premiere at New Conservatory earlier this year. The play, aimed at high school students and designed to teach tolerance of gays and lesbians, had its U.S. For tickets, call (925) 943-7469 or go to On the Road: New Conservatory Theatre is packing its bags to take its production of 'The Other Side of the Closet' on a tour of Northern California. She'll headline 'Diamonds in the Sky' to mark the Lesher anniversary. An Oscar winner for 'Oklahoma,' Jones is perhaps better known as the singing mom on TV's 'The Partridge Family,' co-starring her real-life stepson, David Cassidy. Well, Hello World: Shirley Jones took a late pass on this summer's big 'Help Is on the Way' AIDS benefit at Herbst Theatre, but she's scheduled to be center stage at the 10th anniversary celebration of Walnut Creek's Dean Lesher Regional Center for the Arts on Oct. 15 at Spangenberg Theatre in Palo Alto and includes a postconcert buffet with the performers at the Portola Valley home of Jacques Littlefield. Other performers include soprano Theresa Hamm- Smith, mezzos Kristine Jepson and Cathy Cook, baritone Robert Orth and cellist Emil Miland, a frequent member of Heggie's musical posse. Heggie will pound the keyboard himself, as will Laura Dahl. The trio will perform music from Jake Heggie's new opera as well as other music. The Chaplaincy Services at Stanford Hospital and the Children's Center of the Stanford Community will benefit from 'Songs for Care and Healing,' a concert featuring Susan Graham, John Packard and Nicolle Foland.

If you can't get tickets to one of the eight performances of the San Francisco Opera's world premiere of 'Dead Man Walking,' which opens Saturday, here's a way to hear some of the music while helping out a pair of worthy Stanford organizations. Williams will narrate the orchestra's performance of Copland's 'Lincoln Portrait.' Call (408) 288-2828 for ticket info. Cecil Williams pop up next? At the San Jose Symphony performances Friday and Saturday night at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts. YBC will get $1.25 million over four years to host four extended artists residencies a year, expand traditional and online marketing efforts, and join with local schools and community orga nizations to enhance education and outreach efforts. The downtown arts center is one of 15 organizations across the country that have received grants from the Lila Wallace-Readers Digest Fund's Leadership and Excellence in Arts Participation program. Go to Granted: Some organizations are holding sales to raise money, but Yerba Buena Center for the Arts is raking it in. The winning bidder will get lessons in baton twirling from Maestro George Cleve, followed by an opportunity to conduct a live performance of Mozart's 'Eine kleine Nachtmusik.' Bidding starts at $2,000. Other news from the sale front: The Midsummer Mozart Festival has put up a real prize on the EBay auction site. 28 at the festival offices, 701 Heinz Ave., Berkeley. The California Shakespeare Festival will also open its wardrobe, set and costume storerooms for its annual Costume and Garage Sale from 9 a.m.

Halloween shakespeer