Brian Kameoka's blog

World Baseball Classic 2009

Photo "April 15, 2006: Baseball" by Matt McGee licensed under a Creative Commons license

What a game - Japan wins 5-3 in extras to repeat their 2006 inaugural World Baseball Classic win.  I watched it on tape delay, and had to do my best to avoid hearing the results (I was at a bar in the evening and had to sit facing away from the TV's as well as look away when I used the bathroom-they had a TV over the urinals, and of course I had to avoid reading Twitter).  Luckily, I did succeed at staying in the dark, and it really paid off.  This game gave us:

- A tight score - great pitching and defense by both sides really kept either side from running away with it.

- Names you know - Ichiro.  Iwamura.  Even Johjima (who's star has faded with the Mariners but was great for Japan in his first WBC appearance).

- What's in a name?  It was kind of funny to hear Jon Miller/Joe Morgan/Steve Phillips struggle with the names.  They gave a good effort, and were self-deprecating more than anything.  I did hear Miller call Uchikawa "Ugi-yuchi" at one point, and guys, if there's a player named Bum Ho Lee, please find a way to say it without making it sound like "bung hole."

- Names you will know - Shin Soo Choo, who I was a fan of as he rose in the Mariners organization.  Even though he's a Cleveland Indian now, I'll be rooting for him to become a big star.  He played like a star in this game.  And Uchikawa, who in left field had one of the greatest plays by a left fielder (ever).  Yu Darvish claims he doesn't want to come to the US to play, but if he ever does, he'll be a huge star.  Oh, and by the way, stop telling us how Aoki has "surpassed Ichiro in hitting" in Japan.  Ichiro is, and always will be, in a league of his own.

- A comeback! Extra innings! - Also, I kind of have a sick fascination with the statistical anomaly in baseball that a pitcher can get a blown save and then the win...

I was already a fan of the WBC after it's debut in 2006.  I'm even more a fan now.  I love that it's March 24th and we've had some amazing baseball already.  Though the US team had better get it together and get serious about the WBC.

Goodbye, Gorgeous!

I heard the other day via Twitter that Sony did not renew the fabulous web series Gorgeous Tiny Chicken Machine Show (GTCMS)- boo, Sony!  I'm sad to see it go, having enjoyed it from the beginning, but I'm excited to see what GTCMS creator Kim Evey (who I'm honored to call a longtime friend) will come up with next.  Congrats to Kim and all the GTCMS cast and crew for a great run - I believe this show will be remembered as one of the greats from the first wave of original web programming.  Oh, and I'm also rooting for Pogo Saito (also a friend) to win the art direction award at this year's First Annual Streamy Awards (list of nominees here).

To keep up with new stuff from Kim, I recommend following her on Twitter, and while you're at it, subscribing to the Youtube page of Mediocre Films.

There are so many great episodes of this show (if you like guest celebrities, check out these GTCMS episodes with Wil Wheaton, Adam Arkin and Ron Jeremy).  But I think my all time favorite is the very first episode:

Shows to see in Sacramento

Here are some shows in Sacramento I recommend seeing.

• Actor's Theatre of Sacramento - Blackbird (closes 3/22, Sac Bee review here)
• Sacramento State - How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (closes 3/29, my review here)
• Broadway Sacramento - Avenue Q (closes 3/22, reviews from SN&R and Capital Public Radio)

Here are some shows I plan on seeing in the next week (and will post about them here):

• B Street Theatre - Sexy Laundry
• Sacramento Theatre Company - The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged
• Foothill Theatre Company - Sylvia
• B Street Theatre - Acting Interns' Wednesday Monologue Performance (I blogged about it here)

Also, I highly recommend checking out seeaplay.com for complete theatre listings from League of Sacramento Theatres.

Sacramento Theatre: How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Sac State

Two more weekends to catch the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying at Sacramento State.

I saw this show last weekend and had a blast.  College theatre can be hit or miss, but most of what I've seen at Sac State has been good - there are always some great performances and from meeting the theatre professors at Sac State and seeing their work, I've mostly been impressed.  Congrats to director Ed Brazo and the Sac State department of Theatre & Dance on a great production.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying originally played Broadway in 1961, winning seven Tony awards, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama (a rarity for a musical).  In 1995 there was a popular revival of the show starring Matthew Broderick.  The show follows the ambitious rise of J. Pierpont Finch from simple window washer to high-level exec in the "Worldwide Wicket Company."  While the music doesn't boast any big crossover hits or even songs that have become musical theatre staples, there are some very catchy tunes. 

