May Mid Month Masques and MORE on the California Central Coast!

As we move into the middle of May and beyond, I trust you will want to consider attending at least a couple of the numerous productions currently (or soon to be) playing at any one of the numerous theatre and live performance establishments here on the AMAZING California Central Coast!

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) will present Sweeney Todd May 18 - June 2 as part of their After Dark Series.

The Tony Award-winning musical sails into Unity this month.  Based on a version of Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, it's a tragicomic tale of murder, mayhem, and meat pies.

Winner of the Tony Award in 1979, Sweeney Todd is considered one of Sondheim's masterpieces and has enjoyed recent revivals and a film by Tim Burton starring Johnny Depp.  This hauntingly chilling story explores love, loss and blood-soaked revenge.  After hard years in exile for a crime he didn't commit, Sweeney Todd returns toLondon to find his wife dead and his daughter in the hands of the evil Judge Turpin.  In his rage, Sweeney takes his revenge on the populace ofLondon.  With the help of his wily neighbor, Mrs. Lovett, Sweeney lures his victims with a charming smile before casually ending their lives with a flick of his razor and has them baked into pies.

Stephen Sondheim's musical thriller stars Larry Kaml (Sweeney Todd), Lacey McNamara (Mrs. Lovett), Benjamin King (Tobias), Cody Pettit (Anthony), Danielle Dutro (Johanna), Debora Schwartz (Beggar Women), Red Rahim (Judge Turpin), Torran Kitts (The Beadle), Allison Lynch (Johanna), and Lester Wilson (Pirelli).  The Ensemble includes Gryphon Strom, Westen Meyer, Harry Sadler, Bethany Bagg, Thea Bodger, Linda Miner and Michelle Hansen.

The creative Team includes: Director Larry Kaml, with Music Direction by Lacey McNamara, Assistant Director Christian Clarno, Stage Manager Roberta Hart, Set Design by Erik Austin, Lighting Design by Ryan Manus, and Costume Design by Costume Capers

In their Kelrik Family Series, Willy Wonka is currently playing through June 3 [NOTE: Caught the opening matinee -FUN show ... GREAT kid vocals!]. 

Paso Robles High School Drama Department's (http://prhsdrama.com/index.html) Spring Musical is Guys and Dolls with performances through 20.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria is currently presenting Outward Bound through June 3.

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

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.

San Luis Obispo High School Drama Club (https://www.facebook.com/events/458159240865055/) will present HAIR, May 18 & 19 and 24 & 25.  

SLO Little Theatre’s (www.slolittletheatre.org) next mainstage production, The House of Blue Leaves, will run May 25 - June 17.  And be sure to check out the Academy of Creative Theatre’s (http://www.slolittletheatre.org/pages/classes) children & youth theatre opportunities for this spring and summer!

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

Espressivo! Chamber Theatre (http://espressivotheatre.com/) will present The Botanical Engineers in May & June at various locations on the Central Coast – including May 18 at the Red Barn in Los Osos, May 19 at the Yoga Center in Morro Bay, May 20 & 24 at Pewter Plough Playhouse in Cambria, May 25 at Poalillo Vineyards in Paso Robles, May 26 at SLO Botanical Garden, May 27 at SLO Little Theatre, May 31 at the Gather Wine Bar in Arroyo Grande, June 1 at Davidson's Furniture "Art After Dark" in SLO, June 2 at Sculpterra Winery in Paso Robles, June 3 TBA, and June 7 back at Poalillo Vineyards in Paso Robles (WHEW ... talk about takin' it on the road!).

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Cal Poly's Theatre & Dance Department's The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other May 10-19, Cal Poly Early Music Ensemble Concert: Treasures of Tudor England on May 18, Street Heat Dance Company’s Epidemic on May 19 (Spanos Theatre), Cal Poly Jazz Concert on May 19 (Cohan Center), and a Forbes Pipe Organ Recital by Paul Woodring on May 20.

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

Arroyo Grande High School Theatre Company will present Pippin at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) May 25 – 27.

The Spot (https://www.facebook.com/#!/hit.the.spot) will present Pismo Beach Youth Theater's Guys and Dolls May 18 - 27.

Exit Pursued By a Bear (https://www.facebook.com/events/405235212833014/) will hold auditions May 24 at The Spot in Arroyo Grande for Much Ado About Nothing and Titus Andronicus, which will run in repertory in parks on the Central Coast 2 weekends in August.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Everybody Can DANCE and Santa Maria Civic Ballet’s Cinderella, Chopiniana & Giselle Act 1 June 9 & 10.

Nipomo High School Drama (www.nhsdrama.org) with Mesa and Paulding Middle Schools will present Best of the Best, created by Robyn Metchik and Suzy Miller, May 17-19 at the Clark Center [NOTE: Attended the opening performance and was BLOWN AWAY by nearly 3 hours of musical theatre & dance - be sure to catch one of the 3 remaining performance this weekend if you possibly can ... you will NOT be sorry you did!]. 

The Great American Melodrama (www.americanmelodrama.com) in Oceano is proud to present a Vaudeville Spectacular through June 10 ... a full night of Vaudeville Revue taken from the best of the best from years past and packed into one night of high energy entertainment.  Whether it's a classic comic routine or one of your favorite song and dance numbers, you're sure to have a good time as you take a trip down Memory Lane!

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, June 14 - July 1 at the Solvang Festival Theater and The Rivals June 21-30 in Santa Maria (July 5-22 in Solvang).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) current production is the comedy Battle of Shallowford - performances through May 19.

The Lompoc Civic Theatre (www.lompoccivictheatre.com) recently closed its dinner theatre production of The Outrageous Adventures of Sheldon and Mrs Levine – stay tuned for what’s next!

So, regardless of what else you may be planning for your recreational entertainment viewing pleasure in the weeks ahead, I hope you will consider including a selection of the shows at some of our live entertainment and theatre venues that make their home here on the Central Coast of California!

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