The Wharf Theater – that longtime sanctuary of local stage dreams, mostly quiet since the passing of owner Angelo Di Giralamo in September 2014 – is open again and gaining momentum.
In October 2015, a musical tribute was staged there called Seasons of Love: Remembering Angelo. The Mirth-O-Matics improv troupe did a show there last month.
The theater is not up and running like it was before – the family is fixing lighting and sound issues – but as its longtime theater manager Stacy Meheen says, “[It] is very much alive.”
So is the spirit of its former proprietor.
“Angelo is everywhere,” Meheen says. “Angelo’s [theater seat] is always reserved with a rose. His picture’s up everywhere. Inside the gallery, his chair sits there with his sweater, crossword and pen, like he’s going to come back from lunch.”
This summer they’re teaching a two-week theater camp for kids, culminating in a performance of Alice in Wonderland. And this weekend they’re hosting a visiting show, the first live musical since Di Giralamo’s passing, called The Accidental Club, which comes with some urgency.
It’s a one-woman musical revue about a rock-n-roller who dies of an accidental heroin overdose. That’s just the beginning. She then encounters other music women in the “accidental club” including Billie Holiday, Janis Joplin and Amy Winehouse, who, like the ghosts in Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, take her on a journey through her life and addictions.
Sherrie Scott of Marina Del Rey is the writer, director and star. She says she’s never been addicted to drugs, but has known people who were.
“I want it to be an objective experience and not so much a morality play,” she says. “The play is about exploring life, fame, addiction and death through eyes of this dead rock star. The ultimate premise is the preciousness of life.”
There’s going to be Q&A after the two shows with Kurt Johnson, the director of outpatient services at Beacon House who invited Scott to do the show up here, facilitating a conversation about opioids and heroin. All the proceeds benefit the addiction recovery facility.
“I’m excited to be helping an organization like Beacon House,” Meheen says.
And one can imagine Angelo Di Giralamo smiling down on it all.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.