Broadway by the Sea Returns in August by Kathryn Bumpass

Summertime on the Central Coast means the return of Opera San Luis Obispo's annual American classic outdoor concert, Broadway by the Sea. Save the date, Saturday, August 16. The gate will open at 1pm, the concert begins at 2pm. This year's theme is "Great Broadway Ensembles," and the performance will feature a vocal quartet and pianist.

The afternoon will be packed with great Broadway ensembles from such musicals as Guys and Dolls, Les Miserables, Show Boat, Candide, Cabaret, and other masterpieces of the musical stage.

Arrive early, picnic with friends, bid on silent auction items, stroll the gardens, observe plein air painters, enjoy wine tasting and marvel at the glorious views from the historic Chapman House, one of the Central Coast's most stunning and exclusive locations.

Soprano Kristin Towers-Rowles is a multi-award winning musical theater performer and director from Los Angeles. She has performed in such works as Phantom of the Opera/Les Miserables in Concert, The Mikado, Kiss Me, Kate, and Sunday in the Park with George. She was recently seen in the role of Magnolia in OperaSLO's production of Show Boat, following in the footsteps of her grandmother Kathryn Grayson who sang the role in the classic 1951 MGM film.

Singing the part of Ravenal in that same show was tenor Craig McEldowney. He has toured extensively in the United States and Europe, performing in such works as We Will Rock You, Jesus Christ Superstar, Ragtime, and Grease. Craig is also a songwriter, and has placed several of his songs in indie films. You may even have seen him on television, with roles in Law and Order: SVU, One Life to Live, and All My Children.

Shira Renee Thomas comes from the world of opera, having performed fifteen diverse leading roles, among them Juliette in Gounod's Romeo et Juliette, Lucia in Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, Violetta in Verdi's La Traviata and Marguerite in Gounod's Faust. She is a resident artist at Opera Pacifica.

Dylan F. Thomas also has many operatic roles to his credit, such as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly, Cavaradossi in Tosca, Alfredo in Verdi's La Traviata, and Don Jose in Bizet's Carmen. He has also appeared in numerous musicals, including Fiddler on the Roof, Oklahoma, and, And the World Goes Round. He is co-founder and co-artistic director of Center Stage Opera in Canoga Park, CA.

Pianist Jake Anthony works as a composer, vocal coach and music director in the Los Angeles area. He serves as music director of the Academy for New Musical Theater's Performers' Workshop and conducts the new "theatrichorale" Perpetual Surrey. As a composer he co-wrote a 15-minute opera Oh, God, We're Gonna Die! with Jeff Marx. He has also composed two full-length shows, Now and Then a Hero (book and lyrics by Larry Todd Johnson) and Wanting Miss Julie (a book by John Sparks and lyrics by Patricia Zehentmayr).

Hear these talented artists at Broadway by the Sea, Saturday, August 16. Tickets are $45 for a concert seat, $60 for a table seat, $480 for a table of eight. Purchase online at Opera SLO, or by telephoning 805-541-5369.

See you there!