Cambria jazz series moves to renamed J. Buckley Theatre

Charlie and Sandi Shoemake have moved their long-running Famous Jazz Artist Series to the J. Buckley Theatre. That’s the new name for the Pewter Plough Playhouse, which is now being run by Giovanni Grillenzoni of the Harmony Café.

“The new venue will offer a choice of excellent food along with wine and beer to go with the concerts along with comfortable seating and excellent acoustics,” Charlie Shoemake said in announcing the move. “Also there will be two performances to choose from: a 4 p.m. matinee and an evening performance at 7.”

The first concerts, scheduled for Sunday, April 8, will pay tribute to the music of Cole Porter. In addition to the Shoemakes, pianist Marshall Otwell and bassist Ken Hustad will perform.

Tickets, priced at $20 or $10 for students ($25 to see both shows), are available via email at charlie@talsanmusic.com.

“We are sure that you will enjoy this new venue and hope that you will continue to support this great American art form,” Charlie Shoemake said. “We plan to bring major jazz artists to Cambria from all over the world.”

Grillenzoni leased the theater from owner Rebecca Buckley starting March 1 and plans a range of entertainment and other uses, although the venue at 824 Main St. in Cambria's West Village will no longer be producing stage plays.

The Famous Jazz Artist Series has had several homes over the years. It started out 25 years ago in The Hamlet (now Centrally Grown at Off the Grid), and remained there for more than two decades before a move to Paso Robles in 2012.

It returned to Cambria for one season — 2014 — at the Cambria Community Center for the Arts Theatre. Since then, concerts have been held at various locations, including Painted Sky Studios in Cambria, in San Luis Obispo and at the Shoemakes’ home.

This story was originally published March 27, 2018 at 2:21 PM with the headline "Cambria jazz series moves to renamed J. Buckley Theatre."