Sunday, May 19, 2013
Hollywood Fringe Spotlight – Part 5: NATALIE PORTMAN and THE RUBY BESLER CABARET
June 7 (preview), 5, 16, 21, 2, 23, 28, 29
It’s been a year since the premiere of this sketch comedy musical, which ran for ten months, first in Orange County, and later in Los Angeles. It was such a hit with audiences that writer & director Brittany Garms decided her next goal was to take it to the Fringe. “After that successful run, Fringe seemed like the logical next step to get the show out to a wider audience,” she says.
I asked how the show came about and she responded that, “it began as a joke, written for a very talented friend of mine, who also happened to look like Natalie Portman. It started with one song, and finally rewrite after rewrite, workshop after workshop, it eventually became what it is today, a sketch comedy musical.”
“The Fringe Festival is the Sundance of musicals,” Garms adds. “It’s a chance for artists to put their work out there. This show is one of a kind, neither completely sketch comedy nor completely musical. It’s a satire that mocks movies, musicals, celebrity, but most of all, it mocks the format of musicals and shows itself.”
In it, Samuel L. Jackson takes the audience through the life and times of one of Hollywood’s favorite starlets, and what may or may not have happened along the way. From Harvard to Star Wars, and Saturday Night Live to Black Swan, you’ll join Natalie, Sam, Kristen Stewart, Jody Foster, and even some Sesame Street puppets as they explore the hilarity of musicals, movies, and celebrity.
The show features book & lyrics by Brittany Garms, and music by Frankie Marrone & Tara Pitt. Garms directs a cast that includes Malik Aziz, Gwendolyn Bueker, Brittany Garms, Tara Pitt, Adarius Smith, and Garrett Stivers. Choreography is by Kristina Marquez. Performances are at The Lounge Theater, 6201 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90038. Click Here for tickets and more information.
June 11, 14, 20, 25, 29
“Funny is the New Sexy” is the theme of The Ruby Besler Cabaret. Actually, funny has always been sexy and, as if to underscore the point, the eponymous star of The Ruby Besler Cabaret is the perfection in fashion, face and figure of the archetypal 1940s Dame, as seductive with a witty lyric or line of dialogue as she is with her curves.
Ruby is played by Anastasia Barnes, who also stars in and wrote the show (additional dialogue by Jim Senti). She originally created the character of Ruby Besler in a popular web series in which Ruby gives advice to women (and occasionally to men) on sex and romance, always followed by an original novelty song with a sound appropriate to the ‘40s. The advice is funny and very, very frank, as she advises ladies to keep their “panties on and heels on the ground.”
For this show, Barnes has adapted Ruby for a cabaret setting. Ruby has gone to secretarial school in Manhattan while pursuing the dream (which she of course achieves) of being a Broadway star. The somewhat naughty show features burlesque dancers, live piano, and multi-media (but no nudity). Joining Ruby onstage will be pianist Dorothy Diamond (portrayed by musical director Gere Fennelly), and her dancers, The Rubies (Tatiana Giannoutsos, Regan Carrington, Laurel Vecsey, and choreographer Flame Cynders, all from the Fishnet Follies Classic Burlesque Revue). The show is directed by Doug Oliphant and features music by Anastasia Barnes and Gere Fennelly.
Performances take place at Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90038. Tickets are $12.00 except for June 11 which is Pay What You Can. Click Here for tickets or call (323) 455-4585. www.therubybeslershow.com
Please note: The show contains adult content and is inappropriate for children.
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Labels: hollywood fringe
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Saturday, May 18, 2013
What’s Happening Around Town for May 18, 2013
Tilted Field's Last Days of Mary Stuart
Tilted Field, in association with Son of Semele Theater, presents the world premiere of The Last Days of Mary Stuart, an electro-opera, through the curated guest-production program SOSEhost. This immersive music theater experience is conceived, written and directed by Becca Wolff, with music by Byron Kahr and John Nixon of TONY. The show will run June 21 – July 20, with opening night on Saturday, June 22. In an immersive club atmosphere, The Last Days of Mary Stuart blurs the lines of history to create a musical allegory for our time.
Mary Stuart is the disgraced and charismatic Queen of Scots, fast becoming an It-Girl on a meteoric rise in 16th-Century England. As she drives herself into the rift over Queen Elizabeth’s legitimacy, foreign powers threaten and youths are radicalized abroad. It is in this political hothouse that Mary Stuart grows her cult of personality that menaces the future of the English Empire and the new world in which we live.
