Oceanside Theatre Company in the News
SPRING AWAKENING, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND & More Set for Oceanside Theatre Company 2025 Season
Oceanside Theatre Company has revealed its 2025 Subscription Season at the Brooks Theater in Oceanside. Curated by Artistic Director Kevin “Blax”Burroughs, the season will showcase a diverse lineup of powerful and engaging productions that push the boundaries of storytelling, offering audiences a dynamic mix of drama, music, and comedy that 
challenge and inspire.
The 2025 season opens with the hard-hitting wrestling drama-comedy The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity (March 21 – April 6), exploring race, politics, and ambition through the spectacle of professional wrestling. Following is the beloved, Tony Award-winning musical Once on This Island (May 30 – June 15), which tells the story of a peasant girl’s journey of love, sacrifice, and self-discovery set against the backdrop of Caribbean folklore. Spring Awakening (August 29 – September 14) brings a rebellious rock musical that delves into the turbulent emotions of adolescence while tackling issues of mental health, sexuality, and the journey to adulthood. Rounding out the season is Latin History for Morons (December 5 – 21), a hilarious and captivating show where playwright John Leguizamo sets out to uncover forgotten Latino heroes from history for his son’s school project.
Oceanside Theatreâs âStranger Singsâ an immersive, high-energy show
Most of todayâs stage musicals based on movies or books were written to 
stand alone, meaning no previous knowledge of the source material is required to have a good time.
But âStranger Sings!â â which Oceanside Theatre Company opened Oct. 5 in its West Coast premiere â is a musical parody of the Netflix sci-fi series âStranger Things.â So it really helps to know the story and characters of the spooky happenings in 1980s Hawkins, Indiana, to get the most out of the experience.
âStranger Sings! The Parody Musicalâ a Fast-Paced a Funny Adventure Tale
The historic Sunshine Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside, the home of the Oceanside Theatre Company, is now featuring the West Coast Premiere of âStranger Sings! The Parody Musicalâ, which takes the audience through a
fast-paced, inter-active, and hilarious adventure trip with a group of young people and their friends, living in the quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980âs. The town is unaware that the large facility on the outskirts of their town is actually covering up secret underground rooms and passageways where diabolical experiments on children is going on and connections to an interdimensional world connected to bizarre creatures that was established. It is only when townspeopleâs children go missing that a âbraveâ group of young people set out to find out what the heck is going on.
âStranger Sings!â Parody Musical Debut Turns Oceanside Upside Down This Weekend
The West Coast premiere of award-winning âStranger Sings! The Parody Musical,â written by Jonathan Hogue and directed by Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs, opens this Friday at Oceanside Theatre Company.
Set in the otherwise quiet town of Hawkins, Indiana, during the 1980s, this parody taps into the nostalgia of a time when kids were free to roam unsupervised â though in this case, their adventures lead them into a terrifying, upside-down world.
This musical will break from the typical OTC mainstage format by providing an immersive experience, with some audience members seated onstage and actors moving through the crowd.
Fall Arts Preview 2024: Oceanside Theatre Companyâs new leader Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs aims to represent
Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs was 10 or 11 years old when he saw âDisney On Iceâ at whatâs now known as Pechanga Arena in San Diego. âI was watching all the ice skaters,â he remembered, âand I said âMom? Where are the Black ice skaters?â I take that wherever I go.â
Now 29, Burroughs is at the helm of Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC). Born and raised in San Diego, he has amassed many years of experience at theaters all over town as an actor, singer, director, choreographer and lighting director. Burroughs was named associate artistic director at OTC a year ago and was promoted to artistic director last December.
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Arts Advocate CJ DiMento To Be Honored At Oceanside Theatre Companyâs 2024 Gala
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) is excited to honor CJ DiMento with the inaugural Hattie âSunshineâ Brooks Award for elevating and enhancing the arts in Oceanside, California. The awards presentation will take place during Oceanside Theatre Companyâs 2024 Gala Celebration âLove Boat to Paradiseâ on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Seabird Resort, 101 Mission Ave, Oceanside, CA 92054.
OTC Announces Cast for West Coast Premiere of âStranger Sings! A Parody Musicalâ
The West Coast Premiere of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical written by
Jonathan Hogue and directed by Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs offers a hilarious, fun-filled romp into the supernatural world of the Netflix hit, Stranger Things October 4 through October 20. Set in the otherwise sleepy town of Hawkins, Indiana in the 80s, the parody embraces the nostalgia for days when kids were left free to wander around unsupervised â in this case into portals to a hellish upside down world. Featuring songs about how to get the girl, being the third wheel, and adventures, this show is wonderfully silly with a few interdimensional battles and singing demogorgons along the way.
Oceanside Theatre company to Honor CJ DiMento & Ralph Johnson at Annual Gala
Oceanside, CA June, 2024 â Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) is excited to honor Actor Ralph Johnson with the second annual Kathy Brombacher Lifetime Theatre Achievement Award and Arts Leader CJ DiMento with the inaugural Hattie âSunshineâ Brooks Award for elevating and enhancing the arts in Oceanside, California. The awards presentation will take place during Oceanside Theatre Companyâs 2024 Gala Celebration âLove Boat to Paradiseâ on Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 3 to 6 pm at The Seabird Resort (101 Mission Ave., Oceanside, CA 92054.) The event will also include entertainment, refreshments, a silent auction and a live auction emceed by celebrity host Ted Lange of TVâs âThe Love Boat.â Long-time OTC supporters Ed Parish, a current Board Member, and Anne Speraw, a former OTC Board Member, will act as Honorary Chairs for this yearâs event.
âNext to Normalâ : Every Family Has One
I may be prejudice, but âNext To Normalâ, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey, musical staging by Sergio Trujillo and music by Tom Kitt is one of my all-time
favorite Tony Award winning shows. âNext To Normalâ opened on Broadway in 2009 and was nominated for eleven 2009 Tony Awards and won three, Best Score, Best Orchestration and Best Actress in a Musical for Ms. Ripley. Just for the frosting on the cake it also won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It will be playing at The Oceanside Theatre in Oceanside through May 26th. Someone must be paying attention. Family illness is at the core of this heartwarming, touching yet gut wrenching and brilliant musical, bordering on operatic (itâs considered a rock opera) proportions. With and Melissa Fernandes and Berto Fernandez in the leads, this production pulses energy throughout.
“Next to Normal” gets the Oceanside Theatre Company Touch with Live Music and Solid Portrayals
There are iconic shows that set a mark, a before, and an after. Next to Normal is one of those productions. A show that covers so much, wrapped up in a beautiful soundtrack with amazing music by Tom Kitt and powerful lyrics full of truth written by Brian Yorkey. Next to Normal won three Tony Awards in 2009, including Best Musical Score, and a Pulitzer Prize in 2010. When we are not dealing with a premiere, for my mental frame and context to the outside world, I clarify for reference if I have or have not seen a previous production of the piece being reviewed. The Broadway touring production with Alice Ripley in the leading role of Diana came to San Diego in 2010. San Diego Musical Theatre did a production of it, I believe, in 2014.
Award Winning “Next to Normal” On Stage at the Oceanside Theatre Company at the B
rooks
f you enjoy musical theater and have a list of musicals you have never seen but want to see, or musicals you want to see again, and âNext to
Normalâ is not on that list, you are missing one of the most unique, thought provoking and well written musicals from the last twenty years. You have a chance to see âNext to Normalâ now, on stage at The Oceanside Theatre Company at the Sunshine Brooks Theatre on Coast Highway until May 26th.
