September 28, 2006 by Michael Hixon

But Asbjornson didn't only draw from her opera background for "Cindy Lou."  She has travelled the world; modeled; acted in plays, film, television,and commercials; and sang in pop bands and on a USO tour.     In "Cindy Lou," entertainment lawyer Danielle (played by Asbjornson) has everything.  She dates movie stars and owns a beautiful house on the Strand in Hermosa Beach, but her life changes when she sees a cute little Pug at a local shelter.  When she decides to adopt the Pug after fixing her house up to accommodate her new friend, she returns to the shelter but it is gone.  This starts a desperate search to find the Pug.  In total, there are eight human characters, and 11 dogs and cats of different breeds played by the actors.

Susan Asbjornson drew inspiration for her latest production, "CINDY LOU", from a pug that was saved from certain death by the non profit animal rescue charity Pugs 'N Pals.    Cindy Lou is one of two Pugs, including Amelie Tatin, that Susan and her husband have made a home for that were rescued by Pugs 'N Pals.  Asbjornson, a trained soprano, wrote and composed "Cindy Lou," which will make it's premiere Saturday, September 30, 2006, at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse.  The opera/musical benefits Pugs 'N Pals.     "When we adopted these two girls from Pugs 'N Pals, I was in awe of what these people do," she said.  "All day long they rescue injured, unwanted or ill small breeds.  I wanted to do a big fund-raiser for them so I decided to write this opera."

Susan Asbjornson sits with Cindy Lou, a rescued pug and the inspiration for a new opera that will open at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse.

"There are a lot of lessons in the opera about animals and what they provide," she said.  "One thing I didn't know when I originally wrote it was that they only have 21 days to be in the shelter before they are euthanized.  I had thought that it was only four."    She added, "My brain couldn't wrap around the concept of four days and you're out of here.   So we talk about microchipping in the opera.  We talk about how if you move you have to take your dog with you, you can't just throw it in a shelter, among other things."

With her Contemporary Opera Co., Asbjornson's first production at the Hermosa Playhouse was the one-woman show "Diva!" with Bill Protzmann in 2003.  Two years ago, she had another version of "Cindy Lou" with [spoken recitatives].  The new version has the musical element, a new ending, and a new song composed and written by Asbjornson called, "Hermosa Beach."    Those in the production are also giving up their time including some other local residents like conductor Pancho Burgos, a Hermosa Beach resident.

"In this production we have a number of people like the volunteers for animal rescue and the performers in this prodcution who are giving up their time without compensation, spending a fair amount of time learning original music written only for this show covering the timeless themes that occur in opera like unconditional love, unrequited love, death, unfairness at the hands of the law, all these things come together in this new opera," George Ziegler [Managing director of Contemporary Opera] said.  "It's a labor of love."