Sunday, March 29, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Sunday, March 29, 2015

3D Theatricals beckons all patrons of the arts to buckle up and hold on for a rip-roaring journey back into time by way of Henry Krieger and Bill Russell’s Side Show based on the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton. Chronicling their rise from freak circus attractions to famous vaudeville entertainers during the Great Depression, this refreshingly unsentimental journey dares you to bear witness to the Hilton sisters’ heartwarming search for love and normality amidst the spectacle of fame and scrutiny of the spotlight. The production will play exclusively at Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton, April 25 – May 10. 3DT’s Executive producer and artistic director T.J. Dawson will direct the production. Ryan Ruge has been set as assistant director. Allen Everman is musical director and conductor. Choreography is by Leslie Stevens. 

 Jeanette Dawson (as Violet Hilton) and Afton Quast (as Daisy Hilton) lead a 27 member cast including Matthew Ballestero (Bearded Lady), Kathleen Borrelli (Harem Girl), Gary Brintz (Buddy Foster), Dustin Ceithamer (Geek), Adam Dingeman (Strong Man), Jay Donnell (Jake), Chelsea Emma Franko (U/S Violet and Daisy Hilton) Gregg Hammer (Terry Connor), April Jo Henry (Harem Girl), Jonah Ho’okano (Fakir), Nathan Holland (The Boss), Chris Holly (Sheik/Dance Captain), Natalie Iscovich (Harem Girl), Bren Thor Johnson (Roustabout), Emily King Brown (Tatooed Human Pin Cushion), Tracy Lore (1/2 Man-1/2 Woman,) Tracy Rowe Mutz (6TH Exhibit), Dino Nicandros (Reptile Man), Brandon Pohl (Roustabout), Robert Ramirez (Three-legged Man), Christanna Rowader (Fortune Teller), Justin Matthew Segura (Roustabout) and Deonne Sones (Dolly). Tickets: www.3dtshows.com.

You’re invited to see a developmental workshop production of The New York Society for the Suppression of Vice, April 9 – 26 at New Musical Inc (Academy for New Musical Theatre. High School baseball phenom Jack Cusack’s world is turned upside down when a biographical play he wrote is discovered, revealing his sexual orientation. Guided by the spirit of Anthony Comstock, the notorious turn-of-nineteenth-century rightwing social reformer, forces of evil conspire against Jack resulting in social ostracism, bullying, and a final outcome far more sinister. The musical was inspired by recent events in high schools across the country and is written by Joel Bailey (book), Jake Anthony (music) and Patricia Zehentmayr (lyrics). Performances are free and you can make reservations at http://nmi.org/tickets/. NMI, 5628 Vineland Ave (just north of Burbank Blvd), North Hollywood, CA 91601.

Free tickets, anyone? Hop aboard the Comp Train, Goldstar’s popular two-day promotion that features complimentary tickets to tons of fun events throughout the country. For just 48 hours, Goldstar will be offering literally thousands of free tickets to live theater, concerts, dance, comedy and more. And since all you pay is a tiny service fee (the amount varies depending on the event, but it’s usually just a couple bucks), the Comp Train’s a great way to discover new events in your area and treat your plus one, your family or even just yourself to something totally great -- and totally unexpected. Click Here to find your comp tickets.
Hal Willner presents A Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Allen Ginsberg’s “Howl” with Music, Words and Funny People at the Ace Hotel Tuesday, April 7. Featuring performances and appearances by Nick Cave, Chris Parnell, Eric Mingus, Terry Adams, The Americans, Sam Amidon, Devendra Banhart, Kevin Drew, Will Forte, Petra Haden, Macy Gray, Andy Kim, Courtney Love, Mocean Worker, John Mulaney, Ken Nordine, Beth Orton, Van Dyke Parks, Amy Poehler, Tim Robbins, the Section Quartet, Lori Singer, Chloe Webb, Steve Weisberg, Lucinda Williams and special guests, directed by Matt Piedmont. All proceeds benefit the David Lynch Foundation to bring Transcendental Meditation to at-risk populations suffering with PTSD. 7:30pm at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, 929 South Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90015. (Plus, this historic United Artists Theatre built by the founders of United Artists Pictures - Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith and Douglas Fairbanks to show their films is just plain cool. If you haven’t been inside you should put it on your list). Click here for tickets. 
Of Note Productions presents a Master Class with Broadway and TV star Rogelio Douglas, Jr. (In the Heights, The Little Mermaid, Orange Is the New Black, Whiplash) on May 23 from 10:00 – 2:00 pm. The class is open to all students ages 13 and up and will take place at the Thousand Oaks Library in Thousand Oaks. There are two ticket options available. You may enter a lottery to work on your song or monologue with Mr. Douglas ($40.00), or simply observe ($20.00). Both ticket options include lunch with Mr. Douglas from 12:00 -1:00 pm. For tickets and more information, visit www.ofnoteproductions.com.

