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Concerts on the Hill presents “The Saxer Family Reunion: Broadway In Concert” on January 15, 2012 at 1:30pm at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts at 403 W. Hillcrest Dr. in Thousand Oaks. This Broadway Review-style concert will be held in the Community Room, and will feature selected songs from the best of Broadway.
First there was the Lunts, then the Barrymores, and now Conejo Valley’s own Royal Family of Theatre, the Saxers. There is no evidence to refute the fact that the Saxer Family has populated more theater companies than any other family in the Conejo Valley.
For more than thirty years the Saxers have garnered rave reviews in productions with Young Artists Ensemble, Conejo Players, Cabrillo Music Theatre and Ventura County Gilbert & Sullivan Repertoire Company. This rare opportunity to see the entire family perform together will include favorites from Gilbert & Sullivan through Vaudeville to Broadway and Sondheim.
Picture growing up with a grand piano in your spacious living room. Now picture your tiny little selflearning the keyboard while sitting on the laps of talented and amazing people who get paid to play one or paid to teach one to play, or both. Then imagine your nursery room painted by scenic artists whose only desire is to create a nurturing and fun room for you to grow in and also having your lullabies sung to you by some of the most talented actors who will grow up to be on not only California stages, but Broadway as well.
Shelley and Gary Saxer are the proud parents of such appreciative girls, Jennifer, Robyn, Randi and Jonalyn. A true stage romance, they met in 1982 while performing in “The Music Man” at Conejo Players, and were accompanied on their first date by Shelley’s then 12-year-old daughter, Jennifer. Later that same year, Jennifer “auditioned” Gary for the role of dad by playing his daughter in the very first show at the Magnificent Moorpark Melodrama and Vaudeville Company. The following year the couple married, scheduling their summer wedding around Gary’s memorable starring role in “Pirates Of Penzance,” with Shelley filling in for a performer who broke her ankle.
Jennifer directs children’s theatre, which is a good thing as she now has two girls of her own who may have little choice but to follow in the family tradition. She is married to Erik Sorenson of another show business family (California Dance Theatre). Erik was a late bloomer, and did not start his stage career until he was 10 years old, but the family welcomes him in because he not only acts, sings and of course, dances, he shares his talents with the family on the guitar.
Performing first in her mother’s belly and born on opening day of “Ruddigore,” Robyn arrived next and, named after the character Robin Oakapple, spent most of her infancy backstage where many Conejo valley actors cooed and wooed over her. When Randi was born in 1985, Shelley had just finished performing in a comedy that required her to wear a bikini.
Most recently, Randi starred as Louise in The Conejo Player’s “Gypsy” with her mother as music director and says she “loved growing up in such an artistic family and being involved in community theatre.” Stretching throughout her stage career, Randi donned trousers to skillfully play “Colin” in “The Secret Garden” and young Patrick in “Mame” as well as so very many girlish roles, following in both of her sister’s well placed stage footsteps.
Shelly put her stage career on hold to attend law school, but was back in 1990 after graduating, in time to join Jennifer in “Jerry’s Girls.” The following year she became a full-time law professor, but occasionally graces the boards and shares her talent by music directing.
Education is important as well in the Saxer family as illustrated by Robyn who after receiving her degree in Drama from UC Irvine, where she honored in Musical Theatre and Drama Literature, spent two years in El Salvador as a volunteer for ArtCorps, working with youth to develop community drama programs.
Jonalyn, the baby of the family, is a sophomore at Syracuse University, studying for a BFA in Musical Theatre. Her first role was as a “carry on child” at the young age of 2 ½ in “Carnival.” Since then she has done nine shows with Cabrillo Music Theatre, and is currently performing on the east coast with Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in “Anything Goes” and “42nd STREET.”
Acting, singing, dancing, musical directors, teachers and Summer Concert Mimes, this true American Family has delighted generations of Conejo Valley audiences. You can support the arts by enjoying this multi-talented family and bringing your own to share the experience.
The Saxer Family Reunion: Broadway in Concert is a part of the Hillcrest Center for the Arts’ Concerts on the Hill series. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors and students and may be purchased at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts Box Office or by calling (805) 381-1246 or www.hillcrestarts.com.