Ellen Toscano to hang up her Beach Blanket

Sonoma native trades career in ‘Babylon' for life on the Plaza|

She’s rocked massive hairstyles portraying Hilary Clinton and Kim Kardashian, donned a lace wedding gown as Kate Middleton and bare midriffs as Britney Spears, and balanced a veritable fruit stand on her head as the Pineapple Princess. But, after 10 years with San Francisco’s theatrical institution, Beach Blanket Babylon, Sonoma native Ellen Toscano will take her final bow on the stage at Club Fugazi this month.

First hired off an open call audition in 2005, Toscano spent four years as the cheeky Pineapple Princess before transitioning to the sultry Chiquita Banana. The past two years, she has been an understudy, but was still featured in more than half the shows, playing everyone from Sarah Palin to Martha Stewart to Iggy Azalea.

“Amy Winehouse was my favorite character (to play), hands down,” Toscano said. “Her and Sarah Palin. I like playing the crazy ones.”

They are some of many highlights that bubble out of her when she reflects upon her decade with the famed performance company. She got to sing the National Anthem before a handful of Giants games, including during the 2014 World Series. She got to perform as Nancy Pelosi for the Speaker of the House herself, a silly but surreal moment, she said.

“When I performed for Nancy Pelosi as Nancy Pelosi, it was nerve-wracking as hell,” she said.

Then there were the many mishaps that are bound to happen in a show that changes on a near-daily basis based on what’s going on in politics and pop culture. The one that sticks out the most came shortly after then-Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot a hunting buddy in the face. Cast mate Kurt Branom was portraying Cheney with an over-sized shotgun in full song when he fell backward, legs flailing as he went, causing the rest of the cast to break the fourth wall in a fit of giggles.

“He didn’t miss a beat and he never stopped singing,” Toscano said with a smile. “We were all laughing so hard, I don’t think anyone was singing except Kurt.”

Toscano said leaving will be bittersweet, but she’s excited to focus on her growing business as a consultant with Rodan+Fields skin care, which she launched last year. But like a true performer she’ll never stay off the stage, although she plans to focus more on music than theater.

“I’d rather just sing what I want to sing with great musicians,” she said. “Singing and music will definitely be my focus moving forward.”

She’s a regular at Sonoma Speakeasy on the Plaza, where she’s known to take the stage nearly every Friday between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. She and her boyfriend have also recently formed T-Luke and the Tight Suits, which has been making the circuit through Wine Country.

“We play together in a Zydeco band,” she said. “I just learned how to play the washboard, which I absolutely love.”

A born performer, Toscano cut her theatrical teeth in Sonoma prancing across stages with Broadway Bound Kids. And while she may be taking a break from acting for now, Toscano will be gracing the stage at Beach Blanket Babylon a few more times before she hangs up her many over-sized hats. Audiences can see her perform on Aug. 13, 15, 16, 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30. Ticket information can be found at beachblanketbabylon.com.

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