Thursday, August 21, 2014
Musical News for Thursday, August 21, 2014
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| Co-creators Edie Brickell and Steve Martin (seated) and (L-R) choreographer Josh Rhodes, director Walter Bobbie, musical supervisor Peter Asher, and musical director/vocal arranger Rob Berman. Photos by Jim Cox. |
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| Carmen Cusack appears as Alice Murphy and A.J. Shively as Billy Cane. |
BRIGHT STAR, A New American Musical with music by Edie Brickell and Steve Martin, lyrics by Edie Brickell, and bood by Steve Martin, directed by Walter Bobbie will premiere Sept. 13 – Nov. 2, 2014 at The Old Globe in San Diego. Bright Star features 25 new songs - Americana with a touch of rock - and tells a beguiling tale that unfolds in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina between 1923 and 1945. Billy Cane, a young soldier just home from World War II, meets Alice Murphy, the brilliant editor of a southern literary journal. Together they discover a powerful secret that alters their lives. An entertaining musical of enduring love, family ties, and the light of forgiveness that shines from a bright star. Tickets: www.theoldglobe.org
Back by “Popular” demand, Wicked will return to its Los Angeles home, the Hollywood Pantages, for a limited engagement this holiday season running December 10, 2014 – February 1, 2015. Individual tickets will go on sale to the general public on Sunday morning, September 7 at 10:00 am online at www.HollywoodPantages.com or by calling 800-982-2787, and at the Hollywood Pantages Box Office. Wicked, directed by two-time Tony® Award winner Joe Mantello and featuring musical staging by Tony® Award winner Wayne Cilento, is the untold story of the witches of Oz. Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One - born with emerald green skin - is smart, fiery and misunderstood. The other is beautiful, ambitious and very popular. Wicked tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.
DOMA Theatre Company is back with Young Frankenstein, adapted for the stage by the Tony award-winning team of Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan (The Producers) Sept. 26 – Nov. 16 at the MET Theatre in Hollywood. Led by director Marco Gomez and musical director Chris Raymond, Young Frankenstein features all of the favorite scenes from the film – plus show-stopping numbers like “Transylvania Mania,” “Together Again,” “He Vas My Boyfriend” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz” (music and lyrics by Brooks, choreography by Angela Todero).
Featuring John David Wallis as Dr. Frankenstein, Scott Seiffert as Igor and Susan Huckle as Inga, with Hector Quintana (the Monster), Toni Smith (Elizabeth), Michelle Holmes (Frau Blucher), Dan Spector (Inspector Hans Kemp), Bobby Reed (The Hermit), Bradley Kuykendall (Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein) and Wesley Moran (Ziggy), with ensemble members Elvira Barjau, Kevin Corsini, Carrie Daniel, Allison Jakubowski, Sandy Mansson, Johnny Ortiz, Bradley Settler and Lauren Tyni. The MET Theatre is located at 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. Tickets: (323) 802-4990 or www.domatheatre.com.
Kritzerland’s Fourth Anniversary Show: The Songs That Got Away III on September 7 sold out so quickly that they have added a Sunday matinee at 2:00 pm. Doors open at 1:00 pm for brunch/lunch. There is no cover for this show which stars Evan Buckley Harris, Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Bruce Merkle, Hadley Miller, Madison Claire Parks, Jenna Lea Rosen, Sami Staitman, Adrienne Visnic, Robert Yacko, and Special Guests Kerry O’Malley and Bruce Vilanch. Reservation: (818) 754-8700.
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Labels: DOMA, kritzerland, old globe, pantages
Wednesday, May 28, 2014
Fringe Spotlight: DORIAN'S DESCENT, a Modern Day Dorian Gray
Set in the future, the story follows the enigmatic Dorian Gray, the inspiration behind Basil Hallward’s masterpiece, Dorian’s portrait. With the influence of Basil’s devious friend, Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian sells his soul in order to remain forever young while the picture ages over time.
