Premiere of ‘Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical’

PALO ALTO — TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will stage the world premiere of “Happy Pleasant Valley: A Senior Sex Scandal Murder Mystery Musical” from March 5 to 30 at the Lucie Stern Theatre, 1305 Middlefield Rd., Palo Alto.

This riotous romp features book, music, and lyrics by Bay Area composer/playwright/lyricist Min Kahng, whose “The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga” made its world premiere at TheatreWorks.

Set in a senior living community, this lively musical comedy explodes misconceptions about sexuality and aging. An audience favorite at TheatreWorks’ 2023 New Works Festival, this modern work set in today’s digital world follows Gen Z influencer Jade, who becomes enmeshed in solving mysterious murders in her grandmother June’s residence, Happy Pleasant Valley Senior Apartments. Inspired by their favorite crime-solving heroines, Jade and June join forces to track down the perpetrator in this rollicking comedy, which was the recipient of TheatreWorks’ Kurjan/Butler Commission.

In-demand director/playwright and TheatreWorks Associate Producer of Casting & Literary Management Jeffrey Lo, who recently helmed the hit production of “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” directs.

“Happy Pleasant Valley” is presented in a co-production with Center Repertory Company, where it will appear following its TheatreWorks run.

Previews: Wednesday, March 5, to Friday, March 7, at 8 p.m. Opening: Saturday, March 8. Showtimes: Tuesdays at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesdays at 2 and 7:30 p.m.; Thursdays and Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 and 7 p.m.

For tickets ($34-$115) and more information, visit https://theatreworks.org/ or call (877) 662-8978.

TheatreWorks is committed to creating an environment that is accessible for all audiences in its community. American Sign Language interpretation will be available at the performance on Tuesday, March 18, at 7:30 p.m.

In partnership with c2 Caption Coalition, TheatreWorks will include open captioning (a screen displaying all dialogue and a description of sound effects) for the performances on Sunday, March 23, and Wednesday, March 26, at 2 and 7 p.m.

TheatreWorks is collaborating with Gravity Access Services in offering audio descriptions to assist patrons who are visually impaired. This service will be available on Saturday, March 29, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 30, at 2 p.m. To utilize audio description, patrons should pre-register at (877) 662-8978 after purchasing tickets. Assistive listening devices are offered at every performance with no advance registration required.

TheatreWorks will host a pre-show artist talk on Thursday, March 6, at 6:30 p.m. and will hold post-show discussions with the cast following the Wednesday, March 12 and Wednesday, March 26 performances.

TheatreWorks will require face masks to be worn for the performances on Friday, Marrch 14, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 15, at 2 p.m.; and Sunday, March 23, at 2 p.m.

TheatreWorks will also team up with Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene to host an Asian American Affinity gathering before the performance on Sunday, March 9, at 2 p.m.

Kuroda, Oda Featured

Director Lo has assembled a talented cast to bring to life this hilarious new musical.

Seen in the 2023 New Works Festival reading of this musical, Emily Kuroda (she/her) returns to TheatreWorks as June, a senior citizen who loves a good mystery. She has also performed in TheatreWorks’ “Calligraphy,” “The Language Archive,” and “Tiger Style!”

Known to television audiences as the uber-controlling Mrs. Kim on “Gilmore Girls,” she has enjoyed a lengthy career on stage, screen, and in TV series and movies. Her major film appearances include “Red,” “Minority Report,” “Shop Girl,” “Maybe Someday,” “Hotel for Dogs,” and many more.

Kuroda’s myriad television credits also include “Bloodline,” “Six Feet Under,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The Practice,” “ER,” “The Good Doctor,” “Chicago Hope,” and “Melrose Place,” among others.

She has won five Drama-Logue Awards for Outstanding Performance and has appeared at regional theatres including La Jolla Playhouse, South Coast Repertory Theatre, Playwright’s Arena, East West Player, Los Angeles Theatre Center, Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, Seattle Repertory Theatre, and Berkeley Repertory Theatre.

Recently seen as Lydia Bennet in “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” Sophie Oda (she/her) returns to TheatreWorks as Jade, a vlogger and June’s granddaughter. As a child actor, she performed in TheatreWorks’ “A Little Princess,” “Jane Eyre,” “Joy Luck Club,” and “Pacific Overtures.”

Her TV and film credits include CBS’ “Hawaii Five-0,” CBS’ “NCIS: Los Angeles,” CBS’ “The Big Bang Theory,” Disney’s “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody,” Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken,” and Warner Bros.’ “Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld.” She has appeared onstage at San Jose Repertory Theatre and Sacramento Music Circus.

Reprising his role from the New Works Festival reading, Ezra Reaves (he/they) makes his TheatreWorks mainstage debut as Dean, Jade’s friend and cameraperson. Reaves is an actor, comedian, experimental theater writer and performer who has toured nationally and internationally with The Neo-Futurists and performed over 150 shows as the lead character in the immersive show “The Speakeasy.”

He has been seen locally at San Francisco Playhouse, Shotgun Players, American Conservatory Theater, New Conservatory Theatre Center, Z Space, and Magic Theatre. In New York City, Reaves has performed at LaMama Experimental Theatre Club and PS122.

As a comedian, they have opened for Janeane Garofalo, Bob Odenkirk, John Hodgman, Paul F. Tompkins and shared the stage with Michael Ian Black at SF Sketchfest. They have recently joined the cast of the GLAAD-nominated television show “4400” on the CW.

Returning to TheatreWorks, where he performed in “As Bees in Honey Drown” and “The Fourth Wall” and also directed the West Coast Premiere of Colman Domingo’s “Wild With Happy,” Danny Scheie plays Mort, an exuberant senior citizen married to DeeDee.