The sound has evolved over the two years of the project’s development from a rock idiom to the more dramatic, flexible and sweeping sounds of electronica. The vocal style is straightforward and powerful and the piece is structured in the aria/recitative mode of classical opera where the music tells the story as much as the words within it. The cast includes Laila Ayad (Elizabeth), Alex Knox (Judge #2/Badge Man), Daniel David Stewart (The Kid), and Marianne Thompson (Mary Stuart). Performances are Thursdays & Friday at 8:00 pm; Saturdays at 8:00 & 10:30 pm (no performance on Thu. July 4) at Son of Semele Theater, just west of Downtown LA at 3301 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004. For more information, please call (213) 351-3507 or visit www.sonofsemele.org. For more about the show visit www.tiltedfield.com/projects.html.
Ryan Blacks' 88’s Lineup for May 22nd
Ryan Black’s 88’s is back at Don’t Tell Mama, every Wednesday beginning May 15th at 8pm. There is no cover charge and seats may be reserved with a dinner reservation by calling (323) 380-7209, or you can reserve online HERE. The lineup for May 22nd includes Cortes Alexander, Shane Alexander, Laura Dickinson, Tawny Dolley, Erin Duncan, Ava Gaudet, Adam Hunter, Paulette Ivory, Matt Scott, Craig Taggart, Pam Trotter, and Coco & Ruby (Courtney Freed & Rebecca Johnson). Open mic after the show so bring your music. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RyanBlacks88s.
Joanne Tatham Comes To Catalina Jazz Club
Joanne Tatham brings her jazz-infused vocal storytelling back to Catalina Jazz Club in Soundtrack New York: Music from Movies Made in Manhattan on June 6th at 8:30 pm. From Breakfast at Tiffany’s to Midnight Cowboy, from West Side Story to Tootsie -- this brand-new show includes the work of The Gershwins, Burt Bacharach, Kander and Ebb, Marilyn and Alan Bergman, Henry Mancini with Rod McKuen, and many more. Visit www.JoanneTatham.com for more news. Quinn Johnson is the musical director for Soundtrack New York and the show is produced by Clifford Bell. www.Cabarabia.com
Kritzerland’s Mad About the Boy
Kritzerland presents Mad About the Boy: The Songs of Noël Coward June 2 at 7:00 pm at North Hollywood’s Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal, with musical direction by Lloyd Cooper. The cast includes Eileen Barnett, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy, John Sloman and Robert Yacko, with special guest Susan Watson. For reservations call 818-754-8700.
Angel City Chorale 20th Anniversary Concert
Angel City Chorale (ACC) will celebrate its first two decades in song with special reunion concerts on Saturday, June 1 and Sunday, June 2, 2013, at 7:00 pm. The 20th Anniversary Concerts will feature the west coast premiere of Grammy Award-Winning Composer Christopher Tin’s "Calling All Dawns." In addition to performing Tin’s highly acclaimed three-movement piece, which celebrates the circle of life in 12 languages, Angel City Chorale will also perform “The Best of ACC,” highlighting much-loved and crowd-favorite songs from the choir’s 20-year history. Conducted by ACC Founder and Artistic Director Sue Fink, the concerts will be held at the historic Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. The audience is invited to join the performers for a dessert reception after each performance. For additional information and tickets, please call (310) 943-9231 or visit www.angelcitychorale.org.
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Labels: angel city chorale, catalina jazz club, kritzerland, ryan black, son of semele
Friday, May 17, 2013
Review: 3-D Theatricals PARADE
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| Jeff Skowron as Leo Frank. Photos by Isaac James Creative |
The 36-member cast of 3-D Theatricals’ Parade crackles with so much energy onstage in Plummer Auditorium that at any moment it feels like something is about to explode. Given its tragic subject matter, and the fact that the story is based on actual events, that is exactly the effect that director T.J. Dawson’s intends.
The musical carries significant meaning for Dawson as program notes reveal that it is the show that made him want to become a director; an understandable response because it would be hard to believe than anyone could witness this show and not be deeply moved. The sickening injustices and corruption in Alfred Uhry’s story, and the richly consuming textures of Jason Robert Brown’s score, create a powerful tapestry for 3-D’s expertly rendered production.
