Films always have a particular "look" -- Pirate of the Caribbean has one kind of look, Austin Powers another, and then a quiet drama like House of Sand and Fog has yet another. Sacramento will get the chance to hear from the art director responsible for the look of these films on Tuesday, February 21, when the Capital Film Arts Alliance (CFAA) brings Hollywood art director Drew Boughton to their speaker series. "Art direction and production design gives the 'look' of a film that defines the mood and atmosphere of the story, and is integral to all movies, and Drew Boughton is a master in the field," said Laurie Pederson, Board Chair for the CFAA. "The Capital Film Arts Alliance is proud to

Where we’re born is more than a location, it’s part of who we are. Where We’re Born, the stage play by Lucy Thurber, is a strikingly simple and honest look at a young woman’s struggle with life change, the desire to and difficulty of leaving the comfort of your home and history—however hurtful it may have been. It is not a story, but a more like a series of snapshots taken during the course of a few days when the relationships and potentially, lives of three people are forever altered. The catalyst for all of this is Lilly (Jessicah Neufeld), on a quasi-vacation from college. She arrives back in the small Western Massachusetts hill town she calls home just as a domestic crisis is unfoldi

Sacramento State’s University Union UNIQUE Programs, Student Health & Counseling Services, and Active Minds are pleased to announce The Vagina Monologues at the Sacramento State University Union Ballroom at 7:30 pm on Thursday, February 9, 2012. Eve Ensler, a playwright and feminist, wrote The Vagina Monologues. The monologues are a compilation of Ensler’s interviews with hundreds of women on their views and experiences of sex, relationships, and violence and cover issues of intimacy, vulnerability, and sexual self-discovery. Sac State’s production will include only student actresses reciting the dialogues. The Vagina Monologues are part of V-Day, a global activist movement to end violenc

With a title like "The Room Next Door, or the vibrator play," audiences might well expect a jolt or two – and not of the AC variety the newfangled electric gadgets of the late-19th century were known to occasionally deliver. For those looking for a bit of shock and awe from J Street's "bold, intimate, live" theater, the current Capital Stage production of Sarah Ruhl's comedy does not disappoint. Though Ruhl's script goes for the gag switch a few too many times, and changes polarity with unsettling frequency, the uniformly strong cast led by Michael Stevenson, Elena Wright and Katie Rubin shine brightly and consistently. Playing through Feb. 26, "The Room Next Door" is set in the late-19t

Remember when musical theater was called musical comedy? True, dramatic plot turns have consistenly been essential elements in most of the Great White Way's all-singing, all-dancing productions. From the issue of racial discrimination explored in Jerome Kern's landmark "Show Boat" (1927) to the gritty realities of abortion, rape and suicide facing teenagers in Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater's "Spring Awakening" (2007), musicals often have featured some measure of conflict. Maybe it's the rose-colored opera glasses audiences tend to slip on when looking back, but some still bemoan Broadway's shift away from happy-go-lucky book musicals in which the most-serious issue was the question of wh

William Selby remembers well when he first heard about a little cabaret show that was generating buzz among New York theater fans. “I was a full-time actor at the time, and I had a roommate who was a waiter at this place – Palsson’s (Supper Club) on West 72nd Street,” Selby said. “He came home one night raving about something called ‘Forbidden Broadway’ and did a number for me. “I fell off the bed laughing – I knew I loved it right then and there.” Selby wasn’t the only one who embraced Gerard Alessandrini’s concept of a satiric revue that both celebrated and skewered musical theater. Since its opening 30 years ago this month, “Forbidden Broadway” played almost continuously in New Yor

