10th Annual Production of Studio 4 Dance Theater’s “The Nutcracker,” December 13-15, 2018 at Angels Camp, CA...Studio 4 Dance Theater will present the tenth annual production of the holiday classic “The Nutcracker” ballet, December 13-15, 2018 at the Bret Harte Theater in Angels Camp. The full-length, professional-quality ballet is the highlight of the local holiday season, with return audiences and sold-out performances every year. Reserved seats are available for lower-priced advance purchase beginning November 8 at www.studio4dancetheater.com.
After several years of setting the story in an orphanage, Artistic Director Tammie Lee brings it back this year to the Stahlbaum home in Germany, where Clara and her mischievous brother Fritz eagerly anticipate the family’s annual Christmas party. At the party, Godfather Drosselmeyer gives Clara a very special Nutcracker as a gift, and a magical adventure begins.
This year’s “Nutcracker” features 64 dancers of all ages. Madison Gonzalez will portray Clara, with Gabriel Moes as her Nutcracker Prince. Leah Cottrell will dance the role of the Mouse Queen, Jillian Buteau will be the Snow Queen, and Madison Pelland will be the Dew Drop Fairy. Ruby Eustis-Smith and Damian Homer-Golz will perform together as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier, and Tim Smith will return as Godfather Drosselmeyer.
“It’s hard to believe that we are celebrating ten years of this production,” said Tammie Lee. “This community has been wonderfully supportive of the arts and Studio 4 Dance Theater. We are proud to have this opportunity each year to showcase the developing talents and skills of our amazing dancers. Their hard work and dedication are inspirational for our audiences… and for me. I'm extremely blessed to be the artistic director of Studio 4 Dance Theater!"
“The Nutcracker” is appropriate for all ages, and is just about two hours long including an intermission with treats, warm beverages, and chances to win an irresistible array of nearly 40 raffle baskets. As always, there will be a “Meet and Greet” for photos with the Sugar Plum Fairy and other cast members immediately following the Saturday matinee.
Many local businesses and individuals have supported Studio 4 Dance Theater by sponsoring the production, donating raffle prizes, and advertising in the printed program. Major sponsors this year include 1st Impressions Dentistry, John Lux, Miata Chevrolet, Murphys Pourhouse, Orvis Enterprises, Safari Smiles Dental, San Andreas Mini Storage, Timothy J. O'Connor DDS, Vino Metate, and Joe Thorton Logging.
Show: “The Nutcracker” ballet, presented by Studio 4 Dance Theater, Artistic
Director Tammie Lee
Dates/Times: 6pm, Thursday and Friday, December 13 and 14, 2018
1pm and 6pm, Saturday, December 15, 2018
Location: Bret Harte Theater
323 Highway 49 near Murphys Grade Road
Angels Camp, California
Tickets: Thursday: Advance purchase- $15/adult; $12/youth ages 13-17; $9/children 12 and under. At the door - $18/adult; $15/youth ages 13-17; $12/children 12 and under.
Fri/Sat: Advance purchase - $19/adult (13 and up); $14/children 12 and under. At the door - $22/adult (13 and up); $17/children 12 and under.
Tickets go on sale at 10am, Thursday, November 8, 2018
Tickets will be available on the internet at www.studio4dancetheater.com
or at the box office one hour before each performance.
###
06:00 AM - 08:00 AM
The Nutcracker 2018 Studio 4 Dance Theater presents Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker,” the classic holiday tale of Clara’s dreamlike adventures with her Nutcracker Prince in the Candy Kingdom.
Old Timers Museum Walking Tours Are Every Saturday at 10am. Murphys, CA...Each Saturday morning the Old Timers Museum in Murphys offers a historical walking tour of Murphys. No reservation necessary. Meet at the Museum, 470 Main St, Murphys, across from the Hotel 10 am. Walk is 1-1/12 hours.
A stroll down tree-lined Main Street transports visitors back to the mid-1800s with buildings bearing thick stone walls, iron shutters and pastoral gardens with white picket fences. Once you experience the charm and hospitality of Murphys, the historic “Queen of the Sierra”, you’ll want to come back again and again!
