'ANOTHER OP'NIN', ANOTHER SHOW' On The California Central Coast!

Warm days with light until 8 PM ... pleasantly cool evenings ... crowds of people at the beaches ... shops, restaurants, and wine tasting rooms aplenty standing at the ready ... a lineup of live theatre and entertainment to satisfy most every taste and budget - must be mid-August on the California Central Coast!

Opening this week is the much anticipated Sorcerer Productions' (check them out on Facebook) The Producers at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande.  This Mel Brooks' musical comedy chronicles the antics of Max Bialystock (Dana Shaheen) and Leo Bloom (Jeff Salsbury) as they bumble and bungle their way through attempting to produce a Broadway show - and find that they can't even get doing it wrong right!

Speaking of getting it right - do you know what you get when you cross the talent and vision of a young Cal Poly Ag Science turned Theatre major, with the passion and drive of a Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts grad, along with the creativity and energy of a choreographer who was trained at the University of La Verne and the GSA Conservatoire in Guilford, England?  What you get is one of the newest and most exciting theatre companies here on the California Central Coast - Sorcerer Productions!   

The company's Artistic Director, Ryan Cordero, upon completing his Theatre degree at Cal Poly, had a vision for a professional caliber theatre company here on the Central Coast.  He became acquainted with Natalia Berryman, a PCPA grad with the dream of a theatre conservatory for kids and adults.  Through that acquaintance, Sorcerer Productions was born, and their first hit production, Thoroughly Modern Millie, was staged last summer at the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande.  After the successful run of Millie, Ryan decided to tackle The Producers, after seeing Martin Short and Jason Alexander in the National Tour in LA.  The production features the professional sets and costumes from the recent National Tour, and Zach Johnson has done an amazing job of recreating much of the choreography from the original Broadway production.  Mark Robertshaw is Music Director, and Natalia Berryman is Executive Producer. 

In talking with Ryan at a recent choreography rehearsal, he said that the key to the show really working is for the performers to take the sometimes zany and bizarre humor "seriously" - allowing it to naturally evolve out of their commitment to their character and the story.  Otherwise, it becomes very superficial and one dimensional.  Watching Ryan in action, working with the actors as Zach put them through their paces on one of the show's production numbers, "Prisoners of Love," I have no doubt that there will be nothing superficial or one dimensional about this show as it opens on August 21 and runs through September 6.  If there's one theatre performance you're planning on seeing before summer's end, I would recommend it be this one!

In addition to providing the venue for Sorcerer's The Producers, the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) has a number of other entertainment opportunities in the weeks ahead, including the Count Basie Orchestra (September 12), Bearfoot (September 13), One Night in Andalucía with the Chris Burton Jácome Flamenco Ensemble (September 18), Gloriana (September 22), the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition (September 24), and the Central Coast Follies October 1 - 4 to support Parkinson's Disease research.  

The Studio of Performing Arts (www.thestudioofperformingarts.com), also located in Arroyo Grande, will hold auditions for The Miracle Worker on September 17, with performances November 6-21.

On down the road a bit in Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) is currently running 2 productions in an alternating format - Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready and Rip van Winkle through September 20.  Following the intermission, both shows are followed by a high energy song and dance vaudeville performance that many feel is worth the price of admission in and of itself!

Across the SLO county line into northern Santa Barbara County, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org) is wrapping up their 2008/9 Season with The Music Man at the Festival Theater in Solvang through August 23, The Spitfire Grill at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria through August 23 (Solvang August 28 - September 13), and Distracted at the Severson Theatre in Santa Maria August 28 - September 20.

Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) is currently in rehearsals for the first production of their 50th Anniversary Season - Love, Sex, and the I.R.S., which runs September 11 - October 3.

At the San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org), rehearsals are in full swing for the first production of their 2009/10 Season, The Clean House, which will run August 28 - September 20.  On August 24, auditions will be held for the second show of the season, Rumors, which will be presented October 9 - November 1.

The Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) presents Karla Bonoff on August 22, Always ... Patsy Cline - produced by the Houselights Theatre in Cambria (www.houselightstheatre.org) August 29 and 30, the Glenn Miller Orchestra on September 10, Glenn Yarbrough in Concert on September 18, Kathy Griffin on September 23, and Bellydance Superstars on September 27.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria is currently in rehearsal for The Mousetrap, which will run September 11 - October 25.  In addition, auditions will be held August 20 and 21 for a readers' theatre production of Homeland Insecurity, as well as there being an opportunity to attend 2 evenings of song with Delilah Shank, returning with her show devoted to the romantic music of Edith Piaf, the legendary French singer, and the world of cabaret songs, on August 29 and 30 in the piano bar cafe.

The Pioneer Players in Paso Robles (www.pioneerplayers.org) will soon be holding auditions for their next production, which will be the musical Oliver - stay tuned for details! 

Some places are winding down for the summer ... some have performances currently running ... some are gearing up for productions soon to open - and ALL offer their audiences some wonderful live entertainment options here on the beautiful California Central Coast.  So get out there and ENJOY a show!   

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

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