April Showers Promise More Than May Flowers on the California Central Coast!

BroadwayWorld.com brings you theater recommendations from San Luis Obispo's own Curt Miner.

As we experience some late April showers that will no doubt bring us some beautiful May flowers here on the California Central Coast, numerous live performance venues and theatres are offering up a vibrantly blooming entertainment bouquet to be enjoyed as part of a fabulous afternoon or evening out on the town!

Atascadero High School's Greyhound Theatre (www.ahstheatre.info), one of the Central Coast's premier high school drama programs, presents Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella through May 2.  Call 805-610-9936 for reservations.

The timeless enchantment of a magical fairy tale is reborn with the Rodgers & Hammerstein hallmarks of originality, charm and elegance.  Originally presented on television in 1957 starring Julie Andrews, Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella was the most widely viewed program in the history of the medium.  Its recreation in 1965 starring Lesley Ann Warren was no less successful in transporting a new generation to the miraculous kingdom of dreams-come-true, and so was a second remake in 1997, which starred Brandy as Cinderella and Whitney Houston as her Fairy Godmother.  As adapted for the stage, with great warmth and more than a touch of hilarity, the hearts of children and adults alike still soar when the slipper fits.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), located in Cambria, closed their production of Finishing Touches on February 28.  The theatre will now be closed for a time while it installs a new fire sprinkler system - stay tuned for details on its reopening and next show! 

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) completed a successful remount run of their popular summer musical Always ... Patsy Cline at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus this past August.  Stay tuned for details concerning their next show (and where it will be held - they are looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?).

Up Paso Robles way, the Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) finished a successful run of Oliver at the Templeton Performing Arts Center in January.  Next up is a summer musical production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown [NOTE: this is a change from a previous announcement of a production of Fiddler on the Roof - but with the current National Tour, the performance rights were unavailable].  Auditions will be held some time in late April with performances in late June/early July - stay tuned for exact dates.

Also in Paso Robles, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation has held auditions for its production of Twelfth Night for actors ages 8-18.  Performance dates are July 9-18.  For more information call (805) 238-5825.

The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) has held auditions for its summer productions of Twelfth Night and The Gamester.  Performances will be held July 9 - August 14.

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) presents Nagle Jackson's funny, heartwarming, and powerful Taking Leave through May 2, and a readers' theatre presentation of Rabbit Hole on May 7.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) next show will be Oliver May 1-16 at Unity in San Luis Obispo, followed by Cabaret June 4-26. 

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo's Coppelia on April 24 & 25, Essential Graham - a showcase of Martha Graham's eclectic dance repertoire comes to the Cohan Center stage on April 27, the San Luis Obispo Symphony's season finale is on May 1, Capitol Steps comes to town for one performance only on May 5, and the San Luis Obispo Youth Symphony presents its finale concert on May 7.

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) was pleased to work with Bent Angel Productions on a staged reading of 12 Angry Men, directed by Chrys Barnes, Feb 19-21.  Auditions will be held for their next production, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, July 19 & 20, with performances the first 2 weekends in September.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) proudly presents Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, through May 2, at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) Studio Theatre.  Tickets are available by calling 805-458-2080 or going to www.brownpapertickets.com.  Tickets are $25.

Other upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include the Gold Coast Barbershop Chorus presenting "We Heard it at the Movies" on April 24, and piano virtuoso Rudolf Budginas takes the stage on April 30.

Murder in Mind Productions (www.murderinmind.com) will present The Altos: Vendetta at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, through May 23.  Reservations are required. 

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) is currently showing the hilarious musical Lumberjacks in Love, along with a high energy 70s Las Vegas style vaudeville revue following each performance, through April 25 (saw the Saturday early show on 4/10 - FUNNY show and GREAT musical harmonies!).

The Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, located on the Allan Hancock College Campus in Santa Maria, presents the musical comedy murder mystery Curtains in the Marian Theatre through May 9 (Solvang Festival Theater June 17 - July 3).

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) recently closed their production of Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap.  Next up is Everybody Loves Opal, April 30 - May 22.

So there ya' have it ... more theatre and live entertainment happenin' here on the California Central Coast than you can shake a stick at - so shake a leg and get out there and support the performing arts!

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

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