tribute concerts, celebrating some of the most cherished and influential artists of all time. Don’t miss your chance to witness these extremely talented musicians capture the raw and soulful vocals of Amy Winehouse, the energy and infectious grooves of Earth, Wind & Fire, and the legendary harmonies of The Beatles.”

For those who missed opening weekend, there are four more performances between this Saturday and Sunday of “Finding Nemo KIDS” – a stage musical adaptation of the Disney-Pixar animated movie, shortened for youth performers. 

After Marlin, Dory and Nemo roll out with the tide, renowned blues harmonica player Hummel brings his “trademark sound … a subtle combination of tone, phrasing and attack combined with a strong sense of swing” (as Firehouse reps put it) to the downtown stage on Jan. 31 at 7:30 p.m.

The next night, the Tri-Valley’s 19-piece CoolTones Big Band will be in concert with ensemble harmony that spans genres. 

The trio of tribute acts begin the following weekend with “Valerie: A Tribute to Amy Winehouse” on Feb. 8. 

One Saturday later, the Firehouse says let’s groove with “Kalimba: Spirit of Earth, Wind & Fire” on the evening of Feb. 15. “With dynamic vocalists, a tight rhythm section and vibrant horn ensemble, Kalimba is celebrated for delivering an experience that truly honors the spirit of the original band,” Firehouse reps said. 

The music of the “Fab Four” will fill the Firehouse on the final night of February as The Sun Kings present their “A Beatles Tribute as Nature Intended” show. 

In between those last two cover concerts, Pleasanton’s award-winning Creatures of Impulse teen improv troupe will be onstage four times between Feb. 20-22 for their “Face-Off” series, each its own unique version of long-form, on-the-spot comedic storytelling around pro wrestling themes. 

Oh, and inside the Harrington Gallery, the latest iteration of the Flora in Focus group exhibition is underway this month; read more about it in our Tri-Valley Life section in this week’s paper. 

The following months also have interesting acts on the horizon, according to the early look I got at the theater’s 2025 spring season brochure: violin and harp instrumentalist Carlos Reyes, Johnny Orenberg presenting “Remember: An Andy Williams Musical Tribute”, Pleasanton native singer-songwriter Lauryn Marie and “Legally Blonde the Musical Jr.” – to spotlight a few. 

It’s great to see the makings of a robust winter (and spring) schedule at 4444 Railroad Ave. I’d love to see more. I feel like for the Firehouse it’s been a slower climb out of the depths of the pandemic, which really did a number on live entertainment venues across the Bay Area. 

Also at play is just the difficult reality of life as a small theater operated by a city government, as opposed to say the larger Bankhead Theater run by an independent, thriving nonprofit organization in next-door Livermore. 

The folks who manage the Firehouse’s shows, art gallery and hands-on educational programming are top-notch, like the rest of the city’s Library and Recreation Department, but they do face different constraints in the public sector. 

With the cloud of further belt-tightening hanging over Pleasanton, I worry about the future of the Firehouse – in addition to things like the library, the parks, recreation programming and Callippe Preserve Golf Course – if the city’s near- and medium-term budget outlooks are as concerning as the city administration’s forecasts from last year. 

When able to reach their potential, amenities and services like the Firehouse are what elevate a city from merely a government agency to an institution of community. 

Editor’s note: Jeremy Walsh is the editorial director for the Embarcadero Media Foundation’s East Bay Division. His “What a Week” column is a recurring feature in the Pleasanton Weekly, Livermore Vine and DanvilleSanRamon.com.

Guns, Fishing & Other Stuff closing in DublinJanuary 7, 2026 2:03 pm

Draeger’s Market closing store in Blackhawk, cites ‘declining condition’ at plazaJanuary 9, 2026 4:37 pm

Rest easy, Mr. Pleasanton – Remembering Jeb Bing, founding Weekly editor and publisherJanuary 8, 2026 12:32 pm