September 16, 2005

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Theater

It's the 10th anniversary season for Bus Barn, which stages its productions at the Bus Barn Theatre at 97 Hillview Ave. in Los Altos. Individual tickets are $20-$24. Season tickets covering all six shows range in cost from $90 for Thursday preview performances to $160 for opening nights. This year, the company is adding some Wednesday shows, which take place at 7:30 p.m. Call (650) 941-0551 or go to www.busbarn.org.

The season opener, Elton John's and Tim Rice's "Aida," spins the tale of a forbidden-fruit love triangle among a Nubian princess forced into captivity, an Egyptian princess and an Egyptian soldier. Runs Sept. 8 to Oct. 1.

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m. Sept. 18; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21; and 7 p.m. Sept. 25. A discussion will take place Sept. 24.

Next comes James Sherman's "Romance in D," about two neighbors whose love story gets complex when their single parents also discover an attraction. Runs Nov. 17 to Dec. 17.

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m. on Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 14. A discussion will take place on Dec. 10.

Family comedy follows with "Over the Tavern." In Tom Dudzick's semi-autobiographical play, Rudy, a precocious 12-year-old, starts to question both the Catholic Church and family values during the Eisenhower years in Buffalo. Runs Jan. 19 to Feb. 11.

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m. on Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1. A discussion will take place on Feb. 4.

"Expecting Isabel" is a Lisa Loomer-authored comedy about Miranda and Nick, a couple doing whatever they can to have a baby. Runs March 23 to April 15.

Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 3 p.m. Sunday; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 5. A discussion will take place on April 8.

A musical looking at the complexities of relationships between siblings and those between parents and children, "john & jen," follows. Book is by Tom Greenwald and Andrew Lippa, with music by Andrew Lippa and lyrics by Tom Greenwald. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 7 p.m. Sunday, May 28; 3 p.m. Sunday, June 4; and 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 31. A discussion will take place on June 3.

Bus Barn's season-closer, the Summer Festival showcases new voices with one-person shows, staged readings of new plays, and mini-productions of rarely staged musicals. These run June 24 through Aug. 5.

The theater company also hosts an annual Follies production, in which a local cast will, in the organizers' words, "fling musical barbs at all colors of the political spectrum." The event includes original lyrics and a reception on the Friday and Saturday night shows, held on Oct. 7 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. There's also a Thursday show at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6. Tickets are $40 for the Thursday show, $75 for Friday and $90 for the Saturday black-tie gala.

Foothill College Drama Department/Foothill Music Theatre

Music and drama light up the Foothill campus several times a year, with Drama Department performances as well as Foothill Music Theatre shows drawing large casts from the community. The college is at 12345 El Monte Road in Los Altos Hills. Call (650) 949-7414 for the scoop on auditions. More information is at www.foothill.edu/fa/theater/.

"Penny For a Song" by John Whiting runs from Nov. 4 to Nov. 19 in the Foothill College Playhouse, Room 1301. The show is staged by the Drama Department.

"Emperor's New Clothes" by Karen Boettcher-Tate will be put on by the Drama Department in Room 1001 from Nov. 17 to Nov. 20.

Foothill Music Theatre stages "Urinetown" by Greg Kotis and Mark Hollman from Feb. 24 to March 19 in Room 1301.

"De Donde" by Mary Gallagher will be staged by the Drama Department in Room 1301 from June 3 to June 18.

For ticket information, call the box office at (650) 949-7360.

Menlo Players Guild

The 65-year-old Menlo Players Guild is still seeking a permanent home to stage its community theater productions after the Burgess Theatre at the Menlo Park Civic Center was demolished in 2002. Undaunted, the guild has been performing in a variety of locations. More information is at www.menloplayersguild.org.

The guild is planning its 8th annual Mid-Peninsula Shakespeare Festival for the month of June, co-produced with the Festival theatre Ensemble. Like last year, the festival will be held outdoors on the grounds of Mid-Peninsula High School at 1340 Willow Road in Menlo Park. The shows will be: Shakespeare's "Hamlet" and "The Comedy of Errors," as well as James Goldman's "The Lion in Winter."

Palo Alto Children's Theatre

A blue gorilla, the characters of Dr. Seuss and a very bad day are all part of Palo Alto Children's Theatre's 2005-06 season. The theatre is at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Along with its regular season performed by actors ages 8 through high school, the theater group gives outreach performances at local schools. There are also acting classes and "Second Saturday" plays based on fairy tales and intended for very young audiences. Call (650) 463-4930 or go to www.cityofpaloalto.org and click on "Children's Theatre" under the "Featured Links" menu.

The regular season kicks off with "Go Go the Blue Gorilla," a musical by Michael Olmstead and Peter Derge about a gorilla who is captured and taken to the concrete jungle. The production runs from Oct. 28 through Nov. 5.

