Spring plays, musicals open in Scotts Valley

April is a month ripe with weekend entertainment in Scotts Valley. Among the live action, the local high school will perform its spring musical “13,” and other theater groups have murder mysteries of all kinds.
Scotts Valley High presents ‘13’
Director Karin Babbitt, assistant director Rachel Campos, musical director Jason Robert Brown and band director Kent Kurrus bring rock opera “13” to Scotts Valley High School’s stage this spring.
The rocking song-and-dance musical illustrates teenage issues, from being the new kid at school to popularity and puberty.
This show, which will open April 16 at the Scotts Valley High School Student Union Building, 555 Glenwood Drive, is the first high school production of “13” in California.
Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays for three weekends opening April 16 and running through May 2.
Tickets — $12 for adults and $9 for students and seniors — can be bought at www.showtix4u.com.
Golden Crow Theater presents murder mystery threesome
“It’s Murder,” a series of three comedic murder mysteries presented by Golden Crow Theater, will open this week at the recently renovated Bethany University Theater.
The plays are directed by Jeff Greenwalt, and each tells of a wacky murder and the unique characters trying to solve the case.
The three shows are “The Butler Did It,” “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” and “House of Fear.”
Local actors and actresses will perform in the shows, which will open as separate performances Friday and Saturday, April 9 and 10, and run on the weekends through May 8 at 8 p.m. Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays.
For tickets and information: www.goldencrow.org.
Agatha Christie in Santa Cruz
Scotts Valley’s Bari Miller of Santa Cruz Follies fame is directing Agatha Christie’s “Spider’s Web,” which opens April 23 in Santa Cruz.
Bringing the spectacle to life are local actors and actresses, including Geoffrey Ward, a teacher at Baymonte Christian School, Christina Cree of Mount Hermon, and Ciara Cree of Felton.
The play is a murder mystery in which the lead woman suspects her stepdaughter of the crime before getting into a series of hair-raising situations and unmasking the murderer.
The show will run for one weekend, at 2 and 8 p.m. April 24 and 2 p.m. April 25.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets will be available one hour before the show in front of the Market Street Theater, 222 Market St., in Santa Cruz.