Sunday, May 31, 2015

Review: Deaf West's Spring Awakening Continues to Break Open Hearts

Sandra Mae Frank as Wendla and Austin McKenzie.as Melchior
Photos by Kevin Parry

 The original mounting of Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening at Inner City Arts last fall was, hands down, my favorite production of 2014. When it was announced that it would transfer to The Wallis this spring, I was thrilled that its life would continue – both for the cast and creatives who had worked so diligently on it, and also for the many more people who would now have an opportunity to witness their amazing work. 

 Happily, after seeing it opening night, I can say that this is one musical theatre reinvention that makes the leap with all its grace and beauty intact. Most of the actors are part of the original company, with the addition of Broadway’s Krysta Rodriguez and Andy Mientus stepping in for Lauren Patten (now covering roles in Fun Home on Broadway) and Joseph Haro (currently shooting a film). Both have played their roles before; Rodriguez as the standby for Ilse on Broadway and Mientus as Hanschen on the First National Tour. Each brings new depth to an already devastating story in a production that breaks open the heart in more places than you can count.

It is adapted for The Wallis’ larger stage by designers who have held to the integrity of the vision while enlarging the scale to reach to the balcony and beyond. There are some surprises in Dane Laffrey’s scenic design that are an absolute delight and Ben Stanton’s lighting shadows and splinters as the characters’ lives slowly unravel, enhanced by Lucy Mackinnon’s vivid projections that intensify the action.

 So much of what I felt the first time around continues to be true now so I have reprinted my original review below. If it is possible, I am more in love with this company than ever. Delicate, poetic, and brutally honest in delivering its message, this is one for the books. Go. Get your tickets and just go.

Daniel N. Durant (Moritz) and Krysta Rodriguez (Ilse)

 SPRING AWAKENING
May 21 – June 7, 2015
Deaf West Theatre at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts 
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 
Tickets: $19 - $99
(310) 746-4000 or www.thewallis.org
Special seating is available for patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

 *    *    *    *    *    *
Review: Deaf West and Michael Arden Discover a New SPRING AWAKENING
September 15, 2014
Director Michael Arden gives the word discovery new meaning in a spectacular production of Steven Sater (book & lyrics) and Duncan Sheik’s (music) Spring Awakening based on Frank Wedekind’s 1891 expressionist play. Arden, who has had a long partnership with Deaf West that goes back to Big River, which played in LA and on Broadway, stages the controversial musical in a triangular black box at the Inner City Arts complex in downtown Los Angeles. 

 In it, deaf and hearing actors and musicians work together to tell the story of a group of teens whose transition from adolescence to adulthood, and the sexual awakening they go through, is made even more difficult by the very parents and teachers in whose care they are entrusted. Unwilling, or unable, to communicate with the youths, they deny them what they so desperately need – love, answers, protection – and in the end, everyone suffers the consequences. It deals with topics that are as important today, and often as difficult to discuss, as they were in 1891, such as rape, incest, masturbation, teen suicide, and abortion. And with this casting, it also comments on the gap between hearing parents and deaf children, who face yet another level of difficulty in communicating.

 Arden’s gift for knowing how to express the emotion in a scene or a song begins with his sensational casting. What is so terrific about these partnerships is how beautifully they come together to create rich characters that literally spring to multi-dimensional life. Wendla, a deaf actor played by Sandra Mae Frank, is partnered with a hearing actor, Katie Boeck, who speaks and sings her songs, and plays acoustic guitar. Daniel N. Durant, another deaf actor, plays Moritz, with Rustin Cole Sailors voicing his role and also playing electric guitar. The partners often interact and consult with each other as scenes unfold and never is there a moment when the speaking actor’s eyes aren’t riveted on his or her deaf counterpart, which makes everything so much more sensual.

 Together, Frank’s innocent earnestness, and the sweetness and simplicity of Boeck’s singing voice, create a character that is instantly sympathetic. Their pain becomes the audience’s pain and we feel for them from their first hypnotic moments on opposite sides of a bottomless mirror. Likewise does Sailors bring an edgy raw vulnerability to Durant’s Moritz in a pairing that is poignant beyond words. One word – failed – flashes on the walls growing larger and larger until it finally takes over his life. It is a black and white world that surrounds these characters, down to the chalk boxes drawn on the floor which limit their playing area and then are swept away in Act II when all the lines start to blur, and to see it in the design metaphorically expressed is chilling. Arden’s staging of Moritz’s last act is unlike any production of Spring Awakening I’ve ever seen and flips the situation into something beautiful and wholly unexpected, even if you know what turn the story takes.

