Santa Monica’s Morgan-Wixson Theatre Youth Education/Entertainment Series this weekend opens performances of the pop culture phenomenon “Schoolhouse Rock Live!”
The Emmy Award-winning 1970s Saturday morning cartoon series that taught history, grammar, math, and more through clever, tuneful songs is lighting up the stage.
Opening today, Feb. 1 and continuing through Feb. 16, the play follows Tom, a nerve-wracked school teacher who is nervous about his first day of teaching.
He tries to relax by watching TV when various characters representing facets of his personality emerge from the set and show him how to win his students over with imagination and music, through such songs as “Just A Bill,” “Lolly, Lolly, Lolly,” and “Conjunction Junction.”
“Schoolhouse Rock Live!” is directed by Anne Gesling, who continually manages to bring the patrons out in droves to see her productions, such as this past November’s “Disney’s Beauty and the Beast.”
In 2011, the theatre had record-breaking ticket sales with the Gesling-directed youth musical “Seussical” and the Los Angeles premiere of “Pinkalicious, The Musical.”
She continued her successes in 2012-2013 with last season’s box office pleasers “Once Upon a Mattress,” “Freckleface Strawberry: The Musical,” and “Madeline & The Gypsies.”
She recently produced sold-out performances of “Le PeTiT CiRqUe: The Journey of You” and this past summer, she directed the smashing success “Spamalot!” on the Morgan-Wixson main stage.
Performances will be held Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am.
Morgan-Wixson Theatre is located at 2627 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $8 for children aged 12 or younger.
Reserved seats are available at www.morgan-wixson.org or by phone at 310.828.7519.
