Directed by Sonya Randall
In the summer of 1930 in Harlem, NY, the creative euphoria of the Harlem Renaissance has given way to the harsher realities of the Great Depression. Guy and Angel, recently fired from the Cotton Club, struggle to hold on to their dreams; he of costuming Josephine Baker and she of having a steady career as a singer. When Leland, a recent transplant, comes to Angel’s aid, he sees in her a memory of lost love and a reminder of the Alabama skies he misses. Will they find what they are looking for in Harlem, or will they have to look beyond 125th Street to fulfill their dreams?
Alisha Anderson, De’Sean Moore, Danielle Davis, Leopold, Logan Battle
“If life were everything it should be, it would be more like HAIRSPRAY. It’s irresistible!” – The New York Times You Can’t Stop the Beat! HAIRSPRAY, Broadway’s Tony Award-winning musical comedy phenomenon is back on tour! Join 16-year-old Tracy Turnblad in 1960’s Baltimore as she sets out to dance her way onto TV’s most popular show. Can a girl with big dreams (and even bigger hair) change the world? Featuring the beloved score of hit songs including “Welcome to the 60’s,” “Good Morning Baltimore” and “You Can’t Stop the Beat,” HAIRSPRAY is “fresh, winning, and deliriously tuneful!” (The New York Times). This all-new touring production reunites Broadway’s award-winning creative team led by Director Jack O’Brien and Choreographer Jerry Mitchell to bring HAIRSPRAY to a new generation of theater audiences. Don’t miss this “exhilaratingly funny and warm-hearted musical comedy” (The New Yorker) AGE RECOMMENDATION Recommended for Ages 8 and Up. Please be advised that this production contains racially explicit language & costuming, references of sexual abuse, and brief gunfire audio. No children 5 years and under will be permitted. RUNNING TIME 2 hours and 35 minutes including an intermission
The first thing the composer will tell you is that “Stranger Love is not practical.” It’s six hours of music and theater with an orchestra built on three microtonal pianos. But at a time when everything in our lives is cut shorter and shorter, taking six hours to discover “a world where time bends to love like gravity, and moments of bliss, of fear and of rapture—the moments in which you’ve felt most alive—are the pillars that hold up the fabric of the stars” is entirely the point. Not practical? Perhaps. But in this modern world, it might be essential. Stranger Love is the fruit of a conversation between Mattingly and librettist Thomas Bartscherer about music and language over many years. It follows two lovers whose romance unfolds to the rhythm of the seasons. Inspired in part by the structure of Plato’s Symposium and set on a vast time scale against the ever-expanding universe, it broadens in scope and frame over the course of three acts, moving from the personal to the archetypical to a vision of the divine—a love supreme. This performance is generously supported by the Bernice and Wendell Jeffrey Fund. Programs, artists, dates, prices, and availability subject to change.
Set in current-day Hollywood, pop princess Rosina is fresh out of rehab after a messy breakup and public meltdown. She’s moved in with her overbearing producer and manager, Dr. Bartolo, who has more than her career on his mind. With the assistance of aging rock legend, turned celebrity voice coach, Don Basilio, Bartolo hopes to marry the young Rosina. However, Hollywood heartthrob Count Almaviva also has his eye on Rosina but wants to win her heart the old-fashioned way, not because of his fame, so he disguises himself as a humble student to approach her. Figaro, a stylist to the stars, and a man-about-town is on the scene to aid with the love connection. A host of personal assistants, housekeepers, out-of-work actors, and even the LAPD show up in this laugh-a-minute comedy. The production is sung in Italian with English supertitles and an orchestra. Programs, artists, dates, prices, and availability subject to change.
Welcome to the magical world of Cinderella, coming to Thousand Oaks this Fall! An enchanting story for all ages with a wonderful dose of humor, majesty of classical ballet and the promise of “happily ever after”. A part of the World Ballet Series, Cinderella is performed live by a multinational cast of 40 professional ballet dancers gathered to bring the most celebrated fairy tale to life. A visually stunning production accompanied by Sergei Prokofiev’s passionate celebrated score, over 150 hand-sewn radiant costumes, richly detailed hand-crafted sets and sparkling choreography by Marina Kesler. And don’t forget - when the clock strikes midnight…
Call it “musical comedy heaven” (Rolling Stone). Call it “the most uproarious new musical in years!” (The Hollywood Reporter). Call it TOOTSIE! This laugh-out-loud love letter to the theater tells the story of Michael Dorsey, a talented but difficult actor who struggles to find work until one show-stopping act of desperation lands him the role of a lifetime. Featuring a hilarious Tony®-winning book by Robert Horn and an outrageously clever score by 2018 Tony-winner David Yazbek (The Band’s Visit, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), this New York Times Critic’s Pick is “a joyful delight” (The Washington Post) that’s “so packed with punchlines, it should be called a jokebox musical!” (Bloomberg). “In these turbulent times, when the world seems out of balance, we need a place to let the good times roll,” raves Rolling Stone. “TOOTSIE is it!”