 And it continues all the way down the line. Martha’s song, one of the best of the lot, gave me chills. Kathryn Gallagher’s voice has an underground coffeehouse feel to it, the kind that lets out heartbreak a little at a time, and the connection between her poignant onstage character, Treshelle Edmond, and Gallagher singing from the faraway stairs, was mesmerizing. Daniel David Stewart plays piano and voices the role of Ernst as Joshua Castille brings to life the naïve young man who eventually gives in to Hanschen’s (Joseph Haro) advances. More sublime moments as Arden insinuates a ménage à trois between them. 

 In every case, Arden chooses a voice that completes the onstage character in a unique and compelling manner. Then musical director Jared Stein mixes all of the textures together to create a fresh sound that is immensely satisfying. And while each combination is beautiful and unexpected, it is the deaf actors’ performances that are even more breathtaking.

 As the actors sign - passionately, lyrically, and completely open to their emotions - it creates a new kind of choreography; one that is so much a physical part of these characters that it is impossible to imagine the production without it. The need to communicate is fierce.

 Spencer Liff also blends the ASL into his choreography with incredibly moving results. A song like “Bitch of Living” is always explosive but Liff combines disciplines for an even bigger punch. During Melchior (Austin McKenzie) and Wendla’s first meeting in the meadow, cast members’ bodies intertwine to form the tree behind them, which stands like a massive statue, intoxicating and voyeuristic in its silent presence behind their sweet, simple scene.

 This production is full of sensuality, and not only the sexual kind. Undulating shapes move in waves across the wall to the hypnotic melody of “Touch Me;” Hanschen masturbates while female cast members with their arms threaded through his, sign; and a church procession, complete with the heady smell of incense, encircles Melchior and Wendla in their first sexual encounter in the hay loft. It is the contrast that is so thrillingly provocative.  

 A critical turning point happens in the first act when Wendla begs Melchior to beat her with a switch because she’s “never felt anything.” It is a moment that breaks something open in both of them, changing them forever. She may never have felt anything before but you’ll feel everything watching this Spring Awakening.

 Lauren Patten makes bold choices in a strong characterization of the wayward Ilse, accompanied by a dusky, warm singing voice that, once again, comes as a wonderful surprise, given her willowy frame. Even Natacha Roi and the deaf/hearing partners of Troy Kotsur and Daniel Marmion, who cover all the mothers, fathers, teachers and authority figures, bring a unique contrasting element to the desperate young people around them. Kotsur says more with a single look than most actors do with all of their senses combined.

 Which brings me to young leading man, Austin McKenzie - charismatic, innocently handsome, and blessed with a gorgeous voice - mark my words…Melchior is his first professional role and this young man is going to be a star.  He has that intangible quality, that mysterious something that the stage light loves (which means the camera will too) and that draws the viewer to him naturally. He has “It” and the fact that he can act and sing beautifully is even better. Like I said, Michael Arden gives discovery a new meaning.

 It’s pretty obvious that I adored this production, for so many reasons that I hope you will discover for yourself. If you go to the theatre like I do - looking for magic and hoping to be moved - I can recommend no better production than Deaf West’s Spring Awakening.

For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page

Labels: ,

CLICK HERE to comment 0

MUSICAL NEWS for Sunday, May 31, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS: Original New York cast members, Jeff Blumenkrantz and Brett Ryback star in the Geffen Playhouse engagement of the Off-Broadway hit Murder for Two May 26 through July 5, 2015 in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater. Everyone is a suspect in this hilarious musical murder mystery with a twist: one actor investigates the crime, the other plays all of the suspects and they both play the piano! A zany blend of classic musical comedy and madcap mystery, this 90-minute whodunit is a highly theatrical duet loaded with killer laughs. Featuring book and music by Joe Kinosian, book and lyrics by Kellen Blair and direction by Scott Schwartz. www.geffenplayhouse.com

Cabrillo Music Theatre presents Oklahoma! July 17 – 26 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Once upon a time, musical theatre was a sometimes-random collection of songs, dances, and comedy bits. Then, along came Oklahoma! the first collaboration between Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II. By pushing boundaries and creating new theatrical devices, Oklahoma! reinvented the musical theatre genre. Cabrillo’s artistic director Lewis Wilkenfeld directs, joined by choreographer John Charron and musical director Brian Kennedy who conducts the Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra. The cast is led by Dan Callaway as Curly, and newcomer Callandra Olivia as Laurey, with Damon Kirsche (Ali Hakim), Dynell Leigh (Aunt Eller), David Gilchrist (Andrew Carnes), Ronald Rezac (Cord Elam), Richard Storrs (Ike Skidmore), Melanie Mockobey (Ado Annie, Cameron Herbst (Will Parker), Claire Adams (Gertie Cummings) and more. www.cabrillomusictheatre.com

