SanLuisObispo.com: Entertainment/Ticket

Fab Fall Films: movies coming to theaters in the final weeks of the year

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:56 PST

By Minneapolis Star Tribune and Los Angeles Daily News -- This fall the pressure is on as it has rarely been on before. The year is rapidly winding down, yet film studios are still holding back the prestigious, important, artful, thought-provoking movies that will define the 2008 Oscar race. As we survey the horizon, we see ever-greater hopes pinned on fewer and fewer contenders.

The results are clear, however. November looks threadbare while December is crowded with such promising last-minute entries as DreamWorks’ “Revolutionary Road,” Paramount’s “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” and Fox Searchlight’s “The Wrestler.”

Here’s a partial rundown of what’s concealed behind the curtain. Local availability and release dates are subject to change.

Actor Kevin Bacon and his brother to perform Sunday in Paso Robles

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:55 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Film sets are notorious for down time. But actor Kevin Bacon doesn’t waste his days sitting in trailers, waiting for the next shot.

“People have things that they do to kind of keep their heads straight while they’re working,” he said. “Some people do yoga, some watch videos, some read books. I have a guitar and usually some kind of recording situation too because mainly all I need now is my laptop and microphone.”

If the song is good enough, he’ll play it for his wife, actress Kyra Sedgwick, and then his brother Michael.

Q and A: Local comedian Bob Zany offers insight into making people laugh

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:08 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Comics are full of stories about horrible first gigs, which often occur before unruly crowds in small town dives. Bob Zany’s first gig was on national television.

Granted, it entailed getting yanked off the stage of “The Gong Show” by a net-wielding guy dressed as a nun. But all things considered it wasn’t a bad start for a 15-year-old.

A regular on the syndicated Bob & Tom radio show, Zany has been traveling with the Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars Tour, which makes a stop in San Luis Obispo on Friday night. Zany won’t be at that gig (He’ll rejoin the tour in December), but he is appearing at the Spyglass Inn next week for his annual Thanksgiving weekend shows.

OnStage: 'Bald Soprano' challenges the audience, but the actors rise to the occasion

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 09:01 PST

By Joan Crowder -- Eugène Ionesco’s plays are identified as theater of the absurd — and, indeed, they are absurd. The language is almost abstract, communication is a lost art, and logic is extinct.

In “The Bald Soprano” the cartoonish characters live in a time of nationalism, fear and fanaticism. Cal Poly’s Theatre and Dance Department revels in the playwright’s absurdity, but adds another word to its title and another dimension to the play.

In “The Bald Soprano — Detonated,” the madness of the original is interrupted periodically as each actor steps out of character to reassume his or her real identity and tell personal stories about moments of miscommunication in real life. The production, directed by Al Schnupp, takes the absurdity literally with sets and costumes. As the show opens, each actor is seen in a cubicle surrounded by objects related to the character. Mrs. Smith’s cube is lined with bottles as she drinks. There are guns in Mr. Smith’s cubicle, which is draped with American flags. Mr. Martin is hemmed in by computer and television screens, and Mrs. Martin’s shelves hold fancy shoes. The flamboyant Fire Chief wears a bizarre red dresslike costume and has a wild mane of red hair.

Santa Maria's KGDP station will change next year

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:57 PST

A new radio station will bring classical music to San Luis Obispo County 24 hours a day beginning early next year.

KUSC, the largest nonprofit classical music station in the United States, recently purchased KGDP (90.5 FM) in Santa Maria so it can expand its audience. KGDP currently broadcasts contemporary Christian music and talk.

If the purchase is approved by the FCC, the station would become the only 24-hour classical music station within the county’s range.

'Twlight's' young leads find their budding relationship complicated by one nagging detail -- he's a vampire

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 08:18 PST

By Rick Bentley -- You can almost feel the anticipation in the air for “Twilight.” Fans have devoured the novels by Stephenie Meyer with a blood lust. They also have burned up the Internet with good and bad comments.

Now the speculation can end. The fans can see what director Catherine Hardwicke has done to their beloved book.

Stop worrying. Hardwicke’s is a very loyal big-screen version of the lengthy book. A few minor scenes have been deleted. A couple of sequences got condensed. But overall, the film unfolds the same way the pages turn. That’s not necessarily a great thing. More on that later.

