Auditions for EDMT "Wizard of Oz"

Darla Wells photo from earlier production

From EDMT :

El Dorado Musical Theatre, of El Dorado Hills, kicks off the beginning of its eighth season with auditions for the fall musical production, "The Wizard of Oz," Saturday, August 22 at 9:00 a.m. Many parts are available since the company will fill two full casts from El Dorado Hills and surrounding communities. In addition, EDMT will be holding a second audition on Sunday, August 23 at 1:00 p.m., with the hope of attracting a third cast from the Granite Bay/Roseville area. Both auditions will be held at EDMT’s rehearsal facility located in the El Dorado Hills Business Park at 5011 Golden Foothill Parkway, Suite #4.

Pre-registration for auditions will take place online at http://www.edmt.info/ beginning on Monday, August 17, at 8:00 p.m. and ending on Thursday, August 20 at midnight (or when space in the casts fill to capacity). The Wizard of Oz is open to performers between the ages of 6-20 years old.

As EDMT celebrates its 70th anniversary, we recognize the undisputed fact that “The Wizard of Oz” is, and will always be, one of the greatest musicals of all time. The story, written by L. Frank Baum, follows the adventures of Dorothy Gale of Kansas, who, like so many girls her age, dreams of what lies over the rainbow. One day a twister hits her farm and carries her away to another land. Come join Dorothy, the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion and Toto as they travel the universe of Dorothy's imagination.

Featuring beloved songs such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” “Follow the Yellow Brick Road,” “If I Only Had a Brain” and “We’re Off to See the Wizard,” this production will be magical and will include theatrical flying by ZFX Flying Illusions. Those playing the Wicked Witch, Ms. Gultch, Dorothy, Glinda, and the monkeys will be flown.

As an added treat, original munchkins from the 1939 MGM movie cast will be making appearances at the performances scheduled for November 6-22, 2009.

All who audition should dress to dance and be prepared to sing a song of up to one minute in length to either a background CD, a capella or with the piano accompanist. For more information about registration, roles, fees, or the new rehearsal location in Granite Bay, visit http://www.edmt.info/ or call (916) 941-SING.

Red Hats invade Folsom's Stage Nine Theatre

l-r Peggy Huntsman, Mary Young
Photograpy by Allen Schmeltz Productions

Announcement from Stage Nine

Opening at Folsom’s Stage Nine Theatre on July 31st, “Hats! The Musical” returns to the Sacramento area to spread its message that women should celebrate—rather than fear—turning fifty. Last staged over a year ago at Magic Circle Theatre in Roseville, “Hats!” is based on the
philosophy of The Red Hat Society.

Directed by Susan Mason with choreography by Connie Mockenhaupt, the show opens with a woman desperately clawing to keep her current age of 49.9999 years old. Dreading the prospect of turning fifty, she rebuffs her mother's well-intended surprise birthday party by telling
the women present that that have no idea how horrible it is to age.

The six women then tell and sing about their hilarious journeys into "the golden age" and how the fun truly begins at fifty. Constantly choosing laughter over anxiety, the women still offer a few unexpected moments of poignancy--and then celebrate it all.

“Hats!” runs from July 31 – September 13 with performances Friday & Saturday at 8:00 p.m. and Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Tickets are $22 general, $20 for seniors & SARTA, $15 for children. (Group Rates are available PLUS Special Rates for Red Hat Society Members)

A champagne reception will follow the opening performance on Friday, July 31.

For reservations, call (916) 353-1001. Stage Nine Theatre is located at 717 Sutter Street in Historic Folsom.

Local Theatre Company Donates $24,250 in Theatre Tix

Just Received from Capital Stage

Local Theatre Company Donates $24,250 in Theatre Tix
Sacramento, CA -August 1, 2009 - At a time when arts organizations are asking for more help than ever from their community, Capital Stage has implemented a program to give back to other nonprofits in the Sacramento region. Recognizing that local charitable organizations in many different industries are struggling in our current economy, Capital Stage recently donated 970 tickets valued at $24,250 to 73 local non-profit organizations. This giving program provided an incentive and reward to Capital Stage subscribers who renewed their subscription early, during the first month of the 2009-10 renewal campaign by donating 10 tickets to a local charity identified by the renewing subscriber. The local charities will be able to use the donated tickets for fundraising, volunteer & staff recognition, or in any manner that benefits their organization. The tickets are valid for most performances during the 2009/2010 Capital Stage season, based on availability.
"We've been asking for support from the community to help us get through this difficult time and we wanted to do what we could to give back," said Capital Stage Artistic Director, Stephanie Gularte, "What we have to give are seats to our performances and our hope is that other nonprofits will have the opportunity to raise some funds or good will through our gift."

"This program is a great opportunity for us to let our subscribers know that we value them by supporting their personal causes," said Capital Stage Audience Development Coordinator, Keith Riedell. Capital Stage is reaping benefits from these donations as well. Riedell said, "Our early subscription renewal rate is higher than in any previous season. Also, we look forward to introducing new audiences to Capital Stage's unique brand of bold, thought-provoking theatre throughout our season as a result of our ticket donations."
The 2009/2010 Capital Stage season will begin October 2, 2009 with Speech & Debate by Stephen Karam. The remaining shows will include Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris - Adapted by Joe Mantello, Fiction by Steven Dietz, Someone Who'll Watch Over Me by Frank McGuiness and Hunter Gatherers by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb. About Capital StageCapital Stage Company's mission is to be a dynamic leader in the evolution of the contemporary live theatre landscape in the Capital region and to passionately engage audiences in the art of live story-telling with bold, innovative plays performed by professional artists, in an intimate, up-close setting. With a strong commitment to expanding the base of working artists in the greater Sacramento region, we shall develop a company of actors, directors, writers, designers, and technical staff who are dedicated to bringing dynamic productions of contemporary and classic plays to our community.
Website: http://www.capstage.org. Capital Stage is a professional nonprofit, 501(c)3 theatre company.
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The following local non-profit organizations will receive donated tickets from Capital Stage: ACS Dicovery ShopAlzheimer's AssociationAmerican Association of University Women (AAUW)American Cancer SocietyAspiranet Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Greater SacramentoBoys and Girls Club of El Dorado County Western SlopeCalifornia Native Plants SocietyCARESChild Advocates of Placer County - CASACongregation Bet HaverimCongregation Beth ShalomCrocker Art MuseumDavis Schools FoundationDel Oro Caregiver Resource CenterEquality Action NowFolsom Fire Safe CouncilFrancis HouseFriends of RosevilleFriends of the State FairGalt Area Historical SocietyHappy TailsHomeward Bound Golden Retriever Rescue - Kibbles & BidsLeukemia & Lymphoma SocietyLincoln Hills FoundationLoaves and FishesLos Rios FoundationLutheran High SchoolMake A Wish FoundationMarch of Dimes - Northern CaliforniaMustard Seed SchoolNational Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) - YoloPlanned Parenthood Mar Monte. Resources for Independent LivingRiver City Community Services (RCCS)River FoundationSacramento Area Emergency Housing CenterSacramento BalletSacramento Burn InstituteSacramento Child AdvocatesSacramento Children's HomeSacramento Choral SocietySacramento Food BankSacramento Library FoundationSacramento OperaSacramento PhilharmonicSacramento Public LibrarySacramento SPCASacramento Valley ConservancySacramento Zoological SocietySave Ourselves, The Breast Cancer Organization of SacramentoSecond Chance Cocker Spaniel RescueSierra Club MLCSierra Curtis Neighborhood AssociationSmall Difference Women's Chorale EnsembleSt. John the Evangelist ChurchSt. John's Shelter for Women & ChildrenStanford Home for ChildrenStanford Settlement Sutter Buttes Canine RescueSutter VNA & HospiceSutterville Elementary School's 4th R Child Care ProgramTeam Trevor/Leukemia and Lymphoma SocietyThe Salvation ArmyUnitarian Universalist Society of SacramentoUrban League of SacramentoVolcano Theatre CompanyWEAVEWellspring Women's CenterWind YouthYolo County CASAYolo County Historic SocietyYolo County SPCA

A Fairytale for grownups at Music Circus

Photos by Charr Crail

Some shows are good; others are bad. And then there are others that are a matter of taste. “Into the Woods,” now at Music Circus, belongs to the third group. It’s a kind of literary and musical stunt for Stephen Sondheim, who created music and lyrics, and James Lapine, who wrote the book. They set themselves the original and daunting task of assembling a super fairytale collected from the brothers Grimm and others telling the same yarns in other languages and with differing details. So how could they create a plot, with suitable music, to unify all that for a sophisticated modern audience?