Recorded in Hollywood, the fascinating true story of black businessman, record label owner and music producer John Dolphin, who opened his Dolphin’s of Hollywood record shop in South Los Angeles a decade before Motown, moves to the Hudson Theatre for six additional weeks beginning June 19. Dolphin’s of Hollywood became the most famous record store in the country – perhaps the world – with legendary DJs like Dick “Huggy Boy” Hugg, Hunter Hancock and Charles Trammel spinning records all night from the front window. Based on the book “Recorded In Hollywood: The John Dolphin Story,” this new musical features a live on-stage band and an ensemble cast of 18 performing 16 original songs plus covers of hit songs launched by Dolphin in his store, including Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me,” The Penguins’ “Earth Angel” and “Wheel Of Fortune” by The Hollywood Flames. www.RecordedInHollywood.com

FRINGE SPOTLIGHT: If you HATE musical theatre, if you LOVE musical theatre, this is the show for you. Stupid Songs is a night of brand new funny songs and parodies that will make you forget we’re all going to die. For a bit. Most of the performers met while training at The Groundlings Comedy Theatre & School, and will be performing original material, plus a few gems from up-and-coming composers. The band members also play regularly for Lost Moon Radio and Thirty Minute Musicals. The Stupid Cast will feature Yael Berkovich, Tad Coughenour, Brant Cox, Sara Cravens, Jason Currie, Carla Delaney, Laura Hughes, Aaron Matijasic, Misty Monroe Clark, Gabriel Oliva, Marissa Shields, Keri Safran, Selyna Warren, Sarah Wolter, and Alex Back, directed by Keri Safran. (Cast subject to change on any given night. Depends on their horoscopes) Stupid Band: Dan Wessels (music director), Eric Kalver (drums), Brenton Kossak (bass). June 8 – 26, 2015 at The Lounge Theatre. Running Time is 70 minutes. Tickets: $12 at http://hff15.org/2145

La La La Strada, Proboscis Theater Company’s second ground-breaking production, is a carnival-esque diversion starring six actors, a musician and a puppet that explores the making of Federico Fellini’s 1953 masterpiece La Strada, a beautiful and heartbreaking film about a brutish circus strong man and his naive assistant Gelsomina. The character of Fellini will be portrayed by a Bunraku style puppet. We see him first walking the tight rope, beguiling the audience with fantastical stories about his life, his art and the golden age of modernist Italian cinema. He extolls the virtues of being an auteur and takes for granted the privileges of his own genius. He boasts about reducing his actors to mere puppets and how they love him for it. But while he attempts to direct his actors they begin to challenge him. Especially Giulietta, his wife. They question his artistic process and admonish him for abandoning his principles. They call him a misogynist, an opportunist and he is forced to defend his obsessions and his right to project his own dreams on the big screen, to objectify and sexualize his female actors, to exalt the grotesque and estrange the normal. As Fellini’s crisis comes to a climax, the audience must face their own prejudices about art, beauty and personal expression. http://hff15.org/2281

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page
CLICK HERE to comment 0

Monday, May 25, 2015

Fringe Spotlight Part II

ASSISTANTS THE MUSICAL: Hollywood gets the Broadway treatment in the world premiere of Assistants The Musical, written by Bryan Blaskie and Manny Hagopian. “This is a close and personal show for me,” says Blaskie, who is returning to the Fringe after last year’s sold-out run of Victorian Courting & Zombies. “When I came to Los Angeles to start my career in entertainment, I had no idea what kind of world I was getting into or what kinds of characters I would meet along the way.” Hagopian’s show Tonya Harding: the Musical ran for five months at Upright Citizens Brigade, where it just underwent an expansion for a re-mounting this summer. “I come from comedy first. I love making people laugh. And I love a good tune!” Assistants is a love letter to Hollywood; to both those in and out of the limelight. It is a play about the definition of success, finding your footing in a world of endless competition, the process of “making it,” and heartfelt dreams. Today, social media and online press are more important than ever, and these characters struggle to find a sense of self amidst the late night mixers and constant “selfies.” C. Ryanne Domingues directs a cast that includes Ali Axelrad, Christopher Renfro, Abigail Eiland, and Daniel Amerman. June 6 – 28, 2015 at The Actors Company (Let Live Theater). http://hff15.org/2191
FUGITIVE SONGS: 2cents Theatre presents the west coast premiere of Fugitive Songs, music by Chris Miller & lyrics by Nathan Tysen (Upcoming Broadway production of Tuck Everlasting, The Burnt Part Boys), musical direction by Joshua Kranz and directed by Kristen Boulé. This innovative half-musical/half-hootenanny finds hope and beauty in what is past and what lies ahead. Blending traditional folk music with contemporary pop and gospel, Fugitive Songs offers a new sound for a restless America as it follows six troubled wanderers through their unique journeys across America. Matt is in and out of trouble, and finally seeking help. But a broken past keeps driving him deeper… Barrett, unable to handle a choice she’s made, runs away, into the mountains. Gavin runs, leaving a lifetime of struggle. But the further he gets from where he’s running from, the more his path points towards home. Joshua drowns his sorrows as he longs to escape his disillusioned life in NYC, and to Shine. Alysha spends her life ignoring home, until home is turned upside down. Karen can no longer be who she’s told… it’s time for daddy’s little girl to get a little lost, so she can be found. The cast includes Tiffany Asta, Dedrick Bonner, Katy Harvey, Jessica J’aime, Michael Levine, and Juan Lozano and features a live 5-piece acoustic band and a totally immersive experience. June 5 – 28, 2015 at Three Clubs. Tickets: $18.00 at www.hff15.org/2436.
SHAKESPEARE’S LAST NIGHT OUT (OR “WHAT? YOU, WILL??”): Legend has it that Shakespeare died after a night of drinking. This is that night. Orgasmico Theatre Company follows up its previous Fringe successes, Exorcistic: The Rock Musical Parody Experiment and Doomsday Cabaret, with a one-man tavern musical in which the Bard of Avon (played by Michael Shaw Fisher) sings in defense of his authorship. On the eve of his death, an ailing Shakespeare is out drinking when he has a prophetic vision that his authorship will be contested in the future. Thus, he sets out to stake his claim once and for all. Raise your cups with Will as he takes his last audience through the tale of his life with a series of tavern songs, ranging from bawdy to heartbreaking. Backed by his Muses (Alistair Cooper on guitar and Allison Sulock on dulcimer, recorder, ukulele, and percussion), Will recreates the unknown events and eccentric characters that shaped his life and inspired his work. Featuring book, music, and lyrics by Michael Shaw Fisher and direction by Jeff Sumner. June 7 – 27, 2015 at Three Clubs. Tickets: $12 at http://hff15.org/2339 or call (415) 994-4760.

