Late Month Theatre Offerings on the California Central Coast!

By: Aug. 23, 2011
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As we move toward the end of August, I hope you are planning to see one or more of the live performance and theatre productions that are currently running at one of the several entertainment venues that make their homes here on the amazing California Central Coast!

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, is proud to present My Fairytale, a new musical about Hans Christian Andersen with music & lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (Godspell, Pippin, Wicked) August 26 through September 25 at the Solvang Festival Theater  [NOTE: Saw a matinee of this show at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria before it departed for its Solvang run - and it is absolutely MAGICAL ... you will be hearing MUCH more about this show as more people see and hear about it, of this I have NO doubt!] (photo by Clinton Bersuch of Leslie McKinnell as The Ice Queen and Kevin Cahoon as Hans Christian Andersen).

The musical is an enchanted journey into the imagination of one of the world's greatest storytellers - it's a place of wonder, mystery and danger, and where Andersen is confronted by the characters from his fairytales.  His quest is to find the Nightingale for the ailing Emperor, but he is continually kept from his goal, being sidetracked by the fairytale characters, a boy, and a shadow.

My Fairytale was originally produced in Denmark in 2005 in honor of the bi-centennial of Hans Christian Andersen's birth.  Director Scott Schwartz points out that this first American production, beside being presented in English for the first time, includes the introduction of puppets, some script rewrites, and additional music by Stephen Scwartz, which will make My Fairytale feel more like a world premiere production.

This breathtaking production is filled with a powerful score created by Stephen Schwartz, the award-winning composer of Wicked.  The book is by Philip LaZebnik (Pocahontas), and it was originally created by Flemming Enevold, the famous Danish actor and singer.

Much of the accompanying music is from the original production as performed by the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, which will blend with live accompaniment by Kristin Blascyk, keyboards; Dave Becker, reeds; and Jeanne Shumway, Cello.

The cast includes Kevin Cahoon who plays H.C. Andersen.  Cahoon recently wrapped up a production of The Foreigner opposite Matthew Broderick in an Off-Broadway production directed by Scott Schwartz.  He's also appeared on Broadway in The Lion King, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and The Wedding Singer.  Playing Jenny Lind, the famous Swedish opera singer of the 1800s, is Lesley McKinnell who will also wear the guise of many of Andersen's fairytale characters.  McKinnell has appeared in two national tours of Wicked where she was a permanent ensemble performer and understudy to Glinda.  She also performed in the Hollywood Bowl production of Les Misérables.  Other cast members include Erik Stein (Captain Hook, Peter Pan), Andrew Philpot (Richard Hannay, The 39 Steps), Sam Zeller (Edna Turnblad, Hairspray), and Karin Hendricks (Jane Bennet, Pride and Prejudice).

PCPA's production of My Fairytale also features puppets designed by Emily DeCola of New York's Puppet Kitchen.  Emily's puppets include larger than life ducks, chickens, mermaids, as well as a Thumbelina hand puppet and a two puppeteer operated Saucer Eyed Dog.  She has produced characters for film, TV, and theatre and is an internationally sought-after speaker on puppetry.  DeCola's brief residency at PCPA included two days of workshops with the actors.  Their introduction to puppeteering included becoming familiar with the connection between fellow puppeteers while keeping the intention of the puppet character clear and active.  As part of the process, DeCola encouraged puppeteers to select puppets with a compatible personality claiming each is unique.

Under the direction of Scott Schwartz, the artistic team includes Michael Jenkinson, Choreographer; Callum Morris, Musical Director; Tom Buderwitz, Scenic Designer; Alejo Vietti, Costume Designer; Jen 'Z' Zornow, Lighting Designer; Walter T.J. Clissen, Sound Designer; and Christine Collins, Stage Manager.

Auditions for young performers (6-14) for PCPA's production of A Christmas Carol: A Musical Ghost Story will be held August 28 (performances November 10 - December 23).  For more information call (805) 928-7731 ext. 3100.

Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production, Blithe Spirit, will run September 16 - October 8.

The Lompoc Civic Theatre (www.lompoccivictheatre.com) has recently completed their run of And ... Action! and Purgatory Life.  Their next endeavor will be a reading of a new play called Saints of My Own Design as a fundraiser for the Susan G. Komen Fund.  The play is the story of a family each touched by breast cancer.  It will be done October 8 at the Grossman Gallery in the Lompoc Public Library located at 501 E. North Avenue, Lompoc CA 93436.  There will be a silent auction as well.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) is proud to present Butch Cassidy and the Sunburnt Kid, which is running in repertory with Lost At Sea through September 18.  Both productions are, or course, followed by a high energy Vaudeville Revue - which many theatre patrons say is worth the price of admission in and of itself!

Sorcerer Productions' Little Shop of Horrors (https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137142626372228#!/event.php?eid=219102174797618) will run through August 28 on the Clark Center main stage in Arroyo Grande.

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Joe Chavira's Unity Shoppe Concert on September 3, Rudolf Budginas in Concert Featuring Kenny Lee Lewis on September 17, and the Kingston Trio on October 9.

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) is presenting The Beverly Hillbillies Murder Mystery through September 4 at the Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach.  The Addams Family Reunion will run October 2 - November 6.

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) current schedule includes The 1998 Tony Award Winning ART which will run August 26 - September 18.

PLUS - on September 5, 6 & 12, Reach the Sky, an evening of songs by what may well be some of Broadway's future songwriters, will be presented.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) was proud to present From Main Street to 42nd Street on August 13, featuring Jacque Carnahan.  Stay tuned for what's next!   

The God Is Still Speaking Players (https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/92718528887) is currently in rehearsals for Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree, which will be presented September 2-5 & 9-11, at the SLO United Church of Christ. 

Espressivo! Chamber Theatre's (http://espressivotheatre.com) next production: LUNATICS IN LOVE!, or Singing in the Reign (of Terror) have performances scheduled in various venues September 21 - October 2.  Call David Hance at (805) 550-7656 for more information.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include In God We Rust with Lewis Black on August 25, La Guitarra California Festival September 9-11, Chanticleer: Love Story on September 25, Jeffery Broussard & The Creole Cowboys on September 30, and Come Together: The Beatles Concert Experience on October 1.

The Brickyard Theatre (www.brickyardhteatre.com) in Atascadero will present The Clean House August 31 - September 18.  

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival's (http://centralcoastshakespeare.org) 2011 summer schedule of shows in Paso Robles brought us two comedies, in repertory: The Comedy of Errors and As You Like It, at the River Oaks Amphitheater.  And so, in the words of the Bard himelf, "Good night, good night!  Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight till it be morrow" (R&J, Act 2, Sc 2).

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School in Cambria (TOGS) (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/id4.html) and Allied Arts Theatre are presenting The Octette Bridge Club through August 21, and Dearly Departed October 21 - November 20 (auditions August 16-18).

The Pewter Plough Playhouse's (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) current production, The Woman In Black, will be presented through August 27 in Cambria.  On Wednesday, August 24, the L.A. cast of Tennessee In The Summer will present one performance at 7:30 PM.  And then, September 2-4, a special 3 performance engagement of Sylvia will be presented, featuring Tanna Frederick in the title role.

So, regardless of what else you may have planned for entertainment options over the next couple of weeks, I trust you will want to avail yourself of some of the live performance and theatre offerings that are being presented (or soon will be) here on the Central Coast of California!

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



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