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Friday, March 27, 2015

BEHIND THE SCENES: From Oliver Twist to LA

How One Midwestern Girl Followed Her Dream Out West
--by Tanna Frederick

Heartland USA
I grew up in Mason City, Iowa, or, as the rest of the city knows it, River City with, “A capital T that rhymes with P that stands for Pool.” Oh, yeah. We had one of THE BEST MUSIC programs in the nation, let alone the state. We sang at Carnegie Hall, for example, my sophomore year. None of us had been to New York, and we were selected for our excellence under the guidance of award-winning choir director, Joel Everist. We competed all over, winning event after event. And boy, we were expected to represent. We were serious, we were competitive, and we were expected to work with each other. “An invisible thread connected us,” Mr. Everist used to say. “Work like adults; work like professionals.”

 When I was in Girl Scouts in the fifth grade, growing up in this beautiful, progressive, serious artistic hub (that was a great big city for Iowa – population 35,000) in the middle of green oceans of cornfields, we did what people did as entertainment for our field trip. We went to see the musical Oliver.

 I had heard about this children’s theater from my classmates; the ones who could afford to be in it. They were obsessed with it. Gary Ewing was the teacher, the master, the MAN. Five shows a year, classes every Saturday, auditions. They were always eagerly waiting to hear what the next season’s line up would be. The classes were a mix of 4th graders to seniors in high school, all in the same class; all treated the same, worked the same, and rehearsed the same amount of hours with the same intensity, the same expectations; all required to paint the scenery, scrims, run light boards, and sound cues.

 When we auditioned, it was a brutal process. Imagine a 9-year old, sitting with 8-18 year olds in the audience and watching them compete with utter focus, trying to act cool as a cucumber while reading cold and brilliantly (the older ones had it down WAY better than the young’uns), while by process of elimination those that didn’t fit were asked to leave.  

 I learned to cry young. I learned to take a complete day and cry at 9. I learned to realize ‘no’ was a positive answer. That ‘no’ meant working harder, learning more, taking the smaller part and making the performance big and bold, even if your heart was breaking on stage through two months of rehearsals and performances. I learned ‘no’ was the best answer I could be given at nine years old because I went through my crying and disappointment days early, took them for what they were worth, felt the hurt deep down to my belly and all the way out to my fingers. I learned what rejection was and I learned I could handle it because right around the corner was a lead role that would knock my socks off and outshine any hurt and pain I had endured.

 I was just a kid but I knew I had a knack for acting. As I sat there with my girl scout troop, not enough seats for an overflowing house, I knew my best friend was playing Oliver Twist, at nine, and I couldn’t really conceptualize, now having been moved to the hard-on-the-tush aisle steps because of the sold-out house, what it would be like seeing him on stage. Already a young prodigy in his own right, he was winning dance competitions at the Iowa State Fair. That may sound like small potatoes but put any professional in one of our state fairs and we’ll give them a serious run for their money. Remember there are three films titled State Fair which were all based on the Iowa State Fair, a mighty important event. Tait Moline, talented beyond belief, my hero, my best friend, by then we had watched all the Broadway plays we could on Iowa Public Television, and worshipped Bernadette Peters.

 When the house lights went down and the stage lights came up, everything around me stopped. I remember every single second, detail, note, and position of that musical. I remember the adults’ faces, the kids’ hutzpah, the box steps, the smell of the lights burning dust and gel, the happiness and sadness of every character’s face, the tears, the smiles, and the suspension of disbelief. The commitment from the characters to play, to pretend, to pain, to joy. I must have been eight at the time, taking hardcore (for a first grader) classical piano lessons that my parents had scraped together for and I was thrown ahead into a timeless floating ether of ecstasy.

 It was a rivalry of power and life and I wanted it. I wanted it forever.  

 I joined The First Act (now Stebens Childrens’ Theatre) the next year. It changed my life.  It WAS my life. It IS my life. It taught me to follow my dreams and that dreams can turn into a reality through hard work, dedication, sweat, breakthroughs, teamwork, and tears.

