GT's photo intern, Sal Ingram, captured some of the action at the Second Annual Week of the Child Children's Parade and Free Family Fun Fair in this installment of "Around Town."

Actors’ Theatre’s latest offering, ‘The Property Known as Garland,’ cuts to the core of Judy Garland’s character

It takes one ambitious lady—not to mention, talented actor—to tackle the inner workings of a notorious character like Judy Garland. But local thespian Irene Tsouprake Teegardin was up to the task.

Garland, known to most as the wide-eyed Dorothy in Victor Fleming’s 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz, lived a life filled with critically acclaimed performances in the film industry and record-breaking concert appearances. However, she also battled insecurities about her appearance—thanks in part to the executives at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)—financial woes, failed marriages, and alcohol and drug abuse. The latter of which, eventually led to her demise at age 47.

GT's photo intern, Sal Ingram, captured some of the action at the 26th annual Santa Cruz Paddle Festival and locals celebrating St. Patrick's Day in this installment of "Around Town."

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The estate of the late Cecil Carnes revitalizes performing arts and music program

Phil Collins didn't expect his project to have legs. But New Music Works has been a runaway success thanks in no small part to Cecil Carnes, who donated her estate to the music and performing arts organization upon her death in 2011.

“I never thought of New Music Works as having staying power beyond what I was able to put into it,” Collins says.

Founded in 1979 by five composers, including artistic director Collins (who’s served in that position since 1982), New Music Works organizes concert series and is “dedicated to presenting music of our time in concert,” according to their website.

Carnes offered her estate to New Music Works back in 1997, at a musical function.

Check out our new photo intern Sal Ingram's "Around Town" project, wherein he takes photos at various events in the county.
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Varied collective of local artists come together in “Aurora’s Kiss”

A diverse cast of local artists will showcase their respective talents this Saturday night in “Aurora’s Kiss,” a multi-media theatrical production whose proceeds will benefit charitable programs in the area.

The fundraising event will take place at the recently renovated Ristorante Barolo in Aptos, and is billed as an intimate carnival-esque cabaret that will fuse theater, bluegrass, jazz, spoken word, live art, burlesque, bellydance, and a female-driven DJ lineup.

SANTA CRUZ > Local cleaning service and resident featured on 'Hoarders'

When the phone rang at Sunrise Cleaning Service on Market Street, owner Tracy Taylor thought it was just another prospective client. But the longtime Santa Cruz resident was in for a surprise: the woman on the other end of the phone worked for the cable network A&E, and she wanted to enlist Taylor’s help for an upcoming episode of the popular television series “Hoarders.”

UCSC’s African-American Theater Arts Troupe presents meaty play about women in the war-torn Congo

In the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Ruined,” by Lynn Nottage, Mama Nadi runs a whorehouse deep in the heart of a modern day, civil war-torn Congo. There, young women depend on Mama Nadi for more than just a job—in the fractured country where gunfire rattles the air and rape is common practice, Mama represents a chance for survival.

The story—reproduced Feb. 24-26 by the UC Santa Cruz African-American Theater Arts Troupe at Second Stage Theater—is a frank and frightening, but ultimately hopeful, portrayal of the gut-wrenching atrocities occurring in the Congo, and the incredible resilience of the women who endure it.

Tips for surviving Valentine’s Day solo in Santa Cruz

Single this Valentine's Day? Don’t freak out. More Americans are solo today than ever before. According to U.S. census data, only 48 percent of adults were married in 2010, compared to 78 percent in 1950. So whether you’re recently split or a solo superstar, use this Valentine’s Day as an excuse to celebrate singularity. Take a break from romance and focus on a broader kind of love—love for your community, your friends, and your simple, footloose and fancy-free life.

Chris Rene welcomed back to Santa Cruz with open arms at ‘Love Life’ event

On Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012—a day that Mayor Don Lane announced would officially be referred to as Chris Rene Day in Santa Cruz—the local hero took the stage of the sold-out Civic Auditorium to celebrate his homecoming and give something back to the drug and alcohol rehabilitation center that made his recent success possible.

The rapper/songwriter and Santa Cruz native is coming off a year that saw him finish in the top three on the first season of FOX’s The X Factor, and enthusiasm for his return was evident in the line of fans that stretched around the block of the auditorium, hours before its doors opened. Many fans carried signs and wore homemade T-shirts featuring words of solidarity for the artist, including his catch phrase, “Love Life.”