WEEKEND: IT’S DE-LOVELYValley Beth Shalom in Encino...

WEEKEND: IT’S DE-LOVELY

Valley Beth Shalom in Encino will present Cole Porter’s classic musical “Anything Goes” for the next two weekends.

The 62-year-old musical features a script set on an ocean liner with multiple comic convolutions and a score with several classic songs, such as “I Get a Kick Out of You,” “You’re the Top,” “Friendship,” “It’s De-Lovely,” plus the title tune, “Anything Goes.”

Executive producer Arlene Zicklin says the congregation started working on the production right after New Year’s. The production’s costumes and sets are professional-theater quality and the show will be accompanied by an 18-piece orchestra, Zicklin says.

She opened the auditions to the general acting community by placing casting notices in the trade newspaper DramaLogue. Zicklin says the project is really a labor of love for 80 volunteers in the cast and crew.

“It’s really an effort for the community,” she says. “Everyone pitched in to make this production work.”

* Valley Beth Shalom, 15739 Ventura Blvd., Encino, presents Cole Porter’s “Anything Goes,” at 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $8-$18. Proceeds benefit the temple’s educational and community programs. Call (818) 788-5000.

HOLIDAY: FAMILY FARE

Looking for someplace to take the family this weekend, but you don’t want to pay a big admission fee?

Universal CityWalk is offering some Easter weekend activities for the entire family and the price is right. Admission is free.

Featured will be gospel music by Christopher Tate and Southern California Youth Alive, a magical clown show, arts and crafts and other live entertainment.

* Easter Family Weekend is noon-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Universal CityWalk, 1000 Universal Center Drive. Free admission. Call (818) 622-3855.

PASSION PLAYS

Two local churches are presenting Easter plays that detail the biblical story of the last days of Christ.

Shepherd of the Hills/Hillcrest Christian Church in Porter Ranch will be presenting its production of “The Passion Play” for the fifth consecutive year. Director Erika Andrews says about 200 congregation members work in the cast and crew.

“It’s a big musical production,” Andrews says. “The set goes from one side of the sanctuary to the other, and it’s about three stories high.”

Andrews says the show is largely a product of the congregation itself. The play was written by members of the congregation based on a compilation of all four Gospels of the New Testament. Some of the music was written by church members. Everyone in the production is a volunteer, with the exception of the band, which includes some paid instrumentalists. Church members have been working on the show steadily since right after Christmas.

“We had auditions in January,” Andrews says. “And we started rehearsing right after that.”

Antelope Valley Christian Center of Lancaster is presenting “The Power of God,” a five-act play based on the Gospel of Matthew, Friday and Sunday evenings at the Palmdale Playhouse. For the second year in a row, the Lancaster church is presenting the production with full costume and scenery. The 60-member cast is comprised entirely of members of the 800-member nondenominational church.

* Shepherd of the Hills/Hillcrest Christian Center, 19700 Rinaldi St., Northridge, presents “The Passion Play,” at 8 p.m. tonight and Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $8-$10. Call (818) 831-9333.

* Antelope Valley Christian Center presents “The Power of God,” at 7:30 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Sunday at the Palmdale Playhouse, 38334 10th St. E., Palmdale. Free. Call (805) 267-ARTS.