Recently in Spoken Word / Comedy Category

FROM RIVERSIDE- uan Felipe Herrera will present his first public reading of new work since being named California's new Poet Laureate in March 2012 by Governor Jerry Brown. The award-winning UC Riverside poetry professor is known for chronicling the lives of Mexican Americans.

He will read from "Senegal Taxi: Mud Drawings," his new book (forthcoming from University of Arizona Press) and a performance-poetry text-in-progress, "Scream Love" and a dance-musical-in-progress, "CUCA & EVA & The Boat of Illusion, a Variety Tour" (based on interviews from the last two, still living, song and dance stars of radio theatre in the post-revolution arts explosion of the 30's in the Juarez/El Paso borderlands).

Herrera says, "I dedicate this reading to my parents, Lucha and Felipe, who gave me all of their kindnesses and their stories of struggle and transcendence - and to all."

Three-For-One Night on Friday, May 4

The reading is followed by UCR Culver Center of the Arts regularly scheduled weekend screening on Fridays and Saturdays. On Friday, May 4 and Saturday, May 5, 2012, 7 p.m., Culver will screen "Bill Cunningham in New York," directed by Richard Press. The "Bill" in question is 80+ New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham. For decades, this Schwinn-riding cultural anthropologist has been obsessively and inventivelychronicling fashion trends and high society charity soirées for the Times Style Sections. Documenting uptown fixtures (Tom Wolfe, Brooke Astor, David Rockefeller), downtown eccentrics and everyone in between, Cunningham's enormous body of work is more reliable than any catwalk as an expression oftime, place and individual flair. Bill Cunningham in New York is a delicate, funny and often poignant portrait of a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own humanity and unassuming grace.

General admission for the film is $9.99 with tickets available online and at the front desk. Admission for students with I.D. is $5.00 with these discounted tickets available only at the front desk. For more information on this film, http://culvercenter.ucr.edu/film/?event-ID=3.2012.0003.0003

Additionally, it will be the closing weekned of the MFA ThesisShow 2012 at UCR Sweeney Art Gallery, which will be on view prior to the reading, http://sweeney.ucr.edu/exhibitions/mfa2012/.

About Juan Felipe Herrera

Herrera, 63, the son of migrant farm workers, holds the Tomás Rivera Chair in Creative Writing at UC Riverside. He joined the UCR faculty in 2005. The award-winning Chicano poet said he was touched by the honor and acknowledged the influence of Tomás Rivera, a noted Chicano author, poet and educator who served as UCR's chancellor from 1979 until his death in 1984.

UCR is "extraordinarily proud of Juan Felipe Herrera, who is not only a poet but an author and writer of children's books," UCR Chancellor Timothy White said. "Herrera is the epitome of living the promise of a California public education. This son of farm laborers was the first in hisfamily to attend college. Today he is a revered, award-winning poet and writer who speaks to the young and the old through his depictions of the lives of ordinary people."

A panel of experts convened by the California Arts Council submits a list of candidates for California Poet Laureate to the governor, who makes the appointment, which is confirmed by the Senate. The position, established in 2001 by the Legislature, is intended to spread the art of poetry from classrooms to boardrooms across the state, and to inspire and educate all Californians about the poets and authors who have influenced the state.

Andrew Winer, chair of the UCR Department of Creative Writing,expressed his delight: "This honor reflects what we have had the privilege of seeing up close ever since he joined our distinguished faculty: namely, this remarkably gifted poet's unique ability to connect--through his art and teaching--with everyone, regardless of their cultural or educational background. Here at UCR, Juan Felipe Herrera is a beloved professor and colleague. Thathe's a highly-acclaimed international figure who was also recently elected to the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets will never prevent this compassionate and generous teacher from reaching out to students on campus or beyond in the greater community. The diversity, quality, and public visibility of his writing and teaching make him as perfect a fit for UCR and its Department of Creative Writing as he is for the position of Poet Laureate of California. We're all so proud of him."

One of the goals of the poet laureate project is to introduce poetry to students who might otherwise have little exposure to the literaryform. That is a goal dear to Herrera, who, like more than half of UCR students was the first in his family to attend college.

"I did not start out to be a speaker, or a writer or much less, a poet or professor," he recalled in a 2009 speech during the inauguration of UCR Chancellor Timothy P. White. "Quite the contrary, my beginnings were at the margins of society, where promise-stuff is elusive and rarely reaches fruition -- in the fields of California, as a campesino child of farm workers. All I truly owned were simple, humble things -- my father Felipe's tellings -- how in 1899 he jumped a train from Chihuahua, Mexico, at the age of 14, straight to Denver, Colorado, where he would later work tending cattle, farming crops and setting railroads. And I had my mother Lucha's reminiscences of her journey with her eight siblings and mother, a few years after the Mexican Revolution -- crossing into El Paso, Texas, then, after World War II, to San Francisco to work as a 'salad girl' at the St. Francis Hotel. That is all I possessed."

The door of promise opened, he said, when he enrolled at UCLA,where he earned a bachelor's degree in social anthropology in 1972. He went on to earn a master's degree in social anthropology from Stanford University and a master of fine arts from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop).

Herrera has published numerous volumes of poetry, prose, theater, children's books and young adult novels, among them "Half of the World in Light: New and Selected Poems" (University of Arizona, 2008), which received the PEN/Beyond Margins Award, the International Latino Award in poetry, and the National Book Critics Circle Award. He has been elected to the Board of Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets, and has received the Guggenheim Fellowship in poetry, fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council, and the UCBerkeley Regent's Fellowship. Other honors include the Breadloaf Fellowship in Poetry, the Stanford Chicano Fellows Fellowship, the Ezra Jack Keats Award, the Hungry Mind Award of Distinction and the Focal Award.

Visitor Information

UCR ARTSblock, which includes California Museum of Photography, Culver Center of the Arts, and Sweeney Art Gallery are located at 3824 & 3834 Main St., Riverside, CA 92501. The three venues are openTuesday through Saturday, noon to 5 p.m., plus 6-9 p.m. for First Thursday ArtWalks. Admission is $3, which includes entry to all the venues and is free during First Thursday ArtWalks (6-9 p.m.). For film screenings, Culver Center opens 30 minutes prior to the start time. See websites for additional information, http://cmp.ucr.edu, http://culvercenter.ucr.edu, http://sweeney.ucr.edu.

FROM FALLBROOK- Fallbrook's Writers Read is pleased to present An Evening with Ann Patchett, a special fund-raising event celebrating the bestselling author's latest novel, "State of Wonder." The event is Monday, May 7, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the Fallbrook Art Center on 103 S. Main.

Patchett will discuss her book, her writing life, and her commitment to neighborhood bookstores. The author's belief in the importance of brick-and-mortar shops has resulted in her partnership in the new Parnassus Books in her hometown of Nashville. The store, named for the Greek mythological home of literature, is a bold venture in the face of retail bookstore closures across the country, as consumers adopt online shopping. The audience will hear about the store's many successes, including job creation.

"An Evening with Ann Patchett" is a community collaboration to benefit the Friends of the Fallbrook Library and Fallbrook Arts Inc.

Tickets for the event are $30, paid in cash or by check at the door, and they include a glass of wine and hors d'oeuvres provided by the Café des Artistes. Doors open at 5:30, and seating is open, so organizers recommend arriving early. To reserve tickets, call Fallbrook Arts Inc. at 760-731-9584.