 Way Out West
I moved to Los Angeles in 1999 after graduating from Iowa University with a continued dream of living on the stage and in film. My trials and tribulations were very similar to most actors in LA. I was a waitress when I wasn’t on the stage or auditioning. During rehearsal, a fellow actor told me that the famous director, Henry Jaglom, would sometimes cast fans of his work. With that knowledge and zero fear of “no” I wrote him a letter of praise for his film Déjà Vu.

 My letter prompted a meeting and, pleasantly, a budding friendship. Henry had given me his play, A Safe Place to work on in my acting class but I thought I would do him one better and find a theater to produce it. Finally, that “no” was a “yes.” I got to get up on stage and transform the room. It was so exciting to feel the heat of the lights. It continued to fuel my desire for a life in show business.

 After that, I continued to collaborate with Henry and I’m currently playing Katia Wampuskic in his play, Train to Zakopane, one of my most challenging roles to date. She is an anti-Semitic nurse who falls in love with a Jewish man. Every night I have to channel hatred from a place that isn’t present in my own life. It is a true story about Henry’s father, by far one of his most personal pieces yet.

 Prior to performing Train to Zakopane, I got to perform Amiri Baraka’s The Dutchman directed by Levy Lee. It was a theatre marathon; an emotional ride that could and maybe will never be matched in my performing career.

 Before each new project, I take a moment to remember the Girl Scout sitting in the aisle of the children’s theater watching my future peers perform. I remember the magic that comes with transforming the mood of an audience, the magic of baring your heart on stage. It is a rush that cannot be matched with anything else in the world.

 When I lose myself, I think of Oliver Twist...what I knew then and what I know now: that I love what I do, that I want to keep learning, that I never turned back, never gave myself a safety net, and never will. Times are hard, times will be hard, the sweat doesn’t stop, the hard work doesn’t stop, but I learned how to cry at nine and get on with it.

 *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *

Train to Zakopane: A True Story of Love and Hate has been extended and is currently playing at Edgemar Center for the Arts, 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405 through June 28, 2015. For tickets go to www.edgemarcenter.org.

Photo credit: Leslie Bohm

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Wednesday, March 25, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Wednesday, March 25, 2015

glory|struck productions will present the L.A. regional premiere of American Idiot in an immersive, environmental staging in an undisclosed warehouse venue in the downtown LA Arts District. The limited engagement begins May 15 and is directed by Topher Rhys and Jen Oundjian, with musical direction Elmo Zapp, produced for glory|struck by Topher Rhys, Jamie Lee Barnard, and Juliana Scott who most recently brought the revival of bare to life at the Hayworth Theatre. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/americanidiotLA.

The Colony Theatre presents the Los Angeles premiere of Words By Ira Gershwin, A Musical Play by Joseph Vass April 15 – May 17 (opening 4/18). Creative team also includes David Ellenstein (director), Kevin Toney (music director and pianist), and Joseph Vass (as music arranger). Meet the man behind the lyrics you love. With “Fascinating Rhythm,” “‘S Wonderful,” “The Man That Got Away,” “Long Ago And Far Away,” “A Foggy Day,” “I Got Rhythm,” and many more, the other half of the famous Gershwin duo guides us on a trip through some of the greatest American songs ever written. Insights and tales about his legendary collaborations all frame this fascinating and inspiring evening of music and theatre. The cast stars Jake Broder as Ira Gershwin, Elijah Rock (Crooner), and Angela Teek (Chanteuse). Tickets: (818) 558-7000 x 15 or www.ColonyTheatre.org.

Musical Theatre West has announced the cast for its upcoming production of Les Misérables, which will run April 10 - 26 at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach. Directed and choreographed by DJ Salisbury, with musical direction by Andrew Bryan, it stars Michael Hunsaker (Jean Valjean), Davis Gaines (Javert), Cassandra Murphy (Fantine), Madison Claire Parks (Cosette), Emily Martin (Eponine), Devin Archer (Marius), Norman Large (Thénardier), Ruth Williamson (Madame Thénardier), Tessa Barkley & Emily Lafontaine (Young Cosette/Young Eponine), Garret McQuaid (Gavroche) and Steve Czarnecki (Enjolras), with Anthony Carillo, Samantha Cashmore, Elizabeth Eden, Natalie Stewart Elder, Chaz Feuerstine, Joshua Taylor Hamilton, Olivia Hernandez, Matt Kriger, Ashley Ruth Jones, Brandi Lacy, Travis Leland, Katie McConaughy, Sergio Pasquariello, William Peltzer, Lance Smith, Shannon Stoeke, Jeffrey Christopher Todd, Chandler Truelove-Pearis, and Nick Tubbs. Tickets: www.musical.org.
Richard M. Sherman will host A Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious Evening with Richard M. Sherman & Friends as a fundraising event to support Cabrillo Music Theatre’s outreach programs on April 19 at 7:00 pm featuring stories behind his most famous music and movies while his friends perform the songs. Singers include Juliana Hansen and Wesley Alfvin, who will star as Mary and Bert in Cabrillo’s upcoming production of Mary Poppins, along with Shannon Warne, Zachary Ford and others to be announced. The evening is preceded by a cocktail hour, featuring hors d’ouevres, and will be followed by a reception with Mr. Sherman and the performers, featuring desserts from Valley Bakery. The Founders Room is located in the Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd in Thousand Oaks. Tickets: (805) 497-8613 or www.cabrillomusictheatre.com.

