A Christmas Carol

November 28, 2018 - December 27, 2018
Theatre Series

FAMILY SERIES

The return of this hilarious adaptation of Dickens’ classic story, Ebenezer Scrooge has had enough of his yearly redemption and does everything he can to bust out of it. All the familiar characters are present as he fights his way through the night, providing fodder for his disdain but also pushing him, reluctantly, to his absolution.
*Recommended for all ages!
*Please be advised, only children 5 years and up are permitted in the theatre.

Halftime With Don

December 15, 2018 - December 30, 2018
Theatre Series

SPECIAL ENGAGEMENT

Don Devers was a celebrated NFL star linebacker for 9 years. Now in his 50s, the toll of his excellence has decimated his body and mind. He spends his days in his chair subsisting on Gatorade and Pringles. Don’s daughter sets up a meeting with Don’s biggest fan, aspiring sports writer Ed Ryan. Don agrees to let Ed spend a week with him and gives him full access to write about his life. Thrilled at first, Ed soon realizes that there is more to Don than his heroics on the field in this poignant, heartfelt story from playwright Ken Weitzman.

Upstairs at The B Presents – Poison Boot

December 30, 2018
Other Entertainment Series

A live podcast with host Dave Pierini. Named after the theatre folklore of “what happens when the gun doesn’t go off,” Poison Boot features Pierini interviewing actors about the high anxiety moments on stage when the script couldn’t save them. In the second act, an improv team performs a skit based on the story.

Featuring Rich Hebert on December 30th!

Upstairs at The B Presents – New Play Brunch

December 30, 2018
Other Entertainment Series

Join us for brunch, drinks and a play reading! Food will be provided complimentary.

3 BLACK GIRL BLUES
Written by Anthony Djuan
Conceived by Danielle Mone Truitt
Directed by Elisabeth Nunziato
3 Black Girl Blues is a tale of three close friends - Keisha, Jill and Stephanie - who grew up together and now at thirty years old are confronted with facing their demons. Keisha, an urban socialite, has her life crushed when she realizes her long-term boyfriend has had a child with another woman. Jill, a housewife in denial, admits to her husband’s betrayal. Stephanie, an executive in the upper echelon world, has to face the core of her mental illness. 3: BLACK GIRL BLUES meditates on the ways we choose to present ourselves and the forces that cause us to come clean.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Wake The Dead

January 5, 2019
Music Series

Wake The Dead is the World’s Only Celtic All-Star Grateful Dead Jam Band. Since 2000, this hot Northern California septet has been blending Celtic traditional music and the songs of the Grateful Dead—at first impressing the Dead themselves enough for them to release the debut CD on Grateful Dead/Arista Records. Now, ever more inventive and ever more energetic, WAKE THE DEAD spreads their reach to embrace the entire Summer of Love, keeping it alive for Deadheads and Celtoids alike as only they can.

House on Haunted Hill – The Comedy

January 8, 2019 - February 17, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

Adapted by the B Street Theatre! The classic 1959 horror film starring Vincent Price is given a hilarious adaptation that’s totally outrageous, totally terrifying and totally B Street. Eccentric millionaire Frederick Loren and his wife Annabelle have invited five strangers to a “haunted house” party. Whoever can last the night will receive $10,000, but there’s a catch: The house is full of ghosts, spirits and other terrors! In the style of 39 Steps and Around The World In 80 Days, House On Haunted Hill promises to be an instant classic B Street comedy featuring all your favorite company members.

Upstairs at The B Presents – Seekers of The Strange

January 13, 2019
Other Entertainment Series

Based off of the classic model of Dungeons and Dragons, company member John Lamb will bring live role playing to the stage. John and other familiar faces will get out their 20-sided die and role to see who lives and who dies as they battle mysteries and paranormal situations. Audience suggestions and support will guide them on their quest to understand the strange. Perfect for those who enjoy HarmonQuest or classic RPGs.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Portland Cello Project

January 16, 2019
Music Series

Since the group's inception in late 2007, the Portland Cello Project (or, PCP, as their fans affectionately call them), has wowed audiences all over the country with extravagant performances, everywhere from Prairie Home Companion, to that punk rock club in the part of town your grandma warns you not to go to after dark. The group has built a reputation mixing genres and blurring musical lines and perceptions wherever they go. No two shows are alike, with a repertoire now numbering over 800 pieces of music you wouldn't normally hear coming out of a cello. The Cello Project's stage setup ranges from the very simple (4-6 cellos), to the all out epic (which has included 12 cellos playing with full choirs, winds, horns, and numerous percussion players). The Cello Project's mission is three-fold:
1: To bring the cello to places you wouldn't normally hear it. (Everywhere from nightclubs to symphony halls, from sports bars to loading docks, from libraries to halftime at Portland Trailblazers games...)
2: To play music on the cello you wouldn't normally hear played on the instrument. (Everything from Bach to Kanye to Pantera...)
3: To build bridges across all musical communities by bringing a diverse assortment of musical collaborators on stage with them. (Everyone from the Dandy Warhols to Peter Yarrow to Ben Sollee to Mirah to Garrison Keillor...)

SBL Entertainment Presents – An intimate evening with Craig Chaquico

January 18, 2019
Music Series

Rocketing onto the music scene over 40 years ago as a teen, Craig Chaquico was an original founding member of the multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated, American rock bands, Jefferson Starship and Starship (Miracles, Jane, Find Your Way Back, Sara, Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now), from 1973 - 1990. Since that time, Craig has been a million-selling, chart-topping solo jazz guitarist. His CD, Acoustic Planet, received a Best New Age Grammy-nomination, as well as reaching #1 in Billboard magazine and on national radio charts. Craig holds a spot in Jazziz Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential Guitarists of All Time.
On this special night, Craig will be accompanied by his own recorded backing music as he weaves a unique blend of his award-winning solo acoustic guitar with personal stories from over four decades at the top of the charts. Join us on January 18, for an "Intimate Evening with Craig Chaquico."

SBL Entertainment Presents – Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers

January 19, 2019
Music Series

Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers are internationally recognized as one of the top bands in the world performing classic American jazz, swing, blues and R&B music from the mid-twentieth century.
Lavay and her group have toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe, Japan and Canada. They have performed at many of the top festivals, concert venues and nightclubs in the USA, and recently headlined Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City for a special New Year’s Eve show in December, 2014. Whether singing her own compositions or drawing on a large repertoire of classics, Lavay and her all-star 7-piece band bake up an instant recipe for dancing and good times.

