Tehachapi's Online Community News & Entertainment Guide
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Shirley Ann Peters, a long-time resident of Tehachapi, passed away on Oct. 14, one day shy of her 89th birthday. At Shirley's request, no service will be held. Shirley was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma on Oct. 15, 1935. She was the youngest of 12 children in the Frank and May Terrel family of Follett, Texas. Her parents passed away when Shirley was young and she moved to Tehachapi where she was raised in the loving family of Lawrence and Colleen Redelsperger, who was Shirley's sister. She is a...
It will be 16 years this December since my daughter and I walked into the BeeKay Theatre to see the very first Tehachapi Community Theatre production put on there, "Oliver!" I remember being impressed by the historic art deco style of the interior, the welcoming spirit of the ushers and by golly just how close that stage was to every single seat in the audience! If you've never been to a small theater before, it's an experience like no other. Every seat in the house feels like one you'd pay the...
Chaelsea Tolentino has owned and operated the Mountain Coffee House on Mill Street for the past four years. It's a modern-day oasis of hot and cold coffees, teas and yummy edibles served in a welcoming ambiance reminiscent of a retro, mid-century coffee house. Over the years, Chaelsea has traditionally hosted local artists, musicians, storytellers and poets. October's featured artist is Andi Hicks who brings her eclectic collection of watercolors, acrylics, embroidery and photography to their ga...
When I was no more than 12, in 1940, I used to spend some time in the afternoons sitting on the front steps of our home on Curry and F streets. I would either have a book or perhaps just sit there petting the dog. Of course, my ulterior motive was to see if the 13-year-old boy I liked would be riding by on his bike. His happening by at that particular time was not accidental, for he would always "happen by" and we'd talk for an hour. Things were so simple in those days. He would park his bike...
It's said, "A picture is worth a thousand words." Our Tehachapi Community Theatre Association's (TCTA) photo montage invites you right inside the show to see the cast of "Deathtrap," the classic suspense thriller by Ira Levin. Here are just a few raves from opening weekend: "You've got yourselves a HIT." "Terrific!" "I screamed, I cried, I laughed." "It was a treat!" "Suspenseful!" "I didn't know what was going to happen next!" "Funny and terrifying!" "Another great play at the BeeKay!" "What a...
What do you get when you combine fame, ego, ambition, jealousy, intrigue, deception and just plain malice with a touch of the psychic? You get "Deathtrap, a thriller in two acts," which is the opening line spoken by actor, Ed Kramer who plays playwright, Sidney Bruhl in the Tehachapi Community Theatre Association's (TCTA) summer offering. "Deathtrap" playwright, Ira Levin was just 23 when he wrote his first novel, the award-winning masterpiece of crime fiction, "A Kiss Before Dying," then turned...
One of the best challenges theatre demands of an actor is to create a compelling character. Kenny Chugg, Director of "Deathtrap" by Ira Levin, lets the Tehachapi Community Theatre Association (TCTA) cast have their say. Sidney Bruhl, the famous playwright, was delighted to be interviewed. "It's always a pleasure to talk to the media. Although I haven't had a hit in 18 years, I'm in negotiations with producers like David Merrick. This play will be my crowning achievement: a stunning murder...
The acclaimed classic murder mystery "Deathtrap," written by Ira Levin, opens at the BeeKay Theatre on Aug. 16. With four weeks 'til opening, Producer David Stenstrum and Director Kenny Chugg are working 24/7 to mold the cast and crew into creating a perfect, well-crafted summer blockbuster. The Tehachapi Community Theatre Association, known to locals as TCT, is at the top of their game, having come a long way from the challenges of the pandemic. Each production seems even better than the last...
The program at the July 15 meeting of the Tehachapi Area Association of Realtors illustrated that, without a doubt, the arts are alive-and-well in Tehachapi. All four speakers at the meeting were involved in various aspects of art and presented current projects going on in Tehachapi. Jeanette Pauer introduced the group to Make Art Tehachapi, a committee consisting of Pauer, Tina Dille, Lyn Bennett and Charles White. They will be restoring the murals in Tehachapi one by one starting the the Stree...
The Tehachapi Community Theatre Association (TCTA) brings their exuberant summer production: "The Best of Broadway" to the BeeKay Theatre. You'll hear lyrics (sung by some of Tehachapi's finest voices) packed with life lessons and emotion-driven melodies woven into classic tales. You'll hear Simba tell how he is "gonna be a noble king and scrupulously fair, but only needs a little time and perhaps a little hair." Norma Desmond shares the mystique of "the whispered conversations in overcrowded ha...
For many Tehachapi residents, Witt's Everything for the Office is a one-stop shop for office supplies, shipping needs, furniture and gifts. However, few people know how long this shop has served Tehachapi or of its full range of services. It started in the early 1980s when Marc Witt opened the doors to a small printing shop. "That was back when there was one blinking light in town to manage traffic, and the BeeKay Theatre was a candy shop," says Laura Coaly, current manager of Witt's. Laura has...
On Thursday, May 16, the Rotary Club of Tehachapi welcomed guest speaker, Ben Eshbach. Ben is a local Tehachapi resident who started the "Tehachapi Now" channel on YouTube. When he moved his family to Tehachapi in 2022, he was researching on YouTube to see what Tehachapi had to offer, and he found two things: 1) real estate and 2) trains. He knew that there was so much more to the community, so he set about finding the little local gems, businesses and stories that make Tehachapi a wonderful...
