Film Events

Cox and Box - Live Stage Play starring Robert Picardo

Saturday, April 12, 2025 at 7:00 PM

Live theater in the Orinda Theatre’s main auditorium for the first time in its 83-year history, on April 12th!

Orinda Theatre is thrilled to present a very special fundraiser performance of Cox and Box, starring none other than Emmy Nominated actor, Robert Picardo of Star Trek: Voyager fame in the role of Cox!  

Cox and Box, was performed last year as a special benefit for Lamplighters Music Theatre at Marines' Memorial in San Francisco.

Burnand and Sullivan’s one-act comic operetta, Cox and Box was first performed in 1847.   It was Sullivan’s first successful operetta, written before the team of Gilbert and Sullivan.

This special fundraiser event for Orinda’s beloved marquee will take place at 7:00 PM with an added option to join a special VIP Meet and Greet Wine and Cheese Reception after the show.

Picardo, a long-time supporter of the Orinda Theatre has over 247 television credits including The Wonder Years, China Bech, The Golden Girls, E.R., Grey’s Anatomy, Fraiser, The Mentalist, and 168 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager in the role of The Doctor.  Picardo will be reprising his role of The Doctor in the new Star Trek series, Star Trek: Starfleet which also stars Oscar Winner, Holly Hunter and two-time Oscar Nominee, Paul Giamatti.   Picardo’s film credits include: Star Trek: First Contact, Total Recall, Hail, Caesar!, Back to School, Innerspace, Gremlins 2, Matinee, and The Howling, to name a few.

Picardo states “In February of next year, I celebrate half a century as a professional actor. Cox and Box was the high school play in which I felt that first bite of the "acting bug" and I am delighted to reprise my role as Mr. Cox, 57 years after my first crack at the character. Now that I live here in Orinda, it is a particular honor to be in the first live theater performance in our world-class movie theater. I promise all who support this benefit performance for The Orinda Theater 50 minutes of laughter and song in Arthur Sullivan's very first musical (before his legendary partnership with W.S. Gilbert), Cox and Box!” 

This operetta transposes the title of Box and Cox, a one-act farce by John Maddison Morton, which is based on a French one-act vaudeville play, Frisette, which had been produced in Paris in 1846.

All the performers in Cox and Box have graciously donated their time for this once-in-a-lifetime event.

Tickets are $35 for general admission, there is also a limited number of $100 VIP tickets, which includes reserved seating and a reception after the show.