So . . . The Great American Melodrama in Oceano proudly proclaims they have been “Making Merriment Since 1975.” No truer statement has been uttered—ever—and the proof is in the Melodrama’s most recent production, “The Mark of Morro.”
So . . . first there are the sounds. The wailing of sirens, the swell of the sea, the chiming of a ship’s bell (or is it a church bell, perhaps?). Surely these are the sounds of despair, or loneliness, or sorrow. But then comes the sound of the first words uttered in the latest SLO REP production—a profound but relatively commonplace query: “How are the children?”
So . . . if you take your fairy tales with a dash of bitters, then “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine is the stage show for you. Be forewarned: the PCPA production of this magical musical is a tangy mix of sweetness and woe that in the end will satisfy both children and adults.