 Los Angeles Children’s Chorus will honor Frozen songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and LACC President/Vice Chair Edward J. Nowak, Deputy General Counsel of The Walt Disney Company, at its upcoming Gala Bel Canto. The event will take place Tuesday, April 14 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion’s Grand Hall in downtown Los Angeles. The distinguished honorees are being recognized for their vast contributions to the arts and entertainment worlds. The gala includes heartfelt tributes and compelling performances by esteemed special guests and LACC choristers, led by Artistic Director Anne Tomlinson, as well as a sumptuous three-course sit-down dinner by Patina, exquisite wines and a dazzling live auction. Proceeds benefit Los Angeles Children's Chorus’s artistic, educational and scholarship programs. Tickets: (626) 793-4231 or www.lachildrenschorus.org.


MenAlive, the Orange County Gay Men’s Chorus, present a diva-licious tribute to the fabulous females that have rocked our world for the last half-century in She Got The Beat. The show features the music of Aretha, Beyonce, Cher, Katy, Lady Gaga, Pink and many more iconic ladies. Get ready to rock, groove, laugh, cry, and (of course) cheer the gorgeous sounds of MenAlive’s 100+ member chorus under the direction of artistic director Bob Gunn. Performances are Friday March 27 at 8:00 pm and Saturday, March 28 at 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm at Irvine Barclay Theatre, 4242 Campus Drive in Irvine. Tickets: http://menalivechorus.org/

 An Evening of Classic Broadway returns to Rockwell Table and Stage April 22 at 8:00 pm. Click Here for tickets.


 Join Karen Benjamin and Thomas O’Leary for their new Musical Theatre Intensive, Putting It Together, an ongoing class which takes place on Wednesday nights in the Miracle Mile area starting Wednesday night, April 8. For more information contact tjonycla@gmail.com.

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Sunday, March 22, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Sunday, March 22, 2015

Dreamscape, a hip hop theatre production, returns to Los Angeles Theatre Center April 16 – May 17 (opening 4/18). Written and directed by Rickerby Hinds and choreographed by Carrie Mikuls, it stars Rhaechyl Walker and John “Faahz” Merchant. Dreamscape depicts the death and inner life of a young woman, Myeisha Mills. The performance is a meditation and reimagining of the night of December 28, 1998, when nineteen-year-old Tyisha Miller was shot by four Riverside Police Department officers and left  unconscious, bleeding in the car. The play takes a clear-eyed look at the relationships between race, the body, and violence and is structured around an autopsy report recited by a dispassionate coroner. As each of the twelve bullet wounds is described in clinical detail, Myeisha reminisces about her life using each body part as a jumping off point, walking us through the impact of the twelve bullets that killed her, through spoken word, dance and beatboxing. Los Angeles Theatre Center, in The Gallery, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. Tickets: (866) 811-4111 or www.thelatc.org.

Sixth Avenue has announced an encore of its ILove99 The Musical! cabaret event to save Los Angeles intimate theatre on Tuesday, March 24 at 8:00 pm at The Dragonfly in Hollywood. Produced by Adam Silver and directed by Daniel Henning, the cast will include Tisha Terrasini Banker, Burglars of Hamm, Parvesh Cheena, Deborah S. Craig, Frances Fisher, Sandra Mae Frank, Tom Lenk, Kelly Lester, Constance Jewell Lopez, Austin McKenzie, Rebecca Metz, Nicole Parker, Jeff Perry, Amy Pietz, French Stewart, Kirsten Vangsness, and more. All performers are subject to availability. Admission is free but reservations are strongly suggested at www.6avenue.org. The Dragonfly is located at 6510 Santa Monica Blvd in Hollywood, 90038.

