sam's Best Bets for upcoming entertainment

Some suggestions for this weekend and next couple of weeks around Carson City and elsewhere. Check entries in the daily Nevada Appeal for more details, but this should be enough for planning this weekend and the next several. Also, see nevadaappeal.com for updates of video games, movie news, musical events and reviews.

Sam Bauman, entertainment editor

- Proscenium Players presents the thirrd production of the season, "When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?", written by Mark Medoff and directed by Jeffrey Scott. Performances are Friday and Saturday Feb.15, 16, 22, 23, 29 and March 1 at 8 p.m. in the Donald W. Reynolds Theater at Brewery Arts Center.

"When You Comin' Back, Red Ryder?" is a psychological thriller that takes place in a small New Mexico diner that lost most of its customers when a new highway bypass opened. Into the monotonous daily grind of the diner's regular characters come a couple of strangers, an unbalanced Vietnam War veteran and his hippie girlfriend, who complicate issues and force others to take hard looks at themselves.

Tickets are $12 general admission, $10 PPI, BAC members, seniors and students. Tickets are at the Brewery, 449 W. King St. or at 883-1976. Due to violence, adult content and language, this play is not suitable for children and there will be no late admissions.

- James Reinarz, winner of the Reno Chamber Orchestra's 2008 College Concerto Competition, will perform as soloist with the orchestra Saturday Jan.26 at 8 p.m. and Sunday Jan. 27 at 2 p.m. at the University of Nevada, Reno's Nightingale Concert Hall.

Guest conductor Carl Topilow, founder and music director of the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, will conduct the RCO and Reinarz in Bruch's Violin Concerto No. 1. The concerts also feature Tchaikovsky's "Mozartiana" and music by Arensky and Danzi. Tickets and more information are available at 348-9413 or at RenoChamberOrchestra.org.

Those 18 or younger can attend RCO performances for free.

- Renegade Productions brings Zepparella to the Sawtooth Ridge Cafe in Tahoe

City Saturday Feb.16 at 9 p.m. Zepparella is four women intent on bringing the passion and musicality of Led Zeppelin alive. Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $15 in advance. This is a 18-and-over venue.

Advance tickets are available at the venue and online at jambasetickets.com, renegadeshows.com and tickets.com. Call (530) 583-2801.

- Brüka Theatre presents "Dirty Blonde," a Tony-nominated comedy with music that explores the phenomenon that is Mae West. It wass written by Claudia Shear, is directed by La Ronda Etheridge with music direction by Bill Quinby

Dirty Blonde opens on Friday, Feb.1 at 8 p.m. and plays Feb. 2, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29. March 1 at 8 p.m, with one matinee Feb. 17, at 2 p.m. Doors open a half hour before curtain time. Tickets are $18 for students and seniors, $20 for general admission and $25 at the door. For mature audiences only.

The Brüka Theatre is at 99 N. Virginia St.in Reno. Call 323-3221 or see www.bruka.org.

- The Eldorado Casino in Reno is playing "Forbidden Broadway," a fast-moving, spoof of musicials of the past and presemt. The Eldorado starts the New Year off out on Broadway " with the 25th Anniversary Tour of the 2006 Tony award winning show "Forbidden Broadway." A cast of just four, but they filll the stage with the help of Carson City native Catherine Stornetta, who does a fine job on the keyboards.

This comedy takes the stage through Feb. 17. Tickets are from $30.95 for adults, from $25.95 for seniors, from $35.95 for VIP seating and from $40.95 for producer seating. Call (800) 648-5966 or 786-5700 in Nevada.

- The Brewery Arts Center and KOZZ present a revival of the classic rock band Sugarloaf Saturday Jan. 26. Sugarloaf is best known for the No. 1 hit "Green Eyed Lady." Opening the event will KOZZ's Max Volume and his band.

