Newest articles on The Sacramento Press tagged as "youtube"

New website focuses on Sacramento videos

2011-12-09T01:46:50Z

SacTV.com, a website aiming to showcase videos that give a “virtual tour of Sacramento” launched Monday, with local radio veteran Alex Cosper at the helm.

“Basically, it’s like the YouTube of Sacramento, minus all the garbage,” he said Thursday.

The 49-year-old founder of the site said that “garbage” consists of videos with bad audio and recording qualities as well as really shaky camerawork.

“It’s a chance for anyone in Sacramento to voice an opinion or post a review that’s relevant to other Sacramentans,” he said.

Videos currently on the site include clips of Mayor Kevin Johnson’s pitch to keep the Sacramento Kings in Sacramento, an aerial video of Folsom Lake and several musical performances.

All videos will actually be hosted on YouTube, but SacTV.com serves as a filter to ensure the videos shown add value to the site.

Topics can be on anything from the local music and arts scene to business and political issues or funny videos. Video reviews of restaurants and music events are some of the things he said he expects will be submitted the most.

Anyone can submit a video via a form on the website, and Cosper then determines if it’s a good fit. His long experience at the now-defunct radio station KWOD 106.5 allowed him to understand the types of things that appeal to locals, he said.

He started at KWOD in 1984 as an intern, then became assistant music director and music director before taking over as program director in 1991, a position he held until 1996 when he left the station.

“In that time, we went from one of the worst-rated stations to a top-five station,” Cosper said.

Cosper said he hopes to take the sense that helped him play a part in the radio station’s success to his current venture.

It’s an idea that’s been in the works for more than a decade, as he bought the domain name in 2000, but he only began building the site from scratch in mid-November.

The films currently on the site are his work, but he is partnering with local videographers and production companies to bring in more content.

One of those partners is the locally owned video production business The Studio Center, which primarily produces TV commercials and informational videos but also works with local creative filmmakers.

“I’ve known Alex from back in the days when he was in broadcast radio and I was in marketing and advertising,” said Frank Casanova, owner of The Studio Center. “He’s one of those creative people in town that’s always looking for where there’s a void that can be filled.”

Cosper approached Casanova earlier this week to talk about bringing some of the films The Studio Center worked with in relation to a cable access film festival called “A Place Like Sacramento.”

“We’ve produced about 30 short films and two feature films,” Casanova said. “He wants to put those films on the site, and it’s really a win-win for all of us, since the filmmakers get their work viewed by a wider audience.”

Casanova added that he thinks the site will be “a wonderful open venue” for Sacramentans to post videos that affect other local residents.

“Alex took KWOD from a nothing radio station to a powerhouse in its day,” Casanova said. “This is going to be something of value into the future. He really knows the Sacramento audience.”

Cosper said he wants the site to serve not only as a resource for locals, but as a place where others can learn about all the city has to offer before traveling to it or, possibly, before deciding to move to the city.

“I really want this site to be a virtual tour of Sacramento,” he said. “This is my hometown, and I know it better than any other city, and it’s a great place to be.”

Brandon Darnell is a staff reporter for The Sacramento Press. Follow him on Twitter @Brandon_Darnell.

Sacramento Social Media Club to host 'Best Practices for Charities'

2011-11-04T15:29:28Z

Through their use of Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media tools, many local charities have spread their message, raised funds and increased public awareness of their cause in order to promote social change. In the hopes of spreading their stories and inspiring other philanthropic organizations to do the same, four local charities will be conducting a panel discussion at the Sacramento Social Media Club’s “Social Media Best Practices for Charities” on Tuesday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Urban Hive.

Moderated by Clay Nutting, director of Concepts 4 Charity and account executive for 3Fold Communications, the event will include panelists: Kate Towson, Americorps VISTA with Sacramento Steps Foward; Julie Bornhoeft, director of development and community relations for WEAVE, Inc.; Misty Avila, eAdvocacy coordinator for Aspiration Tech; and Chris Brune, director of creative services at Macer Media (Sacramento Press), for the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.

The event will stream live on Ustream starting at 7 p.m., and can be followed on Twitter by using the hashtag #SMCSAC. The event is free, but donations will be accepted on behalf of the Sacramento Food Bank and the River City Food Bank. Donations up to $500 will be matched by CGI as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility Program.

