Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” is set to headline 2012’s Music Circus season, the musical theater group announced Monday. This year will mark the first time “The Little Mermaid” will be performed by the Music Circus’ cast, and four additional musicals will be shown, all of which the theater previously performed. Rounding out the season will be performances of “Grease,” “The Music Man,” “Fiddler on the Roof” and “Crazy for You,” according to the announcement. Traditionally, the Music Circus season has seven shows, but it was reduced to five this year, according to Executive Producer Richard Lewis. “Many of our patrons told us that their busy summer schedules made it difficult for them to

Cosmopolitan Cabaret opened with the September 2008 to September 2009 run of “Forever Plaid,” which remains the biggest success as a show. “Forbidden Broadway,” which opened Friday night, may just rival “Plaid.” There are lots of similarities. Both have talented creators, lots of hysterically funny scenes, songs, costuming, props and more. "Forbidden Broadway" creator and continuing writer, Garrard Alessandrini, aims his sharp pen at mostly easy targets but in incredibly funny ways. You may never have seen “Annie,” “Les Miserables” or “Lion King,” but are still very aware of them and lots of other Broadway shows through popular culture. Both have four very talented actors, who understa

Ah, the child actor. So much competition, so much drive, so many stage mothers and many others, as we shall see, pushing. Oh, and then having to survive the bad reviews. But when a child actor makes it big, there is lots of money and other perks to go around. They say for a child actor to succeed, they and everyone supporting them need to be ruthless. But ruthless to the point of killing a rival? For the lead role in the third-grade play? The center of attention in “Ruthless! The Musical” which is just ending its first week of sold-out and nearly sold-out shows at the Sacramento Theatre Company’s Pollock Stage is Tina Denmark. Right behind Tina is Sylvia St. Croix, child talent represent

New Helvetia Theatre ends its three-weekend run of Michael John Lachiusa’s off-Broadway show “Little Fish” this weekend. While Lachiusa is known for two Broadway shows, "Marie Christine" and "The Wild Party," he has written several smaller-scale off-Broadway shows. Most of these have a reputation of being very serious. “Little Fish” is one of his lighter works and was suggested from the short stories of Deborah Eisenburg.   “Little Fish” is New York City-centric. It is the setting of the play, and some of the interactions of the characters can be described as very “New York.” The play itself is part of a genre of musicals, many by Lachiusa, that are specifically written for off-Broadway w

Just before hitting the big time on Broadway, winning a Tony Award for best actress in a musical for her role as Adelaide in “Guys and Dolls” opposite Nathan Lane, Faith Prince made a major connection in Sacramento. Prince was appearing in “On a Clear Day” with Jack Jones at Music Circus. Little did she know that the man playing trumpet in the pit, Larry Lunetta, would become her husband and father of their son, Henry. Eventually, Prince and Lunetta decided that Sacramento would be the best place to raise their child and relocated here. Prince has continued to expand her performance world with more Broadway shows, notable roles include “The Bells are Ringing” and Ursula in “The Little M

Some Bingo players are notorious for not letting anything get in the way of their Bingo night. That is definitely the case of Vern, Patsy and Honey, the trio of women at the center of “Bingo the Winning Musical,” which opened this last weekend at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret. The show begins with our trio of bingo addicted ladies listening to emergency weather reports describing a major storm raging outside. No one should leave their home except in the most dire emergency, but does this faze our intrepid gang? Not in the least. Besides, this is not just any Bingo night. This is the anniversary of the local bingo parlor featuring a double prize! No little storm is going to keep our girls away

Miss Saigon at the Music Circus The final offering in the Music Circus 2011 lineup is the international spectacular “Miss Saigon.” The stirring and visually stunning production is a solid reinterpretation of Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madame Butterfly,” relocated to Vietnam on the eve of the fall of Saigon in April 1975. This is a modern retelling of unexpected love found in an unlikely way, of the tragic separation of lovers and the dreams that sustain them through adversity, and the uncontrollable twists of fate that bring them back together under even more tragic circumstances. Orphaned bar girl Kim (played by Ma-Anne Dionisio) meets American G.I. Chris (Eric Kunze) at the Saigon bar

With “I Do! I Do!” Music Circus takes a different tack from what audiences usually expect from them. Gone are the ensembles and large production numbers. Also, gone are multiple flashy costumes and intricate sets. “I Do! I Do!” is a two character musical with just one set which is the couple’s bedroom dominated by a large fourposter bed. The play is a musical adaptation of an 1951 play “The Fourposter” by Dutch playwright and novelist Jan de Hartog who won a Tony Award for the play. Given the tight budgets and difficulty of finding financial resources that all theater companies face in these economic times, Music Circus is smart to work with a smaller scale production this year. Yet they

Everything, including the play, cast, choreography, direction, costuming and set design, comes together to produce a near-perfect show of “Annie Get Your Gun,” which opened at Music Circus Tuesday night. The original producers of “Annie Get Your Gun,” Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, no slouches at musical theater music and lyrics themselves, persuaded a reluctant Irving Berlin to write the music and lyrics for the show when Jerome Kern died suddenly. Berlin is considered to be the preeminent American songwriter, and he created some of his most popular music for “Annie Get Your Gun.” It has song after song that became popular hits, including the opening song, “There’s No Busines

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com. Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00. Through Sunday, August 7th: Music Circus presents Camelot at Wells Fargo Pavilion on 1419 H Street Sacramento. Shows at various times. Tickets are $30.00 - $59.00. Beginning Tuesday, August 9th - Sunday, August 14th: Annie Get Your Gun Friday, August 5th: Friday Night Concerts in the Park will featur

