Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
SPONSORS
DALE KORMAN
(In Memory of Maestro Frank Fetta)
Ann and Marty Gallagher Nancy and George Mannon
Ted and Carolyn Porter
OUR MISSION
In partnership with the City of Torrance, The Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation’s mission is to enrich the community through the performing arts by providing diverse cultural, educational and entertainment experiences of the highest quality.
OUR VISION
The vision of the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation is to connect our community through culturally enriching experiences.
THANK YOU TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND CULTURAL ARTS COMMISSION FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF TOCA AND THE ARTS IN THE SOUTH BAY
LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation would like to acknowledge that the Armstrong Theatre is located on the traditional and ancestral territory of the Tongva people in the Swaanga Village. We ask you to join us in acknowledging the Tongva community, their elders both past and present, as well those of future generations. www.tongvapeople.com
Welcome to Our 2025–2026 Season
Welcome to a brand-new season with the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation! I’m honored to step into the role of Board President as we continue TOCA’s proud tradition of celebrating the arts in all their beautiful diversity.
For over three decades, TOCA has been a cornerstone of creativity and connection in the South Bay. That legacy continues today because of the passion and dedication of our community—our artists, audiences, partners, donors, and volunteers. Together, we make it possible to bring inspiring, thought-provoking, and joy-filled performances to our stages.
At TOCA, we believe the arts are for everyone. Whether it’s your first time in the theater or you’ve been with us since the beginning, we invite you to explore this season’s lineup and find something that speaks to you. From laugh-out-loud comedy to moving musical performances and cultural celebrations, there’s truly something for every taste.
On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, thank you for your continued support. I hope you’ll consider deepening your connection with TOCA—subscribe to our season, become a donor, or lend your time as a volunteer. However you choose to engage, know that you are a vital part of our mission.
I look forward to seeing you at the theater—and to all the unforgettable moments we’ll share this season.
Warmly,
Camilla Seferian President, Board of Directors
Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
Welcome to the 2025/2026 season at the Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation!
As we turn the page from our milestone 30th year and look ahead, I’m filled with gratitude—not only for where we’ve been, but for where we’re going. Each season is a new opportunity to bring people together, spark meaningful conversations, and celebrate the incredible power of live performance.
At TOCA, we’re not just curating a season—we’re creating space for discovery, connection, and joy. Whether it’s world-class music, laughout-loud comedy, soul-stirring theater, or family programming that ignites young imaginations, our goal remains the same: to offer something memorable for everyone who walks through our doors.
I continue to be inspired by the artists we work with, the team behind the scenes, and especially you— our audience, donors, and community partners—who make it all possible. Your enthusiasm and support are what keeps TOCA vibrant and thriving.
Please explore this brochure and find the shows that speak to you. And as always, if there’s anything we can do to make your experience better, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at info@TorranceArts.org.
Let’s make this season one to remember. See you at the theatre!
Chris Wolf Executive Director
Assisted listening devices available. Ask the House Manager or usher for assistance.
Synthpop sweethearts Shannon Curtis and Jamie Hill are crisscrossing the country once again on their mission of MAXIMUM JOY — and this time they’re bringing the 80s with them!
When their 2023 album “Good to Me” started gaining traction internationally, synthpop artist Shannon Curtis and her husband, record producer Jamie Hill, were faced with an unexpected question: how to extend their typical one-year album cycle without interrupting their favorite couples activity — making recordings together.
Their answer was to start working their way down a list that they’d been keeping since they first met in 2006, of songs from their 1980s childhoods that they thought it might be fun to someday record their own versions of.
But where most artists attempt to put their own spin on cover songs, Curtis and Hill took an intentionally different approach: they attempted to recreate as closely as possible the emotions and feelings in the original recordings.
The one twist: Curtis would be lending her soaring alto to a collection of songs sung originally by men.
The result is an album of transcendent renditions of all-time classic 80s synthpop songs, in which all the recordings are faithful to the most exacting details of the original versions — but which somehow manage to add up to what sounds for all the world like a seamless debut album from an electrifying new artist.