Publishers Weekly said of "State of Wonder," "Patchett is a master storyteller who has an entertaining habit of dropping ordinary people into extraordinary and exotic circumstances to see what they're made of. An expansive page-turner ... Patchett's fluid prose dissolves in the suspense of this out-there adventure, a juggernaut of a trip to the crossroads of science, ethics, and commerce that readers will hate to see end." "State of Wonder" will be available at the event for sale and signing.

Ann Patchett is the author of five other novels: the New York Times bestselling "State of Wonder" and "Run"; "The Patron Saint of Liars," which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year; "Taft," which won the Janet Heidinger Kafka Prize; "The Magician's Assistant"; and "Bel Canto," which won the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Orange Prize, the BookSense Book of the Year, and was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She is also the author of two works of nonfiction: the New York Times bestselling "Truth & Beauty" and "What Now?" Patchett has written for many publications, including the Atlantic Monthly, Harper's Magazine, the New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal.

FROM FALLBROOK- Fallbrook's Writers Read, a free monthly gathering of writers and readers, is pleased to present Celebrate Poetry!, in recognition of National Poetry Month. The reading will feature Kate Harding, of Rainbow, and the launch of her new poetry collection, "Santa Monica Disposal & Salvage," followed by open mic. The reading is Wednesday, April 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The event is hosted by the Café des Artistes, at 103 S. Main, Fallbrook.

Harding, who has published her new collection under her pen name, Penny Perry, is a Pushcart Prize nominee in both fiction and poetry. Her work has appeared in numerous print journals and online at "Perigee," "Contemporary World Literature," "Contemporary World Poetry" and "Literary Mama." She was a fellow at the American Film Institute, and PBS produced and aired her movie "A Berkeley Christmas." Harding's chapbook "What Women Do" was a finalist in the Earth's Daughters chapbook competition.

"Santa Monica Disposal & Salvage" will be available for sale and signing.

For the open mic segment, bring a favorite poem to share -- your own or someone else's.

For those who would like to dine during the reading, the Café offers a special bistro supper menu. Call Café des Artistes at 760-728-3350 to reserve a table. Plentiful seating for those not dining is also available. The Café entrance is in the rear of the Art Center, off Alvarado Street.

For more information, visit http://www.excusemeimwriting.com/events/.

FROM PALM DESERT- McCallum Theatre presents Larry King in an evening of humorous stories from his iconic media career and backstage anecdotes about the people he interviewed while hosting CNN's longest running, and most watched, program "Larry King Live."

Larry King is a name that has been woven into the fabric of American culture, being invited into the living rooms of millions of people every night for 25 years on CNN. He has been kissed by Marlon Brando; he's tussled with Jerry Seinfeld; he was the first to sit down with Paris Hilton after she left prison; he's interviewed people that never give interviews like the press-shy Frank Sinatra; and his coverage of 9/11 will forever be remembered. You weren't considered a success until you've sat down across the table from the master: Larry King.

Now, the most famous interviewer in the world becomes the subject. For 50 years in broadcasting, King has been the one asking the questions. Now, he turns the tables on himself with his brand new stage show, Larry King: Standing Up. The Emmy®, Peabody and CableACE Award-winning broadcast icon will be giving fans a hilarious and insightful look inside the legend. Starting with his life growing up as a street-smart kid in Brooklyn to tales from his storied career as the greatest interviewer of all time, Larry King's style and wit will give audiences an evening to remember. This unique series of performances will mark King's first stage appearance since completing his triumphant 25-year run on the award-winning CNN program "Larry King Live."

Larry King: Standing Up is directed by Jim Millan and produced by BASE Entertainment and Karl Engemann.

McCallum Theatre presents An Evening with Larry King in Larry King: Standing Upon Sunday, March 25, at 7 p.m. Tickets are priced at $95, $85, $65 and $55 and are available by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787 or online at www.mccallumtheatre.com. McCallum Theatre, located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive , Palm Desert CA 92260 , accepts payment by cash, personal check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

FROM PALM DESERT: McCallum Theatre will present "Saturday Night Live" and Comedy Central star Colin Quinn in his one-man show Colin Quinn: "Long Story Short," directed by Jerry Seinfeld, on Wednesday, March 14, at 8 p.m.

Comically channeling the demise of great world empires, Colin Quinn uses his "articulate brand of comedy" in taking audiences through an uproarious history of the world in 75 minutes. From his personification of Caesar as the original Italian mobster to his complaints about Ancient Greece and Antigone giving way to Costco and Snooki, Colin is at his satirical best, taking on the attitudes, appetites and bad habits that toppled the world's most powerful nations. Colin Quinn Long Story Short proves that throughout human history, the joke has always been on us.

Colin began his comic career in New York as a regular on the comedy show circuit. He made his television debut as co-host of MTV's popular game show "Remote Control." Colin landed a spot on the legendary late-night show "Saturday Night Live" where he entertained audience for five seasons. After SNL, he tackled societal issues on "Tough Crowd with Colin Quinn." His first one-man show, Sanctifying Grace, began off-Broadway in 1994 and was later produced as Colin Quinn - An Irish Wake and played at the Helen Hayes Theatre. Last summer, Colin appeared in the Adam Sandler comedy "Grown Ups."

The New York Post raves, "Historical and hysterical. While he dutifully traces his saga from the caveman era to the present, Quinn happens to be very, very funny. Clearly benefiting from Seinfeld's influence, with tight pacing and a procession of hilarious one-liners." NY1 exclaims, "The humor is infused with plenty of witty insights...even wisdom. Quinn with his dry, understated Brooklynese has the perfect delivery for this razor sharp send-up of civilization. I only regret his history of the world in 75 minutes wasn't longer."

Colin Quinn: "Long Story Short" is directed by Jerry Seinfeld and produced by Eva Price and Richard Martini. Colin Quinn: "Long Story Short" was filmed as an HBO special and went on to garner a Emmy nomination for Outstanding Writing For A Variety, Music or Comedy Special. The HBO Special is now available on DVD and Blue Ray.

McCallum Theatre presents Colin Quinn: "Long Story Short"on Wednesday, March 14, at 8 p.m. Tickets are $85, $65, $45 and $35 and are available by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787 or at the Theatre's web site at www.mccallumtheatre.com. McCallum Theatre, located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive , Palm Desert CA 92260 , accepts payment by cash, personal check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

FROM PALM DESERT- The McCallum Theatre and The Bottomline present two performances of "An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin" on Saturday, March 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. It's an unforgettable performance of side-splitting laughter as she takes the audience on a trip with more than a dozen of her timeless characters, from Ernestine to Sister Boogie Woman and Mrs. Beasley to Edith Ann. It will be a warm and uniquely affecting experience filled with comical insights and wildly, witty observations about the human conditions.

Lily Tomlin, one of America 's foremost comediennes, continues to venture across an ever-widening range of media, starring in television, theater, motion pictures, animation, and video. Throughout her extraordinary career, Lily has received numerous awards, including two Peabody Awards; six Emmys; a Tony for her one woman Broadway show, Appearing Nitely; a second Tony, a Drama Desk Award, and an Outer Critics' Circle Award for her one woman performance in Jane Wagner's The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe; and a CableAce Award for Executive Producing the film adaptation of The Search. She won a Grammy for her comedy album This is a Recording as well as nominations for her subsequent albums Modern Scream; And That's the Truth; and On Stage.