Dorian’s Descent features book by Chris Raymond, Marco Gomez and Michael Gray, lyrics by Marco Gomez and Chris Raymond, and music by Chris Raymond. Gomez directs, Raymond also provides musical direction and orchestrations, and choreography is by Tania Possick. The show is produced by Mike Abramson and Dolf Ramos.
“We stayed very close to the source material in terms of the story and tried to incorporate Wilde’s language wherever possible,” explains Gomez. “Our biggest challenge was the internal nature of Dorian’s conflict in the novel, which we needed to open up and dramatize. We created a character, the ‘Demon,’ played by the wonderful Toni Smith, who helps make sense of Dorian’s personality change.”
Raymond adds, “It’s a wild, magical and mysterious story, and the themes are so relevant in today’s image-obsessed culture. The score draws on many influences, including classic Broadway, opera, and modern dance music. The large cast provides rich, complex vocal harmonies throughout the show.”
Producer Michael Abramson says the production design will be particularly impressive boasting the award-winning talents of John Iacovelli (set design), Jean-Yves Tessier (lighting design), Julie Ferrin (sound design), Michael Mullen (costume design), Karen Sanchez (makeup), Hallie Baran (props), and Gabrieal Griego (production manager).
Abramson also feels that the classic story is still timely and relevant today saying, “I think Fringe-goers will love seeing how a novel like The Picture of Dorian Gray can be modernized in such a way that even today’s audiences can relate to the story. Adapting it to a modern-day setting is what is truly unique and special about the show. Marco and Chris have also added a new character – The Demon – who was not present in the original novel, which allows the audience to visually see and even develop a connection and relationship to the force that sends Dorian spiraling down the pathway of destructive love-affairs, seduction, decadence and murder.”
DORIAN’S DESCENT
DOMA Theatre Company and Requiem Media Productions, LLC
May 30 – July 20, 2014
The MET Theatre
1089 N. Oxford Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90029
Tickets: (323) 802-4990 or www.doriansdescent.com
Fringe Tickets (June 6 – 29): http://hff14.org/1827
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Labels: DOMA, hollywood fringe
Sunday, April 27, 2014
Musical News for Sunday, April 27, 2014
Chance Theater’s next presentation in its “On the Radar” Series will be a staged reading of Loch Ness, a new musical from resident artist, Marshall Pailet (Triassic Parq – The Musical) on Tues., May 13 at 8:00 pm at the Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. What do you get when a 12 year old girl meets the world’s most famous 1,000 year old mystical sea serpent? Soul mates, of course! Meet Haley Westerbrook, a young girl who has just met “Nessie”… and nothing’s ever going to be the same. See the family musical about the power of imagination. The cast for this staged reading includes Chance founding artist Erika C. Miller, resident artist Jackson Tobiska, as well as Emma Nossal, Katie Brown, Davon Williams, Brandon Sanchez, Matt Takahashi and John Scoggins. The reading will be directed by Janet Roston, and musically directed by Ryan O’Connell. Tickets: (714) 777 3033 or www.ChanceTheater.com.
CABARET: Chromolume Cabaret Series presents Ariella Roughton: Loud and Overly-Confident featuring Mary Ekler on piano, Rachel Randall on guitar, along with Ceilidh Roughton, Brianna Stehle and Cheshire Chillaxian, April 27 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are $12. Chromulume Theatre is located at 5429 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90016. www.chromolume-theatre.com
And next up for Chromolume’s Cabaret Series is College The Musical on May 4 at 7:00 pm. Amy, a naive freshman, experiences the hysterical highs and humbling lows of college life and relationships. www.chromolume-theatre.com
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Labels: cavern club, chance theater, chromolume theatre, DOMA
Sunday, June 16, 2013
What's Happening Around Town for June 16, 2013
Musical Theatre West presents the much anticipated Southern California 20th Anniversary revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Sunset Boulevard, July 12 – 28 at the Long Beach, Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center. Based on the 1950 Oscar-winning movie about a former star of the silent screen era living in the past in her decaying mansion on the fabled Los Angeles street, it will be directed by Larry Raben with musical direction by David Lamoureux and musical staging by John Todd. MTW’s Sunset Boulevard opens exactly 20 years to the day of the show’s world premiere in London at the Adelphi Theatre where it ran for 1529 performances. Tickets are available online at www.musical.org or by calling (562) 856-1999, Ext. 4. The Box Office is located at 4350 East 7th Street, Long Beach, CA 90804 and is open 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm Tues. - Sat. The Richard and Karen Carpenter Performing Arts Center is located at 6200 East Atherton Street, Long Beach, CA 90815.