“Into the Woods,” the result, opened on Broadway in 1987, picked up a couple of Tony Awards, and has had a successful track record ever since. At the end of the Music Circus opening night performance, though, about half the audience gave it a standing ovation; the other half kept their seats. The show was a dazzling display of singing, dancing and acting talent, with stunning visual effects, based on a rambling, tongue-in-cheek send-up of fairy tales.

The obvious problem for Lapine was to find a story line that would include just about everybody’s favorite childhood bedtime story. The team solved the first hurdle by introducing two unfamiliar characters, a baker (Jeffry Denman) and his wife (Vicki Lewis), who are childless because of a curse by a witch (Yvette Cason). The narrator (Michael G. Hawkins) also introduces Cinderella (Kim Huber), wishing to attend the King’s festival, and Jack (Matthew Wolpe), who wishes his cow, Milky-White, would give milk. They are all gathered in the woods, where the witch instructs them to find a collection of objects within a limited time as the price to raise her curse.

In the process the characters encounter Little Red Riding Hood (Tracy Katz Paladini); a startling Rapunzel (Savannah Smith-Thomas), with yards of golden hair streaming down from her tower; two princes, one for Cinderella (Gordon Goodman), the other for Rapunzel (Jason Forbach); a giant; Sleeping Beauty (Amanda Valli); Snow White (Paige Silvester); and others. The first act ends on an upbeat note, but the second finds the characters under threat by the giant widow (Karen Culliver) of the first giant, who never appeared. Some of the characters die and others engage in adultery, but who cares? Three characters are blinded but one gets back his eye through magic.

The music has the Sondheim stamp. Particularly effective among the twenty-two original songs, are “Agony,” “Stay With Me,” and “No One Is Alone”; but none is really haunting, like “Send in the Clowns,” from “A Little Night Music.”

Glenn Casale does a fine job of direction and choreography with a sharp cast, strongly supported by an orchestra of 13 musicians.

“Into the Woods” continues through August 2 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street, Sacramento. Performances are at 8 p.m. through Saturday, at 2 p.m. Thursday and Saturday, and at 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets, $41 to $53, are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.SacramentoMusicCircuS.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198. For more information about the show and the season, visit www.SacramentoMusicCircuS.com.

l to r: Sean Allen Murray, Bonnie Antonini, Joseph Ramos. Courtesy photo

The local classic “Carhops in Bondage” brings space aliens to Earth, where they tie up carhops who refuse to reveal the secret of their steak sauce. The ships colorful crew includes the Queen of Outer Space, two androids and a giant blue poodle. The musical spoof includes familiar tunes with new words as the aliens clash with the three carhops at the S&M Burger Palace. Now playing at the Studio Theatre in Sacramento, the show closes this weekend.

For a review and details, see http://villagelife.com/story.php?id=692.1.

Imagination Theater to Host Second Annual Fundraiser

From Imagination Theater:

Imagination Theater will host its second annual fundraiser, “An Affair to Remember,” on Friday, August 21, 2009, from 6:00 to 9:00 P.M. at the theater. IT is located on the El Dorado County Fairgrounds in Placerville. Tickets are $20.00 in advance and $25.00 at the door.

Enjoy an evening of fine wines and food while bidding on items donated by local businesses and individuals. There will be a live and silent auction during the evening. Proceeds will benefit Imagination Theater and allow it to continue to provide quality, creative live theater in the foothills. IT is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.

This auction is a great opportunity to shop early for holiday gifts. A Tahoe vacation, all-inclusive weekend in Ashland Oregon, scenic flight and breakfast to Columbia State Park in Sonora, beautiful handmade quilt and many more items await.

Contact Imagination Theater at (530) 642-0404 for more information and to purchase tickets.

"As Always, Jimmy Stewart," with Steve Nevil Cancelled

Imagination Theater Sends Regrets:

With great sadness and due to low ticket sales, Imagination Theater has cancelled "As Always, Jimmy Stewart" with Steve Nevil. Those who have purchased tickets will receive a refund or can apply their purchase toward Imagination Theater’s silent and live auction fundraiser or one of the upcoming shows, "Greater Tuna" or "Beauty and the Beast."

Please help the theater and join them next month for their second annual silent and live auction, "An Affair to Remember," on Friday, August 21 at 6:00 p.m. There will be fine wines, delicious food, and items donated by local businesses in the community. Tickets for this event are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Keep live theater in our community. Call 530-642-0404 to purchase tickets.

T.R. meets Twain at River Stage

From River Stage

River Stage presents
The Playwright's Festival of New Works
T.R. and Twain: Luncheon at the White House , a staged reading
Written by Frank Denson and Alan Freeman
Directed by Frank Condon

"T.R. AND TWAIN: Luncheon at the White House" explores an actual meeting at the White House between President Theodore Roosevelt and Samuel Clemens. These two gigantic egos at the turn of the twentieth century admired each other but epitomized opposite political viewpoints.

The two men roast each other over the issues of the day, which surprisingly parallel our own time: foreign wars, torture of prisoners, US expansionism, financial collapse, government regulation, and especially race relations, civil rights, social injustice, and the Civil War.
Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for seniors and students.

Presentations Friday, July 31 and Saturday August 1
For location and more details go to http://www.riverstage.org/
Call 691-7364 for tickets or send an email to riverstage@crc.losrios.edu.

SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS RETURNS TO MUSIC CIRCUS

Photo by Charr Crail

FROM MUSIC CIRCUS....

One of the most popular shows ever at Music Circus will return to the tent beginning Tuesday, August 4, when California Musical Theatre presents "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers." A story that thrills audience members with dazzling dance numbers and classic loves stories will run through Sunday, August 9. Tickets are on sale now!


On a farm in Oregon in the mid-1800s live Adam and his six brothers. Unable to keep the house clean on their own, Adam goes in search of a wife. Adam meets Milly and they wed at once. Milly discovers that Adam wanted a maid rather than a wife, yet she still tries to make the best of her situation by teaching the other brothers’ etiquette. Milly brings the new and improved brothers to town to meet women, but after a brawl, they are banned from town. After falling in love with the women they met while in town, the brothers kidnap them to marry them. The townspeople go to recapture the women but are blocked by an avalanche that won’t clear until spring. During that period of time, the couples fall in love and seven weddings are held.



The cast of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" will be led by Music Circus favorites Joseph Mahowald as Adam and Jacquelyn Piro Donovan as Milly. Mahowald, whose Broadway credits include the lead role in "Jekyll & Hyde" and Javert in "Les Misérables," has been seen here in "Seven Brides" and "South Pacific." Piro Donovan was most recently under the tent as Sally Bowles in "Cabaret." She holds the distinction as the only woman to have played both Fantine and Cosette in the Broadway cast of "Les Misérables." The cast will also include 18 young singers and dancers playing brothers, brides and suitors.



"Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" will be directed by former California Musical Theatre producing director Leland Ball. Pepper Clyde, who choreographed all the previous Music Circus productions of "Seven Brides," will return to once again recreate the high energy, acrobatic dance sequences. Clyde’s association with the musical began when she toured in the role of Ruth in the first national tour with Howard Keel and Jane Powell.



The 2009 Music Circus season continues with, "Man of La Mancha" (August 11-16) and "Cats" (August 18-30).



Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets for all Music Circus shows are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $50 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and Saturday matinees, and $41.