Lily was born in Detroit and claims she wasn't funny as a child. Her comedy favorites included Lucille Ball, Bea Lillie, Imogene Coca, and Jean Carroll, one of the first female stand-ups on "The Ed Sullivan Show." After high school, Lily enrolled at Wayne State University to study medicine, but her elective courses in theater arts compelled her to leave college to become a performer in local coffee houses. She moved to New York in 1965 where she built a following with her appearances at landmark clubs such as The Improvisation and the Upstairs at the Downstairs.

Lily made her television debut on "The Garry Moore Show" and then appeared on "The Merv Griffin Show" which led to a move to California where she appeared as a regular on "Music Scene." In 1969, she joined "Laugh-In" and gained fame with her characterizations of Ernestine, the irascible telephone operator, and Edith Ann, the devilish six year old. When "Laugh-In" left the air, Lily went on to co-write, with Jane Wagner, and star in six comedy television specials and the HBO special And the Band Played On. She has guest starred on numerous television shows, including "Homicide," "X-Files," and "Will and Grace," and played the boss for two years on "Murphy Brown."In 2002, Lily joined the cast of "The West Wing," playing President Bartlett's assistant, a role she played through2006, the final season of West Wing. Her most recent television appearances include "Damages" and "Desperate Housewives." She is also heard as the voice of the science teacher Ms. Frizzle on the children's animated series, "The Magic School Bus," for which she won an Emmy.

Lily made her Broadway debut in the 1977 play Appearing Nitely which included favorites Ernestine, Edith Ann, and Judith Beasley, the Calumet City housewife, and also introduced Trudy the bag lady, Crystal the hang-gliding quadriplegic, Rick the singles bar cruiser, Glenna as a child of the sixties, and Sister Boogie Woman, a 77-year-old blues revivalist. Appearing Nitely was adapted as both an album and an HBO Special. Lily next appeared on Broadway in 1985 in a year long run of The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, followed by a coast-to-coast tour that spanned four and a half years. Lily extended her theatrical career with a cross-country, 29-city tour of The Search; a new production of The Search on Broadway; a record-breaking six month run of the production in San Francisco ; and a six week run in Los Angeles .

Lily made her film debut in Nashville (1975). Her performance was nominated for an Oscar, and both the New York Film Critics and National Society of Film Critics voted Lily Best Supporting Actress. She also starred in The Late Show (1977); Moment By Moment (1978); 9 to 5 (1980); The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981); All of Me (1984); and Big Business (1988). Her other numerous film roles include The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life In the Universe (1991); Shadows and Fog (1992); The Beverly Hillbillies (1993); Krippendorf's Tribe (1998); Tea With Mussolini (1999); I Heart Huckabee's (2004); A Prairie Home Companion (2006); and Pink Panther II (2008).

In 2003, she was honored as the recipient of the prestigious Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in Washington DC .

Lily joined the website for women, www.WOWOWOW.com, and participates with other celebrities such as Whoopi Goldberg, Candice Bergen, Liz Smith, Jane Wagner, Peggy Noonan, Marlo Thomas and Lesley Stahl in an on-line community which is owned and run by women for women of all ages and origins.

McCallum Theatre and The Bottomline present two performances of "An Evening of Classic Lily Tomlin" on Saturday, March 17, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, March 18, at 3 p.m. Tickets are $95, $85, $75 and $55 and are available by calling the McCallum Theatre Box Office at (760) 340-2787 or at the Theatre's web site at www.mccallumtheatre.com. McCallum Theatre, located at 73000 Fred Waring Drive , Palm Desert CA 92260 , accepts payment by cash, personal check, VISA, MasterCard, Discover and American Express.

FROM RIVERSIDE- Building bridges and promoting peace and unity through humor will be the theme as the Laugh in Peace comedy tour stops at UC Riverside on Wednesday, February 22.

The show features a trio of comedians, two of whom are also ordained ministers: Rabbi Bob Alper, the Reverend Susan Sparks and Muslim comedian - and Riverside native - Ahmed Ahmed. The show is described as "Three comedians, three faiths. Making people laugh and think."

The show is scheduled for 6 p.m. in Highlander Union Building (HUB) room 302. Admission to the show is free and the general public is invited, but seating is limited and students will be give priority. Tickets may be picked up at the Associated Students Program Board office. Those without tickets may be admitted to the show as space permits. There will be a $5 charge for non-permit holders to park on campus.

Alper, a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary who has been a rabbi for 38 years, said that he started working with Ahmed in 2002 "as a way to raise our visibility as comedians and earn our living." They added Sparks a few years later to provide a Christian perspective to the act.

"We want people to laugh, relax, have a great time listening to what we hope is quality humor that's clean and unhurtful," Alper said.

"We're convinced that people who laugh together can't hate one another," he added.

The show will be a homecoming for Ahmed, who was born in Egypt, but grew up in Riverside. His parents still live here and will be attending the show.

"I'm really excited about coming back to my home town to do a show. I've never really done a big show in Riverside," he said.

The show is sponsored by a group of campus organizations as diverse as the comedians, including UCR Diversity Initiatives, Hillel, Muslim Students Association, Highlanders for Israel, Coptic Club, Students for Justice in Palestine, Lebanese Social Club, Associated Students Program Board, the Office of the Chancellor and the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs.

Joe Virata, director of the Diversity Initiatives Program at UCR, said the idea for the show came separately from Muslim and Jewish students who were looking for a project that they could do together.

"They wanted to work together on a project, and work on their relationships with one another," he said, adding that the groups also invited members of the Christian-based Coptic Club at UCR to participate. "They opened conversations that lead to collaborations, which can then lead to a community."

SAN BERNARDINO - Ernestine, the most famous telephone operator ever, and the hilariously precocious 5-year-old Edith Ann, will be visiting the California Theatre of the Performing Arts when Lily Tomlin comes to town on Jan. 29.

The Tony and Emmy Award-winning comedienne-actress, writer and producer stars in her critically acclaimed one-woman stage show for one performance only at 8 p.m.

Presented by the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency, tickets to the show are $38.50-$77.50, available at www.ticketmaster.com, www.livenation.com, or theater box office at (909) 885-5152.

The multi-talented entertainer is probably best known for the unforgettable characters she has created over the years, including Ernestine, Edith Ann, and the unforgettable Tommy Velour.

Tomlin, who has won a Grammy Award and has been nominated for an Academy Award, began doing stand-up in the 1960s and made her television debut on "The Merv Griffin Show" in 1965.

She became one of the stars of NBC's sketch comedy show "Laugh-In," where she became best known for her characters, who also included the upper class Tasteful Lady and Susie the Sorority Girl.

As an actress, Tomlin was nominated for an Academy Award for her role in Robert Altman's "Nashville." She also appeared in the film comedy "Nine to Five," and performed several comedic roles in the 1981 film "The Incredible Shrinking Woman."

She also portrayed sickly heiress in the Steve Martin comedy "All of Me," and appeared in the films "Big Business," "Short Cuts," "Flirting With Disaster" and "I Heart Huckabees."

On television, Tomlin voiced Ms. Frizzle on the animated series "The Magic School Bus" from 1994 to 1997, appeared on the popular sitcom "Murphy Brown" as the title character's boss. She also had a recurring role as Will Truman's boss Margot on "Will & Grace." She appeared on the dramatic series "The West Wing" for four years (2002-2006) in the role of presidential secretary Deborah Fiderer.

