Somewhere between the stilt-walkers, the horn section and the drum line, the members of the March Fourth Marching Band find a way to mix funk, jazz and burlesque into one spectacle of a show – and they’re bringing it all to Harlow’s Wednesday night. March Fourth Marching Band – M4 as it’s come to be known by fans – is a self-styled, cross-genre musical extravaganza from Portland that boasts a roster of more than 30 members who rotate in the lineup for shows. “It’s a spectacle, for sure,” stilt-walker and part-time band manager Nayana Jennings said Monday. “There’s something to watch, something to hear, and an interaction between the audience and the band that you don’t often see.” The c

  reviewed by Robin Aurelius This shoebox theater is truly impressive for mounting a show as large and boisterous as Cabaret. The results were way beyond my expectations. From where I sat in the third row I could hear every nuance of every conversation, all the whispering anecdotes, and asides, the “sotto voce” solos, and all the dancers' backsides. This is a long, long, show, and I was never bored. Cabaret is really beyond operetta. It is a mini opera, a sardonic satire, and parody of life at the Kit Kat. Every piece of it meshes (and grates) excitingly. Connie Mockenhaupt has put a lot of pizazz in where the show needs it. The set is colorful and provocative, and very efficient for th

If you’ve ever longed to see a Broadway Musical onstage, with a live 18-piece orchestra, here’s your chance, and in Sacramento! The Runaway Stage is presenting The Drowsy Chaperone through Oct. 2, 2011, with a cast of 19 talented performers. Singing, dancing, acting, they do it all with incredible talent and timing. A campy 1920s musical comedy within a play, the show is narrated by “the man in the chair” - played by Steve Minnow. He shows us how to beat the blues by listening to old musical comedy records. (yes, records). My favorite line is when he drops the needle on his antique record player and says “You hear that static. I love that sound. To me, it’s the sound of a time machine sta

 From the versatile dances to the colorful scenery, Shen Yun is a unique traveling show that presents its audience with an understanding and a visual of the traditional Chinese culture. Shen Yun will be coming to Sacramento on Tuesday and Wednesday. Both showings will begin at 8 p.m. at Sacramento’s Community Center Theater at 1301 L St. across from Capitol Park. “Every year, Shen Yun has brand-new performances,” said Sherry Zhang, who works for the Asian Arts Foundation as a local presenter for Shen Yun. “The 5,000 years of Chinese history and culture have so many stories and legends. Dancers in Shen Yun bring to life many of these legends and stories,” Zhang said. Every year, Shen Y

 Dancers Global is bringing together the international & local dancing community to share dance videos displaying passion and support for those affected by the tragic earthquake and tsunami disaster in Northeast Japan. “We are asking dancers all over the world to put aside their differences and use their creative talents to show compassion for the victims of the tsunami and earthquake in Japan,” said Gabriel Thomas with Dancers Global. “We hope to really show an outpouring of support for the unfortunate victims through the art of dance.” Much like the music industry has come together in the time of disaster and need; Dancers Global is working to rally the entire dance community all over

Ringmaster Johnathan Lee Iverson urged a rowdy crowd both young and old to step right up on Thursday night for the first of three performances of Barnum’s FUNundrum! at Arco Arena. The audience sat mesmerized and wide-eyed by the sensory overload displayed from the arena floor to its ceiling. Eyes moved high and low and left to right to capture and process the fast-moving march of hard-bodied acrobats, choreographed dance routines, colors, lights and animals. To start off the night, clowns rallied the 10,000 or more spectators with a street-style drum corps that incorporated the crowd’s claps with a syncopated sequence of beats on trash cans and lids. Their rhythm, and the crowd’s, moved

