Combining the contemporary stories of two modern-day princesses, Rapunzel and Tiana, with the classic elegance of Cinderella, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream whisks audiences away on exciting journeys where dreams really do come true. This latest production will appear at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena, February 13 through 18, 2013. “There’s something within each of the stories of Tangled, The Princess and the Frog, and Cinderella that speaks to women and girls and families around the world,” says Producer Nicole Feld. “Each of these princesses is searching for what truly makes them happy. And I think that’s very reflective of what audiences are like today.” “This show is different

I love Star Trek (I suppose there’s an argument to be made that you may not even be a nerd without some Star Trek love in your heart). I especially love “Star Trek: TNG.” On a side note, I was recently laid off. That’s freed up a lot of my time for watching Star Trek episodes and movies.  My mom is a retired police officer (she worked for a local university that recently gained some national attention and infamy not too long ago), and I grew up taping episodes of TNG for her while she was working (I was the first DVR). My sister and I usually ended up watching episodes twice: once while taping the episode on a VHS tape, and again when watching it with her at a later date. While there ar

Dreams and imagination—the greatest princess-themed Disney fairytales—take center stage in a royal celebration as Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream, February 13-18, 2013 at Sacramento’s Sleep Train Arena. The ice sets a spectacular scene with grand set pieces and appearances by current princesses from Tangled and The Princess and the Frog, as well as a beloved classic beauty, Cinderella. A cast of world-class skaters glides across the arena illustrating stories about romance, humor and adventure—bringing memorable moments from these cherished Disney films to life in a contemporary skating production. Throughout the show, surprises come from every corner. According to Scenic Designer S

Holy bantha horns, have you heard the news? George Lucas is giving up his position at the helm of Lucasfilm and selling Star Wars to Disney.   For the low, low price of only $4.05 billion, Robert Iger’s Disney now owns not only the Star Wars legacy, but also Lucas’ effects business Industrial Light & Magic, as well as audio operation Skywalker Sound and a whole slew of merchandising goodies.   So, more new Star Wars films ... released by Disney. Uberfans certainly have strong opinions on the matter, and a few local self-described Star Wars nerds were kind enough to share theirs with The Sacramento Press. “I was four years old when ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ was released on May 21, 1980, whi

Disney on Ice is celebrating 100 years from Thursday through Sunday at Sleep Train Arena. In all, 65 of Disney’s iconic characters will take to the ice rink in a skating show, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Pinocchio and, of course the Disney princesses. There will also be characters from the Disney/Pixar films such as “Finding Nemo,” the “Toy Story” series and “The Incredibles.” Shows are at 7 p.m. Nov. 1 and 2; noon, 3:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. Nov. 3; and noon and 4 p.m. Nov. 4. Tickets range from $18.75 to $66.75 and parking is $12. Tickets can be purchased online here.  See a recap of a previous Disney on Ice event here.

photographs by Barry Wisdom /   In early 1990, I wasn't under the sea, but sailing through foamy ocean waves topside in my first contract with a cruise line catering to the über-rich. As an onboard public relations representative whose duties included writing and editing a daily newsletter, I enjoyed non-uniformed “officer” status that allowed me full access to crew and passenger areas. Among the passenger entertainment venues I frequented was the ship’s cinema. One of the then-recent releases I recall being screened was the Walt Disney Pictures adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Little Mermaid.” A comeback of sorts for Disney’s animated feature film division, the 1989 mu

rehearsal photographs by Barry Wisdom /   If she wanted to, Jessica Grové – who has the title role in the current Music Circus production of “The Little Mermaid” – could name drop with the best of them. In the 15 years that the Hilliard, Ohio, native has been working professionally on stage, Grové has appeared in Broadway and Off Broadway shows, in national tours, as well as in regional theater and one-night-only concert events in collaboration with such Playbill cover girls (and boys) as Stephen Sondheim, Bernadette Peters, Elaine Stritch, Mickey Rooney, Jim Dale, Glenn Close, Eartha Kitt, James Barbour and Robert Cuccioli. But the name that most often comes to mind these days is no

“Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter” is another of those high concept movies that would probably be a blast if it didn’t try quite so hard. The basic premise is pretty well explained by the title – it retells the story of Lincoln with one tiny extra detail – he was fighting and killing vampires before he was President. It all starts when he witnesses the death of his mother and yearns for revenge against the (presumed) man who killed her. After almost getting chewed up himself by the killer, he instead gets chewed out by a mysterious stranger who saves him and teaches him the ways of re-killing those who are already dead. All of this is great fun and the basic vampire hunting and killing sequ

The week in film(s) Timing your movie’s release is a strange combination of art, science, and simple luck. You obviously don’t want to go head to head with a blockbuster that appeals to the same audience, but counter-programming to a different demographic might work. You don’t want to find yourself opening in the week following some epic that generates stunning audience word of mouth and dominates as much in its second week as its first. And you’re also going to suffer if you open in the week before an equally dominant film sucks the air out of the room/box office as soon as it hits the screen. This week’s crop of new films are caught between a rock and a soft place. On the one hand, nex

Shows brought to you by the Disney organization and Cameron Macintosh come with high expectations. Fortunately for Sacramento musical theater lovers, the Broadway Sacramento production of "Mary Poppins" that opened last Thursday more than meets those expectations. Disney's first hit version of "Mary Poppins" was the 1964 film with major star turns by Julie Andrews as the title character and Dick Van Dyke as Bert. Disney had obtained the rights to the series of "Mary Poppins" stories by Australian author P.L. Travers. The first book was published in 1934, the last in 1991, five years before the author’s death. The movie also introduced the songs of brothers Richard M. and Robert B. Sherma