Jeff Skowron gives a magnificent performance as the wrongly accused Leo Frank as does Caitlin Humphreys who portrays his wife Lucille. Both are a drastic departure from the last roles I saw them in locally – Skowron as Dr. Chilton in Silence! the Musical and Humphreys as Kate Monster & Lucy the Slut in 3-D’s Avenue Q. Skowron’s incredibly compelling courtroom testimony, his creepy/great fantasy sequence acting out the young girls’ fake story, and his final heartbreaking duet with Lucille are only a few of the many scenes that showcase his amazing versatility. Humphreys exhibits a maturity beyond her years with some unexpected power belting that only intensifies as the story progresses.
Other impressive performances include dramatic turns by a quartet of heavy-hitters: Norman Large (Hugh Dorsey), Robert Yacko (Governor Slaton), Gordon Goodman (Tom Watson), and Rufus Bonds, Jr., who each add to the dramatic tension in his own powerful way.
Zachary Ford [pictured right] plays a sensational drunk (and he sings like a drunk too). The last time I saw a truly effective drunk in a musical was Greg Jbara’s performance in Michael John LaChuisa’s Little Fish at the Blank Theatre in 2007. Ford’s version is a sleazy reporter looking for a way to become famous who comically stumbles though his big number “Big News” and eventually lands in a trash barrel before getting the chance of a lifetime with the Mary Phagan/Leo Frank story.
Unforgettable stage pictures like Daguerreotype images brought to life are woven throughout the show, set off by Shon Le Blanc’s early 1900’s costumes, Jean-Yves Tessier’s intense lighting, and Tom Buderwitz’s dual level set design. Act I’s final picture of the Franks slowly walking downstage, eyes stoically ahead, through the growing chaos of the crowd to the escalating dissonance in Jason Robert Brown’s music, is riveting.
Musical director David Lamoureux has created a sensational wall of sound when his 36 singers all converge at once. The result is robust, though almost overwhelming at times, but Brown’s music makes great emotional demands on its singers and collectively they are an impassioned ensemble. Each number, from the opening “The Old Red Hills of Home” to its reprise in the show’s finale, stylistically develops a piece of the story or an emotion of a moment within its complex musical structure and this company’s fine work is buttoned-up to a one.
All of these singular pieces add up to one of the finest productions to date by 3-D Theatricals who has raised the bar for quality and artistic integrity in Southern California theatre.
Through May 26, 2013. 3-D Theatricals at Plummer Auditorium, 201 East Chapman Ave, Fullerton Ca. 92832. For tickets call (714) 589-2770 x 1 or go to www.3DTshows.com.
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Labels: 3D Theatricals
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Hollywood Fringe Spotlight – Part 4: The Time Machine Musical, Real Housekeepers of Studio City
More musical news from the Fringe as we travel through time with The Time Machine Musical and The Real Housekeepers of Studio City!
THE TIME MACHINE MUSICAL
June 9, 13, 15, 19, 20, 26, 27
In this new rock musical version of H. G. Wells Time Machine, a brilliant but troubled scientist invents a machine that takes him into a distant and violent future. The show explores themes of class struggle, popular apathy, runaway technology, addiction, greed, lawlessness, hubris, teenage angst, hopelessness, man playing God, love, betrayal and redemption. All in one hour. Sounds perfect for The Fringe, right?
Composer Steve Altman says he came up with the idea for Time Machine Musical many years ago, “when I happened upon the George Pal film while playing Judas in Superstar in a bus and truck company. ‘This should be a rock opera,’ I thought! And the seed took root. It’s seen many different forms since then, but the themes are always the same…class struggle, teenage angst, corporate greed…and there’s a love story in there too.
I’d been a songwriter since high school and wound up writing for Motown, José Feliciano, Smokey Robinson, HBO and NASA, among others…all the while piecemealing this idea together. I guess more than ever, I’ve just always wanted to see a Time Machine musical. Part Superstar, part Hair, part sci-fi. And I think the world is ready."
"I’m lucky enough to be friends with one Joshua Fardon, playwright, composer, director who will helm this beast," he adds. "Josh has worked with folks like Adam Carolla, Bebe Neworth and Peter Coyote, and our cast and crew is a wonderful hybrid of actors and musicians that include Jack David Frank, James Hanna, Jonathan Grey, Thomas Meaney, Susan Mikiel, Tara Price, David Rodwin, Tara Raucci, Gretel Roenfeldt, Erick Van Wyck, Rich Faugno, Paul Costa, Jeremy Borum, Shannon Simonds and Sandi Hemmerlein.”
