The Sessions” film review by Gary Chew The quality of decency is an interest of mine. Not so much when the word “decency” is used in the context of, “Are you decent?” but the bigger, more important meaning - being so to others. That's what “The Sessions,” a new, frank film bringing back the solid and confident talent of Helen Hunt, presents as the entrée.  It's playing at the Tower Theater, Land Park Drive at Broadway in Sacramento. A lot of the time, Hunt is being admirably decent in this extraordinary film without a stitch on. She plays a sex surrogate named Cheryl. Her client is a devout Catholic named Mark, a role taken by John Hawkes, an actor all over the lot doing great heavies a

Lincoln        film review by Gary Chew There are no vampires in Steven Spielberg's new film.  But on seeing Tommy Lee Jones'  initial scene in “Lincoln,” I thought there might be.  Jones plays the cranky, Radical Republican Abolitionist from Pennsylvania, Thaddeus Stevens.  There are moments when it seems that old Thad is going to take a large bite out of some pro-slavery Democrat's neck. My, how labels and meanings change. That's probably not the best way to begin writing about a movie that has such important things to say about stopping a bloody civil war, freeing the slaves and, of course, reiterating the assassination of a president during this vital swath of American history. In

By Susan Rabinovitz and Denise Coleman A sunny Sept. 29 at Fremont Park brought craft beer enthusiasts and foodies together for a great day of fundraising and beer and slider tasting. The hosts Sacramento Artists Council, Inc., Dad’s Kitchen and SacramentoPress.com say thank you to the participants and guests for a tremendous day. We would like to extend a special thanks to the more than 20 Northern California microbreweries and seven local restaurants for donated games, beers, ciders and sliders. Slider participants included Blackbird Kitchen & Bar, Kupros, Tequila Museo Mayahuel, Burgess Brothers Burgers, Chops Steakhouses and Dad’s Kitchen. The winner of the Judges’ Choice award was R

In “Memphis,” the four-time Tony Award-winning musical by David Bryan and Joe DiPietro (“I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change”), a white DJ (Bryan Fenkart) in 1950s Memphis, Tenn., champions the career of fledgling African-American singer Felicia with whom he eventually falls in love. The show, which kicks off the 2012-12 Broadway Sacramento season Oct. 30 at the Community Center Theater, stars Broadway alum Bryan Fenkart as Hugo and Felicia Boswell as Felicia. For Fenkart, who began his multi-threat career as a singer-songwriter-instrumentalist, there’s a lot to love about being in a show that focuses on story and character development as much as memorable, toe-tapping tunes. “I love

photographs by Barry Wisdom / It's hard to comprehend in this information age that listeners to a regularly scheduled, commercial radio program – an entertainment program – would think that a radio play based on a well-known novel was a breaking news alert. But that's what occurred 74 years ago when Orson Welles' and his Mercury Theatre on the Air troupe performed a broadcast adaptation of H.G. Wells' "The War of the Worlds." Airing on the Columbia Broadcasting System radio network, the show made no attempt to "trick" listeners, and featured the very recognizable voices of the Mercury Players cast – including the distinctive baritone of Welles. Yet, people were tricked by this pre-Hal

photographs by Barry Wisdom / For her current role as Helen Keller's governess/teacher Anne Sullivan in the Sacramento Theatre Company production of William Gibson's "The Miracle Worker," Brittni Barger has received universally positive reviews. The Sacramento Bee called her performance "compelling" and "fiercely convincing." Sacramento News & Review said the actress "does well" in her dramatic star turn, which the Davis Enterprise added was "full of spunk and fire." Not that she'd know, unless a close friend or colleague decided to crack her cone of media silence and share the post-performance praise via the social media grapevine, or a between-rehearsals phone call. "I'm not jaded

