By Kathy Chouteau
Masquers Playhouse will present The People vs. Mona Nov. 3 through Nov. 26. in Point Richmond. The off-Broadway musical is described by those behind the scenes as one part love story and one part murder mystery filled with courtroom shenanigans, as the fate of a small town hangs on the verdict.
The “offbeat and hilarious” musical opens Fri., Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. and thereafter runs Friday and Saturday nights at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. Tickets are $30 for the general public, while seniors and students pay $27. A pay-what-you-can-performance will be offered Thurs., Nov. 9 at 8 p.m.
The musical’s production team said it includes some poignant observations on gentrification and the importance of cultural heritage in America’s towns, but at heart is “flat-out insane” and always a great time. Written by Jim Wann and Directed by Enrico Banson, while based on a book by Patricia Miller, the musical features a small cast as “a parade of witnesses on the way to a sequence of surprise endings.”
The cast includes Michele Sanner Vargas, Nelson Brown, Shay Oglesby-Smith, Steve Alesch, Jeffrie Givens, Kamaria McKinney, Arup Chakrabarti, Harrison Alter and Enrico Banson.
A theatrically sensible mix of folk, blues, gospel, jazz, rock, musical comedy, school anthem, marching band and bossa nova occurs throughout the musical, producers said.
Masquers Playhouse is located at 105 Park Place in Point Richmond. Tickets can be purchased here, at the onsite box office or by phone at (510) 232-4031. Tickets to the pay-what-you-can-performance are not available online and can be reserved by emailing [email protected] or by calling the aforementioned phone number. Learn more about Masquers Playhouse.
