Center Repertory Company presents “Mystic Pizza” at Lesher Center for the Performing Arts

Center Repertory Company presents “Mystic Pizza,” a piping hot musical based on the beloved Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer romantic comedy that starred Julia Roberts, Lili Taylor, and Annabeth Gish. Adapted by Sandy Rustin with musical arrangements and orchestrations by Carmel Dean, this captivating production ventures into the enchanting world of a local restaurant, where the sizzling aromas of love, laughter, and, of course, pizza, fill the air. “Mystic Pizza” weaves a heartwarming tale of friendship among three working-class girls, their delectable adventures, and the magic that unfolds within the restaurant’s walls. This musical brings to life the flavors of a small coastal town, serving up a slice of nostalgia paired with hit melodies from the 1980s and 1990s including “Girls Just Want to Have Fun,” “Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now,” and “Take My Breath Away.” Direct from its West Coast Premiere at La Mirada Theatre, director Casey Hushion and music director Kristen Stowell reprise their World Premiere roles on this production, reuniting with Broadway’s Krystina Alabado, Gianna Yanelli, and Kyra Kennedy as the leading trio. Premiering in 2021 at the Ogunquit Playhouse, “Mystic Pizza” was deemed by BroadwayWorld a “charming, light-hearted story…that will have you reminiscing about big hair, neon colors and shoulder pads” and Portland Press Herald called it “a hot slice of theatrical fun.”