OpenStage Repertory Theater

OpenStage Repertory Theater was founded by Jon Rosen in 2000 as a musical repertory company in Santa Cruz, California. During its first three seasons of existence, it was an itinerant company that did several shows each season: 2000 - The Millenium Season February/March - The Fantasticks at Actors' Theatre June/July - Annie Warbucks at Pacific Cent... er 2001 - The Odyssey Season January/February - Tomfoolery at Broadway Playhouse July/August - Nunsense at Actors' Theatre 2002 - The Palindrome Season April - Hair at The Rio Theatre and Veterans' Memorial Hall June - Tomfoolery 2002 at Actors' Theatre July - Hair (encore) at The Rio Theatre In 2003, the company moved to San Francisco and became a co-resident company of Goat Hall in Potrero Hill, sharing the venue with Goat Hall Productions, San Francisco's cabaret opera company. Opening its first San Francisco-based season ("The Golden Gate Season"), OpenStage once again encored its acclaimed production of Tomfoolery, and followed with a surefire summer pleaser, the operetta spoof Little Mary Sunshine by Rick Besoyan. The company's efforts to present the Bay Area premiere of Kander and Ebb's dance marathon musical, Steel Pier, were frustrated when their venue, Goat Hall, was faced with problems limiting seating capacity. This also caused the cancellation of the remainder of the Golden Gate Season, which was to close with Scrooge The Musical, by Leslie Bricusse, based on the 1970 film starring Albert Finney. However, despite these setbacks, OpenStage will return in 2004 ("The Phoenix Season") at the Shelton Theater, in the heart of Union Square with two productions: Nunsense A-Men! by Dan Goggin and another encore presentation of Tomfoolery, based on the words and music of Tom Lehrer.Read More