COMING DISTRACTIONS to Celebrate Ventura County Theatre

As theatres across Ventura County begin a new year of musical shows, Panic! Productions will be celebrating those many countywide offerings with Coming Distractions on January 23 at the Newbury Park High School Performing Arts Center. A fund-raiser to benefit both Panic! and the high school's theatre department, the show will feature medleys of favorite songs and dance numbers from the wide range of musicals that will be mounted in the community during 2016.

Coming Distractions will highlight more than sixty songs from some twenty shows being produced this year by Panic!, Cabrillo Music Theatre, the Rubicon Theatre, Conejo Players Theatre, Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center, High Street Arts Center, Camarillo Skyway Playhouse, Young Artists Ensemble, and Curtain Call Youth Theatre. The featured shows include Parade, School of Rock, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Guys and Dolls, Oliver!, The Wiz, Ragtime, andBring it On.

The cast will feature an array of local talent, and some very special guests from the Broadway stage, film, and television are scheduled to appear including Joshua Finkel, Renée Marino, Barry Pearl, Keenon Hooks, Will Shupe, Christopher Gambol, J. Bailey Burcham, Dana Shaw, Natalia Vivino, and Ryan Driscoll.

The evening has been created by musical director Diann Alexander and director Marilyn Strange, with choreography by Miriam Durrie-Kirsch and Kylie Vincent. The performance begins at 7:30 pm on Saturday, January 23. Tickets are $15 and can be ordered by contacting mstrange@conejousd.org or calling 818/438-2916. Raffle tickets are also available. The Newbury Park High School Performing Arts Center is at 456 N. Reino Road, Newbury Park, CA 91320.