Sunday afternoon was the worldwide debut of Disney's Fine Art Pixar Collection. Families from all over the Sacramento region flocked to the California State Railroad Museum to get an up close look at original artwork inspired by the first 11 films created by Pixar Animation Studios. The artists were there on hand to happily chat and sign posters for adoring Disney fans.  The films used for the artwork included: “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars,” “Ratatouille,” “Wall-E,” “Up,” “Toy Story 3” and “Monster’s, Inc.” Growing up, we all remember falling in love with classics such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Bambi,” “Pinocchio” and “Lady and the Tra

Calling all Disney lovers! Stage Nine’s “The Vault” and the California State Railroad Museum are hosting the worldwide debut of The Pixar Collection at the museum Sunday. The collection will include artwork inspired by the first 11 films created by Pixar Animation Studios. Stage Nine, located at 102 K St., is an entertainment store that carries unique collectibles and pop culture memorabilia. Stage Nine owner Troy Carlson said that he is honored to have the collection’s debut in Sacramento. “I definitely expect collectors, and there are people traveling from Los Angeles and San Francisco.” Carlson said that they voiced their interest in hosting the event in Sacramento. Stage Nine gall

Sacramento’s Memorial Auditorium hosted a unique concert this Friday. Unless Disney’s Imagination Movers have played at the Memorial before this was a one of a kind event. The audience was made up mostly of 5 to 11 year old kids who brought their parents and grandparents to a unique concert show. I’m not sure when they started to put up barriers in front of the stage at the Memorial but a low railing extended about 4 feet in front of the stage. As with any other concert, many fans stood in front of the stage and this concert was no exception. A couple of dozen kids stayed in front of the stage with their parents sitting nearby for the duration of the show. The Imagination Movers, in case

The magic of Disney meets the excitement of professional skating this month when Disney on Ice comes to Arco Arena. Expect high-energy stories from the worlds of “The Lion King,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Peter Pan.” “Mickey & Minnie’s Magical Journey” is the longest-running Disney on Ice show, premiering in 1995. It has since evolved to include the Hawaiian-themed story of Lilo & Stitch. “I’ve always loved Disney since I was a kid,” said Alex Demetriou, who plays the role of Danny (from “Lilo & Stitch”) and Captain Hook (from “Peter Pan”). “My best friend joined Disney on Ice five years before me, and it quickly became a thing I wanted to do.” With sets ranging from th

From dinosaurs to wiener dogs, lawnmower races to Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch rides, corndogs to chocolate covered bacon, the 157-year-old California State Fair has something for everyone. With roughly 40,000 people per day running through the fair, and numerous attractions to see, Norbert Bartosik, CEO and general manager of the State Fair, promises a “Passport to Adventure.” “It’s a new adventure every year,” Bartosik said. “The State Fair showcases what California is all about: its people. People showing off their talents, education, entertainment…It’s something you won’t find in a theme park.” Although the fair won’t be a theme park, the Cal Expo grounds were in fact designed

Sacramento, CA- Were you listening to Disney Radio Wednesday and wondered why all of a sudden it dropped off? At about 11:51 A.M. Wednesday morning, Sac Fire received a call for a vegetation fire in the wild land are off of Commerce Circle and Lathrop Way. This area is located between Discovery Park and the Cal Expo area, just west of The Radisson Hotel and bordered by the bike trail on the south side of the levee. Firefighters arrived to find difficult terrain to access off the levee, but were able to attack the fire within ten minutes of the call. In this wild land area were three radio towers over 200 feet high belonging to ABC Radio. One of the tower's collapsed and a witness stated

 “Who doesn’t love Christmas in June?” Nicole Rivelli, team member of Walt Disney Studio’s Special Events, posed this question when asked about the timing of Disney’s “A Christmas Carol” Train Tour stop in Sacramento. This weekend will mark the seventh stop for Disney’s train on its 40-city tour. Sacramento native and president of the Walt Disney Picture Group, Mark Zoradi, wished everyone a “Merry Christmas” as he introduced the interactive walk-through train tour being held at the California State Railroad Museum. The train is filled with costumes, flat-screen TVs with commentaries from all the characters, including Producer Robert Zemeckis, and a behind-the-scenes peek of how the d

Despite the sweltering temperatures, it will be Christmas in June this weekend in Old Sacramento. On a 40-city interactive train tour,"Disney's A Christmas Carol" train will be pulling into Old Sacramento Friday through Sunday as a promotion for the upcoming "Disney's A Christmas Carol," which is scheduled to open in November and stars Jim Carrey. Carolers, Christmas decorations and fake snow will transform the train tracks near the California State Railroad Museum into a winter wonderland for families and children of all ages. Those who hop aboard the train will be treated to several different exhibit cars highlighting the making of the movie and featuring props and costumes from the f

I started my Thursday evening at the opening night of the 2nd Annual Sacramento All Sketch Comedy Festival (www.AllSketch.com) which put me in the mood for more humor. This, added to the Sacramento Press readership’s love of music, fine artistry, and great depth, led me to end my evening at the midnight screening of Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience (!).  My first impression was that it was the least crowded midnight screening I can recall attending, with approximately 30 of the less curfew-challenged fans making little more than a slight dent in the capacity of one of the Century Stadium’s main dome auditoriums/auditoria (take your pick). My second impression was that 3D is appa