Martin Luther King Jr. and the Sound of Freedom

January 19, 2019 - February 9, 2019
Theatre Series

FAMILY SERIES

Come feel the spirit and the power of civil rights heroes from all over the world. Their stories and words will be brought to life in what will be an unforgettable theatrical experience.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Michael Nesmith

January 20, 2019
Music Series

This January, Michael Nesmith will return to the concert stage to perform his classic 1972 album, And The Hits Just Keep On Comin’. This series of shows will feature just Nez and his trusty pedal steel guitarist, Pete Finney. These performances will mark the first time Nez has toured as a duo since 1975 (when he worked with the legendary Red Rhodes). Tickets will go on sale Wednesday, November 21, 2018. VIP Meet & Greet packages will also be available in limited numbers. These six shows will commemorate Nez’s successful return to the concert stage and latest live album, Live At The
Troubadour (recorded with his other touring ensemble, The First National Band Redux). Michael’s sold-out run of shows in California drew rave reviews and were followed in September by a tour of the South, Northeast and Midwest. His recent performances have focused on his legendary 1970s albums recorded for RCA, but this is the first time he will perform any of his albums in its entirety.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Kat Edmonson

January 21, 2019
Music Series

Critically acclaimed vocalist and songwriter, actor and dancer, Kat Edmonson has played major stages across the United States, Europe and Japan. She’s appeared in major motion pictures, performed on radio and television, and released four groundbreaking albums to date. Her newest album,Old Fashioned Gal, is out now on Spinnerette Records.Her tour supporting the full-length album continues with major tour stops throughout the U.S.Of writing Old Fashioned Gal, Edmonson says, “I wrote these songs while holed up in my Brooklyn apartment during the winter of 2016. I had a terrible, reoccurring cold that winter and was often laid up in bed. I’d go back and forth from watching 1930s movies on Turner Classic Movies to working on a song. While writing this album, I realized that I was seeing what looked like scenes from a film in my head—a film not yet made. I ultimately sat down and wrote an entire outline for a screenplay—a musical, of course—with this music, the score. I processed a great deal of self-doubt in order to write this hopeful record.Old Fashioned Galis about believing in yourself even when it seems no one else will.”

SBL Entertainment Presents – Loudon Wainwright III

January 22, 2019
Music Series

Loudon’s long and illustrious career is highlighted by more than two dozen album releases, Movie and TV credits, and now his new autobiography, Liner Notes (2017 Penguin/Random House). In 2010 Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album for High Wide & Handsome: The Charlie Poole Project. His 2012 recording, Older Than My Old Man Now, was named one of NPR’s Top 10 Albums of the Year. In 2014, Haven’t Got the Blues (Yet), marked his the 26th career release to-date. September 2018, Loudon releases a new retrospective album, Years In The Making, a double CD with more than 45 tracks – live performances, demos, outtakes, unreleased songs spanning 50 years.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Soft Machine with Levin Brothers

January 23, 2019
Music Series

SOFT MACHINE is a legend and an institution of British music, a band who included Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers, Andy Summers (later of The Police), Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Roy Babbington, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge, Percy Jones, Rick Sanders, Dave McRae and Jack Bruce among others (Jimi Hendrix briefly jammed with the band in 1968!). Since its creation in 1966, this band pioneered Psychedelic and Progressive Rock, led the 'Canterbury' trend, pioneered jazz-rock, and then guitar-led fusion (launching the guitar god Allan Holdsworth in 1974), influenced generations of musicians. Disbanded in 1978, recreated in few occasions in 1981 and 1984, the band resurfaces in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware. Much was said about this band with a very complex intriguing history of constant personal changes during the 1966-1978 period. The band resurrected in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware, then as Soft Works 2002-2004 and Soft Machine Legacy 2004-2015. In December 2015, it was confirmed that the band had dropped the "Legacy" tag from their name, as the band featured three of the group's 1970s era members – guitarist John Etheridge, drummer John Marshall and bassist Roy Babbington (from the seminal 1976's album "Softs"), in addition to flute and sax player Theo Travis – returning to the original name from 2015, and performing numerous concerts all around Europe, South America and Japan. SOFT MACHINE made their first North American tour since 1975 (Holdsworth era) in October 2018, to be followed by the second North-American leg of the tour in January/February 2019. The band's brand new studio album "Hidden Details" was released worldwide in September 2018.

LEVIN BROTHERS - Since graduating from the Eastman School of music, Tony Levin has become the bass and Chapman Stick voice for Peter Gabriel and King Crimson. In addition, he has played on notable recordings for John Lennon, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Alice Cooper, Dire Straits, Carly Simon, Judy Collins, and many others. Tony has major jazz credentials, having worked with Buddy Rich, Steps Ahead, L'Image, Gary Burton, Chuck Mangione, and Herbie Mann. He currently records and tours with Peter Gabriel, King Crimson, Stick Men, and The Crimson ProjeKCt. As a French Horn major, Pete Levin earned a master’s degree from the Juilliard School. In the early ‘70s he switched to keyboards, becoming a synthesizer specialist in the New York City recording studio scene. Over the years, he has graced hundreds of jazz and pop recordings and performances by the likes of Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Jimmy Giuffre, Dave Brubeck, David Sanborn, Joe Louis Walker, Don Elliott, Freddie Hubbard, Annie Lennox, Charles Mingus, Jaco Pastorius and Wayne Shorter. He currently records with his organ trio with Dave Stryker and Lenny White. Drummer/Composer Jeff Siegel is a veteran of the New York Jazz Scene and has worked with a virtual who's-who of jazz artists. A member of Sir Roland Hanna's Trio from 1994-99, Jeff has performed and recorded with jazz legends including Ron Carter, Kenny Burrell, Jack DeJohnette, Benny Golson, Frank Foster, Helen Merrill and Mose Allison. LEVIN BROTHERS toured East Coast USA, Latin America and Japan since their inception in 2015, and will be touring for the first time the West Coast and South-West USA in January and February 2019.

Upstairs at The B Presents – Cocktails & Jazz featuring The Arlyn Anderson Quartet

January 24, 2019
Music Series

Start your night out right with jazz, cocktails and dancing. Upstairs at the B presents an hour of live jazz music and drink specials prior to the Mainstage show. All will enjoy happy hour specials and those seeing the Mainstage show will receive a ticket discount.
Guitarist Arlyn Anderson has been performing professionally for almost 20 years. Based out of Sacramento, he has performed throughout the country and has shared bills with George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic, Trey Anastasio and Les Claypool to name a few. While studying classical and jazz at SJDC and CSUS, he shared the stage with many famous jazz greats. The Arlyn Anderson Quartet will be performing a variety of classic jazz standards along with some original works and arrangements.