Oceanside Theatre Presents Hilarious Dramedy âChicken & Biscuits
Oceanside Theatre Companyâs opening production for their new season is Douglas Lyonsâ âChicken & Biscuits,â presenting a funeral like youâve never seen before. This former Broadway production centers around the death of the Jenkinsâ family patriarch, Bernard Jenkins, and a host of unresolved issues involving practically every family member attending along with some new folk. âChicken & Biscuitsâ debuted in 2020 at the Queens Theatre in the Park, unfortunately closing due to the COVID pandemic. It reopened in 2021, this time on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theatre, running for four months, but was cut short due to COVID pandemic restrictions in New York City. Playwright Douglas Lyons earned a GLADD nomination for âChicken and Biscuitsâ and has written music and lyrics for numerous TV shows. He also performed on Broadway in âThe Book of Mormon.â Mabry and Beverly Jenkins remember a time when they were young.
Family Secrets Tend to Come Out During Funerals: Oceanside Theatre Company’s California Premiere of Chicken & Biscuits Proves to be Universal
Oceanside Theatre Co’s production and California premiere of Douglas Lyons’s “Chicken & Biscuits,” directed by Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs in his debut as Artistic Director and his first foray into straight plays, is a refreshing and entertaining theatrical experience. The story starts with a family gathering in the church due to the sudden passing of the patriarch. The service will be hosted by Baneatta’s (Kimberly King) husband Reginald (Durwood Murray), and as she is getting ready she is also dreading having to see her younger sister Beverly (Taylor Renee Henderson) who has a flare for attention and drama. Also expected to attend are Baneatta and Reginald’s kids, Simone (Kiara Hudlin) who just went through a heartbreak, and Kenny (Jacob James), a working actor in a relationship with Logan (Marley Bauer). This relationship is one that Baneatta is not a big fan of and vocal about. Beverly is joined by her 15 soon-to-be 16-year-old daughter and aspiring rapper La’Trice (Allyce Calloway). Once the service takes off and practically everybody has said their “peace”, Brianna (Michael Amira Temple), an unexpected guest arrives claiming space. Revelations unfold with a mix of conflicts, and humor, delving into themes of love, forgiveness, and the intricate dynamics of family relationships.
Review:Â Oceanside Theatreâs funny âChicken& Biscuitsâ a relatable family comedy
Funerals can be comforting and unifying for family members. They can also be hotbeds for the airing of old grudges and long-untold family secrets. All of the above occurs when the Jenkins and Mabry families come together to mourn their patriarch in Douglas Lyonsâ Black family comedy âChicken & Biscuits,â which Oceanside Theatre Company is presenting in its California premiere. The play opened Saturday at the Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside.
The play debuted on Broadway in 2021. Since then, it has become among the most produced plays in America and Lyons has become a much-in-demand writer for stage and screen. âChicken & Biscuitsâ kicks off OTCâs first season under new artistic director Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs, who also directed the production.
Review: Chicken & Biscuits
Funerals can be comforting and unifying for family members. They can also be hotbeds for the airing of old grudges and long-untold family secrets. All of the above occurs when the Jenkins and Mabry families come together to mourn their patriarch in Douglas Lyonsâ Black family comedy âChicken & Biscuits,â which Oceanside Theatre Company is presenting in its California premiere. The play opened Saturday at the Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside.
The play debuted on Broadway in 2021. Since then, it has become among the most produced plays in America and Lyons has become a much-in-demand writer for stage and screen. âChicken & Biscuitsâ kicks off OTCâs first season under new artistic director Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs, who also directed the production.
San Diego SCPA studentâs work part of âBlack Perspectiveâ exhibit in Oceanside
Brooklyn Burroughs, 16, is a student at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, and one of the featured artists in the âBlack Perspectives: A Celebration of Community, Family & Heritageâ art exhibition at The Brooks Theater Gallery in Oceanside through March 26. Her grandmother saw a post on Instagram calling for artist submissions for an upcoming exhibition, so she encouraged Brooklyn Burroughs to send in some of her work. She wasnât exactly nervous, just a little intimidated, but the organizers liked what they saw. Her grandmother saw a post on Instagram calling for artist submissions for an upcoming exhibition, so she encouraged Brooklyn Burroughs to send in some of her work. She wasnât exactly nervous, just a little intimidated, but the organizers liked what they saw.
This weekâs Oceanside International Film Festival to feature La Jollanâs âcringeyâ comedy movie
La Jolla filmmaker Tony Olmosâ latest film is part political satire, part dystopian adventure â a horror film that examines the corruptibility of power. Olmosâ âHemet, or The Landlady Donât Drink Teaâ will be featured on closing day of the Oceanside International Film Festival. The five-day fest runs Tuesday through Saturday at the Brooks Theater on North Coast Highway. Olmost filmed the 89-minute film âHemetâ in both his La Jolla apartment and in Ramona. âThe moral of the story is about abuse of power and how power corrupts people and can turn neighbor against neighbor,â Olmos said. âItâs a dark comedy, so there is a lot in the movie and there is a lot that you might not think you should laugh at that might border on cringey, but a good type of cringey,â he said.
âBlack Perspectiveâ Exhibit Currently Showing at The Oceanside Theatre Company’s Brooks Theater Gallery Through March 26
âBlack Perspectiveâ exhibit on display at Brooks Theater Gallery
OCEANSIDE â Oceanside Theatre Company is inviting the public to view its newest art exhibit, âBlack Perspective: A Celebration of Community, Family and Heritage.â The show, which has been on display since Jan. 12 and runs through March 24 at the Brooks Theater Gallery, can be viewed cost-free. Featuring 29 artists, âBlack Perspectiveâ features the works of 12 artists who are showing at the gallery for the first time, including 17-year-old Brooklyn Burroughs. The exhibition includes a myriad of different styles including portraits, sculptures, nail art and powerful social justice themes.
Dave Drexler Discusses “Generational Black Pioneers” with Rushell Gordon and Kristi Hawthorne
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) kicks off its new Arts Unite series with âGenerational Black Pioneers – Featuring Oceanside Firstsâ on February 17 at 7:30 pm and February 18 at 2:30 pm at the Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside. The event is part of a larger series of community-focused events aimed to bring people of different communities and backgrounds together, build empathy, reveal shared values and generate learning and dialogue. The Arts Unite series is funded, in part, by a generous grant from the Prebys Foundation. While set in the 1960s amid the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, the production draws a comparison to the struggles still faced by black Americans today. Stories will encompass the history of the early black church in Oceanside, the first black teachers in Oceansideâs school district, the first black mayor Terry Johnson, the first black police chief Kedrick Sadler, and the first black President of the Oceanside Chamber of Commerce Robbie Hass.
‘Arts Unite’ Series by Oceanside Theatre Company Launches with Focus on Lowrider Culture
Oceanside Theatre Company kicks off its new âArts Uniteâ series Sunday with February programs focused on lowriders and Black pioneers. The community-focused series aims to bring people of different communities and backgrounds together, build empathy, reveal shared values and spark dialogue. First up, at 2 p.m. Sunday, is the free âCulture of Lowriding: History, Culture & Community,â featuring a panel discussion. Next is âGenerational Black Pioneers â Featuring Oceanside Firstsâ at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 17 and 2:30 p.m. Feb. 18, with tickets starting at $15. Both events take place at the Brooks Theater, 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside.