In addition to panel, the Sacramento Social Media Club will be hosting a social media tune-up workshop on Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 6-to-8 p.m. at the Urban Hive. At the tune up, charities will be matched up with marketing practitioners and agencies for one-on-one reviews of their social media platforms, with specific recommendations on improvements after the consultation. In order to participate, charities must RSVP in advance.

The Urban Hive is located at 1931 H St., Sacramento, 95811. Space is limited for both events. Click here to RSVP for the Social Media Best Practices for Charities panel. To RSVP for the social media tune up, email smcsacto@gmail.com.

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About the Social Media Club: The Sacramento Social Media Club was founded in March 2009 by local social media activists. Its monthly events bring together journalists, publishers, students, communicators and other interested collaborators to facilitate discussions about the key issues facing our society as technologies transform the way we connect, communicate, collaborate and relate. The Social Media Club’s primary mission is to promote media literacy and standard technologies, encourage ethical behavior and share best practices. To find out more, join their groups on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.

About the author: Brittany Wesely is the Associate Community Benefit Health Specialist for Kaiser Permanente, and a member of the all-volunteer leadership team for the Sacramento Social Media Club. Follow her on Twitter @brittanywesely.

Jeff Dunham: No Strings Attached

2011-01-11T01:49:35Z

By Amy Serna

It might seem hard to imagine making a successful career with puppets, but that is exactly what stand-up comedian and ventriloquist Jeff Dunham has accomplished.

His fame, however, wasn’t handed to him from the get-go. Dunham has been working with dummies ever since he was a kid, but now the puppets he brought to life have quickly become classic comic icons.

Forbes magazine didn’t name Dunham the highest-paid comedian (along with popular comics Chelsea Handler and Dane Cook) in the United States for nothing. In the past year, the puppeteer earned up to $22.5 million, and Pollstar named him the top touring comedian for the second year in a row.

Dunham’s “Very Special Christmas Special” was the highest-rated show, making Comedy Central history, and his videos on YouTube have received more than half a billion hits (yes, billion with a “B”). While he toured the United States last year in stadium-sized venues, he made more than $38 million in ticket sales.

Dunham is definitely not your average stand-up comic. He uses the personalities and voices of five famous puppets to tell the jokes. As far as the audience is concerned, he is just the “straight man,” and his puppets are the comedians.

There is “Walter,” the grumpy old man; “Bubba J,” the NASCAR-loving redneck; “Peanut,” the crazy animal; “Jose Jalapeno,” the jalapeno from Mexico; and America’s favorite, “Achmed,” the dead terrorist. But keep in mind that Dunham’s puppets are no dummies to fame.

“The ‘Achmed’ sketch is the fourth-most-watched online video ever,” Time Magazine reported. “It's been viewed nearly 200 million times, more even than footage of style-deprived singer Susan Boyle.”

“You really are dead,” Dunham informs Achmed in his 2007 Comedy Central’s Spark of Insanity. “Are you sure?...I just got my flu shot….Wait, if I am dead, that means I get my 72 virgins,” Achmed says, excited. But he soon becomes very confused as he scans the audience and says, “Are you my virgins?”

It seemed that after almost every line from Achmed, a roar of laughter could be heard from the audience as Dunham and his puppet interacted with each other.

Dunham began ventriloquism at age 8, when his parents bought him a Mortimer Snerd dummy for Christmas. Soon after he checked out a how-to book at his local Dallas library, he tried to get as much exposure with ventriloquism as possible.

The New York Times reported that “Dunham trotted out his dummy for whoever would hire him, or at least tolerate it: doing an oral book report on Hansel and Gretel in third grade or retelling Bible stories at church; performing at Six Flags as a summer job, or at fund-raisers for the Christian summer camp his mom sent him to.”

Jeff graduated from Baylor University and moved to Los Angeles to begin his road to comedic fame. He landed a performing spot on both “The Tonight Show” and “Late Night” with David Letterman.

Before long, he landed his first hit Comedy Central special in 2006, called “Arguing With Myself.” Since his fame began to shine brightly, he has made numerous cameo roles in television and movies, including appearances on the TV show “30 Rock” and movie “Dinner For Schmucks.”

In late 2010, Dunham released his autobiography, All By My Selves: Walter, Peanut, Achmed and Me, which made the New York Times Bestseller list.

