SAN DIEGO – Urban Pride – San Diego, along with Common Ground Theatre (CGT), in collaboration with San Diego Continuing Education, will host a special LGBT Night at the Theatre for the production of Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown – Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Educational Cultural Complex Theater. The theater is located at 4343 Ocean View Blvd. in San Diego. Tickets for this night are $15 if you mention Urban Pride – San Diego.
The entire family will enjoy this 1979 Broadway musical, Christmas Is Comin’ Uptown, which is loosely based on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Gregory Hines played Scrooge in the original Broadway cast. The Scrooge in this adaptation is an inner- city slumlord about to foreclose on an apartment house, a recreation center and a church. He gets the usual visits from his late partner Marley; and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future take him on their rounds. All of those Dickensian characters are dancing, jiving and swinging to a Harlem beat. Celebrate this 50th Anniversary holiday performance with Common Ground Theatre.
“Common Ground Theatre, as well as the San Diego Theatre community is widely acknowledged as an open and affirming environment, welcoming and encouraging all to enjoy the very best in the arts.” Charles W. Patmon Jr., Urban Pride – San Diego’s director and Common Ground Theatre’s executive artistic director said. “I am very excited to be bringing one of my favorite musicals back to Common Ground Theatre and the ECC stage. This updated version of such a holiday classic, I am sure that the San Diego audience will make this a holiday tradition for years to come.”
CGT’s mission is to produce classics and new works by and about people of African descent that entertain, educate, and connect with audiences of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds. Their purpose is to produce high quality theatrical productions that offer a “common ground” where people of all ages, cultures, and backgrounds can interact, connect and share their love of theatre. CGT envisions a culturally diverse, socially relevant, and politically aware theatre organization that nurtures the expertise of amateur and professional artists alike and improves community relations among diverse cultures and underrepresented groups.
Urban Pride – San Diego is a social service and community-based organization focused on promoting positive images of the LGBT Urban Communities of San Diego through educational and enrichment activities. We recognized our uniqueness and culturally diversity and are committed to empowering LGBT individuals and families, as well as the LGBT community at large. In addition, we want to establish and support culturally enriching programs that outreach to the LGBT urban youth of San Diego and raise awareness that promotes a greater understanding of health and social issues that affect our community (HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell Anemia, Diabetes, Breast and Prostate Cancer, etc).
Proceeds from all productions of will provide scholarships for students to attend Common Ground Theatre’s San Diego Theatre Artist Repertory School (STARS) program. The STARS program is a new initiative created by Common Ground Theatre to build community through the arts by providing students of all ages and abilities with professional, affordable instruction in the performing, fine and visual arts.
The show will be performed at the Educational Cultural Complex – Dec. 6- 22 Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Regular tickets are $25 general admission; $20 for students/military/seniors/groups of 10; and $15 for groups of 20 or more. Tickets for children 12 and under are $10. For more information and to purchase tickets, please contact the CGT Box Office at 619-272-3209, or go online to commongroundtheatre.org