"Seussical," a musical based on the works of Dr. Seuss that's hitting many local stages these days, runs from Dec. 9 through Dec. 17. Music is by Stephen Flaherty, with lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and book by Ahrens and Flaherty.

A Midwestern family is overrun by a troupe of penguins in Albert O. Mitchell's "Mr. Popper's Penguins." The show runs Feb. 10 through Feb. 18.

"Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day" follows, running from March 17 through March 25. Book and lyrics are by Judith Viorst, with music by Shelly Markham.

"The Cocoanuts" spins a yarn about the Marx Brothers's shenanigans in Florida circa 1920, from May 5 though May 13. Music and lyrics are by Irving Berlin and book is by George S. Kaufman.

Tickets are $8 for adults and $4 for children. Call the box office at (650) 463-4970.

Palo Alto Players

"Diamonds are Forever: Gems Onstage!" is the theme of Palo Alto Players' 75th anniversary season. The theater group's five-show lineup includes two musicals and three plays, which are performed at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. A season subscription package ranges from $70 to $105, and single tickets range from $18 to $29. Call (650) 329-0891 or go to www.paplayers.org.

Lovers tangle over everything from dating to break-ups to newborns in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change," an off-Broadway musical with book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts. The show runs Sept. 17 to Oct. 2.

A young actor discovers a World War II-era secret in the fields of Ontario, Canada in "The Drawer Boy," a play by Michael Healey. The show previews Nov. 4 and runs Nov. 5 to Nov. 20.

"Our Country's Good" by Timberlake Wertenbaker is based on true events in the first penal colony that later became the Australian city of Sydney. The governor decides to stage a play to celebrate the king's birthday -- casting it with freshly arrived English convicts. The show previews Jan. 20 and runs Jan. 21 to Feb. 5.

In the not-too-distant future of "Urinetown," a horrible drought has made private toilets illegal and one corporation has cornered the market on pay-per-use public facilities. The Tony Award-winning musical has music and lyrics by Mark Hollman and book and lyrics by Greg Kotis. The show previews April 28 and runs April 29 to May 14. Previews April 28.

Noel Coward's elegant "Private Lives" was first produced on Broadway in 1931 and spins a yarn about what ensues when you encounter your first spouse on your second honeymoon. The show previews June 16 and runs June 17 to July 2.

Show times for the above performances are 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 2:30 p.m. on Sundays.

Pear Avenue Theatre

It's the fourth season for the Pear Avenue Theatre, which stages its shows at 1220 Pear Ave., Unit K (off Shoreline Boulevard) in Mountain View. Local playwrights and more well-known scribblers such as George Bernard Shaw highlight the season. Call (650) 254-1148 or go to www.thepear.org.

"The Night of the Iguana," a classic noir play by Tennessee Williams, opens the season on Sept. 16 and runs through Oct. 2.

Terrence McNally's "Master Class" tells the animated tale of opera singer Maria Callas from Nov. 4 to Nov. 20.

"Pear Slices 2006," an annual showcase for short plays by members of the Pear Playwrights Guild, takes the stage from Feb. 10 to Feb. 26.

Sigmund Freud meets Salvador Dali in "Hysteria" by Terry Johnson, which runs from March 24 through April 9.

"Misalliance" by George Bernard Shaw brings off-balance relationships and oddly paired lovers to the stage from May 5 to May 21.

Local playwright Sharmon Hilfinger penned "Deuce," a story about struggling against what destroys your personal freedom. It runs June 23 through July 9.

"The Belle of Amherst" by William Luce fetes the life and works of Emily Dickinson. A revival of the popular Pear show; it runs July 21 through July 30.

Opening-night tickets are $25 general and $20 for students and seniors. Tickets are $20/$15 on Fridays and Saturdays and $15/$10 on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Discounts are available for seven-play and five-play passes.

Peninsula Youth Theatre

An ill-favored fowl and a beauteous bookworm are some of the characters planned for Peninsula Youth Theatre's new season, "Fairy Tales, Fantasy and Folk Lore." Productions are staged at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts at 500 Castro St. in Mountain View or the Cubberley Community Center Theatre at 4000 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Call (650) 988-8798 or go to www.pytnet.org.

The season begins with the classic "Beauty and the Beast," a production that's adapted from the Disney animated film and includes its music. With music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice, and book by Linda Woolverton. It runs Nov. 12 to Nov. 20 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Next comes Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Cats," in which the Jellicle cats come out at midnight to cavort at their annual ball. It runs March 11 to March 19 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

The Ugly Duckling is the star of "Honk!" and the goal is barnyard acceptance. The show, which has music by George Stiles and book and lyrics by Anthony Drewe, won Britain's equivalent of the Tony Award for Best Musical. It runs May 5 to May 14 at the Cubberley Community Center Theatre.

