After months of planning and rehearsing, The Shakespeare Club of Pasadena presented their 70th annual benefit production to provide scholarships to PUSD students on March 24, 25, and 26 at the Louise K. Taylor Performing Arts Center in Monrovia. The club was founded in 1888 and is the oldest women’s club in Southern California. Today, the club stages full version of Broadway musicals with professional direction and choreography, with professional sets and orchestra. The Club members, husbands, and friends volunteer thousands of rehearsal, production, and promotion hours to bring their shows to the public.
This year, The Shakespeare Club of Pasadena presented “The Pajama Game,” a love story framed by a worker’s wage strike in the Sleep Tite pajama factory. “The Pajama Game,” a musical comedy based on the novel “7 1/2 Cents” by Richard Bissell, came to Monrovia this March. “The Pajama Game” (book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell, Music and Lyrics by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler) was directed by Bill Shaw, Choreography and Musical Staging by Rikki Lugo and Musical Director/Conductor, Brigham Freeth. The Shakespeare Club previously staged “The Pajama Game” in 1993.
Jana Cole, Benefit Chairman and John Campbell, Drama Chairman, along with their cast and crew worked countless hours to bring this production to the big stage. The Shakespeare Club of Pasadena presented this play with a 16-piece orchestra, 37 cast members and wonderfully designed sets, built and painted by Club Members, spouses cast and crew. Large company numbers, filled with the cast members in bright and colorful costumes of the era, sang the well-known favorite show tunes and brought the story to life once again.
All proceeds from the play will help fund The Shakespeare Club’s Scholarship Program for Pasadena Unified School District’s, carefully selected graduating high school students who will be attending college in the fall. In addition to their annual benefit production, the club supports numerous charitable causes in the Pasadena and San Gabriel such as, Rosemary’s Children’s Services, Friends of Foster Children, Villa Esperanza, the Walter Hoving Home, The Women’s Room Project, Door of Hope, Wellness Community, and Trinity Youth Services.
The Shakespeare Club of Pasadena, is always seeking new members interested in philanthropy and the arts and community awareness. for information on upcoming events or membership, please contact Anne David at 626-793-5714 or [email protected]. Please visit our website at www.shakespeareclub.org for more information.