Paso Robles opens its doors for first digital film festival

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:36 PST

By Sarah Linn -- Where can you bump elbows with Kevin Bacon, tap your toes to Ramblin’ Jack Elliott and watch some of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters?

Try the Central Coast’s latest attraction, the Paso Robles Digital Film Festival.

The festival, which runs Nov. 20 through Nov. 25, combines concerts and movie screenings, talks and wine tastings.

10 questions for Atascadero resident and musician Wally Barnick

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:37 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Sometimes a place is so majestic, you just can’t resist picking up a pen, a paintbrush or a guitar.

Like any place along the Big Sur coastline, Lafler Canyon offers breathtaking views, solace and inspiration. Having spent much time there, it’s no surprise that Wally Barnick named his new CD “View From Lafler Canyon.”

While Barnick lives in Atascadero, he is a caretaker on a piece of property in the canyon, located on Big Sur’s south coast. A laborer by trade, Barnick has also worked as a disc jockey, publisher and music promoter; he once booked acts such as Bonnie Raitt, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Los Lobos for shows in San Luis Obispo.

Indoor/Outdoor at Houselights Theater in Cambria is a romantic comedy from a feline's perspective

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:36 PST

By Joan Crowder -- You don’t have to be a cat person to enjoy “Indoor/Outdoor,” although a description of the play might lead you to believe that you do. The romantic comedy is told from a cat’s point of view, but it’s a warm, entertaining and comic little soap opera about love, communication and temptation.

With this quirky play by Kenny Finkle, Houselights Theatre and Allied Arts reaffirm their mission to bring productions to Cambria’s Theater at the Old Grammar School that are out of the ordinary.

The subject matter of “Indoor/ Outdoor” appears to be pretty simple, and its comic moments range from slapstick to cleverly insightful. These are the very reasons that it requires a cast of talented actors to bring out the substance that underlies the fun. Adrian Balbontin directs the fine four-member cast with just a touch of tongue-in-cheek attitude, but not so much that it makes it silly.

Annual festival recalls renowned pianist, composer Ignacy Paderewski, whose imprint is still felt in Paso Robles

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:02 PST

By Sarah Linn -- He was a wild-haired rock star, a world-famous pianist and composer who sold out concerts from Paris to Los Angeles.

He appeared twice on the cover of Time magazine. He served as independent Poland’s first prime minister, befriended every American president from William McKinley to Franklin D. Roosevelt and hobnobbed with the crowned heads of Europe.

Yet most Central Coast residents would be pressed to pick Ignacy Jan Paderewski —musician, statesman, humanitarian — out of a crowd.

Stage: 'Guys and Dolls' at the Clark Center is a celebration of song, dance and comedy

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:45 PST

By Joan Crowder -- If the news is stressing you out, take a break and go retro to enjoy “Guys and Dolls,” an earlier slice of American life and a classic chapter in the history of the Broadway musical.

Chameleon Productions’ enthusiastic cast and energetic ensemble, directed by Dana Sheehan, have as much fun as the audience with the old-fashioned musical comedy’s strong story, funny dialogue, tuneful songs and rousing production numbers. Jenny Shaheen is producer.

Opening against a brilliant set of New York neon, the play brings to life the quirky characters from Damon Runyon’s city short stories, set to music by Frank Loesser. It won an array of Tony Awards in the 1950s and was translated into a movie starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

Music: Ben Taylor has an impressive performing pedigree -- The son of James Taylor and Carly Simon will open for John Hiatt at The Grad

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:59 PST

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Crazy thing about genetics. Ben Taylor had considered becoming a gardener, working the earth and being close to nature. But as the son of James Taylor and Carly Simon, he was wired to perform. And—go figure — he turned out to be very good at it.

“As soon as I decided to try to learn how to play the guitar, I could play it pretty quickly,” Taylor admits. “And my singing voice has always been naturally pretty good.”

It might seem like an unfair advantage.

A horror smack-down

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 08:48 PDT

By Tribune features staff -- Let’s take a moment to thank the people who gave us “Freddy vs. Jason.”

And while we’re at it, also the makers of “King Kong vs. Godzilla,” “Alien vs. Predator” and “Dracula vs. Frankenstein.”

