Shows and Restaurants

La Traviata moves audience

2010-03-01T04:22:24Z

The Sacramento Opera presented Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata to a full house Friday night at the Community Center Theater.

From the opening number, the audience was captivated by lead Karen Slack (soprano), who played Violetta Valery, and Alexander Boyer (tenor), who played Alfredo Germont.

Conducted by Timm Rolek, the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra accompanied the cast in the two-and-a-half-hour performance.

Slack and Boyer's voices complemented each other, bringing the dramatic storyline to life.

La Traviata follows Valery, a courtesan, and Germont, a respectable young man, as they fall in love and later feel the pain of being torn apart by Alfredo's father, Giorgio Germont, played by baritone Kenneth Overton. The opera's climax comes when Violetta pretends not to love Alfredo. In return, Alfredo renounces his love for her. Tragedy takes center stage; their love cannot be denied, but fate has other plans.

The opera's beautifully detailed set and elegant costumes gave the audience the feeling that they had stepped back into the 19th century.

This was my first time seeing La Traviata, but I spoke with a few audience members who had seen the play before.

"It is first rate," said Dr. Pichle, attending with his wife, Rita. "The lead singers are excellent, polished, with very nice, smooth, silky voices."

Judy Haeling, who has seen the opera many times, said, "Every opera is a little different, but I think Violetta (Slack) has a strong, gorgeous voice."

"The performances put on by the Sacramento Opera are a wonderful part of our community and a wonderful asset," she said.

I also spoke with Marlynn Smith, an opera singer in Sacramento with a masters degree in voice performance.

"Karen Slack nailed it, her different timbre and style were very powerful," she said. "You could feel her expression in her voice and the beauty of the music makes you still joyful even though the play is so tragic."

She was joined by her mother, Dorothy Smith, who said that the staging was great and the orchestra sounded fantastic.

Ted and Elba White related this performance to the many operas they have seen in other countries.

"We have seen other operas where the lead had a weak voice and tonight's performance is not the case," he said.

The opera was in Italian, but the English subtitles made it easy to follow. As the leads sang, the audience could glance above the stage to better understand the performance. The supertitles also made it easier to recognize what was being sung and to pay more attention to the acting.

The opera's heart-wrenching finish brought the audience to its feet as the cast stepped back on stage for their final bows.

The play's last performance will be Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available and can be purchased online at sacopera.org.

Photos:
1. Karen Slack, (Violetta)
2. Alexander Boyer, (Alfredo)
3. Kenneth Overton, (Germont)
4. Erin Neff, (Flora)

La Traviata opens Friday

2010-02-24T04:34:19Z

The Sacramento Opera will present the famous, heart-wrenching opera La Traviata at the Sacramento Community Center Theater Friday.

The popular opera was written in the mid-1800s by Giuseppe Verdi, who based his tale off the widely successful novel, La Dame Aux Camélias, by Alexandre Dumas.

Though Dumas's book is written as a tragedy, adaptations of the novel, such as with La Traviata and recent films "Camille" and "Pretty Women," have been retold as a love story.

La Traviata is a romantic play set in the 19th century following the relationship of well-born gentlemen Alfredo Germont, played by Tenor Alexander Boyer, who is in love with a beautiful courtesan named Violetta Valéry, played by Soprano Karen Slack. The story follows the couple's romance, which is later torn apart by Alfredo's father Giorgio Germont, played by Baritone Kenneth Overton. The opera climaxes in betrayal as Violetta has to pretend she doesn't love Alfredo. Even though they are wrong for each other, their passion and love cannot be denied. It is when this realization hits that it is too late for one of them, and the play ends with death.

The dramatic opera will be performed in Italian with musical accompaniments by the Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra.

La Traviata is performed by an all-American cast, none of whom are native Italian speakers. This fact is impressive because though this is a well-known opera, Artistic Director and Conductor Timm Rolek said that the performance was set up within a few short weeks. They began with two weeks of rehearsal, one week of technical, and are now preparing for their performance.

Since Italian presents a language barrier to Sacramento's audience, the opera will display supertitles - similar to subtitles - in English above the stage during the performance.

Rolek explained that the use of supertitles over the last 20 years has revolutionized how people enjoy the opera, since it is possible to follow along without fully understanding what is being said.

The opera will be two and a half hours long with two intermissions.