Doma Theatre presents NINE July 12 – August 18 at LA’s MET Theatre, directed by Marco Gomez, with musical direction by Chris Raymond and choreography by Rae Toledo. Embark on a musical journey that explores the passion and pitfalls of an Italian film director grappling with his mid-life crisis and creative block. All Guido Contini wants to do is make a film – but the women in his life are demanding attention. Amid a failing marriage, a distraught mistress and the betrayal of his former muse, Contini ponders his unraveling life and career by revisiting the innocence of his childhood at the age of nine. Through a series of flashbacks and dreams, Contini discovers the solution to his problems by combining art and reality in a spectacular collusion of love, regret and fidelity. The cast features David Michael Trevino, Lovlee Carroll, Michelle Holmes, Emilia Sotelo, Andrea Arvanigian, Brittany Rodin, Leslie Marrero, Devin Holliman, Donovan Baise, Ra’Shawn Durell, Victor Mercado, Alan Lee, Melissa Anjose, Toni Smith, Liza Baron, Amy Garbett and Tania Possick. The MET Theatre is located at 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. For reservations, call (323) 802-4990 or go to www.domatheatre.com.
Sacred Fools Theater presents Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini, murder, mystery, magic and a heartbreak that is almost too much to bear June 21 - 27. After a string of brutal murders, Watson and Holmes travel to New York on the trail of the killer. The mysterious Harry Houdini seems to know more than he's telling, but is he friend or foe? Nothing is as it seems in this sequel to The Fools’ Watson: The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes. Scott Leggett and Joe Fria reprise their roles as Watson and Sherlock Holmes this time matching wits and trying to bring to heel the greatest escape artist of all time, Harry Houdini, who has more than playing cards up his sleeve.
Written & directed by Jaime Robledo with original musical by Ryan Johnson. The cast also includes Carrie Keranen as Violet Hunter, Eric Curtis Johnson as Mycroft Holmes, Cj Merriman as Mary Morstan Watson, Graham Skipper as Sigmund Freud/Pike and Donal Thoms-Cappello as Harry Houdini, along with Lisa Anne Nicolai, Mandi Moss, Brendan Broms, Aaron Mendelson and Perry Daniel as The Stagehands. Click Here to preview the Johnson’s score. For tickets and more information visit http://sacredfools.org/.
connie and jimmy, Episode 3
In the third installment of connie & jimmy, an episodic 1940’s black & white mini-series, Jimmy breaks shocking news to Connie over a “fancy” meal but the reality of the meal turns out to be just as shocking! Jimmy has all the best intentions but he can’t seem to avoid slipping up. Good thing Connie can keep him in check with her talent for turning classic songs on their heads in an effort to teach Jimmy an important faux pas. “connie & jimmy” keeps your heart all aflutter but your feet on the ground with an homage to Edith Piaf’s ‘No Me Quitte Pas’. http://connieandjimmy.com/A British Invasion Kritzerland
Kritzerland presents The British Invasion, Songs from the UK Musicals of the ‘60s and ‘70s Sunday, July 7 at 7:00 pm starring Chelsea Emma Franko, Tessa Grady, Kevin Odekirk, Barry Pearl, and Jenna Lea Rosen with special guests Tony Tanner and Kerry O’Malley. Music director is Shelly Markham. For reservations call (818) 754-8700. Cover charge $15 + $10 food minimum + $3 facility charge. Sterling’s at The Federal, 5303 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601.