Tickets are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at http://www.sacramentomusiccircus.com/ or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198.

Picasso, Einstein come to Chautauqua

l to r: Blake Flores, Mary Bond, Marc Berman. Courtesy photo

FROM CHAUTAUQUA PLAYHOUSE:

"Picasso at the Lapin Agile" opens on August 14

Chautauqua Playhouse announces the first show of its 33rd season, PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE, by Steve Martin, performing at the Playhouse. This is the first comedy for the stage by Martin, America’s favorite funny man. Einstein and Picasso meet in a Paris cafe in 1904 just before they set the world afire. An infectious, time warping, dizzying romp! The show is as funny as it is thought provoking.

The production is directed by Maggie Upton. Set design is by Rodger Hoopman, with lighting by Ross Aldrich. Costumes are by Eileen Beaver. The cast includes Daryl Petrig, Blake Flores, Marc Berman and many others.

The show will run on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 p.m. and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. through September 20. The Chautauqua Playhouse is at 5325 Engle Road in the La Sierra Community Center in Carmichael. Admission is $17 general and $15 students, seniors, children and SARTA members.

Because of popular demand, this year Chautauqua Playhouse has extended the run of each of its productions to six weekends. This makes 285 additional seats available for each production. Season tickets are currently available. Individual tickets go on sale on August 7.

For tickets and additional information call the theatre at (916) 489-7529
(PLAY). Information and tickets are also available through the Chautauqua Playhouse website: http://www.cplayhouse.org/.



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“Guy’s and Doll’s,” a Music Circus also-ran

Montego Glover and Matthew Ashford

Photo by Charr Crail

If you have no idea, or only a sentimental one, of what New York was like in the thirties through the fifties, you may wring delight out of the current Music Circus production of “Guys and Dolls,” running through July 26 at Sacramento’s Wells Fargo Pavillion.

Certainly it has its charms, with music by Frank Loesser­—including such favorites as “Follow the Fold,” “The Oldest Established,” “A Bushel and a Peck” and “Luck Be a Lady.”

A large and sharp professional cast, under Director Marcia Milgrom Dodge and choreographed by Bob Richard, give clearly defined character interpretations while maintaining a fast pace. Gary Beach offers us a smart Nathan Detroit, career gambling organizer; Heather Lee endures as Miss Adelaide, his suffering fiancée, who after 14 years still lies to her mother that the pair are married and have children; Matthew Ashford is suave as compulsive gambler Sky Masterson; and Montego Glover glows with righteousness as Sarah Brown, his Salvation Army dream girl.

The time is supposed to be the mid-fifties. The plot is based on three stories by tough-talking Damon Runyon, chronicler of New York in the thirties and forties, who died in 1946. For “Guys and Dolls” the result is a sentimental fantasy of a kind of cowboy New York. The show has a long history as a crowd pleaser, with a popular movie version headed by Frank Sinatra as Detroit and Marlon Brando as Masterson.

But in the current staged version some of the actors go through the motions energetically without really convincing us that they believe in their characters. What we get is something like The Three Musketeers played by the Marx Brothers. The two female leads and Ashford’s Masterson come closest to seeming real. Conrad John Schuck manages to conjure up a lovable Arvide Abernathy, Salvation Army soldier.

To give the show its due, after a solid “Thoroughly Modern Millie” followed by a smashing “Altar Boyz,” anything short of “Phantom of the Opera” performed by archangels would seem an anticlimax.

“Guys and Dolls continues at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Performances are Wednesday at 8 p.m., Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., and Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $41 to $53, are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.SacramentoMusicCircuS.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198. For more information about the show and the season, please visit http://www.sacramentomusiccircus.com/.

l

(l to r: Altholz, Webber, Gularte.

Courtesy photo)

Sacramento’s Capital Stage currently offers Reina Hardy’s Erratica as a world premiere. Now 27, Hardy conceived the play at 18 as a monolog, then developed it into a play at 20. What’s more remarkable is its sophistication and wit.

At the center of the story is Samantha Stafford (Stepanie Gularte) writing a book about Shakespeare and toying with a possible affair with a student.

Complications ensue from the loss of an Elizabethan diary, pressure from an exploitive promoter (Jamie Jones), and the penetrating analysis that Stafford gets from the ghost of Christopher Marlow (Danny Webber). Directed by Michael Stevenson, the play also features fine performances by Stephanie Altholz as a jealous student and Jack Hooper as a “cowboy librarian.”

For a review and more details, go to http://www.villagelife.com/story.php?id=691.0.

See Rock City, now at B Street

(Jason Kuykendall and Dana Brooke

Courtesy Photo)

“See Rock City,” now offered by Sacramento’s B Street Theatre, is the second play in the Nibroc Trilogy. It comes chronologically after “The Last Train to Nibroc,” a perennial favorite at B Street, and precedes in time the final play, “Gulf View Drive.” All three are products of the adroit and seasoned playwright Arlene Hutton. Among the awesome qualities of “See Rock City” is its ability to stand alone as a finished product and yet tease us into wanting to return for more.

The first play, “Last Train,” begins in 1940, the year before Pearl Harbor, and brings together Raleigh (Jason Kykendall), a soldier who received an early medical discharge because he has epilepsy, and May (Dana Brooke), a prickly young woman with strong religious beliefs. Both, by coincidence, hail from rural Kentucky, and the play follows their up-and-down courtship until their inevitable marriage.

In “See Rock City,” Hutton deftly blends in the essential earlier background. Ironically, the couple never see Rock City, their honeymoon destination. Having missed their train they wind up in Cincinnati and return to May’s old Kentucky home, where they live with her caring and kindly mother, Mrs. Gill (Elizabeth Palmer). Raleigh’s mother, the prickly Mrs. Brummett (Judy Jean Berns), lives nearby and brushes off his disability while blaming his failure on congenital laziness.

All the action in this long one-act takes place in the front yard and on the porch of Mrs. Gill’s modest blue cottage in a rural community where iced tea is the equivalent of champagne. Occasionally we hear an automobile horn in the background as it calls for Mrs. Brummett to return home. The time frame, spread over six scenes, covers June 1944 to August 1945, the winding down of World War II.

In some ways the play resembles Arthur Miller’s 1947 classic “All My Sons,” which also covers this period and takes place in a similar location. In both plays a son is killed late in the war, but the overall stories differ. Nowadays that Great War can be seen as history and thus critically. In “See Rock City” we encounter a painful irony as the nation pays homage to its returning heroes by giving them other people’s jobs. Thus May’s position as a teacher, needed to support her and Raleigh, is handed over to a returning veteran.

But Raleigh’s fate suffers even greater ironies. Foreseeing the war, he enlisted in the army early, where his epilepsy was discovered and brought on his immediate discharge. But his short term service kept him from receiving medical benefits or access to the G.I. Bill. In the recent past he was a successful short story writer, but now all he gets are rejection slips.

His condition denies him other employment and he can’t even get a driver’s license. Adding to the irony he’s treated with contempt by strangers, who view him as a draft dodger. He was even spat on by a woman whose son died in the war.

But a glimpse of light comes through at the end, when an unexpected letter arrives for Raleigh and sends him to New York.

Under Elisabeth Nunziato’s nuanced direction the fine cast offer authoritative performances as the relaxed country characters we might expect to meet in the rural South. And as we leave the theater we’re eager to return, to find out what happens in the final play of the trilogy, “Gulf View Drive,” opening at B Street on August 30.

“See Rock City” continues through August 23 at 2727 B Street, Sacramento, behind the Stanford Park Baseball Field. Performances are Tuesday-Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 1 p.m. Tickets are from $23 to $35. Call (916) 443-5300. See also http://www.bstreettheatre.org/.

Around the World in 80 Days arrives in Jackson

Announcement from Main Street Theatre Works

Main Street Theatre Works presents the second show of its 2009 summer season at the Kennedy Mine Amphitheatre in Jackson. The popular adventure Around the World in 80 Days, a play by Mark Brown, is based on the novel by Jules Verne and runs from August 7 through September 5.