Winners Announced For The 2023 BroadwayWorld San Diego Awards
Winners have been announced for the 2023 BroadwayWorld San Diego Awards! The 2023 Regional Awards honor regional productions, touring shows, and more which had their first performance between October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023. This year the BroadwayWorld Regional Awards were bigger and better than ever, including over 100 cities across America, Canada, Central and South America, Europe, and Asia! … Best Supporting Performer In A Play – Amira Temple –Â GOOD PEOPLEÂ – Oceanside Theatre Company
Oceanside Theatre Co. to unite community through new series
OCEANSIDE â  Oceanside Theatre Company is kicking off its new Arts Unite series with events offering historical information and panel discussions on Oceansideâs lowrider culture and performances highlighting the cityâs first Black pioneers. Partially funded by a Prebys Foundation grant, the new Arts Unite series will present community-focused events throughout the year with the goal of bringing people of different communities and backgrounds together, building empathy, revealing shared values and generating learning and dialogue.
These San Diego films will be featured in 2024 Oceanside Film Festival
OCEANSIDE, Calif. â The 13th annual Oceanside International Film Festival (OIFF) is screening this February, with a lineup of local and international films. While the full schedule of OIFF 2024 has yet to be released, the official selections of the film festival are online. The 2024 short film selections are from all over the world, with some as far as Portugal, Poland and New Zealand. Several locally-shot short films are also in the lineup, including many from Los Angeles, other parts of California and several in San Diego County: âAMAZING GRACEâ (Directed by Aiden Keltner, San Diego); âAnd Yet They Speakâ (Directed by Windy Marshall, Carlsbad); âForget Me Againâ (Directed by Noah Freeman Hecht, Encinitas); âLockdownâ (Directed by Kevin Waczek, Escondido); âThe Mad Doctor of the Intercontinental Hotelâ (Directed by Michael Shane Bowles, San Diego).
Whose Line Is It Anywayâs Laura Hall to Head Musical Improv Show in Oceanside
(Oceanside, CA) January 10, 2024 â Whose Line is it Anywayâs Musical Director Laura Hall will be performing with select improvisers from Northern and Southern California in a night of musical improv comedy on Saturday, January 13 at the Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside. âWe are extremely excited to have Laura Hall come to the Brooks Theater for a night of fun improv comedy in the style of Whose Line that is completely made up based on audience suggestions,â said Improv at the Brooks director Chris Shurland. âOur live shows are fast-paced and highly interactive, so we never know what to expect. Adding Laura Hallâs unique ability to create improvised music adds an entirely new dimension to the show.â
Whose Line Is It Anywayâs Laura Hall to Head Musical Improv Show in Oceanside IMPROV
Oceanside, CA â January, 2024 â Whose Line is it Anywayâs Musical Director Laura Hall will be performing with select improvisers from Northern and Southern California in a night of musical improv comedy on Saturday, January 13 at the Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside. âWe are extremely excited to have Laura Hall come to the Brooks Theater for a night of fun improv comedy in the style of Whose Line that is completely made up based on audience suggestions,â said Improv at the Brooks director Chris Shurland. âOur live shows are fast-paced and highly interactive, so we never know what to expect. Adding Laura Hallâs unique ability to create improvised music adds an entirely new dimension to the show.â
From Another Zero’s Best of 2023 in San Diego Theatre
Here we are again!… another year, another bunch of theatre experiences đ This year marked, let’s say, the first “normal” year after the pandemic, in which theaters found new normalcy by providing production after production, where the risk factor stood out along with creativity, and some montages of classic productions that allowed us to either revive them or get to know what has been talked about so much. As always in these pieces, numbers are key. According to the record of this blog, your blog, I had the opportunity to see around 75 productions, of which I reviewed 63… wow.
Oceanside Theatre Company Announces 2024 Main Stage Season
Oceanside, CA â December, 2023 â Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) is thrilled to launch its 2024 Main Stage Season at the Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside. Curated by new Artistic Director Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs, the season includes a Southern California Premiere, a West Coast Premiere, and a brand new play staged for the first time. âRambunctious. Bold. Fearless. Loud. These four words describe not only what OTCâs 2024 Season is essentially about, but also who I am as a person,â said Burroughs. âI was incredibly excited to select a season that spoke to both me as an artist and an individual, while offering audiences a strong variety of shows.â
Whoâs News: 12/15/23
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs was appointed as the new artistic director of Oceanside Theatre Company on Dec. 1. He previously joined the company in August as its associate artistic director.
Oceanside Theater to produce sequel play on local Black pioneers
After the success of last yearâs production, âGenerational Black Pioneers, featuring Oceanside Entrepreneurs,â a second show is planned for February
Oceanside business owner Rushell Gordon stopped by the Oceanside Historical Society to look at books on Oceanside history. While chatting with historian Kristi Hawthorne, the conversation drifted to the stories of early Black residents in Oceanside who became trailblazers. The two women wondered how many others knew about the contributions of these pioneers, such as Charles William Fletcher Tapsico, Charlesetta Reece Allen, Adele Foreman and George Mitchell of the early 1900s.
That conversation sparked an effort to bring to life the stories of some of the first Black residents in Oceanside.
Oceanside Theatre Co. takes âbold step forwardâ with 2024 season
Oceanside Theatre Company has announced its main stage shows for the 2024 season at the historic Sunshine Brooks Theater in downtown. Curated by new Artistic Director Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs, the season includes a Southern California premiere, a West Coast premiere and a brand-new play staged for the first time. âRambunctious. Bold. Fearless. Loud. These four words describe not only what OTCâs 2024 season is essentially about, but also who I am as a person,â Burroughs said. âI was incredibly excited to select a season that spoke to both me as an artist and an individual, while offering audiences a strong variety of shows.â
Tafolla brings his âSeasonsâ song cycle home to San Diego
Tyler Tafolla, a longtime San Diego musical theater composer, playwright and performer, will present the San Diego debut of âSeasons: A New Musical Song Cycleâ at the Oceanside Theatre Company in December. The 18-song piece follows six childhood friends on a journey over six years of their lives through milestones that include leaving home, starting new careers, establishing new relationships and examining lifelong connections. âSeasonsâ was developed in 2020 as a concept album and then remastered and re-released with Broadway Records and Theatre Barn Records in January 2022. It has since been staged in Los Angeles and New York.
Introducing a New Era for Oceanside Theatre Company at the Brooks
‘Sleepy Hollow’ Gets a Steampunk Retelling at Oceanside Theatre
âWelcome to Sleepy Hollowâ A Wonderfully Haunting Start to the Halloween Season
Review:Â OTCâs âWelcome to Sleepy Hollowâ musical gives classic horror story fun steampunk twist
This month in San Diego County, there are at least seven horror-themed plays, comedies and musicals on local stages. Some were written for grown-ups and some for family audiences. Then thereâs Oceanside Theatre Companyâs âWelcome to Sleepy Hollow,â which opened Saturday , that covers all the options. Itâs an entertaining original musical with some dark elements featuring both adult actors and children from OTCâs youth ensemble program. Oceanside native Heather Megill wrote the script and score for âWelcome to Sleepy Hollowâ back in 2001 on a commission for Encore Youth Theatre in Vista. In recent years, she updated the score with electrical guitar and bass to give the show a more rock ânâ roll sound. For this production, she also designed all of the costumes, which have a great steampunk vibe (Victorian corsets, top hats, leather pants, driving goggles, etc.).
