SANTA CRUZ — As its identify would indicate, theatrical reveals are the bread and butter of Santa Cruz Shakespeare. As previously reported, the corporate’s summer season season as soon as once more incorporates a combination of Shakespearean performs “A Midsummer Evening’s Dream” and “Pericles” and non-Shakespearean performs resembling Stephen Sondheim’s “Into the Woods” and Athol Fugard’s “‘Grasp Harold’…and the boys.”
Nonetheless, that isn’t the one type of leisure to be anticipated this summer season. Santa Cruz Shakespeare has launched its Monday Evening Revels collection which can convey completely different sorts of performances to the Audrey Stanley Grove on choose Mondays from July to September, together with reside music, comedy and even a drag present.
Every night guarantees a special night time of revelry, and tickets are actually on sale.
Kicking issues off July 21 is the a cappella group Rockapella. Shaped in 1986 by a gaggle of Brown College alumni, Rockapella have confirmed for almost 4 many years that you don’t all the time want devices to create show-stopping music. They’re greatest identified for the theme to the PBS sport present “The place within the World is Carmen Sandiego,” a track you solely want to listen to as soon as earlier than it turns into lodged in your mind eternally. Rockapella have additionally sung in commercials for Taco Bell and Folger’s, carried out with the Boston Pops, opened for the likes of Chuck Berry and Billy Joel and carried out in a New Yr’s Eve episode of “The Tonight Present with Jay Leno” in 1992. Whereas a cappella teams are commonplace nowadays, particularly within the age of YouTube, Rockapella proceed to entertain audiences with their vocal stylings which might be skilled in a park setting. Tickets vary from $40 to $80.
The collection will get right into a comedic temper July 28 with Emmy-winning author and comedian Brian Kiley. An everyday performer at Los Angeles’ comedy golf equipment, Kiley has been featured on “The Late Present with David Letterman,” “The Tonight Present with Jay Leno” and “Late Evening with Conan O’Brien,” the latter of which he additionally was a employees author for. The truth is, Kiley was O’Brien’s head monologue author and was nominated for an Emmy 16 occasions, profitable in 2007. He gained his second Emmy in 2022 as a author for “Ellen.” He will probably be bringing the wit he has develop into identified for to Santa Cruz and could have a particular visitor opener who has not but been introduced. Tickets vary from $40 to $80.
Whereas feminine characters had been distinguished in William Shakespeare’s performs, women were not allowed to perform onstage publicly in England at the time, so Shakespeare had these characters performed by males. The third Monday Evening Revels present Aug. 4 revives that spirit with Pink Girls of the Sonnets, a manufacturing that mixes drag performers with Shakespearean sonnets. This occasion is offered in collaboration with Maggie’s Gurls, a nonprofit geared toward stopping suicides amongst LGBTQ+ youth, and can function drag kings and queens from all through the Bay Space placing their very own spin on the Bard’s phrases. Audiences are inspired to put on their greatest drag outfits, though that is optionally available. Tickets are “pay what you’ll,” and vary from $5 to $50 plus service cost.
Final month’s dying of Brian Wilson has had many reflecting upon the legacy of The Seashore Boys, from their crowd-pleasing mix of doo-wop and surf rock to their bold musical experimentations on albums like “Pet Sounds.” Whereas there isn’t any scarcity of Seashore Boys tribute bands to hold on their harmonic presents, solely the Surf Metropolis All-Stars have the excellence of getting a lineup the place each member has performed in The Seashore Boys’ touring band. At occasions, authentic Seashore Boys Al Jardine and David Marks have carried out with the All-Stars, and their setlist features a vary of iconic songs like “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “California Women,” “Good Vibrations” and “Wouldn’t it Be Good” in addition to songs by fellow surf rockers Jan and Dean and different danceable pop hits from completely different many years. The Surf Metropolis All-Stars will roll into city Sept. 22 to conjure up reminiscences of catching waves and cruising in sizzling rods. Tickets vary from $40 to $80.
“We’re thrilled to increase our season choices to incorporate Monday Evening Revels,” Charles Pasternak, Santa Cruz Shakespeare’s creative director, mentioned in a press release. “This is a chance to raise and diversify The Grove expertise with musical performances from Rockapella and the Surf Metropolis All-Stars Seashore Boys tribute group, comic Brian Kiley and a Shakespeare-inspired drag efficiency. We invite our group and the bigger area to affix us these particular evenings this summer season!”
All reveals will probably be 7 p.m. on the Audrey Stanley Grove at DeLaveaga Park, 501 Higher Park Highway, Santa Cruz. Tickets might be bought on-line at SantaCruzShakespeare.org/monday-night-revels/.