The adventure begins with the stuffy and very British Phileas Fogg (Ron Adams) betting with members of the Reform Club that he can travel around the world in 80 days, a nearly impossible feat during the reign of Queen Victoria. Joined by his manservant Passepartout (Benjamin Ismail), he heads off to Suez, pursued by the inimitable Detective Fix (Scott Divine), who is convinced that Fogg is a bank robber.

From there it's a mad dash to India, where Fogg takes a few hours to rescue Princess Aouda (Julie Anchor) from a suttee fire. Then they charge on to Hong Kong, Yokahama, America, and back to Jolly Old England. The question is “Does Fogg make it in time to collect on the wager?” Or “Does he miss the rendezvous with cash as Detective Fix serves his arrest warrant?” Don’t miss the exciting conclusion, and the wild ride involved, as five actors take on 32 different characters, with Michael R.J. Campbell playing half of the characters on his own, in this hilarious romp to beat the clock.

Main Street Theatre Works is a professionally oriented theatre company, performing in the heart of Amador County. Now in their 15th season, MSTW continues to be dedicated to bringing professional and community theatre artists together to produce classical and contemporary plays, striving for a balance that stimulates both artists and audiences.

The Kennedy Mine Theatre is located on North Main Street in Jackson, next to the Country Squire Motel. Performances are Friday and Saturday nights from August 7th through September 5th. Gates open at 6:30 for picnics and show starts at 8:00. Patrons are encouraged to come early with their picnics, chairs and jackets.

Tickets, available at the gate, are $16 for adults, $12 for students under $12. For more information, please visit our website at www.mstw.org

Around the World in 80 Days is sponsored by Vino Noceto Winery.
Jackson Rancheria Casino & Hotel is a proud sponsor of our 2009 Summer Season

INTO THE WOODS COMES TO SACRAMENTO

From Sacramento Music Circus



FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS AFTER HAPPILY EVER AFTER…


Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” will be appearing for the first time at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The musical will run from July 28 through August 2. Tickets are on sale now!


A musical for grown-ups based on the stories of Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack and the Beanstalk and Rapunzel, “Into the Woods” is a wry, witty and surprising look at the consequences of getting everything you’ve wished for.


Comedic stage and television actress Vicki Lewis, who starred in "Gypsy" last summer, will return to Music Circus as the Baker's Wife. Lewis, known to most as Beth from TV’s “NewsRadio,” starred on Broadway as Velma in “Chicago.” The Baker will be played by Jeffry Denman, widely known around the country as a leading song and dance man for his performances on Broadway in "Cats" and starring in "White Christmas." He last appeared under the Tent in "Cats."



The Witch will be played by Yvette Cason, who was in the original Broadway production of “Dreamgirls” and was featured in the recent film adaptation. Tracy Katz Paladini, considered by many the definitive Little Red Riding Hood, will return to the role, and Matt Wolpe will play Jack (of beanstalk fame). Wolpe made his Music Circus debut 14 years ago in “The Music Man,” starring his father Lenny Wolpe.



The production will be directed and choreographed by Glenn Casale, and the musical director will be Craig Barna.


The 2009 Music Circus season continues with, “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (August 4-9), “Man of La Mancha” (August 11-16) and “Cats” (August 18-30).


Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets for all Music Circus shows are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $50 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and Saturday matinees, and $41 for Thursday matinee. Tickets for “Cats” are $15 off for children 4-11. Children under 4 will not be admitted.


Special performances of “Cats” will begin 1 hour earlier August 25-30. Tuesday – Saturday evening performances are at 7:00 p.m.. Thursday and Saturday matinees are at 1:00 p.m., and Sunday evening performance begins at 6:30 p.m.


Tickets are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at http://www.sacramentomusiccircus.com/ or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198.


For more information about the season, please visit http://www.sacramentomusiccircus.com/

A Sparkling Altar Boyz by Music Circus

l to r: Ryan Nearhoff, Andres Quintero, Devin DeSantis, Jamison Scott, Tim Dolan.

For this review I must confess that I was predisposed against the show when I arrived at the Music Circus production of “Altar Boyz.” Maybe my attitude had something to do with “Boys” spelled with a “z.” I was unconcerned about sacrilege; what I expected was an evening of mere musical silliness. But by the end of the introductory number, “We Are the Altar Boyz,” I was caught up in total delight.

Aimed at boy bands, and specifically Christian boy bands, the satire is both affectionate and penetrating. And the five performers are virtually flawless in acting, singing, dancing—and maintaining their energy through a full-length production without intermission. Four of the characters are modern representatives of the Gospel writers: Matthew (Devin DeSantis), Mark (Jamison Scott), Luke (Ryan Nearhoff), and Juan (Andres Quinero). Also included is the voice of “G.O.D.” (Shadoe Stevens).

Socking home the ecumenicism is Tim Dolan in yarmulke as Abraham, the Jewish representative. (He’s also the dance captain). All that’s lacking is a well-endowed Virgin Mary. But the show comes close, with a lovely woman from the “audience” and the guys affirming to her their devotion to sexual restraint and preserving their virginity.

With its 12 original musical numbers, involving song, dance, and some startling acrobatics, all perfectly timed, the story adds a special immediacy. Discarding the usual imaginary wall between audience and performers, the story claims to be happening in the here and now, with frequent references to Sacramento, plus Luke wearing a “Kings” shirt.

In fact the entire audience becomes part of the show. The characters’ purpose is to save the endangered souls among them. Adapting the biblical to the modern, the “boyz” make use of a high-tech device called a “Soul Sensor DX-12,” which drops from the ceiling and projects the number of endangered souls in the theater. We can’t help keeping track as the numbers bounce up and down during the course of the show.

Though lacking a clear plot movement, the show holds us, like Cleopatra’s “infinite variety.” There’s something new in each episode, like a musical number with hand puppets and a late sudden turn to the serious and inspiring, as when Mark, striding down the aisle, powerfully sings “I am a Catholic.”

The resolution of the unspoken question—what holds this diverse group together—comes as a surprise in the finale: “I believe.”

Directed by Stafford Arima, “Altar Boyz” is choreographed by Christopher Gatelli and backed by a five-piece band: Tom Griep (keyboard), Brian Kendrick (drums/percussion), Tom Phillips (guitar), and Jason Loffredo (conductor/keyboard).

This new off-Broadway hit will run through July 19 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Performances are Wednesday at 8 p.m., Thursday at 2 and 8 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets, $41 to $53, are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.SacramentoMusicCircuS.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198. For more information about the show and the season, please visit http://www.sacramentomusiccircus.com/.

"Sweet Charity" makes music in Sacramento

l to r: Kate Richardson, Amber Jean Moore and Nancy Goodnow. Photo: Divino San Piedro Photography

Charity begins on stage with the 1965 Broadway musical “Sweet Charity,” now delivered by Runaway Stage Productions of Sacramento. Its story, by Neil Simon, captures the two-sided life of Charity Hope Valentine (Amber Jean Moore), caught up in her shady life as a New York taxi dancer who longs for a husband—or at least a caring lover. A full orchestra delivers 14 original numbers, including two perennial favorites, with strong all-around performances.

For a detailed review, in today’s Village Life of El Dorado Hills, go to http://www.villagelife.com/story.php?id=692.1&pt=photo.

Guys and Dolls at Music Circus

Announcement from Music Circus

GUYS and DOLLS RETURNS TO MUSIC CIRCUS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS

“Guys and Dolls,” Frank Loesser’s classic musical, returns to Music Circus July 21 after a 15-year absence. The Tony-winning Best Musical of 1951 will run through July 26 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Tickets are on sale now!

“Guys and Dolls” is a charming tale of love and chance on the streets of 1950s New York City intertwined with colorful characters – gamblers and showgirls, missionaries and gangsters. High-roller Sky Masterson is coming to town and makes a bet to take out the missionary, Sarah Brown, whom he eventually falls in love with. Meanwhile, Nathan Detroit struggles with commitment to his fiancée of 14-years, Adelaide. Between gambling and breakups, the couples realize the crazy things they will do for love.

