The Theatrical Stages Offer a Wealth of
Treasures in Santa Barbara and Beyond
Read more of our 2024 Fall Arts Preview cover story here.
With fall in the air and Halloween on the horizon, Ensemble Theatre Company’s season opener couldn’t be more apt. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors pits a leather-clad Dracula up against tough-lady Jean Van Helsing in a comic adventure that runs October 10-27. Promising more than enough tongue-in-cheek mayhem to fill your cup of giggles, this off-Broadway comic hit was written by Gordon Greenberg and Steve Rosen and directed by Jamie Torcellini.
Also on the ETC playbill is the Tony Award–nominated Million Dollar Quartet, a musical tale set on December 4, 1956, when an extraordinary twist of fate brought Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Elvis Presley together at Sun Records in Memphis for what would be one of the greatest jam sessions ever. On stage December 5-22, this show features beloved hit songs, such as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Walk the Line,” “Great Balls of Fire,” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” and more.
Look for a variety of musical genres to take the stage of SOhO on October 27, when Out of the Box Theatre Company presents Family Album, a collection of character songs described as an anthology of short stories set to music.
The Theatre Group at SBCC takes us to New York October 9-26 with Neil Simon’s comedic memory play Lost in Yonkers, which many consider to be the playwright’s best work. Set in Yonkers in 1942, it’s the story of two brothers who are uprooted and forced to move in with their strict grandmother and an assortment of quirky and mysterious relatives. Also on the schedule, November 13-23, is the student showcase production of Mrs. Bob Crachit’s Wild Christmas Binge. A comedy with music by Tony Award winner Christopher Durang, this is a fresh and funny take on A Christmas Carol…