Don’t Miss the Senior Follies 2013 Production of Broadway Babies!

San Diego’s Christian Community Theater (CCT) was awarded a grant to support Senior Follies Outreach Program to bring low-income seniors to enjoy this year’s production of Broadway Babies, a musical and dance revue of some of the best Broadway musical numbers. The cast features 85 local seniors between the ages of 55 – 98. This generous grant to CCT will enable 300 local seniors to attend this free performance, including transportation to and from the show. The show will run from July 18 – 21, 2013 at the new state-of-the art Lincoln Performing Arts Center with matinee and evening show times. All seats are reserved and paid tickets that range from $20 – $40 with group rates and additional senior discounts available.

As part of the grant funding, a limited number of free tickets for the opening matinee will be available upon request to any low-income senior. Seniors also have the option of participating in the pre- and post-show outreach opportunities.

Those interested in learning more, reserving a complimentary ticket, or to purchase tickets should call (619) 588-0206 and ask to speak with Vittoria or Courtney or visit www.cytsandiego.org.

This Weekend: Get your music on

In between the hustle and bustle of family gatherings, holiday parties, and gift giving, make some room if you can for a few of the great arts, culture, and community happenings taking place in and around southeastern San Diego this weekend. This week’s recommendations are for a musical produced by a local theater company and a youth concert.

And don’t forget — the farmers’ market just off of Euclid and Guymon takes place every Friday! More information can be found at the People’s Produce Project‘s website.

• Friday afternoons
  606 Euclid Ave, San Diego, CA 92113 (G0ogle Maps)
  3 – 6pm; free parking

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Love music, dance, and uplifting stories of faith? Common Ground Theatre‘s got you covered in its production of “Oh Come All Ye Faithful” Black Nativity: The Musical, which runs through December 19. It’s a retelling of the birth of Jesus that mixes dance and music styles, from ballet to krunk and spoken word to gospel. Each performance highlights guest ministers from area churches and includes a pre-show performance by local gospel artists.

Call the theater for ticket prices and more info at 619-263-7911, or send an email to cgtheatre@sbcglobal.net.

• Friday, December 3 – Sunday, December 19
  Educational Cultural Complex
  4343 Ocean View Blvd, San Diego, CA 92113 (Google Maps)
  7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays / Sundays at 3pm

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If you aren’t a Gompers Gleek* already, you will be after Monday night. The Glee Class at Gompers Preparatory Academy will be belting out holiday cheer that evening at their concert, The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. Come out and support the talent of these awesome students and share a little musical joy with your neighbors and friends.

• Monday, December 13
  The auditorium at Gompers Preparatory Academy
  1005 47th Street, San Diego, CA 92102 (Google Maps)
  Donations accepted

*gleek: glee + geek

This Weekend

We’ve got some arts, culture, and community activities to recommend for this last weekend of October. Read on to learn more about a theater production by Mo’olelo, Halloween fun with the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA, and a benefit for southeastern San Diego’s own Common Ground Theatre.

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It’s the closing weekend of Mo‘olelo Performing Arts Company‘s production of Yellow Face, written by Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang.

A Pulitzer-prize finalist, Yellow Face takes a comedic and contemplative look at race through three main characters: a renowned Asian American playwright, the white actor who is mistakenly cast to play the Asian lead in his play, and the playwright’s father. The title refers to the practice of casting of Caucasian actors as Asian characters, whose looks were often altered through makeup to appear more Asian.

Performances take place in downtown San Diego at the Tenth Avenue Theatre and tickets can be purchased online at Mo‘olelo’s website. Through the company’s greening initiative, if you bring proof of carpooling, driving a hybrid, bicycling, or taking public transit to the show, Mo‘olelo will email you a $5-off coupon for your next Mo‘olelo production. How cool is that?

For more information, visit Mo‘olelo online or call (619) 342-7395.

• Through Sunday, October 31
Tenth Avenue Theatre
930 10th Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101 (Google Maps)
Friday 7:30pm (SOLD OUT) / Saturday 7:30pm / Sunday 2pm
Tickets: $27. Discounts available to students with valid ID, seniors 65+, and members of Equity or Actor’s Alliance with valid ID

The Jackie Robinson Family YMCA is hosting its 12th annual Halloween Carnival this Sunday. This free event offers kids a safe and fun place to trick or treat, play games, enter a costume contest, and enjoy the Y’s transformation into a haunted house.

Community booths are available in the Trick or Treat Arena for organizations interested in sharing information about their programs and passing out candy/treats for the kids. More info can be found on the registration form.

Call (619) 264-0144 for more information on this event. Event flyers (English/Spanish) can be downloaded here. You can also learn more about the Jackie Robinson Family YMCA on Facebook.

• Sunday, October 31 from 5:00 – 8:00pm
Jackie Robinson Family YMCA
151 YMCA Way, San Diego, CA 92102 (Google Maps)
Free admission

So, technically, this event takes place on a Monday night, but what better time to plan for it than now? Award-winning jazz guitarist, José Molina Serrano, will be accompanied by a group of talented friends at Humphrey’s Backstage Live to benefit Common Ground Theatre.

Originally established as the Southeastern Community Theatre, Common Ground has been producing both classics and new theater works by and about people of color for over four decades. This southeastern San Diego nonprofit also organizes a Youth Academy to provide mentoring and practical theater experience for youth from ages 7 – 17.

This is a 21+ show. Tickets are $50; not only are they tax-deductible, but you can bring a friend for free. These can be purchased online at Ticketmaster or at the Humphrey’s Backstage Live box office; call (619) 224-3577 for box office hours. For more information about the benefit, call Common Ground Theatre at (619) 263-7911.

• Monday, November 1 at 7pm
Humphrey’s Backstage Live
2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego, CA 92106 (Google Maps)

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Have a great weekend!