The fall Family Season offering at the Canyon Theatre Guild is a fun-filled show, “Musical! The Bard is Back!” As any theater aficionado knows, it is considered “bad luck” to speak the name of Shakespeare’s “Scottish Play” while inside a theater. Those who are foolish enough to do so are “cursed” in their production. Well, when the students of a small high school decide to present a musical version of “Romeo and Juliet,” the director, chosen for them by the school’s principal is convinced that the curse that struck her high school production of “Macbeth” still lingers on. Sure enough, everything goes wrong. The set for the balcony scene collapses, Juliet breaks her leg, her replacement develops laryngitis, and the semi-deaf costumer arrives with cowboy outfits because she thought the show was called “Rodeo and Lariat.” Add to this, the stage mother from hell and a mysterious cult of “techies” who sing an anthem to duct tape, and you’ve got a messy mayhem of a musical quicker than you can say “Macbeth” – oops!
This fun-filled romp is under the direction of Leslie Berra, and the cast includes Cristie Norman as Peggy Donahue, the harried, hapless director of the production, Jim Robinson (who is also co-designing the set) as Principal Sanders, and Marla Khayat as the “older-than-dirt” costumer. Others in the cast include: Marina Moore, Julie Brannon, Clare Tompkins-Cook, Paige Aronson, John Steele, Joshua DiPaola, Joshua David, Bradi Mowry, Mike Keane, Megan Tripp, Kaylee Bodtke-Stout, J.T. Friedman, Kirsten Rast, Lawrence Patchin, Natalie Fortman, Jenna Lanoil, Brittany Hartmire, Katie Fortman, Ross Mayer, Cassie Denault, Ashley Pfenning, Zoie Pulkka, Chloe Johnson, Taylor Kozlowski, Ashley Rasch, Kelsey Rasch, Cassie Schmitt, and Chad Spellman. The production team includes Flo Loring, producer and costume designer; Tim Christianson, assistant director and co-lighting designer; John Morris, vocal director, Rebecca Coombs, Matthew Lawrence and Kamber Moen, Choreographers; Jeff Hyde Co-Set Designer; and Sam Hyde, co-lighting designer.
“Musical! The Bard is Back!” opens with a 1 p.m. matinee on Saturday, October 4, and will run through November 1, with matinees every Saturday at 1 p.m. and Sunday evening performances at 6:30 p.m. on October 5, 12, and 19. There will be one Sunday matinee at 1 p.m. on October 26. Ticket prices for this fun-filled family musical are $10 to $12 for Juniors/Seniors and $12 to $15 for Adults. The Canyon Theatre Guild, Santa Clarita’s oldest live theatre, is located at 24242 Main Street, in Old Town Newhall.
For reservations, call 661-799-2702.