SBL Entertainment Presents – William Fitzsimmons w/ Eddie Berman

January 25, 2019
Music Series

WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS – MISSION BELL(Biography) Singer-songwriter and music producer William Fitzsimmons’ latest record, Mission Bell is a chronicling of the tumultuous last year of his life, particularly of the separation from his second wife. An initial version of the album was originally recorded in Fitzsimmons’ home studio in the summer of 2017 but was subsequently abandoned during the course of, and as a result of, the separation. In 2018 William traveled to Nashville, TN to start recording the album over from square one. Working with producer Adam Landry (Deer Tick, Los Lobos, k.d. Lang, Vanessa Carlton), Fitzsimmons spent a month’s time rebuilding the lost record, with contributions from friends, including Abby Gundersen and Rosie Thomas. The resulting 11-song album tells the story of a decade-long marriage destroyed and eventually rebuilt from the ground up. The process and the results are both painful and healing, but also respect the complexity of humans, especially at their worst. This is not an exercise in “good-guy, bad-guy” songwriting; rather an attempt to find empathy, even when people are at their most depraved. Mission Bell includes songs about betrayal, but also reconciliation and forgiveness. Choosing to go deeper than mere absolutism and fate, these are stories of people doing their best, but still managing to often destroy each other in the process.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Joe Craven & The Sometimers

January 26, 2019
Music Series

Joe Craven first captured the wide-eyed stare of many fans in the ’90s as the astonishing percussionist and multi-instrumentalist with the David Grismann Quintet. He approaches his music with an insider’s knowledge and adoration - he performed and recorded with Garcia & Grisman for four years. As an educator, artist and actor, his oeuvre covers a huge range of musical genres and artistic inspirations.
On his jaunty and inventive new album, Garcia Songbook, Craven blazes a new path across the well-worn trails of the beloved and revered Garcia songbook. Bursting forth with exciting and unexpected takes on familiar favorites, the music is seasoned with surprising flavors, deviations, re-imaginings and detours. Craven sings and plays mandolin, fiddle and percussion alongside his band The Sometimers, featuring his daughter Hattie Craven on harmony vocals, plus Bruce MacMillan (guitar, dobro & vocals), Jonathan Stoyanoff (bass & vocals) and Barry Eldridge (drums & percussion).

SBL Entertainment Presents – Lisa Fischer & Grand Baton

January 31, 2019
Music Series

Ms. LISA FISCHER is stepping into the spotlight at last. After four decades of singing background for icons like the Rolling Stones, Tina Turner, Chaka Khan, and Nine Inch Nails, Lisa is finally offering her own humble, heartfelt song, accompanied by her inventive new band Grand Baton.

The breakout success of the Oscar-winning documentary Twenty Feet from Stardom (2013) altered the course of Lisa’s musical journey. Featuring clips of Lisa’s 1991 Grammy-winning R&B hit “How Can I Ease The Pain” and her legendary duet with Mick Jagger on “Gimme Shelter,” and glowing testimonials from famous colleagues like Sting, Patti Austin, and Chris Botti, the film showcased her virtuosity and vulnerability, earned her a second Grammy award, and left audiences eager to see and hear more. “Ms. Fischer has become the unexpected star of Mr. Neville’s film,” said the New York Times.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Ed Asner – A Man And His Prostate

February 1, 2019
Other Entertainment Series

Based on a true-life experience, a man discovers his inner self in more ways than one. A near tragedy is masterfully transformed into a one-man comedy, perfectly portrayed by Ed Asner in his hilarious visit to the hospital in preparation for surgery he doesn’t want.

SBL Entertainment – Anna Nalick

February 5, 2019
Music Series

Anna Nalick is hitting the road in 2019 with her fourth studio album, At Now. The At Now tour is scheduled to begin in January and will continue through 2019. At Now is Anna’s first self produced album and features 10 new pop alternative tracks that blend live organic musicianship with a digital soundscape. Anna’s live show is a stripped down account of the album’s storyline; A tale of losing love, letting go, finding center, and choosing love on a greater scale. These new songs will be interspersed with fan favorites from the first three albums as well as the kind wit and wisdom the songwriter has become known for, making for a very intimate and interactive show.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra

February 6, 2019
Music Series

Ottmar Liebert’s global success can be attributed to a myriad of things - his creative vision, his determination, and a strong sense of melody. Born in Cologne, Germany, he began playing guitar at 11. Before the age of 19, Liebert had intended to stay in Germany and pursue a career as a designer and photographer. However, while journeying extensively through Asia and playing with other travelers and local musicians, he realised that he could not escape a life of music. After pursuing his dreams of playing rock music in Boston, he settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe was a fresh start for Liebert in many ways and in addition to returning to the acoustic guitar, he remained open to letting the place define the music he made. It was this openness to the local landscape that defined what was to become his musical style, a mix of Spanish, Mexican and World elements, strong melodies tinged with a shade of melancholy, balanced with upbeat rhythms.

Liebert founded the first incarnation of his band, Luna Negra, in 1989. His debut album began as a self-produced release called Marita: Shadows and Storms, copies of which local Native American artist, Frank Howell, distributed in his art galleries. After the record made its way to radio stations, it began generating a buzz among programmers and received unprecedented response among listeners. Higher Octave Music picked it up and released a fully remastered version, Nouveau Flamenco. Recorded for less than $3,000 on an old analog machine in a shack beside a gravel pit, this CD became an international sensation, establishing Liebert's unique border-style flamenco, and becoming the best-selling instrumental acoustic guitar album of all time.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Eliane Elias

February 7, 2019
Music Series

There’s no question about it. Multi GRAMMY® Award winning artist, Eliane Elias, has taken her place in the pantheon of music giants. She has sold over 2.2 million albums during the span of her career. Elias follows up last year’s Latin GRAMMY®-winning Dance of Time with the all-instrumental Music from Man of La Mancha, via Concord Jazz, debuting again at#1 on the Billboard Jazz Chart and iTunes in several countries. The album features nine individualized interpretations of songs from the legendary 1960s Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. Her 2017 release Dance of Time won a Latin Grammy for Best Latin Jazz Album of the year after receiving two Latin Grammy nominations (Best Latin Jazz album and Best Engineered album categories), and debuting at #1 on two Billboard’s Charts: Traditional Jazz Charts and World Music Albums Charts, and also at #1 on iTunes USA, Germany, France and Brazil and #1 Amazon.com Best Seller. Her previous album, Made In Brazil, won a Grammy Award® for Best Latin Jazz Album of the Year. She now has 9 Grammy Award® nominations to date, is a four time “Gold Disc Award” recipient and three time winner of “Best Vocal Album” in Japan, #1 artist in sales and radio in France, with all recordings reaching top five on USA Billboard Jazz Charts, Jazz radio charts, and several reaching #1 on iTunes and Amazon.com to name a few accolades. And she’s not resting on her laurels. Her newest album, Dance of Time features certain guest artists who were integral in Elias’ early artistic journey in both Brazil and the U.S. and also celebrates 100 years of the Samba. “Samba is the most authentic and contagious dance rhythm of Brazil, and there is no better place in the world to capture this music”, Elias explains about her decision to record again in Brazil. “Dance of Time also represents the spectrum of my career from the very beginning until now.” Elias is known for her distinctive and immediately recognizable musical style which blends her Brazilian roots, her sensuous, alluring voice with her virtuosic instrumental jazz, classical and compositional skills. With 26 albums to date demonstrating her unique gifts as a pianist, singer, composer, arranger, and producer as well as melding her immense talents in jazz, pop, classical and Brazilian music, Eliane Elias is as Jazziz magazine has called her, “A citizen of the world” and “an artist beyond category.”

