{"id":296825,"date":"2026-05-02T17:03:47","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T17:03:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/296825\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T17:03:47","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T17:03:47","slug":"at-20-rose-center-theater-is-still-finding-its-voice-and-its-future","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/296825\/","title":{"rendered":"At 20, Rose Center Theater is still finding its voice (and its future)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whether it\u2019s \u201cThe Wizard of Oz,\u201d \u201cThe Sound of Music\u201d or \u201cAlice in Wonderland,\u201d Westminster\u2019s Rose Center Theater<\/a> has made it a point to encourage youth performances throughout its 20-year run.<\/p>\n

And, while the theater was bracing for a pending closure as it worked through leasing issues with the city of Westminster, a 19-and-under cast from youth-focused Rose Kids performed \u201cThe Little Mermaid\u201d musical this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am an educator and I have been doing this for so many years, I know the importance of a good education in musical theater and in theater,\u201d said Tim Nelson, managing artistic director of the Friends of the Rose Center Theater. \u201cIt just elevates the entire community.\u201d<\/p>\n

The center opened on April 1, 2006. Twenty years later, the theater has become known for its musicals for both adults and children, according to Nelson. But until recently, it looked like the nonprofit theater group\u2019s lease would expire for good. <\/p>\n

Nelson said Friends of the Rose Center Theater, which manages the theater, was on a five-year contract approved by the Westminster City Council and set to end on Dec. 31, 2025. The group got a temporary reprieve when the council extended the contract until June 30, but uncertainty loomed.<\/p>\n

Tensions abated this past week, as the City Council decided to offer another extension of the group\u2019s lease, through Dec. 31. Nelson said city officials are expected to confirm the contract amendment on May 13.<\/p>\n

Even as the uncertainty surrounding its future hovered over Rose Center Theater, the show went on.<\/p>\n

\u201cFiddler on the Roof\u201d was staged in February and March, and the theater hosted a one-night-only Rose Tribute Concert on Dec. 30 to celebrate its 20-year anniversary.<\/p>\n

\"Nicholson <\/p>\n

Nicholson Pipes and Drums perform during the 20th anniversary concert for Rose Center Theater.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Nancy\u2019s Portraits)<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like we\u2019ve really made a name for musical theater in Orange County, and I think most of that thanks goes to the actors that we attract, the audiences that we\u2019re able to attract, and I have a really great management team at the Rose Center with my choreographers, my technical director, our marketing manager, my box office and house managers,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n

Nelson, who\u2019s been with Friends of the Rose Center Theater since the beginning, has personally watched theater grow over the last 20 years.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching the land get acquired, watching the building get built, was all very exciting. And then opening in 2006, [I remember] thinking, \u2018Wow, it\u2019d be great if we were here for a good five to 10 years, and now it\u2019s 20 years later and the theater is running fantastically,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s just been a really awesome experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Prior to coming to the Rose Center Theater, Nelson was musical director for the Curtain Call Dinner Theater in Tustin before it closed in 2010.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of actors from that theater transferred over, a lot of costumes transferred over, a lot of set pieces and props transferred over to our company when we opened,\u201d he said. \u201cWe were really lucky at the very beginning stages that we were able to have all those kinds of resources.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"April <\/p>\n

April Malina as \u201cThe Little Mermaid\u201d at the Rose Center Theater\u2019s anniversary concert.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Nancy\u2019s Portraits)<\/p>\n

Throughout the years, the theater has been able to build a reputation for its musicals as well as partnerships with local schools, including in the Westminster and Huntington Beach school districts, according to Nelson.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m a teacher and have been a teacher in both the Westminster School District and Huntington Beach, so that\u2019s kind of nice for me that we\u2019re able to keep training the youth,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The organization partners with schools for various theater performances \u2014 using space for rehearsals at the participating campus while the performance is staged at the Rose Center. <\/p>\n

There\u2019s also Rose Kids, which casts children as young as 6 for productions geared toward younger audiences and families. Some examples are \u201cThe Wizard of Oz,\u201d \u201cThe Sound of Music,\u201d \u201cMary Poppins\u201d and \u201cWinnie the Pooh.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe usually do one [production] that\u2019s just for the kids alone,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cFor instance, we did \u2018Alice in Wonderland,\u2019 which was for the 6-to-16 group and it was all cast by kids.\u201d <\/p>\n

The theater also staged \u201cRobin Hood and the White Arrow,\u201d a holiday production that included a youth ensemble acting as villagers, he said. \u201cUsually at least one [show] is dedicated just to the kids and then one where we can mix multi-generational [actors].\u201d<\/p>\n

The theater company typically puts on four musicals a year, plus a Rose Kids production. It also serves as a rental facility for various organizations, including the Vietnamese American Philharmonic, Cal State Fullerton and Clifton Dance Project, among others.<\/p>\n

Nelson said musical theater, and theater in general, can positively impact a community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an important part of growing up, it\u2019s an important part of learning \u2026 but I think it extends to past students, to everyone,\u201d he said. \u201cWe really are multi-generational. I have many people in their 60s and 70s in productions as well. \u2026 I love to watch how everybody works together. Young\u2019uns help the older people, older people help younger people, and it all kind of becomes one team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

A performance from \u201cMary Poppins\u201d was also part of the 20-year anniversary concert.<\/p>\n

(Courtesy of Nancy\u2019s Portraits)<\/p>\n

Vincent Aniceto has been involved with the theater since it opened, appearing in the cast of its first show, \u201cOnce on This Island.\u201d He\u2019s performed as an actor in as many as 30 productions since then and also directed some shows.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Rose Center has meant so much to me, my family and other artists in the community,\u201d he said. \u201cIt has been a most important creative outlet for all of us and a source of joy and countless memories throughout the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aniceto\u2019s not the only one with long ties to the organization. Sherr\u00e9 Titus, who is front of house manager, started as a volunteer on opening night in July 2006.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe best part of my job is the interaction I have with our guests, many of whom have been patrons since the time we opened,\u201d she said. \u201cThey also championed the cause to establish the venue in their community, something they are still proud of to this day.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether it\u2019s \u201cThe Wizard of Oz,\u201d \u201cThe Sound of Music\u201d or \u201cAlice in Wonderland,\u201d Westminster\u2019s Rose Center Theater…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":296826,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[1872,163,165,164,24093,39339,7244,5374,1741,8514,1768,5927,106213,1860,1058,125879,6737,72],"class_list":["post-296825","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-anaheim","tag-actor","tag-anaheim","tag-anaheim-headlines","tag-anaheim-news","tag-dec","tag-entire-community","tag-group","tag-lease","tag-lot","tag-musical","tag-organization","tag-production","tag-rose-center-theater","tag-show","tag-theater","tag-tim-nelson","tag-westminster","tag-year"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296825","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=296825"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/296825\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/296826"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=296825"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=296825"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=296825"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}