Music and Entertaiment

Join us to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of Disney's classic animation “Aladdin.” The legendary composer Alan Menken's magical soundtrack and award-winning songs will be performed live by New West Symphony with the film playing on the big screen in the Great Hall. The wonderful plot, amazing visual effects and charming characters not only are loved by the audience, but also won the Academy Award for Best Film Score and Best Original Song, and a Grammy Award for Song of the Year.

Nemo would like to be able to think of himself as a modern-day cowboy. Actually, he’s a moving company employee originally from Minneapolis. In the course of his work, he meets a pretty lady named Lily whom he thinks can tutor him in the cowboy lifestyle. Lily would rather turn him into a Southern gentleman. It seems the cowboy ways include hard drinking, and Lily will have none of that. She enlists her pastor and his wife to try and save Nemo from his personal demons. Will Nemo find the heavenly country within Lily’s loving arms, or will Nemo go to hell at the bottom of a whiskey bottle?
Heavenly Country is a jukebox musical, and that means while the love story of Nemo and Lily plays out, you’ll hear the cast perform 22 of the best-loved hits of Country and related genres including blues, rockabilly, bluegrass and gospel. You’ll hear #1 chart-topping hits like All My Ex’s Live in Texas, Good Hearted Woman, Should’ve Been a Cowboy, Could I Have This Dance? and many more. There will be old-time favorites like Put Your Hand in the Hand, The Bottle Let Me Down, Orange Blossom Special, A Little Bit in Love, and still more. Included are the African-American spirituals I Know That Prayer Changes Things and We’ll Understand It Better Bye and Bye

Written by Joel Russell. Directed by L. Flint Esquerra. Music director: Paul Cady. Presented by Russell Media.

5-STAR theatricals

is proud to announce the First Show of its 2023-2024 Season!