The cast of “Guys and Dolls” includes Tony Award-winner Gary Beach who stars as gambler Nathan Detroit. Beach is familiar to Music Circus audiences from such previous comic roles as Pseudolus in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Rooster in "Annie" and Luther Billis in "South Pacific." He received his Tony Award for best supporting actor for his turn as Roger de Bris in "The Producers," a role he reprised in the film. He will play opposite Heather Lee as his long-suffering fiancée Miss Adelaide, a role she also performed in the Broadway revival. Lee’s Broadway career includes playing Tessie Tura opposite Bernadette Peters in the recent revival of “Gypsy.” She returns to Music Circus for her 15th production, most recently as the Beggar Woman in "Sweeney Todd" last summer. Matthew Ashford, known to daytime fans as Jack Devereaux from "Days of Our Lives," returns to Music Circus, where he played Thomas Jefferson in "1776." Ashford will play rakish gambler Sky Masterson opposite Montego Glover as missionary Sarah Brown. Glover played the lead role in "Aida" under the tent and starred in “Smokey Joe’s Cafe.” She made her Broadway debut as Celie in “The Color Purple” and will be returning in the fall in the new musical “Memphis.” "Guys and Dolls" will be directed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge, whose “Ragtime” will be going to Broadway following a sold-out run at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., and choreographed by Bob Richard with Dennis Castellano serving as musical director.

The 2009 Music Circus season continues with, “Into the Woods” (July 28-August 2), “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (August 4-9), “Man of La Mancha” (August 11-16) and “Cats” (August 18-30).

Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets for all Music Circus shows are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $50 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and Saturday matinees, and $41 for Thursday matinee. Tickets for “Cats” are $15 off for children 4-11. Children under 4 will not be admitted.

Special performances of “Cats” will begin 1 hour earlier August 25-30. Tuesday – Saturday evening performances are at 7:00 p.m.. Thursday and Saturday matinees at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday evening performance beings at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198.

For more information about the season, please visit www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com

Garbeau's Mini, a new cabaret series in Folsom

Stage Nine Theatre in Folsom has collaborated with Mark Ferreira, owner of the recently closed Garbeau’s Dinner Theatre, and together they are launching a cabaret series called Garbeau’s Mini. Beginning this Sunday, Stage Nine Theatre will host the intimate Broadway revue the first and third Sundays of each month. Ferreira will be at the piano, joined by four singers who will present an evening of Broadway and Off-Broadway show tunes.

Proceeds from the performances will go toward a fund to reopen Garbeau’s Dinner Theatre in a new location.

The first few Garbeau’s Mini productions will include crooner Zach Abdallah and lyrical soprano Meg Masterson, both of whom were in Garbeau’s final production There’s a Little Bit of Broadway in Everyone. The other two singers, Lafras le Roux and Anne Marie Pringle, are active performers in local community theater.

This Sunday, July 19th, a champagne reception will be held 7 p.m. at the theater, with the performance beginning at 7:30. Stage Nine in Folsom is located at 717 Sutter Street in Historic Folsom. Reservations can be made by calling (916) 353-1001.

Cal Stage teen theater presents Midsummer Night's Dream

Carrissa Meagher

Photo from California Stage

California Stages' Summer teen theater presents a musical A Midsummer Nights’ Dream by William Shakespeare, directed by Penny Meagher, in a new British adaptation by Julian Chenery & Matt Gimblett.

It contains some wonderfully lyrical expressions of lighter Shakespearean themes, most notably those of love, dreams, and the stuff of both, the creative imagination itself. The story involves two sets of couples (Hermia and Lysander, and Helena and Demetrius) with romantic cross-purposes. They enter the play's fairyland woods, where the King and Queen of the Fairies (Oberon and Titania) preside and the impish folk character of Puck or Robin Goodfellow plies his trade.

Young actors of all ages from all over Sacramento County complete the cast of characters, including Ray Tatar as Theses; Scott Randolph as Egeus; Andrew Hoper as Lysander; Johnathon Tierney as Demetrius; Miriam Leah as Philostrate; Nora Matthes Kniveton as Hippolyta; Kendra Evans as Hermia; Erin Soloman as Helena; Rachel Yamshon as Quince; Katie Meagher as Bottom; Belle Noxon as Flute; Morgan Gularte Rivera as Snug; Chelsea Carbaugh Rutland as Snout; Peri Champoux as Starveling; Heather Mcdonald as Puck; Carissa Meagher as Titania; Miriam Leah Mars as Bluebell; Bertin Landero as Indian Boy; and Peri Champoux as Indian Queen.

A Midsummer Nights’ Dream will play for six performances only: July 23, 24, 25, 29, 30, 31 and August 1. Shows begin at 7:30 pm. Ticket prices are $15 for General Admission, $10 for seniors, students, SARTA Members, and $8 for groups of 6 or more.

California Stage has free easy parking available at 2509 R Street (25th & R Streets) in Midtown Sacramento 95816. Call for reservations at 916-451-5822.

Sweet Charity at Runaway Stage

From Runaway Stage, Sacramento

Meet Charity Hope Valentine, Dance Hall Hostess, eternal optimist, and unlucky romantic, as she searches for true love in Sweet Charity, the Tony award-winning musical comedy with lively choreography, snappy Neil Simon dialogue, and show-stopping numbers including such favorites as “Big Spender,” “Rhythm of Life,” and “If They Could See Me Now.” This Bob Fosse extravaganza originally opened to rave reviews on
Broadway in 1965.

Sweet Charity is a tender, poignant and humorous look at the misadventures in the ways of love which reveals the unforgettable Charity Hope Valentine who always gives her heart and her dreams to the wrong man. Charity sings, dances, laughs, and cries her way through romances with the “animal magnetism” man, the “ultra-chic continental” type, and the “impossible to believe but he’s better than nothing” guy. Her world is the all too real world of Times Square populated by the most charming group of characters. From her cynical group of dance hall girlfriends to the phony evangelist, the Coney Island ‘fun people”, the Central Park strollers, and the YMCA “self-improvers”, every character is fascinating.

Written by NEIL SIMON, Music by CY COLEMAN, Lyrics by DOROTHY FIELDS
Produced and Directed by BOB BAXTER, Choreography by DARRYL STROHL, Musical Direction by JAMES LOHMAN

July 10 — August 2, 2009
Friday & Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m.
24th Street Theater, 2791 24th Street (4 blocks south of Broadway, in the Sierra 2 Center) Sacramento, California

You don’t have to be a BIG SPENDER to enjoy a night at the theatre! RSP celebrates SUMMER STAYCATIONS 2009! All seats reduced to only $15.00 and can be purchased online at wwwrunawaystage.com, or at the door.
Questions? call (916) 207-1226.

Carhops in Bondage are all tied up

Cast changes at the last minute have caused the Lambda Players to postpone the July 10 opening of Carhops in Bondage to July 17. (See June 17 posting of the show on this blog.) At this time it's unclear whether the closing date will be extended, extra performances will be offered, or nothing else will be changed.

For more information and to keep up with developments

call the box office at 916-444-8229 or go to http://www.lambdaplayers.com/.

A thoroughly not-so-modern Millie by Music Circus

Mara Davi as Millie
Photo by Charr Crail

A somewhat shopworn rags-to-riches musical, “Thoroughly Modern Millie,” still carries a punch thanks to a thoroughly slick production by Sacramento’s Music Circus at the Wells Fargo Pavillion. Starring a thoroughly modern Mara Davi, a gorgeous and versatile Sacramento girl who’s made it big on Broadway, the story fields a brilliant professional cast backed by a fine orchestra under Musical Director Bill Stanley.

Based on the 1967 film starring Julie Andrews, the story is set in 1922 New York and follows the career of Millie Dillmount (Davi), an ambitious Kansas girl with a warped view of what it means to be “modern.” Dismissing love as an ingredient in a happy marriage, she aims to marry a rich man who can give her everything she craves.