Steve also wrote and directed Duality to 5 star reviews at the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe (www.dualitytheshow.com) as well as the John Lennon musical, Just Imagine (www.justimaginetheshow.com). Performances of The Time Machine Musical will take place at Elephant Stages, 1076 Lillian Way. The performance on June 7 is Pay What You Can. Tickets for all other dates are $10. Click Here for tickets and more info.
THE REAL HOUSEKEEPERS OF STUDIO CITY
June 9, 10, 14, 15, 16, 20, 21, 22, 27, 28
The Real Housekeepers of Studio City is an original one-act musical with music by Joe Greene, book & lyrics by Heidi Powers & Tom Moore, directed by Ryan Bergmann. Choreography is by Janet Roston. The world premiere one-hour show is the story of a fantasy version of Studio City where all television characters live, and a family’s Craigslist ad that draws maids from sitcoms past and present.
“Composer Joe Greene’s love of TV reruns originally sparked the idea of a musical based on sitcom maids,” says co-bookwriter Heidi Powers. “When he approached my husband & writing partner Tom Moore and I with the topic, we jumped at the chance to develop a show with him.”
Though she hadn't written musical theatre before, Powers says she was the kind of child who wore out the Annie soundtrack on vinyl before she turned six. “I loved musicals and I performed as much as I could as a young person, but by the time I hit college, I knew I would never have the pipes to perform. I left musicals behind to study writing and directing, and I eventually found myself in Los Angeles, marketing movies by day, and working on a film and television portfolio by night. I was still a voracious listener of musical soundtracks, and a supporter of the arts, but something was definitely missing.
Once we started working on this show, I discovered that writing lyrics and the book for a musical more than filled the void left by no longer performing in musicals. Regardless of anything else, I have already learned so much and felt so much joy in the process of developing Real Housekeepers than I ever expected to. And I think our joy has been infectious - the cast, the production team, the crew, we all feel like we’re sharing in something special, something that makes us laugh deeply and reconnects us with both our inner child and our playful id. Working on it has genuinely changed my life.”
For co-writer Tom Moore, who also works as a reality TV editor, creating the show has been a way to tap into his passion for television. “I think that for all of us who grew up watching these shows on TV, there was always a little bit of fantasy about what it would be like to be in those families – to be a Brady or a Jefferson or a Jetson or an Addams. The Real Housekeepers of Studio City indulges our fantasies by bringing the worlds of those shows into contact with the world we live in and seeing what happens.”
Powers adds that the show will appeal to Fringe audiences because it’s full of bawdy humor and the warmth of nostalgia, which don't always go hand-in-hand. “People who love television will have a blast reconnecting with familiar characters from many seasons ago - not to mention the treasure hunt of TV references tucked throughout the book and lyrics. And people who love musicals will appreciate the show, because it’s packed with references to shows of the past (including an eleven o’clock number called ‘Ashley’s Turn,’ inspired by Mama Rose.)
And people who like neither television nor musicals - well, you don’t know what you’re missing! But Real Housekeepers tries to show you. There’s a reason Homer Simpson calls television ‘teacher, mother, secret lover.’ People cozy up and relax with TV. Sure, they veg out. But over time, they connect to the characters. The characters sort of become a part of their family. And in the end, Real Housekeepers - however silly and playful it might be - is about family.”
The cast includes Lani Shipman, Ryan O’Connor, Jordan Kai Burnett, Daniel Switzer, Lorie Moore, Gabby Sanalitro, Matt Musgrove, Joe Greene, Edna Garrett, Harris Markson, Chala Savino, Gina Torrecilla, and Gregory Guy Gorden. Performances take place at Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles CA 90038. Tickets are $10 – $15 and can be purchased at www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/1186. For more information about the show visit www.therealhousekeepersofstudiocity.com.
