Moonlight Stage Productions, which is located in the Northern San Diego County city of Vista, has announced a major revision in its performance policy, beginning in January 2016. The company has launched a new venture called "Moonlight Presents" that will offer a variety of programming between January and October. "Moonlight Presents" will be located at the Moonlight Amphitheater, a venue that has been used only during the summer months previously. Alterations will be made to the venue to allow some presentations to be made entirely on the existing stage area, which will be closed in to accommodate these performances.
Previously, the Amphitheater's use was limited to large-scale productions of musicals, and while the stage is covered, audience seating is entirely out-of-doors.
The company plans to offer three series under the "Moonlight Presents" label: (1) a series featuring jazz, world music and popular artists; (2) a series for dance, circus acts and children's touring shows; and (3) a cabaret act series. The "Moonlight Presents" events would not be presented during the summer months, when the season of musicals is in production.
To accommodate the three series, Moonlight will cancel its winter season after 2015, allowing for the venue in which it was presented, the Avo Theater, to be rented year-round for other producers.
Scheduled for the last winter series, beginning in January, are The Lion in Winter, Sondheim by Sondheim, and Anna in the Tropics. Scheduled for Summer 2015 are All Shook Up, The Music Man, Shrek The Musical, and Big Fish.
To me, this move seems to be a positive one for the company. Locating all of the company's productions at the amphitheater will remind audiences that Moonlight provides a high level of theatrical work. The Avo is small and without a lot of decent technical facilities, and presentations there may be well acted and directed but will always look "less than" for audiences used to the standards of the summer musicals.
More on upcoming events as further information comes in.
Bill, in San Diego
|