Before there was The Phantom of the Opera, before there was Cats, before there was Evita, before there was Jesus Christ Superstar, two young English men (Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice) created a 15-minute “Pop Cantata,” based on an Old Testament story, for a boys’ school to perform in 1968.
Once.
It’s a word that starts things happening. Once upon a time. Once a (something), always a (something). Once is enough. Once is not enough.
On November 12 the Valley premiere of All is Calm will open on stage in Clovis presented by CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre. Recently, we chatted about this unique show with the Board President and Artistic Director of CenterStage, Darren Tharp.
It started as a Christmas card/pamphlet, a story sent to 200 friends by Philip Van Doren Stern. Frank Capra turned it into a 1946 movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart. The film wasn’t a hit at the box office, but it became a hit on TV and video. The Lux Radio Theatre broadcast an hour-long version of the movie in 1947, and a TV film was made of a benefit performance in 1999. An expanded (adding more of the film scenes and dialogue) script is now Merry Christmas, George Bailey, a CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre production at the theatre in the Clovis Veterans Memorial District Auditorium through December 11.
CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre is back on stage on November 27 with a Christmas show, Merry Christmas George Bailey, which is a radio show of It’s A Wonderful Life. We chatted with their board president and artistic director, Darren Tharp, about the show.
Centerstage Clovis Community Theatre is putting on a fun cabaret event on March 9 called Duets--it is a part of their Encore! Cabaret Series. We took a moment to chat with their President of the Board Brandon Crane about the details.
Look out, Jacques Cousteau! Disney’s The Little Mermaid is back in the Valley, this time in CenterStage Clovis’ production at the Mercedes Edwards Theatre through August 4.
It all started with Solomon Naumovich Rabinowich (1859-1916), who wrote as Sholem Aleichem, a Yiddish phrase meaning “Peace be unto you.” He was known as “the Jewish Mark Twain,” but Mark Twain claimed to be “the American Sholem Aleichem.” Some of his stories were about a Russian Jewish milkman named Tevye, who had five daughters. In 1964, Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick wrote songs for a script by Joseph Stein, and Fiddler on the Roof became a Broadway hit and a staple of community theatres. CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre presents it at the Mercedes Edwards Theater through July 22.
Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairytales--it teaches the moral that real beauty is on the inside. I have seen it performed on stage many times, most recently this past weekend presented by CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre. And who hasn't seen the Disney movie.
“Spoonful of Sugar,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Chim-Chim Cheree,” “Step in Time,” “Feed the Birds,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite.”
Sounds like there’s another production of Mary Poppins: the Broadway Musical in the Valley, and it’s from the CenterStage Clovis Community Theatre, playing through August 1.