Join Pacific Festival Ballet as this classic fairytale comes to life! Beautiful Princess Aurora is protected from evil Carabosse’s spell by her guardian fairies. Instead of dying, the Lilac Fairy puts the Princess into a deep sleep. The awakening kiss from her true Prince is certain to capture Aurora's heart and waken your own imagination!
CATS, the record-breaking musical spectacular by Andrew Lloyd Webber that has captivated audiences in over 30 countries and 15 languages, is now on tour across North America! Audiences and critics alike are rediscovering this beloved musical with breathtaking music, including one of the most treasured songs in musical theater—"Memory”. Winner of 7 Tony Awards® including BEST MUSICAL, CATS tells the story of one magical night when an extraordinary tribe of cats gathers for its annual ball to rejoice and decide which cat will be reborn. The original score by Andrew Lloyd Webber (The Phantom of the Opera, School of Rock, Sunset Boulevard), original scenic and costume design by John Napier (Les Misérables), all-new lighting design by Natasha Katz (Aladdin), all-new sound design by Mick Potter, new choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton) based on the original choreography by Gillian Lynne (Phantom) and direction by Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables) make this production a new CATS for a new generation!
Join 5-Star Theatricals to celebrate the arts with our 2023 season lineup. All shows are accompanied by a live orchestra and include all-star casts of talented actors and actresses. Don’t miss out on these classic musical performances including: Ragtime March 24–April 2, 2023 Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, this musical tapestry depicts an African-American family, a Jewish immigrant family, and a wealthy white suburban family in turn-of-the-century America, who collide in pursuit of the American Dream. Cinderella July 14–23, 2023 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s enchanting adaptation of the timeless fairytale, Cinderella, brings new life to the story of a young woman forced into servitude who dreams of – and achieves – a better life. Oliver! October 13–22, 2023 Join young, orphaned Oliver Twist as he navigates London’s underworld of theft and violence, searching for a home, a family, and - most importantly - for love. About 5-Star Theatricals 5-Star Theatricals is the Ovation Award-winning resident musical theatre production company of the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks, and a nonprofit theatre organization.
Desiree Armfeldt, a renowned actress, is growing weary of her life on the road. A chance encounter with an old flame sets in motion a series of romantic misadventures that culminate in a madcap weekend in the country where passions erupt, jealousies flare, and hilarity triumphs over all. Recipient of three Tony Awards including Best Musical, A Little Night Music is a sumptuous, sexy, laugh-out-loud masterpiece that will leave you thoroughly enchanted.
Steve Martin's long-running Off Broadway absurdist comedy places Albert Einstein and Pablo Picasso in a Parisian cafe in 1904, just before the renowned scientist transformed physics with his theory of relativity and the celebrated painter set the art world afire with cubism. In his first comedy for the stage, the popular actor and screenwriter plays fast and loose with fact, fame, and fortune as these two geniuses muse on the century’s achievements and prospects, as well as other fanciful topics, with infectious dizziness. Bystanders, including Picasso’s agent, the bartender and his mistress, Picasso’s date, an elderly philosopher, Charles Dabernow Schmendiman, and an idiot inventor introduce additional flourishes of humor. The final surprise patron to join the merriment at the Lapin Agile is a charismatic dark-haired singer, time-warped in from a later era. Directed by Amelia Mulkey
The fairytale works are spiraling out of control, and only you can save the day! Join Cinderella, Snowhite, Gretel and Hansel, Alice, the Queens of Hearts (three of them!), M. Goose and their friends for this joyous interactive multi-media musical and help set the fairytale world back on track as you discover the real-life adventures of your favorite fantasy characters. Delightful costumes, lilting songs (even one where you get to sing-a-long), great humor and fun word play make this Family Theatre Musical a special weekend treat for ages 2 to 102. “A must-see! Never a dull moment! For fun, frolic and fantasy, it’s the perfect ticket. With fairytales to share, the amazing ensemble of singers and dancers brings the pictures on the page to life, painting a canvas of rainbows on stage!” Bonnie Previer, The Tolucan Times
A hit on Broadway, A Year with Frog and Toad was nominated for three Tony Awards - including Best Musical. Based on Arnold Lobel's well-loved books, and featuring a hummable score by Robert ad Willie Reale, this whimsical show follows two great friends - the cheerful, popular Frog and the rather grumpy Toad - through four fun-filled seasons. Waking from hibernation in the Spring, Frog and Toad play gardens, swim, rake leaves, go sledding and learn life lessons along the way. The two best friends celebrate and rejoice in the differences that make them unique and special. Part vaudeville, park make believe...all charm, a Year with Frog and Toad tells the story of a friendship that endures throughout the season.