CALIFORNIA CENTRAL COAST THEATRE OPENINGS & CLOSINGS

As we experience the warm days and cool evenings of mid-July here on the California Central Coast, why not plan on coming to sample a bit of our ample theatre fare - along with our award winning wineries, beautiful beaches, plethora of shops and restaurants, and paradisiacal weather?

To the south in Santa Maria and Solvang, the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org) has just completed a successful run of Les Miserables at their Festival Theater in Solvang (watch for Sam Zeller [Jean Valjean] at the Sondheim Center in Fairfield, Iowa (www.fairfieldacc.com) August 7-16 in their "Way Off Broadway" production of Gilbert & Sullivan's light opera Pirates of Penzance, and Erik Stein [Javert] in PCPA's upcoming production of Meredith Willson's classic musical The Music Man), and their delightful production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has just moved to the Festival Theater where it will play July 17 - August 2.  The Music Man, with veteran PCPA acting favorite Andrew Philpot (who also teaches Voice and Speech at PCPA) in the role of Harold Hill, opens July 17 at the Marian Theatre in Santa Maria and runs through August 1, and then moves to the Festival Theater in Solvang where it will run August 7-23.  The Spitfire Grill (August 7-23, Santa Maria; August 28 - September 13, Solvang) and Distracted (Severson Theatre in Santa Maria, August 28 - September 20) round out PCPA's summer 2009 theatrical offerings.

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) opens its most recent production, Rip van Winkle, on July 16, which will alternate with Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready through September 20.  Here's a recent press release that gives a bit more information on these productions and The Great American Melodrama.

SUMMER FUN AT THE GREAT AMERICAN MELODRAMA WITH 2 GREAT SHOWS!

"Rip Van Winkle" joins "Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready" in summer
repertory!

Opening July 16, The Great American Melodrama brings one of the most beloved characters in literature to life in Joseph Jefferson and Dion Boucicault's stage adaptation of Washington Irving's classic story.  Rip van Winkle (Melodrama favorite Billy Breed) is a lovable, if lazy, villager who prefers a song and a drink to a farmer's work.  Evil landlord Derrick von Beekman (Chuck McLane) plots to cheat Rip out of his property, and when Rip's wife Gretchen (Suzy King) throws him out of the house in frustration, Rip climbs into the mountains.  Settling in for a nap, Rip awakes to find that 20 years have passed!  Returning to the village, he discovers that his grown-up daughter Meenie (Katie Worley) is being forced into marrying Derrick's dissolute nephew Cockles (Casey Ross).  Can Rip set right the wrongs that resulted from his disappearance?  You'll boo, cheer and laugh throughout this terrific story full of warmth and humor!  Rounding out the cast are John Keating as Meenie's true love, Hendrick, Natasha Harris as his sister, Katchen, and young performers Spencer Doyle (San Luis Obispo) and Isabella Melsheimer (Santa Maria) who portray Hendrick and Meenie as children.

Following the play the cast present a song, dance and comedy-filled look at the glories of the Central Coast in the "Staycation Vaudeville Revue."Written by Erik Stein and JorDan Richardson, the revue takes a whirlwind tour of San Luis Obispo County, including a hysterical round of golf with Donald "Rump," a salute to hot springs, wine tasting and Hearst Castle in one high-energy medley, and finally a tribute to the many activities enjoyed at the beach, including surfing, ATV riding and camping.  It's a celebration of the sun-filled fun of the California coast!

Beginning July 18 and running through Sept. 20, "Rip Van Winkle" and the "Staycation Vaudeville Revue" will alternate with the already running production of "Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready" and "The Villain'sVaudeville Revue."

A blend of melodrama and comedy, "Gold Fever at the Rough and Ready" is an action packed show which brings the mining camp of Rough and Ready, California roaring to life with heroic action, love, betrayal, deceit and villainy.  Written and directed by Neal LaVine, the play centers on the good but sometimes dim Sheriff Bartly Townsend (Andrew Beck), who finds himself attracted to both the vivacious saloon owner Lotta Crabtree (Natasha Harris) and the mysterious girl with many secrets, Eugenia Jones (Katie Worley). The sheriff finds himself at odds with the villainous Phileas Cramner (Chuck McLane) who is scheming to cheat the local miners (John Keating, Casey Ross and Billy Breed). There are loads of opportunities to boo the villain, cheer the hero, and laugh yourself silly at the crazy antics of these colorful characters!  Following "Gold Fever" is "The Villain's Vaudeville Revue," a comedy salute to the villains we love to hate.  When Snow White decides to try trading in her goody-two shoes image, some of our favorite bad guys and gals arrive to give her lessons in villainy.  In true Great American Melodrama fashion, song, dance and comedy abound in numbers featuring Dr. Evil from "Austin Powers," Captain Hook from "Peter Pan," and Ursula the Sea Witch from "The Little Mermaid."

Performances at the Melodrama are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 pm, Fridays at 8:00 pm, Saturdays at 4:30 and 8:30 pm, and Sundays at 6:00 pm. The Melodrama's in-house snack bar features great food and drinks served before the show and during intermissions.  For more information or to make reservations, call the Melodrama Box Office at 805-489-2499.  The Great American Melodrama is located on Highway 1 in Oceano, just three miles south of Pismo Beach.  The Melodrama has been providing professional family entertainment on the Central Coast since 1975.

At the Clark Center in Arroyo Grande (www.clarkcenter.org), Sorcerer Productions' (check them out on Facebook) The Producers, with area favorite actors Jeff Salisbury as Leo Bloom and Dana Shaheen as Max Bialystock, runs August 21 - September 6.

In San Luis Obispo, SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) Vegas, Baby!, written and choreographed by Emmy-Award winning choreographer Suzy Miller, opened on July 10 and runs through August 2.  Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) High School Musical 2 is currently running at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) Spanos Theatre through July 19.

In Paso Robles and Templeton, the Pioneer Players' (www.pioneerplayers.org) production of The Secret Garden runs through July 19 at the Templeton Performing Arts Center, and the Central Coast Shakespeare Festival's (www.centralcoastshakespeare.org) productions of Treasure Island (closes August 7) and A Midsummer Night's Dream (closes August 15) are currently running in repertory at the outdoor amphitheatre at the River Oaks Hot Springs in Paso Robles through August 15.

In Cambria, Houselights Theatre's (www.houselightstheatre.org) production on the life and music of Patsy Cline, that played to sold out audiences in July, is planning on a return engagement in August - reportedly in a bigger venue to accommodate larger audiences (check the website for place, dates and times).  Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) opened their current production of the famous romantic comedy Same Time Next Year on July 10, which runs through August 15.  Auditions for their fall production of Agatha Christie's legendary murder mystery, The Mousetrap (directd by Jason Champeau - who recently played Jesus in The God Is Still Speaking Players' [check them out on Facebook] production of Godspell), will be held July 18 and 20.  Search for "Auditions for Agatha Christie's Mousetrap!" on Facebook for more information.

SO much theatre ... SO little time!  I hope you get to ENJOY some of these wonderful summer theatre offerings while you still can - a couple of them will be bringing the curtain down this weekend!

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

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