As if "Through the Looking Glass" weren't spirited enough, "Wonderland" is what PYT calls a "rollicking adaptation" of the Lewis Carroll book, with a positive story and "eclectic" score. Music and lyrics are by Bill Francouer, with book by James DeVita. The show runs July 7 to July 16 at the Cubberley Community Center Theatre.

Romance, crooning and gunpowder will be served up with "Annie Get Your Gun" , a Tony Award-winner for the best musical revival. Book is by Herbert and Dorothy Fields, with lyrics and music by Irving Berlin. The musical runs July 29 to Aug. 6 at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts.

Peninsula Youth Theatre's "Stories on Stage" Season

Favorite kids' books take center stage on Saturdays, when PYT presents simple 45-minute theatrical adaptations of the tales. The hope is to foster literacy and a strong interest in reading. Show times are Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts' SecondStage.

"How to Eat Fried Worms," by Thomas Rockwell, on Oct. 22 tells of the trials of Billy, who must eat 15 of the crawly critters in 15 days or lose some serious face.

On Nov. 19, in "The Selfish Giant," by Oscar Wilde, a giant refuses to share his garden but is ultimately won over by a child.

A stuffed bunny becomes real, thanks to a boy's love, in Margery Williams' "The Velveteen Rabbit." Presented Dec. 17.

In "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse," by Kevin Henkes, the spirited Lilly has a quarrel with her favorite teacher. Presented Jan. 21.

"Why Mosquitos Buzz in People's Ears," by Verna Aardema, gives some insight into that annoying whining noise on Feb. 18.

In Sid Fleischman's "Prince Brat and the Whipping Boy" on March 25, a stuck-up prince and a pauper are brought together by circumstance.

"If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," according to Laura Joffe Numeroff, you may not hear the end of it for a long time. Presented April 22.

Waking up with gum in his hair is just the start of a boy's troubles in "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day," penned by Judith Viorst and staged May 20.

Stanford University Department of Drama

Student productions go on throughout the year at Stanford's drama department. Scheduled performances are at the Pigott Theater and the Prosser Studio at Memorial Hall. Call (650) 723-2576 or go to www.stanford.edu/dept/drama.

The fall quarter production, "Roberto Zucco," is a peculiar, poetic comedy spinning the true story of a young man who killed his father. First produced by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1997, Bernard-Marie Koltes' play runs Nov. 2 to 5 in the Pigott Theater.

In "The Castle," a soldier returning from the Crusades receives a less-than-warm welcome -- from both his wife and the other women he left behind. Written by Howard Barker, the play runs Feb. 9 to 11 and Feb. 16 to 18 in the Pigott Theater.

From Feb. 23 to 25, one-act plays directed by first-year Ph.D. students will be staged in the Prosser Studio.

"She: In Absence of Love & Death" runs at the Pigott Theater March 1 to 4. Playwright Edvard Radzinsky is a historian and one of Russia's most frequently staged playwrights.

Racine's "Phedre" runs May 10 to 13 in the Pigott Theater. This classic is a study in obsession and power.

Eugene Ionesco's "Delirium for Two" will be staged at the Pigott Theatre from May 24 to 27. The absurdist playwright's creation details an argument that spirals ludicrously out of hand.

Another set of evenings of one-act plays, this time directed by undergraduate directing students, is scheduled for May 25 to 27 in Prosser Studio.

TheatreWorks

Dramas, comedies and musicals -- including world premieres and revivals -- draw crowds year-round at TheatreWorks, a professional company under the direction of Robert Kelley. This season mingles the works of Stephen Sondheim, Wendy Wasserstein and others. Performances are either at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts at 500 Castro St. or at the Lucie Stern Theatre at 1305 Middlefield Road in Palo Alto. Call (650) 463-1960 or go to www.theatreworks.org.

"Baby Taj," by Bay Area author Tanya Shaffer, follows a woman taking a sojourn to the Taj Mahal as she mulls the prospect of having a baby on her own. It runs Sept. 28 through Oct. 23 at the Mountain View Center.

The giant Sondheim favorite musical "Into the Woods" runs Nov. 30 through Jan. 7 at the Lucie Stern Theatre. Fairy tale characters learn the disturbing truth about what happens after the happy ending.

Sarah Ruhl's "The Clean House" is a romantic comedy following four women wrangling with life, love and housework. It runs Jan. 18 through Feb. 12 at the Mountain View Center. This is the Northern California premiere for the play.

"Anna in the Tropics" by Cuban-American playwright Nilo Cruz runs March 8 through April 2 at the Lucie Stern Theatre. A debonair young storyteller brings compelling tales to factory workers in Prohibition-era Florida.

In a world premiere, TheatreWorks presents Wendy Wasserstein's "Pamela's First Musical" from April 5 through April 30 at the Mountain View Center.

Show times are Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m. Subscription tickets range from $81 to $356, and individual tickets range from $20 to $52.

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