Right off, her purse is stolen along with one shoe. Getting no help from indifferent New Yorkers, she trips a young man, Jimmy Smith (Matt Loehr), destined to play a key role in her life. He directs her to the Priscilla Hotel for Women, her base for finding a job with a wealthy and marriageable boss. In a dazzling scene at the Sincere Trust Insurance Company, she’s hired as a stenographer by Trevor Graydon III (Robert Townsend) after taking dictation at breakneck speed, then reading it back equally fast.

While struggling to lure Trevor into a proposal, she stays on at the hotel, run by a comically sinister Mrs. Meers (Ruth Williamson), a failed actress who pretends to be Chinese, and as we later find out conducts a white slavery business, shipping unattached girls to Hong Kong with the aid of a pair of Chinese brothers, Ching Ho (Billy Bustamente) and Bun Foo (Reggie de Leon). At the hotel Millie also befriends Miss Dorothy Brown (Megan McGinnis), who becomes a temporary rival for Trevor’s love.

Millie’s social climbing also includes meeting the rich and famous through singer and bon vivant Muzzy Von Hossmere (Karole Foreman). Jimmy keeps showing up intermittently as the attraction between him and Millie becomes increasingly apparent, especially in a jail cell after they’ve been arrested at a speakeasy.

All is resolved during two acts filled with 15 songs, including the perennial favorite “I’m Falling in Love with Someone” and the catchy “Gimme Gimme.” As often happens with this show, Muzzy almost steals it. True to form, Foreman’s delivery of “Only in New York” makes us feel she’s underutilized. She presides over one of the show’s funniest scenes, which takes place in her apartment, where Millie spills champagne on Dorothy Parker’s (Merrill West) dress and tries to clean it off with soy sauce.

Coincidentally, Muzzy was played in the film by Carol Channing, who made a surprise appearance on opening night of the current production, where she announced her benefit show on August 31. The benefit will be in support of her Foundation for the Arts, aimed at maintaining the arts in education.

Also noteworthy in the cast is a solid performance by Matt Loehr as the improbable Jimmy Smith, by Williamson as the wicked yet goofy Mrs. Meers, and by Bustamente and De Leon as a pair of certifiably believable Chinese brothers. Add to that the exquisite voice of McGinnis as Miss Dorothy.

Also notable is the sharp directing by Glenn Casale and choreography by John MacInnis.

Theater in the round has it pros and cons at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. Actors make dramatic entrances down the aisles, and unlike many large auditoriums the acoustics are close to ideal. One big negative is the shallow rake of the seats. If you sit behind someone taller than you, you’ll be watching the action through tunnels over the arm rests. I don’t know if the ushers will let you in with a pillow or an inflated innertube.

“Thoroughly Modern Millie runs through July 12 at 1419 H Street in Sacramento. Performances are July 9 at 2 and 8 p.m., July 10 at 8 p.m., July 11 at 2 and 8 p.m., and July 12 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $41-53 and available at the box office, Tickets.com or by telephone at 916-557-1999.

ALTAR BOYZ MAKES ITS MUSIC CIRCUS PREMIERE

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM MUSIC CIRCUS

The foot-stomping, rafter-raising production of “Altar Boyz” will make its Music Circus debut on Tuesday, July 14. The new off-Broadway hit will run through July 19 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 14. Tickets are on sale now!

After years of performing in bingo halls and youth group rallies, the Altar Boyz have moved on up and are performing at Sacramento Music Circus! Mathew, Mark, Luke and Juan along with their Jewish lyricist Abraham have grown into pop stars with a mission to save the souls of audiences around the world. But just like any other boy band, the Altar Boyz deal with the struggles of going solo and even some of their own demons. Remembering their mission and what brought them together in the first place, the Altar Boyz finish their concert united and holier than ever.

“Altar Boyz” includes a dream-team cast of talented actors. The group’s leader Matthew will be played by Devin DeSantis, who played the role in the Chicago production. Mark, “the sensitive one,” will be played by Jamison Scott who played Eugene in the most recent Broadway revival of “Grease.” Ryan Nearhoff will play the street-wise Luke. The Latin lover Juan will be played by, Andres Quinero who appeared as Juan in the national tour of “Altar Boys.” Tim Dolan will reprise the role he’s played in the national tour, Abraham, the gefilte fish out of water.

The 2009 Music Circus season continues with, “Guys & Dolls” (July 2 1-26), “Into the Woods”
(July 28-August 2), “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (August 4-9), “Man of La Mancha”
(August 11-16) and “Cats” (August 18-30).

Performances are Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., Sunday at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday and Saturday at 2 p.m. Tickets for all Music Circus shows are $53 for Friday and Saturday evenings, $50 for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday evenings and Saturday matinees, and $41 for Thursday matinee. Tickets for “Cats” are $15 off for children 4-11. Children under 4 will not be admitted.

Special performances of “Cats” will begin 1 hour earlier August 25-30. Tuesday — Saturday evening performances are at 7:00 p.m. Thursday and Saturday matinees at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday evening performance beings at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets are currently on sale at the Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento, Or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets are also available online at www.SacramentoMuslcCircuS.com or by calling (800) 225-2277. For groups of 12 or more call (916) 557-1198.

For more infonnation about the season, please visit www.SacramentoMusicCircuS.com

Celebration Arts offers LeRoi Jones' Dutchman

Celebration Arts presents Dutchman, a drama by LeRoi Jones/Amiri Baraka. Set in 1964, this is the first of Jones’ successes, and the cause of his critical acclaim. A vivacious young white woman tries every vulgar way she knows to pick up and seduce a decent black youth in a subway car. Failing, she resorts to humiliating him. This breaks the façade of his decency as he descends to her level for a spitfire fight.

Directed by Vada Russel, Dutchman will open on July 24, and show Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. through August 29. There will be no performance on July 26. Celebration Arts Theatre is located at 4469 D Street, Sacramento.

Ticket price: $15 general and $13 students and seniors. On Thursday night all seats are $8. Call (916) 455-2787 for information and reservations.

ERRATICA comes to Capital Stage

Announcement from Capital Stage

ERRATICA,
An Academic Farce

July 11 - August 2, 2009

Capital Stage will make theatrical history with its first World Premiere production when "Erratica, An Academic Farce" by Reina Hardy opens on Friday, July 17, 2009.

"Erratica" is Capital Stage's first world premiere production to come out of the company's Playwrights' Revolution project. In 2007, Capital Stage was awarded a $40,000 grant from the James Irvine Foundation to create and develop the Playwrights' Revolution. The goal is to celebrate new works and to encourage the creation of bold, powerful new plays for the American theatre. Each year, several new plays are selected to participate in a series of roundtable and staged readings. "Erratica" is the first of these plays to receive a fully-mounted professional production.

The Playwright

Reina Hardy is a playwright with credits in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Orlando and Muncie, Indiana. Look for her poems in various magazines; look for excerpts from her plays in "Audition Arsenal" and "The Ultimate Audition Book" (both from Smith and Kraus), and look for her theatre reviews on the Sun Times website.

Once, she resolved to see a show in every Chicago fringe venue during the course of a year. Her failure is chronicled at wayoffloop.blogspot.com. Reina, a 2003 graduate of Columbia University and a 2011 MFA candidate at Ohio University, is also founder and artistic director of the Viola Project (violaproject.org), Chicago's best Shakespeare performance workshop for girls.

The Play

Professor Samantha Stafford is trying to write a book on Shakespeare. But one of her students is madly in love with her, her publicist wants her to do something more commercial, and she is persistently haunted by an entity claiming to be the ghost of Christopher Marlow. Meanwhile, Jack Hooper, a librarian who just might be a match for Dr. Stafford, has lost a prized manuscript to a mysterious thief. It's all connected. But how?