AmericasComedy.Com had the opportunity to ask Dunham about his puppeteer adventures so far:

When you do radio interviews, do you bring your puppets with you?
“Yes I do. Sound guys or radio jocks will almost regularly put a mic in the character's face, forgetting for a moment or two that they're a bit misguided. Pretty funny stuff.”

You have achieved so much in your 48 years, what is still on your professional "bucket list" that you haven't accomplished yet?
“I want to be in the next Star Trek movie with Achmed as the villain and Walter as a Spock descendant. Just kidding. But that would be cool.”

“Honestly, it's just a journey and planning of doing bigger and better business in any arena where expansion and improvement can build and enhance the other areas of work. I wouldn't say I've conquered any area, but more that we've done really well in a few select areas and it makes me want to make the lesser and new areas be equally as successful.”

“I hope in the near future that we can do a couple of films and bring the characters to life on the big screen, plus continue to expand our presence world wide. Talk of China is on the table, so at this point we're just having fun filling the dance card.”

You have focused on the comedy in your performances so much. How much of your material do you write yourself and do you have a writing staff?
“I write a good share of my own material. When a good joke is written by someone else, I buy it and use it.”

You have been called the world's greatest ventriloquist. What's your reaction to Terry Fator's success?
“I think a few folks that are good performers as ventriloquists have caused a resurgence in the acceptance of vent as a legitimate form of entertainment, and that there are a couple of generations right now who up until the past couple of years, had never seen a good ventriloquist. The one thing I pride myself on, is I'm trying to put a fresh patina on and old, tired and sad art and make it hip and fun again.”

Catch Dunham’s second time performing at Arco Area in Sacramento, Thursday February 3rd. For more information on tickets visit: Click here for TicketMaster's Jeff Dunham tickets.

Photo Credits: RichardMcLaren

Amy Serna is a contributing writer for AmericasComedy.Com, (formerly SacramentoComedy.Com), the official guide to the Sacramento comedy scene. This website is dedicated to comedian interviews, comedy news, comedian biographies and videos for your convenience. You can send your questions directly to The Comedy Guy at Steven@AmericasComedy.Com.

Native Sacramento chef competes for YouTube Food Network challenge

2010-08-05T01:45:06Z

Chef Ryan Rose, the 28-year-old chef at the Zócalo restaurant in Sacramento, is one of the top 15 finalists in the “Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge.” His in-it-to-win-it dish: paella.

Originally on a search to apply for the Food Network’s casting call for the “Next Food Network Star,” Rose came across the YouTube challenge. Viewers can vote daily on their favorite video of national chefs demonstrating their favorite dishes in three minutes or less. The winner will fly out to New York for an audition with executive producers of the show.

But Rose didn’t always want to be a chef. It wasn’t till a two-year visit to Spain where he watched his Italian roommate cook every day, that he really discovered his true passion. He said the paella helped tell the story of his cooking life.

“Before [Spain] I didn’t know anything about cooking, and I would watch [my roommate] daily and take notes,” Rose said. “And that really got the ball rolling for me for what my passion is now.”

After Spain, Rose became more interested in learning how to cook. After graduating from California State University, Sacramento, with a degree in Spanish, he took a job as a barback at Zócalo.

“It was the only way I knew how to get into the restaurant without having any restaurant experienced,” he said. “I continued to study cooking on the side until the opportunity for a position popped up to actually work in the kitchen.”

In his early days at Zócalo, he learned to cook Italian food with a woman who owned a restaurant in Fresno. After taking an Italian language course, he decided to take an internship in Italy for four months in the Calabria region.

He has been working at Zócalo for six years now. He has also tried his hand at bartending, then became a server, then manager for the front of the house until a chef position opened up.

His true passion for food, though, lies not in Italian cooking, but in Mexican cuisine.

“I grew up in Clarksburg, and the majority of the population there is Mexican,” he said. “So growing up, all my friends were Mexican. I was really into the Mexican culture. That’s why I wanted to learn Spanish.”

He said Mexican cuisine varies from European technique and is brought out through years of traditions and culture.

“Mexican people just know how to cook,” Rose said. “They know how to put things together because of the traditions that have been passed on, and that’s really what I just enjoy seeing and try to interpret.”

Rose and Zócalo’s owner, Ernesto Jimenez, travel to Mexico yearly to taste Mexican cuisine and take ideas from restaurants throughout the country.

