Pinedorado Follies returning with ‘all in fun’ Cambria-centric production
Cambria’s Pinedorado Follies is returning to its zany roots as a lively, local musical comedy after several years of widely varying formats. Only this time, the good-versus-evil plot includes a show-within-a-show melodrama.
The Lions Club production takes to the Veterans Memorial Building stage for five nights at 7 p.m., Aug, 29, 30, 31 and Sept. 1 and 2.
In many previous years, Follies seating has sold out quickly. Tickets to this year’s “Shakedown in Slabtown,” $26.87 each (including service fee), are available online now at cambriafollies.brownpapertickets.com.
Prime-location “Angel” seating tickets are $52.74 each (including service fee).
The satirical fable “is a page-turner, with a lot of surprises,” author/director Randy Schwalbe said in an Aug. 7 phone interview.
“It’s completely centered on Cambria,” by Cambrians, about North Coast residents and starring Cambrians (except one, and that’s a surprise, he said). “It has some current events, and it’s all in fun … I wanted this to be a really fun experience about their own community.”
It must be, because this far into rehearsals for the show’s world premiere, Schwalbe said “cast members are still laughing at their own lines.”
His musical is about staving off the impending doom of the charming village.
The plot focuses on conflict between an evil construction company (Booo!) attempting to urbanize the Cambria Village with a bunch of state-approved freeways and an environmental justice team attempting to put a halt to the plan. Adventure, intrigue, historical references, plot twists and even romance reportedly are all part of the fun.
“Shakedown” includes popular songs, live music by keyboardists Jeff Mar and Ron Perry and energetic dance routines choreographed by Shirley Kirkes-Mar.
The cast of 17 includes Oz Barron, Joel Cehn, MaryAnn Grau, Rebecca Hendricks, Kirk Henning, Darien Jewel, Jonathan Jewel, Ted Key, Aaron Linn, Caden Linn, John Linn, Renee Linn, Lucy Moreno, Mark O’Bryan, Kasady Riley, Michael Shanley and Tiffany Stevens. The crew includes five light and stage techs and a wide array of Lions and other volunteers, all from Cambria.
Profits raised by the Follies, as is the case for all proceeds from Pinedorado itself, support a variety of community and other causes.
According to club finance folks, Pinedorado helps Lions Club donate more than $50,000 annually to Cambria youth alone.
This story was originally published August 7, 2018 at 3:56 PM.