ShowTime’s “Where Legends Began”

Laurie Farquhar

What nightclub can say it was home to such legendary performers as Joni Mitchell, Lady Gaga, and Woody Allen before they were famous? Over the decades, The Bitter End nightclub in Greenwich Village has seen hundreds of your favorite musicians and comedians try out their early material in front of New York City audiences, and ShowTime is recreating some of those celebrated moments when it presents its original musical revue, Where Legends Began, in November.

The Bitter End opened in 1961 as an unpretentious coffee house, home to Tuesday night “hootenannies” and laid-back folk songs. Over the years, it expanded to become New York City’s oldest rock and roll venue. Despite its fame, the club still seats only 230 people and performers sit or stand in front of the familiar brick wall, so audiences feel like they are part of the performance.

Director Dave Silverstein says Where Legends Began will trace the history of The Bitter End from its coffeehouse days to the present and the show will highlight some of the more memorable moments in the club’s history. Did you know that a few of the most famous performers bombed in their early appearances at The Bitter End?

Where Legends Began will run six nights from Monday, Nov. 16 through Saturday, Nov. 21 with all performances in the Renaissance Theater starting at 7 p.m.

Tickets go on sale on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 8 a.m. online. To purchase tickets, go to the HOA website at pebblecreekhoa.org. Click on “Things to Do” and then scroll down to “Ticket Sales.” All seats are $20, which includes the service fees. MasterCard and Visa are accepted.

The Bitter End is so beloved that the NYC council designated July 23 “Bitter End Day.” With Where Legends Began, ShowTime audiences will have the opportunity to learn what makes this iconic club so special. And the icing on the cake is that some of PebbleCreek’s most talented singers and musicians will be recreating the story. You too may feel like you are watching new talent blossom right here in the Renaissance Theater.

New Tap and Jazz Classes

Laurie Farquhar

It’s almost a new season and time to look at trying something different. How about checking out tap and jazz dance classes?

Starting in October, PebbleCreek Choreographer Karyn Horst is offering new dance classes for anyone who has never danced before or who would like to brush off their old tap and/or jazz shoes from years ago and get back into dancing.

Classes will be available for several different levels of dance experience, from beginner on up. For information about days and time, please contact Karyn at 623-535-0587.

Dance is one of the best forms of exercise. It helps increase your strength, flexibility, and coordination; exercises your brain with pattern work; and helps release stress. On top of that, you can expect great music and lots of laughter in all of Karyn’s classes.

Come try something different, meet new people, and have fun. It could be the start of a whole new you.

A New Season Means More Talent and Fun at PebbleCreek Open Mic Nights

Carrie Mataraza

A big thank you to all the PebbleCreekers who joined us for a no-cover-charge evening with Open Mic in July. An enthusiastic audience helped make our mid-summer show a great success, and now we are heading into the fall and adding several new performers who will bring an array of talents to our Open Mic lineup.

As PebbleCreek gets ready for the cooler months ahead, PebbleCreek Open Mic is already signing up acts for the Sept. 18 and Oct. 16 shows and beyond. Each evening typically features 14 acts, with each performance lasting 10 minutes.

PebbleCreek Open Mic is always excited to spotlight resident performers, both seasoned and new. Newcomers and longtime residents often surprise us with talents we never would have guessed, and our goal is to encourage them to share those talents. Whether performers sing, play music, do comedy, or perform magic, we welcome individuals and groups to join our lineup. We are sure they will enjoy our supportive Open Mic crowds as much as the audience will enjoy them.

Welcome, audience members! Open Mic has a $5 cover charge, and exact change is appreciated. Tickets go on sale at 5:30 p.m. on the day of the show at the entrance to the Ballroom in the Eagle’s Nest Clubhouse. The Ballroom doors open at 5:30 p.m., and the show starts at 6 p.m. A cash bar will be available, and take-out food from the Eagle’s Nest restaurant is welcome in the Ballroom during the show.

Note to performers: Upcoming show dates are available on our website: https://sites.google.com/view/pebblecreekopenmic/home. If you would like to perform at one of these shows, please sign up in advance by clicking the Sign-Up form link. The first 14 performers listed for each show will be guaranteed the opportunity to perform on that date. Please do not sign up for two consecutive months so we can vary the acts and give others a chance at the mic. You can view the performer list online, but please note that the names are not listed in performance order for Open Mic Night. Also, we ask performers to review these documents on our site:

* Member Code of Conduct

* Show Rules 

Whether you are behind the mic or in the audience, welcome to a great Friday night with PebbleCreek Open Mic!

Behind the Scenes of “The Outsider”: A Comedy with a Point of View

Carrie Mataraza

You may have heard of The Outsider, PC Players production currently in rehearsal. The political comedy written by Paul Slade Smith has been a very popular play performed by community theaters all over the country this summer. It is so timely for this election season that when PC Players brings this sharp comedy to our stage Oct. 20–24, you’ll want to see it not only for the laughs, but for its thought-provoking satire.

