Rubicon Theatre Company of Ventura
Kicks off First Week of New Special Event Series
VENTURA LIVE!
Music, Laughter and Magic
Featuring One-Night and Short-Run Concerts, Jam Sessions, New Play Readings, Magic Nights, Comedy, and Much More
10 Events! May 11 – June 15 at Rubicon Theatre in Ventura
May 7, 2024 (Ventura, CA) – Rubicon Theatre Company, celebrating its 25th Anniversary Season this year, announces the launch of its exciting new special event series, “VENTURA LIVE! Music, Laughter and Magic, ”featuring one-night and short-run concerts, jam sessions, new play readings, magic nights, comedy, and much more. The series runs from May 11 – June 15, 2024. From a reading of a new rock-and-roll musical to a side-splitting comedy and soulful tributes, this diverse series promises something for everyone. Rubicon is also thrilled to open a new outdoor patio for patrons to enjoy just in time for the VENTURA LIVE series (and beyond), featuring food trucks and specially crafted themed cocktails. Food trucks and cocktail service starts 2 hours before showtime and goes through intermission. Guests are encouraged to arrive early. All events will take place at Rubicon’s home, The Karyn Jackson Theatre in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, 1006 E. Main Street. For tickets, go to www.rubicontheatre.org or call (805) 667-2900.
“We are thrilled to launch our new series ‘VENTURA LIVE!’ an exciting milestone for us,” says KARYL LYNN BURNS, Producing Artistic Director of Rubicon Theatre Company.
“The ideas came from a desire to make the theatre more of a community hub,” continues Burns, “and to welcome new audiences to our venue.”
“Our goal is to produce and present events between our mainstage theatrical productions and on off-nights at the theatre,” continues Burns, “and to expand our offerings with a diverse range of live entertainment that will bring more music, joy and laughter to audiences of all ages at an affordable price. (Most events are between $20 and $40, with some free.) With such a diverse lineup of talent and entertainment, VENTURA LIVE! has something for everyone to enjoy.”
This Weekend’s Lineup:
Sat., May 11 @ 7 pm
MAKE YOUR OWN KIND OF MUSIC
Celebrate Mother’s Day Weekend with Hit Songs by Iconic Women in Music of the ’60s and ’70s
Tickets: $39.50
Starring HEATHER YOUMANS
Featuring Special Musical Guests RAINEE BLAKE, THERESE CURATOLO, MALYNDA HALE, AND STEPHANIA POURGOURI
Directed by DAN FISHBACH
Musical Direction by BRENDAN COYLE
HEATHER YOUMANS (from Dark of the Moon at Rubicon), an all-star band and special musical guests from “The Voice,” and “American Idol,” as they celebrate the hit songs and stories of the most iconic women in music from the 1960s and 70s, including CAROLE KING, JONI MITCHELL, TINA TURNER, DIONNE WARWICK, ARETHA FRANKLIN, OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN, STEVIE NICKS, KAREN CARPENTER, DIANA ROSS & The Supremes, LINDA RONSTADT and more! Journey through the “golden age of popular music” — from Laurel Canyon folk songs and Woodstock rock anthems to the rise of disco and protest songs that empowered a generation.
Featured Food Truck: INDULGIA EATS will be serving mouthwatering food from 5 pm through intermission. A blend of ‘Indul’gence and Nostal’gia’, Indulgia’s cuisine is a celebration of traditional Indo-Global eats paired with a SoCal flair, lending a unique culinary journey that engages all the senses.
