Photo by David Allen
Various "Best of Broadway" outfits charge an arm and a leg for touring productions, only some of which meet Broadway standard, but there are some Bay Area organizations, which charge less and give more. Among them is Foothill Music Theatre in Los Altos, currently offering the great Rodgers & Hammerstein South Pacific, for admission ranging from $10 to $28 — an excellent bargain.
Milissa Carey is stage director, Mark Hanson music director, and Michael Ryken is the choreographer. Singing "Some Enchanted Evening," "Younger Than Springtime," "There Is Nothing Like a Dame," "Bali Ha'i," and all other other big numbers: Madison Genovese as Nellie Forbush, Daniel Cameron as Emile de Becque, Jackie DeMuro as Bloody Mary, and a cast of two or three dozen (I stopped counting).
The theater company, originating in Foothill College's Theatre and Music Department, has had a remarkable record, taking on big, complex musicals over the years, and winning many awards.