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Labels: hollywood fringe
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
What's Happening Around Town for May 15, 2013
2Cents Theatre Group has announced its production of RENT, Jonathan Larson’s legendary Broadway smash hit, which is now celebrating its 20th anniversary. Directed by Kristen Boulé, with musical direction by Morgan Fitch, RENT will play May 24 – June 30 and run in rep with Private Eyes by Steven Dietz, directed by Shaunessy Quinn (opening May 30) at the Hudson Theatre Mainstage in Hollywood. Based on Puccini's La Boheme, RENT is a rock opera that tells the story of one year in the life of a group of bohemians struggling in East Village New York during the 1990s. RENT’s cast will feature Dedrick Bonner, Kate Bowman, Amber Bracken, Ariel Brooker, Cole Chapman, Brian Gamble, Lauren Joy Goss, Jonathon Grant, Michael Levine, Juan Lozano, Alli Miller, Tyler Olshansky, Reagan Osborne, Deondray Randolph, and Jessika Rowe. Click Here tickets online or call (323) 960-4410. The Hudson Theatre is located at 6539 Santa Monica Boulevard, on Theatre Row in Hollywood, 90038. Parking is available across from the theatre on Hudson Avenue ($5).
The Nederlander Organization and Pantages Theatre, Hollywood are proud to announce that the 2nd Annual Jerry Herman Awards, a celebration in the achievement and excellence in high school musical theatre in Los Angeles will be hosted at the Pantages Theatre on Sunday May 19 at 7pm. Red Carpet celebrity arrivals will begin at 6pm on Sunday evening. Presenters from the worlds of Broadway, film & television are confirmed to present awards to aspiring high school musical theatre performers at the event this Sunday evening. Presenters include Obba Babatunde, Shoshana Bean, Kevin Chamberlin, Sam Harris, Kenny Ortega, Cathy Rigby, Tracie Thoms & Steven Weber. General seating is just $20. Tickets may be purchased at www.JerryHermanAwards.com, www.HollywoodPantages.com, www.Ticketmaster.com or by calling 1-800-982-2787. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street.
The Colony Theatre is thrilled to announce that the final production of its Season of Premieres, the world premiere of Falling For Make Believe, will have a return engagement starting June 6th, after a brief hiatus, to accommodate the demand for tickets. With music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Lorenz Hart, book by Mark Saltzman, and directed by Jim Fall, Falling For Make Believe was greeted by rave reviews and such enthusiastic word-of-mouth that the announced performances sold out. Falling For Make Believe will play June 6 – 30, Thursdays & Fridays at 8pm; Saturdays at 3pm & 8pm; and Sundays at 2pm. The Colony Theatre is located at 555 North Third Street, at the corner of Cypress, in the heart of the Burbank Media Center. For further information and tickets, call (818) 558-7000 or visit www.colonytheatre.ORG.
Panic! Productions closes its second season with the musical comedy A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, June 1 – 16, at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. The popular musical farce, with music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart, is directed by Broadway veteran Joshua Finkel, with music direction by Diann Alexander and choreography by Mona King. Forum is a frenetic romp based on the ancient Roman comedies of Plautus. Tapping into the show’s famous opening number, “Comedy Tonight,” Finkel has crafted a show-within-a-show concept, where a 1966 theatre troupe is putting on the show on the first day of the Uniform Time Act, which made Daylight Savings Time a national law. Some cast members have forgotten to move their clocks forward and confusion and chaos ensues.
The cast include Silas Benjamin, P.J. Wong, Paul Panico, Lisa Gaston, Kurt Kemper, Amanda Wanamaker, Keith Moreton, John Gaston, Bob Decker, Andrew Metzger, Alexandra Gonzales, Jamie Baer, Danielle Samson, Michelle Miller, Shanni Tal, Amber Langford, Chava Caiyem, and Heidi Appe. Tickets are $20 for adults; $18 for students/seniors. 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks CA 91360 (across from the Oaks Mall/ 101 off at Lynn Road). Click here for tickets and more information.
D.E.E. Studio Productions Performing Arts Academy presents The Little Mermaid, directed by Nancy Horak, with musical direction by Virginia Stewart and choreography by Annie Horak, for one weekend only May 23 – 26 at The Hudson Backstage Theatre. Audiences will delight in this musical stage adaptation of both the animated movie and the 2007 Broadway revival as characters glide across the stage, employing techniques from the Broadway show. Performances will be Friday 8pm, Saturday 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday 2pm & 6pm, at The Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 90038. General admission is $15 for Adults; $10 for students & children (use promo code 007), and $18.00 VIP (front & center seating). For tickets, call (323) 960-4418 or go to www.plays411.com/mermaid.
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Hollywood Fringe Spotlight - Part 3: A Man of No Importance
June 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30
Janet Miller is about to launch her new theatre company, aptly named the Good People Theater Company, with A Man of No Importance at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. The musical is a unique choice for an inaugural production and an even more unusual choice to be presented at the Fringe. Why? Because this musical, featuring music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and a book by Terrence McNally isn’t new, yet its themes of love and acceptance resonate clearly throughout the piece. And that’s definitely Fringe worthy.