Tomlin was the first woman to appear solo in a Broadway show with her premiere of "Appearing Nitely" at the Biltmore Theatre in April 1977. The same month, she made the cover of Time magazine with the headline "America's New Queen of Comedy." Her solo show then toured the country and was made into a record album titled "On Stage."

In 1985, Tomlin starred in another one-woman Broadway show "The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe," written by her long-time life partner, writer/producer Jane Wagner. The show won her a Tony Award, and was made into a feature film in 1991. Tomlin revived the show for a run on Broadway in 2000, which then toured the country through mid-2002.

In 2008, she collaborated again with director Robert Altman, starring in Altman's last film "A Prairie Home Companion," playing Rhonda Johnson, one half of a middle-aged Midwestern singing duo with Meryl Streep.

Tomlin premiered her one-woman show "Not Playing with a Full Deck" at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in November 2009. She guest-starred as Marilyn Tobin in the third season of "Damages" on FX in 2010.

Tomlin has received numerous awards, including: four primetime Emmys, two Tonys, two Drama Desk Awards, an Outer Critics Circle Award a CableACE Award, and a Grammy Award.

LILY TOMLIN
WHEN: 8 p.m. Jan. 29
WHERE: California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. Fourth St., San Bernardino.
ADMISSION: $38.50-$77.50
TICKETS: Available through www.ticketmaster.com, or theater box office
INFORMATION/BOX OFFICE: (909) 885-5152
ON THE WEB: www.californiatheatre.net

FROM PALM DESERT-
Shirley MacLaine's performance, originally scheduled for Friday, January 20 has been changed to Thursday, January 12 at 8 p.m. at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.

Academy Award-winning actress, dancer and author Shirley MacLaine will share with the audience a montage of memorable film moments and private revelations about her extraordinary life, career and spiritual journey. Ms. MacLaine's five decade career includes 50 feature films, an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, six Emmy Awards, the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award and the title of international best-selling author. A longtime outspoken advocate for civil rights and liberties, women's rights and spiritual understanding, MacLaine remains committed to boldly speaking her truth, unedited and uncensored.

Tickets are available for the mezzanine, rear orchestra and balcony. Tickets are $35-$75.

For more information, click here.

The Mt. San Jacinto College Art Gallery will be hosting its Annual Holiday Sale, a popular community event that features the handmade work of artisans from around the Inland Empire. There will be a wide range of affordable items for purchase such as jewelry, ceramics, knitted items, stationary, tree ornaments, gourds, and other miscellaneous items. Many items can be purchased for under $10, making this sale an affordable option for holiday shopping.

The Annual Holiday Sale will run from Monday, December 5th through Friday, December 9th, 10am until 6pm at the MSJC Art Gallery, in Building 1400, on the San Jacinto campus. Refreshments will be served and gift wrapping will be available.

The Annual Holiday Sale is the MSJC Art Gallery's primary fundraiser, in which a portion of the proceeds from each sale will go toward future gallery exhibitions and events. The sale also provides the community with a great opportunity to support its local artisans and to purchase unique, handmade holiday gifts for family and friends.

For more information, please call 951-487-3585 or visit www.msjc.edu/artgallery.

Cathedral City, CA--Julia, Cameron, world famous author of the bestselling books "The Artist's Way" and "Right to Write" will be the morning's keynote speaker at Creative Change Conference's "Creative Myths and Monsters" day long conference on October 8, 2011. The conference will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and costs $100 which includes lunch. It will be held at the Doral Desert Princess Hotel located at 67967 Vista Chino Drive in Cathedral City.

Julia Cameron has had a remarkable career, which in turn has given remarkable help to others. Herself an award-winning poet, playwright, and filmmaker, she has written thirty books.

Despite her extensive film and theater credits, which include such diverse work as Miami Vice and the prize-winning romantic comedy God's Will, which she both wrote and directed, Cameron is best known for her hugely successful works on creativity.

"The Artist's Way" has sold more than two million copies worldwide, and her follow up bestsellers "The Vein of Gold" and "Write to Right" are likewise flagship books which are taught in universities, churches, human potential centers and even in tiny clusters deep in the jungles of Panama.

Credited with founding a new human potential movement that has enabled millions to realize their creative dreams, Cameron eschews the title creativity expert, preferring instead to describe herself simply as an artist. "Artists have always mentored, I just do it on a wider scale."

Cameron will open the conference for a full morning lecture. Lunch and an afternoon of workshops and activities facilitated by drummer, dancer and therapist Mary Gordon; artist/writer and arts healing mentor Kimberly Nichols; Playback Theater facilitator Dr. Cindy Carter and sisters and life coaches Leslie Gebhart, M.A. and Carolyn Ingram, Ed.D, will follow this.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 760-346-4606 or via email at catbaum@earthlink.net.

SAN BERNARDINO - It keeps getting better and better as the California Theatre of the Performing Arts keeps adding more and more exciting shows to its all-star line up for the 2011-2012 season.

New to the season is the four-day Showtime Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival, starring such top comedians as Rita Ruder, Tommy Chong, Jay Mohr and many others, Aug. 25-28. All 11 shows will be filmed by Showtime.

Other new shows include "Forever Tango, starring Cheryl Burke from TV's "Dancing With the Stars," Jan. 19, 2012; "Masquerade" Halloween show, Oct. 28; "The Wizard of Oz," Nov. 22-23; the incredible Lily Tomlin, Jan. 29, 2012; the hit Broadway musical "Rock of Ages," April 5-6, 2012; and Cirque Dreams' "Pop Goes the Rock," April 24, 2012

The new additions join such previously announced shows and entertainers as "Riverdance," the Brian Setzer Orchestra, Amy Grant, Michael Bolton, "42nd Street," "Dora the Explorer," Canned Heat, Phil Vassar, and the Moscow Festival Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet."

Other shows include the silent film classic "Nosferatu," comedian Brad Garrett, "Tuesdays With Morrie," "My Fair Lady," Chuck Berry, Chubby Checker, five concerts by the San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, "Celebrate America," and "Mariachi Christmas."

2011-2012 Season at the
California Theatre of the Performing Arts

August
• Showtime Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival, Aug. 25-28
September
• Michael Bolton, Sept. 1
• Amy Grant, Sept. 9
• Chuck Berry, Sept. 16
• Chubby Checker, Sept. 17
• Barenaked Ladies, Sept.18
October
• "Contrasts," San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Oct. 1
• Phil Vassar, Oct. 7
• Garth Brooks Tribute, Oct. 8
• "Nosferatu," Mighty Wurlitzer Organ, Oct. 15
• "The Joy Luck Club," Oct. 21-23
• "Masquerade--Halloween Show, Oct. 28
• "Recuerdos," Dia de Los Muertos Gran Celebration, Sinfonia Mexicana, Oct. 29
November
• Stephen Curtis Chapman, Nov. 3
• "Riverdance," Nov. 4-6
• Canned Heat & The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Nov. 11
• "Evening by the Rhine," San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Nov. 19
• "The Wizard of Oz," Nov. 22-23
December
• "The Nutcracker," Dec. 2-4, Inland Dance Theatre
• Mannheim Steamroller Christmas, Dec. 7
• "Mariachi Christmas," Sinfonia Mexicana, Dec. 10
• Brad Garrett, Dec. 16
• Brian Setzer Orchestra, Dec. 18
January 2012
• "Wondrous Winds," San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Jan. 15
• "Forever Tango," Jan. 19
• "My Fair Lady," Jan. 26
• Lily Tomlin, Jan. 29
February 2012
• Sinfonia Mexicana, Feb. 3
• "Best of Ballroom" Feb. 4
• Dora the Explorer, Feb. 10-11
• The Association & Jay and The Americans, Feb. 17
• Moscow Festival Ballet's "Romeo and Juliet," Feb. 18
March 2012
• "Orchestral Treasures," San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, March 10
• "42nd Street," March 16-18
• "Rugrats," March 23-24
April 2012
• "Rock of Ages," April 5-6
• "Tuesdays with Morrie" April 14
• "The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber," April 20-22
• Cirque Dreams: "Pop Goes the Rock," April 24
May 2012
• "Selena," May 11-12
• Tchaikovsky's Finest," San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, May 19
• "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," May 25-27
June 2012
• "Celebrate America" June 30

