Before the pandemic arrived in 2020, Chula Vista’s Teatro Máscara Mágica presented its “La Pastorela” Christmas musicals onstage at the Old Globe and San Diego Repertory Theatre for 29 years.
During pandemic times, Teatro’s resident playwright Max Branscomb has kept the “Pastorela” tradition alive with audio versions of the show. The 2021 play, “La Pastorela de Curandera,” was recorded for broadcast on KNSJ 89.1 FM in December, and it’s now available online for free.
Pastorelas are Mexican Christmas plays inspired by the story of the shepherd who traveled to Bethlehem for the birth of baby Jesus. In 1989, Teatro Máscara Mágica was founded by local Latino directors William A. Virchis and Jorge Huerta, and two years later, they produced their first “La Pastorela” play in collaboration with the Old Globe. Since 1993, Branscomb has been writing new scripts each year for the plays, which mix the traditional shepherd’s story with lively songs, satire, topical references and two wisecracking angels, Michael and Gabriel, trying to protect the traveling shepherds from the devil’s influence.
To record the 2021 production, Branscomb — a longtime journalism professor at Southwestern College in Chula Vista — and recording engineer David Rivas set up a sound stage in Sweetwater Community Church. Branscomb, Rivas and Branscomb’s daughter, Chanel Marie Branscomb, played and sang all of the parts. The recording was made with the support of a San Diego County community enhancement grant.
A link to the audio recording for “La Pastorela de Curandera” (“curandera” is Spanish for “healer”) can be found on the Bonitafest Melodrama’s home page at facebook.com/bonitafestmelodrama. On the same page is a link to the 2020 version of the play “La Pastorela del Gozo” (“gozo” is Spanish for “joy”).
Cygnet Theatre trims run of ‘Life Sucks’
Cygnet Theatre joined many other local theaters last week in announcing a change to its upcoming show dates, in light of the current COVID-19 case surge.
Aaron Posner’s comedy-drama “Life Sucks” was originally slated to run Jan. 26 through Feb. 27. Now it will open Feb. 3 in a shortened run that concludes Feb. 27. For details, visit cygnettheatre.com.
Broadway San Diego brings back awards
Broadway San Diego, which presents touring theater productions at the San Diego Civic Theatre and Balboa Theatre, has announced it will bring back its Broadway San Diego Awards program on May 29 at the Balboa Theatre.
The competition will feature 20 nominated San Diego County high school musical theater students competing for two spots to represent San Diego at The Jimmy Awards, a national high school musical theater competition in New York City on July 27. Because many local high schools were unable to produce musicals in 2021, theater teachers were invited to submit online nominations of their most promising students through Jan. 14. Students will submit video auditions that will be used by judges to select the top 20 competitors for the live competition in May.
“We are excited to host the Broadway San Diego Awards with a hybrid model this year,” Vanessa Davis, Broadway San Diego’s general manager, said in a statement. “This program is meaningful to us, and we are determined to share this opportunity with students across San Diego County that can take aspiring young artists to the next level.”
Details can be found at Awards.BroadwaySD.com.
Old Globe announces free youth programs
The Old Globe is now accepting applications from high school students for two free summer training programs.
The Pam Farr Summer Shakespeare Studio will offer an intensive curriculum of acting, movement, music and writing, voice and speech training, stage combat and text interpretation. There will also be master classes by experts in the field. The program runs weekdays from July 11 through Aug. 5 at Hoover High School.
The Theatre Design Studio program will offer three four-day training sessions in set, costume and prop design, and students will also attend lectures and participate in group activities to complete a final project. The sessions run June 21-24 (costume), June 28-July 1 (sets) and July 5-8 (props) at the Old Globe in Balboa Park.
Application deadline for both programs is April 1 and in-person interviews will be held through April 30. For details, visit theoldglobe.org/edp-pages/2021/studio-programs-for-youth/.
San Diego Opera announces ‘Cosi’ cast change
San Diego Opera announced last week that Gihoon Kim, the South Korean baritone who was set to make his North American debut playing Guglielmo in the company’s February production of “Cosi fan tutte,” has withdrawn for personal reasons. Kim was the winner of the 2021 Cardiff Singer of the World competition.
Kim will be replaced by American baritone John Brancy, who won first prize in the art song division at the 2018 Concours Musical International de Montreal competition. In 2020, Brancy received a Grammy Award in the Best Opera Recording category for his lead performance in Boston Modern Orchestra Project’s recording of Tobias Picker’s opera “Fantastic Mr. Fox.”
Pam Kragen writes about local theater for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Email her at [email protected]
