March Theatre Happenings on the California Central Coast

As we welcome the beginning of March, I trust your plans include availing yourself of some of the wonderful productions that are currently playing at several of our California Central Coast live theatre and performance venues!

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook) will present a readers' theatre production of The Diary of Anne Frank on Saturday and Sunday, March 5 & 6, 2 PM both days, at SLO UCC (11245 Los Osos Valley Rd).  General admission is $10.  Tickets can be obtained at the door or online at www.brownpapertickets.com.  

The Diary of Anne Frank is based on the writings of a young Jewish girl, Anne Frank, which chronicles the events of 8 people, hiding from the Nazis in an attic annex in Amsterdam for 2 years.  It is a story of coming of age and growing up under extreme circumstances ... it is a story of the awful things people can do to one another ... it is a story of survival ... it is a story of the strength of the human spirit ... it is a story of hope (Photograph of Katherine Perello, taken by Danielle Dutro).  

The God Is Still Speaking Players next show will be Nunsense Jamboree in September (auditions early/mid July).

A Tom Lehrer Sing-A-Long with Gale McNeeley and Betty Faas at the piano will be presented at Linnaea's Café at 1110 Garden St in San Luis Obispo on March 6 at 7 PM.  Suggested donation is $5-10.  Call (805) 406-4997 for reservations.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include Falsettos through March 5, the Cal Poly Symphony Winter Concert on March 6, Balé Folclórico da Bahia Carnival on March 8, Just Jazz Concert and SLO Symphony Classics IV on March 12, Gary Mullen and The Works' One Night of Queen on March 13, and the Philharmonic of Poland on March 18.

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) family-friendly musical Annie is being presented at Unity, 1490 Southwood Drive in San Luis Obispo, through March 6 [NOTE: saw the Feb 27 Sunday matinee of this show and it is WELL worth going to see!].  Kelrik's next production, Pinkalicious, will run April 2-17.

The Great American Railroad Show (www.americanrailroadshow.com) is scheduled to be presented at Unity (1490 Southwood Dr in SLO) March 18-27.

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) THIS IS ROCK n' ROLL! runs through March 20.  Auditions for Spinning Into Butter will be held March 9 & 10 (performances May 20 - June 12).

The Houselights Theatre (www.houselightstheatre.org) is looking for a new place to call home ... got any suggestions?  Details concerning their next show are TBD (and where it will be held).

The Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) presented a "special project."  Always ... Patsy Cline, at Centennial Park in Paso Robles for 2 performances this past September.  Stay tuned for what they'll be doing next! 

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org) in Cambria is proud to present The Glass Menagerie, directed by Nehemiah Persoff, with performances through March 5 [NOTE: saw the Feb 4 Friday evening performance of this show - and it was exceptional!].  Their next production, Becky's New Car, will run March 25 - May 8.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) (http://artistsofcambria.com/cambriapac/id4.html) also located in Cambria, closed Rosann Balbontin's Bridging the Gap in September.  Contact Theatre Director, Jeff Mar, at KRKJFRZ@aol.com to find out what their next project will be.  Rumor has it that Allied Arts Theatre has been revived and will be presenting the first of a 4 play season, starting with An Evening of Comedy - Creme de la Femme, April 7-10, followed by The Octette Bridge Club July 29 - August 21, and Dearly Departed October 21 - November 20.  

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) include It's Magic! on March 5, All Shook Up on March 7, the Best of the San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition on March 12, and the Canadian folk-rock band Great Big Sea on March 18.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) will presnt Drowsy Chaperone, with performances scheduled for April 1-24, at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande as part of their inaugural season of shows.

The Great American Melodrama's (www.americanmelodrama.com) current production at their newly renovated theatre in Oceano, Under the Boardwalk, runs through March 6 [NOTE: Saw the Sunday evening performance on February 20 - GREAT show!].  Their next production, The Medicine Man, opens March 10 and runs through April 24.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production, An Evening with David Ives, will run April 29 - May 21.

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, is proud to present The 39 Steps through March 6 (later to be reprised June 16 - July 3 at the Solvang Festival Theater) [NOTE: Saw this show on Saturday evening, February 19 - and it was AMAZING!].  In the Severson Theatre, Enron and The Story of My Life are currently playing in repertory through March 6.  Next up in the Marian Theatre will be Pride and Prejudice, April 14 - May 8.

So, whatever else you may have planned in the weeks ahead - I hope I'll see you out and about at a show or two, supporting the performing arts here on the California Central Coast!

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

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