The Director of the famed Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, Anna Strasberg, will be in Puerto Vallarta to give the seminar “The Method” which is the technique that revolutionized the action scenes and the US movies that influenced the world scene.

Anna Strasberg, will share her knowledge with a new generation. Lee Strasberg trained great actors in the Hollywood history, such as: Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Robert De Niro, Marilyn Monroe, Dustin Hoffman, Jack Nicholson, and Paul Newman which are an obligate reference of this institute.

Seminar cost is $200US (classes only, not food or lodging)

Presentations are in English with Spanish translations. People who complete the seminar receive a diploma from the National Council of Arts of Mexico.

For more information: eurekap@hotmail.com, eurekarprod@yahoo.com.mx

WEBSITE: http://www.strasberg.com/

Musical Theater at the American School

by Renee Perez – PVNN

Since 1990, the students at The American School of Puerto Vallarta have been entertaining Puerto Vallarta audiences with quality musical theater. For this year’s Spring Musical, they will be performing “Oliver” from March 5th-7th at 7:30 pm.

From the very beginning, the American School’s theater and music program has been a very important part of the curriculum. A tradition which spans over 19 years, and this school continues to provide the community with quality musical theater that consistently improves year after year.

In the old days, 1990 to be exact, our first Spring Musical was presented at the Hotel Krystal. Having no theater of our own, we relied purely on the generosity of the major hotels to provide us with a room, chairs, and if we were lucky, a stage. The minimal sets were built on campus, and there were only one or two days in which to rehearse in the actual venue. The first American School production was Guys and Dolls, and for a neophyte theater program, with only Spanish speaking students, it was a huge accomplishment.

You see, there was no other English theater in Puerto Vallarta at the time. The teachers who had the vision and courage to put together an American musical in a foreign country with no previous experience, created a foundation for an annual musical production, complete with live music, sets, costumes, lights and sound. After approximately five years, our theater program had raised enough money to build our own outdoor theater on campus, an achievement which is still highly prized today.

Over the years, our school has performed Guys and Dolls, High Tops, Joseph and his Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Grease, Oklahoma, South Pacific, Fiddler on the Roof, Oliver, Anything Goes, Bye Bye Birdie, Cinderella, Damn Yankees, The Wizard of Oz, The Sound of Music, The Music Man, My Fair Lady, The Fantastics and Four Guys Named Jose.

Coming full circle, this year we again present Oliver, which was the first production we presented in our amphitheater many years ago. Quite an extraordinary list for a little school in a beach town in Mexico. But these are extraordinary kids.

Melissa O’Neil is Assistant Choreographer and Elizabeth Mason is the Music Director.

This Musical will be playing from March 5th-7th, 2009 at the American School Amphitheater, located in Marina Vallarta. Admission is $100 pesos. Showtime is at 7:30 pm.

For more information contact Elena Garza at mailto:egarza(at)aspv.edu.mx

Changes Come to Santa Barbara Theater

Due to the rapidly changing schedule at the Santa Barbara Theater, it is best to phone the box office before going to any performance. Make your reservations or get information by calling 223-2048 from noon to 8 pm.

WEBSITE CALENDAR

By Ann Marie Danimus

Due to my recent illness, I have asked Slade Seehawer, my cousin and one of the co-owners of Santa Barbara Theater, to come to Puerto Vallarta and help with the running of the theater and Broadway Café.

In addition to some personnel changes, Slade and Liv Boughn have made some exciting and innovative changes and additions to the show schedule. Liv is now the Managing Artistic Director, in addition to her duties in teaching acting classes.

The shows that will continue thru February are “Los Bambinos,” “Liza MANelli,” and ““Follies Vallarta” on Saturdays – This new show brings a kind of excitement to our stage that you have grown to expect from our performers. You’ll be singing along with the cast and dancing in the aisles, I promise. .” If you haven’t seen these shows, fear not, you still have time to enjoy the excitement of these upbeat shows.

On Tuesdays, Slade has brought back Alex Ryder to do her hit show “Pure Piaf.” Alex will also be presenting a new show, “This Could be the Start of Something,” which is a tribute to Steve and Edie, who individually were award-winning stars, and together brought new heights of quality performance to the stage. “Something” will be on our stage on Wednesdays for the first 3 weeks of February.

