South Bay Musical Theatre | Noteworthy Entertainment

Behind The Scenes

Behind the Curtain with Alexander Reyes

By |2026-05-12T12:09:52-07:00May 12th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Meet The Cast, Video Link|

The following is a four-minute “Behind the Curtain” interview with Alexander Reyes, who plays Usnavi in our upcoming production of In The Heights. Watch the video or read the edited transcript below. Song clip from the Sitzprobe rehearsal of “In The Heights” USNAVI raps: “Lights up on Washington Heights at the break of day. I wake up and I got this little punk I got to chase away. Pop the grate at the crack of dawn. Sing while I wipe down the awning. Hey y'all. Good morning.” Hi, my name is Alex. I am playing Usnavi in In the Heights [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Allison Taylor

By |2026-05-09T10:06:37-07:00May 9th, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Opinion, Video Link|

The following is a transcript of our four-minute “Behind the Curtain” interview with Allison Taylor, who plays Vanessa in our upcoming production of In The Heights. I hope people find something that goes beyond a sense of community. I hope it it creates understanding. Hello, my name is Allison, or Ali for short. I am playing the part of Vanessa in In the Heights. Vanessa is a go-getter. She is strong but fierce and stunningly beautiful. I really admire Vanessa. She comes from a background where her family isn't as supportive as they need to be. It's a really demanding [...]

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All Aboard for a Rare Ride

By |2026-03-03T13:02:57-08:00March 3rd, 2026|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

Why We’re Bringing On the Twentieth Century to Life in Concert by Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director Every season, I ask myself a simple question: What is the kind of musical experience our community deserves—but rarely gets? Sometimes the answer is a beloved classic. And sometimes it’s a glittering, madcap jewel that almost never sees the light of day. This year, that answer is On the Twentieth Century—a musical as bold, theatrical, and extravagantly funny as the train on which it is set South Bay Musical Theatre is presenting On the Twentieth Century as our annual fundraiser concert because it [...]

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Songs to be performed during “Let It Show”

By |2025-11-14T10:27:03-08:00November 14th, 2025|2025-2026 Season, Announcements, Behind The Scenes|

Here's a list of the songs (in no particular order) that will be performed during Let It Show: A Broadway Holiday Celebration. Medley from White Christmas including "Sisters," "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," "Snow," "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing," "Blue Skies," and, of course, "White Christmas." "Christmas Time Is Here" from A Charlie Brown Christmas "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from Frozen "Christmas Song" from Elf "You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch" from How the Grinch Stole Christmas "We Need a Little Christmas" from Mame "Twelve Days to Christmas" from She Loves Me "Who Would [...]

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The Cost of Live Theatre

By |2025-11-03T16:34:01-08:00November 3rd, 2025|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Fundraising, Opinion|

by Michael Paul Hirsch, Executive Director I occasionally like to post answers to questions asked from the community. You can always ask your question using this convenient anonymous form. This question came in the other week: “I think it would open a lot of eyes and maybe inspire a few more donations to have a blog outlining all the costs associated with putting on a show and what percentage of ticket sales cover those costs. I don't think many of our patrons know we pay our musicians, creative staff, the cost of show royalties, etc.” I am frequently asked about [...]

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The Show Must Go On!

By |2025-10-20T16:49:45-07:00October 20th, 2025|2025-2026 Season, Announcements, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Opinion|

SBMT Understudy, Standby, and Swing Policy by Walter M. Mayes, Artistic Director At South Bay Musical Theatre, we honor the long-standing tradition that the show must go on. At the same time, our top priority is the health and safety of our performers, crew, staff, and audiences. Illnesses and unforeseen emergencies are an unavoidable part of live theatre, and canceled performances can bring both artistic disappointment and economic hardship. To address this, SBMT has created a policy that establishes clear guidelines for the use of understudies, standbys, and swings. Our goal is to ensure that performances can continue safely, responsibly, [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Selina Hsu

By |2025-10-04T11:00:59-07:00October 4th, 2025|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Meet The Cast, Video Link|

We sat down with Selina Hsu, who is part of "the nuns ensemble" in SBMT's production of The Sound of Music. In this short interview, she tells us there are no puppets in the stage version of this iconic musical—but "The Lonely Goatherd" still makes an appearance, with "Uncle Max" playing an expanded role. She also reveals why she auditioned for the show.  Watch the video (runtime 2:43), or read the transcript below.   My name is Selina and I'm a part of the Nuns Ensemble. What does the Nuns Ensemble do in the show? The Nuns set the scene [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Janet Miller

By |2025-09-29T10:25:53-07:00September 29th, 2025|Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Meet The Cast, Video Link|

We sat down with Janet Miller, who plays Baroness Elberfeld and one of the nuns in SBMT's production of The Sound of Music. In this interview, she tells us how the stage musical differs from the Julie Andrews movie, how history repeating itself brings renewed relevance to the story, and what brought her back to the stage for the first time since before the pandemic. Watch the four minute video, or read the transcript below. My name is Janet Miller and I'm a nun and I am the Baroness Elberfeld in this production. Is this show any different than the [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Maura Goetzke

By |2025-09-24T14:32:07-07:00September 24th, 2025|Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Meet The Cast, Video Link|

We sat down with Maura Goetzke, who plays the Louisa in SBMT's production of The Sound of Music. In this interview, she radiates excitement as she describes all the fun she's having. She tells us why she auditioned, what she's learning in rehearsal from choreographer Francesca Cipponeri and vocal director Rachel Michelberg, what it's like being part of a double cast of children, how she got started in theatre—and what she aspires to, and offers advice for anyone else who shares the dream of being a performer. Watch the five minute video, or read the transcript below.  Hi, my name [...]

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Behind the Curtain with Mohamed Ismail

By |2025-09-19T11:30:24-07:00September 19th, 2025|2025-2026 Season, Behind The Scenes, Blog-erviews!, Meet The Cast|

We sat down with Mohamed Ismail, who plays the role of Max Detweiler in our upcoming production of The Sound of Music, to talk about the expanded role Max has in the stage play (with two songs that are not sung in the movie), where we've seen him most recently, how he got started, and how he and his real-life wife Jessica Whittemore are looking forward to playing opposite one another in this outing. He tells us why he doesn't look like his headshot, introduces us to the large cast, and makes an urgent plea to each of us to [...]

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