BWW Blogs: Mid-December Theatre Offerings on the California Central Coast

As we come to the middle of December and the remaining gift shopping days grow short - why not consider the gift of live theatre from one of our several live performance venues here on the California Central Coast?

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is proud to present their annual Holiday Extravaganza.

Looking to add some zing to your nostalgic holiday traditions?  Don't let this holiday go by without experiencing an evening at The Great American Melodrama and Vaudeville.  Rejuvenate your holiday spirit with Ebenezer Scrooge in the classic timepiece, Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, tickle your funny bone with a fractured fairytale, Sleeping Beauty, or You Snooze, You Lose, then find the rhythm inside with the heart-warming Holiday Vaudeville Revue.  The Holiday Extravaganza runs through December 31, and this year features some twists in the three-part evening.

Those who have made the Melodrama a holiday tradition for the past few years will immediately notice the first twist - Billy Breed, who has played the role of Ebenezer Scrooge for the past five years, and Chuck McLane, who has played the role of Ghost of Christmas Present for the past five years, are switching roles this season!

Following A Christmas Carol is the fractured fairy-tale musical, Sleeping Beauty, or You Snooze, You Lose, written by Brad Carroll.  The familiar story of the lovely Princess Allura is given a number of twists as the Melodrama fractures the familiar story and blends it with classical music.  Loads of laughs await the audience in this delightful blend of music and comedy, directed by Eric Hoit with musical direction by JorDan Richardson.

The finale to the triple bill is the Holiday Vaudeville Revue, highlighting musical arrangements by JorDan Richardson and choreography by Michael Jenkinson.  A fantastic way to end the evening, audiences will find themselves whistling tunes as they leave the theater.  Don't miss annual favorites The Rappin' Reindeer and the famous Melodrama Waterglass Orchestra!  All in all, The Holiday Extravaganza is a terrific musical and theatrical experience, perfect for friends and family of all ages.

The Melodrama offers great food, snacks, desserts, beer & wine at the in-house pub. Many shows are added to the regular schedule to accommodate the demand for this show.  A performance calendar may be found at www.americanmelodrama.com.  This is the Melodrama's most popular show of the season, and tickets are selling fast, so reserve now!  For information on show times and reservations, call the Melodrama Box Office at 489-2499.

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 high Flying Musical Peter Pan through December 23 in the Marian Theatre.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production, Doubt, is in rehearsal and will run February 4-26.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) recently closed their very successful production of Forever Plaid, at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande as part of their inaugural season of shows.  Next up is Drowsy Chaperone, with performances scheduled for April 1-24.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include the 3^rd Annual Community Christmas & Holiday Sing-Along (where I will make an appearance as a singing Santa!), and The Best of the ORIGINAL Legends Series December 31 - January 15.

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) will present Golden Girls: Meet Blanche's Niece, at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through January 30.  Reservations are required.

SLO Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) will present their current main stage production, Nuncrackers: the Christmas Musical, through December 19.  And then you won't want to miss a staged reading of the hilarious Mrs Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge on December 22 & 23, directed by Jill Turnbow!

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook), in collaboration with Bent Angel Productions, recently closed its run of a staged reading of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood.  What's next?  A readers' theatre production of The Diary of Anne Frank is planned for the first weekend in March, and Nunsense Jamboree in September.  Stay tuned for audition dates and details!

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the popular Forbes Pipe Organ Holiday Concert & Sing-Along on December 19, New Year's Eve with the SLO Symphony on December 31 (duh!), Verdi's Don Carlo Live from the MET in HD on January 2, and Puccini's La Finciulla del West Live from the MET in HD on January 8.

The Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) presented a "special project."  Always ... Patsy Cline, at Centennial Park in Paso Robles for 2 performances in September.  Stay tuned for what they'll be doing next! 

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) is looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?  Details concerning their next show are TBD (and where it will be held).

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria has announced that their next production will be The Glass Menagerie, directed by Nehemiah Persoff, with performances in January and February.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS), also located in Cambria, closed Rosann Balbontin's Bridging the Gap in September.  Contact Theatre Director, Jeff Mar, at KRKJFRZ@aol.com to find out what their next project will be.

So, as you wrap up your Holiday gift shopping - what better gift could you give to the person on your list who doesn't really need anything than the gift of a live theatre performance somewhere on the California Central Coast?

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

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