All programs are at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts, 562 W. Fourth St., San Bernardino. For season tickets, call (909) 885-5152.

Performances:
May 6, 7, 13, 14 at 7:00p.m.
May 8, 15 at 5:00p.m.

Location:
Calvary Baptist Church 1718 North Orange Street, Riverside, CA 92501

Tickets:
Presale- $8 Adults, $7 Child/Senior
Door- $10 Adults, $8 Child/Senior

Contact: Email: info@goldleaftheatreproductions.com
Box Office: (951)398-1105

Website: www.goldleaftheatreproductions.com

SAN BERNARDINO - Comedian Jon Lovitz, known best for his memorable characters on TV's "Saturday Night Live," hosts some of the best standup performers around in Showtime's "Jon Lovitz Presents," filmed at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts.

"Jon Lovitz Presents" will air eight times from April 23 through May 23 on three Showtime channels, and on the premium station's On Demand channel from April 24 to May 21.

Lovitz, who owns his own Los Angeles comedy club, performed in last July's Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival at the theater and brought along fellow comics Ian Bagg, Daryl Wright, Al De Bene and Quinn Dahle as part of his show.

This is the third Showtime special filmed at the California Theatre during the two-day LOL Comedy Festival. Comedian and actor Tom Arnold starred in the first special in January, followed by comic Caroline Rhea in March. Future shows will feature Louie Anderson and the "Legally Brown" tour.

"This is another wonderful opportunity to show the nation how beautiful the California Theatre really is, and what a great venue it is," said Joseph Henson of Theatrical Arts International, which manages the theater for the City of San Bernardino Economic Development Agency.

Lovitz studied at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in the Film Actors Workshop. He then went on to do guest spots on TV and had a recurring role on "Foley Square." Lovitz also played small roles in "Last Resort," "Ratboy," and did voice work for the animated film "The Brave Little Toaster."

The actor got his big break with as a regular on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," where he portrayed such memorable characters as pathological liar Tommy Flanagan, the great Shakespearean ham Master Thespian, and the Devil.

His stint on the "Saturday Night Live" put him in demand as a character actor and television guest star. His friendship with director Penny Marshall helped him get roles in some of her earlier films such as "Big," and his role as the fast talking baseball recruiter Ernie "Cappy" Capadino in Marshall's "A League of Their Own" earned him widespread acclaim.

Lovitz has also appeared as a guest voice on "The Simpsons" and played the lead voice in the critically acclaimed animated show "The Critic" on ABC and the Fox Network.

Bagg, a native of British Columbia, moved to New York in 1996 and became a regular at clubs like the Comic Strip and the Comedy cellar. He appeared on Conan O'Brien's show three times. He has also performed at the Aspen Comedy Festival, the Montreal Comedy Festival, and on "HBO Showcase Comics" and "Friday Nights."

He also has appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "The Late Late Show" with Craig Kilborn and Craig Ferguson, and on Comedy Central. On the History Channel he did episodes for the series "History of the Joke."

Boston native De Bene has performed comedy for more than 15 years, alongside such comics as Jay Davis, Robert Kelly, Dane Cook and Nick Thune. He has hosted numerous shows at the Famous Laugh Factory in West Hollywood and has appeared on television and in films.

Wright got his start in comedy in San Antonio, when a bar owner asked him to participate in an open night performance. After some hecklers chased him out of the bar, he returned the following week and won over the same guys with his act. He has performed at clubs throughout the country.

Dahle has done stand-up at in clubs, colleges and corporate events around the country. He has worked with such names as Robin Williams, Drew Carey, Norm McDonald, Bill Maher, Frank Caliendo, Tommy Chong and David Alan Grier.

What originally opened as a vaudeville and movie house in 1928, the California Theatre today presents a full season of entertainment options, including plays, classical music, Broadway musical tours and original musicals, pop and rock acts, standup comedy, ballet, and silent movies.

The 1,718-seat venue is home to such local institutions as Theatrical Arts International, WorldWide Theatricals, San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra, Inland Dance Theatre, Sinfonia Mexicana and other groups who regularly perform there.

'JON LOVITZ PRESENTS'
WHAT: Comedian Jon Lovitz performs and hosts fellow comics Ian Bagg, Daryl Wright, Al De Bene and Quinn Dahle, filmed at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino.
WHEN: All times PDT
*Sat. April 23, 9 p.m., Showtime
*Mon. April 25, 10 p.m., Showtime Showcase
*Mon. April 25, 3:25 a.m., Showtime Showcase
*Wed. April 27, Midnight, Showtime 2
*Thurs. April 28, 12:05 a.m., Showtime Showcase
*Fri. April 29, 2:45 a.m., Showtime
*Sat. April 30, 2:45 a.m., Showtime 2
*Mon. May 23, 2:30 a.m., Showtime
*The comedy special also is available on Showtime's On Demand from April 24 to May 21.
INFO: www.showtime.com

Gold Leaf Theatre Productions is hosting auditions for "Scotland Road" written by Jeffrey Hatcher.

Auditions will be held on March 21st from 6-8:30p.m and March 24th from 7:30-9p.m at Calvary Baptist Church 1718 N. Orange Street, Riverside 92501.

Please bring a prepared monologue to this audition. We will also be doing cold readings from the script.

Performances will be held on May 6, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15.
Show-times are 7p.m on Fridays and Saturdays, and 5p.m on Sundays.

If you are interested in auditioning, email Danielle at: info@goldleaftheatreproductions.com or call (951) 398-1105. For more information on this audition, please visit our website www.goldleaftheatreproductions.com and click on the "Audition Info" tab.

Brief Summary:
In the last decade of the twentieth century, a beautiful young woman in nineteenth-century clothing is found floating on an iceberg in the middle of the North Atlantic. When rescued, she says only one word: Titanic. The woman, Winifred, is taken to Maine where an expert on the sinking of the liner, a mysterious man named John, has arranged to interrogate her for six days. His goal: to crack her story, get her to confess she's a fake, and reveal her true identity; his one clue: her enigmatic references to an unknown place called "Scotland Road." (Special thanks to Dramatists Play Service)

From UCR

Los Angeles Times book critic David L. Ulin will speak at UC Riverside at 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2 in room 1113 of the CHASS Interdisciplinary building. His new book is "The Lost Art of Reading: Why Books Matter in a Distracted Time."