Oceanside Theatre Company presents âSleepy Hollowâ musical
Oceanside Theatre Company presents âWelcome to Sleepy Hollow,â a musical written by Oceanside playwright Heather Megill and directed by Kandace Crystal, beginning Oct. 6 and running through Oct. 29 at the historic Sunshine Brooks Theater. Originally commissioned for Encore Youth Theatre in 2001, Megillâs play is an updated version of the classic tale of Washington Irvingâs âThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow,â featuring a contemporary musical theater score with a steampunk aesthetic.
OTC and The Boys & Girls Clubs Of Oceanside Offer Free After-School Youth Outreach Theatre Program
The Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside (BGCO) are offering a free theatre program for youth ages 9-19 from August 29 through November 19 at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside and the Brooks Theater. Introducing participants to the magic of the theater arts through the production of Disney’s Little Mermaid, the program will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 3:45 – 6 p.m. The three-month-long program will culminate in eight performances – six for the general public and two school performances. For information on registration, visit https://oceansidetheatre.org/youth-programs/little-mermaid-2023/
Kevin ‘Blax’ Burroughs Appointed Associate Artistic Director of Oceanside Theatre Company
OTC has announced the appointment of Kevin ‘Blax’ Burroughs as the new Associate Artistic Director of Oceanside Theatre Company. In this role, Burroughs will work alongside OTC Artistic Director Ted Leib to support the artistic vision of the organization and programming of the mainstage subscription season, as well as auxiliary programming and other special projects. “The energy and experience that Blax brings to OTC is just what we need at this moment,” said OTC Board President John McCoy. “He has the ability to lead a production from the director’s seat, is fluent in the language of designers, is an incredibly talented performer and has a real vision for the future of not only Oceanside Theatre Company, but theatre in America. We could not be happier that Blax has agreed to continue his artistic leadership journey with OTC.”
Youth program returns to Brooks Theater with âThe Little Mermaidâ
The Oceanside Theatre Company and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside are offering a free youth theater program for ages 9 to 19 from Aug. 29 through Nov. 19 at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oceanside and the Brooks Theater. Introducing participants to the theater arts through the production of Disneyâs âThe Little Mermaid,â the program will take place on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 to 6 p.m. The three-month-long program will culminate in eight performances â six for the general public and two school performances.
Burroughs takes on new role with Oceanside Theatre Company
Oceanside Theatre Company has appointed Kevin âBlaxâ Burroughs as its new associate artistic director. In this role, Burroughs will work alongside Artistic Director Ted Leib to support the artistic vision of the organization and programming of the main stage subscription season, as well as auxiliary programming and other special projects. Burroughs last worked with OTC on the co-production of Teatro San Diegoâs inaugural live performance of âSongs for a New Worldâ in June 2022. Along with fellow Teatro San Diego co-founder and co-director Julio Catano, Burroughs brought a modern concept to the production by resetting the show in the ânew worldâ of the post-George Floyd and Black Lives Matter era.
Dave Drexler Interviews Synthia L. Hardy on “Inside Art”
Arts & Culture Newsletter
This week, Oceanside Theatre Companyâs âBillieâ musical, singer Sasha Cooke, Korean film âPast Lives,â TV show âDark Windsâ and more
Few artists in jazz are as iconic as Billie Holiday, whose voice and vocal stylings are unmistakable and who continues to influence performers more than 60 years after her passing. Sheâs honored and remembered in Synthia L. Hardyâs one-person show âBillie! Backstage with Lady Day,â which is back at the Oceanside Theatre Companyâs Brooks Theatre this weekend. There will be three performances: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. This is a return engagement for âBackstage,â which OTC presented last fall.
BILLIE! BACKSTAGE WITH LADY DAY to Return to Oceanside Theatre Company’s Brooks Theater
Intimate. Intense. Visceral. Playwright, actress, and singer Synthia L. Hardy returns to the Brooks Theater for one weekend only in Billie! Backstage with Lady Day on July 28-30, 2023. Her award-winning one-woman show about Billie Holiday, one of the greatest jazz and blues performers of all time, received glowing reviews in its 2022 San Diego Premiere.
Brooks Theater Is New Home for Improv
Oceanside Theatre Company has launched Improv at the Brooks, a multi-faceted program of improv comedy classes, workshops and performances. Improv at the Brooks will offer a variety of opportunities for anyone interested in learning improv comedy, regardless of their experience level. The program currently features drop-in classes on the first and third Tuesdays of every month, where participants can learn the basics of improv through very fun games and exercises.
13 The Musical Hits the Stage July 14-16
van Goldman is about to turn thirteen, and he canât wait. When he is forced to move with his mom from big-city New York to podunk Appleton, Indiana, he must find a way to fit in. If Evan canât get the coolest kids to come to his bar mitzvah, how is he going to survive the school year, not to mention, the rest of his life? As Evan navigates the world of cool kids and nerds, jocks and cheerleaders, first kisses and heartbreak, he comes to understand âWhat it Means to Be a Friend.â With a bright, catchy pop score from Jason Robert Brown, equal doses of humor and pathos, and a cast of wildly talented teens, 13 is irresistible to grown ups and almost-grown ups alike.
Oceanside Theatre Company Presents â Welcome to Sleepy Hollow
rills, thrills, and romance! Oceanside Theatre Company presents Welcome to Sleepy Hollow, a hauntingly romantic musical written by Oceanside playwright Heather Megill and directed by Kandace Crystal on October 6-29, 2023 at the Brooks Theater. This thrillingly updated version of the classic tale with the headless horseman features a contemporary musical theater score with a steampunk aesthetic. Originally commissioned for Encore Youth Theatre in 2001, Megillâs play is a refreshing contrast to the original text of Washington Irvingâs The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. Megill gave life to many of the characters, including the Woman in White and Katrina Van Tassel, Ichabod Craneâs love interest whose role in the original short story was overshadowed by descriptions of her fatherâs land and dinners.
Theatre Company to Honor Kathy Brombacher
Oceanside Theatre Company has selected Kathy Brombacher, a renowned theater and cultural arts leader, as the recipient of its inaugural Lifetime Theatre Achievement Award. The award was created by the Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) to recognize exceptional excellence in the field of theatre throughout Southern California. Brombacher, emeritus artistic director and founder of Moonlight Stage Productions and a respected freelance director and theatre educator, will be presented with the award at the Sunshine Soiree by the Sea on Sept. 16 at The Seabird Resort, where her lifelong impact on the theatre community will be celebrated.
Oceanside Theatre Company to Honor Kathy Brombacher Inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) is thrilled to announce that Kathy Brombacher, a renowned theater and cultural arts leader, has been selected as the recipient of its inaugural Lifetime Theatre Achievement Award. This honorable award has been created by OTC to recognize exceptional excellence in the field of theatre throughout Southern California. Brombacher, Emeritus Artistic Director/Founder of Moonlight Stage Productions and a respected Freelance Director/Theatre Educator, will be presented with this distinguished honor at OTCâs âSunshine Soiree by the Seaâ Saturday, September 16 at The Seabird Resort, where her lifelong impact on the theatre community will be celebrated.
OTC Announces âSunshine Soiree by the Seaâ
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC), the resident production company at the historic Sunshine Brooks Theatre will host an afternoon of entertainment, food and celebration by the sea at the luxury Mission Pacific resort, just steps from the ocean. OTC will also present the inaugural Lifetime Theatre Achievement Award to Kathy Brombacher, Emeritus Artistic Director/Founder, Moonlight Stage Productions; Freelance Director/Theatre Educator for her lifetime dedication to theatrical excellence and her impact on theatre and cultural arts in Southern California.
