Warm Temps and Hot Deals on the California Central Coast!

 

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

As we move beyond the 66^th Anniversary of D-Day, giving thanks for those who gave their lives so that we might enjoy the many rights and freedoms we so often take for granted, we also give thanks to the performing artists here on the California Central Coast who toil long and hard so that we might enjoy an afternoon or evening of quality live entertainment!

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) will be bringing their current production, Back After This Break, and "School Daze Vaudeville Revue," to a close on June 13.

On June 17, they will open their next production, The Crock of Gold, by Silas S. Steele.  A crock of gold - a jar full of ill-gotten wealth hidden away in a cupboard, is the centerpiece of this thrilling play that has all the elements of classic melodrama!  There's a despicable villain who will stop at nothing to further his schemes, a virtuous heroine who must resist his advances, and an honest but poor man who finds himself sorely tempted by an unexpected discovery.  With a murder, false accusations, surprise revelations, and a comic couple to liven the action, this blend of melodrama and comedy is loaded with opportunities for boos, cheers and laughter!

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, will present the musical comedy murder mystery Curtains at the Solvang Festival Theater June 17 - July 3.  [NOTE: Saw a Saturday matinee of this production during its Marian Theatre run in Santa Maria and it is absolutely WONDERFUL!]

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre (www.smct.org) will be presenting this year's Summer Fairy Tale Doc, Doc ... Goose! July 9-18.

Upcoming performances at the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, include Coastal Dance & Musical Academy's We Are The World June 20, the Sweet Adelines' Celebration Chorus' Laugh-In Revisited June 26 (performances at 2 & 7 PM), Jim Messina of Loggins & Messina in concert on August 10, and the 9^th Annual Paul Wolff Accessibility Advocacy Awards with a benefit performance by comedian Josh Blue on August 28.

Ryan Cordero (rccor385@gmail.com) and Sorcerer Productions (check them out on Facebook) recently closed a successful run of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at the Clark Center Studio Theatre.  What's next on the drawing board for what some are calling the most exciting and creative theatre company on the Central Coast?  I'm hearing rumors of a production of The Drowsy Chaperone as part of a full season slate of possibly as many as 5 productions ... stay tuned!

Murder in Mind Productions (http://murderinmind.com) will present Bewitched: De-Witched at the Spyglass Inn, located at 2703 Spyglass Dr in Shell Beach, July 4 - September 5.  Reservations are required.

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) production of Sherlock's Last Case runs through June 20.  [NOTE: attended the Saturday evening performance of opening weekend, and this is one of the cleverest whodunit productions I've ever seen on stage - WELL worth an investment of your time and entertainment budget!]

In addition, you won't want to miss The Slightest Movement presented by Drew Silvaggio and The Civic Ballet of San Luis Obispo on June 13 at SLOLT, and a readers' theatre presentation of Incorruptible, a farce by Michael Hollinger and directed by Jill Turnbow, on June 25. 

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com) presents Cabaret at Unity, 1490 Southwood Drive in San Luis Obispo, through June 26,  Friday and Saturday evenings at 7PM.  Tickets cost $16 and may be charged by phone at (805) 543-PLAY.  Due to the adult storyline, Cabaret is suitable for older teens and adult audiences.  Seating will be cabaret-style and wine and cocktails will be available for purchase.  Reservations are strongly recommended.

Upcoming performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the DPAC Showcase 2010: Dellos Dance Recital on June 26 (Spanos Theatre - 2 performances: 2 & 6 PM), comedienne Lisa Lampanelli on July 10, the Festival Mozaic Grand Finale on July 25, American Dance of SLO's Just Imagine August 1 (2 performances - 2 & 6 PM), Pacific Coast Dance Convergence's JUMPBRUSH, August 12-14, and (for those who REALLY like to plan ahead!) comedienne Paula Poundstone on October 7.  

The God Is Still Speaking Players (follow them on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) will hold auditions for their next production, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown, July 19 & 20, with performances scheduled for the first 2 weekends in September.

The Brickyard Theatre (www.brickyardhteatre.com) is currently working on a production of Quilters, which will be presented September 2-25 in Atascadero.  Contact Bobbi Stoffel at stoffelfam@charter.net for reservations or more information.

The Theatre at the Old Grammar School (TOGS) in Cambria will present Hamlet July 9-31.  Contact Emma Duncan at (805) 574-0073, or eduncan@gm.slc.edu for more information.

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), also 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 was supposed to be a summer musical production of Fiddler on the Roof, but performance rights were unavailable.  Then the plan was a production of The Unsinkable Molly Brown.  Now, they are working on a "special project" that has taken them in a different direction at this point, and they will be making an announcement before the summer starts.  Stay tuned!

Also in Paso Robles, the Paso Robles Youth Arts Foundation (http://pryaf.org) is in rehearsal 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) will present its summer productions of Twelfth Night and The Gamester July 9 - August 14.

The warm summer temps have come to the Central Coast, and things are heating up in our numerous live performance venues and theatres - so get out there and snap up these hot offers before they're gone!

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

To post a comment, you must register and login.