'And So, The End Is Near' - But it's Not 'The Final Curtain' on the California Central Coast!

Can it really be coming up on the end of August?!  Let's see - the stores are all having their BACK TO SCHOOL sales and many schools have already started back in session ... the college students are starting to filter back into the area from their summer vacations ... and a number of theatres are bringing their summer show schedules to a close and launching the first productions of their fall schedules.  YUP - must be the end of August all right!

The Houselights Theatre up Cambria way (www.houselightstheatre.org) is preparing to take the stage at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center Spanos Theatre (www.pacslo.org) with a remount of their popular summer musical Always ... Patsy Cline for 2 shows only on August 29 & 30.

In the fall of 2005, Jill Turnbow, John Geever and Joe Eister were performing together in San Luis Obispo, in a play directed by Michael Siebrass.  They began discussing the need for a theatre in the area where more compelling works could be produced.  And from that first conversation, Houselights Theatre was born.  Initially Morro Bay was the desired locale, due mainly to their lack of live entertainment, but a suitable location was difficult to secure.  Houselights staged several successful readings around town, but a permanent home was never found.  And during that time, Joe Eister moved on to other projects.

Then Allied Arts stepped in and invited Houselights to join them in their new theatre venture in Cambria.  Located  in the old grammar school on Main St., Houselights Theatre feels this area is rife with talent that has been underutilized.  They have a desire to provide a supportive environment where artistic expression is nurtured and talent rewarded, believing every audience loves a great story well told.  Put simply - the play's the thing!

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria is currently in rehearsal for The Mousetrap, which will run September 11 - October 25.  In the meantime, patrons have an opportunity to attend 2 evenings of song with Delilah Shank, returning with her show devoted to the romantic music of Edith Piaf, the legendary French singer, and the world of cabaret songs, on August 29 and 30 in the piano bar cafe.

The Pioneer Players in Paso Robles (www.pioneerplayers.org) will soon be announcing audition dates and times for their next production, which will be the musical Oliver - stay tuned for details!

At the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org), finishing touches are being done on the first production of their 2009/10 Season, The Clean House, which will run August 28 - September 20.  On August 24, auditions were held for the second show of the season, Rumors, which will be presented October 9 - November 1.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) have auditions scheduled for Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize winning musical RENT on August 27, with performances at the Spanos Theatre on Cal Poly campus slated for October 15-18.

The Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org), in addition to hosting Always ... Patsy Cline - produced by the Houselights Theatre in Cambria (www.houselightstheatre.org) August 29 and 30, is also pleased to present the Glenn Miller Orchestra on September 10, Glenn Yarbrough in Concert on September 18, Kathy Griffin on September 23, Bellydance Superstars on September 27, and Merle Haggard on September 30.

Sorcerer Productions' (check them out on Facebook) The Producers is currently playing at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande through September 6. 

In addition to hosting Sorcerer's The Producers, the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) has a number of other entertainment opportunities in the weeks ahead, including the Count Basie Orchestra (September 12), Bearfoot (September 13), One Night in Andalucía with the Chris Burton Jácome Flamenco Ensemble (September 18), Gloriana (September 22), the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition (September 24), the Central Coast Follies "Love is in the Air!" October 1 - 4 to support Parkinson's Disease research, and Emmylou Harris and her Red Dirt Boys on October 7.

The Studio of Performing Arts (www.thestudioofperformingarts.com), also located in Arroyo Grande, will hold auditions for The Miracle Worker on September 17, with performances November 6-21.

A bit south of Arroyo Grande in Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) is currently running 2 productions in an alternating format - Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready and Rip van Winkle through September 20.  Both shows are followed by a high energy song and dance vaudeville performance that highlights the individual and combined talents of the company and is always a crowd pleaser!

Just across the SLO county line into Santa Barbara County, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org) is wrapping up their 2008/9 Season with The Spitfire Grill at the Festival Theatre in Solvang August 28 - September 13, and Distracted at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria August 28 - September 20.  I had the opportunity to see The Spitfire Grill this last weekend, and it is a wonderful show that I would highly recommend with a powerful message of redemption and some musical harmonies that are absolutely amazing!

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) is currently in rehearsals for the first production of their 50th Anniversary Season - Love, Sex, and the I.R.S., which will run September 11 - October 3.

Whether you're thinking about auditioning for a show, hoping to catch a performance before a show closes, or are making plans to see a show that is scheduled to open in the near future - live theatre and entertainment are alive and well here on the California Central Coast!

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