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October is a busy month in the theater world, including right here in Long Beach. From not one but two scary teen-girl musicals to funny detectives to old-time radio plays, there\u2019s something for everyone this month. Check them out:<\/p>\n
California Repertory: \u2018Carrie: The Musical\u2019Promotional image for California Repertory\u2019s \u201cCarrie: The Musical\u201d <\/p>\n
California Repertory, the producing arm of CSULB\u2019s theater arts department, is bringing \u201cCarrie: The Musical\u201d to life beginning Oct. 23.<\/p>\n
The show adds rock music to Stephen King\u2019s 1970s novel \u201cCarrie,\u201d which was adapted into a film by Lawrence D. Cohen and directed by Brian De Palma, about an outcast teen girl tormented by her classmates and controlled by her religious mother \u2014 until she can\u2019t take it anymore.<\/p>\n
The show is directed by Daniel Nakawatase, who specializes in musicals and in \u201celiciting visceral performances\u201d from his cast, according to Cal Rep, with \u201cexplosive\u201d choreography by Liz Hoefner Adamis and musical direction by Anthony Lopez.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cult rock musical scorches the stage with blood, vengeance and powerhouse vocals,\u201d says the theater. \u201cIt\u2019s prom night. And it\u2019s going to be killer.\u201d<\/p>\n
And guess what? You can experience an interactive haunted maze before the show, free of charge with your ticket.<\/p>\n
\u201cCarrie: The Musical\u201d at CSULB\u2019s University Theater, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., will run Thursday, Oct. 23 through Friday, Oct. 31, with shows at 7:30 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday, Oct. 26 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $25 to $27. For tickets and parking information, visit CSULB.edu<\/a>. <\/p>\n Long Beach Playhouse: \u2018Heathers: The Musical\u2019 While you wait for \u201cCarrie: The Musical\u201d to open, why not check out another scary-girl musical at Long Beach Playhouse?<\/p>\n \u201cHeathers: The Musical\u201d \u2014 based on the 1980s Daniel Waters film \u201cHeathers\u201d but with added music and choreography \u2014 is now playing at the Playhouse\u2019s upstairs Studio Theatre through Nov. 16.<\/p>\n The story has awkward high schooler Veronica doing anything to fit in with the Heathers, a clique of three popular girls. But when Veronica falls for mysterious new student J.D., things take a dark turn toward revenge, murder and a plot to blow up the school.<\/p>\n Executive Director Madison Mooney says the musical is a dark comedy with catchy songs and memorable lyrics that take the social hierarchy of teenage girls to the extreme.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people, when they think back to their teenage years, can relate to the desire to be one of the popular kids in high school,\u201d Mooney said. \u201cIn some cases, at almost any cost.\u201d<\/p>\n Link<\/a><\/p>\n Director Sean Gray, who is also artistic director for the Playhouse, says the 17-member cast is impressive following a huge turnout for auditions.<\/p>\n \u201cThe actors are all great vocalists and dancers,\u201d Gray says. \u201cThey\u2019re also great actors who can deliver the passions that are central to the story. This show is satire with a bite.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHeathers: The Musical\u201d continues through Nov. 16 at Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., with shows Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $30 and can be purchased by calling the box office at 562-494-1014 or visiting LBPlayhouse.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n Long Beach Shakespeare Company: Halloween radio plays<\/p>\n For an old-time way to experience the creepy thrills of Halloween, check out Long Beach Shakespeare Company\u2019s radio plays \u201cArsenic and Old Lace,\u201d continuing this weekend, and \u201cWar of the Worlds\u201d next weekend.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s Helen Borgers Theatre, at 4250 Atlantic Ave. in Bixby Knolls, gets transformed into the KBRD radio studio for these shows, allowing audiences to watch actors in 1940s costume read scripts and perform sound effects for tales broadcast over radio airwaves.<\/p>\n Adapted and directed by Joe Montanari from Joseph Kesselrings\u2019 1939 play, \u201cArsenic and Old Lace\u201d finds Mortimer Brewster visiting his two aunts in Brooklyn and discovering that the sweet old ladies are serial killer \u2014and then his psychopathic brother Johnny comes to visit.<\/p>\n Then don\u2019t miss \u201cWar of the Worlds\u201d next weekend for a reenactment of a radio show based on H.G. Wells\u2019 novel that really did cause mass panic when it aired on Halloween eve in 1938, with Orson Welles reading a news bulletin about a Martian invasion.<\/p>\n \u201cCan a story shake the world?