A Press Democrat Blog

Arts

Dan Taylor on the fine arts scene.

Healdsburg Museum exhibits memorabilia from actor Fred MacMurray’s nearby ranch

Tuesday, at 7:00 by

Fred MacMurray is remembered as a successful screen actor, from his dark portrayal of a desperate man in the 1944 crime drama “Double Indemnity” to the title role of Disney’s “Absent-Minded Professor” in 1961. Above all, he was the ultimate father figure, whether he was playing the exasperated dad in the original “Shaggy Dog” film in 1959, or the wiser, calmer patriarch in 12 seasons of TV’s “My Three Sons,” from 1960 to 1972. In the Healdsburg area, MacMurray and… Read More »

Former Sonoma County artist hosts Australian TV series

Friday, at 10:50 by

Followers of local fine arts may remember an Australian painter named Graeme Stevenson, who lived and worked in Sonoma County for a decade, from 1991 to 2001, before returning to his homeland. He was back in Santa Rosa recently, talking about his Australian reality television series, “Put Some Color In Your Life.” A husky 54-year-old, with piercing blue eyes and reddish and white hair and beard, Stevenson doesn’t look much like the art critic type you might expect to host… Read More »

Santa Rosa singer Pete Stringfellow gets a bit part on ABC-TV’s ‘Nashville’

Wednesday, at 7:00 by

Santa Rosa actor and country singer Pete Stringfellow wants his fans and friends to tune in to ABC-TV’s “Nashville” at 10 tonight, May 8. Assuming he hasn’t been edited out, he’ll appear in several scenes as a member of a band’s road crew, speaking a few lines and even playing a little guitar. “Hopefully, I’ll make the cut,” he said. “They treated me like a rock star during the shoot. I had a stand-in and even a trailer.” Stringfellow, 40,… Read More »

The ‘House on the Hill’ from TV series is in Sonoma County

Wednesday, at 2:10 by

Local Facebook friends are buzzing about “The House on a Hill,” an independent TV series filmed in Sonoma County and starring Jeff Bodean of Santa Rosa. The show follows an aging rock star who moves out of Beverly Hills and into a secluded Gothic mansion in the countryside. The “mansion” is actually a $200,000 set that Bodean and his Crowhaven Productions company have constructed over the past two years indoors at the business park near the Charles M. Schulz/Sonoma County… Read More »

Santa Rosa comedian on TV

Wednesday, at 7:00 by

Santa Rosa stand-up comic Juan Carlos will make his first national television appearance Thursday, Jan. 5, on the Discovery Channel series, “I Almost Got Away With It.” The show will run at 6 and 9 p.m. on Comcast channel 804, Direct TV channel 285 and Dish Network channel 192. The comic will host a screening at 9 p.m. Thursday at the Sweet River Grill and Bar, 248 Coddingtown Mall, Santa Rosa. Information: (707) 526-0400. The comedian has performed in clubs… Read More »

Larry King’s Santa Rosa appearance canceled

Friday, at 12:35 by

Former TV talk show host Larry King’s appearance at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, scheduled for Jan. 8, has been canceled. A spokesman for the center said the event’s cancellation was “due to an unexpected scheduling conflict.” Patrons with tickets to the performance will receive a full refund, the center announced. Information: 546-3600, wellsfargocenterarts.org.  

‘Teen Wolf’ TV star’s band plays Phoenix Theatre

Thursday, at 10:06 by

When the cleverly named L.A. rock band Lost in Kostko performs Oct. 21 at Petaluma’s Phoenix Theatre, the performance should pack some extra bite. The band’s lead singer and guitarist is Tyler Posey, 19, star of the MTV series “Teen Wolf.” The band also includes guitarist and singer Freddy Ramirez, 19; bassist Jeremy Bauer, 17, and drummer Alex Gertsch, 18. The group has a new extended-play album out titled “ Lost in Kostko.” Posey (no, not the offspring of SF… Read More »

Glee star Jane Lynch speaks in San Rafael

Wednesday, at 2:55 by

Jane Lynch, one of the stars of the hit FOX-TV television series, “Glee,” will talk about her new memoir, “Happy Accidents,” at 7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 25, in Angelico Hall at Dominican University in San Rafael. Tickets cost $35 per person and include a copy of “Happy Accidents.” To purchase tickets, call Book Passage at (415) 927-0960 or visit www.bookpassage.com. The Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning actress also  hosted the 63rd Primetime Emmys on FOX last Sunday. Lynch is presented… Read More »

KQED TV earthquake special visits Geysers

Tuesday, at 11:36 by

Japan was prepared for an earthquake of more than 7.0 magnitude, but when it got hit with a 9.0 earthquake last March, the quake and resulting tsunami left devastation in their wake. With that in mind, KQED TV’s “Quest” series presents its new “Earthquake Special,” updating West Coast efforts to detect and predict quakes, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, on San Francisco’s Channel 9. The 30-minute special examines the dynamics of the forces at work beneath the earth’s crust,… Read More »

Santa Rosans sing on NBC’s Sing Off

Wednesday, at 4:33 by

When the vocal quintet Sonos is introduced on the season debut of NBC’s “Sing Off,” airing at 8 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, it’ll be identified as a Los Angeles group. But two of the singers, Ben McLain, 28, and Jessica Freedman, 24, are from Santa Rosa. Sonos, formed in 2006, is now based in Los Angeles and tours nationwide, with a third CD coming out soon on the Verve label. The new season of “Sing Off” features 16 groups competing… Read More »