Mid-July Theatre Happenings on the California Central Coast

As we come to the middle of July, I hope you have made your plans to attend one or more of the numerous productions that are running at present at one of the many live theatre and performance venues that make their home here on the picturesque California Central Coast!

Kelrik Productions' (www.kelrikproductions.com) next show, Seussical: The Musical, will be presented through July 24 at the Spanos Theatre on the Cal Poly campus.

"Oh, the thinks you can think" when Dr. Seuss's best-loved stories collide in an unforgettable musical caper!  The Cat in the Hat (Erik Austin) is the host and emcee in this musical romp through the Seuss classics.   When the sweet-natured elephant Horton (Matt Ambrose) hears a cry for help coming from a floating speck of dust, he promises to rescue it and keep it safe because "a person's a person, no matter how small."  On that small speck of dust lives JoJo (Jayce Garcia & Westen Meyer), an imaginative young Who.  JoJo has astounding "thinks" in which "anything is possible," but his parents believe this creativity is inappropriate for the son of the Mayor and his wife of Who-Ville (Lester Wilson & Carey Blauvelt).  Meanwhile, in the Jungle of Nool, Horton is antagonized by the Wickershim Brothers (Scott Nelson, Jeffery Larsen and Ryan Vasquez) and mused by a doo-wop girl group of Birds (Danielle Dutro, Ashlin Hatch, Danielle Mendoza and Veronica Surber) while Horton's neighbor Miss Gertrude McFuzz (Makenzie Hunt), a bird with a one-feather tail, only wants Horton to notice her and decides a more impressive tail is what she needs to catch his eye as the conniving Mayzie La Bird (Olivia Tenney) cajoles Horton into sitting on her egg while she goes off on a spree.

Will the planet of Who survive?  Will Horton ever notice Gertrude?  Will Mayzie ever return for her egg?  Dr. Seuss's best loved characters find themselves intertwined in a crazy-quilt adventure in which the power of friendship, loyalty, family and community is challenged but ultimately emerges triumphant.  Join Kelrik for this musical journey through the imagination of Dr. Seuss - a trip that will make you laugh and cry.  Don't miss this wonderful production featuring the crème de la crème of Central Coast talent. 

Directed by Erik Austin, the Kelrik production features a talented local cast of thirty- seven.  According to Austin, "Kelrik is always proud to showcase the immense talent in our community.  This production, brought back by popular demand, is a particularly good show for younger performers.  We are thrilled to be able to cast so many talented teens and children both in featured roles and the ensemble co-mingled with the adult leads.  It's gratifying to be able to offer such a great performance opportunity to our up and coming local talent and to take this show  to  a Broadway-caliber level at the Spanos Theater".

Other members of the creative team include Jeffery Larsen (Choreography), Lacey McNamara (Musical Direction), Sean Blauvelt (Stage Manager), David Beals (Lighting Design), and Keith Wetzel of Costume Capers (Costume Design).  Professional backdrops will be provided by Kenmark, Inc. 

Seussical: The Musical has a score by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Ahrens and Flaherty.  It was adapted from the works of Dr. Seuss based on the conception of Ahrens, Flaherty and Eric Idle (of Monty Python fame).  This production is recommended for audiences age 4 and up [photo by Danielle Dutro Photography] (NOTE: Saw the opening matinee of this production and it is absolutely DELIGHTFUL!).

SLO Little Theatre's (www.slolittletheatre.org) current schedule includes a production of The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkpr (Abridged) through July 17 [NOTE: Had the pleasure of attending final dress for Compleat Works - and this is one VERY funny show that you will NOT want to miss!].

Curt Miner received his degree in theatre from Northern Arizona University and has been involved in theatre, educationally and professionally, for nearly 40 years now. He is currently Pastor of the United Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo, CA (www.sloucc.org), where he founded a theatre outreach ministry known as The God Is Still Speaking Players (check them out on Facebook). Their first production was the West Coast Premiere of a new play by Gordon Greene (one of Curt's former theatre professors from back at NAU) entitled "The Scopes Monkey Trial: What Really Happened" in October of 2008. Curt and his wife of 35 years, Linda, worked together as Director and Music Director on a production of "Godspell" June 2009. The group presented a readers' theatre production of Archibald MacLeish's Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play "J.B." November 2009, participated in a collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions in a staged reading of "12 Angry Men" in February 2010, presented "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" the first 2 weekends of September 2010, embarked upon another collaborative effort with Bent Angel Productions of a staged reading of Dylan Thomas' "Under Milk Wood" in November 2010, presented a readers' theatre production of "The Diary of Anne Frank" the first weekend this past March, mounted a production of "Sister Amnesia's Country Western Nunsense Jamboree" the first 2 weekends of September, and presented "Celebration In Song" - a musical variety show to benefit the work of GALA and PFLAG in November. A readers' theatre presentation (possibly "Our Town") or another musical revue will be presented this coming March, with "Snoopy" (sequel to YAGMCB) on the schedule for the first 2 weekends in September. When people ask him "Why a theatre outreach ministry?" Curt tells them "I have found that theatre is sometimes able to touch a person's heart and soul more deeply than the best crafted worship experience ... that's why."

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