Woodminster Summer Musicals Celebrates 40 Years of Magic

by Gordon Laverty

The 40th year of summer musicals under the stars and direction of Jim and Harriet Schlader of Producers Associates starts soon at Woodminster Theater in Joaquin Miller Park, 3300 Joaquin Miller Road. High-quality productions of Broadway musicals have enthralled the East Bay public for years. This year's series starts in July with Ragtime, continues with The King and I in August, and closes with Beauty and the Beast in September.

Ragtime, a multicultural story of the shaping of America, plays the weekends of July 7 and 16. The King and I, beloved Rodgers and Hammerstein musical of the English teacher in the court of the King of Siam, plays the weekends of August 4 and 13. And Beauty and the Beast, the musical retelling of the fairy story, was Disney's first Broadway show (a delight for all ages), and plays the weekends of September 1 and 10.

All performances start at 8 p.m. For affordably priced tickets, call 531-9597 or 531-0671.