His talk is free and open to the public, sponsored by UC Riverside's Department of Creative Writing. His book is part memoir and part commentary. It discusses concentrating on the written word at a time when digital technology and multi-media content is so prevalent and seductive.

Ulin served as the book editor of the Los Angeles Times from 2005 to 2010. He is also the author of "The Myth of Solid Ground: Earthquakes, Prediction, and the Fault Line Between Reason and Faith," selected as a Best Book of 2004 by the San Francisco Chronicle and the Chicago Tribune, and the editor of "Another City: Writing from Los Angeles" and "Writing Los Angeles: A Literary Anthology," which won a 2002 California Book Award.
He has written for The Atlantic Monthly, The Nation, The New York Times Book Review, and National Public Radio's All Things Considered; his essay "The Half-Birthday of the Apocalypse" was nominated for a 2004 Pushcart Prize. For the 2008-2009 academic year, he was a visiting professor in the MFA in Creative Writing Program at the California Institute of the Arts. He is currently a faculty member in UCR's low-residency MFA in creative writing, based at the Palm Desert Graduate Center.

Suzanne LaRusch stars as Lucille Ball in "Thank You for Asking"

The evening will be a celebration of the first lady of television with this unique show that has been crafted in the spirit of the amusing lectures Lucy enjoyed giving throughout her career. The evening recreates the comic genius and the magic behind the "Queen of Comedy"
"Thank You for Asking" is performed by the wonderfully talented Suzanne LaRusch. The evening is written by LaRusch in association with Lucy & Desi's daughter, Lucy Arnez. The evening guides us through the lifetime of Lucy's personal memories inspiring her timeless sketches on "I Love Lucy," her 30-year television career and some never-before heard personal recollections about her tempestuous and complicated marriage to Cuban bandleader turned impresario, Desi Arnaz. It's the Lucy the whole world loved - from "Ricardo" to Mame - but, more importantly, it's an evening with the REAL Lucy, as you've never seen her before.

The show is on Oct. 23 at 2 p.m. The Sturges Center for the Fine Arts is located at 780 N "E" Street, San Bernardino, CA 92410

Single Tickets prices range from $19 to $45. You can purchase tickets at online at www.sturgescenter.org, www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at 909.885.5152.

The Sturges Center for the Fine Arts in Downtown San Bernardino, will kick off their 2010-2011 Season, starting Oct.2.

The season will open with a hilarious Noel Coward classic comedy "Blithe Spirit", Saturday Oct. 2 at 2 p.m.

Country Singer Terri Clark will reach deep inside her soul with her solo acoustic tour "Unplugged and Alone" on Friday Oct. 15 at 8p.m.
A favorite of many decades for the entire family "Alice In Wonderland: A Rock Opera" will be on stage Saturday, Oct. 30 at 2p.m.
"An Evening With Lucille Ball in Thank You For Asking" starring Suzanne LaRusch and directed by Lucy Arnaz will be at the Sturges Center Saturday Oct. 23.

"Remembering The Ladies" starring internationally acclaimed Toni Morrell featuring the music of Edith Piaf, Judy Garland, Lena Horn and Liza Minnelli Sunday Nov. 21 at 2 p.m.

"Hotel California" recreating the music of the Eagles will take you back to the 70's, Sunday, Dec. 4 at 8 p.m.

"Comedy Pet Theater" starring the international acclaimed Gregory Popovich and his talented and hilarious 15 trained cats and 10 trained dogs, Friday Jan. 21 at 8 p.m.
"Forever Plaid" will bring it's quirky off beat tribute to the love of 1950's music Sunday, Jan. 30 at 2 p.m.

"CJ Emmons Presents LA Vocals, singing songs from THE COLOR PURPLE", Saturday, Feb. 12.
Dick Hardwick in "Classic Comedy" will laugh its way to the Sturges Center stage on Feb. 19.
"Swingin' The Benny Goodman Songbook" will captivate you with rich classical jazz history, of the 1930's and 1940's Sunday, April 10 at 2 p.m.

Topping off the season is a stunning evening of mystery with "Ten Little Indians" by one the best-selling mystery authors of all times, Agatha Christie, Saturday, April 16 at 2 p.m.

Single Tickets prices will range from $19.00 to $45.00. Season subscriptions are also available by calling the Box Office. You can purchase tickets at the Sturges Box Office, 780 North "E" Street, on line at www.sturgescenter.org, www.ticketmaster.com and by phone at (909) 885-5152 or (909) 384-7100.

From the California Theatre of the Performing Arts

The California Theatre of the Performing Arts in San Bernardino will present the Laugh Out Loud Comedy Festival July 30 and 31, 2010.

Comedy Headliners, Tom Arnold, True Lies, Best Damn Sports Show Period, Caroline Rhea, The Caroline Rhea Show, The Biggest Loser, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Louie Anderson The Louie Show, Life with Louie, and Jon Lovitz Saturday Night Live, The Critic to perform at the LOL Comedy Festival.

Each of the five celebrity performances will be filmed live for the Showtime Network.
Outside the theatre from 5 pm to 11 pm on both Friday and Saturday nights there will be free events open to the public. There will be free stand up comedians, music and limited direct feeds from the entertainers inside the theatre to entertain the crowds. The outside festival will have food, drinks and fun. The entertainment outside is open to an adult only audience.

Inside the California Theatre there will be five celebrity events.

Event Schedule
July 30, 2010 5pm: Free outdoor Festival begins outside the theatre. Featuring stand up comedians, music, food and fun.

July 30, 2010 8:00 pm: Tom Arnold performs at the California Theatre

July 30, 2010 9:30 pm: Legally Brown starring Willie Barcena, Alex Reymundo, Gerry Bednob, Crystela Alonzo

July 30, 2010 11:00 pm: Outdoor Festival Ends.

July 31, 2010 5 pm: Free outdoor Festival begins outside the theatre. Featuring stand up comedians, music, food and fun.

July 31, 2010 6 pm Caroline Rhea performs at the California Theatre

July 31, 2010 8 pm Louie Anderson performs at the California Theatre

July 31, 2011 9:30 pm Jon Lovitz performs at the California Theatre

July 31, 2010 11:00 pm Outdoor festival closes.

Performances held at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts 562 West 4th Street, San Bernardino CA.

Tickets are available from www.ticketmaster.com or by calling the California Theatre of the Performing Arts box office at (909) 885-5152 Monday thru Friday 10:00 am to 9 pm.

Ticket prices vary for celebrity events from $19.00-49.00
Legally Brown tickets are $10.00-15.00

For more information log on to www.californiatheatre.net

LOL Celebrity Acts:

TOM ARNOLD July 30, 2010 8:00 pm
As a writer, producer, and actor, Tom Arnold has established himself to both television and film audiences worldwide, having won such awards as the Peabody Award and a Golden Globe Award. Additionally, he helped put Fox Sports Network on the map with his hosting duties on "BEST DAMN SPORTS SHOW PERIOD." He recently returned to Fox Sports Network as both producer and host of the kids' baseball show "KID PITCH"
Arnold cornered the market on playing the resident comic relief in films like "NINE MONTHS" with Hugh Grant, Julianne Moore, and Robin Williams, "TRUE LIES" with Arnold Schwarzenegger, "HERO" with Dustin Hoffman, and "AUSTIN POWERS: INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY" with Mike Myers.

