Michael Kaplan and Mark Pietri

Show to be performed one night only, Saturday, June 29

– A home-grown musical is set to debut at the Templeton Performing Arts Center on Saturday, June 29. “It Takes Two: Brand New Songs About Same Old Love,” the latest work by Michael Kaplan and Mark Pietri, a theatrical songwriting duo from San Luis Obispo County, will be performed for one night only.

“It Takes Two” features 19 original songs and bits of spoken word, offering an 80-minute show described as both funny and touching. The show stars Kelly Fitzgerald, Ritchie Bermudez, Sholly Von Stein, Michael Kaplan, and Mark Pietri on piano. Following a sold-out run at By the Sea Productions in Morro Bay earlier this year, the troupe is bringing their production to Templeton.

Michael Kaplan and Mark Pietri first met in 2014 through Craigslist. Michael had written half a musical comedy and was seeking a collaborator. After meeting over coffee, Pietri began working with Kaplan on “Danny Come Home.” Their collaboration was interrupted when the SLO Little Theater (now SLO Rep) decided to produce their revue, “We’re Canceling Cable (and Other Empty Threats).” The duo quickly completed five songs for that production, which debuted in 2015. “Danny Come Home” was produced in 2017 at the Cambria Center for the Arts Theater and again in 2018 as a concert version at the Unitarian Universalist Church in San Luis Obispo.

Kaplan has also written a three-act comedy, “Love Town,” produced at the Pewter Plough Playhouse, and “Foodies,” a two-act musical farce co-written with Jeff Mar, which has received staged readings in Dallas, Cambria, and Winter Park, Florida.

“‘Danny Come Home’ was based on a local incident that happened in this county over ten years ago,” Kaplan said. “The whole controversy about Annie the Dog, which involved Dave Congalton and Adam Hill, among others. And ‘Foodies’ is a musical comedy set at the Paso Robles Food & Wine Festival. I’ve loved writing about this area, but this show is definitely more universal in its themes.”

Kaplan began writing “It Takes Two: Brand New Songs About Same Old Love” in 2021, drawing on unperformed songs he had written with Pietri, as well as several new creations inspired by what he describes as “romantic turbulence.” The pair completed the work in 2023, designing the production to be small and portable to perform at multiple venues around the county.

Ryan Flores, manager of the Templeton Performing Arts Center, expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming performance. “I jumped at the chance to work with this group. Uniting the community and embracing the arts is what the Templeton PAC is all about! We’re in a time of great growth and many new diverse productions are on their way to our stage. An original musical revue by members of our community felt like a bullseye!”

For sample videos from the Morro Bay production, visit: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLP0WKCWyaYDd7OIf6Di1BIhukYyQqmzvm.

To purchase tickets, visit the TPAC website at https://www.templetonperformingartscenter.com/.