“Sometimes people think we don’t do real Mexican food because they are things they aren’t used to seeing in a Mexican restaurant in California, but we actually pull the ideas from Mexico,” he said.

Rose’s inspiration not only comes from Mexico, but from watching Food Network star chefs at their best.

“Some guys watch sports, I watch the Food Network,” he said.

His favorite shows include “Iron Chef America,” and “Barefoot Contessa,” and he especially admires Chef Emeril Lagasse.

Rose said he hopes this challenge will allow people to recognize Sacramento’s culinary greatness.

“I think the restaurant culture that we have should be part of Sacramento’s tourism,” he said. “This is a way to make it national. Yes, it would be great for me as a person, but at least get the word out that Sacramento has people doing great things with food.”

As of press time, Rose’s video had more than 22,000 views. To view Rose’s paella video, visit Youtube.com/foodnetwork and click on "vote." His video is titled “Ryan’s paella.” The contest ends August 14.

For Rose's paella recipe, visit www.scribd.com/doc/35385985

Intermediate Google workshop Dec. 15

2009-12-10T19:10:49Z

Thanks to all of you who came to the Media Panel at the Urban Hive Wednesday night!

We have another engaging event scheduled for next week. Jeff Marmins, who taught our last Facebook workshop, will be leading the Google event titled, "Get Google in your Social Media Mix." Jeff is the creator of Social Media Path and partnership director of Social Media Club Sacramento.

The event will be at the Sacramento Press office Dec. 15 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Jeff will discuss how to condense all of the social media sites you post to into one application on Google, successfully use RSS feeds and answer your specific questions.

This workshop is designed for intermediate Google users. If you'd like a beginner workshop, please email journalism@sacramentopress.com and if there are enough people, we can put together a separate beginner workshop.

Our office is located at 431 I St., Suite 107 in the Amtrak station. We are in the same building complex as Starbucks. If you are facing Starbucks, go around the building to the left and you'll see our Sac Press sign out front.

We recommend you find parking on the street, bike or take light rail, as the Amtrak parking lot charges $1.50 per half hour and we cannot cover the cost of parking. If you take light rail, we will give you two passes when you get here - one to cover your trip here and one to cover your trip back.

Please RSVP by emailing journalism@sacramentopress.com.

If you have any trouble finding our office, you can give us a call at (916) 443-5403.

Thanks, and we hope to see you there.

Social Media for the Social Good—Non-profits Explore New Methods of Outreach

2009-11-20T04:17:59Z

Three local non-profit organizations were featured in a Sacramento Social Media Club panel on Tuesday evening hosted by the Sacramento State College of Continuing Education. The panel included Celia Cortez, Projects and Event Manager for the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Jordan Blair, Board Member for River City Food Bank; and Jon Benorden, Program Coordinator for the Center for AIDS Research, Education and Service (CARES). Lesley Miller, Media Director for 3Fold Communication, also sat on the panel. Moderator Josh Morgan, principal at Morgan/Dorado and program director for the Sacramento Social Media Club, focused the discussion on how non-profits are using social media to educate, engage, and build lasting relationships with their communities.

Facebook was the unanimous point of entry into social media for all three organizations. Cortez said the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber selected Facebook because it was the most popular platform among their member organizations; Blair choose Facebook for River City Food Bank because it is the platform upon which he spends the most time. “Facebook provides an easy way for people to connect with causes and non-profits thanks to its one-click ‘become a fan’ feature, “commented Morgan. River City Food Bank, where many of their long-term contributors are past retirement age, is finding that Facebook helps them to engage with the next generation of donors. However some of their loyal supporters are stepping out into social media as well; an 85 year old volunteer joined Facebook just so he could “friend” the River city Food Bank. Benorden said that their “old school” supporters are beginning to mesh with the new people they’ve engaged through their group & page on Facebook but that CARES still has a long way to go.

Both the Sacramento Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and CARES are also using Twitter to promote their organizations and causes. Miller said 3Fold encourages their clients to cross post on multiple social media platforms to increase the traffic among all the sites. For example, use Twitter to remind people the organization is on Facebook or create an event on Yelp and ask people to write a review. I frequently use Twitter to drive traffic to SARTA.org’s website or LinkedIn group where more detailed membership and event information is available.

