George Walker News

Even with our somewhat odd mid-May weather pattern (rain ... this late in the season?!) - there's nothing odd about finding a goodly number of theatre and live performance opportunities waiting to entertain you here on the California Central Coast!

Beginning April 29, The Great American Melodrama in Oceano presents the first production of a new play by Neal LaVine, 'Back After This Break.' Mr. LaVine, who was artistic director at the Melodrama in the 1990's, has crafted a terrific comedy that takes place on the set of a television sitcom in the mid 1960's.

On April 25, The Great American Melodrama will end its run of 'Lumberjacks in Love,' a hilarious musical with book and lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Kaplan.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, one of the country's leading theatres in the creation of new stage works, will produce the world premieres of Nobody and The Fall of the House this spring. Produced in a series called Provocative Premieres, Nobody will run March 12-28 and The Fall of the House will run April 9-25. Both plays have been developed through ASF's prestigious Southern Writers' Project new play development program. The Provocative Premieres are suggestive, stimulating and extreme, promising to take audiences to the edge.

Beginning April 29, The Great American Melodrama in Oceano presents the first production of a new play by Neal LaVine, 'Back After This Break.' Mr. LaVine, who was artistic director at the Melodrama in the 1990's, has crafted a terrific comedy that takes place on the set of a television sitcom in the mid 1960's.

Famed Playwright Terrence McNally, who has been writing about gay issues for a good portion of his prolific career, wed his longtime boyfriend, Broadway producer and lawyer Tom Kirdahy, 46, in Washington D.C. yesterday, April 6, 2010 along the Potomac River. Washington D.C. just recently legalized same-sex marriage.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival's production of Nobody will close March 28. 'The Fall of the House' will be seen next from April 9 to 25, 2010.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, one of the country's leading theatres in the creation of new stage works, will produce the world premieres of Nobody and The Fall of the House this spring. Produced in a series called Provocative Premieres, Nobody will run March 12-28 and The Fall of the House will run April 9-25. Both plays have been developed through ASF's prestigious Southern Writers' Project new play development program. The Provocative Premieres are suggestive, stimulating and extreme, promising to take audiences to the edge.

Opening March 11 and running through April 25, The Great American Melodrama presents 'Lumberjacks in Love,' a hilarious musical with book and lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Kaplan.

As we come to the second week of March, some of our California Central Coast theatre and live entertainment venues have just closed or will soon be closing their current performance runs, while a couple are preparing to open new shows - rarely a dull moment when it comes to theatre opportunities in these parts!

The delightful comedy /I Hate Hamlet/ is set to close on March 7 at The Great American Melodrama.

Opening March 11 and running through April 25, The Great American Melodrama presents 'Lumberjacks in Love,' a hilarious musical with book and lyrics by Fred Alley and music by James Kaplan.

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival, one of the country's leading theatres in the creation of new stage works, will produce the world premieres of Nobody and The Fall of the House this spring. Produced in a series called Provocative Premieres, Nobody will run March 12-28 and The Fall of the House will run April 9-25. Both plays have been developed through ASF's prestigious Southern Writers' Project new play development program. The Provocative Premieres are suggestive, stimulating and extreme, promising to take audiences to the edge.

The weeklong Composers Now celebration launches February 22 at the festival's hub, Symphony Space, to provide a citywide platform for unprecedented recognition of living composers through concerts and activities at a diverse array of performance spaces.

In an industry as unpredictable as show business, it is truly a unique experience to meet one of the longtime greats - a performer who has done everything from Broadway to off-Broadway, film, television, children's specials and variety circuits, who been everywhere from London to Abu Dhabi and back over the course of a nearly 45 year career. It is particularly exciting to be sitting next to this same someone, who I personally grew up watching on T.V. in shows and specials like the unforgettable 'Roots,' and who created some of the most famous roles in show business that have been copied thousands of times by professionals, amateurs and students alike, including 'Judas Iscariot' in Jesus Christ Superstar (Tony nomination), and 'Leading Player' in Pippin (Tony Award). This is a man who has made almost as much of a a name for himself on stage as he has off as an activist for diabetes awareness and arts in education, a motivational speaker, acting coach, mentor, and lecturer in black history (amongst other things) throughout the country.

The weather prognosticators tell us we may still get wet a day or two this week - but our Central Coast theatres are warm, dry, and ready to provide you with an afternoon or evening of quality entertainment at a price that'll fit most everybody's budget!

The delightful comedy /I Hate Hamlet/ is set to open the Great American Melodrama's 2010 season on January 21.

The weeklong Composers Now celebration launches February 22 at the festival's hub, Symphony Space, to provide a citywide platform for unprecedented recognition of living composers through concerts and activities at a diverse array of performance spaces.

The delightful comedy /I Hate Hamlet/ is set to open the Great American Melodrama's 2010 season on January 21.

Who can bring you Ebenezer Scrooge, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, and Rappin' Reindeer all in one wonderful evening's entertainment? Why the professional cast at The Great American Melodrama of course!