Plan to laugh and cry and hum along to the tunes with the two upcoming College of the Canyons live shows this Spring. Rehearsals are in high gear for the musical, Company, a Tony-award winning musical that follows five married, once-married or soon-to-be married couples along with their bachelor friend, Robert. His lesson learned is the importance of having company. Set in New York, Company addresses the highs and lows of marriage, commitment, friendship and loneliness through a series of vignettes and songs.
Mark Salyer, the producer of both shows, says, “Company is one of my favorite musicals because it’s so intimate. We see each character so transparently as they negotiate marriage and dating and just what it means to be alive.”
Show director, Andrea Slominski recently flew to New York to see the new production of Company for a first hand look at the production which is getting rave reviews because it still speaks to people, according to Salyer.
Also in rehearsals is the Bertolt Brecht classic, Mother Courage and Her Children, a classic story of a woman torn between protecting her children or profiting from war.
“Mother Courage is a grand and epic story of a woman who does everything she has to do to survive in a war-torn country,” says Salyer, “The character Mother Courage is a real tour de force role for a woman. The supporting characters are wonderfully eccentric and feature people of all ages and types.”
Meryl Streep played Mother Courage last year in a revival production at the Public Theatre in New York.
Mother Courage opens May 10 on the main stage of the COC Performing Arts Center and will be directed by Steve Whelan. Company opens at the COC Black Box Theatre on April 11 for a five-day run.
For further information, call 661-362-5070 or visit www.canyonsPAC.com.
