old town theater

Growing up in a blue-collar neighborhood on the south side of Chicago, thirteen-year-old Kenny Cetera watched as his brother, ten years his senior, joined a newly-formed rock band that was looking for a tenor. With singer and bassist Peter Cetera on board, The Chicago Transit Authority released their self-titled album in 1969 and soon skyrocketed to fame.

In 1985, four of the biggest names in country music, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings and Kris Kristofferson, joined forces to create one super-group. Calling themselves The Highwaymen, the pioneers of the subgenre called Outlaw Country delighted fans, off and on, for almost a decade.

You don’t have to be a football fan to know that the legendary Green Bay Packers Head Coach, Vince Lombardi, was one of a kind. Though nobody can replace the late sports icon, who passed away in 1970, actor, director, producer and motivational speaker, John Pinero comes pretty darn close.

The weather outside has been about as frightful as it can be in Temecula and, at Pennypickle’s Workshop’s annual Winter Wonderland, they say let it snow! Let it snow! On Friday evening, December 19th (rescheduled from December 12th) at 5:00 pm, Pennypickle’s will open its doors to the community for a grand celebration of the holidays.

When the Temecula-based Ballet Studio and the Fine Arts Network present “The Nutcracker,” beginning this weekend in Old Town, the sugarplums will dance right out of your head and onto the stage. Recently voted one of the Top 10 “Nutcrackers” in Southern California by the Los Angeles Times, “The Nutcracker” will be on stage at the Old Town Community Theater from December 18th through the 23rd.

The Old Town Temecula Community Theater continues their lineup of wonderful holiday entertainment this Sunday, December 14th and again on December 21st, with their annual Candlelight Classics. Presented by the Golden Valley Music Society and Temecula Presents, Candlelight Classics is a special holiday edition of the popular monthly series, Classics at the Merc, which brings some of Southern California’s finest classical musicians into the intimate setting of the 48-seat theater for a truly unique and personal experience for the audience.

The musical series, Cabaret at the Merc, is decking halls of the popular Old Town venue for their very special Holiday Edition and Co-Producer Jordan Beck is thrilled to have the chance to celebrate the season. “A holiday-themed show is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time but this is the first time we’ve had the chance because our usual last-Sunday-of-the-month schedule always lands us after Christmas,” Beck said.

The Christmas season is filled with delights for our senses, including the sight of beautiful light displays, the smell of cookies baking in the oven and, of course, the sounds of carols we wait all year to hear. And when it comes to Christmas music, the Southwest Women’s Chorus enhances the holiday cheer every year with their annual “Christmas in the Air,” winter concert.

Finish up those Thanksgiving leftovers because the Christmas season is upon us and the Inland Valley Classical Ballet Theatre has the perfect way to ring in the most wonderful time of the year; bringing their production of “The Nutcracker” to the Old Town Temecula Community Theater.

orn and raised in China, but a resident of the U.S. since 1983, the work of Choreographer and Artistic Director Lily Cai gives new meaning to the old adage “the best of both worlds.” Founded in 1988, the Lily Cai Dance Company blends the beauty and tradition of Cai’s Chinese upbringing with the freedom of expression used in contemporary American styles. Since their inception, the company has been showered with recognition and awards, including the Isadora Duncan Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography.