By Rose Botkin-Beuck & Jules E. Beuck   rjbnotes@hotmail.com
Photos by Rose Botkin-Beuck

Another month, another four shows. We hope the shortest month was good to and for you. Ours, as usual, kept us on the run. We saw four different types of shows at four different venues.

One of our newest haunts is the Fox Events Center in Redlands where we have been going for comedy. This is the second comedy show we have seen there this year and this one almost doubled the attendance of the first.

Not only were there more people in the audience, but there were more comics. Redland’s own Brian Petrasek was on the last bill. This time he functioned as master of ceremonies. Petrasek discussed relationships before announcing the first act: "I have an inflatable doll who committed suicide during sex"; "I once asked a date to pass the pepper but she passed the spray instead."

The first act he introduced was Vern James. James said he likes to punch atheists in the stomach just to hear them say "Oh God." He discussed a car accident he had: "I hit a guy the other day that had no insurance. I gave him $100 and he fixed both our cars before the cops came."

On his appearance he noted that: "Somebody complimented me on my tattoos and it turned out to be varicose veins."

Victor Vega was the next comedian to take the stage. He discussed being of Mexican heritage: "I was born in the United States and I am glad I was. I can’t swim and I’m scared of heights." He has a teenage daughter and taught her to drive in a cemetery telling her: "This way you won’t kill anyone."

He also mentioned that one of the items on his "bucket list" is to gain 300 pounds so he can be a contestant on "America’s Biggest Loser."

Next up was Jeanette Fahey who informed the audience that she was 53 years old. She finds it ironic that sex is used to sell just about anything in commercials, but you cannot sell sex: "I went to see a sex therapist in Grand Terrace named Dick Dodge." She also ponderedL "What’s the difference between a man buying me dinner and my having sex with him and him giving me money and my having sex with him? How do the cops know I am not going to buy dinner with that money?"

Fahey had a lot of routines that graphically centered on sex and sexual innuendos.

The next act Petrasek introduced was Jeff "The Laughing Lawyer." He discussed being a parent and talked about his son quite a bit. He also talked about being a son: "My mother is a New York Jew who still refers to me as her son who is not the doctor."

Now it was time for England’s Natalie Gray. Gray was impressed by the Fox Event Center: "Look at this theater founded in 1928, about the time Cher released her first record."

Gray talked a lot about relationships and how preoccupied men are with sex. She also talked about other things such as her pets: "I have a dog who’s supposed to be a pure bred Chihuahua. I have my doubts, I think it’s mixed with anger"; "I have a gay parrot. He likes his cage lined with pictures of Ryan Seacrest."

Richard Weiss, who hosted last time, was next: "There is a movie out based on my sex life. It’s called the soloist"; "I missed my wife, so I bought a cold fish to sleep next to me."

Headlining the show was Jason Canning. Canning, who is also from England, commented on the area being called the Inland Empire: "We shall build an empire! Where? Inland!"

He said that now that he is living in Los Angeles he is learning very fast: "I stopped using turn signals because it is a sign of weakness"; "I thought I heard a girl crying in the street. It turned out to be my car alarm." and "L.A. is the only place in the world where one of the seasons is fire."

There were eight comedians on the show and the tickets were only $7-- that is less than a buck a comedian. April 16 is the next show. It stars Carl and Buzz, Norma Jean, Mel Kohl, Richard Weiss, Vern James and some special guests and local talent and is rated PG-17. The Fox Events Center is located at 123 Cajon Street in Redlands.

The Ontario Improv is still also a great place to go for comedy. Here is what they have in store this month-- the weekend acts include Guy Torry from the 4th through the 7th, Damon Wayans the 12th through the 14th, Jon LaJoi from the 19th through the 21st and Steve Byrne from the 25th through the 28th. The 2nd is 15 Minutes of Fame, the 3rd Re-Fried Wednesday, on the 9th Jeff Garcia and Steve Trevino, Bruce Jingles and Friends the 10th and Darren Carter (The Party Starter) on the 11th.

Rounding out the month are Handle Your Business! The 16th, The Dirty Show the 17th, Eric Blake the 24th, Brian Haner the 30th and Spicy Latino Night on the 31st. For tickets or information go to www.ontarioimprov.com.