SBL Entertainment Presents – Oakland Jazz Choir

February 9, 2019
Music Series

We are the Oakland Jazz Choir and we have been singing and bringing innovative, and unique vocal jazz to the Bay Area since 1992. Oakland born and bred, we are one of just a few community jazz choirs in the nation singing cool original, and standard jazz material in a distinctive choral jazz setting.

The Oakland Jazz Choir, (OJC) a non-profit, has been an East Bay institution for over 20 years. During this span the group has taken many shapes, sizes and forms but the common denominator has always been the same: Joy of expression, using the voice to communicate the triumphs, as well as the turbulence, of the human spirit.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Mindi Abair & The Boneshakers

February 12, 2019
Music Series

One of the most recognized and sought-after saxophonists, two-time Grammy nominee Mindi Abair has been electrifying audiences with her dynamic live performances and sax prowess since her debut album in 2000. No one since Junior Walker has brought saxophone and vocals in one package to the forefront of modern music, with a raucous tone and abandon. She has garnered ten #1 radio hits, six Top 5 solo records and two #1 spots on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz album chart. In 2014, Mindi received her first Grammy nomination in the Best Pop Instrumental Album category, followed by a 2015 Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album for her solo LP Wild Heart featuring the late Gregg Allman, Joe Perry, Trombone Shorty, Booker T. Jones, Keb’ Mo’, and Max Weinberg.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Joan Osborne Sings the Songs of Bob Dylan

February 13, 2019 - February 14, 2019
Music Series

On Songs of Bob Dylan, Joan Osborne unleashes her sizable gifts as a vocalist and interpreter upon The Bard’s celebrated canon. With performances honed by the time Osborne spent polishing them during “Joan Osborne Sings The Songs Of Bob Dylan” — two critically acclaimed two-week residencies she performed at New York City’s Café Carlyle in March 2016 and 2017, the seven-time Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum-selling singer and songwriter, whom The New York Times has called “a fiercely intelligent, no-nonsense singer,” winds her supple, soulful voice around Dylan’s poetic, evocative lyrics, etching gleaming new facets in them along the way.
“I try not to do a straight-up imitation of what someone else has done,” Osborne says. “Like if you're going to sing an Otis Redding song, you're never going to out-Otis him so you shouldn't even try. So I always try to find some unique way into the song, and also to pick songs where the intersection between the song and my voice hits some kind of sweet spot. It was a joy being able to sing these brilliant lyrics. It's like an actor being given a great part. You are just so excited to say these lines because they're so powerful that it lifts you up above yourself.”

SBL Entertainment Presents – Rockapella

February 15, 2019
Music Series

Since the early ’90’s when they first achieved national television fame on PBS’s Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego?, they’ve toured the globe and provided a funky powerful soundtrack to several generations of vocal music fans, while keeping it all fresh along the way. With buckets of catchy original pop songs, and complete contemporary revisions of sparkling Motown, pop, and soul classics, this group has always been the one to watch. ”Often imitated – never duplicated” applies here. Now they’re better than ever!

We make it rock and make it interesting,” explains Scott Leonard, the group’s chief songwriter, arranger, and an architect of their ever-evolving and imitated dynamic sound. USA Today summed up their lasting appeal: “The best musical instrument of all is the human voice – if you’ve seen Rockapella you know that’s the truth.” The New York Times agrees; they’re “Pure entertainment.”

KVIE & SBL Entertainment Presents – Albert Cummings

February 16, 2019
Music Series

Entertaining audiences from his phenomenal guitar work to his incredibly impassioned lyrics and overall songwriting prowess - one thing has certainly become clear about Albert Cummings’ music: He is FAR MORE than simply just the guitarist or the bluesman he’s often painted as by fans and the media alike. He offers the complete package.

Though undoubtedly a masterful guitar player who burst onto the blues rock scene in the early 2000’s and almost immediately began gaining praise in that realm, his latest release “Live at the ‘62 Center” further portrays not only his versatility as singer/songwriter and live performer but as an artist first and foremost.

This comes to fruition in the true spontaneity and creative spirit of the album, in which he put together a newly formed version of his usual trio that afternoon of the October, 2016 recording. With longtime friend and Grammy Winner Jim Gaines behind the soundboard, what comes through in both sight and sound is an incredible journey into the live performance world and true artistry of one of today’s most seasoned musicians.

SBL Entertainment Presents – The Soul Rebels

February 21, 2019
Music Series

Eight piece brass sensation THE SOUL REBELS are riding high in 2018 after debuting on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, touring four continents including Europe, Australia, debuting in China and Japan, and collaborating live with Nas, G-Eazy, Robert Glasper, DMX, Curren$y, Joey Bada$$, Talib Kweli, GZA, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis and Marilyn Manson among many others, and opening for Lauryn Hill.
The Soul Rebels started with an idea – to expand upon the pop music they loved on the radio and the New Orleans brass tradition they grew up on. They took that tradition and blended funk and soul with elements of hip hop, jazz and rock all within a brass band context. The band has built a career around an eclectic live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums in a deep pocket funk party-like atmosphere. When not touring, The Soul Rebels’ weekly show at New Orleans’ Le Bon Temps Roulé is known to erupt with the kind of contagious, shout-along musical mayhem that The Rebels bring with them wherever they perform.
The Soul Rebels continue to chart new territory as they feature in major films, tour globally, and combine topnotch musicianship with songs that celebrate dancing, life, funk and soul.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Bay Area’s Premier Hawaiian Artist, Faith Ako with special guest appearance by Halau Ka Waikahe Lani Malie of Sacramento

February 23, 2019
Music Series

As Bay Area's Premier Female Artist in Traditional Hawaiian/Contemporary music, Faith Ako has long graced the stages of Northern California, East Coast Martha's VIneyard and her home state of Hawai'i for the last couple decades. With her Hawai'i Music Award winning albums, the late Mayor Ed Lee's San Francisco Citizen Award being recognized for her leadership work, understanding and appreciation for multiculturalism and diversity in the greater Bay Area and abroad. Currently working on her fourth album in Honolulu will be an exciting feature for 2019. Her charisma, sultry tones and local girl style of ALOHA, will welcome you back to the islands time after time without ever getting on a plane.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Lunasa with special intermission performance by McKeever School Of Irish Dance

February 25, 2019
Music Series

Named for an ancient Celtic harvest festival in honor of the Irish god Lugh, patron of the arts, Lúnasa is indeed a gathering of some of the top musical talents in Ireland. Its members have helped formed the backbone of some of the greatest Irish groups of the decade.

Bassist Trevor Hutchinson was a key member of The Waterboys, and later he, with guitarist Donogh Hennessy, would form the dynamic rhythm section of The Sharon Shannon Band. Paul Meehan (Karan Casey Band, North Cregg) has recently replaced Hennessy. Fiddler Sean Smyth is an All-Ireland champion who has played with Donal Lunny’s Coolfin; Kevin Crawford, considered to be among the finest flutists in Ireland played with the
acclaimed traditional group Moving Cloud; and, piper Cillian Vallely of the famous Vallely artistic clan. Folk Roots magazine has rightly termed them an “Irish music dream team.”