Oceanside Theatre Companyâs “Good People” will Have Audiences Debating
I always start the views with a frame of reference -in my world- so it makes sense for everybody. This is the first time I have seen a production of David Lindsay-Abaire’s Good People. The Old Globe staged it in 2012 and since we theatre people measure time in shows, it is curious to see that eleven years later, ‘People comes back to the county through Oceanside Theatre Company’s take and a directorial debut by Sandy Campbell which I consider to be one of the best productions this year so far. Those who read my pieces know I like to keep it current and ongoing. If I see something that truly affects me, it will go in writing and with that said, this production of Good People lived in my brain, marinating for days after. Playwright Lindsay Abaire’s words are crisp and authentic.
‘Good People’ Examines the Choices that We Have… And Have Not
“You want to talk about making choices? … You’re wrong if you think everyone has them.” Choice and lack thereof are at the center of Oceanside Theatre Companyâs newest production, Good People, currently in production at the Brooks Theatre, where it runs for one more weekend. The drama, written by David Lindsay-Abaire and helmed by directorial debut Sandy Campbell, follows Margie Walsh, a kind woman with roots – and branches – in one of the more demographically poor neighborhoods in her region. Though some of Margieâs friends and her romantic partner, Michael Dillon, made it out of Southie, she hasnât had the same luck, having gotten pregnant and subsequently have had to raise a disabled child.
South Boston is Setting for Oceanside Theatre Companyâs Good People
Ted Leib, Artistic Director for the Oceanside Theater Company (OTC) and an actor in OTCâs production of Good People, is joined by Sandy Campbell, Director of Good People, and Susan Clausen, an actress in the play. Leib, Campbell and Clausen chat about the roles humor and choice play in Good People.
Oceanside Theatre’s âGood Peopleâ Dynamic, Emotional, Challenging Experience
Itâs at times raw, satirical, humorous, and extremely emotional and the play, âGood Peopleâ, will leave you drained by the final moments on stage; but you will be thoroughly entertained and talking about the performance as you leave Oceanside Theatre. âGood Peopleâ is written by Pulitzer Prize winning author David Lindsey-Abaire. It had its world premiere at the Manhattan Theatre Club in New York City and on Broadway at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Â In 2011 it was nominated for two Tony Awards including Best Play. It did win a Tony for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play and a New York Drama Critics Circle Award for Best Play.
Sandy Campbell Makes Auspicious Directing Debut in Oceansideâs âGood Peopleâ
Playwright David Lindsay-Abaire is on familiar territory with his play, Good People, as he grew up in South Boston, where 
the play is set. A satirical examination of how class differences emerge among people who used to be friends from the same neighborhood, Good People is laugh-out-loud funny in the right hands. And the right hands turn out to belong to Sandy Campbell, actress extraordinaire, who makes her directing debut with this production. Margie (Susan Clausen) has just been fired for tardiness at a Dollar Store. Her manager, Stevie (Dennis Peters) is apologetic but says that he will lose his job if he continues only to warn her. Nevertheless, Stevie continues to play Bingo in the neighborhood with Margie and her friends, Dottie (Heidi Bridges) and Jean (Sherri Allen).
Review:Â Oceanside Theatre Co. balances humor and darkness in well-staged âGood Peopleâ
One of the favorites to win this yearâs Tony Award for Best Musical is âKimberly Akimbo,â a quirky and heartwarming Broadway musical with a script by David Lindsay-Abaire, a Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright with a gift for crafting complex and realistic American characters who are struggling to succeed and survive in an often-unforgiving world. His Tony-nominated 2011 play âGood Peopleâ â which made its West Coast premiere at the Old Globe in 2012 â is just such a story. Despite its upbeat name, âGood Peopleâ is about a group of South Boston (âSouthieâ) natives who arenât necessarily good or bad. Theyâre people with good in them, but also flaws, secrets and shameful backstories that rise to the surface when times get tough.
Theater Notebook:Â Massachusetts ex-pats team up for Oceanside Theatre Companyâs âGood Peopleâ
Six years ago, Ted Leib and Susan Clausen co-starred in David Lindsay-Abaireâs play âGood Peopleâ at Scripps Ranch Theatre. This month, theyâre returning to the same play at Oceanside Theatre Company, where Leib is artistic director. Clausen has moved up from the secondary character of Jean to the lead role of Margie, and Leib will reprise the role of Mike, the playâs lead male character. Set in South Boston â where the playwright grew up â the 2011 play is the story of Margie, a nice but impoverished dollar-store worker who struggles to support herself and her special-needs adult daughter. When she loses her job, she reaches out for help to Mike, her high school ex-boyfriend, who left the neighborhood and became a successful doctor. As she pressures him to help out an old friend, she begins spilling secrets from his past.
Oceanside Theatre Presents Evening Of Poetry & Storytelling
Oceanside Theatre Company presents an evening of poetry and storytelling in honor of National Poetry Month with San Diego Poet Laureate Jason Magabo Perez and other local poets. Having grown up in Oceanside, Magabo Perez comes home to share his work and engage with the community on Thursday, April 25 at 7 PM. He will be reading works from his three hybrid collections of poetry and prose and discussing their connections to Oceanside. The readings will be followed by a question and answer session moderated by OTC Board Member and local activist Jimmy Figueroa.
Sandy Campbell Makes Her Directorial Debut In Oceanside Theatre Company’s âGood Peopleâ
Oceanside, CA -April, 2023 â Long-time San Diego actress, Sandy Campbell is taking on a new challenge with her directorial debut of Oceanside Theatre Companyâs Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, an emotional, heartfelt drama broken up by poignant moments of laugh-aloud humor. Having most recently worked as assistant director on The Children at the Moxie Theater, Campbell has won multiple San Diego Critics Circle awards for her acting and has worked at most of the theaters in town including the Old Globe, Moonlight, San Diego Rep, and La Jolla Playhouse. Her husband Danny Campbell joins her in this new endeavor as Associate Director.
Sandy Campbell Makes Her Directorial Debut in Oceanside Theatre Companyâs Good People
Long-time San Diego actress, Sandy Campbell is taking on a new challenge with her directorial debut of Oceanside Theatre Companyâs Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, an emotional, heartfelt drama broken up by poignant moments of laugh-aloud humor. Having most recently worked as assistant director on The Children at the Moxie Theater, Campbell has won multiple San Diego Critics Circle awards for her acting and has worked at most of the theaters in town including the Old Globe, Moonlight, San Diego Rep, and La Jolla Playhouse. Her husband Danny Campbell joins her in this new endeavor as Associate Director.
Oceanside Theatre Company Presents GOOD PEOPLE At The Brooks Theater
Long-time San Diego actress, Sandy Campbell is taking on a new challenge with her directorial debut of Oceanside Theatre Company’s Good People by David Lindsay-Abaire, an emotional, heartfelt drama broken up by poignant moments of laugh-aloud humor. Having most recently worked as assistant director on The Children at the Moxie Theater, Campbell has won multiple San Diego Critics Circle awards for her acting and has worked at most of the theaters in town including The Old Globe, Moonlight, San Diego Rep, and La Jolla Playhouse. Her husband Danny Campbell joins her in this new endeavor as Associate Director.