The time is Dublin, 1964. Meet Alfie Byrne, a bus conductor with a poet’s heart. In the morning he dispenses tickets and Oscar Wilde’s best verse to his regulars. After work, St. Imelda’s amateur theatricals are his passion. And, much to his sister’s distress, he cooks. Foreign things. With parsley on top.
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| Janet Miller |
The lead character, Alfie Byrne, is in his 40s and he’s basically beginning to realize there’s a cost to hiding. There’s a personal cost to him for not living in an authentic way. He decides he’s willing to risk everything – including the love of his family and friends – to come into that truer relationship with himself. And the beautiful thing about the play is the poetical magic that Alfie always had – the thing that drew people to him in the first place – only grows and becomes freer when he has the courage to simply become himself more fully. It’s powerful watching this character transform from the inside out.”
In addition to Alfie’s transformation, there’s the added layer of it being a show about a community theater group that also resonates for her. “That part of the story always felt like home to me because I’ve done a lot of community theater, and I love it! There’s a stigma about community theater being ‘less than professional,’ but here’s the thing: as a director, you get to work with all sorts of wonderful people for whom acting is not their first job. It’s the thing they do as a second career because they’re compelled to do it, they love it and they make great sacrifices to make it happen. A Man of No Importance really honors the dignity and the sincerity of the deep love of theater that comes from community players and the moving way it touches their lives. And I find that very true to life. I was also drawn to its style of storytelling. It’s a memory play, and I like the structure. The scenes are short and they uphold the storytelling that is really taken care of by the musical numbers.”
And as for why she chose to produce it during the Fringe? “The original idea to open our Company’s first show at Fringe came as some friendly advice from Jeremy Lelliott, artistic director of Coeurage Theatre Company,” she says. “He and I were talking about my dream of staging A Man of No Importance. He saw how passionate I was about the project and he suggested we do it at Fringe because he felt it was the right kind of umbrella organization to help us get on our feet.
When you’re looking at starting a company and launching the first production, there’s a nearly endless list of questions and decisions that need to be made. Putting our first show into the Fringe Festival immediately gave us some definition, some guidance and key parameters. And that helped us get through that first phase of ‘well, where do we start?’
And I discovered A Man of No Importance has been done at other international Fringe festivals, which makes sense because it doesn’t have heavy sets, etc. It was reassuring to see it had played well in the Fringe-type environment before.”
“There’s also something to be said for the variety the show will bring to the Fringe mix,” she adds. “Most Fringe shows are experimental and shorter. Ours is a licensed show that hasn’t been done yet in LA with a fully staged production, but people know about the show and are excited to see it here. Fringe tends to feature the work of younger, rising artists and our show’s story is about a group of mostly 40+ characters, so our ensemble skews a little more – how shall I say? – to the mature side! But with that you’re seeing actors who’ve worked on Broadway and are truly masters at their craft, and who are now in our ‘wee Irish musical’ at Fringe.”
As any artist will tell you, an emotional connection to the work is essential. For Janet, that part was easy. “Here I am, in mid-life – just like Alfie – asking those typically mid-life questions, like ‘who am I now and who do I really want to be?’ Alfie is asking the tough questions: is it ok to be true to ourselves and risk losing the approval of our fellow travelers – sometimes friends or loved ones we’ve known for years? I’m right there with him and I’m inspired by how he deeply and authentically accepts himself, regardless of cost.”
In terms of relevance to 2013, what does a bus conductor from 1960s Dublin have to tell us today? “Well, it’s 60 years after Alfie’s moment, as shown in the play, and big parts of the world are still struggling with fundamental questions of personal freedom and the political right to live your own best, individually authentic life. You see it in the Arab Spring movement across the Middle East. You see it in pending Supreme Court decisions we expect to move this summer.
And on a more personal level, I think people are testing the limits of love and friendship all the time around this question of ‘will I still be acceptable to you if I cut loose and really live an outer life that matches my inner life?’
People are going to love seeing some very powerful, professionally skillful storytelling. The show itself is brilliant on the page, of course. But I have the privilege of working with incredibly talented, gifted actors, musicians and production people who are deeply and personally invested in putting this story across, with all the professionalism, heart and nuance it deserves. And because I’m working with a core group of people I’ve done many shows with before – many ‘Good People’ from my past – we’re able to take the storytelling to a deep place and make a lot happen very quickly.