An impression that a lot of folks have about musical theater is that it is lighthearted, fun stories with popular, hummable songs and not a lot of substance. While this is true of many great musicals, there are many substantial productions that have been wildly successful and continue to be staged as highly successful revivals. “South Pacific,” which deals with racism, and “West Side Story,” which deals with racism and gang violence, are some examples. Playwright and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner and composer Frederick (Fritz) Loewe, longtime friends and collaborators, were two of the most powerful creators of Broadway musical theater in the ‘40s and ‘50s, starting with their first big hit, “

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com. Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00. Through Sunday, July 31st: Music Circus presents Anything Goes at Wells Fargo Pavilion on 1419 H Street Sacramento. Shows at various times. Tickets are $30.00 - $59.00. Beginning Tuesday, August 2nd - Sunday, August 7th: Camelot Through Sunday, July 31st: CA State Fair Concert Series at Cal Expo. Inf

Music Circus opened its third show of the season, “Anything Goes,” Tuesday evening to much audience approval. Clearly the stars of the show were the songs of one of America’s most beloved composers, Cole Porter. “Anything Goes” has numerous songs that are included in what is known as The Great American Song Book. This includes "You're the Top," "I Get a Kick Out of You," "It's De-Lovely" and the title song “Anything Goes.” Several other songs in the show are also well known, and the rest are above average. Along with all the great music, there is a fun plot with book by English writer P.G. Woodhouse (“Jeeves and Wooster”) and his theatrical collaborator, Guy Bolton. Most of the action ta

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com. Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00. Through Sunday, July 24th: Music Circus presents Oliver! at Wells Fargo Pavilion on 1419 H Street Sacramento. Shows at various times. Tickets are $30.00 - $59.00. Beginning Tuesday, July 26th - Sunday, July 31st: Anything Goes Through Sunday, July 31st: CA State Fair Concert Series at Cal Expo. Info

Each season, Music Circus produces a musical that includes a large number of actors from California Musical Theatre’s Music Circus Junior Company. This years’ production is “Oliver!” Lionel Bart’s highly successful musical based on the Charles Dickens classic “Oliver Twist.” “Oliver!” with music, lyrics and book all by Bart, originally opened in London in 1960 and Broadway in 1962. It has seen numerous revivals powered by mega musical producer Cameron Mackintosh, first in 1977, last in 2009, both in London and on Broadway. It was a highly successful movie adaptation, winning six Oscars. This is Music Circus’ eighth production of the musical. Christopher Bones, a veteran theater and TV ac

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com. Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00. Through Sunday, July 17th: Music Circus presents The Producers at Wells Fargo Pavilion on 1419 H Street Sacramento. Shows at various times. Tickets are $30.00 - $59.00. Beginning Tuesday, July 19th - Sunday, July 24th: Oliver! Through Sunday, July 31st: CA State Fair Concert Series at Cal Expo. Info

Opening its 61st season with a highly popular contemporary musical with good casting has paid off for California Musical Theatre’s Music Circus. “The Producers,” which opened Tuesday night, involves a failed Broadway producer whose most recent show closed on opening night. A passing remark by the low level accountant sent in to audit the books puts the plot in motion. If the producer would have a guaranteed flop, they could bank the investment, close the show and keep the money. They set out to find the worst play, a lousy director and terrible actors. Many complications and much humor ensue, along with lots of great songs and dancing. “The Producers: the new Mel Brooks Musical,” while b

The Music Circus is a Sacramento treasure. Few seem to realize how rare a gem it is. Turning out seven productions that run for five days each that are of the unbelievably high production value is a truly amazing feat. The term “summer stock” does not really do justice to what California Musical Theatre produces under the tent. I see a lot of musical theater, including, most recently, the hottest show on Broadway, “The Book of Mormon.” The entertainment quality and value that CMT creates week after week equals and sometimes exceeds that of Broadway and Broadway touring shows. How do they do it? First it is the venue. The state-of-the-art Wells Fargo Pavilion seats over 2,000 people but

Here are some of the many music events happening in the Sacramento area this week. For more detailed information on these events and many more go to www.eMusiConnect.com. Sacramento Area Concerts & Music Events Defending The Caveman at Cosmopolitan Cabaret on 1000 K Street in Sacramento. Continues WED-SUN. Show times are at 8PM or 7:30PM with some 2PM matinees. Tickets are $33.00 - $48.00. Friday, July 8th: Friday Night Concerts in the Park will feature The Nibblers - Gerald Pease Combo -The Bell Boys with James Cavern and Jesi Naomat at Cesar Chavez Plaza at 10 & J Street in Sacramento. 5PM/Free Friday, July 8th: Bone Thugs N-Harmony with White Minorities at Ace of Spades 1417 R Stree

New Helvetia Theatre is dedicated to performing American musical theater shows. Their selection tends to be contemporary, as the most recent productions were “Hedwig and the Angry Inch,” “tick, tick, Boom!,” “It’s Only Life” and “[title of show].” The current production, “They’re Playing Our Song,” reaches much further back, to December 1978. The book is by one of American theater’s most established playwrights, Neil Simon. The composer is Marvin Hamlisch and the lyricist is Carole Bayer Sager. The book is based very loosely on their personal relationship at the time. Both Hamlisch and Sager are also very established popular songwriters. The show was a success on Broadway and continues