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page

Labels:

CLICK HERE to comment 0

Friday, May 22, 2015

Review: American Idiot Blows the Roof off The Vortex

Matt Magnusson (Will), Casey Hayden, Jordan Booker, James Byous (Johnny)
 and Payson Lewis (Tunny). All photos by Ian Momii

 A sexy cast of beautiful misfits inhabits Green Day’s punk rock opera American Idiot in a ferocious glory|struck production that opened last weekend at The Vortex. Directors Topher Rhys and Jen Oundjian (who also adds some powerful choreography) take full advantage of the artsy concert venue and go for a panoramic experience, moving the action offstage whenever possible. The concept enhances the surround sound feel of the show while emphasizing the isolation of its characters as they search for meaning in a sea of excess. By chopping up the visual space to include playing areas all around the warehouse, it accentuates their disconnectedness. Plus, there is a certain kind of bond an audience feels with an actor when he is dripping with sweat and singing his guts out only inches away.

 It’s up to you how close you want that connection to be. When you choose your seat you’ll also choose your experience. Sitting in the center, or up close to the stage, brings you right into the action where it is easy to get caught up in the full-throttle energy the cast expends nonstop throughout the show, but it means you'll need to do some adjusting to see what happens in other areas of the warehouse.

 Further back, or in the side sections, you’ll benefit from being able to see the whole picture with greater ease but you may lose some of the immediacy of being close to the performers. Either way, it will be an experience you won’t likely forget. Theatre isn’t often done in a warehouse setting like this and the grunge factor works exceptionally well to frame the show.

 American Idiot is based on Green Day’s concept album of the same name with music by the band, book by Billie Joe Armstrong & Michael Mayer, and lyrics by Billie Joe Armstrong, so the experience is meant to come with a fair amount of grittiness. It’s a story of lost souls - a trio of friends who attempt to escape their suburban dead end lives only to find a different world than they expected.

 Songs explode with a fury as the singers pour all their angst and frustration into Green Day’s trenchant odes to the unrest of a generation disillusioned by a post 9/11 world. The cast is provocative as all get-out which creates a passionate exchange between the music and the audience. Music director Elmo Zapp (who also plays bass & cello for the show) and his band (Ben Stanton/key board & accordion, Alex Seller/lead guitar, Max Wagner/ guitar, and Austin Farmer/drums), create a hard-driving intensity that pushes this tug of war between rage and love to the brink.

 J
Lindsay Pearce
ohnny (charismatic James Byous) and his pal Tunny (Jonah Platt) head off to the city where the former meets a head on collision at the intersection of drugs and a girl (Lindsay Pearce as Whatsername), and the latter is seduced by the media to join the military with severe consequences. Will (Matt Magnusson) never actually gets out of burbs because of the girlfriend he’s gotten pregnant (Briana Cuoco) and instead ends up a beer-drinking pot-smoking slacker. Each captures the heart of his character with a passion. Byous becomes almost demonic in his delirium while Platt rips into some spectacular high notes, and Magnusson’s do-right intentions slowly turn to futility.

