For more than 50 years, the California Musical Theatre Music Circus has thrilled and entertained Sacramento audiences with presentations such as "Cats", "Ragtime", "Dam Yankees" and "The World Goes Round." The 2003 season was the group's first in the new Wells Fargo Pavilion at 1419 H Street, Sacramento. The Pavilion continues the tradition of the Music Circus tent, but adds many amenities. Annually Music Circus draws an audience of more than 100,000. The Broadway Series was added in 1989, and in the past few seasons performed favorites such as "Saturday Night Fever", "Les Miserables", "Contact", "Kiss Me Kate", "South Pacific" and "Guys and Dolls." The Broadway Series is performed at the Sacramento Community Theater, 1301 L Street.
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The B Street Theatre, founded in 1991, is Sacramento's Professional New Works Theatre, dedicated to the presentation of contemporary theatrical works. New plays from gifted young or emerging playwrights are presented. The B Street Theatre soon will be moving to new quarters. Veteran Actor Timothy Busfield and his brother, Buck, are rapidly turning their dream to build a Children's Theatre of California, the first year-round professional theater dedicated to children. Land has been donated on Capital Avenue in midtown, and public and private partnerships are being developed. The theater will be shared by the B Street Theatre, the Children's Theatre of California and the Fantasy Theatre. The B Street Theatre currently is located at 2711 B Street.
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| The Camellia Symphony Orchestra has delighted Sacramento audiences for more than 40 years. The group has won nine ASCAP awards for adventuresome programming, recognition of its mission to present concerts and programs of high artistic merit, including new compositions and unique classical works rarely performed. Conductor Eugene Castille directs the 55 to 65 musicians drawn from Sacramento and northern California. The symphony season runs from October through mid-May and includes three concerts, two free concerts and several special fundraising concerts. The orchestra performs at the Westminister Presbyterian Church, 1300 N Street. |
Sacramento Ballet, founded in 1954 by Barbara Crockett, became a professional company in 1986. Dedicated to entertain, the Sacramento Ballet presents the best of both classical and contemporary ballet. Artistic Directors are Ron Cunningham and Carinne Binda. Twenty-two artists, eight apprentices, and four trainees make up the company. The Sacramento Ballet presents five performance series annually at our home theatre, the Community Center Theater, the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts on the campus of the University of California-Davis, and the University Theatre on the California State University-Sacramento.
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| Sacramento Theatre Company presents classical and modern plays in its two theatres during its September to June season. The company, founded in 1942 through the efforts of Eleanor McClatchy, opened the Sacramento Theatre Company Mainstage facility, known then as the Eaglet Theatre, in 1949. In 1942 the presentations were dedicated to entertaining troops stations in the greater Sacramento region. The theatre, at 1419 H Street, contains two stages. Stage One is a 300-seat auditorium. Stage Two is a 90-seat black box theatre in which the audience is thrust into the stage action. |
| Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento focuses its energies on presentations of the comic humor of Gilbert and Sullivan. In recent years the "Man of La Mancha" and "Side by Side" have been added. The Light Opera calls the 24th Street Theatre home. Founded in 1982 by Mike and Debbie Baad and Dolores Allen, the Light Opera strives to showcase local performers and promote performing arts in Sacramento. The group also has performed at the Woodland Opera House, Theater El Dorado in Placerville, and in Davis and Roseville. The 24th Street Theatre is part of the Sierra Community Center at 24th Street and 4th Avenue. |
 Sacramento Philharmonic, under the baton of Conductor Michael Morgan, presents five concerts during a season that runs from November through May of each year. The philharmonic completed its sixth season in 2002-03 and continues to grow in stature. When the philharmonic debuted at the newly opened Mondavi Center, Sacramento Bee critic Patricia Beach Smith wrote, "The new hall on the University of California at Davis campus appears to energize performers, if the spring in Morgan's baton and the orchestra's responsiveness to it were examples. Morgan's all-out conducting, particularly of the Beethoven, sparked the orchestra to greatness." In addition to the Mondavi Center, the philharmonic performs at the Memorial Auditorium and Community Center Theatre. |
| Sacramento Jazz Jubilee for 30 years has entertained Sacramento residents and visitors from around the world. Fitting, because the performers come from around the world to celebrate jazz music in all its forms … with some emphasis upon Dixieland jazz. For four days on the Memorial Day weekend, jazz is king with Old Sacramento the focal point and venues up and down K Street to the Community Convention Center, at the Red Lion Hotel, Radisson Hotel, DoubleTree Hotel, Embassy Suites, Capitol Mall and even Cal Expo. Jazz on the Delta King riverboat, jazz in the streets, jazz in the Firehouse Restaurant courtyard, jazz is everywhere. This event requires advance planning, reservations and comfortable, casual attire. |
| Sacramento Opera has performed more than 40 operas including La Traviata, Hansel & Gretel, Faust, La Boheme, Carmen and Madame Butterfly. The opera season includes three performances during the September through March time frame. Opera came to Sacramento in 1947 as an imported production from other areas. The local group evolved through several forms, but it was not until the 1985 season that the Sacramento Opera was able to complete its own three-performance season. The Sacramento Opera Guild holds a summer tea and other events to sustain opera in the community. Performances are at the Sacramento Community Center Theatre. |
| How about an evening on a paddle wheel riverboat featuring dinner and a show? Sacramento has the riverboat, the Delta King; the venue, the Delta King Theatre; the onboard restaurant, the Pilothouse; and the river, the Sacramento. The Delta King also offers several overnight packages for someone wishing to spend time in Old Sacramento touring the Railroad Museum, exploring historic old town or the State Capitol. The Delta King and identical Delta Queen ran between San Francisco and Sacramento starting in 1927 and were conscripted during World War II as barracks, hospitals and troop transport. After the war, the Queen was taken through the Panama Canal to the Mississippi where she serves today. In 1984 the Delta King was rescued from a watery grave in San Francisco Bay and towed to Sacramento. It took five years to restore the boat. |
| Garbeau's Dinner Theatre is an event. For the past 22 years, Garbeau's has been serving dinner and entertaining patrons with shows such as "Forever Plaid", "Love, Sex and the IRS", "The Music Man" and "Catch Me If You Can." Garbeau's Dinner Theatre is at 12401 Folsom Blvd., Rancho Cordova. Garbeau's also presents The Acorn & Oak Children's Dinner Theatre designed for elementary school age children. Saturday afternoon matinees include an all-you-can-eat buffet. |
