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KCET Airs 'Opening Night,' a Documentary About The Kentwood Players on Oct. 11 at 9 PM

By Angelica Alumia
October 8, 2012
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Open Call host Suzanna Guzman speaks to Director Dan Guntzelman on making the film.
 
Burbank, CA - October 08, 2012 - KCET, the nation's largest independent public television station serving Southern and Central California, invites viewers to tune-in to a new episode of Open Call, premiering the feature-length documentary, "Opening Night" Thursday, Oct. 11 at 9 p.m.

Open Call host Suzanna Guzman will speak with acclaimed film and television producer and director Dan Guntzelman about the film's evolution and the process of creating it.

This 90-minute film tells the story about a community theater, The Kentwood Players, and the impact it had on the small town of Westchester, Calif., through its production of live entertainment. For more than 60 years, The Kentwood Players has been a group in which its members can "perform, design, stage and dream."

Directed by Guntzelman, "Opening Night" captures the rehearsal process of this local theater troupe, leading up to its production of the quintessential American musical, "Li'l Abner." And it does so with no small debt to jazz great David Benoit, who composed the original score. The cast, production team members, and the Kentwood Players Board of Directors also share how they participated in the musical's production, as well as tell heartfelt stories from the all-volunteer group's long and fruitful history. 

Watch "Opening Night" on KCET's original series Open Call Thursday, Oct. 11 at 9 p.m. and a repeat Wednesday, Oct. 17 at 12 a.m.

 
ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

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