The best things to do this weekend in San Diego: April 6-9
âFace 2 Face: Portraits and Self-Portraitsâ: Oceanside Theatre Company presents an exhibit of 39 pieces of portraiture by 24 artists curated by Carol Naegele. Opening reception, 5 to 8 p.m. Friday. Runs through May 1. 217 N. Coast Highway, Oceanside. (760) 433-8900, oceansidetheatre.org
Theater Notebook: Lederer Celebrates Shakespeare
Wordsmith Richard Lederer, the author of more than 50 books and longtime San Diego Union-Tribune language columnist, will present his tribute to the works of William Shakespeare later this month in Oceanside. Lederer will demonstrate the enduring nature of the Bardâs words through the playwrightâs plays and sonnets.
Theatre Talk: Lucky Stiff
When an improbable plot merges with a ridiculous circumstance, you can bet “Something Funny’s Going On.”Accompanied by the melodious stylings of musical director Terry O’Donnell, bored British shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon (Cody Ingram) trudges back to his rented room on another Friday night wishing for life to change. His boring life takes a screwball trajectory when an American uncle leaves him $6 million in his will. Of course, there is a caveat.
Oceanside Theatre Company Teams Up With Comedian Tim X. Lee
To Offer Sober, but Far from Sobering, Comedy to North County
Nerd Comedyâs Tim X. Lee is dedicated to creating alcohol-free entertainment for North Countyâs communities. From champagne on New Yearâs Eve to margaritas on Cinco de Mayo, many of the holidays celebrated in Southern California revolve around drinking culture. Comedian Tim X. Lee has teamed up with Oceanside Theatre Company to offer an alternative option for those in recovery, as well as those who simply want to enjoy a healthy laugh without the drink bill, by hosting the alcohol-free Nerd Comedy at the Brooks Theater on available holidays.
Zany, Off-Beat Musical Farce âLucky Stiffâ Opens at Brooks Theater Oceanside
If you are looking for something to take your mind off rising gas and food prices and political rhetoric then you need to see Oceanside Theatre Companyâs latest production at Brooks Theater, âLucky Stiffâ. This over-the-top farcical musical murder mystery with a twisted plot will bring enough chuckles and giggles to your evening to give you a break for your day. This musical comedy, written by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, premiered in 1988 Off-Broadway at Playwrights Horizons.
Oceanside Theatre Company Announces Fourth Collaboration With Scripps Ranch Theatre: LUCKY STIFF
It’s not easy being a small theatre company. Putting on quality professional theatre is expensive. Putting on a musical, which requires extensive rehearsal, choreography and personnel, is even more costly. That’s why two local professional theatre companies, Oceanside Theatre Company and Scripps Ranch Theatre, have teamed up to bring North County a bigger, better production than either could separately.
Oceanside Theatre Company Invites Audiences to “Take a Chance” in March
Lucky Stiff is a frolicking musical romcom full of hilarious hijinx in which Harry Witherspoon, an English shoe salesman, longs for adventure. When opportunity knocks in the form of an all expense paid trip to Monte Carlo with a dead guy â it might not exactly be the kind of relaxing vacation he had in mind. But he takes a chance on something new â and falls head over heels. This month, Oceanside Theatre Company invites the community to take a little inspiration from the play and take a chance on one of the many activities Brooks Theater has to offer including submitting their own creative work, checking out local artists, taking an improv class, discovering an acclaimed blues artist or learning to paint.
Small Theatres Team Up to Improve Their Odds
Itâs not easy being a small theatre company. Putting on quality professional theatre is expensive. Putting on a musical, which requires extensive rehearsal, choreography and personnel, is even more costly. Thatâs why two local professional theatre companies, Oceanside Theatre Company and Scripps Ranch Theatre, have teamed up to bring North County a bigger, better production than either could separately. Lucky Stiff is a frolicking musical romcom full of hilarious hijinx in which English shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon agrees to take his dead uncleâs corpse on vacation to Monte Carlo in hopes of winning his inheritance â which it turns out was embezzled from his uncleâs girlfriendâs husband. The musical farce, written by the Tony-award-winning writing team Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty and directed by Moonlight Theatre founder Kathy Brombacher, offers audiences a wonderful sense of escapism.
New, Now, Next…Oceanside
Theatergoers looking for laughs should book a date for Oceanside Theatre Companyâs production
of “Lucky Stiff” a Weekend at Bernieâs-esque jaunt starring Harry, a man whose inheritance rests with
the condition of fulfilling his dead uncleâs last wish, co-produced by OTC with Scripps Ranch Theatre
and running from March 3-19. oceansidetheatre.org
Wacky musical farce ‘Lucky Stiff’ opens at Scripps Ranch Theatre
A cool six million would change just about anyoneâs life. Such is the case for shoe salesman Harry Witherspoon, who learns just what happens when your inheritance comes with conditions in Lucky Stiff by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, running at the Scripps Ranch Theatre space through Feb. 19. his show, a co-production of Scripps Ranch Theatre and Oceanside Theatre Company, is under the direction of Kathy Brombacher and music direction of Terry OâDonnell. A campy musical farce, the storyline follows Witherspoon (played by Cody Ingram) as he learns that his Uncle Anthony has kicked the can and left a sizable fortune to his nephew, whom heâs never met. The catch?
Theater Review: Lucky Stiff
Ready for an evening of craziness, goofy songs, loony people and a plot that will keep you guessing? Have I got a suggestion for you: Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flahertyâs wildly farcical musical âLucky Stiff,â playing through Feb. 19 at Scripps Ranch Theatre. This is a co-production with Oceanside Theatre; the show will run there from March 3-19. Itâs been a while since Iâve seen a farce, and I donât think Iâve ever seen a musical farce, but this one will keep you laughing and let you forget about all the awful news weâve been subjected to lately. Kathy Brombacher directs the lunacy and eleven outrageously talented actor/singers, while music director Terry OâDonnell keeps the whole thing moving from the piano.
Review:Â Well-directed and smartly cast âLucky Stiffâ is amusing mayhem at Scripps Ranch Theatre
If there was an award for best performance as a dead man in a stage musical, Ralph Johnson of Scripps Ranch Theatreâs âLucky Stiffâ would be a shoo-in. The veteran San Diego actor spends the whole show playing a corpse, most of the time in a wheelchair with hat, sunglasses and stone face.
Johnsonâs feat is all the more impressive given everything that happens around him. This amusing musical farce that opened Saturday features a cast of 11 at times going at Keystone Cops speed â except for Johnson, of course. However, under the direction of Kathy Brombacher with choreography by Valerie Clark, the antics on the Legler-Benbough Theatre stage rise well above controlled chaos.
Lucky Stiff â Madcap Romp
A farce is a comedy with mistaken identity, disguises, hilarious characters, door slams, plot twists and a whole lot of zany. A musical farce is rare. Scripps Ranch Theatre presents a musical comedy by Ahrens and Flaharty, Lucky Stiff. The show is directed by Kathy Brombacher with Terry OâDonnell as musical director. This show has everything you need in a farce. Lucky Stiff tells the story of an unassuming English shoe salesman who is tasked with escorting the remains of his murdered uncle to Monte Carlo for a final fling. Along the way, he encounters a series of offbeat characters. The score is lively and upbeat, featuring a mix of ballads and showstoppers, and the lyrics are clever and witty.
