On Theater: Playhouse jumping all summer
Summertime is a period of rest and relaxation for most theater companies, a chance to catch their breath after a busy season and gear up for the fall campaign ahead.
Not so, however, at the Laguna Playhouse, which is upping the entertainment ante this summer.
Usually, the playhouse presents one summer musical show — and suggests its patrons park a few miles away and take the tram to the theater because of the traffic generated by the adjacent arts festivals.
This year we’ve got that show — the highly entertaining “Life Could Be a Dream” — along with two other programs that already are quite successful, because one of them has just been extended.
That would be “Till Death Do Us Part: Late Nite Catechism 3,” a familiar entity that’s been here before, along with its companion pieces, primarily under the tutelage of “Sister” Maripat Donovan.
The latest segment of Donovan’s “one-nun” shows made its world premiere at the playhouse last spring. The gimmick here is that Sister serves up her lessons on the sacraments of marriage and last rites, including her somewhat unorthodox version of “The Newlywed Game.”
Originally ticketed to run from July 12 to Monday, the show has been ticketed for five additional performances — Aug. 29 to 30 and Sept. 12, 13 and 19. All performances are at 7:30 p.m. and ticket prices range from $35 to $55.
“Life Could Be a Dream” continues its nostalgic journey back to the 1950s with a teen-aged singing group striving to win a radio contest and warbling such favorites as “Runaround Sue,” “Earth Angel” and “Sincerely.” This show runs through Aug. 29 and the admission range is $35 to $70.
As if that weren’t enough, Sunday will find local (Monarch Beach) resident Rita Rudner bringing her comic stylings to the playhouse’s dark nights, Sundays and Mondays. “An Evening With Rita Rudner” is scheduled for Aug. 15, 16, 22 and 23 and tickets are $45 to $55.
“Life Could Be a Dream” certainly is worth the extra effort to access the playhouse, and the other two sound promising as well. Call the box office at (949) 497-2787 for more information.
