Sunday After Next at Matilija Auditorium

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SUNDAY AFTER NEXT

Lord Arthur has found the girl of his dreams. She loves him madly. They can't wait to get married. One problem: he has to kill someone first.

New Art City Theatre presents the premiere of Sunday After Next, a farcical new musical comedy inspired by Oscar Wilde's "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," produced in association with the Ventura Music Festival. Book, music and lyrics by Beverly Ward, with book by and direction and choreography by Kirby Ward. The company brings 70 Broadway credits, led by Clarke Thorell (Hairspray), with orchestrations by Tony Award winner Larry Hochman (The Book of Mormon) played live by a seven-piece chamber ensemble.

Performances: Fri Nov 13, 7 PM (opening night); Sat Nov 14, 7 PM; Sun Nov 15, 2 PM; Fri Nov 20, 7 PM; Sat Nov 21, 2 PM; Sun Nov 22, 2 PM.

Matilija Auditorium, 703 El Paseo Road, Ojai, CA 93023. Fully ADA accessible.

Tickets: $25 Open Door, $45 Value, $65 Pay-It-Forward. Groups of 10 or more: (805) 242-8575 or boxoffice@newartcitytheatre.org.

https://newartcitytheatre.org/sunday-after-next/?utm_source=broadwayworld&utm_medium=calendar&utm_campaign=san-2026&utm_content=listing

PRESS RELEASE

Broadway Veterans Get Wilde in Ojai

New Art City Theatre premieres Sunday After Next, a new musical comedy inspired by Oscar Wilde, November 13 to 22 at Matilija Auditorium

VENTURA, Calif. (Oct. 15, 2026) – New Art City Theatre (NACT), a pioneering Ventura theatre company dedicated to the development of new works, will produce Sunday After Next, a farcical new musical comedy about a young gentleman who must commit a murder before his wedding, featuring a company with 70 Broadway credits and orchestrations by Tony Award-winning orchestrator Larry Hochman. The show is produced in association with the Ventura Music Festival and runs for six public performances at Matilija Auditorium in Ojai, November 13 through 22.

The cast is led by Clarke Thorell, a veteran of seven Broadway shows who originated the role of Corny Collins in Hairspray. Together, the cast, creative and artistic team bring 70 Broadway credits to one stage, from The Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon to The Little Mermaid and A Chorus Line. The company also includes two Ventura County artists: Ventura's Adam Karluk, who plays Reggie Savile and Rolph, and Oxnard's Juliana Acosta, assistant stage manager. Playing more than 20 characters, the nine-person cast also includes Meghan Andrews (Broadway: Frost/Nixon), Kelsey Angel Baehrens (East West Players and national tour: Cambodian Rock Band), Craig Bennett (Broadway: Miss Saigon, A Tale of Two Cities, South Pacific, The Last Ship), Eddie Korbich (Broadway: Singin' in the Rain, Sweeney Todd [first revival], Carousel, Seussical, Wicked, After the Night and the Music, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Little Mermaid, A Christmas Story, Breakfast at Tiffany's, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, The Music Man), Mark Arthur Miller (Chicago: Bailiwick Rep, Reflections Theatre), Anne Nelson and Michael Uribes (Ted Cruz in 44: The Obama Musical).

NACT co-founder Kirby Ward directs and choreographs. The score is orchestrated by Larry Hochman, who won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for The Book of Mormon and whose 18 Broadway credits include Spamalot and The Addams Family. Ventura Music Festival Artistic Director Nuvi Mehta is the featured violinist in a seven-piece chamber ensemble playing live on stage. Music direction is by Brad Gardner, most recently music director of Brigadoon at Pasadena Playhouse. Sound is by DJ, composer and sound designer Andrea Allmond, with audio mixer Jordan Pankin, who comes to the production straight from mixing Wicked on Broadway. Scenic design is by Irena Hadi-orevi, lighting design by Luke Moyer, costume design by Shon LeBlanc and props by John McElveney.

First developed in the BMI Lehman Engel Musical Theatre Workshop in New York City, Sunday After Next tells the story of the misguided Lord Arthur, who is two weeks from marrying the girl of his dreams. One problem: he has to kill someone first. The farcical black comedy is inspired by Oscar Wilde's short story “Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: A Study of Duty.”

“We wanted to make something brand new right here in Ojai, with artists who've worked at the very top of the business,” said Beverly Ward, who wrote the music and lyrics and co-wrote the book. “It's critical to have the best and brightest when you're developing a new project,” added co-book writer Kirby Ward. “This is a dream cast and creative team.”

In keeping with NACT's Theatre For All pricing, tickets come in three levels: $25 Open Door, for seniors on a fixed income, students, educators, active military, veterans and anyone with limited means; $45 Value; and $65 Pay-It-Forward, which helps NACT welcome audiences of every means. Groups of 10 or more receive reserved seating and a group rate.

Photos and interviews are available on request.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit newartcitytheatre.org/sunday-after-next.