The Henry Miller Memorial Library in Big Sur presents Paul D. Miller aka "DJ Spooky -That Subliminal Kid!" on Friday, August 15 at 8:00 PM. Miller has recorded a huge volume of music and has collaborated with a wide variety of musicians and composers such as Iannis Xenakis, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Kronos Quartet, Kool Keith a.k.a. Doctor Octagon, Pierre Boulez, Killa Priest from Wu-Tang Clan, Steve Reich, Yoko Ono and Thurston Moore from Sonic Youth among many others. He also composed and recorded the music score for the Cannes and Sundance Award winning film Slam, starring critically acclaimed poet Saul Williams. Miller continues to add to his creative output across a broad cultural spectrum. He traveled to Antarctica in December 2007 to gather sonic and visual materials for his next large scale work Terra Nova: The Antarctic Suite, commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival, Dartmouth College, and Change Performing Arts in Milan. www.henrymiller.org

Santa Cruz's favorite dance band Sambada returns to Moe’s Alley in Santa Cruz for an all-out dance party for one night only on Friday, August 15 at 9:30 pm. SambaDá is one of the hottest emerging groups on the West Coast music scene, with their mixture of hard hitting dance music and exceptional live show earning them main stage slots at most of the major California music festivals this year. In February, SambaDá headlined the 3 biggest carnival parties in California, in San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. They were a featured band in the San Francisco Carnival held in May, and have played main stage slots at the Harmony Festival, Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Whole Earth Festival. Most recently they headlined the Salem World Beat Festival, where they wowed more than 6000 people. While Brazilin natives Papiba Godinho and Dandha da Hora bring their profound knowledge and respect for the roots of afro-brazilian song and dance, the entire band has developed a type of samba-reggae-funk with a universal appeal. SambaDá musically unites the Americas, drawing from percussion based styles of South and Central America, and blends it with that good old funk and reggae back beat so familiar to crowds of North America.

The game is afoot at The Western Stage with Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure by Steven Dietz. The world’s greatest detective has retired, when a case presents itself that is too tempting to ignore: The King of Bohemia is to be blackmailed, and at the heart of the crime is Irene Adler, the famous opera singer. Holmes pursues first the case, and then Miss Adler—and marches into the lair of his archenemy: Professor Moriarty. August 15 – September 7 at the Hartnell College Performing Arts Center in Salinas, and at Carmel’s Sunset Center September 12, 13, and 14. Performances are Fri and Sat at 8pm and Sunday at 2 pm. Ask about the Gala Reception and Silent Auction to benefit TWS
programs on Saturday, September 13th! For tickets visit westernstage.com or call (831-375-2111 or 831-755-6816.

SpectorDance Company performs at the beautiful Big Sur Spirit Garden on Saturday, August 16 at 8:00 PM, presenting their signature style of multi-media art, blending dance, live music, film, and spoken word. SpectorDance Company uses original rock music by Kurt Burkhart and his LA-based band, and integrated film by William Roden. For over a decade, SpectorDance Company has presented award-winning dance media works including Figures in the Dust, Common Ground and The Myth Project. Recently SpectorDance Company was a Finalist for National Ovations Television award for "Excellence in the Performing Arts." Director, Spector Atkins has received numerous choreographic awards including the prestigious Dewar's Young Artists Recognition Award for the State of California. SpectorDance was selected by The Arts Council for Monterey County as "Outstanding Arts Organization in Monterey County" (2007). The Spirit Garden is located 26 miles south of Carmel at Loma Vista along Highway 1 next to the Big Sur Bakery. For more information contact jayson@bigsurspiritgarden.com or 831-667-1300.

The Santa Cruz County Symphony invites music lovers to attend a Season Prelude Party on Sunday afternoons, August 17 and 24 from 3:00-5:0 pm. Guests will enjoy a preview of the Symphony’s 2008/09 season from featured speakers, including Concertmaster Kristina Anderson on August 17, and Music Director John Larry Granger on August 24. The parties will be hosted in private homes in Santa Cruz. The events are free and open to the public.  R.S.V.P.s are required.  Please call the Symphony’s office at (831) 462-0553 x10 to make a reservation. 

Continuing:

Cabrillo Stage presents the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by the legendary writing team of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. It tells the story of the final seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, always leaving audiences captivated by its power. through August 17 (Thursday through Saturday evening performances at 8:00 pm, weekend matinees at 3:00 pm). At the Cabrillo College Theater, 6500 Soquel Drive, Aptos. Tickets: 831-479-6154 and www.cabrillostage.com

The Western Stage continues its 2008 season with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s beloved musical classic The Sound of Music. Among the show’s popular standards are “Do, Re, Mi,” “My Favorite Things,” and of course, “The Sound of Music.” The Sound of Music will feature local favorite Reg Huston as Captain von Trapp, Lauren Chaney as Maria, and seven talented young performers as the von Trapp children Plays through 23 on the Main Stage, Hartnell College Performing Arts Center. Performances are Fri and Sat at 8 pm and Sun at 2 pm. To purchase tickets, visit The Western Stage online at westernstage.com or call the box office at (831) 375-2111/(831) 755-6816.

Shakespeare Santa Cruz, the professional theater company in residence at UC Santa Cruz, presents Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and All’s Well That Ends Well in the outdoor festival glen plus two contemporary plays, Burn This and Bach at Leipzig, in the indoor Mainstage Theater. Shakespeare Santa Cruz’s summer season runs through August 31. Tickets are available at santacruztickets.com.

Coming up:

The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur presents An Evening of Chamber Music featuring Philip Glass and Wendy Sutter on Friday, August 22 at 8:00 PM. Program includes Etude No. 2 and Etude No. 10: Philip Glass, piano; Songs and Poems for Solo Cello: Wendy Sutter, cello; The Orchard for Piano and Cello: Philip Glass and Wendy Sutter. Tickets will go on sale Monday, July 21. http://www.henrymiller.org/events.html

Grammy Award-winning saxophonist/singer Bill Evans makes his solo debut the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz with his Soulgrass Band featuring the legendary Sam Bush. It is an explosive combination of grassroots-fused Jazz. Bill started his career at the age of 22 with Miles Davis and has played on literally hundreds of cd’s since then. Bill has recorded 15 solo cd’s and performs 80+ solo concerts a year worldwide with his “Soulgrass” band and has as his special guest on the mandolin, vocal phenom Sam Bush. Wednesday, September 3 at 7:00 & 9:00pm. Tickets at Logos Books & Records in Downtown Santa Cruz, online at www.kuumbwajazz.org and by phone (866) 558-4253. (info: 831-427-2227)