Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Photo Flash: OLIVERIO: A BRAZILIAN TWIST at Lewis Family Playhouse
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| Patricia Jewel and Ella Saldana North. All photos by Ed Krieger. |
Join MainStreet Theatre Company at the Lewis Family Playhouse for the west coast premiere of OLIVÉRio: A Brazilian Twist beginning October 12th. This musical retelling of Oliver Twist is set in modern-day Rio de Janeiro and features book and lyrics by Karen Zacarías and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. A live Brazilian band accompanies the production so get your tickets now at www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com. Show runs October 12 - 27!
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| L-R: Reuben Uy, Gigi Bermingham, Patricia Jewel, Anthea Neri Best, Janet Greaves, and Max Torrez |
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| Ella Saldana North |
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| Patricia Jewel |
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Monday, October 7, 2019
Musical News to Get You Out the Door and Off to the Theatre
ANASTASIA
Anastasia makes its L.A. premiere at the Pantages Theatre Oct. 8 – 27. The dazzling Broadway musical will transport the audience from the twilight of the Russian Empire to the euphoria of Paris in the 1920s, as a brave young woman sets out to discover the mystery of her past. Pursued by a ruthless Soviet officer determined to silence her, Anya enlists the aid of a dashing conman and a lovable ex-aristocrat. Together, they embark on an epic adventure to help her find home, love, and family. Adapted by Terrence McNally and set to a gorgeous score by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, Anastasia is currently celebrating an open-ended run on Broadway. The touring production is directed by Tony Award®-winning director Darko Tresnjak and also features choreography by Peggy Hickey, music supervision by Tom Murray, music direction by Lawrence Goldberg, and orchestrations by Doug Besterman. The cast stars Lila Coogan as Anya, Stephen Brower as Dmitry, Jason Michael Evans as Gleb, Joy Franz as Dowager Empress, Tari Kelly as Countess Lily, Edward Staudenmayer as Vlad and Victoria Amelia Bingham as Little Anastasia. A limited number of $25 tickets will be offered by Digital Lottery. Get all the details here: hollywoodpantages.com/Lottery. Click Here for more information and to purchase tickets.
DEAR JERRY SEINFELD
You can check out the latest rock musical from composer Michael Teoli this month at Three Clubs when he combines Seinfeld and Dear Evan Hansen to bring you Dear Jerry Seinfeld. If watching Jerry, Elaine, George, Kramer and even Newman sing and dance about nothing sounds like the stuff of your dreams, then this one’s for you. Starring Alex Lewis of Bring The Funny, Allyson Phillips, Heather Woodward, Matthew Patrick Davis, Brock Baker, Dahlya Glick, Madison Lanesey, Vic Michaelis, Andrew Young and Ari Stidham from the TV series Scorpion as Newman. Thursdays at 8pm, Oct. 10 – Nov. 21. The Three Clubs has a two drink minimum per person but you can bring in outside food. Please note, you must be 21 to attend. www.dearjerryseinfeld.com
This “prequel” to William Finn’s groundbreaking March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland is directed by Corey Lynn Howe, and produced by Zachary Harris Lutsky and Tal Fal. In the opening chapter of the Marvin Trilogy, Marvin explores his sexuality and identity through his relationships with the three most important woman in his life: his high school sweetheart; his teacher; and his wife. Torn between his natural inclination and his desire not to upset his family life as he knows it, Marvin ultimately makes the decision he feels is best for him. Cast stars Braxton Molinaro in the title role, with Tal Fox (His Wife), Michelle Lane (His Teacher), and Lea Madda (His High School Sweetheart). Brooke van Grinsven is the Female Cover. The show is appropriate for ages 14+ and runs 90 minutes with no intermission. Oct. 11 – Nov. 3 at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. brownpapertickets.com/event/4323015
Get those trombones ready everyone! Adam Pascal stars as Professor Harold Hill in 5-Star Theatricals’ upcoming production of The Music Man at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. The Meredith Willson classic musical is directed by Larry Raben and features musical direction by Brad Ellis and choreography by Peggy Hickey. The cast also includes Katharine McDonough as Marian, Trent Mills, Joshua Blond, Lisa Dyson, Savannah Fischer, Dani Gonzalez, Rich Grosso, Joe Hart, Christie Lynn Lawrence, Antonia Vivino, Chris Hunter, Jonathan Matthews, James Thomas Miller, Richard Storrs, L. Michael Wells, Adam Winer, and an ensemble of 24. Oct. 18 – 27 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. 5startheatricals.com [Photo by Ed Krieger]
