Chorus Information

 

Altarena Playhouse

Frederick L. Chacon, Artistic Director

Information last updated: 2008-06-01
Status: Current

Basic Information

Description: This is an amateur, community group, open to the general public.
Web Address: http://www.altarena.org
Year Estab: 1938
Mission: Since 1938, Alameda Little Theatre Inc. has been presenting live theater in Alameda. In 1957 the company acquired an abandoned grocery store on High Street and turned it into the Altarena Playhouse, where we have been presenting creative, intimate, and artistically ambitious stagings of plays, musicals and revues ever since. Our inclusive and welcoming atmosphere makes Altarena a great place to go " for patrons and a "great place to work " for artists. From re-envisioning the classics to promoting new works, our critically-acclaimed productions and our educational outreach programs foster greater appreciation and understanding of the theater arts in Alameda and throughout the Bay Area. "
Emphasis: Stage Musicals.
Size: Various
Concerts/Year: One musical for 18-25 performances. Two special v
Auditions: Held at the theatre on announced dates. Auditions are held in late January. Candidates are required to sing a song of their own choosing; bring sheet music in your key. Do dance steps shown by choreographer. Read from script.
Dues: No
Dress: Production costumes as required.
Rehearsals: Monday; Tuesday;, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., Altarena Playhouse, 1409 High Street, Alameda

Categories

Type of Music: Musicals/Theater
 Type of Chorus: Opera/Theater
Rehearse City: Alameda
Region: Alameda County West
Audition Req'd: Y