\u201d the theater asks. \u201cWells and Welles proved it could, with a tale so sensational it blurred fiction and reality forever.\u201d<\/p>\n Long Beach Shakespeare Company\u2019s \u201cArsenic and Old Lace\u201d continues through this weekend, Oct. 17 to 19, with shows Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., with \u201cWar of the Worlds\u201d performing next weekend, Oct. 24 to 26, at the same times. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-997-1494 or visit LBShakespeare.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n International City Theatre: \u2018Ms. Holmes and Ms. Watson \u2013\u00a0 Apt. 2B\u2019 A comedic take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle\u2019s famous detective and sidekick called \u201cMs. Holmes and Ms. Watson \u2013 Apt. 2B\u201d is opening this weekend, about two free-spirited women who \u201csolve mysteries and kick butt,\u201d according to the theater.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I wanted to do a Holmes and Watson about female codependency,\u201d says playwright Kate Hammill. \u201cWomen who are allowed to just be totally crazy and funny and go on adventures and hijinks.\u201d<\/p>\n Directed by Amie Farrell, the theater calls this \u201csharp, sassy twist\u201d on Sherlock Holmes \u201ca fast-paced and wildly entertaining comic escapade.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMs. Holmes and Ms. Watson: Apt. 2B\u201d runs Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 at International City Theatre, 330 E. Seaside Way, with shows Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $56 to $59, with a lower-priced preview offered Thursday, Oct. 16. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-436-4610 or visit InternationalCityTheatre.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Musical Theatre West: \u2018Hello, Dolly!\u2019<\/p>\n Also opening this weekend is Musical Theatre West\u2019s production of the popular Broadway musical \u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d that was made into a 1969 film starring Barbra Streisand and Walter Matthau.<\/p>\n \u201cFollow the larger-than-life matchmaker Dolly Levi as she meddles her way through love, laughter, and high society in [1890s] New York City,\u201d says the theater. \u201cThis dazzling production is a joyous celebration of life, love, and the indomitable spirit of one legendary woman.\u201d<\/p>\n With a live orchestra directed by Dennis Castellano, the show includes iconic numbers such as\u00a0\u201cPut On Your Sunday Clothes,\u201d \u201cBefore the Parade Passes By,\u201d \u201cIt Only Takes a Moment\u201d\u00a0and of course\u00a0\u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d<\/p>\n The 36-member cast is directed by Cythia Ferrer with choreography by Cheryl Baxter, bringing to life a musical that, according to the theater, is \u201cfull of wit, charm and show-stopping dance numbers galore.\u201d<\/p>\n Musical Theatre West\u2019s \u201cHello, Dolly!\u201d runs from Oct. 17 to Nov. 2 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, 6200 E. Atherton St., with shows Thursdays at 7:30 p.m., Fridays at 8 p.m., Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. For tickets and information, call the box office at 562-856-1999 or visit Musical.org<\/a>. <\/p>\n The post Theater News: A slew of shows hit Long Beach stages, including 2 scary teen-girl musicals and Halloween radio plays<\/a> appeared first on Long Beach Post<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"October is a busy month in the theater world, including right here in Long Beach. From not one…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":10301,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[26,9806,23,131,133,132,7404,25,9805],"class_list":{"0":"post-10300","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-long-beach","8":"tag-breaking-news","9":"tag-including-2-scary-teen-girl-musicals-and-halloween-radio-plays","10":"tag-local-news","11":"tag-long-beach","12":"tag-long-beach-headlines","13":"tag-long-beach-news","14":"tag-long-beach-post","15":"tag-newsbreak","16":"tag-theater-news-a-slew-of-shows-hit-long-beach-stages"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10300","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10300"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10300\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10301"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10300"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10300"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10300"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}From left: Quinn Vann and Arystaysha West in \u201cHeathers: The Musical\u201d at Long Beach Playhouse. Photo by Mike Hardy.<\/p>\n
From left: Sarah Wolter, Cheryl Daro and Brian Stanton in \u201cMs. Holmes and Ms. Watson \u2013 Apt. 2B\u201d at International City Theatre. Photo by Jordan Gohara.<\/p>\n