Michael Stevenson (Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Bad Dates) directs Capital Stage Artistic Director Stephanie Gularte (Fool For Love, Dirty Story), local favorites Jamie Jones (Dinner With Friends), and Eric Wheeler (Dinner With Friends, The Complete History of America (abridged)) and newcomers Stephanie Altholz and Danny Webber.

Performances will begin with three previews on Saturday, July 11 at 7 pm, Sunday, July 12 at 2 pm, and Thursday, July 16 at 8 pm, and the play will open on Friday, July 17, 2009 at 8 pm. Performances continue through August 2, 2009.

Showtimes will be Thursdays to Sundays as follows: Thursdays and Fridays at 8 pm; Saturdays at 7 pm , and Sundays at 2 pm. Ticket prices range from $24-$32. Discount tickets are available as follows: Preview tickets: $15; Thursday student tickets: $12; Sunday matinees senior tickets: $18; Group rates available for groups of 15 or more. Tickets are currently available at the Capital Stage Box Office, 916-995-5464 or online at www.capstage.org. The Pilothouse Restaurant offers a specially priced menu for theatre patrons; Pilothouse reservations can be made through the box office.

Erratica is underwritten by Downey Brand and Wells Fargo.

Message from B Street re Nibroc trilogy

B STREET THEATRE TO PRESENT PART II OF
THE NIBROC TRILOGY

B Street Theatre will stage the second play of THE NIBROC TRILOGY continuing the story of young Kentuckians Raleigh and May, so delightfully started in LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC.

Building on the narrative (and success) of LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC, Ms. Hutton penned two sequels: SEE ROCK CITY and GULF VIEW DRIVE. Each play can be seen and enjoyed as a stand-alone piece, without having seen the earlier play in the series.

About SEE ROCK CITY: Picking up a year after the ending of Arlene Hutton's critically acclaimed LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC, this tender and funny sequel follows May and Raleigh through the end of World War II and introduces the characters of their two mothers-in-law. This tender portrayal of married life, set against the backdrop of World War II, shows the best of the human spirit and its ability to overcome any and all obstacles. The second play of a trilogy, and the recipient of the MacLean Foundation's "In the Spirit of America" Award, SEE ROCK CITY stands alone as a very funny, touching and universal portrayal of a young couple very much in love.

THE NIBROC TRILOGY is running sequentially in the B Street Theatre's B-2 space over a 5-month period. Reprising his role as Raleigh will be B Street company member Jason Kuykendall. Company member Dana Brooke will play May. Additional casting for SEE ROCK CITY includes Judy Jean Berns and, B Street new-comer, Elizabeth Palmer . B Street Company member Elisabeth Nunziato will direct SEE ROCK CITY.

THE PLAYWRIGHT

Arlene Hutton is a member of New Dramatists, the Dramatists’ Guild and Circle East (formerly Circle Rep) Lab. Her Appalachian romance LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC received a 2000 Best Play nomination from the New York Drama League for its Off-Broadway run. It has had more than thirty productions across the country, including The Barrow Group, Miniature Theatre of Chester, Florida Studio Theatre, ArtStation, Nebraska Rep, ManBites Dog, Riverside, Coyote and Actors’ Guild of Lexington. It was published by Smith & Kraus in WOMEN PLAYWRIGHTS: BEST PLAYS 1999. A second full-length, AS IT IS IN HEAVEN premiered in Edinburgh, opened in New York City at the 78th Street Theatre Lab and moved to the ArcLight Theatre. LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC and AS IT IS IN HEAVEN are published by Dramatists Play Service. Two of Hutton’s one-act plays, STUDIO PORTRAIT and THE PRICE YOU PAY, are winners of the Samuel French Short Play Festival and have been published by French. Other New York credits include Circle-in-the-Square Downtown, Alice’s Fourth Floor, Ensemble Studio Theatre and HERE. Her one-acts Pushing Buttons and Cubicles were finalists for the 2001 and 2002 Heineman Award at Actor’s Theatre of Louisville. Hutton’s one-acts, including I DREAM BEFORE I TAKE THE STAND, have been presented at theatres across the country and abroad and her plays have been translated into Dutch, Chinese and Catalan. Arlene Hutton was born and raised in the southern U. S. and lives in New York City, where she began writing plays in 1994 at Alice’s Fourth Floor under the direction of Susann Brinkley. A recipient of the John Lipman Award, an ART/NY Nancy Quinn Fund grant and a Cameron Macintosh Foundation grant, Hutton recently received a commission from Clear Channel Theatrical Division and will be writing a new full-length play about the Brontë family. She is an adjunct professor at Fordham University. Arlene Hutton Member: New Dramatists, Dramatists’ Guild, Circle East. Full-length plays or collections: LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC (New York Drama League Best Play nomination 2000); AS IT IS IN HEAVEN (Best Ensemble nomination 2001, Edinburgh Festival Fringe); I DREAM BEFORE I TAKE THE STAND AND OTHER PLAYS; WOMEN@WORK. One-act plays: I DREAM BEFORE I TAKE THE STAND; STUDIO PORTRAIT; CUBICLES; A CLOSER LOOK; THE PRICE YOU PAY; AT THE TONE; VERO BEACH; FRIENDS FOR LIFE; CAFETERIA; TESTTIME; BLUEPRINT; MAN IN THE BASEMENT; REMEDIAL LESSONS. Regional theatres: Florida Studio Theatre, Miniature Theatre of Chester, ArtStation, Nebraska Rep, ManBites Dog, Riverside, Actors’ Guild of Lexington, Shipping Dock, Phoenix, Coyote, Powerhouse, InterAct, Actors’ Gang, Circle Theatre, Tamarind. New York theatres: Douglas Fairbanks, ArcLight, 78th Street Theatre Lab, The Barrow Group, Alice’s Fourth Floor, Circle East, HERE, Neighborhood Playhouse, Duplex, Circle-in-the-Square Downtown, Hypothetical, Vital, Rude Mechanicals, Guerilla Rep, Henry Street Settlement Experimental Space, Ensemble Studio Theatre. Festivals: Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Philadelphia Fringe, New York Fringe, American Living Room, Samuel French One-Act Festival, Project Vaca (Barcelona). Publishers: Dramatists Play Service, Smith & Kraus, Applause, Samuel French, Playscripts.com Awards & Grants: John Lipman Award; Cameron Macintosh Foundation grant; commission from Clear Channel; Heineman Award finalist, 2001 & 2002; finalist for Francesca Primus Prize. Representation: Pat McLaughlin at Beacon Artists (NYC) Meg Davis at MBA (London)


THE PLAYS


THE NIBROC TRILOGY

With romance, comedy and a grace evocative of the era in American history during which it is set, Arlene Hutton’s THE NIBROC TRILOGY follows one couple’s tumultuous journey through WWII on the home front and post-war America.

LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC

May and Raleigh meet in 1940 on an eastbound train which carries the bodies of F. Scott Fitzgerald and Nathanael West. Unable to enlist because of a medical condition he wants to be a writer, she wants to be a missionary and they discover they are from neighboring towns in Kentucky. In this boy-meets-girl romance, nominated for Best Play 2000 by the New York Drama League, two young people navigate through the tough time of a country at war discovering what they have to give up and to get what they really want.

SEE ROCK CITY

The Appalachian romance continues the story of May and Raleigh, who plan to honeymoon at Rock City, Tennessee in 1943. When victory overseas brings unexpected consequences at home, the young Kentucky couple is forced to face hidden truths and find common solutions to the challenges of a new post-war
America.

GULF VIEW DRIVE
Hutton’s saga ends with the aftermath of war and the breakup of the
traditional family. Ten years into their marriage, May and Raleigh live in an island community off the gold coast of Florida. Their dream house shrinks as relatives descend, further testing the couple’s love in the romantic, humorous, and insightful glimpse of life in the 1950’s


THE SCHEDULE

LAST TRAIN TO NIBROC closes Sunday July 12.

SEE ROCK CITY previews July 18 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday July 19 at 1:00 p.m. Opening is Sunday July 19 at 7:00 p.m. Closing is Sunday August 23.