A Doll’s House Pt. 2

February 26, 2019 - April 7, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

We all know the end of A Doll’s House; Theater’s great feminist icon, Nora walks out the door of her home, leaving her husband and children behind to embrace an uncertain future, but a future that she controls. But what if she came back? A Doll’s House Pt. 2 imagines just that scenario. Celebrated playwright Lucas Hnath’s Tony nominated play imagines the continuing story of Henrik Ibsen’s legendary protagonist. In this fascinating and brilliant play, we see the cost of Nora’s decision and investigate further the ideas set forth in Ibsen’s original. What price do we pay for control of our own destinies?

SBL Entertainment Presents – Hot Club of San Francisco

March 1, 2019
Music Series

This ensemble of accomplished and versatile musicians celebrates the music of Django Reinhardt and Stephane Grappelli’s pioneering Quintette du Hot Club de France with style and panache. The HCSF borrows the instrumentation of violin, bass, and guitars from the original Hot Club while breathing new life into the music with innovative arrangements of classic tunes and original compositions from the group’s superb lead guitarist, Paul Mehling. Featuring the amazing violin of twice GRAMMY® Award-winning Evan Price, the velvet vocals of Isabelle Fontaine and a swinging rhythm section, the group never fails to surprise and delight.

To hear the ensemble live, or on any of their 14 albums, is to be carried back to the 1930’s and the small, smoky jazz clubs of Paris and the refined lounge of the famous Hotel Ritz. Often called gypsy jazz, the music of The Hot Club of San Francisco has entranced audiences around the globe for over 20 years. Acoustic Guitar has hailed the group’s playing as “intricate, scorching and often brilliant.” With frequent national and international tours — from Iceland to Lincoln Center and the Monterey Jazz Festival — The Hot Club of San Francisco keeps this historic music fresh and alive.

B Street Theatre Presents – Jack Gallagher’s “The Joke’s On Me. One Last Time.”

March 2, 2019
Music Series

Jack Gallagher is back!
The Swan Song. This Could be the Last Time. The Last Waltz. It's Jack Gallagher's personal favorite rock 'n' roll/pop songs Version Finale.0.
"The Joke's on Me" has had a swell run of eight shows across nine years. For one last time, this will be an evening of terrific live music and laughs as Sacramento's adopted favorite son performs with his all star band. Songs by Tom Petty, Little Feat, Warren Zevon, The Mavericks, Grateful Dead, Rodney Crowell, The Turtles and Steppenwolf are just some of the tunes that made his list.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Tim Flannery & the Lunatic Fringe

March 15, 2019
Music Series

To say Tim “Flan” Flannery is a baseball man is an understatement. But those who know Flan understand how much music has always meant to him. So while he is beyond proud, and certainly humble, about being part of three World Series championship San Francisco Giants teams (2010, 2012, 2014), as well as his thirty plus years in the Major Leagues and his current TV work as a baseball analyst, Tim Flannery has consistently toured and played shows in support of his original music usually backed by his amazing band, The Lunatic Fringe. The music now also serves another purpose: every cent from CD sales, merchandise, and ticket sales benefits his non-profit, the Love Harder Project, for anti-bullying and anti-violence programs across the country.
Tim Flannery is currently performing and booking dates to support his 13th album, “The Last of the Old Dogs.”

SBL Entertainment Presents – Duo Quartet

March 16, 2019
Music Series

Blame Sally’s Pamela Delgado & Jeri Jones team up with Nina Gerber & Chris Webster for a Double Duo Evening. They’ll each be doing their own duo “thang” AND then mixing it up for some dueling guitar jams and three part harmonies.

Charlotte’s Web

March 17, 2019 - April 7, 2019
Theatre Series

FAMILY SERIES

E.B. White’s beloved children’s story is adapted for the stage in this delightful, colorful production. When Wilbur the pig is befriended by a small spider named Charlotte, the friendship sets off a series of events that turn Wilbur from the runt of his litter to “Some Pig”.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Dar Williams with Lindi Ortega

March 18, 2019
Music Series

Dar Williams has been called “one of America’s very best singer-songwriters” by The New Yorker. She’s released ten studio albums and authored four books including her latest, “What I Found In A Thousand Towns,” to be released in September. Known as much for her staunch progressive ideals as her raw acoustic energy, Williams has been captivating audiences with her sheer elegance and honesty in her folk-pop songwriting since the '90s. Williams’ growth as an individual over her two-decade-long career has gone hand-in-hand with her evolution as an artist, touring along the way with such distinguished peers as Joan Baez, Patty Griffin, Ani DiFranco, Loudon Wainwright III and Shawn Colvin among others. Dar's most recent album, Emerald, “deals as bluntly as ever with the shadowy, subtle corners of humanity” according to Rolling Stone, and was recorded with friends such as Richard Thompson, Jill Sobule, Jim Lauderdale, the Milk Carton Kids, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Suzzy Roche, the Hooters and others in various studios across the U.S. It is a sparkling collection of new original material, inspired collaborations and some surprising covers such as B.A.D.’s “Johnny Appleseed” making this album one of her best yet.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Morgan James

March 21, 2019
Music Series

One voice is all it takes. The right vocalist can make you fall in love at first listen, elicit tears, or bring you back to a different era altogether. A microphone and a stage remain the only necessities. That holds true for New York-based soul singer, songwriter, and Broadway actress Morgan James. Part of Morgan’s creative trajectory has become centered around her full album cover projects. She covered D’Angelo’s “Black Messiah” one month after its release, Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” and a critically acclaimed full cover of Joni
Mitchell’s “Blue”. She now takes on her most ambitious project to date: The Beatles “White” album, celebrating the 50th anniversary of its original release.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Adrian Legg

March 22, 2019
Music Series

Globally acclaimed by critics and fans alike for his unique acoustic and electric fingerstyle guitar playing, Adrian Legg masterfully blends diverse musical styles, influences and inspirations to create a distinctive sound all his own. With multiple awards and accolades spanning four decades, Legg has been heralded as a “guitarist of astonishing virtuosity, (whose) imagination and melodic invention seem unbounded,” (Q magazine); “ridiculously talented,” (Music Week) and “simply the best acoustic guitar player I’ve ever heard.”(guitar icon Joe Satriani). Setting the stage for his international success in the decades to follow, Legg was named as Acoustic Guitarist of the Decade by the UK’s Guitarist Magazine(1984-94), and Best Acoustic Fingerstylist in Guitar Player Magazine’s Readers’ Poll for four years in a row. (1993-96).

