Late April Live Performances on the California Central Coast

As we come to the end of April, I trust you will want to include taking in at least a couple of shows at one or more of the live performance and theatre venues that make their home here on the ever lovely Central Coast of California!

Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company will present Steel Magnolias (https://www.facebook.com/events/436937339654498/) April 26-28 at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande.

The action is set in Truvy's beauty salon in Chinquapin, Louisiana, where all the ladies who are "anybody" come to have their hair done.  Helped by her eager new assistant, Annelle (who is not sure whether or not she is still married), the outspoken, wise-cracking Truvy dispenses shampoos and free advice to the town's rich curmudgeon, Ouiser, ("I'm not crazy, I've just been in a bad mood for forty years"); an eccentric millionaire, Miss Clairee, who has a raging sweet tooth; and the local social leader, M'Lynn, whose daughter, Shelby (the prettiest girl in town), is about to marry a "good ole boy."  Filled with hilarious repartee and not a few acerbic but humorously revealing verbal collisions, the play moves toward tragedy when, in the second act, the spunky Shelby(who is a diabetic) risks pregnancy and forfeits her life.  The sudden realization of their mortality affects the others, but also draws on the underlying strength - and love, which give the play, and its characters, the special quality to make them truly touching, funny and marvelously amiable company in good times and bad. 

Directed by Shelby Green, the cast includes Winter Orozco as Truvy, Kaitlyn Groh as Annelle, Kim Williams as M'Lynn, Sarah Ormonde as Shelby, Alice Krause as Ouiser, and Elizabeth Bigler as Clairee.

Mission Prep High School will present George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, a story about the transformation of the cockney speaking Covent Garden girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a woman poised and well-spoken as a duchess, through April 29 at the Mission College Prep Performing Arts Center in downtown San Luis Obispo.  For additional information please contact (805) 543-2131.

Next up for Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) in their Family Series is Willy Wonka, May 12 - June 3.  Sweeney Todd will be presented May 18 - June 2 as part of their After Dark Series.  And be sure to check out their Acting ABC's (ages 4 1/2 - 2nd grade), Musical Theater (grades 3-9), and Improv (grades 3-9) classes starting April 25 & 26!

SLO Little Theatre’s (www.slolittletheatre.org) current mainstage production Dinner With Friends runs through May 6 [NOTE - caught the Friday, April 27 performance, and this is a WONDERFUL production WELL worth your time & money ... but leave the kids at home for this one!], followed by The House of Blue Leaves May 25 - June 17.  Ubu's Other Shoe readers' theatre series will hold auditions for Arcadia by Tom Stoppard on May 7 (performances June 22 & 23), and present BOOM! May 11 & 12.  And be sure to check out the Academy of Creative Theatre’s (http://www.slolittletheatre.org/pages/classes) children & youth theatre opportunities for this spring and summer!

The God Is Still Speaking Players (https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/92718528887), in collaboration with Bent Angel Productions, recently completed a readers’ theatre production of Our Town.  Next up is a summer musical production of Snoopy – auditions July 16 & 17, performances August 31 - September 9.

The Cuesta College Performing Arts Center (http://academic.cuesta.edu/performingarts/) will present their Spring Drama Production, Three Musketeers, through May 6.

Espressivo! Chamber Theatre (http://espressivotheatre.com/) will present The Botanical Engineers May 12 – June 10 at various locations on the Central Coast – stay tuned for locations & times.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include blue13 dance company’s Bollywood Delicious on April 28, The MET Live in HD: Verdi’s La Traviata on April 29, SLO Symphony’s Season Finale concert on May 5, the Catalyst Quartet on May 6, Cal Poly's Theatre & Dance Department's The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other May 10-19, and Cuesta Master Chorale's St Matthew Passion by Johann Sebastian Bach on May 12.

AHS Greyhound Theatre (https://www.facebook.com/events/336683296349613/) will present South Pacific through May 6 at the Atascadero Junior High School.

The Theatre at the Cambria Center for the Arts (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/index.html) will present the Singing Hands Choir May 5 & 6, and DRAMARAMA - Youth Acting Classes June 4-28.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria will present Outward Bound through June 3.

Paso Robles High School Drama Department's (http://prhsdrama.com/index.html) Spring Musical will be Guys and Dolls (performances May 11-20).

Templeton Performing Arts Center (www.dancepaso.com) presents the Central Coast Dance Foundation's DreamWeaver April 27-29, and the North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation's original live music and dance performance based on the music of the Beatles, Let It Be, May 11 & 12. 

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present SLO Legal through May 6 at Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach.

The Spot (https://www.facebook.com/#!/hit.the.spot) will present Miller and Miller by Miller April 27-29 and May 4-6 (who knew Suzy Miller could dance AND sing?!) [NOTE: Saw the Saturday, April 28 matinee performance of this show - and damn straight Suzy Miller can sing!  We were treated to 2 hours of stories and song that spanned the years and musical genres of decades past.  Some of the harmonies when Mike Miller, Kaza Kahn Pearson and Cody Pettitt join in - the sound is as smooth as buttah ... not to mention some GREAT solos, duets, and trios along the way!  I have one word of advice for you in regards to this show - GO!], Pismo Beach Youth Theater's Ugly Bug Ball May 11 - 13, and Guys and Dolls May 18-27.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Arroyo Grande High School Drama Department’s Steel Magnolias April 26-28, the Gold Coast Barbershop Chorus’ I Got Spurs on April 28, Family Movie Night featuring Finding Nemo on May 3, Comedy Night in the Studio featuring Smile and Nod on May 4, Central Coast Performing Arts Showcase on May 5, Blue Steel US Airforce Band on May 6, and NHS Dance Company's Dance 'Til The World Ends on May 10 & 11.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is proud to present a Vaudeville Spectacular through June 10 ... a full night of Vaudeville Revue taken from the best of the best from years past and packed into one night of high energy entertainment.  Whether it's a classic comic routine or one of your favorite song and dance numbers, you're sure to have a good time as you take a trip down Memory Lane!

Nipomo High School Drama (www.nhsdrama.org) will present The Laramie Project May 3-5 at NHS Olympic Hall.  Call (805) 474-3300 XT 6 for tickets.

The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, located on the Allan Hancock College Campus in Santa Maria, will present Romeo and Juliet through May 13.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production will be the comedy Battle of Shallowford - performances through May 19.

The Lompoc Civic Theatre (www.lompoccivictheatre.com) recently closed its dinner theatre production of The Outrageous Adventures of Sheldon and Mrs Levine – stay tuned for what’s next!

So, whatever else you have on your entertainment calendar in the coming weeks, I hope you will plan on including attending a performance (or 2?) at any number of the theatre and live entertainment establishments that can be found here in the heart of the California Central Coast!

Curt Miner ... your BroadwayWorld.com guy on the ground with the California Central Coast theatre "news & views"