CARES created both a group page and a fan page for its campaign “Are You the Difference” which strives to eliminate new cases of HIV in the Sacramento region by 2015. Benorden plans to expand the campaign to include other platforms like Flickr and YouTube. On YouTube, CARES wants to personalize and promote their campaign by featuring user generated videos about how individuals can be or are the difference in eliminating new cases of HIV.

The biggest challenge for all of the organizations is finding the time to manage and maintain their social media accounts. Cortez shared that she uses cross posting tools to lessen the amount of time she spends managing each platform the Hispanic Chamber employs. Tweetdeck, Hootsuite and Seesmic were mentioned as free services for managing multiple accounts and platforms and Radian6 was recommended as a new professional service for this purpose. Benorden prefers to uniquely post to Facebook and Twitter to keep variety in the CARES messages, but he sticks to a common theme. Blair, who in addition to his responsibilities as a board member of the River City Food Bank works a full time job, schedules time on his weekly calendar to tend to his social media chores. When asked if a volunteer could handle the job, the general consensus among the panelists was that most volunteers and interns do not have enough depth or experience with the organization or its causes to determine social media platform content or to respond to questions and remarks received by followers and friends on the sites. For CARES, sensitivity to and experience with HIV/AIDS is a must for anyone representing the organization on its social media platforms.

The panel wrapped up with a discussion on event promotion using Facebook ads and other tools. All of the organizations are considering using Facebook ads and River City Food Bank has budgeted money for this purpose next year. Benorden pointed out that even if no one clicks through an “Are You the Difference” ad, if enough information is included about the campaign, there is value in people seeing the ad multiple times. Miller said 3Fold advises their clients to put nearly as much energy into post event promotion as they do pre event. Blair followed this advice after a recent River City Food Bank fundraiser, uploading event photos long into the night. The post event promotion is a valuable investment in the success of future events and helps those who attend feel more part of the organization—especially if they are featured in a photo!

After the panel ended, participants informally exchanged ideas on how they are using social media and also had a chance to meet the panelists and ask more questions. The event was live tweeted by volunteer Ira Cohen on behalf of @SMCSac using the hashtag #smcsac. The venue provided by Sacramento State College of Continuing Education is well equipped for meetings and seminars and the Senior Program Coordinator, Toni Ramirez shared that the college is considering offering courses on social media in the future.

Social Media Club, an international non-profit organization, brings together journalists, publishers, communications professionals, artists, amateur media creators, citizen journalists, teachers, students, tool makers, and other interested collaborators. The Sacramento chapter was founded in March of 2009 by local users of social media. Free events are normally held on the third Tuesday of each month, but in December, the group is planning a Holiday Party or “holitweetup” in partnership with SacTweetUp on December 10 at Hot Italian in midtown. In January, the normal schedule of monthly panels will resume. For information about the Sacramento Social Media Club and its events, join their groups on Facebook and LinkedIn and follow them on Twitter.

Photgraphs by Marie Young Photography. For more photos of this event visit her Facebook Page

Sacramento Social Media Club Leadership Team:

Julie Berge, Angela D'Arcy, Laura Good, Suzanne Hopkins, Ronnie Ledesma, Jeff Marmins, Josh Morgan

Sacramento House Music Goes Global

2009-10-29T08:14:23Z

Sacramento's First Global Online Resource Center.

VISAO - The portuguese word for vision.

Visao Media is a unique operation. We have been involved in electronic music for over 10 years and are thrilled to combine elements on a new and inspiring level and bring to Sacramento something raw in electronic music. Our electronic music department focuses on artist spotlights, house & techno, DJ mixes and video animations. From Paris to London to New York and to the beaches of Ibiza, we're bringing you cutting age entertainment. We are heavily affiliated with creative groups around the globe and promote the past, present and future of electronic music. We also include a variety of product design reviews. Visao is a net label, specializing in house music.

In other words, "What We Do Is Secret."

Legendary Spotlight Interviews:
Danny Tenaglia
Behrouz
DJ Vibe
Chus & Ceballos
Carl Cox

Also: System Audible, DJ Michelangelo, Adam Freemer, SATI, Fergie, DanceTrippin TV, Autistic, Mamson, D.O.N.S., Mr. Henry Von, Alex-T and more.

Check for our upcoming fashion, art and music shows.
:: House Music:: www.visaomedia.com

Visao Media

Davis in last minute race to host "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" world premiere...!

