BWW Blogs: California Central Coast Theatre Openings & Closings

As we move toward the end of July, a number of our California Central Coast theatre and live performance venues are bringing runs to a close, or are preparing to tantalize your entertainment tastes with something new and exciting!

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 close its production of Sylvia on July 25 at the Solvang Festival Theater [NOTE: Saw a Saturday matinee of this production during its Marian Theatre run in Santa Maria and it is absolutely WONDERFUL!].  The classic 50s musical West Side Story is currently running at the Marian Theatre through July 25 (July 30 - August 22 at the Solvang Festival Theater) [NOTE: Saw the final Saturday matinee of this production before it moves to Solvang next week - and it was AMAZING!].

In this triumphant musical legend, love transcends language, time and place. While Manhattan's west side rumbles with the clash of Jets and Sharks, Maria and Tony seek "a somewhere" their romance can thrive.  In their revolutionary work that changed the course of the American musical, Bernstein, Sondheim and Laurents bring their award winning genius to the immortal story of star-crossed lovers caught in a turf war of rival ethnic gangs.

Despite most of our vivid memories of West Side Story as a cinematic nod to the streets of New York City, Bernstein and Robbins originally conceived the piece in an abstract locale.  As director Michael Jenkinson notes, "the setting should feel urban - New York like, without New York specifics."  Because so much of the play is explored through explosive dance and movement, the stage needs to offer a sense of that expansion both horizontal and vertical.  Jenkinson also wants to celebrate the "clean lines of 1958."  So costume supports not only the time period, but also the specificity of character.  This is a dangerous world of Jets and Sharks in battles for life and turf, not the 1950s styling of Grease.  Color is a dominant focus of this production both for the iconic imagery it reinforces, and for the clarity it brings to each ethnicity and each character.  And that color distinction and sensibility are reflected in lighting choices which help to define specific locales, or allow us to enter into a realm for the "Somewhere" dream ballet that can support tranquility and harmony in sharp contrast to the two cultures so actively in collision.

For the director and his team, it is the score that serves as the primary inspiration and as a powerful actor in the play.  That celebration of the symphonic nature of this piece will be enforced with new and vibrant choreography that acknowledges the dynamic and transformative style of Jerome Robbins' original work, yet plays to Jenkinson's own strengths and innovations [PHOTO by Luis Escobar - Reflections Photography Studio; Zachary Ford as Tony, Mindy Lym as Maria].

Over the Rainbow with Gale McNeeley and Betty Faas will be presented at Café Noir (formerly Café Monet - 1555 S Broadway) in Santa Maria on July 31 at 7 PM.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) will present their next production, The White Liars and Black Comedy, September 10 - October 2.

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is into its summer repertory season with The Crock of Gold alternating performances with their second summer show, The Tavern, through September 19, along with "The Great Outdoors Vaudeville Review" following each performance.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) recently 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?  A production of Forever Plaid will be presented September 17 - October 2 as part of their inaugural season of 4 shows.  In addition to Forever Plaid, Last Five Years is tentatively scheduled for production in November, Drowsy Chaperone in Feb/March of 2011, and Crazy for You in August 2011.   

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include Jim Messina of Loggins & Messina in concert on August 10, and the 9^th Annual Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Awards with a benefit performance by comedian Josh Blue on August 28.

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) presents Bewitched: De-Witched, a parody by John Logue and directed by Ron Kewish, at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through September 5.  Reservations are required. 

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) has just closed their FINAL Central Coast production of Into the Woods as Kelrik's Artistic Director, Erik Austin, prepares to leave the area and head south to San Diego.  THANKS for all the wonderful theatre you created and shared with the community during your years here on the Central Coast Erik - you will be missed!

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) presents Suzy Miller's summer theatre dance spectacular Shimmy Shake Shine! through July 31 [NOTE: attended the Saturday matinee opening weekend of this show and this group of 30 singers/dancers/actors, ranging in age from 15 to 54, ROCK the house!].  The Academy of Creative Theatre's summer youth production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, directed by Shelagh Garren, runs August 6-8 & 13-15.  And The Fantasticks will perform August 27 - September 19 ... BUSY summer at the Little Theatre!   

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) will present You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown the first 2 weekends in September - including a special Labor Day Monday matinee to support the ongoing work of the Prado Day Center.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include American Dance of SLO's Just Imagine August 1 (2 performances - 2 & 6 PM), Pacific Coast Dance Convergence's JUMPBRUSH, August 12-14, and (for those who REALLY like to plan ahead!) comedienne Paula Poundstone on October 7.

The Brickyard Theatre (www.brickyardhteatre.com) is currently working on a production of Quilters, which will be presented September 2-25 in Atascadero.  Contact Bobbi Stoffel at stoffelfam@charter.net for reservations or more information.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) in Cambria presents The Belle of Amherst through August 1.  Contact Emma Duncan at (805) 574-0073, or eduncan@gm.slc.edu for more information.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), also 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, I'm told they are working on a "special project" that has taken them in a different direction at this point, and they will hopefully be making an announcement soon ... stay tuned!

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) is proud to present its summer productions of Twelfth Night and The Gamester through August 14 at the Outside Amphitheatre at the River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles.

So whether you're hungry for some Shakespeare, or a classic musical, or a comedy, or a drama, or some high energy singing & dancing, or a dinner theatre spoof of a classic TV sitcom - with an ocean view no less, or an evening of music from any number of traditions and styles, we've got all that and a WHOLE lot more here on the beautiful California Central Coast!

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

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