Our Laguna: 'Lonesome' gala is anything but

"Lonesome Traveler" had plenty of company Saturday at the Laguna Playhouse gala opening.

The Rubicon Theatre Co.'s ode to American folk music had the sold-out audience spontaneously singing along and the enthusiasm didn't end when the curtain came down.

"This was so fun," said Kathy Conway, as first-nighters mingled with the cast and toasted them with champagne.

Conway said she knew every word of the songs performed by the nine-member cast in their roles inspired by folk music immortals such as Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Lead Belly and others.

"I knew a lot of the music, but especially the spirituals," said Councilwoman Elizabeth Pearson, whose family still lives in North Carolina.

Singalongs were encouraged by Justin Flagg in the role of the narrator, the "Lonesome Traveler," aka Pete Seeger. Well-known songs included "This Land is Your Land, "Blowin' in the Wind," "Goodnight, Irene," "Puff, the Magic Dragon" and "Mr. Tambourine Man."

"Folk music is very much about participation, not observation," said show designer Tom Giamario.

Even the set was familiar to many — those who spent time in the 1960s in San Francisco recognized the nod to the iconic "Hungry i," the lowercase "i" intended but never fully explained. The club presented folk singers such as Glen Yarborough and the Kingston Trio, as well as boosted the careers of young comedian Bill Cosby and satirist Mort Sahl.

"Lonesome Traveler" was written and directed by Rubicon Theatre's artistic director, James O'Neil. Performances continue through Feb. 5.

"This is the third year we have worked with the Rubicon," said Karen Wood, Playhouse executive director.

Last year, Rubicon and the Playhouse were among the consortium of six theaters that staged the premiere of "Daddy Long Legs."

"They produced 'Lonesome Traveler' at their theater and now here," Wood said of Rubicon. "We are already looking at what are going to do this year."

"Lonesome Traveler" is a stroll through American folk music, although "folk music" is said to be an English term that originated in the 19th century. In America, its roots include the church music of the country's black population.

How fitting that "Lonesome Traveler" concludes with "This Little Light of Mine" and includes "We Shall Overcome," music of the Civil Rights Movement.

Folk music exploded in the Beat Generation's coffeehouses of the 1960s, and its genre was well represented in the show.