GULF VIEW DRIVE previews Saturday August 29 at 8:00 p.m., and Sunday August 30 at 1:00 p.m. Opening is Sunday August 30 at 7:00 p.m. Closing is Sunday October 4.


PERFORMANCE TIMES/MATINEES/BLACKED OUT DATES

All three plays will run the B-3 schedule. Tuesday-Friday at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

TICKET PRICES

Ticket prices for THE NIBROC TRILOGY range from $18.00 to $35.00.


SPECIAL BUY-ALL-THREE DISCOUNT

$20.00 per show if tickets for all three shows are purchased at the same time.


FURTHER INFORMATION

The B Street Theatre is located at the corner of 27th and B Streets in Mid-Town Sacramento, behind Stanford Park Baseball Field at 27th and C Streets.
For further information contact the B Street Theatre box office: (916)443-5300 or visit our website at www.bstreettheatre.org
###

Pippin in Placerville

InnerArts Performing Arts Summer Program at El Dorado High School
InnerArts of El Dorado High School is presenting Stephen Schwartz’s “Pippin” this summer, opening July 1st.

Elly award winning director, Paul Tomei, is producing a summer play with students from 4 different high schools. The InnerArts program’s goal is to promote collaboration and cooperation between the various high schools and to have fun during the summer. The cast of "Pippin" by “Wicked” composer, Stephen Schwartz, is made up of students from El Dorado, Oak Ridge, Union Mine and St. Francis high schools. It is being choreographed by Elly winner, Katherine Katona and music directed by yet another Elly winner and current high school senior, David Taylor. There are several Elly nominees in the cast as well.

Once upon a time, the young prince Pippin longed to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment. He sought it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations and the intrigues of political power (after disposing of his father King Charlemagne the Great). In the end, he found it in the simple pleasures of home and family. This hip, tongue-in-cheek, anachronistic fairy tale captivated Broadway audiences and continues to appeal to the young at heart everywhere The energetic pop-influenced score by three-time Oscar®-winning composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz (“Godspell,” “Children of Eden” and the animated films “Pocahontas,” “The Hunchback Of Notre Dame” and “The Prince Of Egypt”) bursts with one showstopping number after another, from soaring ballads to infectious dance numbers.

Pop / Rock, Rated PG

The show opens on July 1st at the Carl Borelli amphitheater in Placerville at El Dorado High, 561 Canal Street, and runs July 1, 2 ,3, 7, 8 ,9 ,10, 11 at 8pm, gates open at 6:30pm. This is an outdoor venue. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students/seniors.
For tickets and further information, visit our website at http://www.studio81.org/ or call 530-333-1768.

Cast List:
The Leading Player Ryan BlanningPippin Michael McClellanCharles David TaylorFastrada Krista UnverferthLewis Corey Patrick HarkinsCatherine Shelby Wulfert Theo Gabriel TomeiBerthe Chrissie Addison
Chorus/Dancers
Jillian SorhweideSeriah HighleyMcKenzie WeinholdHannah MahoneyAlyssa SotaJoslin SchultzSuzanne LewisArianna WoicekowskiMadelyn FreyTaylor Flanagan

Return of Six Women with Brain Death

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM LAMBDA

Coming Back to Sacramento's Studio Theatre
on R Street!

The Lambda Players are proud to present...

SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH
or Expiring Minds Want to Know!

August 14th through October 4th, 2009

This special engagement is a tribute to The Studio Theatre's
former owner, producer and director of this hit musical
from 1996-2006, Jackie Schultz

Sacramento CA - July 1st, 2009 - The Lambda Players are proud to announce the opening of a special engagement of SIX WOMEN WITH BRAIN DEATH or Expiring Minds Want to Know, on Friday August 14th for an eight week run at the Lambda Players Studio Theatre on R Street in downtown Sacramento. This production is a tribute to the former owner, producer and director of SIX WOMEN from 1996-2006, Jackie Schultz. Jackie closed The Studio Theatre in December 2006. Her very public 12-year battle with severe Chronic Fatigue Syndrome has taken a serious turn in the last year, so as a tribute to her long career in Sacramento regional theatre and her many, many contributions not only to the community but also to the Lambda Players group, the Lambda Players are honored to bring SIX WOMEN to the stage under the direction of Kitty Czarnecki and Jackie's theater dream will continue with Lambda Players at the helm.

SIX WOMEN is a fast-paced, take-no-prisoners satire of life and pop culture. It is a wild and very left-of-center view of the world from an entirely feminine standpoint. In a series of bizarre but hysterical songs and sketches, the authors explore TV soap operas, "genuine press-on nails," Barbie and Ken's secret fantasy life, divas, what "is" and "is not" feminine and other topics, along with an unforgettable detour through a forest where Bambi meets Rambo. Its music is infectious and the show is the longest-running musical in Sacramento theatre history.

This limited engagement is a fundraiser for the Lambda Players, a 20-year non-profit theatre company in residence at the Studio Theatre. SX WOMEN will open on Friday August 14th for an 8-week run, playing Fri/Sat @ 8pm and Sun @ 2pm through October 4th at the Lambda Players Studio Theatre, 1028 R Street in downtown Sacramento.

Tickets are available now at http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102627909846&s=2500&e=001u8__EhikJxcq9GNByXizJfqnmNgs-e_f_7CA-pCoN-RPXQhiZhhRff2-BnKNEc0dll003uOnGvr2CFu5p23CQYDY7ovAft30Ov6Baq2kEH4a7P-xKRu2Dw== Prices for tickets are $17 Gen, $15 Stu/Sen, $13 Groups of 10 or more. Call 916-444-8229 for information, email boxoffice@lambdaplayers.com for booking group reservations.

New Shanley play at B Street

B STREET THEATRE SELECTS
ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION
AS ITS NEXT MAINSTAGE PLAY

The B Street Theatre is pleased to announce as the second show of its 2009-2010 Season: ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, John Patrick Shanley.

The Play

ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION, described by Shanley as a comic folktale is a ‘fanciful, lighthearted and zestfully comic exploration of male/female relationships, and the sometimes unsettling (and very funny) complications that can ensue.’-The New Yorker.

ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION follows the romantic travail of Huey Maximilian Bonfigliano who, though safely divorced from his wife Janice, feels he cannot regain his "manhood" until he woos and wins her one more time. Huey’s desperate efforts are not helped by his friend Aldo who may, or may not, have interests of his own.

As of the date of this release, the cast and director are not yet set.


The Playwright

John Patrick Shanley, born in The Bronx, New York City, is a graduate of New York University.

Shanley first came to prominence as a playwright in the late 1980’s and remained one of America’s preeminent playwrights with such plays as ALL FOR CHARITY, BEGGARS IN THE LAND OF PLENTY, WOMEN OF MANHATTAN, SAVAGE IN LIMBO, DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW, ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION, PSYCHOPATIA SEXUALIS, DIRTY STORY, and DOUBT: A PARABLE which won the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and the Drama Desk Award.

Shanley is also a screenwriter. For his script for the 1987 film, MOONSTRUCK, Shanley won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen.

In 1990, Shanley directed his script of Joe Versus the Volcano. Shanley also wrote two songs for the movie: Marooned Without You and The Cowboy Song.


The Schedule/Tickets

Previews: August 1 at 5:00 p.m.; August 2 at 2:00 p.m.
Opening Night: Sunday August 2 at 7:00 p.m.
Runs: Tuesday and Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.; Thursday and Friday at 8:00 p.m.; Saturday at 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday Matinees at 2:00 p.m.
ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION closes Sunday September 20, at 2:00 p.m.
Ticket Prices are: $18.00-$30.00
ITALIAN AMERICAN RECONCILIATION will be performed on the B Street Theatre Mainstage: 2727 B Street behind Stanford Park Baseball Field at 27th and C Streets in Midtown Sacramento.

B Street Box Office (916)443-5300
www.bstreettheatre.org
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