PSYCHO BEACH PARTY to Play Long Beach Playhouse Studio Theatre
By: Tyler Peterson
In Psycho Beach Party, playwright Charles Busch tosses together a quirky mélange of Gidget, Joan Crawford, beach parties, surfers, Hitchcock and slasher movies. The result is hilarious, campy and a lot of fun to watch. The show has delighted audiences since 1987. It has played off-Broadway, at international festivals and in community theaters.
The Playhouse production is directed by Dale Jones, a veteran of several Playhouse productions. Jones showed his parody chops with 2014's popular The 39 Steps, which was a hilariously twisted take on Hitchcock films. In Psycho Beach Party he brings that same knowledge of film genres and artful parody to the piece. "This show is fun and it's twisted, it's perfect for Dale. And it's perfect for the Studio Theatre audience," said Andrew Vonderschmitt, Executive and Producing Artistic Director. Psycho Beach Party is also a great show for Donna Fritsche, manager of the costume shop, to show off her considerable talent in capturing a vintage vibe with her designs. The bathing suits look like something straight out of Surfer Magazine circa 1962. At times you'll swear Annette and Frankie have returned for one more day. The eleven-member cast is a combination of debut performances and actors returning to the Playhouse stage. Several of the cast members are drama students from schools including Renaissance High School in Long Beach, Orange County School of Performing Arts, Cypress College, LBCC and CSULB. "I'm thrilled when students audition and get cast. Everyone at the Playhouse was once that student. It's great to be part of their early theater experience," said Vonderschmitt. "Come and see the show, it's the perfect way to end the summer."SPECIAL EVENTS FOR THIS PLAY:
- Pay what you can Thursday September 3
- Two for One Preview Friday September 4 - Tickets are $12.00
- Opening Night Champagne Reception with cast on September 5 - Tickets are $27.00
Adults are $24.00, seniors $21.00, and Students $14.00.
Tickets are available at www.lbplayhouse.org, or by calling 562-494-1014, option 1.
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