For those who are not sure if an opera is something you will like, Rolek said, "La Traviata is a great first-time opera. It is really easy to follow, and the play propels itself smoothly."

La Traviata will have three performances starting Friday. Rolek said that tickets to the Sunday show may be selling out, but there should be seats available on the other two nights.

Tickets are available and can be purchased online at sacopera.org

Performance Times:

Friday at 8 p.m.
Sunday at 2 p.m.
Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.

Photos:
1. Karen Slack, (Violetta)
2. Alexander Boyer, (Alfredo)
3. Kenneth Overton, (Germont)
4. Erin Neff, (Flora)

New violin sounds excite Sacramento audience

2010-02-20T06:26:27Z

Sacramento's Community Center Theater came to life Thursday with the beautiful sound of The Hutchins Consort.

Presented by Sacramento Community Concerts, the group performed a one-night concert that defied the range of a modern symphony orchestra string section.

The Hutchins Consort is a unique Southern California-based group that plays eight scaled violins of the violin octet design. These acoustically balanced instruments range from a high treble violin to a low contrabass violin and together cover the musical scale that today's string instrument, the violin, viola, cello and bass, do not.

These eight instruments, three similar to a violin and five upright, were created by Dr. Carleen Hutchins. Dr. Hutchins was able to figure out and master how to create eight different violins that together cover the entire range of written music, while still sounding like violins. Her scientific study of the instruments allowed her to hand craft the eight different instruments that were performed on last night.

In anticipation to hear these unique instruments I was happy to find that the concert was composed of seven songs, which were also followed by two fun and entertaining encores.

After a quick tune and explanation of the instruments by founder and artistic director Joe McNalley, Contrabass violin, the concert opened with “Prelude in D” by Johannes Sebastian Bach. From the first note their bright and graceful sound filled the theater. The musical talent of the group was obvious; the artistry flowing from one musician to another with great commanded their instruments.

They began with two formal classical pieces, the second “Allegro Maestoso” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, were followed by different musical genres. Their fourth song, for instance, “Fandango after Soler” by resident composer and bass violin Frederick Charlton, brought in a tango feel as the song modernly combined Arabic and classical music. This song was the first were the group showed they could do more than just play as they plucked their violins and clapped, reminding me of flamenco.

After intermission they opened with a shorter piece called “Hodie Christus Natus Est” by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck and then lead into their self proclaimed audience favorite. “Summertime” by George Gershwin and arranged by Charlton.

This fun and lively jazz piece got the audiences toes tapping. This bass driven song featured improvised solos by Christopher Woods, treble violinist and comedian in the group, and McNalley on Contrabass.

The last song brought a whole new atmosphere to the performance proving that comedy can exist in what seems to be a serious instrumental concert. McNalley said that though most musicians decline the chance to improvise during the piece, they would be giving every violinist the opportunity. From there, the last song, “Hungarian Rhapsody” by Franz Liszt and arranges by McNalley, became an exciting piece as Woods performing his solo walked off stage. While off stage he never stopped playing, the audience awaited his return only to see him re-enter from the other wing and then jump into the crowd. He sat with the audience, spoke with people and literally ran around the theater while he played.

The excitement of the last song was only enhanced with their encore featuring opera singer Lauren Smith who sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, accompanied by The Hutchins Consort. The violinists showcased their talent as not only skilled musicians, but as singers too, as they sang along with Smith during her performance.

For their final encore, McNalley said that it would "feature their resident composer in a new role."

The audience wasn't disappointed as Charlton set down his Bass violin and picked up the mic to sing "Ghost Riders in the Sky" by Johnny Cash. The rest of the musicians sang and played along.

The concert ended to huge applause and standing ovations.

The Hutchins Consort had extremely talented musicians. I was astounded at how easy it was to pick out each instrument during each piece. Hands moving feverishly, the musician swayed with the other, sometimes playing as if they were dueling. They projected an overall rounded sound that flowed from one violin to the other.

From here The Hutchins Consort will be traveling back to Southern California. For more information, visit www.hutchinsconsort.org

Squeeze Inn opens new location

2010-02-16T05:39:57Z

Imagine huge burgers, each smothered in a fried "skirt" of melted cheese with a side of hot, thick fries. If this sounds familiar, you probably know that I'm talking about the Squeeze Inn in Sacramento.