Rich in Gold Rush History, Murphys today is a vibrant, thriving community of over 2,000 residents. Many of the surrounding hillsides are rich with the fine wine grapes grown in our area. Murphys offers wineries, art galleries, live theater, eclectic shops, fine restaurants, charming hotels and B&B’s as well as a multitude of outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities.
Murphys’ colorful past came alive in 1848 when John and Daniel Murphy established a trading post and gold mining operation in the area that is now their namesake. True entrepreneurs with the luck of the Irish, they were a part of the very first immigrant party – the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy families – to successfully bring wagons over the Sierra in 1844, paving the way for westward migration. John and Daniel’s cries of “Gold!” were among the first heard in California. It is reported that the brothers took two million dollars in gold ore from the Murphys Diggins in one year’s time, making them millionaires before the age of 25. The sizzling Gold Rush camp of Murphys also played host to President Grant, Mark Twain and Black Bart. And in some circles, to an even more famous chap – a young, inquisitive lad who literally changed the scientific world, Dr. Albert Michelson.
Our friendly residents invite you to revisit the past while exploring the “new” upscale Murphys. Guided walking tours of the town’s many historic buildings including the home of Albert Michelson, the first American Nobel Prize winner, are conducted every Saturday at 10:00 a.m., starting in front of the Old Timers Museum on Main Street.
11:00 AM - 05:00 PM
Guided Tours of Ironstone Vineyards Murphys, CA...Take a complimentary guided tour beginning in the tasting room (offered Wednesday – Sunday only) at 1:30 pm. Or take the self-guided tour. Print out the self-guided map here. Ironstone is open Daily from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years Day
11:00 AM
Town Tours of Columbia State Historic Park Columbia, CA...Enjoy an hour-long walking tour of town led by a park staff member or docent. See the actual gold discovery site, learn about the buildings and early merchants of Columbia. Sponsored by The Friends Of Columbia SHP. Visit their website for more information. Town Tours are every Saturday & Sunday starting at 11 am. Meet at the office on Main Street & State St Columbia, CA 95310
03:00 PM
Columbia College’s Symphony of the Sierra on December 15th Columbia, CA...Columbia College will be presenting the Symphony of the Sierra Winter Concert at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 15, 2018. The concert will be held in the Dogwood Forum at Columbia College. The repertoire provides a wonderful introduction to orchestral music for children, while being complex enough to satisfy the seasoned classical ear.
The orchestra is delighted to be performing Leroy Anderson’s The Waltzing Cat and his perennial favorite, Sleigh Bells, as well as Ralph Vaughn William’s and Winter Wonderland to celebrate the coming winter holidays. Selections from Antonin Dvorak’s American Suite, Albert Ketelbey’s Bells Across the Meadow, and Johan Halvorsen’s Entry of the Boyards round out the program.
This free event is open to the public and family friendly
04:30 PM
THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Rides Continue on at Railtown 1897 Jamestown, CA...For the fifth consecutive holiday season, California State Parks, Railtown 1897 State Historic Park (SHP) and the California State Railroad Museum Foundation are proud to present THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride experiences this holiday season. The festive train rides start the weekend after Thanksgiving and run on the following dates in 2018: November 23, 24 & 30 and December 1, 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15 & 16. Three festive train rides will be available each day the trains are running at 4:30 p.m., 6 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. In 2016, Railtown 1897 was recognized by Rail Events, Inc. with a prestigious Polar Bell award for Best Décor for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride experiences offered in Jamestown.
Pulled by the iconic Sierra No.3® steam locomotive and headed straight to the North Pole, the staff and volunteers at Railtown 1897 SHP go to great lengths to re-create the holiday experience depicted in the classic children’s book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The holiday experience includes keepsake souvenir tickets, hot cocoa, festive holiday cookies, Santa Claus sightings and even the coveted silver bells – the first gift of Christmas for those who still believe in Santa Claus. Additionally, guests who bring their cameras or smartphones can capture memorable holiday photos in the historic Roundhouse – complete with a steam engine in the background.
