The Union | Saturday, October 27, 2012 | C1

Altar Show: Renewal and Remembrance at the fairgrounds

The 15th annual Altar Show features over 50 constructions dedicated to persons, memories, concepts and causes. The annual free exhibition is noon to 8 p.m. daily through Nov. 4 in the Northern Mines Building at the Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley. For information, visit (530) 432-4280.

Mortis Manor Haunted House

This Halloween tradition benefits the Grass Valley Host Lions and the NU Theatrical Society. House is open from 6 to 9 p.m. today, Tuesday and Wednesday. Free live shows every half hour. A special Zombie Hunt is scheduled for 6 to 9 p.m. on Sunday and Monday. For information and tickets to all events, visit www.drmortis.com.

Dream and the Dreamer at The Old 5-Mile House

Laid-back rock ‘n’ roll from 6 to 9 p.m. with Dream and the Dreamer at The Old 5-Mile House, 18851 Highway 20 in Nevada City. For information, call (530) 265-5155.

THIS WEEKEND

Brett Bentley, Features Editor, (530) 477-4219, spotlight@theunion.com

SPOTLIGHT

The Sierra Stages pro-duction of Stephen Sondheim and John

Weidman’s disturbing but bril-liant musical, “Assassins” opens this weekend at the Off Center Stage in Grass Valley. The five-time Tony Award-winning mu-sical will play for four weekend through Nov. 17.

A Nevada County premiere, “Assassins” features 16 local ac-tors, accompanied by a four-per-son band. The show is directed by Susan Mason with musical direc-tion by Ken Getz.

“Assassins” is both thought-provoking and alarmingly funny, and is perhaps the most contro-versial musical ever written, ac-cording to Sierra Stages.

It offers a study of nine real-life American presidential as-sassins or would-be assassins. The show includes such his-torical figures as Lee Harvey Oswald, John Hinckley, Squeaky Fromme, Sara Jane Moore and John Wilkes Booth. The show is at turns hilarious, jolting and

heart-wrenching, as the history of these men and women un-furls across — and often with-out regard to — time. Note that “Assassins” contains strong lan-guage and adult situations.

“We are excited to be present-ing this groundbreaking musical in Nevada County” said Sierra Stages board president Peter Mason. “Sondheim’s score is bril-liant, accessible and incorporates every style of American music, while Weidman’s book honestly and often humorously explores the unique personalities of these nine individuals,” Mason said. He added, “The show offers a unique take on what it means to succeed in America and is both an entertaining and moving eve-ning at the theater.”

Playing the assassins are Isaias Acosta, Casey Burke, Jed Dixon, David Holmes, Tinley Ireland, Danny McCammon, Paul Micsan, Conor Nolan-Finkel and Kim Wellman. Rounding out the cast are Ty Baldwin, Moriah Fitzpatrick, Jessica Guise, Nancy Haffey, Kate Haight, JR Lewis

and Keith Porter who play vari-ous historical and fictional char-acters from the 19th and 20th centuries.

The live band consists of Ken Getz on keyboard, Steve Nicholson on bass, Kit Bailey on

percussion and Kirsti Powell on flute. The set design is by Pamela Mengers Hodges, the light-ing design is by Les Solomon, and costume design is by Eileen Beaver.

Performances are at 7 p.m. Thursdays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays. General admission tickets are $25 for all performances. In ad-dition, Sierra Stages is pleased

to offer reserved seating for $30. With reserved seating, audience members may select specific seat locations in advance and also provide additional financial sup-port for the production.

General admission tickets

and reserved seating are available online at www.SierraStages.org, by calling Sierra Stages at (530) 346-3210 and in person at the Nevada City Box Office (at the Miners Foundry) and BriarPatch Co-op.

If tickets are still available, student rush (under age 18, with presentation of full-time student ID) will be available for $15 on a first-come, unreserved basis 30

minutes prior to curtain.Sierra Stages is a nonprofit

tax-exempt community the-ater. This is the fourth season for the organization, which has presented 14 musicals and plays since 2009. In 2012, the Sierra Stages productions of “Death of a Salesman” and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” received eight Elly Award nominations for drama and four Elly Award nomina-tions for musical, respectively. Sierra Stages productions in previous seasons received 13 Elly Award nominations and three Elly Awards.

Special appreciation is given to 2012 season sponsors, includ-ing the following local busi-nesses: Pleasant Valley Veterinary Center, B&C True Value Home Center, Miners Foundry Cultural Center, The Union, KNCO and Sierra FoodWineArt.

If you are interested in be-coming a season sponsor, please contact Sierra Stages at (530) 346-3210 or by email at info@SierraStages.org.

Tony Award-winning ‘Assassins’ comes to Grass ValleySHOOT ’EM UP

SUBMITTED TO THE UNION

Danny McCammon (as John Wilkes Booth), David Holmes (as the Balladeer) and Tinley Ireland (as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme) in the Sierra Stages production of the musical “Assassins.”

Submitted photo by David Wong

KNOW & GOWHO: Sierra Stages presents

WHAT: Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman’s musical “Assassins”

WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursdays; 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 2 p.m. Sundays; through Nov. 17

WHERE: The Off Center Stage in Grass Valley, 315 Richardson St.