There are also going to be a couple of good comedy shows elsewhere. NOKIA THEATRE L.A. LIVE brings Steve Harvey to the stage on the 20th. At this same venue, Suze Orman is scheduled for the 14th. Club Nokia also has two shows scheduled – Boyz II Men on the 6th and Hard 13 on the 13th.

A bit inland of this is the Grove of Anaheim. Sinbad will be performing there on the 7th. Whereas this is the only comedy show booked at the Grove this month, there are other shows, on the 6th is the O.C. Music Awards, Gretchen Wilson is on the 10th, Queen Nation and Don’t Stop Believin’ on the 13th and Monica on the 14th. The four other shows are Stephen Still (C,S,N) the 20th, Ray Davies (The Kinks) and The 88 on the 24th, the Hoodwink Festival 2010 starring Circa Survive the 26th and Chamillionaire the 27th. Go to www.thegroveofanaheim.com for information.

We attended another comedy show in February at San Manuel Indian Bingo & Casino.

"Saturday Night Live," while not always launching careers, has made household names of many people who worked on the show. Occasionally alumni of the show will get together and tour. Jay Mohr, of the television show "Gary Unmarried," and Joe Piscopo are the latest of the SNL alumni to do so. They performed at San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino.

Opening the show was Mohr. Mohr’s style is off-the-cuff and is either very funny or falls flat. He started out talking about how cool it was to have a black president. When he got little response to the routine, he started talking to people in the audience, asking them how long they were together and if they were married.

When he saw people getting to their seats well after the show started he told them: "You guys need something…like a watch!"

He then talked about how his wife likes to pop pimples on his back.

In regards to working in a casino he posed the question: "Do you think that people who play quarter slots look at people who play nickel slots as white trash?"

He started talking about "CSI: Miami" and making fun of David Caruso. He then talked about how much he likes The Who, whose music is played during the credits of "CSI: Miami." He quoted several lyrics and said how relevant they still are and indicated that it was kind of a let down to have them introduce Caruso.

He wondered why someone as pale as Caruso would play someone named Horatio: "What, Jimmy Smits' telephone was disconnected or something?"

After a bit about getting stoned with Tracy Morgan he left the stage to a partial standing ovation.

When Piscopo took the stage he sang a song in the style of Frank Sinatra with lyrics about himself. Part of the song asked if people wondered where he had been. He told the crowd that he had three young kids and one who is 67 and retired.

He dealt with his divorce: "That’s what happens when you go with the baby sitter. Was it worth it?… Yes.

Piscopo picked up a guitar and sang a country song he wrote for New Jersey. He then did a Johnny Cash imitation and an imitation of Michael Jackson singing a Johnny cash song.

He showed a video from SNL of him and Eddie Murphy performing "Ebony And Ivory" as Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder. Some of the other impressions he performed included Willie Nelson, Bruce Springsteen, Hank Williams, Sr., Sammy Davis, Jr. and Dean Martin.

It was a smallish crowd, but one that really got into both performers.

Upcoming shows at San Manuel include Charlie Wilson, the Commodores and Kool and the Gang on March 4th, Carlos Mencia the 18th, and Sammy Hagar on the 25th. "Frankie & Nina’s BIG Italian Wedding" will be presented on the 14th, 21st and 28th. Call the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino box office at 888-777-7401 extension 2832 or go to the Web site at www.sanmanuel.com for tickets and more information.

A play was another type of entertainment we indulged in since the last time we met on these pages. The play was "The Pajama Game" and it is playing at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont.

"The Pajama Game" first hit Broadway in 1954 and ran for more than one thousand performances, only the eighth musical to do so on Broadway up to that point. It is based on the novel "7½ Cents" by Richard Bissell who also helped write the book for the play. It was made into a successful movie in 1957.

John Raitt (Bonnie Raitt’s father) was in both the Broadway production and the movie. Janis Page was in the Broadway production, while Doris Day was used in the movie version.

"The Pajama Game" has been revived a number of times, most recently in 2006 starring Harry Connick, Jr. It has won numerous Tony and other awards.

The story revolves around a pajama factory in the 1950s that is going through labor negotiations. The workers want a 7½-cent per hour raise and the boss is stone-walling. In the midst of all the labor strife one of the middle managers and a union representative fall in love, which causes problems of their own.

The story reflects very closely to much that is going on today and demonstrates that history will indeed often repeat itself.

