A ‘Star Wars’ is born

What do Andrew Lloyd Webber and Obi-Wan Kenobi have in common?

Nothing — until now.

“Star Wars: Musical Edition,” created by the denizens of the MIT Musical Theatre Guild, has been cleared for hyperspace this weekend for the first time as a children’s production.

The Arts & Learning Conservatory, which meets at Costa Mesa’s Vanguard University, has put the production together as the culmination of a sold-out, two-week workshop for Orange County youth.

Conservatory director Debora Wondercheck spent three years obtaining the rights to the musical. She is leading a student orchestra in its first production by youth.

The show tells the tale of “Star Wars: A New Hope,” or Episode IV.

When the show premiered at MIT, drama geeks and “Star Wars” geeks finally had the perfect date night.

“The musical is a parody, so a lot of the songs are familiar tunes that are rewritten to suit the ‘Star Wars’ story,” said education director Cambria Larson.

“A&L; is unique for children’s theater in that the stage production is accompanied by an orchestra and done exclusively by children,” founder Gary Wondercheck said.

Established in 2004, the conservatory grew from 20 kids in its first summer to more than 140 in 2005.

The program has added year-round components at eight schools, including those in Costa Mesa, Corona del Mar and Newport Beach.

“Star Wars” is still relevant to today’s youth, Larson said; the upcoming “Clone Wars” animated film release has been an added draw.

“It is always a No. 1 choice for our students. Theater is always a difficult pull for males, but we never have a problem with ‘Star Wars.’ We always have a ton of boys who are ready to pull out the lightsaber and get into action.”

It’s all there: The Millennium Falcon cockpit. C-3PO. Princess Leia hair buns. Droid costumes may be decorated with pie tins and CDs, and R2-D2 “talks” with a kazoo, but the show is full of heart.

“Star Wars Tonight,” a knock-off of Stephen Sondheim’s classic “Comedy Tonight,” opens the show and sets the stage for camp galore.

C-3PO sings “On My Own” a la “Les Miserables” when left behind by R2-D2.

Another Sondheim favorite, “West Side Story”’s “America,” becomes an homage to “Tatooine,” the Skywalker family’s home planet.

Sendups of Disney chestnuts also are prevalent.

But the kitschiest throwback is Kenobi’s Phantom-esque way of describing the ways of the Jedi to a young Luke Skywalker: “The Music of the Knight.”

For more photos, click here.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: “Star Wars: Musical Edition”

WHEN: 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Friday

WHERE: Boys & Girls Clubs, 295 E. Yale Loop, Irvine

COST: $9

UPCOMING SHOWS

Scholars of the stage, from elementary school tots to college theater graduates, have been donning face paint and learning new lines for a range of area productions this summer.

For fans of 1930s detective movies, “Bullshot Crummond” is just what Dr. Evil ordered.

American Coast Theater will present the campy parody through Aug. 10 at Vanguard University’s Lyceum Theater, 55 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa.

In the production, British super-sleuth Bullshot Crummond attempts to foil the evil doings of Otto Von Bruno — the second most dangerous man in Europe — and his deliciously evil dame, Lenya.

The show is the first of two this summer for the professional company; three of the five cast members are Vanguard theater theatre alumni, and another is a department chair who also directs the show.

“Partially, it’s a way for our graduates to make the bridge between graduation and professional life,” Bill Hughes of Vanguard University said of the company.

Tickets are $20 to $25. For more information, call (714) 668-6145 or visit americancoasttheater.org.

Orange Coast College has a spoof of its own planned with “Little Shop of Horrors,” which opens at 8 p.m. Aug. 1 in its Drama Lab, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa.

The show runs through Aug. 10; matinees and evening performances are available.

The classic musical tells the story of florist Seymour’s fraternization with Audrey II, who craves human blood rather than Miracle-Gro.

Tickets are $15 advance or $16 at the door; for more information, call (714) 432-5880 or visit occtickets.com.

In Newport Beach, 53 local school children ages 6 to 14 are putting the final touches on “The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree,” a swashbuckling musical comedy that debuted Tuesday.

Assistant director Hannah Lindt, a senior at Corona del Mar High School, said that although the show’s jaunty tunes have been in her head for months, she still enjoys them.

More than a dozen other high schoolers have been helping with rehearsals, and a former Disney choreographer has developed sword fights and dances.

“The Lady Pirates of Captain Bree” plays at 7 p.m. tonight at Eastbluff Elementary School, 2627 Vista del Oro, Newport Beach.

Tickets are $7.

For more information, call Wendy Marine at (949) 759-3092 or e-mail [email protected].

And over at South Coast Repertory, the Summer Players present “Peter Pan” in the Nicholas Studio at 1 and 4 p.m. Aug. 9, 10, 16 and 17.

Tickets are $9, and are available at (714) 708-5555 or online at scr.org.