The Squeeze Inn is a tiny restaurant known for its burgers that have so much cheese you have to experience it to believe it. The restaurant has been in its original location for about 30 years, taking orders from customers who literally waited in lines out the door. The popularity of the Squeeze Inn is not just known to Sacramento locals, but also caught the eye of Food Network star Guy Fieri and was featured on his show "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives."

Even with the restaurant's great popularity, over the past few years the owners have had a rough time making the small location work. They have been sued twice for the lack of handicap access since the old building could not accommodate wheel chairs.

Though the community has supported the restaurant throughout its lawsuits, the owners have chosen to move to a new location that will be bigger and provide more access for everyone.

The new location of the Squeeze Inn will be around the corner from the original restaurant at 5301 Power Inn Rd.

Though some customers may be sad to see the restaurant leave its historic location, the new building will be bigger, accommodating more cars, people and seating.

Squeeze Inn owner Travis Hausauer pointed out that though the restaurant will be in a new location, they are "trying to keep as much originality as we can."

Upon entering the new restaurant, customers will recognize a lot of the memorabilia that hung from the walls at the old location. Trying to keep the old atmosphere, the owners were even able to bring the entire front entrance of the restaurant to the new location. They also brought the bar and stools that used to be the only seating in the restaurant from the old location.

The original restaurant only had 12 stools inside for guests and a small back patio.

Now the restaurant will be able to seat about 30 people, with 11 spots at the counter and five tables, with a double entrance that gives the place a roomy feeling.

The Squeeze Inn will still feature the same great food, though prices may go up about 10 cents. Customers will also be happy to know that the staff will be staying the same too.

Throughout the move, Hausauer said he is very thankful for all of his customers, saying, "Their support has been really amazing, and we really appreciate it."

"It's bittersweet, but we're moving on to better opportunities," Hausauer said. "I'm sad to see it go."

The new location is set to open Wednesday. The opening will be just a soft roll, but there is a plan for a large grand opening in mid-March, which Hausauer expects Mayor Kevin Johnson to attend.

Check the Squeeze Inn website at thesqueezeinn.com for details.

The restaurant also has new hours and will be open:
Monday - Friday 10 - 7
Saturday 10 - 6
Sunday Closed

525,600 reasons to watch 'Rent'

2010-02-02T05:56:30Z

It's the "Season of Love" at the California Musical Theatre as the Broadway Musical Rent: The Broadway Tour comes to Sacramento.

The musical follows a group of young artists who live in New York's East Village during the 1990s. Rent is a passionate story of friendship and love that challenges many tough subjects like AIDS, poverty, homophobia and drug addiction.

Rent is a modern take on the opera La bohème, which was written by Giacomo Puccini in 1896.

The show is the eighth-longest running on Broadway. Its success has been recognized multiple times, having received Tony Awards for Best Music, Best Score and Best Book, as well as Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1996.

The musical is making its way to Sacramento in a new tour production that will include Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp, two actors who were a part of the original Broadway production and the film adaption.

Pascal will play the role of Roger, and Rapp the role of Mark.

"They are amazing. Not only are they wonderful performers, but they gave the show a renewed focus," said Nicolette Hart, who plays Maureen in the show. "They brought everyone closer to the heart of the show."

Hart said that the tour has been a gift for her, and she has been able to figure out what the character meant to her and how she wanted it to look.

“I definitely infuse myself into the character, and I would be lying if I said that the character didn’t infuse itself on me,” Hart said.

Though Rent has become more widely known with the release of the film, Hart points out that there are advantages to seeing the real thing.

“There is nothing like seeing it live,” Hart said. “The stage version is the purest form of the show and I think it is the best way to get to the heart of the musical.”

Two hours before each performance, the Community Center Theater box office will also be selling tickets for seats in the front row for $23. They will only allow two tickets per person, and the tickets must be paid for in cash.

“There are limited seats and it's first-come, first-served,” said Christopher Bower, director of marketing and public relations for the California Musical Theatre. “Last time the show was here people were camping out… not that I encourage that kind of behavior.”

Since it may take some luck to purchase the discounted front-row seats, tickets may also be bought online or through the box office at (916) 557-1999 or (916) 808-5181.

Rent will be performed at the Community Center Theater at 1301 L St.

The show runs from Feb. 3-7 with two showings at starting at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

Tickets range from $25 to $65 depending on show and seat.

