Dinner theater returns to Escondido

By:PAM KRAGEN - Staff Writer | Wednesday, August 13, 2003 8:49 AM PDT ∞

One of San Diego's most successful dinner theater groups will soon begin offering weekly performances at The Fireside Restaurant in Escondido.

H.I.T. Productions will move its popular staging of "Chalk It Up to Murder," which has been playing for the past six months at the Spaghetti Factory in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter, to the long-established Escondido prime rib house on Saturday nights, beginning Sept. 20. The audience-interactive mystery theater program will include a three-course meal (prime rib, chicken or vegetarian entrees), ranging in price from $29.50 to $32.50.

H.I.T. Productions was started five years ago by Scott and Beth McNellen who wrote and produced a Western-style dinner theater show called "Showdown" at the Lakeside Bar and Grill. On the heels of that success, the McNellens moved to Tyler's Taste of Texas in La Mesa with a new show they'd written, "Murder on the Trail," which was such a hit that it was featured on the Food Network's "Best Of" TV show in 2000. The company also produces "Act 2: Homicide" on Saturdays at Shirley's Kitchen in La Mesa.

"Chalk It Up to Murder" has a Western theme. In the story, the audience must help Texas Ranger Slate Montana find out who really killed Hank Anderson, a cruel custodian and the Cactus Gulch Schoolhouse, which was destroyed by fire.

About half of the cast of the new Escondido production of "Chalk It Up to Murder" is from North County. If successful, it will be the only active dinner theater show in the area, except for the tango and flamenco dance shows at Sevilla restaurant in Carlsbad. Escondido's THEATRX experimented with dinner theater early this year but was unable to make it profitable because of limited space and because it did not have an in-house kitchen, so meals had to be catered. The Fireside has a long-established clientele and a large banquet room that would serve well as a dinner theater showcase, so the odds are good that dinner theater may be here to stay in a few short weeks.

For details, visit the company's Web site at www.dinnertheater.net or call (619) 561-8673.

I've been away on a two-week vacation, but got back just in time to see the closing-night performance of Moonlight Stage Productions' "Singin' in the Rain" on Aug. 10. I just want to add my two cents in praising what I believe is among the best productions in Moonlight history.

Not only were the performances terrific (Erin Anderson was delightful as ditsy Lina Lamont and Beverly Ward sings like an angel) but the dancing was exceptional (Kirby Ward makes you forget Gene Kelly, and with his wife, Beverly, and brother, Kelly, their "Good Mornin'" trio brought down the house), the well-produced film clips were a scream and the direction/choreography by Don and Bonnie Ward was so outstanding that the show's three hours went by in a flash.

Vistans (like myself) are lucky to have such a jewel as the Moonlight within the city borders, and judging by the huge and enthusiastic crowd on closing night, they absolutely know it.

This is a bit late but still fun to report. Mother Nature had a hand in blessing Moonlight's "Singin' in the Rain." On opening night July 30, the skies opened up for a 15-minute rain shower just minutes before the curtain was set to go up. Thankfully, the skies cleared (except for a brilliant rainbow arching over the stage) just in time for the show to start and the only rain that fell during the rest of the musical's run were the pre-programmed showers onstage.

An interesting historical footnote: showgoers at the Old Globe Theatre's smash production of "Dirty Blonde" Aug. 17 will be seeing the comedy/drama about the late film star/provocateur Mae West on what would have been her 100th birthday.

Born on Aug. 17, 1893, West was famed for her hourglass figure and teasing stage shows and films. She died in Los Angeles in 1980 at the age of 83.

After being booted from its residency at the Sunshine Brooks Theater in Oceanside a few months ago, IndependAnt Players has resurfaced in a new home theater in San Diego to present its fifth annual Summer Shakespeare Festival.

On Aug. 14, Brad Ashten's theater company will open its festival with productions of "Romeo & Juliet" and "Titus Andronicus" that will run in repertory through Aug. 30 at the ARK Center for the Performing Arts at 3554 Kettner Blvd. in San Diego.

Ashten said the staging of "Romeo and Juliet" will be classic in style, while audiences should expect a "very bloody" "Titus." IndependAnt Players has established a strong reputation in North County for its quality stagings of Shakespearean works and the two-play program is sure to be entertaining.

"Romeo and Juliet" will play at 8 p.m. today, Sunday and Aug. 22, 28 and 30, and at 2 p.m. Saturday Aug. 24 and 30. "Titus" plays at 8 p.m. Friday and Aug. 21, 24 and 29, as well as at 2 p.m. Sunday and Aug. 31.

Tickets are $12-$15. For details, call (760) 494-0069.

A note of clarification on Bill Fark's monthly "At Easel" visual arts column, that ran in this space last week during my absence. Bill wrote in his column that the U.S. Postal Service had rejected as too racy a promotional postcard depicting the first-place winner in the Escondido Municipal Gallery's "Local Color" exhibit. In actuality, the artist, Diana Duval, had blacked out objectionable portions of the artwork on her own. The painting features a woman holding the severed penis of a man who apparently tried unsuccessfully to unlock the chastity belt she wears.

Pam Kragen is the entertainment editor of the North County Times.

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