Cloud Atlas       film review by Gary Chew Movies are designed to take us out of ourselves. The fundamental differences among motion pictures are where they take us. “Cloud Atlas,” insofar as what time period it is set in, pulls as far back from human existence as I remember a movie ever doing, and takes us somewhere that requires a vantage point in a time that is … I'm not sure where. It's now playing in Sacramento at Century Greenback 16, 6233 Garfield Ave and Century Stadium 14 at 1590 Ethan Way. "Cloud Atlas" is not just set in early history, the 19th century, the early 20th century or even three-quarters into the 20th. It's also not just in 2144, the year where much of this rather

Display It, Wear It, Show It, Enjoy It is the theme of this year’s 15th Annual Sacramento Arts Festival, November 2 – 4, 2012, at the Sacramento Convention Center. With over 225 of America’s best contemporary craftspeople and fine artists, the weekend offers a chance to become emmersed in more than 15,000 original works of art. In keeping with tradition, the festival theme is the holidays and the floor of the Sacramento Convention Center Exhibit Hall will be decorated accordingly. Tradditionally, the Sacramento Arts Festival signals the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. From abstract to traditional, modern to whimsical, the festival includes ceramic artists, woodworkers, pa

photographs by Barry Wisdom / In her last main stage appearance at Sacramento Theatre Company, 14-year-old Bella Bagatelos played the ethereal Ghost of Christmas Past in 2011’s production of “A Christmas Carol.” The role demanded that the Christian Brothers High School freshman exude an all-knowing, divine serenity as she guides a lost soul to self-awareness. Some 10 months later, Bagatelos is back on the main stage in “The Miracle Worker,” garnering raves in a part that’s almost the polar opposite – that of a young Helen Keller, the very real, 19th-century author/activist who we meet as a wild child, cloistered in her own mind due to a childhood illness that left her blind and deaf. I

Sacramento Ballet refers to its production of "Romeo & Juliet" as co-artistic director Ron Cunningham's "signature masterpiece and perhaps his greatest artistic achievement." Cunningham himself calls it “the absolute best choreography of my career.” Featuring more than "200 period-inspired costumes, beautiful sets and scenery, pageantry, swordplay, drama, and choreography that draws the viewer into every passionate moment," the three-act production of William Shakespeare's masterwork is "a complete sensory experience." As the company's website state, "No need for words here, as the universal language of dance tells the world’s most famous love story." In performance at the Sacramento

photos by Barry Wisdom / The innovative choreography of the Sacramento State University Department of Theatre and Dance faculty combine with the high-energy talents of their students in "Dance Sites 2012," a dance concert in performance at the University Theatre 6:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18; 8 p.m. Oct. 19 and 20; and 2 p.m. Oct. 20 and 21. "Our exciting annual dance concert on the university main stage represents an array of different points of view on the art form of dance and perspectives from contemporary modern to Mexican folkloric," writes Sac State Department of Theatre and Dance Vice Chairwoman and "Dance Sites 2012" director Lorelei Bayne Yacur. "We are honored to present the work

Swedish singer and songwriter Sofia Talvik will be spending the week in the Sacramento area. Talvik’s string of live performances began Tuesday night with a performance at the Coffee Garden in Curtis Park and will continue Friday with a stop at KDVS radio in Davis and another at ZuhG Life Store for a concert Friday night. "What defines you as an artist is that you never give up." This piece of advice was given to Talvik by her father, and she has clearly taken it fully to heart. Achieving success as an artist signifies a life of constantly working to be seen, heard and hopefully remembered. For many, this is a lifelong effort. It takes energy and courage to step out of your shell and in

Saturday night Power Balance Pavilion hosted country superstar Carrie Underwood and “The Blown Away Tour,” complete with singer and songwriter, Hunter Hayes. The tour is based around Underwood’s fourth album, “Blown Away,” released earlier this year. The mostly-female crowd was dressed and ready for a country night out in Nashville - cowboy hats and boots and all. “Is that the line to the women’s!?” I overheard one woman exclaim, “Mother of pearl!” The merrymaking and revelry was pure entertainment for all involved. Underwood won the hearts of many, waving and chatting throughout the show despite her slightly hoarse-sounding voice. She gave a shout out to “American Idol,” saying that s