Everyone can be Italian this weekend at the Italian Cultural Society of Sacramento’s Festa Italiana. The 25th annual Italian festival has much more to offer than the stereotypical spaghetti and meatballs. Once held at the Cal Expo, the fair is now at the Croatian-American Cultural Center at 3730 Auburn Blvd. This year’s Festa Italiana is set up to represent authentic festivals in towns across Italy. It started as a small picnic in the park by the society’s Gioventú young people group, the festival has grown to an average 6,000 visitors per year. Bill Cerruti, executive director of the Italian Cultural Society, said the Italian-American community of Sacramento wanted something to celebra

 The world’s most popular reggae singer came to Sacramento Sunday and played a show in front of 4,000 ecstatic fans.   This, in and of itself, doesn't seem like it would be all that noteworthy.  Big stars play shows in Sacramento, if not all the time, at least semi-frequently.  I mean, John Mayer is coming to the Sleep Train Amphitheater in August, right?  And Carrie Underwood is coming to Arco in a couple of weeks.   But Matisyahu, the Jewish reggae artist whose album, "Bright Side of Life," has been at the top of Billboard’s reggae charts for six weeks, didn't play at Arco for $45 a seat, or Raley Field for 35 bucks a pop, or even Harlow's for 18 a ducat.  He played for free, on the

"The 2009-10 season is a dream come true," said dancer Alexandra Cunningham. A financial crisis in the 2008-09 season has given the 24 dancers a new perspective on their dancing career. Relocating from the 2,398-seat Community Center Theater to the studio with only two rows of seats was perhaps the biggest eye-opener. For the in-studio shows, only the bare minimum -- chairs, curtains and lights -- separated the dancers from the audience. Both the community and the dancers loved it. "Performing to sold-out audiences in our studios was exhilarating!" Cunningham said. "I felt that I could share so much more with audience members because I could see their every reaction." Cunningham praise

Sacramento Ballet has narrowly survived its budget crisis. After canceling the remainder of the 2008-2009 season last January, the ballet will dance on another season. "We're excited and thrilled to have made it through the crisis, and we've put together a program!" said Mimi Kent, the ballet's marketing director. Credit the work ethic of the dancers. After the season was canceled, they organized and executed their own fundraising campaign while continuing with a number of in-studio performances. On top of that, they took a 10 percent pay cut last season which has now been restored. In one silent auction, they raised about $20,000 for the organization. For the 2009-2010 season, Sacrame

California State Indian Museum presented the 32nd annual Gathering of Honored Elders. It is devoted to honoring the elders who keep the traditions, stories, languages, and cultures of Native California alive for the generations that follow them. Honoring the Elders through dance and song were: Aztec Dancers (Sacramento), Pomo Dancers, Miwok Dancers (Ione), Maidu Dancers (Auburn), Me-Wuk Dancers of Tuolumne, Huatanape (Shingle Springs), Grindstone Dancers (Elk Creek) Coastal Pomo Dancers (Talmadge).  They were very colorful and authenticate. Photos | Kati Garner

Looking to put a little bounce in your step as spring gets under way? Better yet, how about putting many more chassés, pliés and pirouettes into the Sacramento Ballet's performances? March 30 through April 4 is Save Our Sacramento Ballet Week. A variety of businesses have stepped forward to help raise money for the local dancers, so make it a point to stop by on one of these days. On March 30, Ink Eats & Drinks will be donating 10 percent to the ballet all day long. It is located at 2730 N St. Tuesday, March 31, Zuda Yoga is donating 15 percent of the day's class sales and will host the dancers during their 6 p.m. class. Zuda is located at 19th & O Streets. From Tuesday, March 31 to Sat

After all the recent economic hardship at the Sacramento Ballet, including the cancellation of the rest of the season, there is finally a glimmer of hope. The dancers are committed to pursuing their careers -- even if it means dancing in alternative venues or in the group's practice space. Following the success of Beer and Ballet, an encore of the performance has been scheduled in the month of February. There will also be abbreviated performances of Modern Masters and Noches Calientes. All of these performances will be held in a more intimate setting than the Ballet's usual venue, the Community Center Theatre. They will be held at the site of the Ballet's studio, located at 1631 K Street