The Tony Award Winning

RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL

Book by Terrence McNally

Music by Lynn Ahrens

Lyrics by Steven Flaherty

Musical Direction & Conductor: Tom Griffin

Choreography by Michelle Elkin

Directed by Jeffrey Polk
Make Them Hear You Beginning March 24

at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center!
5-STAR THEATRICALS is proud to announce the first show of its 2023-2024 season, the Tony Award winning, RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL, book by Terrence McNally, music by Lynn Ahrens, lyrics by Steven Flaherty, conductor and musical direction by Tom Griffin, choreography by Michelle Elkin and directed by Jeffrey Polk. RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL opens on Friday, March 24, 2023 and runs through Sunday, April 2, 2023 at the Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center (formerly the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza), 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Based on the novel by E.L. Doctorow, this musical tapestry depicts an African-American family, a Jewish immigrant family, and a wealthy white suburban family in turn-of-the-century America, who collide in pursuit of the American Dream. Nominated for 13 Tony Awards® including “Best Musical,” and winning for “Best Original Score” and “Best Book of a Musical,” Ragtime is a powerful portrait of life during the turn-of-the-century, exploring America’s timeless contradictions of freedom and prejudice, wealth and poverty, hope and despair.
ABOUT THE CREATIVE TEAM AND CAST
JEFFREY POLK (Director) Directed and Choreographed: The Color Purple, Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Memphis (The Musical), Ain’t Misbehavin’. Choreographed: Dreamgirls, (TUTS, Houston with Sheldon Epps, Director), Kiss Me, Kate, (Pasadena Playhouse, Sheldon Epps, Director), Blues In The Night, (The Wallis, Beverly Hills, Sheldon Epps, Director). Guest Director with “The Young Americans” and “Heartglobal Outreach World Tours.”  Mr. Polk has performed on Broadway, national tours, TV and film.
MICHELLE ELKIN (Choreography) Select credits include: “Sutton Foster Live” with Jonathan Groff (PBS), “Young Sheldon” resident choreographer (CBS), “Younger” (TV Land), “The Wonderful Mrs. Maisel” (Amazon), “Me And My Grandma” with Rhea Perlman, “Baby Daddy” (ABC Family), TNT pilot “Dawn” directed by Sam Raimi, Lifetime’s reality show “Your Mama Don’t Dance,” “Kristin” starring Kristin Chenoweth, and tap sequences in ABC Family's “Bunheads.” Theater: Live musical numbers featuring Tony Award winner Sutton Foster with special guest Joshua Henry for the NSO at Kennedy Center, New York Pops at Carnegie Hall and the Houston Symphony. Theater: Something Rotten (Broadway World Nominee) Sister Act The Musical (Broadway World Nominee), Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Broadway World Nominee) Children Of Eden (Broadway World Nominee); Little Shop Of Horrors (Straz Center), The Goodbye Girl (MTG). Feature films: Wild Hogs, What Just Happened. Associate Choreographer credits include; “Dancing With The Stars,” Sister Act at Pasadena Playhouse, “Emmy Awards” with Jane Lynch, “Academy Awards” with Hugh Jackman and the Broadway show, Wonderland (Marquis Theater).
TOM GRIFFIN (Musical Director/Conductor) is a nationally recognized musical director and conductor for professional musical theater. Tom was musical director for the Los Angeles productions of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast, The Music Man, Annie, “13” The Musical, Bye Bye Birdie, Sweet Charity, West Side Story, The Scarlet Pimpernel and Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, the national tour of My Fair Lady for Theatre Of The Stars, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s productions of A Christmas Carol, Peter Pan, 25th Annual Putnum County Spelling Bee, Disney’s Mary Poppins, the East Coast Premiere & New York Workshop of Truman Capote’s A Christmas Memory and The Pioneer Theatre Company’s productions of Once, A Christmas Carol, Elf, The Musical, Peter & The Starcatcher, Oliver, Newsies and Once On This Island.
Tom has received awards for his musical direction of shows including the Broadway revival of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (Los Angeles premiere), for which he received a Garland Award for Best Musical Direction, and Side Show (Los Angeles premiere), for which he received a Los Angeles Drama Critics Award for Best Musical Direction, as well as eight Theatre LA Ovation Award nominations. Tom was the musical conductor of Disney’s Beauty and The Beast on two national tours and served again as musical director for the show’s run at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. Tom’s other productions include Grease, The Mystery of Edmond Drood, the West Coast premiere of My Way, A Connecticut Yankee, Honk! The Musical, the West Coast & Los Angeles premieres of The Last Five Years, the West Coast premiere of The Spitfire Grill, 70 Girls 70, Baby, Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Jungle Book, Aladdin, Fatty, Oklahoma, The Wizard of Oz, Inside the Music and Club Indigo, for which he also won a DramaLogue award for Best Musical Direction.
The Cast of RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL will feature Marty Austin Lamar as “Coalhouse,” Brittany Anderson as “Sarah,” Misty Cotton as “Mother,” Michael Scott Harris as “Father,” Hank Jacobs as “Tateh,” Samantha Wynn-Greenstone as “Emma Goldman,” Ceron Jones as “Booker T,” Monica Ricketts as “Evelyn Nesbit,” Jeremy Ingraham as “Younger Brother,” Steven Perren as “Grandfather,” Jacob Hoff as “ Harry Houdini,” Josh Christoff as “JP Morgan,” Davis Hamilton as “Henry Ford,” Lila Dunham as “Little Girl,” Daxton Bethoney as “Little Boy (Edgar)” and Jordan Jackson as “Sarah’s Friend/Ensemble.” The Ensemble will feature (in alphabetical order): Christopher D. Baker, Emily Cochrane, Domo D’DAnte, BK Dawson, Julia Feeley, Glen Hall, Tyler Marshall, Almand Martin, Jr., Donovan Mendelovitz, Kristen O’Connell, Will Riddle, Zara Saje, Leasa Shukiar, Kumari Small, Tania Pasano Storrs and Dekontee Tucrkile. The Youth Ensemble will feature (In alphabetical order): Delilah Bank, Tanner Cox, Camryn Daniels, Madelyn Freidman, Harley Grey, Harrington Gwin, Madison North, Calulla Sawyer, Weston Walker-Pardee , Poppi Wilbur-McDaniels and Olivia Zenetzis.
The Design Team of RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL features: Lighting Design by Brandon Baruch; Costume Design by Shon LeBlanc; Sound Design by Jonathan Burke; Props Design by Alex Choate; Hair and Wig Design by Luis Ramirez. The Production Stage Manager is Erin Nicole Eggers.
ABOUT THE PRICING AND SCHEDULE
RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL opens on Friday, March 24 and runs through Sunday, April 2, 2023 at the Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center (formerly the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza), 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Performances are Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 2pm and 8pm; Sunday, March 26 at 2pm and Sunday, April 2 at 1pm; with an added performance on Thursday, March 30 at 7:30pm.
Tickets are on sale now and may be purchased at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center Box Office located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks, or through www.5startheatricals.com, or by phone at (800) 745-3000. For groups of 10 or more, please call Group Sales, 5-STAR THEATRICALS at (805) 497-8613 x 1.
Ticket prices range from $35 – $90. For ticket and theatre information, call (805) 449-ARTS (2787). RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL performs exclusively at the Kavli Theatre, Bank of America Performing Arts Center, at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. For

membership and ticket information, call 805-497-8613 x 6 or visit www.5startheatricals.com.
COVID PROTOCOLS for RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL at the KAVLI THEATRE
There will no longer be any COVID vaccination requirements for The Bank of America Performing Arts Center.  In compliance with the Ventura County Public Health Order masks or face coverings are highly recommended for all persons, regardless of vaccination status.
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To schedule press interviews, photos, press comps, or for additional information, please contact David Elzer/DEMAND PR at (818) 508-1754 or by e-mail at davidelzer@me.com.

