Mid-March Brings MORE Theatre Viewing Opportunities to the California Central Coast!

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

As we come to the second week of March, some of our California Central Coast theatre and live entertainment venues have just closed or will soon be closing their current performance runs, while a couple are preparing to open new shows - rarely a dull moment when it comes to theatre opportunities in these parts!

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) proudly presents the hilarious musical Lumberjacks in Love, with book and lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Kaplan, through April 25 (pictured above, clockwise from top left: Chuck McLane, Billy Breed, George Walker, and John Keating).

This rollicking and robust musical, set in a lumber camp deep in the woods, tells the story of four burly lumberjacks: Minnesota Slim (George Walker), Muskrat (Chuck McLane), Moonlight (John Keating), and Dirty Bob (Billy Breed).  These four bachelors enjoy a life where you can spit when and where you like, and bath time is once a month.  But after two of the guys get tipsy one night and respond to an advertisement for a mail order bride, their "man's only" world is threatened by the arrival of not one, but two women answering the ad (Bree Murphy and Katie Worley).  Written in 1996 for the American Folklore Theatre in Door County, Wisconsin, and revived by them three times since, this slaphappy show finally makes its way to California with this production.  Eric Hoit directs, with JorDan Richardson providing musical direction for the wonderful folk and bluegrass-colored score.  Full of belly laughs and comic songs as well as beautiful ballads, this is a show sure to please the whole family!

Following Lumberjacks in Love at each performance, the Melodrama's famous vaudeville revue goes to Vegas, baby - specifically, the Las Vegas of the 1970's, a town filled with swinging cats and dizzy dames!  High-energy songs like "Viva Las Vegas," "Don't Stop Me Now," and "Together Wherever We Go" are sure to start your toes tappin' and your fingers snappin'!  Come see what happens when stars like Dean Martin, Elvis, Cher and Bette Midler show up in this unique vacation spot for good music and good times.  Directed by Andrew Beck, with musical direction by JorDan Richardson and choreography by Michael Jenkinson and John Keating, this is fun-filled revue you won't want to miss!

Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4:30 and 8:30pm, and Sundays at 6pm through April 25.  (On Thursday March 18, a 2pm matinee will replace the 7pm performance).  The Melodrama's in-house snack bar features great food and drinks served before the show and during intermissions.  For more information or to make reservations, call the Melodrama Box Office at 805-489-2499.  The Great American Melodrama is located on Highway 1 in Oceano, just three miles south of Pismo Beach.  The Melodrama has been providing professional family entertainment on the Central Coast since 1975.  Visit their website at www.americanmelodrama.com

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 two new plays in the Severson Theatre: Shipwrecked! by Donald Margulies, and Tender by Nicki Bloom (adult language/themes), through March 21.  The Allan Hancock Dance Program will present their spring Dance Spectrum concert March 17-21 in the Marian Theatre.  And then the musical comedy whodunit Curtains follows in the Marian Theatre April 15 - May 9 (Solvang Festival Theater June 17 - July 3). 

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) has recently closed their production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  Next up is Everybody Loves Opal, April 30 - May 22.

At the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony's Spring Concert is on March 14, the world-famous Irish band, Altan, comes to town on March 18, and then The Taffetas will perform for one night only on March 27.

Performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder March 14, The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) by the Reduced Shakespeare Co. March 17, and Hawaii's "First Couple," Keola & Moana Beamer, on March 19.

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) auditions for Oliver will be held on March 20 (performances May 1-16).  The Tony Award winning musical Bye Bye Birdie will be presented March 26 - April 3 for six performances only at the Spanos Theater on Cal Poly campus.

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) is proud to present their next installment of the theatre's ongoing Legend Series, Swingin' with Sinatra, through March 21.  A readers' theatre presentation of Enchanted April will be offered for one performance only on March 26.  And then Taking Leave will run April 9 - May 2.

American Dance of SLO (www.americandanceslo.com) will present their Rhythms: Imagine spring concert at the Spanos Theater on Cal Poly campus March 20 & 21.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook) was pleased to work with Bent Angel Productions on a staged reading of 12 Angry Men, directed by Chrys Barnes, Feb 19-21.  Watch for audition dates for You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown mid-July, with performances in early September

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?).

And then from 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 is a summer musical production of Fiddler on the Roof.  Auditions will be held some time in April or May with performances in late June/early July - stay tuned for exact dates.

We'll be seeing Swingin' with Sinatra at SLOLT (saw it - GREAT show!), and Kelrik's Seussical (it was delightful!)this week before they close ... maybe see ya' there?

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