 In this guys’ journey, the women are relegated to mostly secondary status, but by the time a rejected Pearce (in her best role to date) and her girls bring the girl power in “Letterbomb,” the audience is more than ready to ride the emotional wave with them. Caitlin Ary’s sultry turn as drug dealer, St. Jimmy, (originally written for a man) adds an extra level of sexual tension and Cuoco’s hard rockin’ wail is a vocal standout.

 As vivid as the production is, there are times when the staging doesn’t always make the important plot points clear. If you’ve seen a production before you’ll be able to follow the mashup of stories as they intersect without a problem but novices would benefit from the staging more clearly directing the audience’s attention. And I did miss the intoxicating flying sequence between a post-war bed-ridden Tunny and the exotic Extraordinary girl (Bianca Gisselle) of his dreams.

Regardless, this is stunning musical accomplishment that is as bold as it is affecting and deserves to be seen. 
Caitlyn Ary and James Byous

Matt Magnusson and Zach Zagoria

The cast of American Idiot

The cast of American Idiot

Lindsay Pearce (center) and the girls

The cast of American Idiot

 AMERICAN IDIOT
May 15 – June 7, 2015 
glory|struck productions @ The Vortex
2341 E Olympic Blvd 
Los Angeles, CA  90021
Click Here for Tickets or call (323) 960-4429 

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page

Labels:

CLICK HERE to comment 0

Thursday, May 21, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Thursday May 21, 2015


MUSICAL NEWS: Get a sneak peek at new musicals in development at New Musicals Inc. on June 4. The concert presentation of got musicals will include material from the winners of the 2015 New Voices Project: Jacob Combs & Madeline Myers, Bill Nelson & Joseph Trefler, and Michael Finke (all under the age of 26) as well as projects in development for ASCAP/Dreamworks, McCoy Rigby Entertainment, and the 2014 Search for New Musicals. You’ll also get to see previews of shows coming to the Stages Musical Theatre Festival in August and highlights from NMI’s latest crop of Core writers. 7:30pm at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. Tickets: http://nmi.org/.
Mike McGowan and Anastasia Barzee.
Photo by T Charles Erickson

The cast has been announced for The Old Globe and Hartford Stage’s co-production of Cole Porter’s Kiss Me, Kate. This spectacular revival will be choreographed by Peggy Hickey and directed by Darko Tresnjak, who won the 2014 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical for A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder, which made its world premiere at The Old Globe and Hartford Stage in 2013. Kiss Me, Kate will run July 1 - August 2, with opening night on Thursday, July 9 at 8:00 pm. Broadway stars Mike McGowan (Priscilla Queen of the Desert) and Anastasia Barzee (Urinetown) will play former lovers and reluctant co-stars Fred/Petruchio and Lilli/Kate. The cast also features Brendan Averett (Second Man), Joel Blum (First Man), Giovanni Bonaventura (Hortensio), Robert Hannon Davis (Ralph), Charity Angel Dawson (Hattie), Tyler Hanes (Bill/Lucentio), James T. Lane (Paul), Barrett Martin (Gremio), Wayne W. Pretlow (Pops/Priest), Megan Sikora (Lois/Bianca), Michael Starr (Phillip), Jeff Steitzer (Harry Trevor/Baptista Minola), Johnny Stellard (Nathaniel), and Nick Wyman (General Harrison Howell). Dancers include Robin Masella, Shina Ann Morris, Jane Papageorge. Cast subject to change. www.theoldglobe.org

 The Grove Theatre in Upland announces its production of Cinderella which will run June 12 - 28. This modern take on the classic show features romantically-challenged Prince Freddy, who just received his Doctor of Philosophy. Having just returned to his home kingdom, he is being pressured by his all-business father, King Frederick, to quickly choose a bride at the upcoming royal ball. Domineering Brunhilda and greedy daughters, Clarissa and Priscilla, are excited to go to the ball but smart and modern stepdaughter Cinderella would rather stay home and read with her animal friends Aristotle the Crow, Plato the Toad, and Socrates the Spider. Magical Gwendolyn the Well-Wisher appears and urges Cinderella to go to the ball. Stubborn Cinderella finally agrees to go... provided she doesn’t have to wear any stupid glass slippers. At the ball, Cinderella and Prince Freddy dance and fall in love, but the ball erupts into chaos at midnight. Every girl loses a glass slipper; except Cinderella, who loses her red sneaker. Come see the show and find out how it ends. www.grovetheatre.com
CONCERTS/CABARET: The Festival of New American Musicals presents its next Musi-Cal on June 8, where you can meet SoCal songwriters and hear songs from their new musicals. Hosted by Jonah Platt, the show will feature new material by Erik Przytulski & Steve Troop, Richard Berent & Rob Meurer, Gary Stockdale & Spencer Green, Brett Ryback, David Cornue & Sam Holtzapple. “Musi-Cal is part of the Festival’s ongoing priority to create community among Southern California’s composers, lyricists and book writers,” said co-executive producer of the Festival Linda Shusett. “These Musi-Cal evenings offer an opportunity for the writers to get to know one another and for the audience to get a first peak at new musical works in progress.” Tickets: http://rockwell-la.com/.

