Welcome!

The Charleston Light Opera Guild is a volunteer, non-profit organization dedicated to providing high-quality and reasonably priced musical theater to Charleston, West Virginia and the surrounding region. Over 200 productions have been staged since the Guild's founding in 1949.

The Color Purple

The Charleston Light Opera Guild has selected The Color Purple as its Spring 2012 production. The Color Purple is a musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s Pulitzer winning novel. Scott Sanders, Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey produced the musical on Broadway in 2005 starring LaChanze with a book by Marsha Norman, music and lyrics by Brenda Russel, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. The score features a blend of gospel, blues, soul and musical theatre arrangements. 

The Color Purple will be presented on May 4, 5, 11, 12, 18 and 19, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. and on Mother's Day, Sunday, May 13, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. The production is sponsored by Brooks Run Mining Company, a subsidiary of Alpha Natural Resources.

Visit the show page or call (304) 545-6945 for more information.

Legally Blonde

The Guild will present Legally Blonde at the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater on July 27, 28 and 29 and August 3, 4 and 5, 2012. Auditions will be held at the Guild Theater on June 2 and 3, 2012. Visit the show page or call (304) 545-6945 for more information.

Sorority star Elle Woods doesn't take "no" for an answer. So when her boyfriend dumps her for someone "serious," Elle puts down the credit card, hits the books, and sets out to go where no Delta Nu has gone before: Harvard Law. Along the way, Elle proves that being true to yourself never goes out of style

Next to Normal

The Charleston Light Opera Guild will present Next to Normal on June 15, 16, 22 and 23, 2012 at 7:30 p.m. and June 17 and 24, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. at the Charleston Civic Center Little Theater as part of FestivALL 2012.

Next to Normal is one of the most talked about new shows on Broadway in years, an acclaimed, groundbreaking musical "that pushes Broadway in new directions" (Rolling Stone). With a thrilling contemporary score, Next to Normal is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. Next to Normal was nominated for eleven 2009 Tony Awards, winning three, Best Original Score, Best Orchestration and Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. It won the 2010 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, becoming just the eighth musical in history to receive the honor.

The production of Next to Normal is sponsored by Mrs. Alex Schoenbaum. Visit the show page or call (304) 545-6945 for more information.

Hello Dolly!

The Guild will present the beloved international classic Hello Dolly! at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences Maier Performance Hall on October 26, 27 and 28, and November 2, 3 and 4, 2012.

Auditions will be held at the Guild Theater on August 28, 29 and 30, 2012, or call (304) 545-6945 for more information.

Cast and Crew

Would you like to be onstage in an upcoming Guild show? Work on the backstage crew? Help in the Box Office? Participate as a member of the Orchestra? All cast members for our shows are chosen at totally open, unbiased auditions and newcomers are very welcome. Many of our performers have never been in a prior Guild show. (Some actors have never been on stage before, ever!) So, please feel free to join us for our next audition. Orchestra and crew members can contact us via phone or e-mail and your information will be forwarded on to the correct team member.

Check this web site frequently, or join the Guild to receive special members-only mailings about upcoming shows. Audition announcements are also placed in local newspapers and other printed media. Or you can contact the Guild.