SBL Entertainment Presents – Henry Kapono & Band

March 23, 2019
Music Series

“Kapono is one of the great island songwriters of his generation.” --Honolulu
Star-Advertiser
Henry Kapono is a performer who has it all – vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, composer, thrilling performer, audience favorite—and multiple honors and awards, including a Grammy nomination. He has taken home 14 Na Hoku Hanohano Awards (Hawaii's “Grammy”) including Male Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year, Rock Album of the Year, and Lifetime Achievement.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Robbie Fulks

March 26, 2019
Music Series

Robbie Fulks is a singer, recording artist, instrumentalist, composer, and songwriter. His most recent release, 2017’s Upland Stories, earned year’s-best recognition from NPR and Rolling Stone among many others, as well as two Grammy® nominations, for folk album and American roots song (“Alabama At Night”).

SBL Entertainment – Karla Bonoff

March 29, 2019
Music Series

Karla Bonoff has been described as one of the finest singer/songwriters of her generation. With a career spanning for decades, Bonoff has enjoyed critical acclaim, commercial success, enduring popularity and the unwavering respect of her peers. In addition to charting with her own recordings, Karla has seen her songs become hits for Bonnie Raitt, Wynonna Judd and Linda Ronstadt.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Trout Fishing in America

March 30, 2019
Music Series

Trout Fishing in America is the longstanding, four-time GRAMMY nominated musical partnership of Keith Grimwood and Ezra Idlet. A willingness to at once make fun of our most annoying daily habits, then to touch our hearts with tender and passionate images of family life, is what makes the connection between Trout Fishing in America and its audiences so compelling and poignant. “…the Lennon and McCartney of kids’ music.” – National Public Radio

SBL Entertainment Presents – The Four Bitchin’ Babes

April 4, 2019
Music Series

THE FOUR BITCHIN’ BABES – Sally Fingerett, Debi Smith, Deirdre Flint, along with revolving 4th members, Nancy Moran and Megon McDonough. are an original “Babes Brand” of musical theater with a 25 year career on-stage and in-studio, releasing multiple recordings and a full length DVD. Together they honor and pay tribute to the wacky and hectic lives of men and women with their unbridled comedic commentary.These four accomplished, seasoned musician-actress-comediennes take turns in the spotlight, filling it with whimsical songs and shtick, presenting the hippest and most luxurious girl group harmonies “evah!” With guitars, bass, piano, and Irish Bodhran, this rollicking renegade sorority of gal pals use their exquisite wit and sophisticated (never blue) humor, creating an amazing evening of Cabaret/Broadway ‘esque original entertainment.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Graham Parker

April 5, 2019
Music Series

For nearly 30 years, GRAHAM PARKER has been slinging his signature sound, earning a spot in the pantheon of influential rock ‘n’ roll figures. Since his early days with The Rumour, Parker has coupled punk’s energy with his deeply rooted love of American R&B, country, and soul music.

SBL Entertainment – Joe Kye

April 13, 2019
Music Series

Born in Korea and raised in Seattle, violinist- looper and vocalist Joe Kye has drawn rave reviews since launching his music career in 2013, “discharging world[s] of emotion” and delivering “divine messages” with his lush string loops and eclectic style (Guitar World). Drawing upon his migrant upbringing, Kye blends indie-rock, jazz, classical, pop, and world folk to create a unique sound that “leaves everyone in awe” (Sac News and Review). With his innovative use of digital effects and looping, Kye weaves together diverse textures, catchy melodies, and rich, sweet vocals to create songs that groove, uplift, and empower listeners.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Hiroshima

April 14, 2019
Music Series

When Hiroshima cut their self-titled debut album in 1979, record executives at their own label placed bets that the band’s unprecedented amalgam of traditional Japanese instruments, American jazz structure and Latin percussion – an intriguing but ultimately refreshing anomaly in the waning days of the disco era – wouldn’t make much of an impact in terms of sales or critical acclaim.

Thirty years later, Hiroshima has remained very much in the game. And they’ve done so by sticking to that original philosophy of blending genres to map out and promote unlikely artistic and cultural connections. After three decades, in a time when the globe grows smaller and more connected by the day, and sounds from all over that globe can be found in almost any piece of contemporary music, it appears that the world may finally be catching up with Hiroshima.

Holmes and Watson

April 16, 2019 - May 26, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

An all new Sherlock mystery! In the year following the assumed death of the famous detective, Sherlock Holmes at the falls of Reichenbach, his most trusted companion, Dr. Watson is called upon to discredit a number of “false sightings.” With each call, Watson must travel to expose them as fakes until one day when he is summoned to an insane asylum on an island, in the middle of a storm, where there is not one man claiming to be Sherlock Holmes, but three! With the shocks and surprises that we expect from a Sherlock Holmes story, playwright Jeffrey Hatcher puts us on the edge of our seats until the final moment. Don’t give away the ending! #dontgiveawaytheending

SBL Entertainment Presents – The Ray Charles Project

April 18, 2019
Music Series

In tribute to the genius of Ray Charles, a swinging septet of outstanding Bay Area musicians offers their take on some of the highlights from Ray’s amazing songbook. Glenn Walters sang lead for two sensational Bay Area bands, the Hoodoo Rhythm Devils and the Zasu Pitts Memorial Orchestra. The San Francisco Examiner called his voice “as warm, furry and comforting as a mink coat. You just wanna wrap it around you.” David K. Mathews has been playing keyboards professionally since 1975. After playing with Tower of Power for two years, he toured for a decade with the Queen of Rhythm and Blues, Etta James, and is currently the keyboard player for Santana. He’s played on Late Night with David Letterman, Austin City Limits, Dancing with the Stars, and the Tonight Show – the Johnny Carson version and the Jay Leno edition – and worked with a Who’s Who of musical greats, including Toots Thielman, Bonnie Raitt, Vassar Clements, the Gypsy Kings, and John McLaughlin. Blues guitarist extraordinaire Chris Cain grew up in San Jose, studied music at San Jose City College, and over the next twenty years learned his way around clarinet, piano, bass guitar, and alto and tenor saxophone, not to mention developing fierce vocal chops. He’s played with such greats as Albert King and Albert Collins, Johnny Otis and Junior Wells, Boz Scaggs and Willie Nelson, and recorded ten solo albums, including his latest, So Many Miles, which the Chicago Blues Guide calls “a delicious blend of blues laced with jazz and rock.” Bassist DeWayne Pate graduated from the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, moved north, and has since worked with an array of top artists including Huey Lewis and the News, Boz Scaggs, Maria Muldaur, Robben Ford, and Arturo Sandoval. He’s also a columnist for Bassics Magazine, and his instructional video, The Art of Tapping, his been widely popular. Reviewer Andrew Gilbert called his album Melting Pot “an impressive array of grooves.” Deszon Claiborne has worked with blues great Charles Brown and is the dynamic drummer for Clockwork and the Tammy Hall Trio. Page 1band bio Tony Lindsay has 11 Grammy awards on his mantel after spending two decades as lead singer of Santana, and has recorded with such artists as Patti Austin, Aretha Franklin, Curtis Mayfield, and Steve Winwood. He moved from Albany, New York to San Jose in 1980, worked at Guitar Center, and joined the Danny Hull Quintet, which later adopted the name Spang-a-Lang. His friend Chester Thompson invited him to audition for Santana, and overnight he went from playing small clubs to huge amphitheaters. Join these musical dynamos in a tribute to the genius of soul and blues, Ray Charles.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Tom Rigney & Flambeau