“They’re coming to get you. Do you know what for?” Met on the street, we were led through an iron gate, down a steep set of stairs and through a crumbling basement. We ended up seated at the bottom of the pool, proof that that none among us was a witch; witches, as is well known, will summon the forces of evil to cause them to float. On this particular occasion, however, it remained inconclusive, given the absence of water in the pool. Also missing were empty seats, as the sell-out crowd assembled to see this already intriguing subterranean finale of KOLT Run Creations’ first season, Vinegar Tom. At first glance, Caryl Churchill’s Vinegar Tom is a play about Salem witches, but scratch

Editor's note: The author of this piece, William Burg, will participate in a Sac Pres live chat on K Street this Wednesday at noon. Plan to watch? Please RSVP on our Goole+ page. You can also catch Burg live and in person at the California State Archives on Tuesday at 7 p.m. as he presents on his book, "Sacramento’s K Street: Where Our City Was Born". Event detials can be found here.  This week’s Sacramento Press scoop about Downtown Sacramento Partnership’s new “The Kay” marketing strategy was met with reactions ranging from grudging acceptance to outright ridicule. The marketing campaign was paid for by DSP, downtown Sacramento’s business association, funded by downtown property owners.

photographs by Barry Wisdom /   Sixty-three-year-old singer-songwriter Nick Lowe, a seminal figure in the "pub rock, punk rock and new wave" music scenes whose early work on the Stiff Records label as a solo artist and collaborator with such artists as Elvis Costello secured his reputation as a producer who got things done. Though his biggest U.S. success came in 1979 with "Cruel to Be Kind" – what has sometimes been referred to as the perfect pop song – he has enjoyed a consistently brilliant career. As rock critic Jim Farber wrote: "Lowe's recent albums ... moved him out of the realms of ironic pop and animated rock and into the role of a worldly balladeer, specializing in grave voc

The Invasion of zombies in Old Sacramento was a huge success last night. Hundreds of people showed up buying wrist bands at Shenanigan’s on J Street. Proceeds went to support our local troops, veterans and those affiliated with the American Legion. The local kid band "Alive and Burning" played rocken tunes about Zombies at Shenanigan's .The zombie run started from Shenanigan’s and went to the K Street mall tunnel. In the tunnel, Photographers and videographers lined up taking pictures before the hoard of zombie came running past them to spill out onto the Old Sacramento Streets. All ages from young children, to older adults where dressed up and joined in the preparation of Halloween fun. T

photographs by Barry Wisdom /   Man comes into this world alone and he exits it alone. So it is only fitting that Elvis Costello is celebrating an anticipated 100th anniversary on Earth sans Attractions, and free from Imposters with his wholly solo "Centenary Show 1954-2054." Costello, who turned 58 last month, acknowledged in remarks to a Mondavi Center audience Friday night that the tour's name could be confusing to some – especially to American audiences who are more familiar with the term "centennial" than the UK version, which might be mistakenly read as the "Cemetery" tour. There was no mistaking how freaking talented, funny, smart and downright personable Costello is as he too

“Looper”    Chew's Bite on “Looper" starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Emily Blunt.  Written and directed by Rian Johnson. Please pass the manohla, we have another time travel tale ...this one about hit men.               My written comment on a card to the guy running the screening of this movie the other night said, “Philip K. Dick on steroids.” Please note the fresh review of this film from Ms. Dargis for the New York Times. She too invokes Mr. Dick’s name, but not before my own invocation of that author’s handle.  Manohla might be reading my mind.  She's good, but not that good. “Looper” is covertly pregnant with visual cues and stuff...well-acted...and mounted, but com

“That was wild—and I learned a lot!” That was just one of many comments being bantered about by an audience clearly still engaged by what they had just seen, even as they exited the theater. The crowd was abuzz as they exited the opening night performance of ENRON at Capital Stage, a few younger members openly agitated by what they had learned about the nefarious dealings and demise of the energy giant. “[News Report] ‘California’s power supply came up short today, and the lights went out. Rolling blackouts have hit the sixth largest economy in the world. For the first time in sixty-five years, the electric power market is in chaos. Electricity rates are climbing and California has gone