Kentwood Players presents the 1989 Tony Award-winning Lend Me a Tenor by Ken Ludwig July 12 - August 17 at the Westchester Playhouse, 8301 Hindry Avenue, Westchester, CA 90045. The production is directed by Gail Bernardi and produced by Susan Goldman Weisbarth. Lend Me a Tenor is a hilarious comedy/farce taking place in a Cleveland, Ohio hotel suite in 1934. The Cleveland Opera Company has booked the renowned tenor Tito Merelli, known to his fans as “Il Stupendo,” to sing the lead in Otello at their gala fundraiser. Unfortunately, even before the star leaves his hotel room, everything begins to unravel. Chaos ensues when Merelli's wife, who has mistaken an autograph-seeker hidden in his closet for a secret lover, leaves him and the distraught tenor accidentally is given a double dose of tranquilizers to calm him and passes out. Saunders, the opera company's General Manager, is determined that the show will go on, so he asks his assistant Max to impersonate the opera star. What follows is a chain-reaction of mistaken identity, plot twists, farcical double entendres, innuendos, and constant entrances and exits through many doors leading from one comical situation to another. Featured in the cast are Samantha Barrios, Rachel Boller, Harold Dershimer, Matt Landig, Maria Pavone, Scot Renfro, Susan Weisbarth, and Michael Willens. For tickets go to www.kentwoodplayers.org.
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Labels: connie and jimmy, DOMA, kentwood players, kritzerland, musical theatre west, sacred fools
Monday, June 3, 2013
What's Happening for June 3, 2013
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Chance Theater presents the hilarious and irreverent emo
rock musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson by Alex Timbers, with music and
lyrics by Michael Friedman, and directed by Kari Hayter. The show begins
previews on July 5, opens July 12 and continues through August 4. Part history,
part rock concert, and part SNL sketch comedy satire, Bloody Bloody Andrew
Jackson reimagines and reinvents the life of “Old Hickory” from childhood to
maverick president. Chance is reconfiguring their theater into a grungy Wild West
tavern for this fiery musical, and it features many of the artists from last
season’s hit musical West Side Story. The cast includes Keaton Williams, Robert
Wallace, Zachary Storey, James McHale, Gary Fields, Nick Adorno, Kyle Cooper,
Gasper Gray, Ashley Arlene Nelson, Alex Bueno, Chelsea Baldree, Alyssa Harris,
Dannielle Green and Janelle Kester, with choreography by Kelly Todd, music direction
by Robyn Wallace, scenic design by Christopher Scott Murillo, lighting design
by Steve Giltner, sound design by Dave Mickey, costume design by Carin Jacobs,
and fight choreography by David McCormick. www.chancetheater.com
ANMT presents its annual 15 minute Musicals on Monday June 24 at 7:30 pm entitled Haves and Have Nots: Four Short Musicals about Inequality written by John Aaron, Joel Adlen, Ron Barnett, Ben Boquist, Brian Graden, David Anthony Hall, David Haworth, Denis McCourt, R.K. Rich, and Robert Rosen starring Nikki Jenkins, Kevin Noonchester, Rachel Tyler, and Peter Welkin. They are directed by Scott Guy with musical direction by Jake Anthony. The Met Theatre is located at1080 N. Oxford, Hollywood. Deadline for reservations is Tuesday, June 25. Click Here for more information.
DOMA Theatre Company has announced it will sponsor the 2013 Hollywood Fringe Festival’s “Best Fringe Festival Musical” award, to be accompanied by a $1,000 check designated for further development of the winning production. DOMA staff members will attend and rate Fringe Festival musicals in ten overall categories, including music/lyrics, book, direction, choreography and acting, as well as set, costume, lighting, sound and prop design. The highest score will determine the winning production, to be announced at the closing festivities on June 30. “We see this as a way to give back to the local theater community,” says DOMA executive producer Marco Gomez. A joint venture between DOlf Ramos and MArco Gomez, DOMA has carved a name for itself by presenting large-scale, Broadway-style musicals in a small intimate setting at Hollywood’s MET Theatre.