The 80s kids live show that Curtis and Hill are touring around the country is an incredibly joyous and high-energy affair, packed from beginning to end with some of the biggest and most iconic hits of what they affectionately refer to as “the John Hughes wing” of 80s music.
Onstage, Curtis and Hill expertly weave the songs together with entrancing immersive video art and funny, emotional storytelling about growing up in the 80s and how it prepared us for the current moment. Audiences leave not just entertained but moved, inspired, and ready to take on the world.
A peek at the setlist reveals songs by a-ha, Pet Shop Boys, Erasure, and OMD — as well as smashes by Depeche Mode, New Order, Alphaville, The Human League, and many more 80s synthpop favorites.
In keeping with Curtis and Hill’s theme of “MAXIMUM JOY,” the 80s kids live concerts are focused on inclusion and community, with audience members invited to dance on stage, an 80s photo booth with neon props, and a pervasive group singalong vibe throughout the evening.
Thank You
SEASON PARTNER
City of Torrance
Eleanor Marie Land
Family Trust
$10,000 - $49,999 - STARS
Paul & Rita Keil
Pearlston Family Trust
Torrance Refining Company
$5,000 - $9,999 – CO-STARS
Sares-Regis Group
Supervisor Janice Hahn
Surf Management, Inc.
$2,500 - $4,999PRODUCERS
Jean Adelsman
Continental Development Corporation
Farmers & Merchants Bank
Jane and Jim Isomoto
Dale Korman (In Memory of Maestro Frank Fetta)
Lori Mizuguchi
Tito’s Handmade Vodka
$1,000 - $2,499 - DIRECTORS
Ann and Marty Gallagher
Nancy and George Mannon
Ted and Carolyn Porter
$500 – ANGELS
Tammy Khan
Rod and Crystal Macdonell
Gerald and Carol Marcil
Ellenmary Michel
William Oberholzer
Jim Olds (In Memory of A.Y. & Joyce Olds)
Athena Paquette Cormier
$250 - FRIENDS
Reuben and Sabrina Ayala
John and Louise Bye
Mary Hoffman and Bob Habel
Glen and Fumiko Isobe
Russell and Carole Lefevre
Frank and Marilyn Miles
Fred and Ann Peitzman
Andrea and Ron Perez (In Memory of John Popovich)
Nancy Richards
Laura Savitz
Winnie Seieroe
Sylvia Stadlman
Christian and Robin Wolf
$100 - FANS
Amy Blomgren
Janice Burrin
Ann and Victor Cooper
Helen Dennis
Lynn Fernandez
Judy Golden
Gary Hastings
Janet Johnson
Eleanor Jones
Pentti and Ginger Jussila
Lynda Kraemer
Kenneth and Doris Nakakura
George and Helen Nakano
Peter and Vicki Pellerito
Pamela Popovich
Maurine Swilley
Hazel Taniguchi
Paula and John Verbeck
Kurt Weideman and Sue Golden
TORRANCE CULTURAL ARTS FOUNDATION BOARD
Katy Geissert, Founding President
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Camilla Seferian, President
Heidi Cunningham, Vice President/Secretary
Winnie Seieroe, Treasurer
David Kartsonis, Immediate Past President
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jean Adelsman
Sara Baillie
Liliana Dongo
Jim Olds
Peter Pettler
Rosemarie Piccioni, Ed.D.
Laura Savitz
ADVISORY BOARD
David Benoit
Shannon Dean
Scott Douglas
Donna Duperron
Steve Fechner
Patrick Furey
Ann Gallagher
Jonah Hirata
Sherry Kramer
Gesuina Lafayette
George Nakano
Steve Napolitano
Bill Oberholzer
Ted Porter
Ritas Smith
Kurt Weideman
STAFF
Christian Wolf, Executive Director
Sharon Sapigao, Administration
Susan Lyon, Artist Hospitality
Tes Schaff, Graphic Design
Torrance Cultural Arts Foundation