April 20, 2019
Music Series

Tom Rigney is one of the premier Roots Music fiddle players on the planet. His band--Tom Rigney and Flambeau-- specializes in blazing Cajun two-steps, low-down Blues, funky New Orleans grooves, Boogie Woogie piano, and heartbreakingly beautiful ballads and waltzes. Much of the repertoire is composed by Rigney, but they mix in a few classics from the Cajun/New Orleans songbook. Along the way you may pick up a trace of Rigney's Irish roots, or echoes of Eastern Europe--it just makes the musical gumbo that much tastier. Flambeau showcases Rigney's fiery, virtuoso fiddling, his charismatic stage presence, and his range and originality as a composer. He and Flambeau have forged a unique sound that blends American Roots styles into something original and HOT--mixing irresistible grooves with deep musicality and spectacular soloing. Rigney's high-energy showmanship pulls the audience into his performances and makes them feel they are a part of the music and the show.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Oleta Adams

April 25, 2019
Music Series

Since the runaway success of her 1990 debut album Circle of One (which went Platinum), and the impassioned hit single "Get Here"; (which became an unofficial anthem of the 1991 Gulf War) Oleta Adams has inspired a growing legion of fans around the world with journeys of the heart via songs that draw deeply from her roots in gospel, while crossing effortlessly into the realms of soul, R&B, urban, and popular music. Her success was first nurtured by worldwide tours with Tears for Fears, Phil Collins, Michael Bolton and Luther Vandross and was solidified by four Grammy nominations and more than two and a half millions records sold.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Amy Hānaialiʻi Gilliom

April 26, 2019
Music Series

Amy's role as a cultural force for Hawaiian Culture stems from composing in Hawaiian Language and bringing her language to the world with a current blend of diverse musical stylings.
Hanaiali'i's talent emerges from a disciplined classical training, fused powerhouse vocals, and honoring her family's worldly heritage and rooted ancestral responsibility.
Amy's albums have also garnered 18 Nā Hōkū Hanohano awards – Hawai’i's equivalent to the GRAMMY® awards.
Hānaiali'i's range of multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano wins, showcases her varied musical depth over the years prevailing in the following categories: Female Vocalist of the Year, Hawaiian Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Group of the Year, Christmas Album of the Year, Contemporary Album of the Year, and many others.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Friends! The Musical Parody

April 27, 2019
Theatre Series

FRIENDS! The Musical Parody is the hilarious new musical that lovingly lampoons TV’s Friends celebrating the wacky misadventures of your favorite group of 20-something pals as they navigate the pitfalls of work, life, and love in 1990s Manhattan. It’s a seemingly typical day at New York’s only coffee shop, Central Perk, until an unexpected runaway bride with beautiful hair enters the picture and kicks the whole gang out of second gear! This delightfully naughty confection plucks the best moments from the show’s ten years and recreates the moments through an uncensored, fast-paced, music filled romp. You’ll laugh! You’ll cry! You’ll Unagi!
Recommended for mature audiences.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Goapele

May 3, 2019
Music Series

That diversity has defined the Oakland-born singer, songwriter, producer, actress, and designer since the start of her career in 2001. Her influence and impact can be felt throughout R&B, soul, and hip-hop. Even Closer yielded the iconic anthem “Closer.” To date, it’s impressively racked up over 6 million Spotify streams and been sampled by everyone from Drake to YG. In between touring the world, she has released four full-length albums and collaborated with a diverse array of heavy hitters such as Snoop Dogg, E-40, Eric Benét, Soulive, and Jeff Bhasker. A film and television mainstay, she’s landed high-profile syncs in Sparkle, Honey, 90210, and many more. Along the way, The Washington Post fittingly described her as “soulful as always,”Huffington Post called her “a driving motivational force for many women,” and Essence claimed, “her voice is the stuff of dreams.” In 2016, she made a conscious decision to return to her roots while composing the music that would comprise this latest offering. Recording in Los Angeles and Bay Area studios, she re-teamed with longtime friends and collaborators such as producer/keyboardist Mike Tiger, guitarist Errol Cooney, and Bedrock who all contributed to some of her earliest material. Now, the sensual first single “Secret” introduces Dreamseeker. Produced by BedRock and AE, a ringing phone, shimmering keys, and a jazz-y beat give way to Goapele’s sexy delivery, yielding an artful bedroom anthem.

As she continues to evolve as an artist, Goapele further devotes herself to activism, acting, and fashion. She’s partnered with Aids Healthcare Foundation in 2017, launched a lifestyle product line Dreamseeker, and starred in a short film entitled Where Is Beauty. In the midst of everything, motherhood remains the highest priority.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Goapele

May 4, 2019
Music Series

That diversity has defined the Oakland-born singer, songwriter, producer, actress, and designer since the start of her career in 2001. Her influence and impact can be felt throughout R&B, soul, and hip-hop. Even Closer yielded the iconic anthem “Closer.” To date, it’s impressively racked up over 6 million Spotify streams and been sampled by everyone from Drake to YG. In between touring the world, she has released four full-length albums and collaborated with a diverse array of heavy hitters such as Snoop Dogg, E-40, Eric Benét, Soulive, and Jeff Bhasker. A film and television mainstay, she’s landed high-profile syncs in Sparkle, Honey, 90210, and many more. Along the way, The Washington Post fittingly described her as “soulful as always,”Huffington Post called her “a driving motivational force for many women,” and Essence claimed, “her voice is the stuff of dreams.” In 2016, she made a conscious decision to return to her roots while composing the music that would comprise this latest offering. Recording in Los Angeles and Bay Area studios, she re-teamed with longtime friends and collaborators such as producer/keyboardist Mike Tiger, guitarist Errol Cooney, and Bedrock who all contributed to some of her earliest material. Now, the sensual first single “Secret” introduces Dreamseeker. Produced by BedRock and AE, a ringing phone, shimmering keys, and a jazz-y beat give way to Goapele’s sexy delivery, yielding an artful bedroom anthem.

