Centre Stage's Production of "Tom Sawyer" Kicks Off Thursday

Youth from Centre Stage will kick off their winter musical "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" Thursday at Monrovia High School.

Shows are slated for 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. also set.

"I've always loved Tom Sawyer and all of his shenanigans," said Keely Milliken, Centre Stage founder and president. "The kids can relate more to the contemporary musicals but we don't want them to lose site of the traditional theater like the Tom Sawyers and the the Oklahomas."

Centre Stage, a Monrovia-based theater company for children, held auditions for the cast in September and has been readying the production since late last year, Milliken. The cast ranges in age from 4 to 26, with the performers singing, dancing, and some even learning a fight scene.

The production has been educational for the cast because it is set in a different time in history, she said.

Besides learning about what life was like in the days of Tom Sawyer, the performers are getting lessons in what it takes to put on a theatrical production like this one, Milliken said.

"It definitely teaches them teamwork and responsibility," she said.  "They have to be responsible for themselves, as well as for people in the cast. They have to think of their feet and be prepared."

Centre Stage faced a big challenge in gearing up for this production when in November the non-profit theater company's trailer was stolen. The trailer was later found but $30,000 worth of equipment was never recovered.

The cost to replace the equipment lost totals around $50,000 because the price for microphones and other items needed for the stage have increased since the company originally purchased them 7 or 8 years ago, she said. 

So far, Centre Stage has raised $10,000 in donations so far and expects to get $8,000 from the insurance company. The group is planning to do some upcoming opportunity drawings and cabarets to continue to raise money, she said. 

Tickets for "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" are $15 for general admission and $20 for preferred seating. They can be purchased by calling 626-533-4919 or at the door. Mentioning Monrovia Patch can get theater-goers a discounted ticket, according to Milliken's blog. 

For more information about Centre Stage, call 626-357-8308.