Some of the famous songs that came out of the show include "Hey There," "There Once Was A Man," "Hernando’s Hideaway" and "I’ll Never Be Jealous Again."

The music from the production makes the show feel light and fluffy, but it deals with some serious issues, including hard financial times, improper union negotiations and sexual harassment.

There are many Candlelight veterans in this show. Beth Mendoza provides her bubbly countenance for the third show in a row. Danny Michaels, who will be seen later in the year in "The Will Rogers Follies," is seen here as Hines, the time management specialist at the pajama factory and the jealous boyfriend of one of the secretaries. He is quite delightful and fits the role perfectly.

Leslie Scott is Babe Williams, the union representative who falls for the middle manager. She has a powerful voice that she uses well and is a fine actress. John LaLonde, last seen in "The Man Of La Mancha," takes on the role of Sid Sorokin. This was the role created by John Raitt and reprised by Harry Connick, Jr.

The scenery is simple but effective. With a few well placed props a factory floor becomes a picnic area or an executive office.

"The Pajama Game" runs through March 21st. The price of admission includes salad, warm rolls, entrée, the show and sales tax. Appetizers, beverages, desserts and gratuities are extra. Ticket prices range from $48-$68. "Thoroughly Modern Millie" opens on the 26th. Call 909-626-1254 for ticket information or go to the Web site at www.thecpdt.com.

There are a half dozen other places where you can also catch live theatre this month. Alphabetically, the first is the C.T.G. (Center Theatre Group). Each of the three houses has performances scheduled this month. The Ahmanson is presenting "Dreamgirls" the entire month, while Pulitzer and Tony Award winner, "The Subject Was Roses," featuring Martin Sheen and Frances Conroy, will be at the Mark Taper through the 21st. Also beginning on the 21st and into April "The Wake" will be at the Kirk Douglas.

The Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts is staging "The Drowsy Chaperone" on the 5th, 6th and 7th. (It will be presented at San Bernardino’s California Theater of the Performing Arts for two performances on the 21st.) Other Cerritos shows this month are the Vienna Boys Choir on the 14th, Boney James the 20th, the Tex Beneke Orchestra Big Band Stars featuring Buddy Greco and The Refugees on the 24th.

The Lewis Family Playhouse in Rancho Cucamonga, which can be reached at 909-477-2752 or at its Web site at www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com, has "Rent" taking up space on their stage from the 5th through the 7th and again on the 12th through the 14th. "The Little Mermaid" will be there on the 20th and 21st and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Pops will be on the 26th.

At the Orpheum Theater in Los Angeles, on the 26th, is "Season 7: So You Think You Can Dance" auditions. Do you think you have talent? Go prove it and make your name a household word. For more info go to SYTYCD at www.fox.com.

The Pantages Theatre has "Cats" from the 9th through the 21st and multi-award nominated lyricists Alan & Marilyn Bergman for one night only on the 15th. "Chicago" opens in April, but you can buy (and it is recommended you do so) tickets now.

Broadway/L.A. just announced the lineup for its 2010-2011 Season, a 7-Show Package that includes "West Side Story," "Hair," "Rock Of Ages," "Burn The Floor" and "Shrek the Musical" - all of which are recent Broadway hits making Southern California premieres at the Pantages Theatre.  A sixth musical to be announced will play the Pantages in March.  Rounding out the season is the West Coast Premiere of "Traces," featuring the acclaimed company 7 Fingers (Les 7 doigts de la main), in a fusion of musical, drama and circus that will play just around the corner from the Pantages at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre.

While not part of the traditional 7-Show Package, Broadway/L.A. Season Ticket Holders will be given first opportunity to purchase the best available seats for three additional events at the Pantages Theatre in 2010-2011: the Farewell Engagement of "The Phantom Of The Opera," "Spring Awakening" and RAIN - A Tribute to the Beatles will all revisit Southern California during the season. Visit www.BroadwayLA.org or call 866-755-2929 for tickets and more information.

Telma Hopkins stars in "The Clean-Up Woman" at the Riverside Municipal Auditorium on the 11th. Joe Bonamassa will be there on the 17th. The RMA is located at 3485 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside. For tickets and information call 951-788-3944 or 951-787-7678 or head over to www.riversidemunicipalauditorium.com.

Do you remember any month in which we did not attend a concert? If so, we cannot remember when it was. This month was no exception. We had the opportunity to see B.J. Thomas.

