By Daily Press staff
The Woody Guthrie Show — a tribute to the songwriter, folklorist and labor leader — returns to the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum in Topanga next weekend.
The spirit of Woody Guthrie is brought to life through his own words and music in the annual event performed by members of the Geer family and their friends, including Peter Alsop, Ellen Geer, Thad Geer, Wally High, Laura Kass, Melora Marshall and Linda Wilcox.
Developed and often performed by Theatricum founder Will Geer along with family and friends, The Woody Guthrie Show paints a musical portrait of the self-described “rambling man from Oklahoma.” The tribute is built upon songs such as “Pastures of Plenty,” “Worried Man,” “Union Maid” and “This Land is My Land,” and incorporates selections from published and unpublished writings of the seminal American artist who was considered a member of the Geer family.
The relationship between Woody Guthrie and the family began in the late 1930s in California, when the musician met an equally impassioned young actor named Will Geer. Along with Geer’s wife, Herta Ware, the pair performed together at union labor rallies and immigrant camps. When Will Geer got a job on Broadway in a production of Tobacco Road, Guthrie joined them in New York where he met up with Pete Seeger and others who would be at the center of his musical and political activities for the rest of his life. Guthrie lived some of his last years on the Theatricum property in Topanga, in what today remains “Woody’s Shack.” He often gave informal concerts there.
Woody Guthrie’s life was filled with battles, inspiration, idealism and almost unimaginable losses.
“I hate a song that makes you think that you are not any good; I hate a song that makes you think that you are just born to lose,” Guthrie once said. “I am out to sing songs that will prove to you that this is your world and that if it has hit you pretty hard and knocked you for a dozen loops, no matter what color, what size you are, how you are built, I am out to sing the songs that make you take pride in yourself and in your work.”
The Woody Guthrie Show takes place on Sunday, Sept. 28 at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are $15; children ages 7-13 are $10; children 6 and under are free. The Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum is located at 1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga, midway between Malibu and the San Fernando Valley. For tickets and information, call (310) 455-3723.
The amphitheater is terraced into the hillside of the rustic canyon, so audience members are advised to dress casually and bring cushions for the stadium seating. The Botanicum Cafe serves snacks, salads and sandwiches, and picnickers are welcome on the grounds before or after the performances.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 19, 2003. Read the original PDF.