 The Tales of Hoffman extends its run at The Cinefamily after selling out originally scheduled dates.  Afternoon matinees have been added daily through March 26, and select matinee and evening shows will take place March 27 – April 4. Based on the 1881 opera by Jacques Offenbach, Tales of Hoffman is an anthology of fantastic and romantic adventures, starring The Red Shoes’ Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, and Ludmilla Tchérina. Tickets: www.cinefamily.org.

 The Festival of American Musicals’ next MUSI-CAL will take place Monday April 13 at 8:00 pm at Rockwell Table & Stage. The show will feature selections from new musicals including: The Gingerbread Pimp, by Molly Reynolds & Will Collyer, Bastard Jones, by Marc Acito & Amy Engelhardt, Mary Marie, by Chana Wise & Carl Johnson, and The Devil You Know, by Larry Poindexter & David Carey Foster. Tickets: http://rockwell-la.com/.

 Kritzerland Presents The April Fools with Brittney Bertier, Dana Meller, Hadley Miller, Jenna Lea Rosen, Sami Staitman, Robert Yacko, and special guest JoAnne Worley. Music direction by Alby Potts. Tickets: (800) 838-3006 or http://sterlingsupstairs040515.brownpapertickets.com/.

Thuy Nga Productions presents global phenomenon Paris By Night 114: 1975-2015 - Toi La Nguoi Viet Nam (I Am Vietnamese) live on stage at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, with three performances on Saturday, April 4 and Sunday, April 5. The variety show commemorates the 40th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon with Vietnamese language music and dance by popular performers from the culture. The 100+ member cast will feature popular singers including Bang Kieu, Mai Thien Van, Minh Tuyet, Nhu Quynh,Ngoc Anh, and Quang Le. Longtime hosts Nguyen Ngoc Ngan and Nguyen Cao Ky Duyen will return to emcee the four-hour live concerts. Show times are 7:30 pm on Saturday, April 4, and 1:00pm & 7:00pm on Sunday, April 5. Tickets: (714) 894-5811. For more information, visit www.thuyngashop.com.

Northwest Dance Project takes the Smothers stage at Pepperdine University on Saturday, April 18 at 8:00 pm. The company will perform four pieces, including State of Matter choreographed by Ihsan Rustem, Memory House choreographed by artistic director Sarah Slipper, and Drifting Thoughts choreographed by Patrick Delcroix. Program is subject to change. Tickets are available by calling (310) 506-4522 or online at http://arts.pepperdine.edu/.


 Inland Pacific Ballet presents Beauty and the Beast, a breathtaking full-length ballet based on the time honored fairy tale with 10 performances taking place April 25 - May 16 in theaters within the San Gabriel Valley and the Inland Empire. A creative interpretation of this universal story of inner beauty, IPB’s encore presentation promises a visual feast full of romance and drama. Stunning sets, brilliant dancing, gorgeous costumes and a stirring musical score that will transport audiences to an enchanted fairy tale world filled with fanciful characters, a charming village, an enchanted forest and the Beast’s magnificent castle, all vividly illustrating the drama and romance of this beloved story and the transformative power of love. For more information www.ipballet.org. 

 Theatres include: Bridges Auditorium, Pomona College, 450 N. College Way, Claremont, 91711. Saturday, April 25 at 1:00 pm & 7:00 pm; Sunday, April 26 at 1:00 pm. Tickets: (909) 607-1139.

Lewis Family Playhouse, Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, 12505 Cultural Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, 91730. Saturday, May 2 at 1:00 & 7:00 pm; Sunday, May 3 at 1:00 pm.
Tickets: (909) 477-2752.

 Arcadia Performing Arts Center, 188 Campus Drive, Arcadia, 91007, Saturday, May 9 at 2:00 pm & Sunday, May 10 at 2:00 pm. Tickets: (626) 821-1781.

 Fox Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501, Saturday, May 16, 2015 at 2:00 pm & 7:30 pm. Tickets: (951) 779-9800.

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Thursday, March 19, 2015

Review: Third Time's a Charm for CARRIE THE MUSICAL

Emily Lopez as Carrie.
All photos (c) 2015 Jason Niedle

 Twice before, producers have attempted to bring Stephen King’s horror novel, Carrie, to the stage but were met with less than positive results. The musical’s first U.S. production played an embarrassing16 previews and 5 performances on Broadway before it was shuttered and a 2012 revival Off-Broadway closed early after only a month of performances and disappointing sales.

