Mid-April Theatre Happenings on the California Central Coast

As we come to April 15 (got YOUR taxes done yet?) and on into springtime, I trust you are making plans to frequent one of the several live performance and theatre venues here on the beautiful California Central Coast!

The Great American Melodrama's (www.americanmelodrama.com) current production, The Medicine Man, runs through April 24.

"A miserable, worthless piece of desert driftwood, a fork-tongued, lily-livered, puffed-up popinjay-snake oil salesman, card sharp, pickpocket, claim jumper, medicine show man, con man and a number one coward?"  Those are a few of the choice words that Aggie (Bree Murphy) uses to describe her husband, Sam Sagamore (George Walker), the hero of the play.  It appears that she doesn't think very highly of him and you can't much blame her.  Sagamore walked out 10 years ago to get a drink and didn't bother to come back, leaving his wife and daughter, Louise (Bailey Durnin & Kristina Melsheimer) to fend for themselves.  And now, by one of those sheer coincidences that you find only in carefree, happy farces (like those by Shakespeare and Moliere), Sagamore strolls into a desert hotel owned and operated by Aggie.  After a hilarious broom-swatting fight, Aggie has just about persuaded Sagamore that he's not welcome, but Louise begs him to stay.  In the meantime, Señor Vega (Billy Breed), the richest man in the valley, brings his daughter's chaperone, Inez (Suzy Newman) and his daughter, Isabel (Natasha Harris) to the hotel in search of a doctor to cure the strange malady which has caused Isabel to lose her voice.  However, the local doc has just died, so Sagamore decides to use the doctor's bag of tools to cure the girl and gain the reward.  Vega, who is nobody's fool, suspects that Sagamore is not the skilled doctor he pretends to be, and he tells Sagamore to cure his daughter or hang from the nearest tree. Complicating Sagamore's plan are the wishes of a cowboy, Luke (Rhett Guter), the ever watchful eye of the local Sheriff (Chuck McLane) and the unwanted advances of Lily (Leah Kolb).  Written by David G. Grote, The Medicine Man is loosely based on possibly the funniest play ever written, Moliere's The Doctor in Spite of Himself.  Moliere would undoubtedly be delighted to see his play transferred to the American Wild West where it fits as comfortably as a pair of faded blue jeans.

Following The Medicine Man, give your regards to Broadway with the song, dance and comedy revue, "Unique New York or the Vaudeville that Never Sleeps!"  Enjoy a slice of the Big Apple and put yourself in a New York state of mind as you meet some of New York's finest characters.  Listen to the sounds of the city and relish in a toe-tapping, tap number showcasing the entire cast as they salute the hustle and bustle of New York City!  Co-written by Jim Shine and Jordan Richardson and choreographed by Michael Jenkinsen, this uptown revue marks the directing debut of the Melodrama Maestro, Jordan Richardson.  

Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7pm, Fridays at 8pm, Saturdays at 4 and 8pm, and Sundays at 6pm.  (Regular Melodrama attendees should note the new, earlier showtimes for Saturday performances.  On Thursday, March 17 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.  Tickets are $18 to $22, with discounts available for groups, seniors, students, active military, and children.  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.

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, is proud to present Pride and Prejudice through May 8.  The 2011 PCPA graduating class will present their Senior Showcase Conservatory Repertory productions of Hair May 12 & 14 and Twelfth Night May 13 & 14. 

PCPA is also seeking 4 boys for the summer musicals Caroline, or Change and My Fairytale.

For Caroline, or Change, casting needs include two African American boys, one who looks to be 9 years old and the other who looks to be 12 years old. Both must be comfortable singing on their own in front of a large group of people. The third young performer is Caucasian who looks to be 10 years old. He must sing very well. This boy is the lead of the show and sings a lot. Caroline, or Change is set in Louisiana in 1963. The musical tells the story of the relationship between young Noah Gellman and Caroline, the African America woman who works as a maid for his family. The show was nominated for six 2004 Tony Awards.