Scheie’s theatre credits include roles at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The Magic Theatre, Aurora Theatre Company, Center Repertory Company, Marin Theatre, South Coast Repertory, Arena Stage, Folger Theater, The Old Globe, Yale Repertory Theatre, Trinity Repertory Company, Arizona Theatre Company, Asolo Repertory Theatre, Actors Theater of Louisville, Pasadena Playhouse, and more.

He was artistic director for three seasons at Shakespeare Santa Cruz. Television credits include CBS’ “Nash Bridges,” Fox’s “Almost Family,” and Apple TV+’s “Physical.”

Seen in TheatreWorks’ “In Every Generation” and “Another Midsummer Night,” Cindy Goldfield (she/her) returns as DeeDee, a cheerful senior citizen married to Mort. She has also performed at leading regional theatres including LaMaMa, American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Center Repertory Company, Marin Theatre, Broadway By The Bay, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and 42nd Street Moon.

Reprising her role from the 2023 New Works Festival reading, Jacqueline De Muro (she/her) returns as Bernice, a senior citizen who likes to know everyone’s business. She has previously performed with TheatreWorks in “A Little Night Music,” “Jane Eyre,” “Pacific Overtures,” “Joy Luck Club,” “Kiss of the Spiderwoman,” “Secret Garden,” and “Into the Woods.”

De Muro has also performed with 42nd Street Moon, Foothill Music Theatre, Broadway By the Bay, Palo Alto Players, Woodminster Summer Musicals, and more.

Reprising her role from the 2023 New Works Festival reading, Lucinda Hitchcock Cone (she/her) returns as Vicki, a retired park ranger. She has also appeared in TheatreWorks’ productions of Mrs. Christie, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Tuck Everlasting, Outside Mullingar, Ragtime, and Cabaret. Cone performed in the National Tour of Big River and has been seen regionally at American Conservatory Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre, Hartford Stage, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Portland Stage Company, San Jose Stage Company, San Jose Repertory Theatre, and others.

Seen in Min Kahng’s The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga and the 2023 New Works Festival reading for this musical, Rinabeth Apostol (she/her) returns as residence manager Cara, Jade’s mother Sally, and a variety of other characters. She has appeared at American Conservatory Theater, Actors Theater of Louisville, Seattle Repertory Theatre, San Francisco Playhouse, California Shakespeare Theater, The Magic Theatre, Arizona Theatre Company, East West Players, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s The Ground Floor, San Jose Stage Company, Marin Shakespeare Company, Capital Stage, 42nd Street Moon, among others. Offstage, she can be heard on Sirius XM/Marvel’s “Squirrel Girl: The Unbeatable Radio Show!”

Seen in the 2023 New Works Festival reading of this musical, Michael Patrick Gaffney (he/him) makes his TheatreWorks mainstage debut as Larry, a slimeball resident of the senior apartments, and a variety of other characters. He has previously performed with Center Repertory Company, 42nd Street Moon, Shotgun Players, Aurora Theatre Company, San Jose Stage Company, and SF Fringe Festival.

“Happy Pleasant Valley” features musical direction by William Liberatore, assistant direction by Miller Liberatore and Alexandra Ornes, choreography by Lee Ann Payne, scenic design by Arnel Sancianco, costume design by Jill Bowers, lighting design by Kurt Landisman, sound design by James Ard, video design by David Lee Cuthbert, video content by Tasi Alabastro, fight coordination by Stephen Muterspaugh, intimacy coordination by Amanda Pulcini, and artist counseling by Judith Nihei. Randall K. Lum is stage manager with Lisa De Leeuw as assistant stage manager.

Min Kahng (book, music and lyrics) is an award-winning playwright, composer, lyricist, and creative coach whose works include ”The Four Immigrants: An American Musical Manga,” which debuted in TheatreWorks’ 2016 New Works Festival and received a hit production at TheatreWorks in 2017 that won seven San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics Circle Awards, including Entire Production – Bay Area.

Kahng’s other works include ”Where the Mountain Meets the Moon,” “Jin vs. The Beach,” “GOLD: The Midas Musical,” and “The Adventures of Honey & Leon.” Kahng is MacDowell Fellow, a Travis Bogard Fellow, and an alumnus of the Playwrights Foundation Resident Initiative, Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s Ground Floor, and Djerassi Resident Artists Program.

Jeffrey Lo (director) is a Filipino American playwright and director. He is the recipient of the Leigh Weimers Emerging Artist Award, the Emerging Artist Laureate by Arts Council Silicon Valley, and Theatre Bay Area Director’s TITAN Award. His plays have been produced and workshopped at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, The BindleStiff Studio, City Lights Theater Company, and Custom Made Theatre Company.

Directing credits include “Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” “Tiger Style!,” “Little Shop of Horrors,” “The Language Archive,” and “The Santaland Diaries” at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley; “The Glass Menagerie,” “Chinglish,” “Hold These Truths,” and “The Paper Dreams of Harry Chin” at San Francisco Playhouse; “Every Brilliant Thing” and “Red Bike” at Center Repertory Company; “Vietgone” and “The Great Leap” at Capital Stage; “Peter and the Starcatcher” and “Noises Off” at Hillbarn Theatre; “The Crucible,” “Yellow Face,” and “The Grapes of Wrath” at Los Altos Stage Company; “Uncle Vanya” at the Pear Theatre (SFBATCC award for Best Production); and “A Doll’s House, Part 2” and “Eurydice” at Palo Alto Players (TBA Awards finalist for Best Direction).