This production at Sac State is visually very pretty, with a nice 60's-retro scenic design and costumes.  I particularly liked the inclusion of the acoustic-tile ceiling, surely inspired by the television series Mad Men.  Very "meta" - since Mad Men cast Robert Morse as the head honcho of Sterling Cooper (Robert Morse was the original Finch on Broadway and in the film).  And there are some great performances in this show - Stephanie Zito is phenomenal with a beautiful voice and a touching performance as Rosemary, Finch's love interest.  Brad Bong hams it up as Bud Frump, Finch's inept rival, and Dan Demers as head honcho J.B. Biggley is perfectly cast and is hilarious.  His comic timing is spot on.  Brittni Barger plays bimbo/hottie Hedy LaRue to broad comic effect and sports some outrageously sexy costumes.  But she never slips into caricature, in fact, her duet "Heart of Gold" (with Demers) is one of the most touching parts of the show - painting a more in depth portrait of two of the shows larger-than-life characters.  The strong ensemble is led by Ryan Ritter as Finch, who I wasn't as crazy about, as his performance didn't seem as up to the level of the rest of the cast.  His voice and acting were fine, but in a cast of standouts he seemed a weak link, but perhaps I saw him on an off night.

I recommend catching this show, which runs through March 29th.  Click here for show dates and times, if you're on Facebook, you can RSVP to the event using this link.  The show is in Shasta Hall on the Sac State Campus, and tickets are $7 to $15.

Sacramento's best theatre bargain

Here's a tip for some great FREE THEATRE here in Sacramento.  Every Tuesday and Wednesday night at the B Street Theatre, the acting interns present a short performance of either improv or monologues after the mainstage performance.  This performance is totally free and the audience is usually made up of patrons who were at the show beforehand.  But, you're welcome to show up just for the free intern performance.

Tuesday is improv night, and the performance is usually about 30 minutes long, and it's improv games presented in a competitive format.

Wednesday is monologue night, where interns perform audition pieces they will use as professional actors.  Usually 20 minutes long.

If you want to catch them in the next month, through April 10th they'll be going on after the B Street's show Sexy Laundry, which gets out around 7:45pm (so that's the "start" time of the intern performance).  Who are these interns?  They're almost all recent college grads pursuing acting as a career.  They work for ten months at the B Street Theatre, doing lots of grunt work in exchange for training and the opportunity to perform in shows at the B Street.  Former interns show up frequently on stage (in Sacramento and all over the country), as well as in film and television - like two weeks ago when Tate Hanyok appeared on The Office and ER in the same night!  You can check out the current intern company, with pictures and bios here.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

DAYS
Tuesdays - free improv performance, approximately 30 minutes
Wednesdays - free monologue performance, approximately 20 minutes

TIME
Directly following the mainstage show. (7:45pm for the current run through 4/10/09 - but you can always call B Street Theatre's box office 916-443-5300 to check the time)

LOCATION
B Street Theatre, 2711 B Street in Midtown Sacramento (map)

PRICE
Free!

Kevin Dorff

Kevin Dorff's playing Portland again.  SEE THIS SHOW AT THE BRODY THEATER ON SATURDAY!  I wish I were going to be there!  If you're near Portland, Oregon, you should check the show out this weekend - he'll be sitting in on the Saturday night's 8pm show, a new long form show called I'll Make You a Better Me.  I just spent time trying to figure out if there was any way I could make it up, but I can afford neither the plane ticket nor the nine-hour drive this weekend.

These days most people know Kevin Dorff as writer/performer for Late Night with Conan O'Brien, or for appearances on 30 Rock, The Office, Adult Swim's Delocated and soon, the Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.

Improv folks who've been around know Kevin for his extraordinary talent as an improviser.  He possesses a legendary improv resume - the Second City revue Paradigm Lost (won Chicago's Jeff Award and was documented in the VHS-only Second To None), the seminal long-form show Jazz Freddy, and ImprovOlympic house team Blue Velveeta.  He's also among a handful of Second City mainstagers to go "super mainstage," as he put it - meaning stepping down after a long run as opposed to going direct to a TV gig.  One of the few gigs he did, between leaving mainstage and joining Conan, was to come out to the Brody Theater in Portland and teach workshops as well as sit in with us.  Hard to believe that was ten years ago!

Here's a pic of me and Dorff in 2001 in Vegas:

On a personal note, Kevin has been a friend since we met in 1992 when he and Noah came to workshop and sit in with "rv" - I group I was in while in college.  My nickname "Cuke" came from Kevin - from a scene in a show we did.  Since he's moved on to the bright lights of network TV, we don't see each other much but have stayed in touch via email (and now text message), and have met up a few times when possible.

Some "link love" - follow the Brody Theater via Facebook, Twitter, or Flickr.  For the more old fashioned (web 1.0?), you can also bookmark their website and/or join their email list.