'Mamma Mia' auditions are set
The Ojai Art Center Theater and Director Tracey Williams Sutton announce auditions for “Mamma Mia!” the third production of the 2019 theater season, celebrating 80 years of delivering quality entertainment to Ojai.
“Mamma Mia!” is based on the songs of ABBA, a Swedish pop/dance group active from 1972 to 1982 and one of the most popular international pop groups of all time, topping the charts again and again in Europe, North and South America and Australia. Following the premiere of the musical in London in 1999, ABBA Gold topped the charts in the United Kingdom again.
The musical includes such hits as "Lay All Your Love on Me," "Dancing Queen," "Knowing Me, Knowing You," "Take a Chance on Me," "Thank You for the Music," "Money, Money, Money," "The Winner Takes It All," "Voulez-Vous," "SOS" and the title track. More than 60 million people have seen the show, which has grossed $2 billion worldwide since its 1999 debut.Performances are from June 14 to July 14, Friday and Saturday evenings (7:30 ) and Sunday matinees (2 p.m.).
Featured Artist: Karen Lewis
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Tarmac parking, oil, 30-by-30 inches, by Karen Lewis
Inspired by painting trips to the Santa Paula Airport, Karen Lewis will display her recent work on April 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. during the Ojai Studio Artists Second Saturday Tour. “I now divide my time between plein air painting, studio painting and printmaking,” Lewis says. “I work in oils on a large scale inspired by airplanes, faces, places and things.”
Poetry and music April 27
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Catherine Abbey Hodges and Rob Hodges to perform at The Ojai Vineyard on April 27.
The Ojai Vineyard will be hosting a relaxed evening of poetry and music with Catherine Abbey Hodges and Rob Hodges on April 27at 6:30 p.m. Catherine Hodges is the author of the poetry collections “Raft of Days” and “Instead of Sadness.” Her poems appear widely and have been featured in “The Writer’s Almanac” and “Verse Daily.” Rob, a cellist, singer and composer, earned his doctorate in ethnomusicology from UC Santa Barbara.
Story showcase April 18
Karen Banfield's School of Story Showcase will be held April 18 at 7 p.m. at Ojai Underground, 1016 W. Ojai Ave.
The cost of entrance is $20.
This lively show is the culmination of seven weeks of study at the Karen Banfield School of Story. It includes original music, comedy and personal narrative. The audience will enjoy both seasoned storytellers and those experiencing their first time on stage.
Storytellers include Darlene Patrick, Ken Clench, Wendy Fiske, Mara Luthane, Sherry Lisa Owen, Kamala Nellen, Craig Revell and Nancy Gross.
'The Music Man' hits the Villanova stage
Villanova Preparatory School theater students are ready to showcase their talents under the stars for their production of “The Music Man ”April 11 to 14 at 7 p.m. in the campus amphitheater.
The spring musical at Villanova is a much-anticipated tradition, with past productions at the school including both classic and modern productions such as “Beauty and the Beast,” “Shrek The Musical,” “The Wizard of Oz,” “Little Shop of Horrors” and “Oklahoma.”
Auditions held for 'Annie Kids'
The Ojai Art Center Youth Branch Summer Productions and Director Gai Jones are looking for actors, girls and guys, short and tall, to take part in “Annie KIDS.” This is a tuition-free event for students, ages 7 to 18, to take part in rehearsals and performances. Auditions are April 11 between 4 and 6 p.m.; April 12, 4 to 7 p.m.; or April 13, 2 to 4 p.m.
Molière’s comedy spans centuries
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A portrait of Molière.
Kathleen Kaiser, Special to the Ojai Valley News
Schemers, social butterflies, misanthropes, hypochondriacs, sycophants, the unctuous perpetrators of spurious piety… these were the targets at which Molière aimed his verbally wicked darts. Society matrons, religious figures, doctors, rich men, conniving women — no one escaped his merciless wrath! But it was wrath laced with comedy that often lampooned his victims without them realizing they had been lampooned.
‘The Great Art Theft’ a fundraising bargain
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Amy Lynn Stevenson standing with two of last year’s happy participants of The Great Art Theft."
If the price is what has kept you from making a purchase from a local artist, then mark your calendar for “The Great Art Theft” exhibit running April 6 to May 5. “The Great Art Theft,” the Ojai Art Center’s annual fundraiser, has a grand finale May 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. where you can walk away with a great piece of art for $80.
“This event is where local art is a steal,” said Bonnie Reige, Ojai Art Center gallery chair. “Fine art offered at ridiculously affordable prices. A $75 ticket gets you a piece of original art.”
12-year-old's debut song just released
Ojai Valley News photo by Holly Roberts
Maya Zohra Mouderres, 12, of Ojai.
Maya Zohra Mouderres, 12, of Ojai (stage name Zohra) recently released her debut original R&B/pop song, “City of Angels.”
Singer/songwriter Zohra wrote the lyrics/music and performs piano and all vocals on the track. Arranged by Bernie Larsen and Rebecca Comerford, the song was produced, recorded and mixed by Larsen of Spinout Records in Ojai.
Cowboy Festival at Historic Rancho April 12
Former Cowboy Festival Director Mike Fleming and his band, New West, will perform a benefit concert at National Historic Landmark Rancho Camulos Museum in Piru on April 12, with a special tribute to legendary cowboy performer Don Edwards.
The concert kicks off the April 13-14 Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival at the Rancho Camulos Museum, 5164 E. Telegraph Road (Highway 126), Piru.
Featured artist: Mary Neville
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“Inner Space” by Mary Neville
Working in acrylic and mixed media, Mary Neville builds her canvases into rich, subtle layers. “I can labor over a painting for a very long time trying to figure out what wants to come out and then, at the right moment, it all comes together,” she says. “I love that spontaneity.” She will open her studio from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on April 13 as part of the Ojai Studio Artists Second Saturday Tour.