Sunday, May 12 @ 3 pm (Mother’s Day)
FROM BROOKLYN TO BROADWAY
Tony and Emmy Award-Winner Lillias White in Concert
Tickets: $39.50
Music Director ABDUL HAMID ROYAL
Star of 16 (count ‘em, 16!) Broadway shows, including her recent triumph in Hadestown on Broadway, divine diva LILLIAS WHITE brings her special blend of charisma and star-power to the Rubicon stage for a special Mother’s Day Concert to perform some of Broadway’s best-loved songs. White is internationally recognized for her work on both the stage and screen. Her performance in Cy Coleman’s Broadway musical The Life won her the TONY® Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. She was nominated for a second TONY® Award for her brilliant work in Fela! Additional Broadway credits include Barnum, Dreamgirls, Cats, Carrie, Once on This Island, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, and Chicago. Rubicon audiences will remember White for her ovation-winning roles in The Best is Yet to Come (also Off-Broadway, Drama Desk Award), and for Gem of the Ocean. In addition to several Broadway cast albums, White has recorded the critically acclaimed albums “Get Yourself Some Happy!” and “From Brooklyn to Broadway.”
The VENTURA LIVE! Series is produced by ANTHONY M. COLOMBO and JULIA DONLON for Rubicon, and JAY PONTI for Be the Revolution.
To purchase tickets online, or for more information about VENTURA LIVE!, visit www.rubicontheatre.org.Tickets are also available by phone at 805.667.2900, or may be purchased in-person at Rubicon Theatre Company’s home, The Karyn Jackson Theatre, located at 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 (Laurel entrance). Guest Services is open from Noon to 6:00 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.
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About Rubicon Theatre Company
Rubicon Theatre has been described as “the rising star of the Southern California cultural constellation.” The not-for-profit professional regional theatre company has reached more than 540,000 attendees and more than 53,000 students. Rubicon serves area residents and visitors with innovative productions of classic and contemporary plays, as well as a wide array of educational programs and events. Acclaimed by critics and industry professionals, the company has received the L.A. Drama Critics Margaret Harford Special Award for “Sustained Excellence,” Drama Desk Awards for the Off-Broadway productions of The Best is Yet to Come and Daddy Long Legs and has won more than 20 Ovation Awards from the L.A. Stage Alliance.
Just prior to the pandemic, Rubicon transferred three shows to New York (Wiesenthal – Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations; Lonesome Traveler – Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Award nominations; and Daddy Long Legs (Drama Desk Award). Rubicon has welcomed a steady stream of high-profile actors and directors to the stage, including BRUNO and ODISEO BICHIR, ALISON BRIE, SUSAN CLARK, DANA DELANY, CONCHATA FERRELL, BONNIE FRANKLIN, HAROLD GOULD, JOEL GREY, LARRY HAGMAN, BILL IRWIN, STACY KEACH, JACK LEMMON, AMANDA McBROOM, TED NEELEY, LAUREN PATTEN, PAUL PROVENZA, LINDA PURL, RONDI REED, JOHN RITTER, JOE SPANO, BRUCE WEITZ, LILLIAS WHITE and others. Company members are GEORGE BALL, JOSEPH FUQUA, JOE SPANO and JENNY SULLIVAN.
Based in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District, just blocks from the Pacific Ocean, Rubicon resides in a 185-seat historic church built in the 1920s. In this renovated historic landmark, audience members are never further than 10 rows from the stage on the main floor.
True to the company’s name and the vision of artistic directors KARYL LYNN BURNS and JAMES O’NEIL, Rubicon has created an environment where commitment and risk are encouraged, and where artists are nurtured and respected. As a result, the company has gained a reputation for producing invigorating interpretations of the classics and for supporting the development of new works. Rubicon presents at least one World Premiere each season, as well as readings of works-in-progress.
Deeply rooted in the region it serves, Rubicon offers extensive outreach programs, including daytime matinees for high school students, after-school and weekend programs for at-risk youth, and summer musical theatre, drama, and technical theatre camps.
A board of directors of prominent social and civic leaders governs Rubicon under the leadership of President DOUG HALTER and Honorary Chair Rosa Lee Measures. The company is also supported by an advisory group of regional ambassadors and a volunteer auxiliary.
Rubicon Theatre Companys is located in The Karyn Jackson Theatre at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District.
For more information about Rubicon Theatre Company, or to purchase tickets, call (805) 667-2900 or go to www.rubicontheatre.org.
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