Photos from the Original Production Photo Gallary for the Rent: Broadway Tour 2009
http://www.siteforrent.com/interactive/photo-gallery/originalproduction/rent-the-broadway-tour-2009

'Fiction' creating waves at the Capital Stage

2010-01-31T03:10:56Z

Trust and betrayal took the stage Friday with the opening of "Fiction" at the Capital Stage.

The play by Steven Dietz, follows a dramatic love triangle that took the audience on a trip through the characters pasts.

"Fiction" is about married writers Linda and Michael and how their lives were not what they seemed. Linda finds out she is dying and at her request, is allowed to read her husband's journals since he will read hers once she is gone. From there, the plot twists and turns, and as it moves between the past and the present their diaries reveal bits and pieces of their lives.

The play keeps the audience guessing, unfolding the truth with each scene.

I was expecting a more serious play but was caught off guard when the opening lines had me laughing. The humor throughout the script made "Fiction" enjoyable. But the play did have serious parts, including those regarding a women named Abby who emerged from the pages of Michael's diary. They made the action gripping and on the edge of your seat.

The language in "Fiction" was sophisticated while the lines were witty and thought provoking. It was written from the viewpoint of two published writers, so the metaphors and quotes from famous pieces of literature represent their creative world.

"Fiction" was directed by Peter Mohrmann. Janis Stevens and Eric Wheeler portray Linda and Michael, and Stephanie Gularte plays Abby. The actors show the struggle of reliving the past. The chemistry between the performers, especially between Stevens and Wheeler, made the play's themes of truth, betrayal and suspicion tangible.

In addition to "Fiction" being funny and entertaining, it provides a good look at relationships and human nature.

The play runs through Feb. 28, Thursdays through Sundays, at the Capital Stage, aboard the Riverboat Delta King at 1000 Front St.

Recommended for mature audiences.

Tickets are $12-$32.

Advance purchase recommended online or through the Box Office (916) 995-5464

Photo Credit: Charr Crail

Actors from left to right: Stephanie Gularte, Eric Wheeler, and Janis Stevens.

Mason trades fine dining for comfort food with Cafeteria 15L

2010-01-28T06:16:28Z

Mason's New American Restaurant, the high dining that gave Downtown Sacramento a "big city" feel, will be closing its doors Feb. 15 to renovate and reopen as Cafeteria 15L.

Co-owner of Mason's, Mason Wong, said that Cafeteria 15L will feature American comfort cuisine, what he sees as the next big trend in the food industry.

Public relations manager Jennifer Bulotti said Wong has watched the development of the comfort food trend as it has grown in cities like San Francisco, New York, Portland and many others.

"He’s seen this as a trend that appeals to a lot of people, and the draw toward comfort food dining is working in other similar cities," Bulotti said.

The decision to transform Mason's from fine dining to comfort food was also a way to make the restaurant more affordable for its guests.

Though Mason's itself only opened its doors in the fall of 2005, the renovation will give the restaurant a whole new look with a menu that will add a twist to traditional home-cooked favorites.

Cafeteria 15L will be a full-table service restaurant featuring new but familiar dishes like meatloaf, pot pie, battered fried chicken and many other entrees.

When asking how they came up with the name Cafeteria 15L, Wong confirmed that the use of 15L stands for the cross streets 15th and L where the restaurant is located. Cafeteria on the other hand needed some explaining.

"Cafeteria was the perfect name," Wong said. "It's a connotation for the type of food people had growing up - fun and casual."

The name also reflects the restaurant's new ambiance.

"Cafeteria 15L will have a new urban and rustic atmosphere that will be much more casual, fun and social," Wong said.

The new restaurant will have an eclectic mismatch of chairs, stools and bucket seats, wooden tables with metal frames and big warehouse lights that will give an urban flavor, he said. The most interesting new feature will be a large model airplane placed within the restaurant.

"It adds a signature, fun, whimsical feature to the space and is reminiscent of growing up," Bulotti said. "Think of model airplanes as a kid."

The capacity of the restaurant will change, expanding from 85 to about 175 seats. This includes more outside seating and large communal tables.

"Communal seating has worked well at Ma Jong’s and customers seem to like the casual environment it creates," Bulotti said.

The new menu and atmosphere will also make the restaurant more family - and kid-friendly as well.