2009-04-18T01:38:39Z

We often hear about internet competitions to name things, host things, win things, etc. Well, a couple of weeks ago, Hugh Jackman announced that he would travel to whichever town raised the highest number of votes, to host the wolrd premiere of the new "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie, complete with all the trappings and stars of a Holywood premiere.

Amazingly, as the clock ticks down to today's deadline, Davis is in the running to host the event!

Here's the original youtube video press release with Jackman making the announcement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-drLdnk-g24

To vote and help influence the outcome and maybe have a little Hollywood glamour and blitz in our own backyard, log-in and vote:

www.x-menorigins.com/premiere to VOTE FOR DAVIS (95616).

It's not just cabaret, it's Graham-A-Rama!

2009-02-21T22:06:52Z

Courtney Glass and Connor Mickiewicz perform in Graham-A-Rama III: "Not the Marrying KInd" on Sunday, February 15th, 2009 at the Geery Theater - video and screen capture by Mike Yee

With little fanfare or exposure, one of the best and least known shows in town opened a few weeks ago, on Sundays at the Geery Theater on the corner of 22nd and L Streets. Featuring local stage actors and singers, the Graham-A-Rama cabaret series is a perfect fit for the Geery’s intimate space, giving the feeling of having been invited to a private party of some kind – like the ultimate insider experience, even for outsiders!

I asked the man behind Graham-A-Rama (and behind the piano) Graham Sobelman, a few questions about the series:

Could you describe the basic concept and format for Graham-A-Rama?
GS: I think initially it was mostly an excuse for me to see my theatre friends. Most of us go from show to show and unless you're actually in a show with someone, you never get to see them. So, I thought doing a Sunday evening cabaret show would give me a chance (or an excuse) to see them.

Additionally, I feel like I know some incredibly talented singers in the area that I think are underexposed. I've played for dozens of shows over the years and there are some really great singers in town. A cabaret show seemed like a great venue to share them with Sacramento and also a chance for them to perform songs that they love, not just the songs in the shows they're cast in.

The initial format was to have 2 singers share the evening. Keeping it casual. While working on the first show, we decided it would be fun to include some audience participation (sing-a-long, trivia, etc).

What was the inspiration? - I've heard tales of legendary living room singalongs!
GS: We tried to sort of emulate the sing-a-long parties at my house, where we'd stay up all night and sing around the piano. In that venue, people can sing whatever songs they want - they can sing harmonies whenever they want and there are no inappropriate choices. I love TV theme songs - that's how the TV theme song sing-a-long got included [in Graham-A-Rama]. So, hopefully, these shows give a sneak peak into our late night craziness around the piano.

Last week's "Not the Marrying Kind" with Connor Mickiewicz and Courtney Glass was great - are all the shows themed in some way?
GS: Last week's was the first totally themed show. They worked really hard putting that together. The first shows had more thematic segments - each person had 2-3 sets and we grouped the songs thematically. Tony had a "sex, drugs, and rock and roll" section. Nanci had an “auditioning-in-NY” section. Scott and Kelly had a “songs-I'll-never-get-to-sing” section.

What might audiences expect in the coming weeks?
GS: I'm considering a St. Patrick's Day section for one of the March shows. Mar 22 is called "Wig in a Box" - there will be wigs everywhere. I'm thinking about doing an 80's pop music night with 5-6 singers. I'm bringing a friend's cabaret show from SF up in April. And in early May, I'd like to do an all-star show featuring the best numbers from the first 10 shows.

So now we know how you spend your Sundays - what else do you have in the works?
GS: I’m working on finishing my band's 2nd album (the first one is on iTunes "This is ain't Betty"). I am music directing a few shows around town this spring, and I'd like to use the Geery for a couple of staged readings of some musicals. It's a great venue for intimate performances.

Next up: On Sunday, February 22nd, Graham-A-Rama reprises the show that started it all, with Tony Wichowski and Nanci Zoppi.

Graham-A-Rama showtimes are 7pm and 9pm on Sundays at the William J Geery Theatre, 2130 L Street, Sacramento. Tickets are $15 (cash only) at the door and reservations can be made by calling (916) 798-6352. Note: Reservations are only held until 15 minutes before showtime. Find upcoming schedules and all things Grahamy at www.grahamsobelman.com. Video clips from past shows can be found on youtube by searching for grahamaramacabaret.