For My Fairytale, casting needs include one boy who looks to be 12 years old for the American premiere of this musical. He must sing well. All ethnicities are encouraged to audition. My Fairytale, with music by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked) - is set in 1846 on the stage of the Royal Danish National Theater where Hans Christian Andersen is launched into the timeless landscape of his own imagination. What he discovers there not only changes his life, but the world, and proves the genesis for immortal storytelling.

Auditions are Sunday, April 17th, 10am - 12:30pm, at the Columbia Business Center

900 E. Stowell, Santa Maria, CA (Behind Costco) - Rm. 18

No Appointments

Be prepared to sing 16 to 32 bars of any song. Bring sheet music (no recordings please) - a pianist will be provided. If you have questions please call 805-928-7731 ext. 3100.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production, An Evening with David Ives, will run April 29 - May 21 (rumor has it they're still looking for an actor or 2 to round out the casts of this series of one act plays).

Ryan Cordero (sorcererproductions@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) are proud to present the Tony Award winning The Drowsy Chaperone, with performances scheduled through April 23, at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande [NOTE: attended the special April 11 Monday night performance - and this is one show you do NOT want to miss ... IF you can get a ticket at this point, so call NOW!].

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include Pilipino Cultural Night April 22 & 23, Leon Redbone on April 29, A Ticket to Ride: A Musical Biography of the Beatles on May 7, and California Theatre Center's The Ugly Duckling on May 9.

Exit Pursued by a Bear (follow them on Facebook) is proud to announce their upcoming production of As You Like It (performances May 13-15, 19-21).  I understand that the "twist" for this production is that it will be entirely gender reversed with men playing the women's roles and, well ... I think you get the idea.  Contact Tyler Lopez at tylermlopez@gmail.com for more information.    

Murder In Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) is currently looking for actors to fill out the cast of their interactive murder mystery The Altos - Blood Is Thicker Than Wine, which will run on Sundays at The Spyglass Inn in Shell Beach May 1 - June 5.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) current show, Pinkalicious, will run through April 17 [NOTE: saw the opening matinee of this production - FUN show, and definitely one to take the kids to!].  Auditions for their next production, Aladdin, were held on April 6 (performances May 21 - June 12).  Auditions for Beauty and the Beast are scheduled for May 25 (performances July 16-24 at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus).

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) current mainstage production, The Gin Game, runs through May 1.  They are also looking for a white male to play a college senior with an "All American" look in their upcoming production of Spinning Into Butter which opens May 20.  And be sure to check out their children's summer theatre program classes and productions at act@slolittletheatre.org.

The God Is Still Speaking Players' (follow them on Facebook) next show will be Nunsense Jamboree in September (auditions early/mid July).  They are hosting a production of The Fourth Wall in collaboration with the RadioActive Players on April 30 & May 1 at 2 PM at the SLO UCC at 11245 Los Osos Valley Rd.  General admission is $10.  Tickets can be purchased at the door or ahead of time online at www.brownpapertickets.com.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include StringWreck on April 15, Mexico de Noche 2011 on April 16 (Spanos Theatre), Hooray for Polywood Open House Concert on April 16 (Cohan Center), All-State Musica Festival Concert on April 17, Lavay Smith & Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers on April 21, Journey to Experience (J2X) on April 22, the MET live in HD: Strauss' Capriccio on April 23, and Variable Velocity Performance Groups Extraordinary Mysteries on April 29 & 30.

The North County Dance & Performing Arts Foundation (www.northcountyperformingarts.org) will present DreamWeaver: The Journey Continues April 29 - May 1 at the Templeton Performing Arts Center.  Call (805) 286-7883 for tickets.  

The Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (www.pryaf.org) will present Tom Sawyer April 14-16.  Call the PRYAF office at (805) 238-5825 for additional information.

The Paso Robles High School Drama Department (www.prhsdrama.com) will present Seussical through April 17.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse's (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) current production of Becky's New Car runs through May 8.  Their next rpoduction, Playhouse Creatures, will perform June 3 - July 17.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/id4.html) is pleased to announce that Allied Arts Theatre has been revived and will be presenting The Octette Bridge Club July 29 - August 21, and Dearly Departed October 21 - November 20.

So, whatever else you may have going on - get out there and support the performing arts here on the Central Coast ... I have NO doubt you and the performers who share their talents with you will be glad you did!

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