 Kritzerland presents the Songs of Leonard Bernstein and Elmer Bernstein Monday, June 8 at 8:00 pm starring Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Sami Staitman, Tory Stolper, Robert Yacko, and special guest, Kerry O’Malley. Music director is Alby Potts. Click Here for reservations or call (800) 838-3006 x 1.

DANCE/FILM: Villainess Productions’ The Girl in the Green Dress has its world premiere on May 30th at 7:15 pm at the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood. A surreal drama set in the conservative world of America’s 1950’s housewives, it explores themes of modern feminism and sexual liberation. Contemporary dance is intertwined with narrative, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy in the vein of The Stepford Wives and Mullholland Drive. Check out their trailer above and then go enjoy it at the Dances With Films Festival. Click Here for tickets. 

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page
CLICK HERE to comment 0

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Review: It's Love Sitcom-syle in LOVE AGAIN at The Group Rep

Renee Gorsey, Amy Gillette, Paul Cady, Lloyd Pedersen, and
Janet Wood. Photos by Doug Engalls

Three short musicals about the complications of love make up the world premiere of Love Again playing at The Group Rep in North Hollywood. Though light on substance – each piece is only 30 minutes in length – this one-act musical still takes the audience on a pleasant journey through three scenarios where love may or may not conquer all.

 In the first, In a Different Light, kismet brings two college sweethearts together after twenty years while traveling in Paris with their spouses. He’s (Paul Cady) there on business with his wife (Amy Gillette) and boss (Renee Gorsey); she’s (Janet Wood) vacationing with her husband (Lloyd Pedersen) on their second honeymoon. Neither has forgotten the other and as they reconnect over drinks, with all their assorted baggage in tow, they must decide whether to act on their feelings.

 In the second, Two Lives, a car accident leaves longtime pals Loretta (Debi Tinsley) and Fanny (Michele Bernath) in the hospital on life support while family members place their lives on hold to be with them. Though brain dead, in fantasy sequences we’re privy to their very active – and often humorous – inner life as Fanny attempts to play matchmaker for her son (Andrew Curtis Stark) and the nurse who cares for her (Kathleen Chen), and Loretta comes to terms with whether her husband (Lloyd Pedersen) will take her off the machines before she’s ready.

 The third, Forget-Me-Not, concerns a financially-strapped couple (Cady and Wood) who considers moving his parents (Bernath and Pedersen) – both of whom suffer from memory loss – into their son’s (Elijah Tomlinson) room without reminding them they’re divorced.
Lloyd Pedersen, Andrew Curtis Stark, and Elijah Thomlinson

Collectively, bookwriter Doug Haverty’s stories have the feel of an early 1970’s or ‘80’s sitcom like The Love Boat and Love American Style. But while the setups are fun, there is little time to develop the conflicts so the pieces end up feeling predictable and somewhat thin, especially with their intentionally unresolved endings. It’s definitely light romantic comedy, heavy on the light.

 Composer Adryan Russ has a way with a sentimental ballad and her music never fails to pull on the heart strings. Rich choral harmonies show off the cast en masse. Amy Gillette and Kathleen Chen soar in the category of ‘leading ladies with lovely soprano voices’ and baritone Paul Cady is grounded as the ‘earnest leading man.’ Also moving is the male trio of Pedersen, Stark, and Tomlinson, who sing of the war days in one of the few serious moments in the show. Musical director Richard Berent’s instrumental arrangements are crisp and easily heard but I wondered if the actors were having trouble with the tracks as several individuals had difficulty staying in time and in tune during their solos. Director Kay Cole’s serviceable staging keeps the overall movement of the show fluid, adding some light dance staging to enhance character personalities.

 Distracting, however, was the teal, pink, and purple set design in which everything – walls, floors, tables, benches, chairs – was painted to resemble an impressionistic painting. Others may find the effect unobtrusive. For me, it was overwhelming.
The cast of Love Again

 LOVE AGAIN
May 15 - June 28, 2015
The Group Rep
10900 Burbank Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Fridays & Saturdays at 8:00 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm
Talk-back Sundays after the show May 24 and June 7
Tickets: (818) 763-5990 or www.thegrouprep.com

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page

Labels:

CLICK HERE to comment 0

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS for Wednesday, May 13, 2015