During the four decades B.J. Thomas has been performing, he has sold more than 70 million records, earned two Platinum records, had 11 Gold records, won five Grammy Awards, two Dove Awards for gospel recordings and had 15 Top 40 pop/rock hits. Even with all of that success he is not satisfied to rest on his laurels. He continues to tour regularly and recently performed at the California Theater of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino on Super Bowl Sunday.

Thomas made reference to competing against the Super Bowl. He ended his comments with "Who cares?" which was met with a loud cheer from the audience. Some of the songs he performed included "The Eye’s Of A New York Woman," "This Time The Girl Is Gonna’ Stay," "Hooked On A Feeling" and "Don’t Worry Baby." For the fans of his gospel music he performed "Mighty Clouds Of Joy."

He would also discuss the recording of some of the songs. For example, his first hit, the cover of "I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry," was recorded because his father told him "If you don’t put a country song on this album don’t come back to this house."

After performing "Rock And Roll Lullaby" he told the crowd that it was recorded at Electric Ladyland Studios in New York. KISS would follow his band in when they were done, using any studio time that was left: "That’s some hard karma to pay off!"

B.J. had the crowd sing along on some tunes including "Another Done Somebody Wrong Song." He also performed the Temptations' hit, "Just My Imagination." Thomas preceded the song by stating that he and the band liked to do "one or two songs we don’t know." He was backed by a solid band, some of whom had been with him more than 30 years.

The California Theater was about two-thirds full. The audience was very receptive, though not very demonstrative. Outside of taking his bows, the only standing ovation B.J. received was a partial one for "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." He discussed meeting Burt Bacharach who wrote the song. He went to Bacharach’s house and Angie Dickinson, Bacharach’s wife at the time, opened the door and yelled into the house "Burt, your little friend is here!"

Thomas’s voice has held up well and he gave a very satisfying show.

Upcoming shows at San Bernardino’s California Theatre of the Performing Arts are the silent movie, "The Thief of Baghdad," March 6th, The Amazing Jonathan the 12th, z'Stop in the Name of Love" featuring the Sounds of the Supremes the next night, and the "Drowsy Chaperone" for two shows on the 21st. For tickets or more information go to www.theatricalarts.com or call 909-885-5152.

There are about a dozen venues we will fill you in on now that also present concerts. Most of them are offering very few shows this month (less than six). In no particular order they are the Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal CityWalk which has Experience Hendrix on the 5th, the Zac Brown Band the 12th, Paquita La Del Barrio the 13th and on the 27th Invasion del Corrido III. The Palladium stages Metric on the 26th and Megadeth with Testament on the 31st. Irvine’s Verizon Amphitheatre begins its outdoor season with K-EARTH coming in on the 27th and presenting a concert featuring Chicago.

Caltech in Pasadena keeps its students (and the general public) happy with a nice selection of shows. The 13th is Ladysmith Black Mambazoo followed by Chris Stuart and Backcountry the 20th, and David Finckel, Wu Han and Philly Setzer on the 28th. The Three Romanticists take the stage of the Wiltern on the 5th.. The other Wiltern shows are Killswitch Engage the 6th, Tears For Fears the 21st and Devendra Banhart the 24th.

Music Box at the Fonda Center is where you can catch The Temper Trap on the 10th, Star Warz Burlesque the 12th, Stephen Stills the 16th and Groove Armada on the 21st.

If jazz is your style, the Walt Disney Concert Hall gives you Keith Jarrett on the 15th and Al Jarreau with Dee Dee Bridgewater on the 21st. AIR will perform on the 28th.

Two venues each have one special show this month. The Fender Center Rhythm Lounge stages Lukas Nelson on the 27th. The much larger show is a two-day affair at Angels Stadium. The Bamboozle 2010 Festival is the 27th and 28th and you will be able to hear a lot of music considering that more than a couple dozen acts are lined up. Some of them are AFI, Something Corporate, Angels and Airwaves and Say Something.

Busier places this month are the Staples Center and both House of Blues clubs. The first show this month at the Staples Center is Bon Jovi on the 4th. The others are all the last week of the month. The 24th is Calibash, the 25th John Mayer, Jay-Z on the 26th and the Black Eyed Peas on the 29th and 30th.

