The next production of the Circle Bar b Dinner Theatre will be Jack Sharkey’s comic mystery, “The Murder Room,” directed by Directed by Jim Cook, and starring Matt Cooper, Gerry Hansen, Jamie Hixon, Trammell Scott, Jim Sirianni and Leslie Story.

Murder has never been this funny. A British spoof of all crime thrillers . . . it is good clean mirth all the way. The quick, smart, extremely well-timed dialogue comes through loud and clear with never a dull moment. There are secret doors, secret identities and just plan secrets to be hidden. A good mixture of Monty Python, Agatha Christie and Abbott and Costello. A zany cast of characters promise to keep you laughing and guessing . . . who done it?

“The Murder Room” plays at the Circle Bar-B September 16-October 30. For times and tickets, call 967-1962.

Jones and Camerata open their new season

The Camerata Pacifica opens their 2005-2006 season at 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. this Friday, September 16, in Victoria Hall in downtown Santa Barbara with a program featuring the talents of their newest official member, pianist and pedagogue Warren Jones. (Jones has played with the Camerata before, of course, but he just last summer signed on as principal pianist.)

In addition to Warren Jones on piano, the program will feature Anne Akiko Meyers and Sarah Thornblade, violins, Toby Appel, viola, Ani Aznavoorian, cello, and Adrian Spence, flute, performing works by Johann Sebastian Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major), Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Quartet for Flute and Strings in C Major, K285b), and Johannes Brahms (Quintet for Piano & Strings in f minor, Opus 34).

For tickets and other information, call 884-8410.

Speaking of Stories looks to outer space

Stepping out of their usual format, Speaking of Stories transforms Center Stage into a 1940’s radio station to present their second annual “Speaking of Sci-Fi,” an evening of classic radio plays Friday and Saturday, September 16 and 17.

Everyone loves a hero, and “Speaking of Sci-Fi” brings you two-Superman and Flash Gordon. In addition to these heroic adventures, they will present the “Mysterious Traveler” on a journey into the realm of the strange and terrifying, plus an episode of “X Minus One,” which rounds out the evening with a little time travel.

These classic plays are brought to life through the voices of Hunter Bodine, Jon Koons, Devon Bell and Chris Turner. The setting of a live 40’s radio broadcast will replace Speaking of Stories usual format, complete with on-stage special effects provided by Chris Turner.

“Speaking of Sci-Fi” plays at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, September 16-17 at Center Stage Theater, 751 Paseo Nuevo. Call the box office at 963-0408 or log on to www.centerstagetheater.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

Caption: The cast of “The Murder Room” are all wondering about each other.