As PC Players takes on The Outsider under Director Sue Tearpak and Assistant Director Debbie Stout, the result is more than a comedy about politics. It is a production built on timing and a director’s eye for the people beneath the humor. The Outsider follows Ned Newley, a reluctant new governor whose discomfort in the public eye becomes the unlikely focus of this fast-moving comedy. PC Players’ production of The Outsider aims to deliver the wit and comic momentum for PC audiences while keeping the characters recognizable and real, not cartoons.

According to Sue Tearpak part of the enjoyment is that none of the roles can be played as a caricature. The comedy comes from smart people making questionable choices under pressure as each believes they are solving their problem. That allows the actors to be funny yet authentic. The play may be set in the office of a governor, but its real subject is something much closer to home: how people respond when expectations shift, confidence falters, and the unlikely person in the room suddenly becomes the one everyone is watching.

Here is what Director Sue and Assistant Director Debbie say about this play they chose to present for PebbleCreek audiences:

Q: What drew you to direct The Outsider for PebbleCreek?

Sue: The Outsider is a play that lets an audience laugh while recognizing something familiar. It’s political without being partisan, and that makes it especially appealing. The comedy comes from human nature: nerves, ambition, loyalty, confusion, and the unexpected ways people rise to the occasion.

Q: What has been your main focus as director?

Sue: It has been on keeping the pace crisp while making sure the characters remain real. Farce and satire work when the audience believes in the situation, even when it becomes outrageous. In a political culture shaped by image and messaging, the idea that an unlikely person could be pushed toward high office feels entirely possible. It isn’t about one party or one election.

Q: Debbie, what does the assistant director bring to a production like this?

Debbie: My job as A.D. is, first and foremost, to keep up with Sue and be organized! I provide my thoughts or suggestions about the production from casting, blocking and characterization, to input about sets, props, and overall production details, coordinating with the team so that Sue can stay focused on the bigger picture.

Q: How would you describe the collaboration between director and assistant director?

Debbie: It is a partnership built on communication. Sue shapes the overall vision, and I help support the practical and artistic details that bring that vision to life. We talk through scenes, pacing, staging, and what the actors may need. The goal always is to serve the story and help the cast feel confident.

Q: How do you approach the political humor in the play?

Debbie: The first order of business was to keep modern-day politics at home, which isn’t hard to do with this show. It ultimately celebrates how even one person can evoke change in how we view politics. This script is so well-written that it is easy to laugh throughout the show while still contemplating what “government, politics … has to do with … real life.” It is always a good sign to have everyone laughing through rehearsals, even knowing the script as well as we do.

Q: Why is The Outsider the right play for PC Players and PebbleCreek?

Sue: Community theater is about connection. A play like this invites people to laugh together. It gives the audience a shared experience, and it reminds us that theater can entertain while also encouraging us to look at the world from a slightly different angle. Our cast has embraced that balance beautifully. They bring pace, precision and heart to the material and understand that the best farce is grounded in honesty. Our audience will recognize these people: the idealist, operators, image-makers and reluctant leaders. I know they will enjoy watching them collide in increasingly hilarious ways.

“Anything Goes” Audition Material Available

Laurie Farquhar

The S.S. American is coming to town this fall, looking for its crew and passengers for next spring’s voyage. Will you be on board the ship when it sets sail in April in ShowTime’s production of Anything Goes?

Auditions for Anything Goes will be in October, but audition material is available now. You can find it online at showtimeproductions.org, and it includes everything from character descriptions to rehearsal schedules.

If you have been thinking that you might be interested in getting involved in PebbleCreek’s thriving theater community, this could be the perfect show to try out for. With more than 20 speaking roles, ranging from just a few lines to main characters, plus several walk-on parts, you are sure to find a role that fits you best. Auditions are open to all PebbleCreek residents.

Anything Goes has been an audience favorite since it first opened on Broadway in 1934. The mistaken identities, the madcap hijinks, and the unexpected romances are guaranteed to make this one of ShowTime’s most exciting productions. Wouldn’t you like to be a part of the fun?

PebbleCreek Singers in Rehearsals

Diane Piehl

Rehearsals begin on Sept. 9 and the chorus will be enjoying the selections for their upcoming holiday concert, “It Must Be the Holiday Season.”

Christmas is coming before we know it and it won’t be a white Christmas, but perhaps you will be home for the holidays. The chorus will share favorite Christmas and holiday music to give you the wonderful spirit we all feel during this treasured time of year. We welcome new baritone, Rick Johnson, to the Singers stage.

If you love to sing and enjoy community, there is still time to join the PebbleCreek Singers for uplifting music, friendship, and fun! All voices are welcome, especially tenors and basses. Rehearsals are on Mondays in the Renaissance Theater beginning at 1:30 p.m. Additional rehearsals will be scheduled (Mondays and Wednesdays) as we near concert dates. Reach out to Virginia Baker at 623-248-6323 for more information. Be on stage with us for the Holiday concert!

Mark your calendars for the dates: Dec. 2-5, with Dec. 5 being a 2 p.m. matinee.