Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Musical Theatre Catch Up
Hi everyone: I don’t know about you, but my week has been pretty crazy. Doesn’t it seem like it always is just before a long weekend? Maybe one of these days I’ll actually be able to cruise leisurely into holiday mode…but not this time! So, let’s play catch up on the musical theatre news around southern California.This weekend Upright Cabaret will present Broadway's Young Leading Men, May 23 at the new Ace Hotel & Swim Club in Palm Springs, CA. Billy Porter directs. The 8 PM concert will boast the talents of Barrett Foa (Avenue Q, Spelling Bee, Mamma Mia!), Michael Arden (Big River, The Times They Are A-Changin'), David Burnham (The Light in the Piazza, Wicked) and Chad Kimball (Into the Woods, Lennon). www.uprightcabaret.com/events
Ooooogy Green & Other Fables, opens at Celebration Theatre May 23 and will run through June 20, 2009. It’s part of Celebration’s Familys at Play Series. In fables new and old, puppets, actors, sound and music follow Ooooogy as he learns that it’s the differences in all of us that make the world exciting. For info and tickets go to http://www.celebrationtheatre.com/family.html
On the west coast we love Kay Cole’s work in such shows as BARK!, It's the Housewives, Assassins, Pirates Of Penzance, Cabaret, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, South Pacific, 110 in the Shade, and Do I Hear A Waltz. Next in line for Kay is Ecstasy, the Musical, which she will direct and choreograph at Art/Works Theatre. Show will run June 6-July 12.
Written by S. Claus, the production focuses on two virginal college students who venture to a sexual land of OZ where anything is possible. The cast features Ben Bowen, Dina Buglione, Julie Carillo, Nicci Claspell, Gina D'Acciaro, Meyer DeLeeuw, Sharyn Gabriel, Patrick Hancock, Lisa Marinacci, Joshua McBride, Kyle Shepard, and Sean Smith. http://tinyurl.com/olg2pw
We’ll be seeing more from Stephen Schwartz this Fall too. The world premiere of his new opera Séance on a Wet Afternoon will premiere at the Grenada at Opera Santa Barbara, with additional performances on Oct. 2 and 4.
Lauren Flanigan, who has performed the role of medium Myra Foster since the early workshops of Séance, will star in a cast that also features Kim Josephson (Bill), Hila Plitman (Mrs. Clayton), John Kimberling (Mr. Clayton) and Craig Hart (Inspector Watts). http://www.seancetheopera.com/
