Audience members sat on the edge of their seats during a multitude of spectacles known as Circus Oz's show "Steampowered." Almost 1,000 people from all backgrounds and ages, filled the Mondavi Center on Sunday to watch the world-renown, Australia-based Circus Oz. The light rock music, fog and the costumed performers who were interacting with the audience on stage and within the crowd, set the mood for what would be a two-hour, high-energy rock-n-roll adventure of acrobatics, death-defying feats and irreverent humor . The families that made up the audience sat in anticipation of the stage-contained show. Some performers mingled with the crowd before the show, while another played with gu

Performers from Sacramento’s young performing ambassadors, Galena Street East, recently returned from a triumphant tour to Oahu, Hawaii. Galena was selected to represent the state of California in the 2011 "Festival of States" concert series. This summer, the Music Festival was set to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. For Galena Street East, this was their 39th good-will ambassador tour. They performed at various venues presenting "The Spirit of America." The ensemble, comprised of a select group of talented youth between the ages of 15 to 18, were featured performers at the iconic Polynesian Culture Center, Pearl Harbor, Shriners Children's Hospital, Ala Moana Center Stag

Some of South Sacramento’s best young performers will compete for cash prizes at Hiram Johnson High School Auditorium Friday, May 27, from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m. Sponsored by the South Sac Coalition for Future Leaders, there also will be an art show by local youth. “These student performers are really talented… well worth coming to see,” said Rachel Iskow, Executive Director of Sacramento|Yolo Mutual Housing Association, one of the SSCFL sponsors. Hiram Johnson is located at 6879 14th Avenue, Sacramento. Admission is free. The South Sacramento Youth Coalition for Future Leaders is partially funded by a drug-free communities grant from SAMHSA. For more information, visit http://www.samhsa.or

Sunday afternoon evening , local artist Rebecca Plack will be performing a solo concert at the “Jewish Voices : Songs from the Old World Tunes from the New” benefit concert at the Center at Twenty-Three Hundred on 2300 , a new multi-use venue in Sacramento known for its exceptional lighting and acoustics. Prior to this upcoming event, Plack has sung at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts and with the Sacramento Opera. Plack has been performing since she was 8 years old and currently teaches voice lessons to young students at a private studio in Davis. The “Jewish Voices” benefit concert will be hosted by the president of the Mosaic Law Congregation, Deborah Gonzales. The Mosaic

A more appropriate emcee than Mama Cobb could not be found for the Folklorico Latino de Woodland’s 24th Anniversary dance showcase. Aside from the dancers, what a performance she put on. Throughout the course of the evening, she charmed the audience with her stories and insights from her long and storied career. She spoke sometimes in English, sometimes Spanish and even threw in a few Nahuatel phrases. Nahuatel being the language of the Aztecs. Mama Cobb provided insights into the regional Mexican folk dances, stole a kiss from the feature trick roping cowboy, completed two costume changes, and inspired a new generation of Mexican folk dancers. As easy as it looked, the audience had no i

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

The Refuge took on its second concert Friday with performances from Will Craig, Crimson Sky, Method Echo and Dawson & Marie.  The Refuge is an all-ages venue where young musicians can play and show off their talent. These concerts are held at St. John's Lutheran Church off of L Street in Midtown.  The venue gives a concert-like feel where the audience can stand up and dance right in front of the performers. It also gives a cafe-like feel with a lounge area, chairs, couches and umbrellas. There's also a snack and coffee bar called Cafe Rwanda where all proceeds go to the Mumea Hospital project in Rwanda.  "We have two goals," said Amy Chance, organizer of The Refuge, "to create an all-ag