TICKETS: General admission tickets $25 for all performances, $30 for reserved seating. Tickets are available online at www.SierraStages.org, by calling Sierra Stages at (530) 346-3210 and in person at the Nevada City Box Office (at the Miners Foundry) and BriarPatch Co-op

INFO: www.SierraStages.org, (530) 346-3210

“The show offers a unique take on what it means to succeed in America

and is both an entertaining and moving evening at the theater.”

— SUSAN MASON, director

Verdi’s ‘Otello’ live from The Met today at Del Oro TheatreThe Del Oro Theatre in

partnership with Music in the Mountains will present “Verdi’s Otello” this morning through The Metropolitan Opera, live in HD.

The performance begins at 9:55 a.m.

The Metropolitan Opera’s Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series The Met: Live in HD continues for its seventh season and is presented locally at the Del Oro Theatre in Grass Valley.

The Del Oro, in partnership with Music in the Mountains, is

presenting live transmissions on Saturday mornings.

This popular series brings the thrill of world-class opera to audiences around the world by transmitting the productions live via satellite from New York City and broadcasting them in real time in high definition on the big screen.

“Verdi’s Otello” will be pre-sented live for only one day. Verdi’s Shakespearean master-piece returns to the Met with Johan Botha in the title role, opposite the acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming in the role of Desdemona.

Falk Struckmann is Iago and

Semyon Bychkov conducts.Renée Fleming as

Desdemona is “sublime” and “knows exactly how to spin the gentle lines of the ‘Willow Song’ and ‘Ave Maria’ so that they softly fill the hall” — New York Times

Tickets for today’s perfor-mance are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors, $15 for children 12 and under and students with an ID.

Tickets are available for pur-chase online at www.sierrathe-aters.com or at the Del Oro Box Office.

For information, call (530) 477-1100 or visit www.sierra-theaters.com.

SUBMITTED TO THE UNION

■■ CALENDAR

TODAYAthena Art Gallery/Art Exhibition— Athena Art Gallery Art Exhibition Four artists are showing their work at the Athena Art Gallery in Colfax. Enjoy the bright and lively work of Kara Schunk from Rancho Cordova and Sacramento artist Pam Wilkinson starting Oct. 12 until Nov.9. Anne Elliott from Auburn and Bob Hubbard from Loomis are the resident artists. All four artists decorate the historic brick walls of the Colfax Greek Bistro, a proud member of Placer Arts of Auburn. 30 N. Main Street, Colfax. Noon - 8 p.m. Call (530) 305-4050

In the Cards: New paintings by Eileen Blodgett—New playing card paintings by Eileen Blodgett on display during business hours Thursdays- Sundays and by appointment. Enjoy fine wines and learn about this ongoing compelling series of original acrylic paintings. Szabo Winery 316 Broad St. Nevada City 3 - 7 p.m. Call (530) 277-9919

LeeAnn Brook: Environments—Large

format contemporary landscape paintings by Nevada City artist LeeAnn Brook New Moon, 203 York St., Nevada City. Call 265-6817

Nevada City Winery Artist of the Month—Art exhibit featuring oil paintings of man’s best friend. Nevada City Winery Tasting Room, 321 Spring Street, Nevada City noon - 5 p.m. Call (530) 265-9463

Photographic Art by Jeannine Bourdeaux—Photography and Art by Jeannine Bourdeaux on display North Columbia Schoolhouse Cultural Center Call (530) 575-8902

Ron Breeden October Artist of the Month—Oil paintings of man’s best friend by Ron Breeden Nevada City Winery Tasting Room, 321 Spring Street, Nevada City noon - 5 p.m. Call (530) 265-9463

The art of Gary Dini “Interdimensional Lifescapes” — The jeweled sculpture paintings and water colors of Gary Dini hung on the rough hewn stone walls of the Brewery building will be on exhibit

for the many events scheduled for the Stone house. Call 265-5050 for a list of the possible events. The Stone House Old Brewery, 107 Sacramento St., Nevada City noon to 2 a.m. Call 273-0128

Double Oak Vineyards & Winery—Open Saturdays. (Open other days by appointment.) Enjoy wine tasting featuring mountain grown fine wine, all estate grown and produced. Award winning wines include gold medal and best of class. Visit with the winemaker, tour the winery and learn about wine. Bring a picnic to enjoy in a charming area with a view of quarter-century old vineyards surrounded by oaks and pines. Groups are easily accommodated. For more information, go to www.doubleoakwinery.com. Located 15 miles north of Nevada City on the San Juan Ridge at 14510 Blind Shady Rd. (off Purdon Rd.). 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Call (530) 292-3235

15th Annual Altar Show — Altars built

Submitted photo by Marty Sohl/ Metropolitan Opera

Scenes from Act III of Verdi’s “Otello.” The opera will show live in HD at the Del Oro Theatre in Grass Valley at 9:55 a.m. today.

■■ OPERA

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Pruning & Treating Your Trees for Winter Sun., Oct. 28 • 4:00 pm

In the Garden Center To reserve a spot, call 274-3871