Oceanside Spectrum: February 2023 – Oceanside Historical Society with Bliss Tea & Treats
Oceanside Rushell Gordon business owner of Bliss Tea and Treats and Kristi Hawthorne, director of the Oceanside Historical Society have an event coming up that will honor 140 years of black history in Oceanside. “It was really an interesting process because I started emailing Christy questions I was like
Theater Notebook:Â San Diegoâs favorite character actor, Ralph Johnson, is playing dead â again
Itâs hard work playing a dead guy. Just ask Ralph Johnson, who is performing the title role in the musical âLucky Stiffâ this winter in a co-production that runs Jan. 28-Feb. 19 at Scripps Ranch Theatre, then moves to North County for a second run with Oceanside Theatre Company March 3-19. The beloved San Diego character actor said that even though he doesnât have to memorize any lines or stage blocking for the show, it takes a great deal of concentration, listening and stillness to play the role of Tony Hendon. Hendon is a newly dead American millionaire whose final request to his nephew and sole heir, Harry, is to take Tonyâs corpse on an all-expense-paid gambling vacation in Monte Carlo.
Music Notebook:Â Music Notebook: Jon Mayer and Roy McCurdy at Dizzyâs, Gunhild Carling at Brooks Theatre, Hot Moms Club at Soda Bar
Trying to top Gunhild Carling on stage can be a formidable challenge. In addition to singing and performing with equal vigor on trombone, harmonica, bagpipes and several other instruments, she plays three trumpets â simultaneously â at her concerts. Often billed as Swedenâs âQueen of Swing,â the now-California-based Carling sometimes performs with a band that includes her two teen children, Idun and Viggo. Both are, unsurprisingly, also multi-instrumentalists.
Live! at the Brooks: Swedish Queen of Swing
Swedenâs Queen of Swing, Gunhild Carling, sings, dances, and plays over 10 instruments including trombone, trumpet, recorder, bagpipe, harmonica, drums, and piano sometimes all in one song! Born to a family of musicians in 1975, Carlingâs home life was filled with a variety of artistic endeavors including acting, circus tricks, dance, music, Vaudeville, and novelty. Carling became infatuated with jazz music and instruments at a young age and is now one of the worldâs truly great jazz performers.
Oceanside Theatre Company & Six String Society Announce 2023 (Music) Season
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) and Six String Society will collaborate on a new music series, âLive! at the Brooks,â featuring an eclectic series of nine concerts throughout 2023 at the historic Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside. With local and national acts ranging from blues to jazz, from soul to gospel, and rock to hip-hop, this enthralling musical collaboration promises to surprise and delight a variety of audiences. âOver the past several years, we have put on some fantastic Six String Society shows in this historic theater in downtown Oceanside,â said producer Kenneth Rexrode. âItâs a great venue with a large theater-style stage, yet it remains very intimate as well. We are 100% committed to bringing in some exciting local, national, and even international acts to the OTC music series which will commence in mid-January.â
Oceanside Theatre Company Set To Grow In 2023
As Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) looks forward to a new year of growth, the resident company of the Historic Brooks Theater adds six new members to its board of directors, the largest influx of board leadership in the 12-year history of the organization. A multi-talented group of individuals, including educators, public accountants, program managers, and community advocates, the new additions to the board of directors are a step towards OTCâs commitment to expanding and diversifying its governing body spearheaded by its first Interim Managing Director Alex Goodman who was hired in April 2022.
Beauty and The Beast Jr. Encore!! Encore!! What a production!
The opening night, 11/11/2022, of Disneyâs Beauty and The Beast Jr. at the
 Brooks Theatre in Oceanside was a HIT!! Where do I beginâŠ. The set for this production was very professional and impressive, to say the least. The setting for the castle perfectly suited the stage and space. The props that were moved on and off stage were vibrant and just enough to depict the change in environment. I loved how the settings and props afforded the cast an opportunity to create depth within their space. There was a dungeon and an upper East and West Wings, it was clear that the castle was a multi-level house and that each room was located on a different floor. As a fan of Beauty and the Beast, as soon as I saw the set, my eyes were drawn to the vibrant red rose in the glass capsule in the West Wing. I couldnât help but wondered how the infamous rose petals would fall throughout the production as it sat untouched. Fortunately, as scripted, the last petal fell on cue and I thought, âhow did they do it?â
Oceanside Theatre Announces 2023 Subscription Season
A musical farce full of miscreants. A heartwarming dramedy exploring hard choices. Trills, thrills, and romance. A hilarious holiday experience. Oceanside Theatre Companyâs 2023 season offers a chance to smile and laugh over lifeâs absurdities, hardships, horrors, and traditions with a splash of comedy in every show. Tickets range from $20 for Preview Nights to $45 for Opening Night with Season Subscription and Group Rates available. They can be purchased through OceansideTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 760-433-8900.
Oceanside Theatre Announces 2023 Subscription Season
A musical farce full of miscreants. A heartwarming dramedy exploring hard choices. Trills, thrills, and romance. A hilarious holiday experience. Oceanside Theatre Companyâs 2023 season offers a chance to smile and laugh over lifeâs absurdities, hardships, horrors, and traditions with a splash of comedy in every show. Tickets range from $20 for Preview Nights to $45 for Opening Night with Season Subscription and Group Rates available. They can be purchased through OceansideTheatre.org or by calling the Box Office at 760-433-8900.
Synthia L. Hardy who wrote and stars in the play Billie! Backstage with Lady Day currently playing at the Brooks Theatre in Downtown Oceanside until October 2
“Theatre doors are theatre doors, it really does not matter what color. If there is something they want to see, they will come and see it.” We had a very nice conversation with Synthia L. Hardy who wrote and stars in the play Billie! Backstage with Lady Day which had its San Diego premiere on September 23 produced by the Oceanside Theatre Company. Billie! had its debut in 2009 at The Whitefire Theater in Los Angeles and has had annual encore performances. Let us dive into Synthia’s world for a few lines and enjoy what she had to share…
You wrote this piece that has been around for 13 years, what inspired you to write it?
I have always loved jazz and the big band sound. Growing up I would just hear the different people in my family, the adults talking about Billie Holiday and all of those things and then one day, I can’t tell you what click to make me say I wanted to write her story, but I decided to write her story and a couple of others as a one-person show and this one seemed to come out ahead of the other two.Â
History Comes Alive Onstage with Oceansideâs Billie! Backstage with Lady Day
One part exposĂ©, one part jazz show, and one part history lesson, Billie! Backstage with Lady Day brings iconic performer Billie Holiday to life at Oceansideâs Brooks Theater through October 2nd. This musical, a one-woman show which features playwright/actor/vocalist Synthia L. Hardy as the music legend alongside pianist Woody Woods and jazz combo musicians Russell Bizzett, Dr. Marcus Wilcher, and Gedeon DeĂĄk, is in some ways a historic impersonation production more than a play, an approach that places the audience squarely in the 1950s. During Act 1, Billie breaks the fourth wall, interview-style, to recount various events and experiences from her formative years and intermission shifts the locale to the mainstage of the club itself as the headliner takes the stage. This format, while simple, provides a peek into how Billie Holidayâs traumas shaped her art before unabashedly putting the art on display.
Review:Â Oceanside Theatreâs âBillie! Backstageâ offers poignant look inside Holidayâs final years
Synthia L. Hardy has clearly spent many years studying and performing onstage as Billie Holiday. But she doesnât glamorize the famous jazz singer in her well-written play with music âBillie! Backstage with Lady Day.â Portraying Holiday in the mid-1950s, Hardy starts the play by storming up a side aisle from the lobby muttering a stream of obscenities at those who have wronged her. Holiday drank herself to death at age 44, just a few years after this play is set, and her characterâs proud delusions about her sobriety and her âgoodâ husband Louis McKay â who would embezzle her earnings and leave her penniless â are poignant insights about the singerâs troubled life.
