Music Circus has closed out its 2011 season with a stunning production of the musical blockbuster, “Miss Saigon.” From the creators of Les Misérables, “Saigon” offers a contemporary take on the classic Puccini opera Madame Butterfly – set in 1970s Saigon during the Vietnam War. It’s easy to see why the show is the 10th longest-running show on Broadway, running over 4,000 performances on Broadway.

The epic tragedy follows Chris, an American G.I., and Kim, a Vietnamese bar girl, as they meet and fall in love in Vietnam in 1975 during the final days of the American occupation. After they are torn apart and Chris returns to America, their worlds collide once again years later.

A powerful cast is highlighted by Eric Kunze (who was last seen as Che in Music Circus 2008 production of ‘Evita.”) as Chris, Ma-Anne Dionisio as Kim, and Kevin Gray as The Engineer, who runs the bar where Kim and Chris meet. 5 year-old Aiden Kusaba, is a delightful scene stealer as Tam, Chris and Kim’s child.

Director Stafford Arima and choreographer Bob Richard manage the difficult task of making the circular Music Circus stage appear in proportion to the massive show – particularly when you realize the original spectacle featured a full size Cadillac and helicopter (cleverly managed in this production.)

“Miss Saigon” is recommended for theatregoers 16 and over.

“Miss Saigon” runs through August 28. Tickets may be purchased by calling (916) 557-1999 or visiting the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office at 1419 H Street. Tickets are also available through Tickets.com

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An ogre and donkey inaugurated the Broadway Sacramento 2011-2012 season last night, and the audience was green with delight as Shrek and company stormed the stage of the Community Center Theatre.

Anyone who goes to see the musical will undoubtedly have seen the Oscar®-winning movie of the same name – the wonderfully irreverent tale of a grumpy ogre (Mike Meyers), his faithful donkey sidekick (Eddie Murphy) and somewhat unusual fair princess Fiona (Cameron Diaz). “Shrek” was a box office juggernaut – spawning 3 sequels, holiday TV specials, and a new spinoff film “Puss in Boots.” Is it any wonder the good folks at Dreamworks added a musical to the list?

“Shrek the Musical” has already had a hugely successful Broadway run as well as a London West End production and national US tour. With a book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire (“Rabbit Hole”, “Good People”) and score by Jeanine Tesori (“Thoroughly Modern Millie”, “Caroline or Change”), “Shrek” revisits the life of the ogre (Lukas Poost) whose quiet life in a swamp is disturbed by a host of fairy tale characters booted out of Duloc by its clearly disturbed and vertically challenged ruler Lord Farquaad (the marvelous Merritt David Janes.)

Farquaad agrees to remove the fairytale folk from Shrek’s swamp if the ogre agrees to rescue the Princess Fiona (the very funny Liz Shivener) from her solitary life in a high castle tower. Of course there are a few hitches – and much merriment ensues before the characters live funnily ever after.
“Shrek” runs September 27 – October 2, 2011, with evening performances Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm and matinee performances Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. The show is recommended for theatregoers 4 and over (and a few naughty words would suggest making that a tad older.)

Tickets are available by phone (916) 557-1999 or (916) 808-5181, in person at The Community Center Box Office, 1301 L Street, Sacramento or The Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, Sacramento, or online at Tickets.com.

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Break out your daubers. The Cosmopolitan Cabaret has been converted into an old fashioned Bingo Hall, and the results are hilarious. “Bingo, the Winning Musical” is the newest production at the intimate downtown venue, and if opening night is an indicator, the show should have a very successful run.

Following the Cosmopolitan Cabaret’s successful formula of lightweight musicals featuring silly plots, zippy tunes and a charming small ensemble cast, “Bingo” centers around a 15-year feud, a blood transfusion, and Bingo “Regulars” Vern, Patsy and Honey, who brave a fierce storm to attend their nightly game of Bingo, in the basement of St. Bartholomew’s Church. The audience becomes a part of the production – daubers and bingo cards await ticket holders – and a few lucky audience members will win prizes.

The talented and energetic cast includes Bonnie Bailey-Reed in the dual roles of Minnie and Bernice, Jessica Crouch as the scene stealing Alison, Nikki D’Amico as the love-starved – oft married Honey, Lisa Raggio as the brassy Vern (force to be reckoned with) , Eydie Alyson as Patsy and the lone male castmember, Michael Stevenson as Bingo caller Frank. Alyson may be familiar from last year’s Cosmopolitan Cabaret production of “Suds,” and Raggio from her many TV roles.

Although the show’s musical numbers are enjoyable, if not entirely memorable, Jessica Crouch’s show stopping performance of “Ratched’s Lament” – from the musical adaptation of “One Flew Over the Cookoo’s Nest” brings down the house.

California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale directs the show with his usual deft, yet light hand. Musical director Michael Paternostro keeps things moving right along.

“Bingo, the Winning Musical” is scheduled to run through January 8th at The Cosmopolitan Cabaret, 1000 K Street.
Tickets are available by phone at (916) 557-1999, online at tickets.com , in person at the CMT box office at the Wells Fargo Pavilion, 1419 H Street (Mon-Sat 9-6) or The Cosmopolitan Cabaret box office, 1000 K Street (only open two hours before show time.)

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The effervescent musical romp, “Suds” has opened at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, and the production promises Sacramento audiences an evening of bubbly fun.

If you are familiar with shows like “Forever Plaid” (which had a highly successful 11-month run at the Cosmopolitan) or last season’s Music Circus production of “The Marvelous Wonderettes”, you already know what’s in store.

Loaded with good clean fun, bubbling energy and some of the ’60s greatest pop hits, the show’s plot, is mainly a devise to tie together over 50 favorite songs from the ’60s like “Where the Boys Are,” “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’,”Respect,” “I Feel Good” and “Do You Want to Know a Secret.” The story centers around a young woman and her guardian angels who come to teach her about finding true love in, of all places, a laundromat.

The outstanding four-person cast includes Melissa WolfKlain as Cindy, the sweet, gawky laundromat worker, recently dumped by her pen pal for someone with better penmanship.  Eydie Alyson plays Dee Dee, a perky and optimistic guardian angel sent to help Cindy, and Sacramento native, Nanci Zoppi plays her tougher and brassier counterpart, Marge.  Multiple male role in the show are played by Michael Dotson, a favorite of Music Circus audiences for his more than 30 productions under the Tent.

California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale directs the show with a deft, yet light hand and choreographer by Joann Lewis keeps things moving.  Casale has staged musicals under the Tent at Music Circus for 20 years, most recently 2010′s Spamalot and Funny Girl.  The musical director is Michael Paternostro

“Suds” runs through Tuesdays through Sundays until January 11, 2010 at the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, 1000 K Street. Tickets are available by calling (916) 557-1999, at the Wells Fargo Pavilion Box Office, 1419 H Street, or through Tickets.com.

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