Panic! Productions, Ventura County’s newest theatre company, will launch with Working: The Musical, August 26 through September 11, at the Theatre on the Hill/Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks.
Working is based on the best-selling book by Studs Terkel, and was turned into a musical by Wicked creator Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso. A celebration of the one thing everybody has to do—earn a living—the show features music by Schwartz, James Taylor, Craig Carnelia, Micki Grant, and Mary Rodgers and Susan Birkenhead. The Panic! Production is directed by Robert Weibezahl, with choreography by Mona King, and vocal direction by Diann Alexander. The live musical accompaniment will be lead by Susan Treworgy-Calkins.
The cast includes Tamarah Ashton-Coombs, Jim Browne, Carolyn Freeman Champ, Kurt Kemper, Mona King, Kenny Larsen, Alex Matute, Suzanne Mayes, Adelle Panico, Paul Panico, Veronica Scheyving, Theresa Secor, David Sheftell, Karen Sonnenschein, Jesse Test, Dan Tullis, Jr., and Katie Weibezahl.
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"We wanted to create a new performing troupe that would tap into the vast, often underutilized acting and singing talent in our community,” says company founder Paul Panico, a familiar talent to local theatre-goers. “Our mission is to put on shows other than those that seem to be produced over and over again in local theatres.”
Panic Productions! plans to follow Working with a non-musical in January, possibly the award-winning spy drama, Pack of Lies by Hugh Whitemore.
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Working opens Friday, August 26 at 8 pm and continues Fridays and Saturdays at 8, Sundays at 2 pm through September 11. Tickets are $18/$14 student and seniors, and are available at www.hillcrestarts.com, by calling 805/381-1246, or by visiting the box office. The Theatre on the Hill is at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks.
