Oceanside Theatre Company Announces Creative Team for Stranger Sings! 

Kevin “Blax” Burroughs Directs 80s Nostalgic Parody Musical Oct. 4-20

(Oceanside) August 4, 2024 – The supernatural swings silly and absurd in Oceanside Theatre Company’s (OTC) West Coast Premiere of Stranger Sings! A Parody Musical October 4 through October 20 at the Brooks Theater. Written by Jonathan Hogue, the musical takes audiences on a hilarious, fun-filled romp into the fictional town of Hawkins and the upside-down world of the Netflix hit, Stranger Things. OTC’s creative team will be led by Director Kevin “Blax” Burroughs and feature both returning artists and some new faces to the Brooks Theater. 

Stranger Sings! will be OTC Artistic Director Burroughs’ third directorial production at the Brooks Theater following the direction of his first non-musical Chicken & Biscuits in Spring 2024. “Every time I read the Stranger Sings script I find new surprises throughout while laughing uncontrollably at the ridiculousness of the piece. This show does not take itself seriously and I think is the perfect balance for what the theatre community needs. This production has the potential to quite possibly be one of my favorite shows I will ever work on and we haven’t even begun rehearsals yet. “ 

Musical Director Eliza Vedar will make her OTC debut joined by a live band on stage. A graduate of SDSU, Vedar wrote the music and lyrics for Pásale, Pásale which played this spring at Tuyo Theater, and is coming fresh off musical direction of Mean Girls at San Diego Junior Theater. Returning scenic designer Reiko Huffman, who designed the sets for OTC’s 2024 Season productions of Next to Normal and Chicken & Biscuits brings a fresh look to the town of Hawkins. Having recently choreographed New Village Arts A Color Purple, Oceanside High School Alumni Alyssa “AJ” Junious returns to Oceanside Theatre Company as choreographer for Stranger Sings! Earlier this year she contributed as Movement Consultant for OTC’s Next to Normal and in 2022 she earned recognition for her choreography of Songs for a New World, a co-production between OTC and Teatro San Diego. 

“In order to give this comedic rollercoaster the proper treatment it needs, my goal was to create the best creative team that could handle this over the top show and artists who aren’t afraid to take risks and go beyond what is expected. I’m incredibly honored to bring back some designers from previous OTC productions and also introduce our audiences to some brand new ones! And that’s just behind the scenes!” said Burroughs.

The rest of the creative team includes: 

Zoë Trautmann – Costume Designer (Next To Normal) 

Mashun Tucker – Lighting Designer (Songs For A New World, Chicken & Biscuits, Good People) Nate Cargill – Props/Set Dressing 

Jeri Nicolas – Hair/Makeup 

Jordan Brownlee & Maribel Garcia – Puppet Design 

Ali Flores – Stage Manager 

Tori Jones – Assistant Stage Manager (Stage Managed & Designed Props/Set Dressing for Chicken & Biscuits, Stage Managed Seasons & Blitzen’s Ball) 

Estefania Ricalde – Sound Designer (Blitzen’s Ball) 

Jordan Gray & Geronimo Omabtang – Sound Mixing 

Set in the 80s, Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical embraces the nostalgia for days when kids were left free to wander around unsupervised – in this case into portals to a hellish upside down world. Featuring songs about how to get the girl, being the third wheel, and awesome adventures, this show is wonderfully silly with a few interdimensional battles and singing demogorgons along the way. The original production of Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical ran from September 2022 to May 2023 off-broadway in New York to sold out audiences and won a significant number of awards. It was so popular that the production company streamed it worldwide. 

Event Details

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical 

Written by Jonathan Hogue 

October 4-20 

Fridays 8 pm, Saturdays 2 pm & 8 pm, Sundays 2 pm 

Important Dates 

Preview Night – Friday, October 4 

Opening Night – Saturday, October 5 

Military Matinee – Sunday, October 6 

Artist Talkback – Sunday, October 6 

Industry Night – Monday, October 12

About Oceanside Theatre Company 

Oceanside Theatre Company (OTC), the resident professional theater company operating the historic Sunshine Brooks Theater in downtown Oceanside, is a focal point of the Oceanside California Cultural District (OCCD). OTC’s mission is to produce professional theatrical, visual art, and musical productions for the entertainment and enrichment of the community, present educational opportunities in the arts for children and adults, and provide a safe, public venue for expansion of artistic endeavors in North San Diego County and greater Southern California. OTC produces a four-show mainstage theater season and a Music Series as well as music, theater, poetry, dance, film, and cultural events and classes in both the 198-seat main theater and adjacent Studio 219. Additionally, OTC is the steward of the Brooks Theater Gallery featuring revolving art exhibits year-round. An important part of OTC’s mission is inspiring and sharing the arts with local youth through the Youth Theater Program, which includes Summer Theater Camps, a Fall Youth Theater Program, and onsite After School Theatre Outreach Classes at local elementary and middle schools. To learn more visit www.oceansidetheatre.org or follow OTC on Instagram and Facebook @oceansidetheatrecompany