May Theatre Offerings on the California Central Coast

BroadwayWorld.com brings you theater recommendations from San Luis Obispo's own Curt Miner.

With May Day behind us on the California Central Coast, there are a number of theatre productions and live performance offerings just waiting to bring a smile to your face, or possibly a tear to your eyes.

The Nipomo High School Drama Department (www.nhsdrama.org), one of our Central Coast's premier high school drama programs, presents The Foreigner (cast photo shown left - clockwise from top: Erik Van Ryn, Matt Foley, Tyler Huff, Nolan Pugh, Molly Minko, Mikayla Blanchard, Jason Daniel, Kassi Hawkins, Manja Hoffner, Andrew Rubin). 

From Director, Chrys Barnes:

"I'm directing one of my favorite shows, The Foreigner, at Nipomo High and it opens (this) week for 4 performances.  We have 2 talented casts who are putting their hearts and souls into the show so I hope you all can come and see it.  You'll be supporting Robyn Metchik's extraordinary drama program at the High School and making it possible for these talented students to continue to learn from the joys and challenges of performing!

Show dates are Wed - Sat nights May 5 - 8 at 7:30 pm at Olympic Hall directly adjacent to the parking lot.

This show has everything a comedy should have ... beautiful Southern women, mistaken identity, a fake language, a charming Forest Gump-type kid who is not as dumb as he seems, and a superstitious bad guy who believes in Aliens!  Plus it has a very relevant theme about prejudice and tolerance.

It's a funny, funny show as you may remember if you saw the version we did at SLO Little Theatre a few years ago.

These kids ROCK!  Check it out and see for yourself!

Love,
Chrys Barnes

P.S.  If you live out of the area I realize that driving a couple hundred miles for our performance is most likely unrealistic.  Unless, of course, you are looking for a great excuse to spend a couple of days on our beautiful Central Coast!  Consider yourselves updated and invited.  Hope to see you there!"

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) presents the first production of a new play by Neal LaVine, Back After This Break, through June 13.  Each performance is followed by a "School Daze Vaudeville Revue." 

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, presents the musical comedy murder mystery Curtains in the Marian Theatre through May 9 (Solvang Festival Theater June 17 - July 3).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) proudly presents Everybody Loves Opal, through May 22.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) have just closed a successful run of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Clark Center Studio Theatre.  What's next on the drawing board for what some are calling the most exciting and creative theatre company on the Central Coast?  Stay tuned!

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include Chicago City Limits on May 13, Best of the Beat presented by Nipomo High School Drama May 27-29, and ballet pieces from Snow White, Giselle, and La Bayadere by Everybody Can DANCE and the Santa Maria Civic Ballet June 5 & 6.

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) will present The Altos: Vendetta at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through May 23.  Reservations are required.

Cuesta College Theatre Department presents A Midsummer Night's Dream at the newly opened Cuesta College Performing Arts Center (http://academic.cuesta.edu/performingarts) through May 8.  [NOTE: Saw the May 1 performance of this show, and it is one of the freshest, most creative, high energy, entertaining productions of Shakespeare's work that I've experienced in a LONG time - WELL worth seeing!]

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) next main stage production, Sherlock's Last Case, opens May 28.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) proudly presents Oliver through May 16 at Unity in San Luis Obispo, followed by Cabaret June 4-26. 

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include a benefit "old school" night at the movies and screening of East of Eden on May 8, the San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra Finale Concert on May 15, and Jose Rivera in Marisol May 13-15 & 20-22.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) was pleased to work with Bent Angel Productions on a staged reading of 12 Angry Men, directed by Chrys Barnes, Feb 19-21.  Auditions will be held for their next production, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, July 19 & 20, with performances the first 2 weekends in September.

North County Christian School (www.educatingforeternity.org) in Atascadero presents The Miracle Worker, directed by Dianne Greenaway, May 7-16, with Friday & Saturday shows being dinner theatre performances at 6 PM; Sunday shows are at 2 PM (no dinner).  Tickets can be purchased by emailing ptp@nccsonline.org, calling (805) 466-4457, or at the door.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), located in Cambria, closed their production of Finishing Touches on February 28.  The theatre will now be closed for a time while it installs a new fire sprinkler system - stay tuned for details on its reopening and next show! 

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) completed a successful remount run of their popular summer musical Always ... Patsy Cline at the Spanos Theatre On the Cal Poly campus this past August.  Stay tuned for details concerning their next show (and where it will be held - they are looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?).

Up Paso Robles way, the Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) finished a successful run of Oliver at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in January.  Next up was supposed to be a summer musical production of Fiddler on the Roof, but performance rights were unavailable.  Then the plan was a production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Now, they are working on a "special project" that has taken them in a different direction at this point, and they will be making an announcement before the summer starts.  Stay tuned!

The Paso Robles High School Drama Department (http://prhsdrama.com/7brides.html) will present Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the PRHS Activity Center, May 7-15.      

Also in Paso Robles, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (http://pryaf.org) has held auditions for its production of Twelfth Night for actors ages 8-18.  Performance dates are July 9-18.  For more information call (805) 238-5825.

Class Act Dance and Performing Arts Studio (http://classactdance.com) presents DreamCatcher, a celebration of dreams and imagination through song and dance, May 7-9, at the Templeton Performing Arts Center. 

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) has held auditions for its summer productions of Twelfth Night and The Gamester.  Performances will be held July 9 - August 14.

So - whether you are looking for a classic drama, a fun melodrama, a musical comedy, a murder mystery, dance, or a symphony concert - the California Central Coast performing arts menu has all of that and a WHOLE lot more just waiting to satisfy your entertainment appetite!

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