Meet Alex Goodman, Managing Director Of Oceanside Theatre Company
The Historic “Sunshine” Brooks Theater has long been considered the cultural center point of Oceanside and undoubtedly contributed to the city being named one of only 14 inaugural Cultural Districts designated by the State of California. Now, with a new 20-year City of Oceanside Use Agreement the Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC), is taking bold steps to meet the cultural needs of a growing North County community. The first step for the previously all-volunteer OTC management team was to hire its first Managing Director, Alex Goodman.Â
Oceanside Theatre and New Village Arts Collaboration is a Win-Win for Everyone
It has taken two years of patience on the part of two outstanding theatre arts companies, Oceanside Theatre Company and New Village Arts Theatre, but the wait was well worth it on their latest collaboration, the award-winning musical Into the Woods. A shut down of all theatre companies during the COVID pandemic restrictions and a major remodel of Carlsbadâs New Village Arts Theatre led to NVAâs founder and director Kristianne Kurner and OTCâs Producing Artistic Director Ted Leib joining together to stage one of the classics of musical theatre on the OTC stage.
Review:Â âInto the Woodsâ is fresh, funny and well sung in Oceanside production
The first thing to know about recently passed Broadway composer-lyricist Stephen Sondheim is that he was a genius. The second is that Sondheimâs scores can be treacherous to perform. Their intricate melodies, blazing-fast lyrics, changeable tempos and multilayered harmonies are devilishly difficult work for singers, musicians and directors to pull off. So thatâs what makes New Village Arts and Oceanside Theatre Companyâs new coproduction of Sondheimâs musical âInto the Woodsâ such a pleasure.
Brooks Theater Reopens for Youth Arts Camp
After restrictions lifted in June, the theater was able to reopen its doors after a yearâs hiatus for its annual Youth Theater Arts Camp. The camp invites children between 7 and 17 years of age to participate in a several-week-long camp that teaches theater skills like singing, dancing, acting, poetry, and choral reading.
As Part of SD Theatre Week, Tours of the Brooks Theatre to be given February 21st
In honor of San Diego Theatre Week, OTC is offering behind-the-scene tours of the historic Brooks Theatre on February 21st at 11:00am & 1:00pm. At the end of the tour, patrons will receive the option to purchase discounted tickets (2 for $30) to one of the upcoming 2017-18 season productions.
“Outside Mullingar” A Sentimental Journey at Scripps Ranch Theatre
âThere was a girl, there was a boy. If they had met they might have found a world of joy. But he lived on the morning side of the mountain and she lived on the twilight side of the hill. They never met, they never kissed. They will never know what happiness they’ve missed ‘Cause he lived on the morning side of the mountain and she lived on the twilight side of the hill. For love’s a rose that never grows without the kiss of the morning dew. And every Jack must have a Jill to know the thrill of a dream that comes true. And you and I are just like they for all we know our love is just a kiss awayâ
Scripps Ranch Theatre and Oceanside Theatre Company Co Produce OUTSIDE MULLINGAR
Scripps Ranch Theatre, located on the campus of Alliant Int’l University in Scripps Ranch has opened OUTSIDE MULLINGAR, by John Patrick Shanley, a co-production with Oceanside Theatre Company. The production runs from January 19th – February 18th at Scripps Ranch Theatre. Outside Mullingar continues its run with Oceanside Theatre Company housed at the Brooks Theatre from February 23rd – March 11th.
“Foxfire” preview on KNSD Channel 39
Oceanside Theatre Company Presents MIRACLE ON 34th STREET
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) to present MIRACLE ON 34th STREET, the second show in their 2017/2018 Season. The production is directed by Heather Reba with musical direction by Noelle Marie Kerr . OTC performs at the Brooks Theatre in Oceanside.
Michelle Marie Trester and Eric Hellmers Lead Cast of SAME TIME NEXT YEAR
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) announces casting for Same Time Next Year, by Bernard Slade, the first show in their 2017/2018 Season. Their four show season starts in October of 2017 and runs through May of 2018. They perform at the Brooks Theatre in Oceanside. (More)
William Inge’s PICNIC to Close 2016-17 Season at Oceanside Theatre Company
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) will produce the Pulitzer prize winning play PICNIC, by classic American Playwright William Inge, as the final production of OTC’s 2016/2017 Season. The show runs from May 5 – 21 and is directed by OTC’s new Artistic Director, Ted Leib.
Oceanside Theatre Company Welcomes Ted Leib as New Artistic Director
Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC) named Ted Leib as their new Artistic Director, effective March 1, 2017. Leib will direct PICNIC, by William Inge – the final production of OTC’s 2016/2017 Season running from May 5 – 21 and will be announcing the company’s 2017/2018 Season in April.
San Diego Theatre Week returning for a third go-round
You could argue that every week is theater week in San Diego â one of the most active theater towns in America, with a reputation that stretches to Broadway and beyond thanks to the new work developed here.
Outside Mullingar is full of Irish wit
âOutside Mullingarâ is a play involving four characters in the Irish countryside. Scripps Ranch Theatre has rolled out this production full of wit and humor, and is presenting it on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Feb. 18.
Oceanside Theatre Companyâs âSame Time Next Yearâ Remains a Funny, Romantic Comedy
The first play of Oceanside Theatreâs 8th Season and first under new artistic director Ted Leib still retains the humor, sensitivity and timelessness even though it covers a relationship spanning 1951 to 1975. When it first appeared on stage at Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York City, starring award winning actress Ellen Burstyn and Charles Grodin, critics referred to the play as a âfunny comedy about love and adulteryâ. The play would run on Broadway for four years.
âThe Full Montyâ and âOutside Mullingarâ are nice Valentineâs options
Valentineâs Day is a couple of weeks away, but love is already in bloom at Scripps Ranch Theatre, which is staging a quaint and shamelessly romantic production of John Patrick Shanleyâs Outside Mullingar. This four-person play set on adjoining cattle and sheep farms in the Irish countryside was presented two years ago by the San Diego Rep. The Scripps Ranch versionâa co-production with Oceanside Theatre Company and directed by Kathy Brombacherâis a reiteration of the 2014 love storyâs charm. Itâs also a reminder of the scriptâs fatal flaw in the motivation department. No spoilers forthcoming.
âOutside Mullingarâ at Scripps Ranch Theatre
John Patrick Shanley stated he wanted to create a story about a family farm he was familiar with and a love story that dealt with all of the feelings surrounding this emotion. Shanley, 2005 Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner for âDoubtâ, wrote this play âOutside Mulligarâ after his 60th birthday. It appeared on Broadway in 2014 and was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Play and received two Drama Desk nominations for Best Play and Outstanding Featured Actor. He actually used the real names of his relatives for the story.
THEATER REVIEW: “Outside Mullingar”
Some people never forget a slight. Others donât know a come-on when they see it. Playwright John Patrick Shanley takes his own very Irish family as a starting point for âOutside Mullingar,â a romantic comedy about two (fictionalized) feuding families.
Consider Anthony Reilly (Manny Fernandes), who grew up with his dad Tony (Mike Genovese) on the next fram over from Rosemary Muldoon (Carla Gartung) and her mother Aoife (pronounced EE-fah) in the hardscrabble though beautiful Irish countryside west of Dublin. there’s bad blood between these families going back to when Rosemary was seven years old, and she hasn’t forgotten about it.