On Theater: Playhouse unveils 90th season lineup

The Laguna Playhouse — which has been around for 89 years — just can’t get enough of Hershey Felder and the late, great composers he brings to life.

Felder occupies three slots in the current playhouse schedule, having already performed as George Gershwin and Frederick Chopin, and he’ll return with a Beethoven program later in the season.

Now, as the playhouse reveals its 90th anniversary season lineup for 2010-11 — which includes a pair of world premieres — we find Felder again penciled in, this time as the solo architect of a program titled “Maestro: The Art of Leonard Bernstein.”

Leading off the new season, from July 6 through Aug. 29, will be a new musical from Roger Bean, who gave Laguna audiences “The Marvelous Wonderettes” and “Winter Wonderettes.”

It’s called “Life Could Be a Dream” and spotlights the Crooning Crabcakes — the boy group banned from the Springfield High School prom, which made it possible for the Wonderettes to perform.

I’m really looking forward to this one, because it’ll feature a few of my favorite melodies from the ’50s — “The Great Pretender” (my e-mail signature), “Earth Angel,” “Unchained Melody” and “Tears on My Pillow.” The show already has won a plethora of awards in the municipality to the north.

The playhouse’s first world premiere is “I Loved Lucy” by Lee Tannin, one of Lucille Ball’s closest confidants.

It’s billed as the personal side of a very public persona and will be presented for Laguna audiences from Oct. 5 to 31. Ball and Tannin became the nearest and dearest of friends for the last decade of the comedienne’s life.

“Lucy” will be followed by another world premiere — the musical “Daddy Long Legs” by book author John Caird (who will direct) and Paul Gordon (music and lyrics).

It follows a young orphan girl “adopted” by an unseen older man in the early 1900s, and will run Nov. 30 through Dec. 26.

Kicking off the new year will be Felder’s tribute to Bernstein, on the playhouse stage from Jan. 5 to Feb. 6. Directed by Joel Zwick, the show follows the composer of “West Side Story,” “On the Town” and the haunting score of “On the Waterfront” through virtually the entire 20th century.

With all these new arrivals dotting the playhouse lineup, artistic director Andrew Barnicle has elected to balance them with a golden oldie.

Rounding out the new season will be Noel Coward’s classic comedy “Private Lives,” which Barnicle will direct, scheduled to run March 15 through April 10, 2011.

“Our 90th anniversary season is filled with the types of plays that our audiences really enjoy,” Barnicle said. “It’s a great way to salute the Laguna Playhouse on its 90th anniversary.”

“Our current season [2009-10] was created with the community and the economy in mind,” said Managing Director Karen Wood. “The enthusiastic response we received from our audience motivated us to continue and expand the accessible programming for our celebratory 90th anniversary season.”

Playgoers may obtain more information about the new season, and secure their season tickets, by contacting the box office at (949) 979-2787.

TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Coastline Pilot.