MUSICAL NEWS: Kelrik Productions presents Violet, directed by Joshua Finkel, May 15 – 31 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. Starring Kristin Towers Rowles as Violet, Jahmaul Abiodun Bakare as Flick, Michael Spaziani as Monty, and Jaidyn Young as Young Vi, along with Jason Chacon, Richard Lewis Warren, Gail Matthius, Erika Bowman, Benai Alicia Boyd, Jeremy Saje, and Justin Anthony Long. The creative team also includes Joe Lawrence (musical director), Samantha Marie (choreographer, Kathleen Yost Forster (costume & lighting designer), Erik Austin (set designer). On a cross-country bus trip in search of a minister to heal her scarred face, one woman discovers the true meaning of beauty, courage and love. Due to the show’s adult subject matter, audience members under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Tickets: https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/943912
The Pasadena Playhouse announces the return engagement of A Night With Janis Joplin starring Mary Bridget Davies, July 21 – August 16, following her Tony Award® nominated Broadway run. Like a comet that burns far too brightly to last, Janis Joplin exploded onto the music scene in 1967 and, almost overnight, became the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The unmistakable voice filled with raw emotion and tinged with Southern Comfort made her a must-see headliner from Monterey to Woodstock. A Night With Janis Joplin is a musical journey celebrating Janis and her biggest musical influences – trailblazers like Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Odetta, Nina Simone and Bessie Smith, who inspired one of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s greatest legends. Written and directed by Randy Johnson, the show is produced by Michael Cohl, Todd Gershwin and Daniel Chilewich, in association with The Estate of Janis Joplin and Jeffrey Jampol for JAM, Inc. Tickets are now on sale at www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.
DOMA Theatre Company will rock the MET Theatre when they open Green Day’s American Idiot on June 5. Director Marco Gomez, musical director Chris Raymond and choreographer Angela Todaro bring this story of three lifelong friends who are forced to choose between their dreams and the safety of suburbia in the smash Broadway hit. Tony Award-nominated for best musical and a Grammy Award winner for best musical show album, American Idiot features the music of Green Day with lyrics by lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong and a book by Armstrong and Michael Mayer. The 25-member ensemble stars Jess Ford stars as Johnny, with Chris Kerrigan (Tunny), Wesley Moran (Will), Andrew Diego (St. Jimmy), Jackee Bianchi (Heather), Renee Cohen (Whatsername), Cassandra Nuss (Extraordinary Girl), Alex Allen, Sandra Diana Cantu, Tony Cellucci, Kevin Corsini, EverJohn Feliciano, Blair Grotbeck, Lillian Mansala, Angeline Mirenda, Johnny Ortiz, Nohely Quiroz, Michael Restaino, Brittany Rodin, Dekontee Tucrkile, Lauren Tyni, Ty West and Anthony D. Willis. www.domatheatre.com

 CASTING CALL: The Confidential Musical Theatre Project is coming to L.A. Billed as a one-night performance of a musical that the audience doesn’t know the identity of until the show starts, the unusual performance  also includes cast members who rehearse on their own and meet the rest of the cast right before going on stage. The concept of this show began in Toronto and has been very successful in both Toronto and Vancouver. Casting is done by submissions only - there are no auditions. Actors who would like to submit may do so at http://ow.ly/LO9XR.
BOOKS: Madeline Kahn: Being the Music, A Life by William V. Madison (University Press of Mississippi) was released on May 1, 2015. This is the first biography of the great comedic actress best known for her Oscar-nominated roles in Paper Moon and Blazing Saddles. She was one of the most popular comedians of her time—and one of the least understood. The book draws on new interviews with family, friends, and colleagues like Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, Gene Wilder, Harold Prince, and Eileen Brennan, as well as archival press and private writings. It examines Kahn’s film career and focuses on her Oscar-nominated triumphs with Mel Brooks and Peter Bogdanovich, including her first audition for Blazing Saddles, which almost ended before it began. There are also new revelations about her disastrous run in On the Twentieth Century on Broadway that culminated in her firing by the legendary Hal Prince shortly after it opened. www.upress.state.ms.us/books/1746
Judy & Liza & Robert & Freddie & David & Sue & Me... by legendary agent to the stars, Stevie Phillips, is set for release in June. No star burned more ferociously than Judy Garland. And nobody witnessed Garland’s fierce talent at closer range than Stevie Phillips. Philips worked for Freddie Fields and David Begelman at MCA under the glare of legendary über-agent Lew Wasserman. When MCA blew apart, Fields and Begelman created Creative Management Associates, and Stevie went along. Fields convinced Garland to come on board, and Stevie became, as she puts it, “Garland’s shadow,” putting out fires-figurative and literal-in order to get her to the next concert in the next down-and-out town. Philips paints a portrait of Garland at the bitter end and although it was at times a nightmare, Philips says, “She became my teacher,” showing her “how to” and “how not to” live. Stevie also represented Liza Minnelli, Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Henry Fonda, George Roy Hill, Bob Fosse, Cat Stevens, and David Bowie. She produced both films and Broadway shows and counted her colleague, the legendary agent Sue Mengers, among her closest confidantes. Now Phillips reveals all in this tough-talking memoir. http://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250065773
FILM: Mark your calendars for Saturday, June 27 for a Gene Autry double feature at the Autry National Center from noon – 2:30 pm. Oh, Susanna! (1936) and Rootin’ Tootin’ Rhythm (1937) both have plots that deal with mistaken identity and that’s the theme of this fun afternoon. In Oh, Susanna! an escaped convict knocks out radio star Gene Autry and swaps clothes with him, making the authorities believe that Gene is the criminal. Then in Rootin Tootin Rhythm, Gene and his pal Frog Millhouse are after cattle rustlers and become mixed up in a comedy of errors when they don the clothes of two dead outlaws, only to learn that the outlaws are really dead sheriffs, dressed in outlaws’ clothes. Admission is included with Museum Admission and is free for Autry Members. Click Here for more information.
Cinespia’s outdoor movie series will present The Wizard of Oz (1939, 102 minutes) on Saturday, June 20 at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Starring the effervescent Judy Garland in her greatest role, this is a night of classic Hollywood movie musical magic under the stars. You can also join Cinespia for a rare screening of the original 1940s masterpiece, Fantasia, followed by a screening of its millennial cousin, Fantasia 2000, on June 7 at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. The event is a benefit for the Los Angeles Historic Theatre Foundation and includes a private cocktail party in the decadently decorated lobby and forecourt where so many stars have left their handprints. With a Disney themed Cinespia Photobooth, DJs spinning before the screening and full bars with valid ID. This double feature is open to all ages. For tickets and a complete schedule of events, go to http://cinespia.org/.

