I've got a Canon EOS400D which is pretty good but in the low end DSLR market they're all really much of a muchness. Once you've got a few extra lenses it's worth staying with a brand, but if you're buying from scratch then there's really not much to choose, except what you can afford and what features you want to have.
A quick google should throw up loads of reviews of any camera in your price range!
A few things. Unless you're shooting in the dark, don't use high ISO ratings as that just makes the picture 'noisy' - think of it as interference, because that's pretty much what it is, at high sensitivity settings the signals from the sensor sites can interfere with each other. Your photo is going to look a lot better without coloured speckles all over it!
If you get a camera without anti-shake technology built in, it might be worth considering getting a lens with that feature. Optically stabilised lenses are getting cheaper, and for telephotos will let you use that slower shutter speed to show off moving props without having shake in the picture. I'm considering buying the Sigma 18-200mm zoom with optical stabilisation as an all purpose zoom for that very reason, although there are a few other lenses on the way later I want to look at first.
Third party lenses like Sigma or Tamron can be half the price of the camera company's own lenses, and produce equally good results.
Get a polarising filter. They screw on the front of the lens, and turn around. They can darken the sky and remove glare. Think of it as sunglasses for your camera.
Caveat: I'm not a professional photographer, and there are people here who are a load better at this lark than I am, but I'm just passing on some ideas. Hope they help!
BRL: I've joined the photo group (as Antony J. Shepherd), I'll add some of my pictures.