Anaheim’s House of Blues presents Locally Grunge the 5th, Acroplis Records Showcase the 6th, Emily Osment the 7th and Club Lucky the 10th and 24th. The 11th is NOCHES ROCKERAS with Leonel Octavio Red and Friends followed the next night by Brandi Carlile. The Black Rebel Motorcycle Club hit the stage on the 16th, Tainted Love on the 26th and Bear Kamp on the 27th.

Some bands will be performing at both clubs. These are Sevendust who will be in Anaheim on the 13th after being on the Strip the 10th, New Found Glory who you can see on Sunset the 18th and Anaheim on the 20th and 21st, and El Chapode Sinola the 19th in Anaheim and the 20th in West Hollywood. The other two acts playing both venues are Bad Religion at the Sunset club the 24th and 25th and in Anaheim the 17th, 18th and 31st and Chrisette Michele who will be in Anaheim on the 23rd followed by them performing in West Hollywood on the 26th.

Of course, some bands are playing the Sunset Strip club and not the one in Anaheim. These are George Thorogood the 2nd, Rebelution the 6th and 17th, Steel Panther the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th and Young Dubliners on the 17th. The other three shows are Kreator on the 23rd, Hammerfall the 27th and Never Shout Never on the 30th.

There are some places that, either due to the type of place it is or the type of entertainment they offer, are too difficult to pigeon-hole. Here are some of those.

 SeaWorld in San Diego continues its promotion of buy a day and come back anytime in the year for no extra charge. They also have opened enrollment for their various camp sessions (www.swbg-adventurecamps.com) and, the 27th is the start of this year's "Spring Into Night" days. If last year was any indication, this should be a ton of fun-- especially the nightly Shamu’s SkySplash fireworks show.

Center Stage in Fontana (www.centerstagefontana.com) brings back "Noches Con" on the 18th and 25th." They are also having an Academy Awards Gala Event on the 7th, a Murder Mystery Weekend the 12th and 13th and Rhythm & Passion on the 27th.

The big news over at Universal Studios is that teachers and school employees get free admission this month and their friends and family get 50 percent off. They are still offering deals on admission, line passes and food, but we are most impressed by their rain check guarantee and they are the first theme park to offer such a thing: If there is more than one-eighth of an inch of rain by 2 p.m., you can get a ticket for a return visit good any time in the next 30 days. For more information go to www.universalstudioshollywood.com.

This is also a special month over at the "Mouse House." Disneyland’s California Adventure prepares to host their annual food and wine festival next month. They are still offering deals on admission, vacation stays and airfare.

The Queen Mary in Long Beach is an exciting and interesting place to go in its own right. The tours, restaurants and historic significance of this vessel offer enough to keep you busy for a day or a weekend. (The bedrooms are refurbished staterooms.) This month there is another reason to go there. The weekend of the 5th and 6th Skinnie Magazine is holding their Top 200 Bands Festival – Round I. Ten stages will offer up a lot of music. Some of the bands are Rufio, Throwdown, Unwritten Law, and Destruction of a Rose. www.queenmary.com is where to go for more information.

Catalina Island is one of the places we go when in the mood for peace and quiet-- the tranquility there is quite soothing. All month, and all summer, one can check out the "Plein Air Painting Exhibition." On the 13th is the 33rd year of the Catalina Marathon. The route takes you from Two Harbors to Avalon. It runs through the island’s interior, an area one does not usually get to explore. The 17th is St. Patrick’s Day. It is being celebrated at El Galleon. Irish food, drink specials and karoake featuring favorite Irish songs is what is on the menu from 11 to 11. You can contact the Catalina Island Chamber of Commerce at www.catalinachamber.com.

What can one say about the Palm Springs Follies? It has become one of the premier entertainment destinations in Palm Springs. It is unique, entertaining and original. You can go several times a season and see a different show each time. Right now two-time Grammy Award winner Rita Coolidge is the featured performer. This '70s icon, who had such hits as "Superstar," "We’re All Alone," and Higher and Higher," will be part of the Follies through March 27th. Mary Wilson (The Supremes) takes over the stage on the 30th. Tickets and information are available at www.psfollies.com.

That winds things up for yet another month. Have a great March, but do not forget that the tax man is right around the corner. If you have not yet done this fun chore this year, we recommend picking up Tax Act to help you out. We have used them the past couple of years and have found them to be easy, detailed, and accurate and free. You can find what you need to know at www.TaxACT.com.

Until next time – Bye!

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