As she continues to evolve as an artist, Goapele further devotes herself to activism, acting, and fashion. She’s partnered with Aids Healthcare Foundation in 2017, launched a lifestyle product line Dreamseeker, and starred in a short film entitled Where Is Beauty. In the midst of everything, motherhood remains the highest priority.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Kahulanui

May 7, 2019
Music Series

There is a new wave coming from Hawaii, a blend of traditional music and the Big Band Swing brought to the Aloha State by U.S. servicemen during World War II. Its leading exponent is Kahulanui, a nine piece band—four horns plus guitar, bass, ukulele, drums and steel—whose energy and dynamic arrangements have caused a sensation throughout the Islands. Their debut CD, Hula Ku’I, was nominated for a 2014 Grammy Award in the Regional Roots category, and soon Hawaii’s Kings of Swing will be bringing their unique style to audiences across America.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Funky Feat (featuring Paul Barrere, Fred Tackett, Kenny Gradney, and Gabe Ford)

May 9, 2019
Music Series

Three original members of Little Feat Paul Barrere (guitar, vocals), Fred Tackett (guitar) and Kenny Gradney (bass) are joined by long time Feat drummer Gabe Ford for a raucous evening of all the Little Feat hits like “Dixie Chicken,” “Willin’,” “Down on the Farm,” “Feats Don’t Fail Me Now” and so much more.

Sacramento Ballet Presents – Fast Forward

May 16, 2019 - May 19, 2019
Other Entertainment Series

Where else can the classical ballet language lead? See three short ballets that express how this art form is evolving and thriving.

Written and Forgotten
Choreography: Annabelle Lopez Ochoa
Music: Various artists
A humorous, sometimes poignant look at childhood memories, through the lens of internationally celebrated choreographer Annabelle Lopez Ochoa.

The Bridge
Choreography: Val Caniparoli
Music: Dmitri Shostakovich
“…the work seems more powerful now than in 1998, when it was made in tribute to the media-created ‘Romeo and Juliet of Sarajevo.’……Like the Shostakovich string quartet it’s set to, the piece is relentlessly somber, but within the darkness skeins of deep color swirl.” Seattle Weekly, March 22, 2006 - Roger Downey

Elpis
A world premiere by Artistic Director Amy Seiwert, with live music composed and performed by violist Christen Lien.
Lien has constructed a concept album exploring the Greek myth of Elpis. The personification of Hope, Elpis is one of the evils created by Zeus to punish humanity. Because Elpis was the heaviest, most grievous evil, she was ordered to be the last to leave Pandora’s Box. But soon after Pandora opened the lid and the evils began to fly out, Pandora knew she made a mistake and quickly put the lid back on just when Elpis was trying to leave. In consequence, Elpis became trapped, where she has been imprisoned for thousands of years.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Che Apalache

May 24, 2019
Music Series

Che Apalache is a four-man string band based in Buenos Aires with members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States. The group's founder is Joe Troop (fiddle), a North Carolinian multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and composer who moved to Argentina in 2010. While patiently carving out a niche in the local music scene, Joe taught bluegrass and old-time music for a living. That's how he met Pau Barjau (banjo), Franco Martino (guitar) and Martin Bobrik (mandolin), his most dedicated students. They quickly became picking buddies and in 2013 decided to form Che Apalache and hit the stage.

SBL Entertainment Presents – John Waite

June 1, 2019
Music Series

John will be performing his catalogue of hits from his 40 year career as a solo artist, with The Baby’s and Bad English and presented in a unique electric-acoustic format with his band.

John Waite’s catalogue of hits features some of the most loved songs of the 80s and 90s – the #1 Worldwide hit ‘Missing You’, The Baby’s ‘Isn't It Time’ and Bad English's ‘When I See You Smile’ rank amongst some of his biggest international hits and are still heard on radio today. Others include ‘Tears’, ‘Change’ and ‘These Times Are Hard For Lovers’. ‘Every Step Of The Way’ and ‘If Anybody Had A Heart’ appeared on the soundtrack to the 1986 Demi Moore film About Last Night. ‘Deal for Life’, penned by Martin Page and Bernie Taupin, was featured in the Days Of Thunder soundtrack.
As a solo artist and as the lead singer of The Baby’s and Bad English, John Waite was a fixture of album-oriented rock radio stations during the '70s and '80s. John Waite had a talent for power ballads and driving arena rock, occasionally touching on new wave-styled power pop as well.

His most recent recordings, The Wooden Heart-Acoustic Anthology Volume 1 and Volume 2, released in 2015 and 2017, respectively, features Waite in stripped back format – vocals and acoustic guitar only – and highlights the core essence of the songs themselves, threading newly penned original compositions, reworkings of some of Waite’s favorite material from his solo career and The Babys alongside smartly chosen covers by the likes of Bob Dylan (“Girl From The North Country”), Donovan (“Catch The Wind”) and Richard Thompson, into an authentic and soul stirring musical statement.

The Forever Question

June 4, 2019 - July 14, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

The 2018 New Comedies Winner!
Life comes at you fast. For young couple, Carolyn and Mike, life has been a series of questions that have led them to the biggest one yet: should they have a second child? In this hilarious and inventive new comedy, winner of the inaugural B Street Theatre New Comedies Festival, playwright James Christy examines the small and not so small occurrences that build our lives and lead Carolyn and Mike to a question that could affect their lives… well, forever.

SBL Entertainment Presents – Guitar Masters with Andy McKee,Trevor Gordon Hall, and Calum Graham

June 28, 2019
Music Series

Andy McKee is among the world’s finest acoustic guitarists. His youthful energy and attention to song structure and melodic content elevates him above the rest. He entertains both the eye and the ear as he magically transforms the steel string guitar into a full orchestra via his use of altered tunings, tapping, partial capos, percussive hits and a signature two-handed technique.

McKee’s crossover success has helped him to achieve millions upon millions of YouTube viewers, underscoring his emergence as one of today’s most unique and influential artists. He has been featured as a cover story in both Acoustic Guitar Magazine in the U.S. and Acoustic Magazine in the UK, and is also the figurehead of the unique Guitar Masters tours. McKee’s tour dates have taken him through Europe, Asia, Australia and North America, including tours with legendary acts including Prince and Dream Theater.

The Last Match

July 23, 2019 - September 1, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

It is the quarterfinal of the U.S. Open and rising Russian tennis player Sergei faces the former six-time champ, aging All-American Tim Porter. In Anna Ziegler’s incendiary play, we witness the entire match through the minds of these fierce warriors. As each point is played, we learn what goes on in the heads of the players, the relationships and life decisions that focus them to win or cause them to stumble. In this exciting and whip smart play, the tennis match becomes more than just a game and becomes an insight into the mind of the elite athlete.

A Stand Up Guy

September 10, 2019 - October 20, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

For years the B Street Theatre audiences have come to know Jack Gallagher. In his previous one man shows, Jack has covered all parts of his history and life except the one that he made his name on: his experiences as a professional stand-up comedian. In his new show, A Stand Up Guy, Jack will dive deep into his past and present. After 40 years as a professional comedian, Jack has some stories to tell…

Fun Home

October 29, 2019 - December 8, 2019
Theatre Series

MAINSTAGE SERIES

The 2015 Tony Award winning musical comes to the B Street Theatre. In this beautiful and moving musical, based on the graphic memoir by Alison Bechdel, we meet Alison at three different ages as she unravels the mystery of childhood and discovers her true self. Growing up in a funeral home with her brothers, her mother and her brilliant but volatile father, Fun Home is a refreshingly honest musical about seeing your parents through grown up eyes.