TPO's 30th Anniversary Concert To Take Place 5/16

The Topanga Philharmonic Orchestra (TPO) celebrates its gala 30th anniversary with a concert of family fare to benefit programming at The Will Geer  Theatricum Botanicum.  Conductor Guido Lamell of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra is joined by musicians of the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Philharmonic Orchestras, and Theatricum artistic director Ellen Geer weaves theatrical magic into the music with selections from the upcoming Mainstage Repertory Season that includes Julius Caesar and Cymbeline by William Shakespeare, The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekov and The Miser by Moliere.  The benefit performance to support the non-profit theater's repertory and education programs that entertain, inspire and educate thousands of Angelenos each year, will take place at Theatricum Botaniucm's rustic outdoor amphitheater in Topanga on Saturday, May 16 at 2:00 pm.

Before the TPO concert, a free student performance with scenes, monologues and improvisation will be held in the S. Mark Taper Youth Pavilion. Teachers and actors from Theatricum's Academy of the Classics will be available to answer questions and introduce potential students and parents to Theatricum's high quality classical performing arts education. For over 25 years, the Academy has served thousands of children and teenagers, aged 5-18, throughout Los Angeles.

Theatricum's artistic director Ellen Geer says, "We've been blessed with incredible support over the years and we are very happy to welcome the TPO back to the stage. It is a time in this country to rethink what is most important. We can live with less stuff, but not with less imagination or humanity. This music, and the support for our theater that comes with it, helps fill that need."

The Topanga Philharmonic Orchestra was formed just over thirty years ago by Roger Bobo and Patricia Tackett as a way to bring classical music to the canyon.  An instant success, the TPO was embraced by the community and raised money for Theatricum, the Topanga Children's Coop and other non-profit organizations.

Dr. Doug Roy, best known in the canyon for his medical practice, is a recent convert to active support of classical music. Though his son is a cellist with the UC Berkeley Symphony, Roy always thought of himself simply as a music lover. Last year that changed when the TPO concert almost didn't happen, and Dr. Roy became a volunteer event producer.

"It took a lot of people a lot of time and energy," he explains. "But, hey, these incredible musicians wanted to play, the trees wanted to hear the music and so did a lot of people. I felt like I could contribute, so I did. And I am thrilled that the concert is happening again this year."

The beginnings of the Theatricum Botanicum can be traced to the early 1950s when Will Geer, a victim of the McCarthy era blacklist (before he became known as the beloved Grandpa on TV's "The Waltons") opened a theater for blacklisted actors and folk singers on his property in Topanga. Today the theater is run by his family. The two stages are situated in a natural canyon ravine, where audiences are able to relax and enjoy the wilderness during an afternoon or evening's performance. Unlike most theaters in the Los Angeles area that stage continuous runs of a single play, the Theatricum, using a company of actors, performs each play on a rotating basis.  By the end of the summer, when all the plays are up and running, it will be possible to see a performance of each in a single weekend.  The critically acclaimed Theatricum Botanicum is a recipient of the Margaret Harford Award - the Los Angeles Critics Circle's highest honor - for "sustained excellence," and Artistic Director Ellen Geer was selected for the LA Weekly 1999 Career Achievement Award.

In addition to the five plays in the 2009 Summer Repertory Season (Cymbeline, Julius Caesar, A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Cherry Orchard and The Miser), Theatricum offers a variety of satellite programming such as Family Fundays (Saturday and Sunday morning plays and concerts for kids with Creative PlayGround and Peter Alsop's Kids Koncerts); Botanicum Seedlings: A Development Series for Playwrights (free readings of new plays on select Sundays); a Summer Concert on Father's Day, June 21, featuring traditionAl Scottish folk music with Old Blind Dogs; and, on Sunday, October 4, a special performance of selections from Theatricum Botanicum's Americana series that integrate poetry, dialogue, music and songs from various periods during the on-going evolution of our nation.

The Free Open House and Student Performance will be held on Sunday, May 16 from 12:30-1:30 pm.  The Topanga Philharmonic Concert will begin at 2:00 pm.  Tickets for the Topanga Philharmonic Orchestra are $18 for adults/$15 for students and seniors in with advance purchase, and $20 for adult/$18 for students and seniors at the door.  Children under 12 are FREE.  The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura (101) Freeway.  The amphitheaters are terraced into the hillside, so audience members are advised to dress casually (warmly for evenings) and bring cushions for bench seating.  Picnickers are welcome on the grounds before or after the performances.  For more information and to purchase tickets, call Theatricum's main office line at 310-455-2322 or visit online at www.theatriucm.com.

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