Local Playwright Returns With Palm Springs-Based Musical
Cara Van Dijk's Palm Springs Getaway is unique and delightful!
Local playwright Cara Van Dijk is a busy lady. Well, make that playwright, author, journalist, publicist, producer, actress, wife and mother. Her recent musical Palm Springs Getaway is currently in its second production at Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT), the Valley's longest-operating theatre company, and even though audiences are proclaiming the show to be "A joy" and "a pure delight," every time she sees a rehearsal or performance she thinks, "Next time we'll try...." It's certainly the happy sort of show you can sit through multiple times, and I know I enjoyed seeing what was kept from last year's production and what was new.
About seven years ago, Se Layne, Co-Artistic Director of Palm Canyon Theatre was chatting with Van Dijk. The women had become friends when Van Dijk's children participated in the theatre's summer Kids Camp and she began working as the theatre's publicist. Layne mentioned that she envisioned a production which celebrated the uniqueness of Palm Springs; our history, our legendary residents, and our iconic personality. Another playwright had started a draft but then became busy and was unable to complete it. Layne offered the project to Van Dijk, and she rose to the occasion. She banished her family from their home for three days, armed herself with numerous boxes of Good N' Plenty, and produced an 18-page treatment at the end of the three day exile.
That treatment was workshopped (often with Van Dijk's talented family reading scenes in their living room) and was given a full production last year during PCT's regular season. PCT's Artistic Directors decided to bring it back this season for a bifurcated season - partly in December and partly in January - leaving a few weeks in between for the Palm Springs International Film Festival to use the auditorium. For the December dates, the company added a number of Christmas songs and references. Although I enjoyed the holiday nods, I also missed some really nice moments from the original production which were replaced with seasonal fare. I'm looking forward to the show's two-week reprise this month to see some of my favorites reinstated.
Cara Van Dijk is a delightful lady who absolutely exudes excitement and energy. When she was in high school she dabbled in acting. In fact she and some high school friends started a drama club in the tiny town of Winlock, WA. During college, she expanded her studies into journalism and decided that the perfect merger of her acting chops and journalistic skills would be as a television reporter/anchor. She worked as an onscreen reporter in Oregon and Georgia, and when she moved to Palm Springs, she served as a news producer at KESQ News Channel 3. In fact, she was the first producer of "Eye on the Desert." She has written for newspapers, radio and television, and has been a strategic communications consultant and a public relations specialist since 2005. She is currently a communications consultant with various local clients.
Her musical, Palm Springs Getaway, begins in Hollywood in the 1930's where the two male protagonists realize they need to "getaway" as they try to escape some mobsters set on revenge. Prompted by a fortune teller who describes Palm Springs as the "Playground of the stars," our two leads - named "Bob" and "Bing" because they are patterned after Hope and Crosby's "Road" movies - set off on a time-jumping adventure reminiscent of the lighthearted, screwball comedy films of the 30's and 40's.
The fast-paced farce is filled with physical comedy and campy energy with bits of Palm Springs history and lore sprinkled throughout. Distinct music of each decade, performed by a four-piece band, era-specific dance styles, plus historic projections usher audiences down memory lane. A company of 35 local talents, ranging in age from seven to 80+, transform from one iconic character to the next. They showcase not only decades past, but the magic that remains in Palm Springs today.
Palm Springs Getaway 2023 Edition runs January 20-29. Showtimes are 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets re $38 for adults; $34 for seniors; and $17 for students. Group discounts are available.
For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or other information, call the PCT Box Office at (760) 323-5123 or order online at PalmCanyonTheatre.org. Palm Canyon Theatre is located at 538 North Palm Canyon Drive at the corner of Alejo Road. Box Office hours are currently Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
From This Author - Stan Jenson
STAN JENSON has been acting for 58 years since his high school debut at the age of 14. In those ensuing years, he has appeared in several hundred productions across the United States and Australia ... (read more about this author)
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Palm Springs Getaway keeps getting better as it presents Version 2.1 Local playwright Cara Van Dijk is a busy lady. Well, make that playwright, author, journalist, publicist, producer, actress, wife and mother. Her recent musical Palm Springs Getaway is currently in its second production at Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT), the Valley's longest-operating theatre company, and even though audiences are proclaiming the show to be 'A joy' and 'a pure delight,' every time she sees a rehearsal or performance she thinks, 'Next time we'll try....' It's certainly the happy sort of show you can sit through multiple times, and I know I enjoyed seeing what was kept from last year's production and what was new.
