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 holiday season kicks off on Friday with over-the-top holiday decorations that sparkle and shine behind the doors of five homes in the “Fabulous Forties.” The 38th annual Sacred Heart Holiday Home Tour welcomes thousands to tour arguably the most gorgeous homes in Sacramento to benefit the Sacred Heart Parish School. “Our goal is for these homes to be like Christmas explosions. It just really ignites the spark for the holiday season,” said Leslie Wilson-Lopez, co-chair of the home tour and Sacred Heart school parent. The homes on this year’s tour include four in the colonial style circa 1920 and one new home that has been added to a foundry (a factory that produces metal casings) dat

Mayor Kevin Johnson announced Tuesday that with the NBA lockout over – and the Sacramento Kings resuming their season – more than 700 workers at the Power Balance Pavilion will be able to return to their jobs. “We are excited. With the lockout ended you will see people returning to work,” Johnson said. Since the lockout began, Power Balance Pavilion employees have lost a significant amount of work, and businesses that rely on the traffic that NBA games bring in have suffered financially. With the four-plus month lockout and all pre-season games cancelled and a shortened season ahead, employees have missed out on a substantial amount of work. On Del Paso Boulevard, businesses have repor

The Sacramento Heatwave took its first win of the season against the Modesto Hawks on Sunday night at Natomas High School with a final score of 132 to 93. Despite the opponent’s strong shooters, the Heatwave players delivered excellent defense, which helped them control the game and take the win. “Overall it was a great game and our best effort in this season so far,” said Reggie Davis, CEO, owner and head coach of the Heatwave. “The team is really starting to get looser, and the defense effort they put out tonight really made a difference.” The first quarter started off with a close match. The Hawks scored the first shot of the game and seemed to be carrying the momentum. Within minut

With 2,624 Sacramento restaurants reviewed on Yelp, the capital city has thousands of restaurant-goers using Yelp to share their dining experiences with others. A recent study done by Harvard Business School Assistant Professor Michael Luca found that local restaurants increase revenue 5 to 9 percent per star they gain on Yelp. The Sacramento Press wanted to see if this finding held true for restaurants in the central city. Comments and ratings on Yelp appear to make a big difference, but Sacramento restaurant owners and managers say they aren’t so sure. Luca combined data on Seattle restaurant revenues that he collected from the Washington State Department of Revenue and Yelp ratings o