 But, as they say, third time’s a charm, and director Brady Schwind’s immersive vision of Lawrence D. Cohen (book), Dean Pitchford (lyrics), and Michael Gore’s (music) musical has resurrected this phoenix from the dead in a way that will thrill audiences and finally give it the life the creators always hoped it would have. Yes, in La Mirada Theatre’s production, blood drops, Jesus flies, and an electric cast brings the fires of hell to life in an unforgettable intimately experiential setting.You’ll be sorry if you miss it so get your tickets now.

 That setting (creatively envisioned by Stephen Gifford) is one in which the audience is placed on stage right up against the action. There are stationary bleacher units as well as movable pods that continually revolve to create a changeable playing area. We were seated in one of the four moving sections that put us very close to the actors and I highly suggest choosing those if you can. (They are the red A Level sections when you go to buy tickets). They give you a unique perspective on the story, especially when the space closes in around the students in an almost stifling way.

 You’re there in the shower with Carrie huddled naked on the floor, and you’re there in the gym when Chris refuses to apologize for her actions. You can feel the slap before Margaret throws her daughter in the closet, and when Carrie begins to experiment with her telekinetic abilities, you can feel the power surge in the shadowy room. Gifford’s a problem-solver from the word go and this show certainly presented logistical challenges. His big reveal at the prom is so effective the audience around me gasped.
Emily Lopez and Misty Cotton

It’s also a brave production, thanks to the glorious debut performance of Emily Lopez as Carrie and that of music theatre veteran Misty Cotton as her mother, Margaret. Neither one shies away from the vulnerability required of them, nor do they tiptoe around their dysfunctional relationship. Lopez has a lovely lyrical singing voice and a naïve subtlety that works beautifully for her socially disadvantaged character while Cotton poignantly reveals the obsessions of a bible-thumping mother deathly afraid of being alone. Few can do a song like “When There’s No One” true justice and Cotton’s tour de force performance turns it into a visceral showstopper.

 Kayla Parker, excellent as good girl Sue Snell, narrates the events leading up to the fatal prom and realizes too late that “Once You See” you can never un-see what your actions have done. A brash Valerie Rose Curiel leads the charge for revenge as the vicious Chris whose taunts show how damaging bullying can be (and how damaged many teens really are). Her motto is to strike first before you’re struck and with her jerk of a boyfriend Billy in tow (played by a physically intimidating Garrett Marshall) she plots her payback. Jenelle Lynn Randall nails the humor and attitude of PE teacher Miss Gardner.

 Vibrant choreography by Lee Martino captures the angst of youth with its percussive moves and sharp energy. Musically the production has real impact due to the way music director Brian P. Kennedy matches the specificity of a character’s personality to his or her musical style. Miniature speakers mounted in front of the movable audience pods are a great solution to making the sound work and designer Cricket Myers also pulls a few surprises out of her bag of tricks to accompany the special effects designed by illusionist Jim Steinmeyer and Paul Rubin (responsible for the flying sequences).

 From the cast to the creative team to the cult status previously established, this is a show with so much going for it yet its success really begins and ends with the director. Were it not for Brady Schwind and his vision, this wouldn’t be nearly the exciting event that it is and colleagues from around the country wouldn’t be calling and emailing me to see what it was like. I kid you not – this IS an event…and the rest of the country wants it. If you’re in LA, get in on it now.
Valerie Rose Curiel (center) with the cast of Carrie

The cast of Carrie the Musical surrounded by the audience

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Tuesday, March 17, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Tuesday, March 17, 2015


MUSICAL NEWS: Cabrillo Music Theatre presents Mary Poppins, directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld, with choreography by Cheryl Baxter and musical direction by Ilana Eden Apr. 17 – 26 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. The cast will include Juliana Hansen in the title role, Wesley Alfvin as Bert, with Michael Scott Harris (George Banks), Michelle Lane (Winifred Banks), Tania Pasano Storrs (Bird Woman), Karen Sonnenchein (Miss Andrews) and Terry Fishman (Admiral Boom). The roles of Jane and Michael will be played by Maguire “Maggie” Balleweg (of Simi Valley), Abigail May Thompson (Westlake Village), Sheffield Hocker (Agoura Hills) and Brekkan Spens. Ticket: (805) 497-8613 x 6 or www.cabrillomusictheatre.com. Photo by Ed Krieger


 Disney Theatrical Productions and the Nederlander Organization have announced that a day-of-performance lottery for a limited number of $20 orchestra seats for Newsies will take place daily, except for opening night, Thursday, March 26. The show runs March 24 – April 19. For more information, call (323) 817-6178 for recorded information or go to www.HollywoodPantages.com/Lottery. Photo by Deen van Meer.