It’s Loud & Proud, A Gay Pride Celebration at Ryan Black’s 88’s at Don’t Tell Mama on June 5 at 8pm. There is no cover charge and seats may be reserved with a dinner reservation by calling (323) 380-7209. Special guest hostess is Momma, with Greg Nabours on the 88. Performers include Cortes Alexander, Laura Dickinson, Erin Duncan, Shelly Goldstein, Jalin Hsu, Yilin Hsu, Paulette Ivory, Jen Malenke, William Martinez, Diane Pancel, Katrina Parker, Jenny Strattan, Anne Fraser Thomas, Stephanie Wall, and Matt Zarley. Open mic after the show so bring your music. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/RyanBlacks88s.
Get ready for a summertime concert packed with the classic sounds that bring back memories of sunny beach days. At the Rockin’ Beach Blast, you’ll hear all your favorite surf music inspired by the Beach Boys and other SoCal classic rock groups. Headlining the show is The Nocturnes, a five-member group from the 1960's who honor the Beach Boys in their tribute show. Also on the bill are the TCB Flash Band, Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello tribute artists AK Kist and Megan Walker, and The Blues Brothers tribute artists Martin Anthony and Chris Luna. Rockin’ Beach Blast is one night only on June 29 at 8:00 pm at The Grove Theatre in historic downtown Upland. Call (909) 920-4343 for tickets or visit www.grovetheatre.com.
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Labels: anmt, chance theater, DOMA, ryan black, the grove theatre
Monday, February 11, 2013
What's Happening Around Town for February 11, 2013
Marco Gomez directs a cast of 30 in Dreamgirls, with musical direction by Chris Raymond and choreography by Marco Gomez and Rae Toledo. The six-week run opens March 1 at the intimate MET Theatre in Hollywood. Leading the cast are Jennifer Colby Talton (Mimi in the national tour of Rent), Tyra Dennis (Ephraim’s Song–NAACP Theater Award nomination) and Constance Jewell Lopez (Justin Love and The Color Purple at the Celebration Theatre), who star as Deena Jones, Lorrell Robinson and Effie White, the young and hopeful “Dreamettes.” When ambitious agent Curtis Taylor, Jr. (Welton Thomas Pitchford) discovers them, he lands them a job as backup singers for the rock and soul sensation James “Thunder” Early (Keith Arthur Bolden) and begins to guide their quickly rising career. However, when the beautiful Deena emerges as the star of the group rather than the full-voiced Effie, the girls are brought to a personal and professional crossroads.
Also featured in the cast are Tiffany Williams (Michelle Morris), Lorenzo T. Hughes (Marty), Parnell Damone Marcano (Wayne), Theodore Mark Martinez (Jerry), and Frank Andrus Jr. (C.C. White), Stephen Anglin, Ty Brittingham, Regan Carrington, Ra’Shawn Durell, Leon Fleisher, Alan Fleury, Robert Gee, Adair Gilliam, Lina Green, Michelle Holmes, Mookie Johnson, Paul Lange, Leslie Marrero, James Oronoz, Melissa Owens, Desiree Parkman, Nik Roybal, Marni Stone, Tandrea Tarver, Rachae Thomas and Jeremy Whatley. Dreamgirls runs Fridays and Saturdays @ 8 pm and Sundays @ 3 pm from March 1 - April 7 at the MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. For reservations, call (323) 802-4990 or go to www.domatheatre.com.