"We are creating an environment to appeal to all ages, but will be particularly unique in that we will offer late-night dining until 2," Bulotti said.

The current chef and waiting staff will not be affected by the changes to the restaurant, and employees at Mason's will be asked back to work at Cafeteria 15L.

Though Mason's is in for a big renovation to capture the urban feel sought for Cafeteria 15L, Wong didn't seem worried.

"The whole place will feel quite a bit different," Wong said. "I'm pretty excited. The restaurant will be very unique to Sacramento in the spec of atmosphere and food."

Mason's will be open until Feb. 15 to allow for their Valentine's Day menu before it is closes.

The restaurant will be closed for about 30 days before its reopening in mid-May March.

Once open, Cafeteria 15L will hold its grand opening on April 6.

The grand opening will benefit Hope Productions Foundation. The reception will take place from 6 to 7 p.m., with live music beginning at 7.

Tickets will be $45 in advance and $55 at the door.

'Fiction' tells the truth about relationships

2010-01-27T02:09:48Z

Capital Stage is testing the boundaries of trust and suspicion in its new provocative drama "Fiction" by Steven Dietz.

The theater's description of the play tells of two married writers, Michael and Linda, who decide to read each others' diaries and find that their relationship is not as open as it seems.As a woman emerges from the pages, the realization that trust and betrayal both exist begins to change the way they understand the past and the present.

Production designer Jonathan Williams describes the twists and turns of "Fiction" best with a line from the play: "The lies begin when we lift the pen."

Dietz has written over 20 original plays since the 80's, many of which revolve around the theme of betrayal.

"Dietz is a vibrant voice in modern theater" Williams said

The play was selected for the Capital Stage because it falls into the theater's long-standing tradition of bringing newer works to Sacramento.

"'Fiction' is a highly theatrical piece told from the present, reflecting," Williams said.

Capital Stage's production is directed by Peter Mohrmann and performed by Janis Stevens, Eric Wheeler and Stephanie Gularte.

The play opens Friday and continues through Feb. 28 at the Capital Stage, which is aboard the Riverboat Delta King at 1000 Front St.

Performances are Thursday through Sunday and recommended for a mature audience.

Tickets range in price from $12 to $32 depending on the show's date and time.

Purchasing tickets beforehand is recommended.

Picture from Capital Theater

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra Opening This Week

2010-01-24T21:23:26Z

Get ready to tap your toes and remember the past. The Cosmopolitan Cabaret is celebrating Ol' Blue Eyes with My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra.

The show will follow Sinatra's music from his swinging beginning in the 1940's, through the 1990's, bringing jazz, big band and swing to life. It will feature such Sinatra songs as "New York, New York," "Fly Me to the Moon," "Strangers in the Night," "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "My Way."

My Way was co-created by David Grapes and Todd Olson, who are responsible for four musical revues, including ones about Johnny Mercer’s American Songbook and Tony Bennett. Their musical tributes have played in over 200 theaters worldwide.

Chris McSwain, from the California Musical Theatre, said that the show portrays Sinatra's life through his moods and attitude.

Glenn Casale directs, with musical direction by Chris Schlagel. Casale has directed Tony-nominated and Emmy-winning productions throughout Europe. Schlagel has directed Sacramento's Music Circus productions for 20 years.

The show has four cast members: Michael G. Hawkins, a 20-year Music Circus veteran, Karole Foreman, Laura Dickinson and Jeffrey Christopher Todd.

"Since the show is a tribute to Sinatra, the singers are able to play themselves and perform the songs as they relate to them," said McSwain.

He said the show will "take people back, and for the younger generations, introduce songs they knew about and give them a backwards glance."

The Cosmopolitan Cabaret, 1000 K St., at 10th Street. Tuesday-May 9, with two performances on weekends.
Tickets are $33-$38, available by calling (916) 557-1999; (916) 808-5181; or (800) 225-2277.

Photos by Charr Crail

1. Left to right: Chris Schlagel (at the piano), Michael G. Hawkins, Karole Foreman, Jeffrey Christopher Todd and Laura Dickinson
2. Jeffrey Christopher Todd and Laura Dickinson
3. Left to right: Laura Dickinson, Jeffrey Christopher Todd, Michael G. Hawkins and Karole Foreman
4. Karole Foreman and Michael G. Hawkins