“Godmother” is scheduled to run through July 26, but don’t wait to buy tickets; It was featured prominently in Sunday’s SF Chronicle Pink section and word is sure to spread fast. Tickets are available online through Brown Paper Tickets or by calling 1-800-838-3006. [Altarena is not selling tickets to Oh My Godmother.]

Congratulations to Ron and the entire Oh My Godmother company from all your friends at the Altarena.

Click here for all the details.

If you’d like to be notified of our upcoming auditions via email, you can click here to sign up for our “Audition Announcement” email list. We’ll never share your email address, or use it for anything other than announcing auditions.

We’re pleased to announce three sessions of our popular Summer Theatre Camp for 2008. The three 2-week sessions are open to kids 7 - 14 years old and will be held June 16 - 27 (registration closed), July 7 - 18 (registration closed), and July 21 - August 1 (available). We’re especially excited to have local director, actor, and teacher Richard Bunker leading the camps this year.

Conveniently located at our theatre in central Alameda, the Altarena Playhouse Summer Theatre Camp offers children of all skill levels the chance to study improvisation, acting, public speaking, directing, and audition skills. In a camp setting, the students will participate in theatre games, pantomimes, short scenes, beginning costuming and mask-making. The two-week session culminates in a fully-staged 45- to 60-minute young actor’s production of one of these classics:

• “HOOD” (Robin Hood)
• “MACBETH” (Comedic version of the Shakespeare classic)
• “MUSKETEERS” (The Three Musketeers)
• “WOLF ‘N THE HOOD” (A one-act, court-room fairytale comedy for kids)

The show chosen for each session will depend on number/age of campers per Session.

This is not an ordinary camp experience; it is designed to give your student a greater knowledge of the theater arts experience. The camp is open to all ability levels and will be a great addition to any student’s summer vacation.

Each two-week session meets Monday - Friday from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm. Tuition is $475 per session. Aftercare will be available on an hourly basis. The final performance for family and friends will take place on the last day of each session at 2:00 pm at The Altarena.

Click here to download a camp registration form.

If you have any questions, please email Fred Chacon at fred.chacon@altarena.org.

Chicago might also be one of the best-selling shows in Altarena history. We opened last night with nearly half of all performances already sold out. The phones have been ringing off the hook, and Internet sales are at record levels. At this rate, the remaining tickets won’t last long. If you haven’t made reservations yet, time is running out. Check the performance schedule for ticket availability and act fast. The phone lines have been flooded, so we strongly recommend buying tickets through our online box office. But if you insist on doing it the old-fashioned way, you can always call us at (510) 523-1553.

- Daniel Zilber, Altarena Managing Director

The opening weekend of Wait Until Dark was completely sold out and our box office phone is still ringing off the hook. There was a lot of enthusiastic audience buzz around the theater after the performances, so it’s pretty safe to say that Stuart Lyle’s dark and suspenseful staging of the 1967 classic really delivered some thrills. Check out Patrick Tracy’s photos in our online gallery for a glimpse of the stellar cast and amazing set (designed by Angelo Benedetto and painted by Darrell Burson).

Opening weekend may have sold out, but (as of this writing) there are still tickets available for all remaining performances through February 16th. I’m sure that won’t be the case for long, so buy your tickets well in advance. And if you are coming to Wait Until Dark, please arrive at the theater early… Due to the nature of the play, latecomers will not be seated until intermission.

In response, the Altarena Board of Directors are pleased to announce the creation of the Altarena Endowment Fund. This important financial resource will ensure that our theater is able to thrive for the next 70 years and beyond.

The assets of the Altarena Endowment Fund are carefully invested, while the annual interest income supports the artistic programs and operations of the theater. You can help secure the Altarena’s future by making a donation of cash or securities, or by arranging to make a planned gift. Your support of the Altarena Endowment Fund will mean that future generations of local artists and audiences will continue to be enriched and inspired by our long tradition of outstanding community theater.

Click here to read more about the Altarena Endowment Fund.

Our inaugural restaurant partners are all within a 5-minute drive to the theater: C’era Una Volta, The Hobnob, Juanita’s, and Bip’s Broiler. Click here for more details, including restaurant descriptions, addresses, and maps.

If you’re a subscriber, we hope you’ll take advantage of this new and exciting benefit. If you’re not a subscriber, there’s still time to sign up!

Our highly anticipated family musical The Man Who Saved Christmas opened last weekend and the early reviews have confirmed what we’ve known all along: It’s “the perfect way to kick off the holiday season.”

Carrie Beavers of the Alameda Sun starts her review this way:

“The return of Ron Lytle’s delightful musical The Man Who Saved Christmas to the Altarena Playhouse is a real gift. The perfect way to kick off the holiday season, the musical is uplifting, deeply moving, and hilariously funny.”

Ken Bullock, in The Berkeley Daily Planet, adds:

“This year’s production [is] even more brisk and upbeat than the last.” And, “It’s a tip of the homburg to the nostalgic musicals of 50 years ago, of Meredith Willson…”

The Man Who Saved Christmas is only here for two more weekends, and must close December 16th. The good news is that there are still tickets available for most performances, including tonight and tomorrow night (Friday the 7th and Saturday the 8th). You can purchase tickets through our website, or by calling our box office at (510) 523-1553. Tickets are only $20 for adults and $17 for students (under 18) and seniors (62+).