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La Jolla Playhouse announces a fifth production for its 2013/14 season: the world premiere of The Tallest Tree, a new play with music written and performed by Daniel Beaty (Emergency, Through the Night), directed by Moisés Kaufman (I Am My Own Wife, The Laramie Project). A co-production with Kansas City Repertory Theatre, The Tallest Tree will run October 9 – November 3, 2013. The piece is produced in association with Tectonic Theater Project. As an internationally-renowned vocalist and star of stage and screen, Paul Robeson was one of the best known African American artists in the world in the early 20th century. Through his singing and acting talent, he became enormously popular and wealthy; but as a champion for human rights, he became despised by his people and his country. Featuring excerpts from some of Robeson’s signature songs, including “Ol’ Man River” and “Steal Away,” The Tallest Tree showcases award-winning playwright and performer Daniel Beaty in a stunning piece that explores the bold choices that defined Robeson’s remarkable life. Season tickets are available only by subscription currently. Call (858) 550-1010 or visit www.LaJollaPlayhouse.org.
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Come fly with Perry Lambert, Jessica Bernard, Penny DiMarco, and Jeremy Bernard as they travel through the Sammy Cahn Songbook, a salute to the number one recorded lyricist of the 20th century, featuring songs made famous by Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Mario Lanza, Doris Day, Bing Crosby, Jo Stafford and many more. Music by Jule Styne & Jimmy Van Heusen, with additional music by Nicholas Brodsky, Gene DePaul, Vernon Duke, Shalom Secunda, Sammy Fain, Axel Stordahl & Paul Weston. Written and directed by Perry Lambert. Musical arrangements for orchestra by Peter Matz. Additional musical arrangements by Jerry A. Ranger and choreography by Michael Milligan. The performance takes place Monday, April 8th at Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal, 5303 Lankershim Boulevard, North Hollywood, CA 91601. For reservations, please call (818) 754-8700. 5:30 - 6:00 pm Dinner Seating; 7:00 pm Performance. For more information go to www.sammycahnsongbook.com.
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Labels: DOMA, la jolla playhouse, sterling's
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
What's Happening Around Town For January 22, 2013
DOMA Theatre Company, a joint venture between Dolf Ramos and Marco Gomez, has announced its second all-musical season for 2013. All performances will take place at The MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave. Los Angeles CA 90029. Here's what audiences will see this year:
Dreamgirls
March 1 – April 7
Directed by Marco Gomez
Sweet Charity
May 17 – June 23
Directed by Richard Israel
The Scarlet Pimpernel
August 2 – Sept.8
Directed by Marco Gomez
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
October 18 – Nov. 24
Director TBA
On Tuesday, February 5, DOMA will host a Season Announcement Reception at the Arena Nightclub in Hollywood. The evening will include cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and dessert and will feature select musical performances from each of the four 2013 main stage season productions. Tickets are $75. For more information and to purchase tickets to the Season Announcement Reception, any of the four productions, or to subscribe to the 2013 season, call (323) 802-4990 or go to www.domatheatre.com.
Bonita and Billie
The Grove Theatre presents Bonita and Billie, a cabaret show based on the life of Billie Holiday Feb. 8 - 17. Award-winning actress Bonita Brisker will bring the 1940’s jazz star to life in this critically acclaimed performance. As written and performed by Ms. Brisker, this ode to Billie is based on Lady Day’s public and private lives. The 90-minute show features such jazz age favorites as “You’ve Changed”, “Strange Fruit”, “The Man I Love” and the now legendary “God Bless The Child”. Bonita & Billie is directed by Denise Yvonne Dowse, best known for her role as Mrs. Teasley on Beverly Hills 90210. For tickets, call (909) 920-4343 or visit www.grovetheatre.com.
The Grove Theatre:
Godspell
Feb. 4 and 5, 7:00 - 10:00 pm
Callbacks: Feb. 6, 7:00 - 10:00 pm, at Director's request
All roles are being cast. Age 20 - 60. All ethnicities. Looking for actor/singers who have strong versatile singing styles. Godspell is going to be a very high energy interactive show with audience participation. Performance dates are weekends, April 5th to 21st.
