Dining, Arts & Entertainment

“Alvin Ailey liked for dancers to dance from the inside out and bring their whole being to the performance,” said Sylvia Waters, Artistic Director of the Ailey II dancers, a troop who performed recently at the College of the Canyons.  Waters, while speaking to The Magazine of Santa Clarita knows first-hand about what it takes to live the life of an Ailey dancer.  She toured the world with the dance troop as a principal dancer in the late 60s and early 70s. 

The Odyssey Restaurant is a vision of the valley, featuring fine dining with a breathtaking view from any area in the dining room.  Everything gleams from the oak paneling, brass fixtures to the crystalline windows and a panoramic view of the San Fernando Valley.

You’re gonna rock, you’re gonna roll.  You’re gonna have a rockin’ good time at the Canyon Theatre Guild’s production of Bye Bye Birdie.  It’s fun for everyone when Conrad Birdie (played by George M. Chavez II) get’s ready to shake things up in Sweet Apple, Ohio. 

The characters in the movie The Wizard of Oz fell asleep in a field of poppy flowers.  There is no way you’ll be falling asleep with all the activities planned for the 2-day Lancaster festival honoring the poppy, California’s state flower.

Free Psychic Medium Workshop, Citywide Youth Art Exhibit & Exchange, and more!

For the past 37 years, the residents of the Santa Clarita Valley have been entertained by hundreds of quality live theatre productions by the Canyon Theatre Guild.  With 10 full-scale productions each year, the artist endeavors and planning efforts of the Canyon Theatre Guild’s board are always in high gear. To continue their expansion, a new building will be constructed in which they can build sets and rehearse, allowing them to shorten any dark time between shows.

Plan to laugh and cry and hum along to the tunes with the two upcoming College of the Canyons live shows this Spring.  Rehearsals are in high gear for the musical, Company, a Tony-award winning musical that follows five married, once-married or soon-to-be married couples along with their bachelor friend, Robert.  His lesson learned is the importance of having company.  Set in New York, Company addresses the highs and lows of marriage, commitment, friendship and loneliness through a series of vignettes and songs.

Starched white tablecloths, ornate antique looking goblets filled with pomegranate wine and the serenade of Persian music and gentle singing are but a few of the really fine attributes of The Persia Restaurant in Saugus. Start your meal with the hummus (a blend of chick peas, garlic, lemon and olive oil) and lavosh bread. The chef holds the rights to the hummus recipe and it truly is the finest around, seriously.

Bye Bye Birdie, one of the most captivating musicals of our time, is the story of a popular rock and roll singer (Conrad Birdie, played by George M. Chavez) who is about to go into the army.  His pleasant, mild mannered agent, Albert Peterson (Jeff Lucas) and Albert’s secretary, Rose (Erin Rivlin-Sakata) concocts one final national publicity plan before Conrad leaves the country.  The plan is for Conrad to give one last kiss to a typical American teen-age girl.  The lucky girl is Kim MacAfee (Brooke VanGrinsven) from Sweet Apple, Ohio.

The community is buzzing about the Repertory East Playhouse’s season opener, A Few Good Men, which opened to enthusiastic crowds on January 19 at the 81 seat equity waiver theatre in Old Town Newhall.   This intriguing courtroom drama is being sponsored by Cinema 4 Productions and will run through February 17. The REP’s rendition of A Few Good Men stars a powerhouse cast of professional actors. Leading the charge is the REP’s Artistic Director Ovington, Michael Owston, Daniel Lench, Bill Quinn, Phillip Peck and Ransom Boynton.

Many restaurants in tourist areas don’t accept reservations. However, they are usually strongly recommended at dinner shows and the most expensive restaurants. Therefore, depending on the type of restaurant, you might want to call the restaurant at the beginning of your stay in town and ask the following questions:

Kimberly Denise Sander’s lifelong dream of owning a film production company and shooting a film Traces of Tragedy,  is coming true and she is giving thanks, praise and admiration to the City of Santa Clarita. It is through the generous financial contributions of Santa Clarita Valley businesses, residents and family that the Santa Clarita native is able tell the fictional story of a woman who turns her life around to help others after her husband walks out on her with their children in tow.

Dining Out With Your Valentine

The mission of the Canyon Theatre Guild is to make a better place by entertaining, educating, enlightening and enriching our community through quality live theatre.  This month the 35-year-old professional-quality guild actors will be performing one of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, Romeo and Juliet. During the five-week run, Joshua Smith will breathe life into the Romeo character and Romeo’s love, Juliet will be played by Leah DiPaola. 

Get ready to experience the American West at the 14th annual Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival to be held at the Melody Ranch Motion Picture Studio, a location used for many famous Western films and T.V. shows, including The Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke, Hopalong Cassidy, Rin Tin Tin and The Cisco Kid.  Chuck wagons, corn-on-the-cob and cobblers are among the food offerings.

The world of marching band is a tightly run and enduring practice. The hours and work that go into making a good marching band rival those of any football or baseball team. The physical and artistic attributes that blend to make a fantastic field show could even be, arguably, twice the amount of work that sports teams put in. But here the question remains: Is marching band a sport?
Many people in the band at Valencia High School happen to agree.

Fri., Jan. 5, 7 – 8 p.m.  Santa Clarita Symphony’s Instrument Petting Zoo will be held outside of Border’s Books and Music at the Westfield Valencia Town Center.  All ages can have fun learning about orchestral instruments at the “Zoo.”  661-284-6044