Arnold has successfully broken out of the comedic stereotype and is becoming a fixture at film festivals by landing more mature and dramatic roles. He received critical praise for his role in "GARDENS OF THE NIGHT," opposite John Malkovich, "THE GREAT BUCK HOWARD" starring John Malkovich and Tom Hanks, "GOOD DICK" opposite Jason Ritter, and "THE YEAR OF GETTING TO KNOW US" opposite Sharon Stone, Jimmy Fallon and Lucy Liu. In 2005, he received critical notice for his role in Don Roos' "HAPPY ENDINGS" for Lions Gate Films. He was also seen in "PRIDE" opposite Terrance Howard, and "ANIMAL FACTORY," directed by Steve Buscemi. Other film credits include "SOUL PLANE," "CRADLE TO THE GRAVE," "EXIT WOUNDS" and "THE KID & I."

Arnold began his career in comedy at the University of Iowa before moving to Minneapolis, where he won the Minneapolis Comedy Competition in 1988. He then moved to Los Angeles to write on the highly successful television series, "ROSEANNE," before eventually serving as executive producer for the sitcom. He went on to star in his own HBO special entitled "TOM ARNOLD: THE NAKED TRUTH," and then wrote, produced and starred in his own television series "THE JACKIE THOMAS SHOW," "TOM" and "THE TOM SHOW."

Born in Iowa, Tom has established a writing scholarship and runs an acting workshop for students at the Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. Tom is heavily involved in many charities such as The Race to Erase MS, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, Best Buddies, Camp del Corazon, The Kayne Eras Center, Promises Foundation, Carousel of Hope, Arnold's Inner City Games, The Hollenbeck Christmas Giveaway, and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

Tom Arnold returned to his roots as a stand-up comic this past year. Never scripted, Tom pokes fun at his Midwest past, marital follies and absurd Hollywood stories. Just like his past film and television comedy work, Tom is a ball of chaos and charisma on stage. He hosts the popular "Laughing With The Stars" weekly comedy show at The Laugh Factory in West Hollywood featuring supporting acts ranging from rising young comics to all-time favorites. His shows are famous for their loose atmosphere with Tom breaking down the walls between his fellow comics and the audience. No one is quite sure what to expect any given night.

Legally Brown: July 30, 2010 9:30 pm
Timely and political a number of "Legally" Brown comedians comment on immigration and their experiences in America. The show feature Willie Baecena, Gerry Bednob, Cristela Alonzo and Alex Reymundo.

Comedian Willie Barcena, an 18-year comedy veteran, never shys away from a challenge. He just completed a two-year run with The Morning Show on KSFM 102.5 Sacramento. During that time The Morning Show shot to the number one spot in this highly competitive market.

Willie's talent has garnered him 10 appearances on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno." Jay even invited Willie to perform for the troops in Afghanistan. Barcena helped provide much-needed laughter to that part of the world.

Willie's numerous jobs prepared him for his comedy career. His security guard, plumber, roofer, and limo driver gigs gave him a background for his humor about everyday life. After 12 years of stand-up roadwork Willie is now ready for new challenges. He has written and performed a one-man show entitled "Cry Like a Man." This highly acclaimed performance demonstrates the struggle of a blue-collar comic in today's society.

In addition to being a comedy road warrior, Willie has appeared on many TV shows including: "Moesha," "The Wayans Brothers," and he was chosen to be the host of the popular Si-Tv production "Latino Laugh Festival - The Show."

He's also made multiple appearances on tours such as "Que Locos," "Latino Laugh Festival," "Montreal's Just for Laughs," and "Crown Royal Latin All Stars Comedy Explosion." Most recently, Willie had his one-hour Comedy Central receive rave reviews.

Gerry Bednob
A Trinidad born comedian, he made appearances in the TV series The Wonder Years and the film Encino Man, before winning the 1993 Star Search International Stand-Up Competition. It was as a comic where he met writer/director Judd Apatow, and was cast as Mr. Burundi on the Fox television show, Undeclared. This relationship led to Gerry's breakthrough role as Mooj in the film, The 40-Year-Old Virgin. He would follow up on the success of this with numerous roles in film and TV including Witless Protection with Larry the Cable Guy, and Walk Hard with Jenna Fischer and John C. Reilly.
Gerry currently appears as Bling Bling Shelton in Free Radio on Vh1. He had a role in the 2010 film Furry Vengeance, with Brendan Fraser and Brooke Shields, playing Mr. Gupta.

Cristela Alonzo is one of stand-up comedy's bold, new talents. With a powerful and engaging presence, she quips on her favorite topics such as pop culture, music, video games, and her life growing up in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
In the last 5 years, Cristela has performed stand-up in clubs and theatres across the country in several national tours, appeared on Comedy Central's "Live at Gotham", the South Beach Comedy Festival and the Latino Laugh Festival. She's been a writer for shows on Comedy Central and MSN. Cristela has won numerous awards for writing several short films that have screened at festivals nationwide, including Best Writing at the 48 Hour Film Festival and First Place at the Boston Comedy Festival. Most recently, Cristela was deeply honored to perform at the annual conference for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington, D.C.

When Cristela isn't performing stand-up, writing, making films, playing video games, watching The Cosby Show and Golden-Girls reruns, or listening to musicals, she likes to sleep in her spare time.

Cristela was most recently featured on the current season of NBC's "Last Comic Standing" as a semifinalist.

ALEX REYMUNDO - Comic/Writer/Actor/Producer and Cool Dude
Best known as one of the "Original Latin Kings of Comedy," alongside George Lopez, Cheech Marin, Paul Rodriguez and Joey Medina, Reymundo has seen a whirlwind of success in the past few years.

Alex just concluded a development deal with Showtime that saw his first one hour comedy special, "Hick-Spanic," premiere on Showtime and then again on Comedy Central. Reymundo shot his stand-up show before a live audience in Albuquerque, NM at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, rocking the house with his uniquely branded style of comedy, half-Latino and half-Hillbilly, all Hick-Spanic. Reymundo shares his perspective witt of growing up as an immigrant in a large Mexican family in Texas, to then marrying a Blond Haired Blue-eyed Southern Belle form Kentucky.
Home Media & Latin DVD Awards just presented "Hick-Spanic" with "Best Latin Stand-up DVD of the year 07", edging out nominations of George Lopez, Carlos Mencia & Gabriel Iglesias.

Alex also Executive produced and hosted the follow up to the Latin Kings of Comedy, "The Original Latin Divas of Comedy" and "Payaso Comedy Slam." Both specials premiered on Showtime and Comedy Central.

Currently performing on a two year nationwide tour with old buddy and fellow Texan Ron "tater salad" White, who is best known from the hugely successful "Blue Collar Comedy Tour," Reymundo brings to this stage the humor of his southern blue collar roots with the drive of a Latino immigrant for a clash of cultures which is ultimately hysterical and proving that no audience is beyond his reach.

This bilingual performer has lent his lightness to many corporations, associations, and products, all the while, keeping his eye on the moral responsibility to his community. His feature credits include, "The Movement," "El Matador," animated feature "Cars, "Permanent Vacation," "The Original Latin Kings of Comedy," "Hick- Spanic, Live in Albuquerque" "The Payaso Comedy Slam", "The Original Latin Divas of Comedy", and P. Diddy's "Bad Boys of Comedy".
www.Hick-Spanic.com

CAROLINE RHEA: July 31, 2010 6:00 pm
Caroline Rhea, stand-up comedian and actress, brings a fresh, smart and spontaneous approach to all of her work.