Prepare 32 bars from a Broadway musical that shows vocal range and acting ability. You may be asked to read from the script. Come prepared to dance. Bring a headshot and resume. The auditions are being held at The Grove Theatre, 276 E. Ninth Street, Upland, CA 91786.
The Secret Garden
How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying
Feb. 17 starting at 5:00 pm
Callbacks on Feb. 18 & 19
Open call for paid professional non-union performers
Call 951-222-8399 or email natalie.chipman@rcc.edu for an appointment.
Audition Location: Landis Performing Arts Center on the Riverside City College campus, 4800 Magnolia Avenue, Riverside
Director: Matt Neves
Music Directors: Scott Smith and Allen Everman
Prepare 16-bars to showcase vocal ability and bring photo, resume and sheet music; an accompanist will be provided. All auditioning for How To Succeed should be prepared to dance. Come prepared to list any conflicts you have with the rehearsal schedule. All roles are open. Weekend and evening rehearsals begin March 4 for The Secret Garden, with performances April 12 - 21. Weekend and evening rehearsals begin May 4 for How To Succeed, with performances June 7 - 16. For more information and a complete character breakdown, go to www.performanceriverside.org.
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Labels: DOMA, performance riverside, the grove theatre
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
What's Happening Around Town for November 28
Avenue Q ExtendsDOMA Theatre Company has extended its critically acclaimed, Ovation-recommended, sold-out production of Avenue Q through February 3. [Click Here] to read our review. Singing puppets and their human neighbors tackle life’s most vexing issues -- love, sex, money, race and how to tell your roommate he’s gay. The place is New York City and the street is Avenue Q, the only address you can afford when you're fresh out of college… or out of a job… or just trying to find your way in life. These puppets (and their human counterparts) have an irreverent take on the joys and travails of making it on one’s own. For tickets call 323-802-4990 or visit www.domatheatre.com.
Creating Arts Company has extended The Wizard of Oz through December 30 at Promenade Playhouse in Santa Monica. The 65-minute show is recommended for ages 4 and up and includes all your favorite songs from the movie. Boo for the witch, cheer for Dorothy and her friends, sing, dance and interact in this fun Mini-Musical. All children receive a special Emerald City musical instrument toy when they enter and get to meet all the characters after the show for autographs, pictures and video. This is a fun way to introduce your kids to the classic movie and songs you loved as a child. Promenade Playhouse, 1404 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA 90401. For tickets go to http://wizardofozsantamonica.eventbrite.com/. You can also help them raise money for a community outreach program through their Indiegogo campaign. Their mission is to offer shows and programs free for all schools who do not have funding for the arts as well as working with at risk youth. You can donate as little as $1.00 by following this link: http://igg.me/p/234026?a=1751601.
Scrooge's Long Night
The Santa Clarita Shakespeare Festival is offering an opportunity for local home school students to see Scrooge's Long Night on December 7th at 10:00 am.The show is an original adaptation based on the classic Dickens tale, touring local elementary schools this fall. It integrates the Six Pillars of Character into the story, as well as connections to the California Content Standards & Framework for English, Social Science & The Performing Arts. The 40-minute show is designed specifically for children and families, with 4 actors creating more than 12 characters with theatrical magic and costume changes, puppetry, music, special effects, and guided participation from the audience. The SCSF Space, Santa Clarita, CA. For tickets go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/295911.♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Home for the Holidays, the seventeenth annual Dale and Bill Christmas Concert At the Grove Theatre will be held on December 23 at 2:00 pm. This exciting, fun-filled concert features Dale Kristien who starred as Christine in Phantom of the Opera, and Bill Hutton, who played the original Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway. They are accompanied by Mary Ekler at the keyboard and are joined by the Merry Christmas Band and a group of some of the Grove’s favorite performers. Sherry Kinison is featured on several songs and Santa even pays a visit and invites the children in the audience to join him. The Grove Theatre is located at 276 E. Ninth Street, Upland, CA 91786. www.grovetheatre.com
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Labels: creating arts company, DOMA, scsf, the grove theatre
Sunday, November 11, 2012
DOMA Theatre Company Moves in to AVENUE Q
DOMA Theatre Company has struck gold with its final production of the 2012 season, a tightly crafted, well-played Avenue Q directed by one of L.A.’s favorite local theatre directors, Richard Israel. Honesty is the touchstone for Israel’s production and the key element that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats. Not only does he maximize the funny in every shockingly comedic scene but he gives the simplest heartfelt revelations room to breathe as well making this intimate production a winner in every regard.