HellaCappella, the most highly anticipated a cappella concert of the year, will take place Saturday, February 4th, 2012 at 7:30pm at the ARC Pavilion on the UC Davis Campus. Hosted by UC Davis’ amazing, all-female a cappella group, The Spokes, HellaCappella is an exciting collaboration between a cappella groups of all shapes and sizes. Hailing from various northern Californian universities, this year’s dynamic lineup includes show-stopping performances by two-time champions of the International Competition of Collegiate a Cappella, The Men’s Octet from UC Berkeley, Cloud Nine from UC Santa Cruz, NBC’s The Sing Off a cappella competition finalists On the Rocks from University of Oregon, and

photographs by Barry Wisdom Everyone wants to be appreciated for who they; for their personalities, for their accomplishments, for their talents – for their “extraordinary skills.” On the surface, “Aliens With Extraordinary Skills” – Saviana Stanescu’s seriocomic play now on stage at the B Street Theatre – is a story of the new generation of immigrants who are coming to America. Some, like Nadia (Stephanie Altholz) and Borat (John Lamb) have landed with less-than-legal credentials and are on the run from the INS. Lupita (Rinabeth Apostol), a wannabe actress from the Dominican Republic who pays the rent by working as an exotic dancer and renting out her living room, is more pragmatic. S

Every beginning writer at one time or another has been admonished to “Show me, not tell me,” by a mentor or instructor. If last night’s Revelations 2012 is any indication, theater companies would be wise to follow the example of KOLT Run Creations and take the same advice to heart. Revelations 2012 was a party, a preview, and review, all in a tidy little two-hour time frame. It was a chance for patrons and potentials patrons to appreciate past productions and sneak a peek at what’s ahead in the season to come. Actors from past seasons and the upcoming shows were on hand to present a forty-five minute performance of short scenes that did a brilliant job of showing the flavor of the compa

photographs by Barry Wisdom People around the world may burn the Stars and Stripes, hang our leaders in effigy and protest the U.S. government’s involvement in everything from the assassination of foreign leaders to the selection of Miss Universe finalists, but the United States remains a top destination for those seeking a better life. And whether one is an illegal immigrant from Moldava or Russia, a Green Card holder from the Dominican Republic, or even a divorced good ol’ boy from the Deep South, nothing embodies the American Dream like New York City. It’s a story old as time, a song as old as rhyme, but given a fresh chorus by playwright Saviana Stanescu, herself a Romanian immigran

On Friday, 13 January, Runaway Stage Productions began its 2012 season with the Broadway rendition of "The Wedding Singer," at the 24th Street Theater in downtown Sacramento. The adaptation of Adam Sandler's 1998 film tells of a romantic comedy set in the 80's where wedding singer, Robbie Hart attempts to win the heart of Julie who is to marry the wrong man. The musical adaptation is rife with dedications to the 80's: from style to pop-culture references as well as the dancing and the music to help illustrate the era for the audience. The production runs through February 5 with tickets available through Runaway Stage Productions, contact: (916) 207-1226 or go to www.runawaystage.com for

“Imagine there's no countries ... It isn't hard to do ... Nothing to kill or die for ... And no religion, too ... Imagine all the people living life in peace.” In “The Giver,” playwright Eric Coble’s adaptation of Lois Lowry’s 1993 Newberry Medal award-winning novel, John Lennon’s concept of a Utopia free of conflict where all the people share all the world has come to pass. There have been a few compromises on the way to this “same” new world, however. Yes, war and want are things of the past. But there is also no passion, no feverish love — and no choices. Genetic engineers have even rendered all people colorblind as a means to further homogenize a once-disparate (and desperate) soci

Ben Scrooge is the Founder and CEO—Billionaire Boy Wonder—of Humbug , a video game company that his now deceased partner, Jake Marley, helped put on the map. But Ben is not a happy guy, a bit of a… Scrooge as an 18-year old video game magnate? If you’re having trouble imagining it, that’s okay; I’d much prefer you buy a ticket and see it played out on stage. It’s well worth the ticket price! I, too, was a skeptic. No more. Karen Pollard has conceptualized and carried out a clever modernization of the Christmas classic—a dash of Rent here, a dollop of High School Musical there--without straying so far from the original as to be disconcerting. The staging and choreography are fairly int