Theatre Experience of Southern California presents The Music Man

5 Star Theatricals presents Ragtime

Disney Presents The Lion King (Touring)

LA Theatre Week, a two-week-long celebration of the performing arts, will be happening from March 13 to 26. With tickets to more than 75 productions starting at just $20, audiences can purchase tickets now to experience high-caliber shows at prices that democratize access to the best of LA culture.

Hansel and Gretel is Storybook Theatre's award-winning musical retelling of the famous fairy tale. The popular musical about the brother and sister who leave home and follow bread crumbs through the theatre, meet a funny witch, a wacky bird, have all kinds of adventures and along the way learn that no matter what trouble you are in, it’s never a good idea to run away. It’s a happy, fun show, inspired by the beloved story from the Brothers Grimm.

Book by Lloyd J. Schwartz. Music and lyrics by Hope and Laurence Juber. Directed by Lloyd J. Schwartz. Produced by Barbara Mallory. A Storybook Theatre musical. Storybook Theatre is a program of Theatre West.

The ensemble: Hasan Crawford, Oscar Nava, Elise Walters, Barbara Mallory, David Mingrino, Will Collyer and Kathy Garrick.

Understudies: Jessica Rawls, Amelia Vargas, Melodee Fernandez.

Stage managers: Leesa Freed, David Johnson.

Hansel and Gretel. A musical for children and their families. At Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068. This is close to Universal City and North Hollywood. There is parking in a privately-operated lot across the street (fee charged). February 18- June 3, 2023. Saturdays at 1 p.m. All seats $15. Reservations: (323) 851-7977. Online ticketing: www.theatrewest.org
Special accommodations for birthday parties and school field trips can be made at (323) 851-4839.

Loyola Marymount University’s Laband Art Gallery welcomes seven contemporary visual artists from Tierra del Sol Studios for the spring exhibition, “Here Comes the Sun.” The show features more than 100 works on paper and ceramic pieces by artists whose careers have thrived in Tierra del Sol’s innovative and inclusive art spaces: Marlena Arthur, Shaina Barnett, Herb Herod Jr., Evan Hynes, Ericka Lopez, John Maull and Jeffrey Rinsky.
The selections span cyclical drawings of tender florals and vivid abstract ceramic sculptures to narratives about ancient Egypt and tiny renditions of classic guitars. Personal vulnerabilities are revealed; heroes and holidays are celebrated; and a collection of powerful female characters appear ready to save the world.
Tierra del Sol is a champion of inclusion for individuals with disabilities. Working out of two expansive studios in the San Fernando Valley and Inland Empire, the exhibition’s seven artists are representative of the more than 120 visual artists who participate in Tierra del Sol’s Career in the Arts programs.
The ethos of the program — founded in 1989 — is that human creativity and artistic expression ought not be limited by any notions of physical or intellectual disabilities. Individuals working in the studio program cultivate their unique creative voices as cultural producers, community leaders and professional artists.
The show’s title connotes a sense of hopefulness toward our contemporary moment’s acknowledgement and acceptance of historically marginalized communities at large, and in the art world, in particular.
Tierra’s trailblazing artists are in this vanguard, forging their own professional pathways while simultaneously advancing the cause of inclusivity within the arts and beyond. Follow the artists’ careers at @tierradelsolgallery.
Free Public Programming
Artists’ Walkthrough 1

Thursday, Feb. 16, noon to 2:30 p.m. Drop in. Laband Art Gallery 

Artists from Tierra del Sol Studios will lead a tour of their show.
Artists’ Walkthrough 2  

Thursday, Feb. 23, 1 to 3:15 p.m. Drop in. Laband Art Gallery 

Artists from Tierra del Sol Studios will lead a tour of their show.
Art, Disability and Justice 

Friday, March. 24, 12:15 to 1:30 p.m. Murphy Recital Hall.

A discussion with members of the acclaimed Tierra del Sol Studios community.
Image credit: Marlena Arthur, Cutie Marks, 2021, color pencil and graphite on paper, courtesy of the artist and Tierra del Sol Gallery

UniverSoul Circus