There wouldn’t be an Avenue Q without its inspiration, the children’s TV series, Sesame Street, home to a very famous group of muppets set in a happy, fictional neighborhood in New York City. Creators Robert Lopez, Jeff Marx and Jeff Whitty satirize everything about the wholesome show by adding an abundance of adult humor to the everyday comings and goings of the puppets, monsters, and humans that live way out on the Avenue. Full of bright, bouncy songs, and lyrics that make you do a double take, they prove you can get away with almost anything…as long as it’s said by a puppet.
Nothing is off limits in Avenue Q. “It Sucks to be Me,” “Everyone’s a Little Bit Racist,” “I’m Not Wearing Underwear Today,” and “You Can Be As Loud As the Hell You Want (When You’re Makin’ Love) may catch first-timers off guard, sending them into gales of laughter, but even those who know what’s coming can’t resist the belly laughs Avenue Q provides. It’s all about surprise and this show does it better than any of them.
The cast, many of whom voice multiple puppets, is terrific, with two exceptional standouts. Kauffmann plays both Princeton and Rod with astounding facility, syncing his movements and facial expressions to his puppets so thoroughly that you’d swear they were one and the same. He is charmingly quirky as Rod (a takeoff on Sesame Street’s Bert), the uptight closeted Republican, and incredibly likeable as Princeton, the accidental hero who comes to Kate’s rescue.
Dote’s tirades as Japanese therapist Christmas Eve burst hysterically out of nowhere in contrast to Kerrigan’s low-key manner as schlubby, nice guy Brian, and when Boyd breaks into a full blown smile as Gary Coleman and sings "Schadenfreude," the irony couldn’t be funnier. Judovits ends Act I beautifully with a poignant self-reflective “There’s a Fine, Fine Line” full of sweet purity.
Credit for the musical polish goes to Chris Raymond, musical director. The upbeat songs sound like they would be right at home on Sesame Street if it wasn’t for the adult lyrics and Raymond has created a terrific balance between the actors and the band. Diction is clear, vocal harmonies blend well, and the sound is particularly good for this production, credited to sound designer & mixer David Crawford.
DOMA’s Avenue Q also features the original Broadway puppets and projections, an excellent recreation of the original set design by Staci Walters, and costumes by Haleh Risdana that capture the flavor of the Broadway production, with a few added personal touches. I especially enjoyed the fact that Christmas Eve’s tunic changed color with each scene.
With its unique blend of humor and heart, complete with puppet sex, inappropriate language, Internet porn, partial puppet nudity, and a final message that reminds us that "Everything in life is only for now," I guarantee you'll leave with a smile on your face.
AVENUE Q
AVENUE Q
Through December 16
DOMA Theatre Company at The MET Theatre
1089 N. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Tickets and Info: 323-802-4990
1089 N. Oxford Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90029
Tickets and Info: 323-802-4990
Pictured above:
1). Libby Letlow, Janelle Dote, Mark Whitten, Benai Boyd (center), Chris Kerrigan, Chris Kauffmann.
2). Chris Kauffmann (Princeton) and Danielle Judovits (Kate Monster)
3). Danielle Judovits (Kate Monster) and Mark Whitten as Trekkie Monster
Photo credit: Michael Lamont
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Photo credit: Michael Lamont
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Labels: DOMA