The Fundraiser for the Main Stage at The Sutter Theater Center for the Arts Returns
What do you get when you combine a couple of opera singers turned rock musicians with musical theater performers, a jazz pianist/vocalist, a folk/rock/ singer/songwriter, an actor/director, a children’s book author and a county supervisor together on stage?
Why Bandits & Bandanas of course! What’s that you say? What’s Bandits & Bandanas? Why it’s the rip-snortin’, boot scootin’ annual fundraising campaign for the completion of the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts Main Stage Theater, that’s what. And why Bandits & Bandanas? Well, you’ll just have to attend to find out. There are two performances scheduled. The first kicks off on Saturday, March 2nd in the Giddy-Up Saloon at 5:30 followed by a chuckwagon supper at 6:30. The music starts at 7. The fun continues Sunday, March 3rd at a 2 pm matinee performance with specialty desserts. It all takes place at the Sutter Theater Center for the Arts, 754 Plumas Street in Yuba City. Individual tickets are $75 or $500 for a table of eight for the Saturday dinner show and the Sunday matinee tickets are $50 per person or $300 for a table of eight. Purchase tickets or tables at yubasutterarts.org.
Lots of folks don’t realize that behind the existing beautiful lobby, art gallery, and Clark Family Black Box Theater at the front of the building, there is a 299-seat theater waiting to be refurbished. It is what was once the front half of the original 900-seat Sutter Movie Theater. It is like a time capsule, unchanged for over 70 years. There stands the raised stage and proscenium arch right where they were when “Singin’ in the Rain,” “Rear Window,” “Star Wars,’ and “Indiana Jones” were first screened there. The plan is to restore the space and convert it into a live performing arts venue. Imagine a 299-seat multi-purpose theater right in the heart of downtown Yuba City and what that will mean for businesses on Plumas Street and all of Yuba City.
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Back to the lineup for Bandits & Bandanas. The amazing cast of this cabaret-style show (think Applause) includes Kelly Cunningham, Alex Mazzerole, Kathy Campbell, Thor Campbell, Gay Galvin, Matt DeMeritt, and Tom Galvin. Add performances by special guest stars Dan and Tonya Flores and you have an evening’s entertainment like nothing ever seen before in Yuba-Sutter. The whole show is being wrangled by returning native son, Alex Cesena, who is once again directing, singing, and dancing right alongside his longtime sidekicks. In addition to ticket purchases and table sponsorships, there will be a Gold Rush Silent Auction with lots of great artwork up for bid and a live auction that will feature exceptional prizes including a Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Rock Star package and a day aboard a 40’ sailboat on San Francisco Bay compliments Dan and Tonya Flores. And new this year, something extra special for all those chicken-loving locals called “Rooster Roulette.” Likely, you’ve never seen this one before, but it involves a 4’x8’ board with random numbers under a cage in which a chicken is placed. The winning number is the one the chicken…, well, can you figure it out from there? A carnival-style wine and liquor bottle ring toss game is another way to have fun while helping the Main Stage cause.
The Main Stage area is not generally open to the public, but all are welcome to schedule a tour when you arrive either before or after Bandits & Bandanas to see what it’s all about. You will get to see the space before the transformation begins.
The set list for the shows includes lots of your favorites including Who Says You Can’t Go Home, Save A Horse Ride A Cowboy, Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off, As Good as I Once Was, Friends in Low Places, Colorado Kook Aid, El Paso, and many, many more.
An architectural firm has been hired so the project is moving forward in earnest this year. Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved in this great project that will benefit the entire community in unimaginable ways. Join the celebration and celebrate these wonderful artists who are donating their time and talent for this worthy cause. Purchase your tickets or a table at yubasutterarts.org.