WEB SERIES: Season one of webTV show Ruby and Martin, featuring Taylor Coffman and Clayton Farris, is now available online. In this offbeat comedy, Ruby, a rolling stone, and Martin, a buttoned up TV writer, awkwardly navigate the trials and tribulations of love. Influenced by a co-dependent twin-brother and an under-sexed overprotective best friend, Ruby and Martin try to make a connection…and end up falling in love, awkwardly. It isn’t a musical per se but it made me laugh and I think you’ll enjoy it. Episodes are available Here.

 CABARET/CONCERTS: Rubicon Theatre’s Broadway Musical Concert Series continues with three concerts celebrating the genius of two of the most prolific and most important writing teams in musical theatre history in a show entitled Rodgers & Hart & Hammerstein. Directed by Larry Raben, the concert features Joan Almedilla, Teri Bibb, Susanne Blakeslee, David Engel, Jason Graae, and Andrew Samonsky. Musical direction is by Steven Freeman. Performances will take place May 16 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm and Sunday, May 17 at 2:00 pm and will feature some of the greatest songs produced by these extraordinary collaborators, including “Where or When,” “The Lady is a Tramp,” “My Romance,” “Ten Cents a Dance,” “I Have Dreamed,” “My Funny Valentine,” “So Long, Farewell,” “If I Loved You” and “People Will Say We’re in Love.” www.rubicontheatre.org
A Little New Music returns to Rockwell: Table & Stage in Los Feliz June 3 at 8pm. Daisy Eagan and Jordan Kai Burnett co-host and Bryan Blaskie returns as musical director. The evening will showcase songs by Michael Heitzman and Ilene Reid, Sam Carner and Derek Gregor, Bill Nelson and Will Aronson, Brian Woodbury, and more top writers to be announced, with performances by Sharon McKnight, Ryan O’Connor, Kelley Dorney, Amanda Kruger, Matthew Sims, and Kate Ponzio. Tickets: www.rockwell-la.com. www.alittlenewmusic.org
Angel City Chorale, led by Artistic Director Sue Fink, will present EPIC: Blockbuster Music from Video Games & Film, on Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7, 2015. ACC’s 150+ member choir and its instrumental ensemble will perform a diverse selection of music from the exciting worlds of video games and film in the choir’s eclectic blend of styles, including classical, pop, world, folk, jazz, gospel, and R&B. The concerts will also feature a 26-piece live ensemble performing with the choir. Performances are family-friendly and will take place at the historic Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010. The evening includes a 15-minute intermission and the audience will also be invited to join the performers for a reception with light refreshments after each performance. For tickets and a look at the program, visit www.angelcitychorale.org

Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation has announced that Brian Hyland will be joining Dick Fox’s Doo Wop Extravaganza on Sunday, June 6 at 7pm. Hyland is known for a slew of iconic hit songs including “Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini” and “Sealed With a Kiss” and replaces the previously announced David Sommerville, who is unable to appear, due to a scheduling conflict. Dick Fox’s Doo Wop Extravaganza is a celebration of Doo-wop, the iconic sound that caused a sensation in the 1950s and early 1960s. www.Arcadiapaf.org

 For more Musicals in LA news:
Become a Fan on Facebook
Follow Musicals in LA on Twitter
Click Here to return to home page
CLICK HERE to comment 0