Chorus Contact Information

Mailing Address: 1409 High Street, Alameda, 94501
Phone: (510) 523-1553

Other Information

Related Groups: Trios, quartets, and small groups as needed.
History: The Altarena Playhouse began life in 1938 as the Alameda Little Theatre and has continued on its course of providing theatrical entertainment for 70 years. Altarena is the oldest continuously operating community theatre in the Bay Area. Over 500,000 people have seen shows at Altarena! The first play produced was Riddle Me This " opening on April 21, 1939 at the Adelphian Club. Later shows were done at the Alameda Hotel. The first permanent home was the Hideaway Playhouse; so named because it was hidden away behind Cottage Baths in a converted dance hall at Alameda's famed Neptune Beach. The group performed on a regular stage for eight years. In 1957, A.L.T. moved to an abandoned grocery store at 1409 High Street. Because the building was so small, it was decided to seat the audience on all four sides and perform in the middle. This is "theatre in the round "; the name "Altarena " was derived by taking the initials of Alameda Little Theatre, A.L.T., and adding the style of performing, "arena. " In 13 years the non-profit organization succeeded in paying off the mortgage on the building, and in 1970 a mortgage-burning party was held. Through the years, The Altarena Playhouse has presented musicals, comedies, and dramas. We currently present six main productions each season, as well as several special events, concerts, and benefit performances. Anyone may audition, and many Alamedans fondly recall their moment of stardom at Altarena. 1939 Riddle Me This • Button, Button • Outward Bound • The Late Christopher Bean 1940 Goodbye Again • Three Cornered Moon • Ten Nights in a Barroom • Small Miracle • The Night of January 16th • Family Portrait 1941 Streets of New York • Flight to the West • Night Must Fall • Private Lives • White Oaks • Love Rides the Rails 1946 Out of the Frying Pan 1947 Joan of Lorraine • The Importance of Being Earnest • The Perils of Nellie • The Royal Family 1948 The Duchess Says Her Prayers • Yes, My Darling Daughter • The New Poor • Red Peppers • Candlelight • Here Today • Ladies of the Jury • Life with Mother 1949 Chicken Every Sunday • The Terror of Shirttail Gulch 1950 Joan of Lorraine • Dirty Work at the Crossroads • Born Yesterday • Kind Lady • Life with Mother • Kitty Doone • See How They Run • Sight Unseen 1951 John Loves Mary • Second Best Bed • Strange Bedfellows • Mr. Barry's Etchings 1952 The Bat • The Woes of Winifred • The Silver Whistle 1953 Goodbye My Fancy • The Happy Time 1954 Mister Roberts • Our Hearts Were Young and Gay • Bertha, the Beautiful Typewriter Girl 1955 Detective Story • Dial "M " for Murder • My Three Angels • Two Blind Mice • Time Out for Ginger 1956 Lo and Behold • Sabrina Fair • Comrade, Comrade • The Caine Mutiny Court Martial • Mother is a Freshman 1957 Blithe Spirit • Don Juan in Hell • Double Door • Run For Your Lives • The Solid Gold Cadillac • Miranda • Teahouse of the August Moon • The Tender Trap • Witness for the Prosecution 1958 Here Today • The Reclining Figure • White Sheep of the Family • Janus • All My Sons • Bus Stop • The Reluctant Debutante • The Moon is Blue • The Desk Set 1959 The Happiest Millionaire • A Visit To A Small Planet • All For Mary • The Country Girl 1960 Romanoff and Juliet • The Girls in 509 • Guys and Dolls • 1961 Kind Sir • Roar Like a Dove • Bells Are Ringing • The Boy Friend • The Pleasure of His Company 1962 Wildcat • A Majority of One • Critic's Choice 1963 Born Yesterday • The Rainmaker • Gypsy • Everybody Loves Opal • Affairs of State 1964 Straight Down the Crooked Path • Oh Men! Oh Women! • The Unsinkable Molly Brown • A Shot in the Dark • A Thousand Clowns • The Best Man 1965 Come Blow Your Horn • Bell, Book and Candle • The Waltz of the Toreadors • They Knew What They Wanted • Death of a Salesman • The Curious Savage • Night Must Fall 1966 Sunday in New York • 110 in the Shade • Ready When You Are C.B. • Little Mary Sunshine • The Chalk Garden 1967 The Women • Marriage-Go-Round • Any Wednesday • First Impressions • She Loves Me 1968 Three Men on a Horse • The Old Maid • The Odd Couple • The Medium • All About Eve • Barefoot in the Park • High Spirits 1969 The Hobbit • Catch Me If You Can • Nobody Loves an Albatross • All Singing, All Talking, All Dancing • The Star-Spangled Girl • Witness for the Prosecution • Don't Drink the Water 1970 Lock Up Your Daughters • Cactus Flower • Dear Me, The Sky is Falling • The Medium • Arsenic and Old Lace 1971 I Do! I Do! • The Lion in Winter • There's a Girl in My Soup • The Fantasticks • Plaza Suite 1972 70, Girls, 70 • Forty Carats • You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown • Angela • The Impossible Years 1973 Charley's Aunt • George M! • Black Comedy / White Liars • Henry, Sweet Henry • Play It Again, Sam 1974 Bell, Book and Candle • Curly McDimple • The Moon is Blue • Janus • 6 Rms Riv Vu 1975 The Importance of Being Earnest • Plain and Fancy • Ladies in Retirement • The Boy Friend • Send Me No Flowers 1976 Enter Laughing • Bye, Bye Birdie • Charley's Aunt • Father of the Bride • Wait Until Dark 1977 Dames at Sea • The Girl in the Freudian Slip • Goodbye Charlie • Never Too Late • The Sunshine Boys 1978 The Solid Gold Cadillac • Kiss Me Kate • A Mighty Man is He • Mary, Mary • Last of the Red Hot Lovers 1979 Gaslight • Little Mary Sunshine • Harvey • Boeing-Boeing • The Odd Couple 1980 The Little Foxes • Applause • No Sex, Please - We're British • Personal Appearance • California Suite 1981 Auntie Mame • Very Good, Eddie • Finishing Touches • Barefoot in the Park • The Man Who Came to Dinner 1982 Night Must Fall • Ernest in Love • Norman, Is That You? • Blithe Spirit • Under the Yum-Yum Tree 1983 Light Up the Sky • Leave It To Jane • Charley's Aunt • Born Yesterday • Chapter Two 1984 Another Part of the Forest • The Student Gypsy • Anniversary Waltz • Hay Fever • I Ought to Be in Pictures 1985 Horowitz and Mrs. Washington • West Side Story • Norman, Is That You? • Come Blow Your Horn • Towards Zero 1986 The Torchbearers • Anything Goes • Dracula • How the Other Half Loves • Alone Together 1987 The Gin Game • Babes in Arms • The Odd Couple • The Anniversary • Brighton Beach Memoirs 1988 Nightwatch • Oklahoma! • My Three Angels • Dames at Sea • Dial "M " for Murder 1989 Arsenic and Old Lace • The Student Gypsy • Charley's Aunt • Last of the Red Hot Lovers • Social Security 1990 Legends! • She Loves Me • The Trip to Bountiful • Run for Your Wife! • You Can't Take It With You 1991 What Did We Do Wrong? • Carousel • The Second Time Around • Move Over Mrs. Markham • Butterflies Are Free 1992 Mrs. Gibbons' Boys • The Pajama Game • Enter Laughing • There Goes the Bride • Any Wednesday 1993 I'm Not Rappaport • The Fantasticks • Harvey • The Sunshine Boys 1994 Love, Sex and the I.R.S. • Little Mary Sunshine • It Runs in the Family • The Foreigner • Having a Wonderful Time, • Wish You Were Here! 1995 The Philadelphia Story • Guys and Dolls • Wife Begins at Forty • The Nerd • Play It Again, Sam 1996 The Seven Year Itch • South Pacific • I Hate Hamlet • The Odd Couple • Don't Mention My Name 1997 The Impossible Years • Annie Get Your Gun • Rumors • Stepping Out • Lend Me a Tenor 1998 Come Blow Your Horn • Damn Yankees • Barefoot in the Park • You Can't Take It With You • The 1940's Radio Hour 1999 Bell, Book and Candle • The Sound of Music • Jake's Women • Bullshot Crummond • Greetings 2000 Our Town • The Belle of Amherst • A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum • Scotland Road • Moon Over Buffalo • Hello, Dolly! • An Original Christmas Carol 2001 Communicating Doors • Turn of the Screw • Quilters • Eleemosynary • The Importance of Being Earnest • Front Page • Commedia Tonight! • Lion in Winter • Sounds of the Season 2002 Power Plays • A Flea in Her Ear • Carnival! • A Night of Tennessee Williams • The Mousetrap • She Loves Me • Shirley Valentine 2003 Forever Plaid • Over the River & Through the Woods • Once Upon a Mattress • One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest • Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical • Thinderella 2004 Plaza Suite • Company • Nuts • Tintypes • Scapino! 2005 Blithe Spirit • Nunsense • Crimes of the Heart • Oh My Godmother!** • Cabaret • Loot • Thunderbabe** 2006 The Taffetas • Death of a Salesman • The Foreigner • You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown • Merrily We Roll Along • The Man Who Saved Christmas** 2007 A Grand Night For Singing • Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? • The Last Five Years • Morning's At Seven • Dietrich & Piaf: The Intimate Song* • Urinetown, The Musical • Oh My Godmother! * Denotes special (non-season) production. ** Denotes Altarena world premiere of an original work. 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