Add The Sacramento Theatre Company to your list of holiday activities this year: “A Christmas Carol,” which runs through Dec. 24 at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, captures the magic and joy of Christmas. The Dickens classic, adapted by Richard Hellesen, is the most consistently produced Christmas show that STC runs and has been a part of the holiday programs on and off for the last 24 years. For more than150 years Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” has been a classically loved and widely acclaimed story of the evolution of a Ebenezer Scrooge from a selfish and sour man to a generous and hospitable fellow. This heart-warming tale of redemption is a Christmas production that has reminded audie

The audience booed the villains and cheered the good guys, cued by the piano keys played by Musical Director John Cocuzzi Saturday during Sacra-Melo's production of "It's A Wonderful Life" aboard the Delta King. Sacra-Melo, a combination of the words “Sacramento” and “melodrama,” is a musical parody playhouse, co-founder Gary Winterholler, 46, said. He and his wife, 46-year-old Cammie Pavesic, started it in January. "I have done some work for another theater in town, and I loved it. I went and auditioned for the next show, but they did not cast me, and I said, ‘Let's start our company,’ " Winterholler said. The first musical parody Sacra-Melo performed was the "Phantom of the Opera," wh

2nd Annual 12 Days of Midtown Midtown Sacramento is all dressed up for the holiday season with events and specials that are sure to fill visitors and residents with holiday cheer. Festivities will occur December 1st - December 12th with a variety of activities for all ages. The 2nd Annual event will feature various local businesses throughout the Midtown district. The 12 Days of Midtown kicks off with the Winter Wine & Jazz Mixer featuring the Sacramento Philharmonic on Thursday, December 1st. The full calendar of merry activities includes a Hot Toddy contests at  Santa’s Tavern (The Golden Bear), a gingerbread cookie workshop at artBEAST, Santa’s Workshop at the MARRS Building, multiple

photographs by Barry WIsdom There's no bigger fan of the 1954 Paramount Picture production of "White Christmas" than yours truly. Frankly, I do not trust anyone who doesn't want to eat up this all-dancing, all-singing holiday confection with a great big spoon ("Yum! Yum!"). The Technicolor/VistaVision musical offers a solid score by Irving Berlin, and a host of cinematic triple-threats including Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney and Vera-Ellen. (OK - the women are really just double threats: the diminutive Vera-Ellen's singing voice was dubbed and Clooney is pretty much stiff as an overcooked gingerbread woman). The film also features a batch of wonderful supporting performances

Over 100 people came to Capital Stage’s grand opening gala Friday night to celebrate and support the new theater space. Capital Stage, located on the Delta King for the past six years, has now moved into its own space at 2215 J St. The inside of the new theater is sophisticated and warm. The exterior wall facing J Street is crimson red and a modern metal sign that reads Capital Stage hangs next to the front entrance. On Oct. 7 Capital Stage received its occupancy permit from the city and its new sign arrived. Five days later they put on their first performance, and Friday was the official grand opening. Warm pumpkin-colored walls greet theatergoers as they enter the building, and large

World-renowned pianist and songwriter Jim Brickman will perform at the Crest Theatre Nov. 4 with musical guests Anne Cochran and Benjamin Utecht. Brickman, who also sings at his concerts, said he will be performing romantic melodies, a few Christmas songs, but no breakup songs – that’s just not his style. "The Gift," "Valentine” and "Love of My Life" are just some of his famous love song compositions. He has collaborated with various musical talents, including Martina McBride, Olivia Newton-John, Michael Bolton and Lady Antebellum. "You have to find your own voice, because if you sound like someone else, then there's nothing unique about you," Brickman said. His distinct style of music

In a change of direction for the holiday season, the community theater company, Bob and Ro Productions is working on a production of the much loved classic work, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C.S. Lewis.   This will be the largest cast and the biggest production ever for the studio theater which 'Fox and Goose' regulars will surely have noticed a little further along R Street. The auditions for the casting are over and a strong cast has been assembled with a mix of adult and children actors, drawn from all over the Sacramento region. Rehearsals start in late October and there will be twelve performances over the first three weekends of December. It promises to be an excitin