 The Pizzicato Effect, a live, unholy mash-up of equal parts TED Talk, stand-up and rock n’ roll, from humorist Brendan Hughes and singer-songwriter Jeffrey Dinsmore, makes its west coast premiere as a guest production at Son of Semele Theater May 21 – June 14. The show features their screwball attempt to answer three questions of profound ontological significance, famously posed by French Post-Impressionist Paul Gauguin: Where do we come from? Why are we here? and What happens when we die? Using diagrams, theories and preposterous arcana, Hughes delivers comic, ontological mini-lectures drawn from the darkest corners of Wikipedia, all in a valiant attempt to double-click on the Universe. Woven throughout the lectures are original comedy songs performed and sung live by Dinsmore and his backing band, The Representatives of the Organization. Tickets: ($15) at www.sonofsemele.org. For more info, visit www.thepizzicatoeffect.com. Photo by Laura Smolowe.


 Celebrating the vibrant art of dance, Dance Camera West presents the 14th Annual Dance Media Festival, a public event incorporating dance explored through film and live performance. Taking place at various venues in Beverly Hills (UTA Screening Room), Downtown Los Angeles (MOCA, historic Palace Theatre, REDCAT), Hollywood (historic Egyptian Theatre), Santa Monica (Aero Theatre), and Westwood (Crest Theater, UCLA) from April 30 – May 5, 2015, this multi-disciplinary festival promises to offer something for everyone and will showcase many forms of dance including modern, post modern, world, tap, dance theater, ballet, hip-hop and practically all dance that has been captured on film in a way that is of quality and essential value. Over 30 films will be screened over the course of the Festival connecting diverse cultures and environments through the exploration of dance. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit www.DanceCameraWest.org. Photo credit: Born to Fly: Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity

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Wednesday, March 11, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Wednesday, March 11, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS: La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment have announced their first-ever world premiere musical, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, A Musical, April 17 - May 10 (opening 4/18) at La Mirada Theatre. The new musical features music, lyrics and book by Lindsay Warren Baker & Amanda Jacobs, based on the novel by Jane Austen, with music direction by Timothy Splain, choreography by Jeffry Denman, and directed by Igor Goldin. Bets Malone will star as Jane Austen, Jill Van Velzer as Cassandra Austen with Andrew Arrow (Mr. Gardiner), Brandon Andrus (Fitzwilliam Darcy), Mathew D’Amico (Dream Soldier), Eddie Egan (Mr. Bingley), Samantha Eggers (Jane Bennet), Arielle Fishman (Lydia Bennet), Kimberly Hessler (Mary Bennet), Matthew Kacergis (Mr. Wickham), Jamison Lingle (Caroline Bingley), Katharine Kelly McDonough (Kitty Bennet), Patricia Noonan (Elizabeth Bennet), Gregory North (Mr. Bennet), Amanda Naughton (Mrs. Bennet), Jeff Skowron (Mr. Collins), Brian Steven Shaw (Dream Soldier) and Leigh Brian Wakeford (Dream Soldier). Tickets: www.lamiradatheatre.com.

Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group presents Richie Werner’s all-new psychedelic punk-rock puppet horror opera Karaokeapocalypse: The Monster Plays 1-4 for four performances only. The show is an alluringly-abnormal spectacle immersed knee-deep in an onslaught of ghoulish monsters, musical mayhem, and glow-in-the-dark tomfoolery. Fridays at 11:00pm, March 20 – April 10 at ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601. For tickets ($15) call (818) 202-4120 or go to ZombieJoes.Tix.com.
The Broad Stage, in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute presents Musical Explorers, Saturday, March 14. In this interactive and musical journey direct from New York’s legendary music venue, audiences will celebrate the diversity of our international city. This high-energy west coast debut will invite audiences to discover a great big world of music right in their own backyards. Playful and informative, it will get children listening, singing, and thinking about musical traditions both familiar and yet to be explored. For ages 5+. www.thebroadstage.com
Chris Lemmon in Jack Lemmon Returns opens at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura’s Downtown Cultural District on March 11 and run through March 29. The enchanting play-with-music is both a revealing portrait of legendary actor Jack Lemmon and an in-depth, personal look at his relationship with his only son, actor and musician Chris Lemmon. Tickets: (805) 667-2900 or www.rubicontheatre.org.
Panic! Productions continues its third season with the musical 13, April 10 - 19 at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Thousand Oaks. The high-energy show, with a cast of 19 teens, features music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown, with a book by Dan Elish and Robert Horn. Barry Pearl directs, with choreography by Keenon Hooks and musical direction by Diann Alexander. Appearing in the show are Sam Herbert, Carly Shukiar, Samuel Thacker, Antonia Vivino, Delaney Joy, Elaine Panico, Gabriel Nunag, Mackinnley Balleweg, Mateo Gonzalez, Liam Krainman. Mason Purece, Madeline Gambon, Batya Conn, Zoë Reed, Tate Downing, Ally Kaplan, Jade McGlynn, Allison Martinez, and Joey Maya. Tickets: www.hillcrestarts.com.

