Another week, another Top Five Fridays. Our community contributors (mostly) gave us a reason to smile during a busy week for both the Sacramento Police Department and reporter Karen Wilkinson. And let’s not forget – the Kings are still leaving. Before you dive into your weekend, take a look at The Sacramento Press’s most popular articles of the week. Community Contribution:  5. How public radio helps indie artists by Alex Cosper Weekly columnist and owner of SacTV Alex Cosper turned his attentions this week to the role public radio plays in the success of indie artists, as well as our community as a whole. 4. No injuries after RT light rail train and car collide by Kati Garner Kati Gar

A mix of old-school favorites, contemporary classics and a little-seen musical-comedy gem will take center stage for Music Circus' 63rd summer season, announced Calfiornia Musical Theatre Executive Producer Richard Lewis. The five-show season will consist of the Music Circus premiere of the Kander and Ebb hit "Chicago"; a production of "The Wizard of Oz" based on the 1939 film; the Wells Fargo Pavilion premiere of Jerome Kerns' American theater masterpiece "Show Boat"; the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic "The King and I"; and "Sugar," the stage version of the Billy Wilder film comedy "Some Like It Hot." ”We’re very excited to finally be able to bring the hit musical 'Chicago' to the Musi

Multitalented musical-theater performers are often called "triple-threats" because they can "do it all": act, sing and dance. A lucky few might even develop a few additional talents in hopes of increasing their marketability, such as those actors featured in "Starlight Express" and "Xanadu" (roller-skating), "The Scarlet Pimpernel" (stage fighting/fencing), and "Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark" (aerial acrobatics/high-pain thresholds). Rarer still are those who continually absorb truly relevant stage skills like mutant superheroes – X-Men with Equity cards. Noah Racey, who stars as Bobby Child in the 2012 Music Circus season-ending production of "Crazy For You," has been so blessed. A musi

  Growing up, Patrick Cassidy certainly had successful role models to emulate. Mom Shirley Jones was an Academy Award-winning movie star ("Elmer Gantry"), and celebrated musical theater and television star. Dad Jack Cassidy was a similarly lauded, multi-media actor with a Tony Award ("She Loves Me") and a pair of Emmy nominations to his credit. Stepbrother David Cassidy was a talented musician and actor who co-starred with Jones in TV's "The Partridge Family" and became an über-successful (if reluctant) teen idol. Older brother Shaun Cassidy followed in stepbrother's shoes as an actor ("The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries") and pop star. But while the teenage Cassidy had brief flirtat

Perennial favorite “The Music Man” opened in Sacramento this week, for its 10th go-round at the Music Circus. The show is set in River City, Iowa in 1912, and is about as American as apple pie. It features the squeaky clean sensibilities of a tight-knit Midwestern community, which is transformed in unexpected ways by the arrival of con man “Professor” Harold Hill. The beloved musical remains the same; there were no surprises in the current production, directed by Glenn Casale. The minimal, evocative sets, the lovely costumes, and the orchestra directed by Dennis Castellano were as professional and enjoyable as always. The company of ensemble actors, singers and dancers — including the ve

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

Welcome to another edition of the our a daily blog,  a rundown of items that we're working on, found interesting, or otherwise thought you might want to know about today. As is always the case here at Sac Press, suggestions are welcome. WHAT WE’RE READING FIELD OF DREAMS: With all the talk this week about the potential of building a Major League Baseball stadium at the railyards, a look at another example bears mentioning. According to The Atlantic Cities, the city of Buffalo, N.Y., banked on building an MLB stadium without a team, hoping that an MLB franchise would see the appeal of a new stadium and pull up stakes for a move to Buffalo. That, however, never materialized, and while the

When the popular Broadway musical “Grease” rolled into Sacramento’s Music Circus for opening night Tuesday, the costumes were spot-on and the music was right, but it was the supporting cast that revved up the audience and stole the show. The ensemble cast of 15 veteran stage actors, whose collective credits include everything from “Thoroughly Modern Millie” in regional theater to “Book of Mormon" on Broadway, took full advantage of every inch of the stage and walkways leading to and from the wings. Scenes were played in a variety of places in the theater – sometimes all at once. For those unfamiliar with the Music Circus, it is a stage “in the round,” which means the audience encircles t

Whether you’re aware of it or not, chances are you’ve encountered the work of California Musical Theatre (CMT). The Organization oversees and organizes logistics for the wildly popular Music Circus, Broadway Sacramento, and Cosmopolitan Cabaret seasons. With a full-time staff, and a strong crew of temporary and seasonal staffing as needed, CMT is responsible for overseeing the elements of these three musical theatre seasons, all of which succeed in bringing top-notch musical theatre performances to the Sacramento region. In addition to producing and presenting high-quality theatrical shows, CMT runs educational programs through the California Musical Theatre Academy (CMT Academy). CMT Aca

Friends and colleagues of Mindy Stover flooded social media channels and public websites this weekend as they shared their feelings of love and loss upon learning that the longtime local actress known for diverse musical roles that ranged from her iconic Dorothy in the Music Circus production of "The Wizard of Oz," to Minnie Fay in the Sierra Repertory Company staging of "Hello, Dolly!," had lost her almost two-year battle with brain cancer May 20. She was 40. "Never was one so loved," posted veteran actor-director-designer Martha Kight on Stover's Facebook site Saturday. "We were deeply lucky to have her in our lives." A day earlier (May 25), Stover's family had posted an obituary in t

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