This revival performance features hits like "Green Eyed Lady" and "Don't Call Us, We'll Call You," plus hits from Jerry Corbetta's tenure with Franki Valli and the 4 Seasons. The concert features Corbetta of Sugarloaf with special guests Dennis Noda of Cannibal and the HeadHunters, Omar Martinez of Paul Revere and the Raiders and Carson City's own Atlantic recording artist Michael Furlong.

The event will be recorded live to produce a performance video.

"This is a great teaming effort with ACCtv," says John Procaccini, director of the Brewery Arts Center. "I'm excited to shoot a rock video during the concert."

Sugarloaf appears at 7:30 pm in the Performance Hall, 511 W. King St. Tickets are $18 all seating. A $3 discount is available for BAC members, students and seniors. Call 883-1976 or visit www.breweryarts.org.

- The Brewery Arts Center and X-Ville South present Lydia Pense & Cold Blood in Carson City Feb. 19. After entertaining audiences with their virtuosity in vocals and guitar riffs at the 2006 Jazz & Beyond festival, Lydia is now a local darling.

Formed in the late '60s, these San Franciscans sounded like Tower of Power with Janis Joplin on lead vocals. In their songs, punchy horns and organ jabs ride over some exceptionally tight funk drumming, with everything centered around the soulful wails of Lydia Pense.

Lydia Pense & Cold Blood appear at 7:30 pm in the Performance Hall at the Brewery Arts Center at 511 W. King St. Tickets are $22 all seating. A $3 discount is available for BAC members, students and seniors. Call 883-1976 or visit www.breweryarts.org.

- Find yourself somewhere "Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace" as the multi-platinum country duo Big & Rich takes the stage at the Reno Events Center along with opener Cowboy Troy Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. This country music phenom includes Big Kenny Alphin and John Rich. Both singer-songwriters are set to perform a show featuring their third studio release, "Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace."

The duo has been nominated for several Grammy Awards. Big & Rich, known for their mixing of traditional country sounds with hip-hop, rock and the occasional Native American yell, will follow crowd pleasing opener, Cowboy Troy, one of the most prominent black country performer since Charley Pride.

Tickets are available for $85, $65 and $45. Tickets are at (888) 288-1833 at www.ticketmaster.com or at Circus Circus Reno, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino.

- The Western Nevada Musical Theatre Company brings the latest Tony Award-winning revival version of Broadway's "Annie Get Your Gun" to the Carson City Community Center in seven performances Feb. 8-17.

The story of sharpshooter Annie Oakley falling in love with her rival, Frank Butler, is animated with nonstop hits: "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better," "I Got the Sun in the Morning," "They Say It's Wonderful," "There's No Business Like Show Business" and more. 

The WNMTC production stars Lauren Durant as Annie Oakley and Joshua Jessup as Frank Butler. Dave Anderson is Buffalo Bill, Gordon Murray is Charlie Davenport, Jerry Lowe is Sitting Bull and Carla Wilson is Dolly Tate.

The revival version features additional Irving Berlin songs performed by new characters "Tommy and Winnie, played by Alex Kaskie and Whitney Giron. Forty singers and dancers round out the cast, accompanied by a live orchestra. Stephanie Arrigotti produces, conducts and directs and Gina Kaskie-Davis choreographs.

The show will run Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. There is also a matinee on Saturday Feb. 16, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for general admission, $16 for students and seniors, and $14 for youths 17 and under.

Call 445-4249.

- Jo Dee Messina appears for two nights in the Celebrity Showroom, Jan. 25-26, at John Ascuaga's Nugget. Multiple No. 1 hits and a series of popular albums, including some pop cross-over success, has propelled Messina in to the music-scene forefront.

Messina's self-titled debut album was released in 1996 and gave her two Top Ten hits in "Heads Carolina, Tails California" and "You're Not in Kansas Anymore."

Messina plays at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 at (800) 648-1177 or 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com.

- Contact Sam Bauman at 881-1236 or Sbauman@nevadaappeal.com.