Because without these movies, we simply wouldn’t have a clue as to which serial killers/giant mutants/monsters could kick each other’s butts.

Zac Efron is back, starring in High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 08:45 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- It didn’t take long for Zac Efron to encounter one of the downsides of superstardom.

As the hottest young actor in Hollywood, the Arroyo Grande native has become a paparazzi favorite. Whether he visits an airport, Starbucks or a gas station, several photographers will follow, repeatedly snapping his image.

“The first time was so innocent — I didn’t know what to think,” Efron said. “I just politely waved and went about my business. I had no idea it would escalate to these levels.”

Chronicle of a former Pismo surfer’s lifelong odyssey

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:57 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Sarah Gerhardt’s first real big-wave beat-down came while surfing a 15-foot swell in Morro Bay.

Gerhardt—then a freshman at Cal Poly—was the only one who dared to paddle out at the Rock that day. She caught one wave just fine, but when she tried another she stalled at the top before the bottom dropped out. Then she plummeted down the face of the fat wave, landing splat on her back.

“It was like concrete,” she said. “And then, basically, my body folded back over my neck and then the wave came down and hit me after that, so I was held under.”

Music: Bonnie Rait to play in Avila on Sunday

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:57 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- Two years before her friend Jackson Browne was arrested while protesting the Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant, Bonnie Raitt participated in a huge anti-nuke protest in San Luis Obispo.

In the summer of 1979, Raitt, along with fellow musicians Browne, Graham Nash and Peter Yarrow, performed at the rally near Cuesta College, hoping to thwart the opening of PG&E’s Diablo facility.

“That was a memorable one for all of us,” Raitt said of the event, which drew a crowd of 30,000.

Stage: Stone-Age relationships

Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:50 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- Men are from Mars? Women are from Venus?

“Defending the Caveman” has a different take on the ancient battle of the sexes.

Currently the title holder for the longest-running solo show in Broadway history, “Caveman” explains the relationship between men and women in terms even a caveman could understand.

Playing Office for laughs

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 10:59 PDT

By Patrick S. Pemberton -- There’s a reason why people buy red staplers, Dwight Schrute bobbleheads and stuffed Dilberts: It’s because many Americans are disenchanted with their jobs, and those items—pop culture icons that symbolize the worst in office culture—affirm that others view the workplace with the same disregard.

“I think it helps people to know they are not alone in their frustrations,” said Scott Adams, who created his “Dilbert” comic strip nearly two decades ago.

In a sense, then, pop culture has become therapeutic for the disheartened American worker. And while many books (think anything by Kafka) and movies (“Fight Club”) have dealt with jobs that can suck the life out of their employees, three sources have stood out as the ultimate symbols for everything wrong about the office: “Dilbert” the movie “Office Space”; and the TV show “The Office,” whose fifth-season premiere is at 9 tonight on KSBY.

Stage: 'Weir' awash in stories

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:58 PDT

By Joan Crowder -- Some of the actors who teach at the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts demonstrate their own acting talents in PCPA Theaterfest’s production of “The Weir,” by Irish playwright Conor McPherson.

This is a strong play, with emotions that range from laughter to tears, and the actors, directed by Patricia M. Troxel, bring it to life with superb performances.

The story is set in a pub in a small village in rural northwest Ireland, where three local men often meet for drinks and camaraderie. On this night, one of them brings a woman from Dublin who has just bought a house in the area. Over the course of the evening, the men tell some ghostly stories in Irish storytelling fashion, and then the woman tells her own story, which stuns them all.

Music: Songs in the key of poetry

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:13 PDT

By Sarah Linn -- They call themselves “The Dynamic Trio”— three Central Coast women with musical talent to spare.

Opera singer Jacalyn Kreitzer teaches young vocalists at Cal Poly. Her friend Susan Azaret Davies, also a Cal Poly instructor, shares her skills as a keyboardist and singer with the Cuesta Master Chorale and her Pismo Beach church. And Nancy Nagano is the principle cellist for the San Luis Obispo Symphony section— when she isn’t conducting the county Youth Symphony, of course.

“We’ve all lived life to the fullest, and we’ve all got exciting careers,” explained Kreitzer. “We have these wild, crazy families that demand a lot of time, but we still manage to eke out some rehearsal time.”