What You'll Get
Legendary entertainers Kenan and Kel made theatrical history when they broke down the fourth wall, and then, to the consternation of the set designer, broke down the second and third walls as well. Experience the magic of the stage with today's Groupon to the California Theatre in San Bernardino. Choose from the following options:
- For $30, you get a single-admission ticket to Penn & Teller on Friday, October 15, 2010, at 8 p.m.
- For $30, you get a single-admission ticket to Mannheim Steamroller on Thursday, October 28, 2010, at 8 p.m.
Tickets for both performances will be allocated in orchestra sections A, B, and C and the front balcony. The $89 value includes service charges.
Legends in the sorcery circuit, Penn & Teller have spent 35 years blurring the line between magic and comedy. Their almost 10 years as headliners at the Rio All-Suite Hotel in Las Vegas makes them one of the longest-running shows in Sin City history, and they’ve appeared on almost every late-night show, plus The Simpsons, Dancing with the Stars, and their very own Showtime series. As Penn’s hilariously psychotic sleight of hand finds seemingly infinite ways to place the mute Teller in mortal peril, the audience will get to scoff at the laws of gravity and physics while being treated to healthy amounts of man weeping, adult content, and risqué language (from Penn, not Teller).
Like Penn & Teller, synthesized supergroup Mannheim Steamroller treats audiences to a wild audio-visual spectacle, albeit with marginally less swearing. Though best known for its seemingly infinite series of Christmas albums, some 27 million of which have been sold, the globe-trotting superstars will use this concert to expand their sonic empire to a new holiday, Halloween. As Mannheim’s mad-sonic-scientist Chip Davis fills the theater with the Theremin-heavy melodies of “Hall of the Mountain King,” “Creatures of the Night,” and the most terrifying tune of them all—the “Monster Mash”—an eerie light show will illuminate his undead throngs as they dance, gaze in horror, or run screaming in terror. Torch and pitchfork not included in today’s Groupon.
Must pick up tickets at least 30 minutes prior to showtime.
Reviews
The California Theatre's performances and renovations have been followed closely in the press, including a recent feature in the Press-Enterprise. Yelpers give the theater a 3.5-star average and Penn & Teller an average of four stars. The Mannheim Steamroller performance has been featured in the About.com review guide.
- For more than 80 years, the California Theatre has dazzled San Bernardino with its wedding cake exterior and glitzy interior. Hollywood royalty -- from Clark Gable to Shirley Temple -- turned up for previews of films in the Golden Age of Hollywood. – Jamie Shoop Bray, _Press-Enterprise
- this show was one of the best, most refreshing magic shows I've seen in a long, long time. REALLY well thought out, really impressive, funny, and entertaining. – mike j., Penn & Teller, Yelp
The Fine Print
Expiration varies. Amount paid never expires. May buy multiple as gifts. Valid only for show purchased. Reservation required. Valid for seats in Orchestra Sections A-C or Front Balcony. Service charge included. Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised goods and services.
About California Theatre of the Performing Arts
A former vaudeville performance space and movie palace built in 1928, the California Theatre of the Performing Arts hearkens back to a bygone era with its majestic Wurlitzer organ, which is played during silent-film programs, and a time portal linked to the childhood home of Alexander Pantages. The theater’s deep-red stage curtains and ornate, vaulted ceilings also steep the senses in a vintage ambiance. Thanks to this comforting nostalgia, as well as the heartfelt scenes that unfold onstage, the space seems much cozier than a 1,718-seat auditorium has any right to.