Ticket prices for THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride at Railtown 1897 SHP are as follows: $50 per person for coach seating and $70 per person for First Class seating that includes a commemorative THE POLAR EXPRESS™ mug (note an additional service fee of $6 per ticket or $24 per table will apply at purchase checkout). Children under two years of age are free and must be seated on an adult’s lap. THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride is a fundraiser for the California State Railroad Museum Foundation, which supports Railtown 1897 SHP. Advance tickets are available online only at www.railtown1897.org. For questions, please call THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride hotline at 209-984-3407.
To provide for the health, inspiration and education of the people of California by helping to preserve the state’s extraordinary biological diversity, protecting its most valued natural and cultural resources, and creating opportunities for high quality outdoor recreation.
About the California State Railroad Museum Foundation
The mission of the California State Railroad Museum Foundation (CSRMF) is to generate revenue and awareness on behalf of its destinations, while supporting the preservation, interpretation and promotion of our railroad heritage. The Foundation provides funding for ongoing support of numerous programs, both at the museum's Old Sacramento location and at the historic park in Jamestown, Calif. For more information, please visit www.californiarailroad.museum.
05:00 PM
Bear Valley Real Estate & Vacation Rentals Annual Open House is Tonight! Bear Valley, CA...Bear Valley, California is a boutique high Sierra Nevada mountain village offering the best in both serenity and recreation. Bear Valley and nearby subdivisons including Sherman Acres, Tamarack, and Sky High Ranch are little islands of private property surrounded by vast tracts of National Forest with an abundance of lakes, rivers, and mountains. Bear Valley Real Estatehas earned the reputation as the finest choice for buyers and sellers seeking experienced professional real estate services in the greater Bear Valley area. As the lead agency participating in over 95% of the sales transactions in the high country since 1982, Bear Valley Real Estate is the only fulltime real estate firm in the area. As the sales leader for nearly 30 years, Bear Valley Real Estate has developed a knowledge of the high country marketplace unmatched by any other firm in the area.
Bear Valley Vacation Rentals is the sister company to Bear Valley Real Estate, a locally owned and operated company since 1982. Bear Valley, California is located in California’s least populated county on Highway 4 between Lake Tahoe and Yosemite in the Central Sierra Mountains. Bear Valley Vacation Rentals are the closest accommodations to Bear Valley Ski Resort. Honored by being on one of the few distinguished National Scenic Byways and set in the midst of over one million acres of Wilderness and National Forest lands, Bear Valley is the closest mountain getaway from the South Bay, East Bay, and the Central Valley.
Bear Valley Vacation Rentals manages over 50+ privately owned cabins and condos. We think that Bear Valley is the most special place on the planet and we want you to feel the same way. Bear Valley offers fresh air, simplicity and an off-the-beaten path experience ideal for families, outdoor enthusiasts, groups and special events such as weddings and reunions. Start planning your getaway today for your future Bear Valley memories. Bear Valley Vacation Rentals where Nature is at your Doorstep.
15th Annual WinterSports History Night Bear Valley, CA...This event is produced each year to acknowledge individuals, organizations and businesses that have developed, promoted & supported the wintersports community along the Hwy 4 corridor thru the years. This year’s program will feature the Peter Brinkman Award, the annual In Memoriam.
The Peter Brinkman Award is given annually as recognition of an individual(s) or organization that has significantly contributed to the promotion, marketing and growth of wintersports activity for the Bear Valley and beyond. The first recipient, of course was Peter Brinkman himself, some of the others include Harry Schimke, Paul Petersen, and Bob Shedd.
This year, the 15th recipient of the Peter Brinkman Award is Craig Rice. Craig arrived in Bear Valley in 1968. Craig has been an integral part of our Ski Patrol for 50 years, training 3 generations in medical response, avalanche control, explosives use, weather, geology, biology, and history. We hope all will be able to attend the presentation and congratulate Craig.
07:00 PM
Big Holiday Laughs: Inspecting Carol’ at Murphys Creek Theatre Murphys, CA...All they wanted to do was put on a nice little Christmas play…what they got was a “Christmas Carol” you’ve got to see to believe. On November 30, Murphys Creek Theatre unveils its final offering in what has become a landmark season with new Artistic Director Robbie Allen at the helm. “Inspecting Carol” is the perfect comic antidote to the hustle, bustle and blues of the holidays.
The Union Democrat called the play “riotously funny” and a “well-paced mix of slapstick and wit that is packed with laughs and is a great holiday stress-reliever”. The Modesto Bee chimed in with “an uproarious Christmas comedy…‘Inspecting Carol’ is pure bliss”. The Sierra Lodestar dubbed it “sheer holiday hilarity”.
The play was written by Daniel Sullivan and members of the Seattle Repertory Theater who no doubt had a variety of real “Christmas Carol” disasters in mind when they concocted this fictional one.
The ‘Soap Box Playhouse’ is trying to mount its production of ‘A Christmas Carol’ for the umpteenth time. No problem. They could do it their sleep. What could possibly go wrong? The answer is, of course, everything - and then some. We can’t tell you much, suffice to say the comic results are…well…devastating.
Don Bilotti directs the show and is thrilled to be back directing big-time comedy. “I love directing the big, important dramas that have been my stock-in-trade for some years now, but it’s so much fun to let all that bottled-up silliness loose on the world every once in awhile.”, he says.
“This is pure, large-cast situational comedy, where one unfortunate circumstance gets piled on another and the harder the characters try to make things better, the worse things get. The roles are delicious and it’s so much fun to work on. Plus, I’ve been lucky to land a cast chock full of the best comic actors in the region.”
From Zorah, the excitable artistic director (“She’s Lithuanian.”), to Larry, the leading actor who wants to perform the entire role of Scrooge in Spanish, to Luther, who has played Tiny Tim so long that Bob Cratchit can’t even lift him anymore, to Walter, the company’s first African-American actor who finds himself playing an all-white ghost, this hapless troupe of players finds itself in a mounting series of disasters and mistaken identities that goes from bad to worse and downhill from there.
To complicate matters, the company finds itself flat broke with only one slim hope of survival. The National Endowment for the Arts is sending one last inspector to view their work. If only they can put on “the best ‘Carol’ the country has ever seen”, they will be saved. They do their best and the result is pure hilarity.
Maryann Curmi plays Zorah, the director of the Soapbox Playhouse. “I’ve given them everything they’ve asked for and now they want, what? Quality? We never get a break do we?” Zorah – at the end of her short, Lithuanian rope - pleads.
Curmi, who has made quite a name for herself as a multi-talented actor and director, returns with a vengeance to one of her favorite roles.
Michael Crich is Larry, the recalcitrant Scrooge and one of the principal troublemakers of the company.
Sean Lewis plays Wayne Wellacre, the timid aspiring actor and erstwhile data processer who stumbles into the Soapbox playhouse and the comic adventure of a lifetime.
Sally McClellan is Dorothy Tree Hapgood, the daffy Grand Dame of the company and Jake Edmondson is Sidney Carlton her not-so-perfect husband and doddering company veteran.
Mike Moon plays Kevin, the unfortunate business manager of the company. Kirk Summers takes the role of Phil, the self-important and accident-prone leading man. Sarah Grimes-Emmons is MJ, the loveable-in-a-sarcastic-way stage manager.
Sean-Pierre Fox-Wilson is Walter the newest actor in the company who gets a lot more – or less – than he bargained for. Newcomer Aidan Seay plays Luther, the pesky Tiny Tim who has outgrown both the role and his costume. David Vershay as Bart and Emily Graham round out the troupe.
The surprising set is designed by Micki Dambacher and props are provided by Linda Glick and Dambacher. Costumes are courtesy of Kathleen Lowe and Linda Glick.
This production is rated PG-13 for some comic adult language. If you had the same troubles as these folks, you’d cuss too.
November 30-December 23 Fridays and Saturdays @ 7:00pm Sundays @ 2pm 580 S. Algiers Street Murphys CA 209-728-8422 Opening weekend features a special Bring A Friend for Free- patrons can by 2 general admission tickets for the price of one, by using the voucher code SCROOGE when booking in advance.
Tickets available at www.murphyscreektheatre.org or www.facebook.com/murphyscreektheatre
$24 GENERAL, $22 SENIORS AND STUDENTS, $12 children 12 and under