 On March 15, Theatre Unleashed will present Live By Request, a special show by the Dead Beat Poets Society. If you’ve never seen a Dead Beats show, the cast performs lyrics to some of the most popular songs of all time, beat poetry style, and the result is hysterical and ridiculous. The theme for this show is “thank you.” For more information visit www.theatreunleashed.org.

 I Wanna Be Loved, starring Barbara Morrison as Dinah Washington, enters its third season on March 15 at the Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center in Leimert Park. Jay Jackson co-stars as Brook Benton. The story follows Washington’s life and loves during a legendary career that ended in her accidental death at age 39 in 1963. Tickets: 310-462-1469. www.barbaramorrison.com.

 EXTENSIONS: DOMA Theatre Company’s Jesus Christ Superstar extends through April 19 at the MET Theatre. The ground-breaking rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice is the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth told through the eyes of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.  For tickets, call (323) 802-9181 or go to www.domatheatre.com.

 Spoon River: The Cemetery on the Hill, a play with songs adapted, arranged and directed by Maureen Lucy O’Connell, extends through April 12 at the Eclectic Company Theatre. Tickets: (818) 508-3003 or www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org.

 Ophelia’s Jump’s production of Ruthless! The Musical will play one encore production on Saturday, March 14 to support the Diamond Bar High School Theatre Department. For tickets call (909) 624-1464.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Cinefamily Presents Newly Restored TALES OF HOFFMAN


A luscious new 4K digital restoration of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s 1951 Technicolor film Tales of Hoffman (in English) will be screened at The Cinefamily, March 13 - 19. This new restoration is supervised by Martin Scorsese and Oscar winning editor Thelma Schoonmaker, wife of director Powell and Scorsese’s longtime film editor, and contains eight minutes of never before seen footage along with newly restored footage not seen since the 1951 release.

 Based on the fanciful 1881 opera by Jacques Offenbach, it stars The Red Shoes’ Moira Shearer, Robert Helpmann, and Ludmilla Tchérina. Each shot is inspired by the music, as stunning visual effects make the highly theatrical story pulse with life. Scorsese was obsessed with Powell and Pressburger’s film, saying it was a major influence on his editing of Raging Bull.

 Hoffman, a poet, tells the tale of three lost loves to his friends in a bar one night. In the first he is tricked into falling in love with a mechanical doll named Olympia (Shearer) by a greedy puppet-maker only to see her be destroyed. Next he loses his soul to Giulietta (Tchérina), an exotic Venetian courtesan who betrays him, and finally, he falls for an opera singer named Antonia (Ann Ayars) until she dies in his arms of consumption.

 Michael Powell (1905-1990) and Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988) collaborated for over 30 years on some of the most beautifully-conceived color films of all time, including The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, and A Matter of Life and Death. Theirs has long been acknowledged as the most artistically brilliant creative partnership in British film history,

 Don’t miss this rare opportunity to see Tales of Hoffman at one of the coolest movie houses in town. If you’ve never been to the Cinefamily for one of their silent movies or regular screenings, you definitely want to put it on your list of things to do in LA.
Robert Helpmann and Ludmilla Tchérina
All photos courtesy of Riato Pictures/Studiocanal

Moira Shearer as Olympia

Ludmilla Tchérina as Guilietta

Moira Shearer as Stella in the Dragonfly Ballet (prologue)

TALES OF HOFFMAN
March 13 - 19 at The Cinefamily 
133 minutes / DCP / Color / 1951
Distributor: Rialto Pictures 
Click Here for tickets. ($12/free for Cinefamily members)

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