BWW Blogs: A Little Rain Can't Dampen the Spirits of our California Central Coast Theatres!

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

Well, a series of winter storms has brought some fairly substantial rain to the Central Coast - but the rain certainly hasn't dampened the spirits of our area theatres which still have MUCH to offer by way of live entertainment for our audiences!

The Pewter Plough Playhouse (www.pewterploughplayhouse.org), located in Cambria, is currently presenting a production of Finishing Touches through February 28.

Finishing Touches, the witty, intriguing, and family-conflicted but inspiring romantic comedy, is written by one of Broadway's preeminent playwrights, Jean Kerr.

The play is about an English professor and his wife, whose comfortable marriage has lost its bloom and both are secretly enamored with the attractions of others, when their college age son suddenly returns home with his girlfriend, causing considerable upheaval and hilarious, life-altering events.  Kerr is known for her sharp and perceptive wit and is the author of Please Don't Eat the Daisies and the major Broadway hits King of Hearts and Mary, Mary.

"Jean Kerr's comedy is fearless and paved the way for me", said the late Gilda Radner, star of Saturday Night Live.

The cast features Craig Brooke, Rick Johnson, Lauren Moore, David Norum, Kelli Rodda, Blake Spiller and Kari Wastun.  The director is Anita Schwaber, who has directed a number of plays at the Plough, including their production of Kerr's Mary, Mary in 2006.  The Production Manager is Kathryn Kenny.  The Stage Managers are Janene Norum and Colleen Spiller.

The Pewter Plough Lounge, adjacent to the lobby, is open for wine, beer and refreshments before the show, during intermission and afterwards. You can pre-order your drinks for intermission and have these waiting for you at your favorite table!  On Saturday nights, the Lounge features the outstanding pianist/vocalist David Manion at the Baldwin.

In Paso Robles, the Pioneer Players (www.pioneerplayers.org) are proud to present their musical theatre production, Oliver, through January 30, at the Templeton Performing Arts Center [PERSONAL NOTE: attended a Saturday matinee performance - HIGH energy, UP tempo, and WONDERFUL music by Stephen Tosh and his six piece orchestra!]. 

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 ... possibly somewhere in Paso Robles?).

The God Is Still Speaking Players (check them out on Facebook or at www.sloucc.org) has held auditions for a collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions on a readers' theatre production of 12 Angry Men, with performances scheduled for February 19-21 at the United Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo.

The San Luis Obispo Little Theatre (www.slolittletheatre.org) is presenting a children's theatre production of A Little Princess through January 31 [PERSONAL NOTE: caught a Saturday matinee of this show and it was delightful!].  A readers' theatre production of The Washing Place by Devin Wallace, who will also be directing, will have a single performance on February 5.  Auditions for a readers' theatre presentation of Enchanted April will be held on January 26 (performance on March 26).  And then the next installment of the theatre's ongoing Legend Series, Swingin' with Sinatra, opens February 19 and runs through March 21.   

Kelrik Productions (www.kelrikproductions.com), also located in San Luis Obispo, completed a successful presentation of the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning production of RENT at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus in October.  Auditions for Seussical have been held, with performances scheduled for February 20 - March 14 at Unity in San Luis Obispo.  And then on January 27, auditions will be held for Bye Bye Birdie, which will be presented at the Spanos Theatre on Cal Poly campus March 26 - April 3.

Performances at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center (www.pacslo.org) include the Moscow Circus on January 25, Continuum, by the Orchesis Dance Company January 29 & 30 (Spanos Theatre), and the Pacific Repertory Opera's Paradis d' Amour on January 30 (Pavillion).

At the Clark Center (www.clarkcenter.org) in Arroyo Grande, Yesterday - A Tribute to the Beatles will have 2 performances on January 30, and the legendary Shirelles will be in concert on February 6. 

In Oceano, The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville (www.americanmelodrama.com) presents I Hate Hamlet through March 7.

The Santa Maria Civic Theatre's (www.smct.org) next production will be Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap, with performances scheduled for February 5-27.

And the Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts (www.pcpa.org), the Central Coast's Resident Professional Theatre Company, their next production will be William Shakespeare's Macbeth, opening on February 18.

There is SO much live theatre and entertainment happening here on the Central Coast - I hope you'll take advantage of the opportunity to take in a performance or two and support the performing arts in our area.

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.