It was shopping for trains at Hans' and Rachel's Gold Coast Station that originally brought Dawn Jones and her husband to Tehachapi. After living in a variety of locations and serving her country as a contractor in Washington D.C., Dawn found Tehachapi to be the best combination of all the places she had previously lived. She quickly became inspired by the town's beautiful nature and wildlife and relaunched her jewelry-making business, Dawn Jones Designs. Soon she was crafting earrings,...
For the fourth consecutive year, the Tehachapi Arts Commission will be holding its nationally recognized art show at the Aspen Builders Community Activity Center in July. Those who have attended in prior years can attest to the beauty and creativity brought to canvas by the artists who come here to paint our community during the May paint out. This year, 50 artists from around the country will be painting in Tehachapi from May 17-19, beginning the paintings that will be submitted and juried...
At their May 6 meeting, the Tehachapi City Council approved a project proposed by the city to add a 15 foot x 20 foot expansion space behind the BeeKay Theatre. The new area will be exterior walls only with other improvements to be decided and financed by the Tehachapi Community Theater organization. It is hoped that this project will solve some of the space problems that have plagued the theater since its restoration in 2006. The city understands that TCT has been able to put money aside to...
Have you ever wanted to act, but put it off as an impossible dream? Well, it's your time to shine. The Tehachapi Community Theatre Association is scheduling open auditions for the classic murder mystery play, "Deathtrap," written by Ira Levin. Director Kenny Chugg is reaching out to TCTA members and the community to encourage local actors to audition for one of the five sinister and multifaceted roles. In this comedic thriller, a washed-up playwright finds a script he'd be willing to kill for....
The featured speaker at the April 18 Rotary meeting was local celebrity James Carhart, who is recognized locally as part of the BeeKay Theatre community. Carhart has designed sets for such plays as "Baskerville," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Young Frankenstein" and the "The Addams Family," as well as the current play, "Murder on the Orient Express." Born in New York, James spent much of his childhood traveling the world. His interest in the theater developed during his studies at...
Ted Kitzmiller, former owner of the Radio Shack in Tehachapi, passed away March 28 after a four year battle with cancer. Born Robert Theodore on June 8, 1946 in Jamestown, Pennsylvania, Ted and his family moved to Fullerton, California when he was a boy. Ted met Chelley when he stole her candy bar at Sunny Hills High School. Sparks flew and they were married Sept. 21, 1963. Their son Danny was born in 1964 followed by Gina in 1967. In 1985, Ted's job transferred to Bakersfield, so the family of...
The Rotary Club of Tehachapi is gearing up for an evening of music and philanthropy as they host a fundraiser concert featuring James Lee Stanley, a renowned Beachwood Recording artist, alongside other talented performers at the historic BeeKay Theatre, 110 S. Green Street, Tehachapi, on May 18 at 7 p.m. With tickets priced at $25 each, attendees will not only enjoy a night of entertainment, but will also be contributing to a crucial cause. Every nickel raised from the event will directly...
The final fundraiser of the season will prove to be exciting and fun. If you follow the BeeKay Theatre, you know this community is loaded with talent. That talent is expressed in our community theater and “Murder on the Orient Express” is a great showcase for it. The Scholarship Fund For Women has purchased “the house” on Sunday, April 28 for the 2 p.m. show (doors open at 1:30 p.m.) We will be selling tickets at membership meetings in March and April. We will be asking members to sell tickets as you are willing and able. Other arrange...
Linda McDermott will be featured as the Author of the Month at Tehachapi Museum on Saturday, March 2. She will be there to answer questions and talk about the books she has written. It is an informal session, so drop in any time between noon and 4 p.m. to visit with her. It’s also a good opportunity to spend some time seeing the museum. After McDermont’s children were “out of the nest,” and she retired from a career in human resources, she began travelling. She went to Alaska for two months with her dog and cat, and she adds, “I returned...
Tehachapi has been yearning for the return of the Wine Walk, and we at the Greater Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce are excited to announce that it is back! Armed with knowledge from those who organized previous events and partnerships with the Tehachapi Mountains Wine Growers Association, Discover Tehachapi Tours, The Loop newspaper, the City of Tehachapi and Rancho Raviri Almonds, the Feb. 10 Tehachapi Valentine's Wine Walk is going to be an incredible event! This wine walk will feature local...
Margaret (Marge) Stevens passed away peacefully in her home on Dec. 18, 2023. Marge was born in Orange, California on Nov. 20, 1934, to Richard and Constance Sweney of Los Angeles, California. After graduating Calumet High School in Chicago, Illinois, Marge attended UCLA to become a stewardess. While attending UCLA, she met her husband of 34 years, William (Bill) Stevens at a gas station around the corner from the university campus. Marge left college to become a housewife extraordinaire,...
Imagine a place where everything is the way it was. The color of faded pictures and old streetcars. Tehachapi Community Theatre Association is proud to present "Coney Island Christmas," directed by Lisa Meridth, based on Grace Paley's memoir "The Loudest Voice" and stage adapted by Daniel Margulies. "Coney Island Christmas" will transport you back to a joyous holiday season in 1935 Brooklyn. Follow an enduring immigrant family as they find their way in their new home and face the timeless...
The BeeKay Theatre keeps rolling out hit after hit. However, it's not just a play; it's not just rehearsals. Many, many hours go into set design, costumes, the audio and visual booth, playbooks, and the snack wagon. Depending what is needed, for a show, the collaborations never end. Currently we're rehearsing for "Coney Island Christmas." It's everybody's delight to bring a warm atmosphere and good-hearted fun to all who come to the BeeKay. Go online to learn about upcoming events at...