In 1989, Caroline ventured to New York to start her career in stand-up comedy. She studied in the stand-up program at the New School of Social Research and trained at the comedy club, Catch a Rising Star. With nightly gigs at New York's venerable clubs, Caroline's status quickly grew and she became an integral part of the city's comedy scene. Her career was further boosted by numerous appearances on "MTV's Half-Hour Comedy Hour," "Comic Strip Live" and "Caroline's Comedy Hour." For the last seventeen years, Caroline has continued to perform to sold-out audiences in top comedy clubs all over the country and in Canada.

Her feature credits include, "The Perfect Man," with Heather Locklear, a supporting role in "Man on the Moon," the story of the late comedian Andy Kaufman, co-starring Jim Carrey, "Christmas With the Kranks," opposite Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis, and the wrestling film, "Ready to Rumble," opposite Oliver Platt, David Arquette and Scott Caan. Caroline's television career has taken off since she first starred as
Aunt Hilda on The WB's sitcom "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch." She starred in Lifetime's made for television movie "Fat Like Me," and was the host of NBC's "The Biggest Loser." She was last seen in a one hour stand up special, part of Bravo's "Funny Girls," entitled "Rhea's Anatomy," which aired on Halloween 2006. Other credits include; host of "The Caroline Rhea Show," regular guest on Whoopi Goldberg's "Hollywood Squares," Drew's girlfriend on "The Drew Carey Show," the made for television movie "Mom's Got a Date with a Vampire," "Pride and Joy" on NBC, Comedy Central's "Pulp Comic," "Comic Relief 8" and "One Night Stand 2005." She also appeared in the pilot of HBO's "Curb Your Enthusiasm," written by Larry David.

LOUIE ANDERSON: July 31, 2010 8pm
Two-time Emmy award winner Louie Anderson is one of the country's most recognized and adored comics and was named by Comedy Central as "One of 100 Greatest Stand-Up Comedians of All Time."

Currently he is headlining in his own show, "Louie-Larger Than Life" at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino on the famed Las Vegas Strip. Anderson began his career at a comedy club in his native Minneapolis, when on a dare from friends; he got up on stage and performed.

His big break came in 1984 when he appeared on "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson" who was so impressed with the comic; he called him out for a rare and coveted "second bow."

Anderson's stand-up comedy career skyrocketed. Known as a "clean" comedian, his stories about growing up in the Midwest, being one of 11 children and dealing with an alcoholic father provided endless material for the comic with audiences of all types relating to his everyday life experiences.

The multi-talented performer went on to do television and movies starring in his own CBS sitcom "The Louie Show" and his own comedy specials for both HBO and Showtime.
Anderson also has guest starred on such popular sitcoms as "Scrubs" and "Grace Under Fire," dramas like "Touched by an Angel" and "Chicago Hope." He also has appeared in memorable featured roles in such films as "Coming to America" opposite Eddie Murphy.
The multi-talented comedian/actor's resume also includes the syndicated hit series, "Family Feud" and being executive producer and creator of the two-time Emmy Award winning animated series on FOX "Life With Louie."

Anderson is also a best selling author and has written three books including the best selling first book Dear Dad-Letters From An Adult Child in 1989.
Anderson, a humanitarian, is co-founder of the H.E.R.O. organization whose mission is to empower people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness to attain maximum self-sufficiency.

He also spends many hours working with numerous other charities in keeping with his philosophy of giving back to his community whenever he can.

Jon Lovitz: July 31, 2010 9:30 pm
Jon Lovitz is a versatile comedic actor instantly recognizable for his distinctive voice, acerbic wit, pear-shaped body, and hangdog eyes. He studied at the University of California, Irvine, and participated in the Film Actors Workshop. He then went on to do guest spots on TV and had a recurring role on Foley Square. Lovitz also played small roles in Last_Resort (1986), and Ratboy (1986), and also provided a voice for the animated feature The_Brave_Little_Toaster (1987). He got his first real break as a regular on TV's Saturday_Night_Live, where his characters such as Tommy Flanagan of pathological Liars Anonymous, the great Shakespearean ham Master Thespian, and the Devil himself became quite popular. His stint on Saturday_Night_Live put him in demand as a character actor and television guest star. His friendship with director Penny_Marshall helped him get roles in some of her earlier films such as Big (1988), and his role as the fast talking baseball recruiter Ernie "Cappy" Capadino in Marshall's A League of Their Own (1992) earned him widespread acclaim. Lovitz has also appeared as a guest voice on the TV animated show The_Simpsons and played lead voice in the critically-acclaimed animated show The_Critic on ABC and the Fox Network.

Louie Anderson is just one of the celebrity comedians performing at the LOL Comedy Festival filmed live for the Showtime Network. The performance is July 31, 2010 at 8 pm at the California Theatre of the Performing Arts 562 West 4th Street in san Bernardino. Don't miss you chance to see the comedy sensation. For tickets call (909) 885-5152 or www.ticketmaster.com For more information log on to www.californiatheatre.net

Louie Anderson is one of the most versatile and successful comedians working in Hollywood today, loved by the television audiences who never missed his nightly hit series "Family Feud" or his appearances on late night chat shows. He is adored by standing-room-only crowds in Las Vegas and respected by readers of his books. He is worshiped by the rising comics he mentors and encourages with his honesty and wisdom.

Sharing the ups and downs of his childhood experiences as one of eleven children in Minnesota, Louie crafted comedy routines that rang true for his early club audiences while reducing them to helpless fits of laughter, routines that led him from his career as a counselor to troubled children to the first-place trophy at the 1981 Midwest Comedy Competition. Henny Youngman, who hosted the competition, recognized the diamond-in-the-rough genius of the young comic and hired him as a writer, providing invaluable experience that soon put Louie in his own spotlight on comedy stages all over the country.

Johnny Carson, the comedy icon for generations of rising stars, invited Louie to make his national television debut on the "The Tonight Show" in 1984, and the rest is history. Leno, Letterman, "Comic Relief" and Showtime and HBO specials followed, making Louie a household name and opening doors for him as an actor. He has guest-starred in sitcoms like "Grace Under Fire" and dramas like "Touched by an Angel" and "Chicago Hope," and he has had memorable featured roles in film comedies like "Coming to America," opposite of Eddie Murphy, and the classic "Ferris Bueller's Day Off." He is also host of the hilarious "Comedy Showcase," the late-night series that follows "Saturday Night Live."

In 1995 Louie put his creative energies to work on the Saturday morning animated series "Life with Louie." The long-running series based on Louie's own childhood and his life with his father won three Humanitas Prizes for writing on a childrens' animated series, making him the only three-time recipient of this award. It also earned a Genesis Award for its depiction of the proper treatment of animals and, most significantly, two Emmy Awards.

His best selling books include Dear Dad - Letters From An Adult Child, a collection of alternately touching and outrageous letters from Louie to his late father, and Good-bye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World, self-help for those who struggle with self-esteem issues, as only an award-winning comedian could write it.

Louie recently finished writing his newest installment on family,THE F WORD, HOW TO SURVIVE YOUR FAMILY. Now, Louie is traveling the States doing what Louie loves to do, Stand Up Comedy. Louie again delivers to his fans his inimitable brand of humor and warmth.