Opening its 61st season with a highly popular contemporary musical with good casting has paid off for California Musical Theatre’s Music Circus. “The Producers,” which opened Tuesday night, involves a failed Broadway producer whose most recent show closed on opening night. A passing remark by the low level accountant sent in to audit the books puts the plot in motion. If the producer would have a guaranteed flop, they could bank the investment, close the show and keep the money. They set out to find the worst play, a lousy director and terrible actors. Many complications and much humor ensue, along with lots of great songs and dancing. “The Producers: the new Mel Brooks Musical,” while b

“Funny Girl” is a star maker. It made a star out of Barbara Streisand first on Broadway, then in film. Vicki Lewis most certainly shines as Fanny Brice the title “Funny Girl” in this the latest Music Circus production of the show. Everything in the play centers on the character of Fanny Brice. Brice herself was one of the biggest stars of her time. From 1910 through the 1930s on stage, screen and radio, Brice was wildly popular and influential. Legendary Broadway producer David Merrick worked with lyricist Jule Styne and equally well-known composer Bob Merrill to turn what had started as a screenplay into a Broadway musical. Having seen Streisand in her first role on Broadway in “I Can

 Monty Python’s Spamalot opened the 60th season of the California Musical Theater Music Circus on Friday. This, the 500th show produced by Music Circus, makes it is easy to see why the theater has not only survived but thrived for 60 years. The book and lyrics by Eric Idle take the best of the popular Monty Python movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail to another level. While much of Spamalot spoofs the Broadway Musical genre, Idle has created a great Broadway Musical. The Music by John Du Prez and Idle is classic Broadway Musical style and in this case it is a very good thing. Everything in this Music Circus production shines, starting with Glenn Casale’s direction. Much is made in theat