For example: the women who are costuming this show have done 18 shows with me. We get each other and we now work in a kind of short-hand. They understand the kind of storytelling I’m invested in and they effortlessly translate their work into that concept. And the actors are singing beautifully. They are really committed to telling this story in a profoundly thoughtful way. It’s a true team effort and I think it’s going to make for a very powerful evening of theater.”
A Man of No Importance, Good People Theater Company, Elephant Stages at the Lillian Theatre, 1076 Lillian Way. Tickets are $20. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Hollywood Fringe Spotlight - Part 2: The Pokemusical, [title of show]
Hollywood Fringe coverage continues with a fun look at a musical satire based on the world of pocket monsters and a popular musical about four friends writing a new musical. And in big news, the brand new Hollywood Fringe Festival App is now available for free download on both the Apple and Google Play stores. Once you download the mobile app you can purchase tickets on your phone to over two hundred festival productions, as well as browse shows by location, time or category. You can also create a unique profile, manage a list of favorite shows and customize your schedule on-the-go, plus there’s a map and navigation for all Fringe venues, access to show reviews and a news feed of the latest Fringe events. Now that’s pretty cool.
June 10, 14, 15, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28
Joanna says, “We felt The Pokémusical would be a perfect addition to the Fringe because it features a nostalgic revisiting of the early Pokemon craze, lightning-paced storytelling, 11-o-clock numbers about pocket monsters, and all in all a heartfelt story at its core. The musical follows the first journey of Ash, Misty, Brock, Pikachu and the rest of the crew from the original games and anime as they traverse Kanto, this time with song and dance in tow, exploring what it truly means to be the very best. The Pokémusical delves into the everyman journey through the eyes of a 10 year old boy with a dream. It’s a story that reminds us all that good things come to those that take life by the Pokéballs.”
The Pokémusical opens on June 10 at 10PM with performances most Fridays, Saturdays and Wednesday evenings through June 28. General Admission is $10. Performances take place at the Elephant Space, Theatre Asylum, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Click Here for tickets and information or visit www.colorandlighttheatre.org.
June 7, 9, 13, 15, 18, 20, 22, 26, 29, 30
[title of show] is an 90-minute musical chronicling the adventures of Hunter (writer), Jeff (lyricist) and their awesome lady friends, Heidi & Susan, as they take their hit show from the NY Musical Theatre Festival, to an off-Broadway run, and finally to Broadway! And now, Village Idiom Productions brings the play-within-a-play hit musical to the Hollywood Fringe Festival in a co-production with Theatre Unleashed.
Why bring an established show to the Fringe? Director Corey Lynn Howe says “[title of show] speaks to every young professional trying to realize a dream while also struggling to maintain the balance of being a responsible adult…and it’s funny as hell!” That’s why the show received a Tony Award nomination in 2009 and why the folks at Village Idiom Productions thought it would fit right in with the spirit of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
Jeff and Hunter, two struggling writers, hear about a new musical theatre festival. However, the deadline for submissions is a mere three weeks away. With nothing to lose, they decide to try to create something new with the help of their friends Susan, Heidi and Larry on the eighty-eights. With the cast in place, Jeff and Hunter begin a conversation on what they should write. Eventually, Jeff suggests they write about…what to write about! They make a pact to write up until the festival’s deadline and dream about the show changing their lives. [title of show] -- taken from the space on the festival’s application form which asks for the [title of show] -- follows Hunter and Jeff and their friends on their journey through the gauntlet of creative self-expression.
“It’s an adventure; four friends, stuck on their own respective versions of a creative plateau, looking to take that much desired step up, find their momentum and eventual success simply by telling their own story,” Howe said. “It’s a beautiful telling of how we make our own happiness and success in life, all the while, battling to overcome self-doubt as the biggest and most consistent antagonist.” Howe’s cast includes Travis Dixon as Hunter, Christopher Maikish as Jeff, Heather Lake as Heidi, and Julia Plostnieks as Susan, with Jim Blackett as Larry & music director.