Are you a movie buff? Do you like some of the great movies of the past? Then Thursday evening is for you! Starting at 8 PM, we will show one of the great classic movies that has come out of Hollywood. Here’s the best part – YOU get to choose the movie. Stop by Santa Barbara Theater any time that the box office is open, from Monday morning to Thursday afternoon and vote for the movie that you’d like to see. Voting closes at 4 PM, Thursday and the winning movie will be announced before 5 PM. One vote per person, please.

Box Office open Monday to Saturday, 11 AM to 7 PM. Show tickets are $220 pesos. Dinner and a show is $350 pesos. NOTE: dinner starts at 6:30 and is not served during the show. SPECIAL PRICE for Classic Movie Night – Movie only – $50 pesos.

There is more drama in theater….
CANCELLED: AS OF JANUARY 7, THESE SHOWS HAVE MOVED, ONCE AGAIN, TO THE SANTA BARBARA THEATER….

Shows are 100 pesos. Mexican Feast before the show is 110 pesos.

Liza MANelli – Tuesdays, 9 pm

On Tuesdays at 9pm, South Beach is pleased to present Liza MANelli.

The team that brought you “Bob Fosse and all that dance” brings their first drag show to life with Paul Guerrero starring as Liza. Accompanied by four energetic and talented back-up dancers, the show takes you on a roller coaster ride through the greatest hits of Liza Manelli. With a distinct style and impeccable taste Paul brings this American icon to life in a fun and exciting way yet to be seen. Coupled with the great choreography we have come to know and love from Freddy and Paul to songs such as “New York, New York”, “Some People”, “Where is the Love” and “City Lights” the audience will find a delightful, sometimes funny, sometimes dramatic, but always entertaining show. Be sure to watch for the special guests and remember, “life is a cabaret, my friend.”

Nunsense – Thursdays – 9pm

“Nunsense” is the celebrated musical comedy about the whacked-out antics of some feisty nuns from Hoboken, New Jersey, on vacation in Puerto Vallarta. When some of the sisters drown in Banderas Bay while on a banana boat ride, the surviving four nuns put on an emergency fund-raising show full of pun-punched songs and high-energy dance routines. Fabulously directed and choreographed by Freddy and Paul you will be out-of-breath from laughing and smiling.

Bums on Broadway – Fridays – 9 pm

“Bums on Broadway” features fabulous numbers from famous Broadway musicals including “Smokey Joe’s Café,” “Hairspray,” “Godspell,” “The Color Purple” and “Chicago,” just to name a few. “Bums on Broadway” is so captivating we dare you not to jump out of your seat and join the cast in their musical celebration.

South Beach, Ignacio L Vallarta 264 (at Cárdenas), Old Town, Puerto Vallarta.
WEBSITE: http://www.southbeachpv.com/
TEL: 322 223 4007

Grown-ups: Get your ACT together with Acting Classes for Adults!

Liv Boughn, Professional Actress and Acting Instructor will begin teaching a new acting class for adults beginning January 6th due to popular demand. Classes will be held at the Santa Barbara Theater with a focus on: scene-study, monologue work, character development, improvisation and traditional theater exercises. Space is limited to ensure personalized attention for all students. Adult Acting will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 4:00-5:30 p.m., $800 pesos/month.

Her dynamic Classes for Kids ages 6-12 yrs. will reconvene the week of January 5th on Mondays and Wednesdays. In addition, Liv’s popular High School Acting Class for teens will resume on Tuesdays/Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Call the theater at 223-2048 or email her at: pvactress (at) hotmail.com for more information.

Boughn graduated from the highly selective Theater Conservatory Program at the University of Southern California. She is an award winning actress, public speaker and international model whose credits include lead roles in over 35 plays and several guest appearances on TV and film. She has also had success in commercial acting and has been featured in promos for MTV, The Discovery Channel, and in dozens of commercials for clients such as: Alaska Airlines, Ford Motors, Miller Light, Marriott Hotels, etc. Additionally, Liv was chosen to represent the U.S.A. in the 1998 International Children’s Theatre Festival in Croatia.

Many of Liv’s students and coaching clients have continued their education at prestigious acting programs and are now at top agencies. For example, one of her Puerto Vallarta coaching clients was the talented Jayce Johnson who is now at Hart College specializing in musical theater. Still others have excelled by booking theatrical, commercial and print campaigns including: Seventeen Magazine, Noxzema, Gillette and Dove. A few have been on primetime shows such as ER, on major Disney series, movies such as “Transformers” and “Charlie’s Angels, Full Throttle,” and have worked with producers such as Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, and Steven Spielberg. One of Liv’s former students is the now famous Shia LaBeouf who played the latest young Indiana Jones in “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.”