One of the most exciting elements of live performance is that the spectator is not only viewing the action, but also contributing to the event.  Whether feeling the tension in the air at the climax of a dramatic production, interacting with a stand-up comedian, or singing along with your favorite rock band, there is no substitute for the live experience.  In Sacramento, live theater and music are readily available, affordable and reflect all levels of art.

  Theater

For live theater, the Sacramento Theatre Company, actor Timothy Busfield's

B Street Theater and the college programs provide a solid foundation for many productions and burgeoning stages.  Music Circus is a first-class summer stock musical theater that brings professional actors/directors to Sacramento. The Wells Fargo Pavilion provides seating for 2,500, in this theater-in-the round.  Additionally, the Broadway Series draws national tours of primarily musicals every month to the Community Center Theater, September-June. 

The Sacramento Opera puts on spectacular performances in the 2,452-seat Sacramento Community Center Theater.  The Sacramento Balletalso performs in the Community Center Theater, with packed houses for both the traditional “Nutcracker Suite” during the holiday season and for more avant-garde productions.  The ballet is renowned for its artistic and world-class performers—making it a favorite for visitors and locals alike.

The Sacramento Shakespeare Festival.  Held in William Land Park, the Sacramento Shakespeare Festival happens each summer, highlighting one comedy and one drama.  Full

productions of Romeo & Juliet, Othello, Macbeth and other classics are diligently performed by the talented thespians of Sacramento City College.

Music

The music scene in Sacramento is representative of the entire culture, as it covers traditional and modern genres.  Perhaps best known for founding the Sacramento Music Festival (formerly the Sacramento Jazz Festival, which attracts more than 60,000 people during Memorial Day Weekend), the Sacramento Traditional Jazz Society brings music to the community in myriad ways.  Monthly concerts and a Youth Band Festival highlight Sacramento's love for jazz.  Blues clubs and piano lounges are also tucked away throughout the city, hiding some of the most impressive, amateur musicians around. 

For classical music, the Camellia Symphony Orchestra is nationally recognized for presenting programs of high artistic merit, including world premieres, rarely performed and standard repertoire works.  Classical arts also come to Sacramento in association with the local universities, with strong programs at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis and Sacramento State.

Alternatively, the Crest Theatre, Memorial Auditorium, Sleep Train Amphitheatre and Sleep Train Arena are known for hosting big-name rock concerts and national poptours.  The amphitheater is particularly special: a state-of-the-art open-air concert facility with a capacity of 18,500, plus an excellent sound system and three video screens.  During the summer locals convene at Cesar Chavez Plaza at Ninth and J streets for the free Friday night Concerts in the Park.   The 14-week series attracts several thousand people every week.  Blues, rock and roll, country and alternative music are showcased at this Friday-night tradition.  Food vendors, beer, wine and soda gardens, and great music dominate this event.