Friday, Jul. 04, 2008

The Arts In Brief

Music, comedy coming to Turlock theater

Turlock Community Theatre has announced an eclectic lineup for its 2008-09 season. Tickets go on sale Aug. 5; for tickets or more information, call 668-1169 or visit www.turlocktheatre.org:

• Sept. 27 — Chris Botti, contemporary jazz trumpeter. $39-$79.

• Oct. 14 — Frank Caliendo, comedian from TBS show "Frank TV" and Fox's "MadTV," also featured on "Late Show with David Letterman" and Fox's NFL pre-game show. $39-$70.

• Oct. 24 — Vince Gill, country singer who has sold more than 26 million albums. $49-$89.

• Dec. 13 — Wynonna: Classic Christmas, country singer performing songs like "White Christmas," "Winter Wonderland" and "Ave Maria." $49-$89.

• Jan. 11 — Tower of Power, band melding jazz, funk, rock and soul. $29-$58.

• Feb. 26 — "In the Mood," 1940s musical revue featuring songs by Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Benny Goodman. $29-$46.

• March 13 — Winter Dance Party, tribute to Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. $25-$39.

• May 1 — Mariza, "the new face of Portuguese fado." $29-$49.

Summer theater

Two Stanislaus County community theater groups are presenting musical theater productions July 11-27:

• The West Side Players perform the slapstick comedy "Is There a Doctor in the House?" at the West Side Theatre in Newman. Inspired by a play by 17th-century French playwright Molière, Tim Kelly's bluegrass musical pokes fun at a quack doctor and quack pharmacist. Tickets are $12-$15; 862-4490 or www.westsidetheatre.org.

• Denair Gaslight Theater stages the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The show is based on the Bible story about Joseph's coat of many colors. Tickets are $10-$12; 664-9514 or www.denairgaslighttheater.com.

Donations needed

Riverbank High School drama students are seeking donations to help them pay $5,000 to travel to Scotland and England next year.

The school's drama department, directed by Stacy Blevins, has been selected by the American High School Theatre Festival to represent the United States in the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Rio Arts, a nonprofit performing and visual arts organization in Riverbank, is helping coordinate fund-raising.

To make a contribution, send a check made out to Rio Arts/Scotland and mail to: P.O. Box 1540, Riverbank 95367. For more information, contact Blevins at 968-7464 or theater@rioarts.org.