Performances are June 7 & 9 at The Elephant and June 13 – 30 at Theatre Asylum, 6320 Santa Monica Blvd. Tickets are $12. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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What's Happening Around Town for May 14, 2013
Creating Arts Presents Peter Pan
Creating Arts Company brings to life the classic story of Peter Pan, the mischievous boy who refuses to grow up Saturdays at 2:00 pm and Sundays at 3:00 pm, now through June 30 at Promenade Playhouse. Join Peter in an adventure of a lifetime as he introduces Wendy, John and Michael Darling to his world of Never Neverland, where they meet the Lost Boys, Tiger Lily and her Indian Braves and the mean Captain Hook and his Pirates. Cheer for Peter, Boo for Captain Hook, Laugh along with Tinkerbell and help Wendy, John and Michael discover that growing up isn't quite so bad. This fun one hour audience interactive musical will have children of all ages singing and dancing along. Promenade Playhouse, 1404 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For more information call (310) 804-0223 or go to www.creatingarts.org.
East West Players - CHESS
CHESS officially opens at East West Players Wednesday, May 15 at 8pm and will run through June 9. The musical features book by Richard Nelson, lyrics by Tim Rice, and music by Benny Andersson & Björn Ulvaeus and is directed by Tim Dang, with musical direction by Marc Macalintal and choreography by Marc Oka. From the lyricist of Jesus Christ Superstar and the composers of Mamma Mia!, the story involves a romantic triangle between two top chess players - an American and a Russian - and a woman who manages one and falls in love with the other. It takes place within the context of the Cold War, as both countries vie for international chess victories for propaganda purposes. Featuring: Joan Almedilla, Elijah Rock, Victor E. Chan, Carey Rebecca Brown, Ray A. Rochelle, Michael Alexander Henry, and Ryan Castellino with Cesar Cipriano, Stephanie Mieko Cohen, Jasmine Ejan, Shay Louise, D.T. Matias, Maegan McConnell, Alex Sanchez, and Justin Vasquez. Click Here for more information.
Lillias White, A Woman On Love
Chris Isaacson Presents and Upright Cabaret proudly present the west coast club return of Broadway diva and Tony Award-winner Lillias White in her new show, A Woman On Love, at the Catalina Jazz Club in Hollywood. There will be two performances only, on Mondays, June 3 and 10 at 8:30 pm, with cocktail and dinner service beginning at 6:30 pm. The June 10 show also marks the second anniversary of The Night After The Tonys, a tradition begun in 2012 by Ms. White and Upright Cabaret. Lillias White is currently starring in the critically acclaimed production of August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come And Gone, under the direction of Phylicia Rashad at the Mark Taper Forum. The music director for A Woman On Love is Abdul Hamid, and Ms. White will be joined onstage by OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) star Jake Simpson.
Admission is $30, and VIP seating is available. Tickets may be obtained by calling (866) 468-3399 or by visiting www.UprightCabaret.com/events. Tickets purchased online will receive priority seating.
Terri White Concert Debut at Sterling’s
Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal welcomes Broadway’s Terri White Sunday, May 19... direct from her critically acclaimed cabaret concert in the Barbara Cook Spotlight Series at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts’ in Washington, D.C. White, who was also featured in the Kennedy Center’s Washington-to-Broadway production of Follies, as well as Follies at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles, has appeared in several Broadway and Off-Broadway shows including Barnum, Ain't Misbehavin', Nunsense I & II, Nuncrackers, Finian's Rainbow, and Liza Minnelli Stepping Out at Radio City Music Hall.
Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal is located at 5303 Lankershim Blvd. (at Weddington Street) in North Hollywood, CA. Attendance is by advance reservation only: (818) 754-8700. Dinner Seating for Terri White is 5:30 – 6:00 pm; Showtime: 7:00 pm. VIP Reserved Seating is available at $25 per person; as well as non-reserved general admission Seating at $15 per person. A $10 food and/or beverage minimum and $3 Facility/Security charge also applies to each ticket price. For more information about Sterling’s Upstairs at The Federal, visit www.msapr.net.
We’re All in the Mood for a Melody
This Performance Benefit for SkyPilot Theater Company’s 2013 Season takes place Friday, May 17, at 7:00 pm at River Rock Lounge. Welcome to the Cafe Chanteuse, where in between performances of classic pop and Broadway tunes, hearts are broken, lives are changed and maybe even one or two dreams come true. Because everyone is beautiful at the ballet -- but at the Cafe Chanteuse, everyone has a chance to be a star. Happy Hour starts at 5:00 pm (full menu also available) and the show begins at 8:00 pm. Cocktail attire is encouraged. Tickets: $10.
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Labels: creating arts company, east west players, skypilot, sterling's, upright cabaret