Sizzling Summer Shows on the Central Coast of California!

As we arrive at the OFFICIAL beginning of summer, and make our way into the "lazy hazy crazy days" that lie ahead, I hope you will want to plan on going to a couple of shows at some of the numerous live performance and theatre venues that can be found here on the Central Coast of California!

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) will present their summer musical, Grease, June 22 – July 8, and their Grades 1-10 Summer Camp/Performance Class production of Disney's The Little Mermaid Jr in early August.

Rydell High visits San Luis Obispo as Kelrik Productions presents the 1950's musical, Grease.  This gritty musical is packed with explosive energy, vibrant 1950's pop culture and all those unforgettable songs including Summer Nights, Hopelessly Devoted, Greased Lightnin', Beauty School Dropout, We Go Together and many more!  Come see the "Burger Palace Boys" and "Pink Ladies" sing and dance their way across way across the stage!  It's sure to be ELECTRIFYING!  Be there or be square!

After spending a hopelessly devoted summer with Sandy Dumbrowski (Ali Peters), the new girl in town, Danny Zuko's (Brady Beckstead) world is thrown upside down when Sandy appears at Rydell High on the first day of school.  What follows is a rock n' roll celebration of growin' up, cruisin' with friends and goin' steady.

Directed by Erik Austin and choreographed by Holly Patterson, Grease features costume design by Keith Wetzel, lighting design by Ryan Manus and musical direction by Lacey McNamara.  Grease features book, music and lyrics by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey.  Everywhere it's opened, Grease has struck a universal chord with its irresistible mix of adolescent angst, vibrant physicality and 1950's pop culture.  Jim Jacobs and WarRen Casey created a perfect period piece - a pastiche of the 1950's, which is "fast, furious and thrilling, an injection of raw energy ... and fun, fun, fun" (Hilary Bonner - Daily Mirror).

Grease originated in Chicago and made its premiere at The Kingston Mines Theater in 1971 before making its New York premiere off-Broadway at the Eden Theatre on February 14, 1972.  After 128 sold-out performances, the show made the transition to Broadway, taking up residence at the Broadhurst Theatre on June 7, 1972.  Grease was nominated for seven Tony Awards in its spectacular initial run.  OnNovember 21, 1972, the show moved to the Royale Theatre before making its final transfer onJanuary 20, 1980 to the Majestic Theatre. It closed as the then longest running show in Broadway history after playing 3,388 performances.

In 1978, Grease became a hugely popular feature film starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John in the lead roles.  A Broadway revival opened on May 11, 1994 at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre where it played 1,503 performances and won three Tony Award nominations.  The new Broadway production of Grease opened onAugust 19, 2007 and was nominated for a 2008 Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

The film version of Grease produced one of the best-selling soundtracks in history and is the highest-grossing movie musical of all time.  The two Travolta/Newton-John duets, You're The One That I Want and Summer Nights were both #1 hits.  The song Hopelessly Devoted to You was nominated for an Academy Award (1979) for Best Music - Original Song, and the film's title song, Grease, was a #1 smash hit single for singer Frankie Valli.

Tickets to Grease can be purchased online at www.kelrikproductions.org, or at Cheap Thrills 563 Higuera Street in San Luis Obispo.  Grease will perform at Unity, 1490 Southwood Drive in San Luis Obispo, June 22 - July 8.  Please note the family-friendly performance schedule: Friday and Saturday evening performances at 7PM, and Sunday matinees at 2PM.  Ticket prices are $14 - $20.  Discounts are available for full-time students, seniors and groups of 15 or more [PHOTO by Danielle Dutro of Brady Beckstead as Danny Zuko and Ali Peters as Sandy Dumbrowski].

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria will present Six Dance Lessons In Six Weeks, June 22 – July 29.

The Theatre at the Cambria Centerfor the Arts (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/index.html) is currently presenting DRAMARAMA - Youth Acting Classes, June 4-28.

The REC Foundation in Paso Robles is sponsoring a production of Man of La Mancha, directed by Cynthia Anthony and Jacob Shearer, at Centennial Park, performances September 21 & 22.  Call Jacob at 805-975-5023 for more information. 

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (http://centralcoastshakespeare.org/) will present The Tempest, July 12-28, at River Oaks Amphitheatre in Paso Robles.  And be sure to plan on attending a special fundraiser screening of "Shakespeare in Love" at The Galaxy Theatre VIP Lounge in Atascadero, 5:30 - 8:30 PM, on June 26. 

Templeton Performing Arts Center of the North County Dance and Performing Arts Foundation (http://www.northcountyperformingarts.org/) in association with Class Act Dance will present SYNERGY, a summer dance recital, on June 23.

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) NO SHAME Theatre will be this Friday, June 22 (submissions at 10:30, show starts at 11:30).  The next mainstage production, My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, will run June 29 – July 22, followed by Ubu's Other Shoe's readers' theatre production ofArcadia July 27 & 28, Academy of Creative Arts'Anne of Avonlea August 3-12, and The Marvelous Wonderettes August 31 – September 23. 

Next up for The God Is Still Speaking Players (https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/92718528887), is scheduled to be a summer musical production of Snoopy – auditions July 16 & 17, performances August 31 - September 9.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Dance Obispo's Student Showcase on June 24, Leslie Jordan on July 7, Joe Goode Performance Group on August 9, Jumpbrush in Concert on August 11, and CORE Dance Company's Confessions of a Love Junkie August 17 & 18.  

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present Pirates of Pirates Cove opening July 1.

Exit Pursued By a Bear (https://www.facebook.com/events/405235212833014/) will present Much Ado About Nothing and Titus Andronicus, running in repertory in parks on the Central Coast 2 weekends in August - stay tuned for specific dates, times and locations.

The Spot (https://www.facebook.com/#!/hit.the.spot) will present the Chris Lopez Magic Show June 23 & 24, the School of Performing Arts Recital July 13 & 14, and Taylor Murphy-Sinclair's one woman show I Can't Draw a Heart and Other Episodes July 20-29.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Coastal Dance and Music Academy's Rhythm Nation on June 24, Arroyo Grande Hospital's Juke Box Rock on July 28, and Central Coast Celebration Chorus' Alice in Barbershop Land on September 8.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is proud to present Gunsmokin' or, All Riot's on the Western Front, written by Ben Millet and adapted by JorDan Richardson, followed at each performance by the TGAM Wide World of Sports Vaudeville Revue, directed by Jake McGuire, with musical direction and accompaniment by Mark Pietri.

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 Little Women, the Broadway Musical, through July 1 at the Solvang Festival Theater, and The Rivals through June 30 in Santa Maria (July 5-22 in Solvang).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) recently closed The Battle of Shallowford – stay tuned for details on their next production!

The Lompoc Civic Theatre's (www.lompoccivictheatre.com) upcoming summer production of tick, tock … BOOM! will run August 3-19.

So, whatever else you might have scheduled over the course of the next few weeks, I hope you will plan on including a couple of performances at any one of the several theatre and live entertainment establishments that are here for your enjoyment on the California Central Coast!

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