October is Drug Abuse Prevention Month and AK Ink is giving back by donating all proceeds from their new musical Good Fishermen Know A Lot About Sex to benefit Opioid Abuse Prevention. Writer Alexa Karas and composer Konner Scott explore what happens when you combine a grieving family of four, hoping to put the past behind them, with a boatful of local Hawaiian fishermen. As Ally and her family learn about the cycle of life and how sex and fishing are intimately connected, they realize that even when faced with the most difficult of circumstances, life goes on. The cast includes Kelley Pierre, Ryan Lee Hughes, Peter Miller, Dorothy Blue, Earl Baylon, Kit Nolan, Konner Scott, and Jimmy Clabots. Oct. 11 – Nov. 3 at the Hudson Theatre. onstage411.com/goodfisherman
MainStreet Theatre Company opens its new season at the Lewis Family Playhouse with the west coast premiere of OLIVÉRio: A Brazilian Twist. This musical retelling of Oliver Twist is set in modern-day Rio de Janeiro and features book and lyrics by Karen Zacarías and music by Deborah Wicks La Puma. A play-within-a-play setting follows Oli (Ella Saldana North), an orphan girl who asks Iemanja (Patricia Jewel), the goddess of the sea, for a “little bit more” in her life. Along comes con artist Falcão (Janet Greaves) and her artful young thief Zé Esquiva (Max Torrez) who attempt to use Oli’s innocence for their own gain. Soon everyone must decide whether they will do the right thing or take the easy way out. Robert Castro directs, choreography is by Tamica Washington-Miller, and Richard Miller is musical director. The score will be performed by a live Brazilian band. Also included in the cast are Anthea Neri as Nancí, a wash maid with dreams of her own, Reuben Uy as Sykes, an unscrupulous policeman, and Gigi Bermingham as the rich widow Rosa Maria. Oct. 12 – 27. www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com
3-D Theatricals launches its 2019-2020 season with ONCE, The Musical directed by Kari Hayter and choreographed by Linda Love Simmons with musical direction and conducting by David Lamoureux. Adapted from the Academy Award-winning motion picture written and directed by John Carney, ONCE follows a heartbroken Irish guitarist who has given up on love and music until an immigrant girl inspires him to keep going. Their shared love of music draws the two together and the unexpected friendship quickly evolves into a powerful but complicated love story. 3DT’s production stars a company of actor/musicians who will play their own instruments and the venue will be transformed to an intimate in-the-round configuration. Cast includes Tom Frank as Guy, and Aurora Florence as Girl, Tony Award-winner Scott Waara as Da, and original Broadway cast member Andy Taylor as Bank Manager, along with Chuck McLane, Katherine Washington, Cynthia Marty, David Coe Lamoureux, Andrew Huber, Cameron Tagge, Erich Schroeder, Leota Rhodes, and Quinn Copeland. ONCE, The Musical features a book by Enda Walsh, and music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová. Oct. 11 – 27 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. 3dtheatricals.org
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Labels: 3D Theatricals, 5-star theatricals, hollywood pantages, hudson theatre, lounge theatre, mainstreet theatre company, three clubs
Tuesday, April 30, 2019
First Look: The Emperor's Nightingale at Lewis Family Playhouse
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| Christine Joy, Shaun Tuazon, Miller Tai, Katy Tang, Reuben Uy and Scott Keiji Takeda. All photos by Ed Krieger |
The Emperor’s Nightingale by Damon Chua, directed by Tim Dang, with original music by Howard Ho and choreography by Tom Tsai. May 4 - 19, 2019. MainStreet Theatre Company at Lewis Family Playhouse. This adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen story is set in China during the Qing Dynasty, and Prince Bao is based on the prince who would one day become one of the greatest rulers of Imperial China. The story includes classical Chinese art forms like calligraphy, music, poetry, and dance, and is filled with humor. There is also a nod to modern hip-hop culture mashed into the classical 18th Century Chinese art forms. It’s a story the whole family can enjoy so get your tickets now at www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com.
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| Scott Keiji Takeda |
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| Christine Joy |
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| Katy Tang |
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| Christine Joy, Katy Tang, Scott Keiji Takeda, Shaun Tuazon and Reuben Uy |
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Monday, September 29, 2014
First Look: MainStreet Theatre Company's THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
Jessica Kubzansky directs the west coast premiere of The Three Little Pigs, featuring music by George Stiles and book & lyrics by Anthony Drewe. This “very curly musical tail” from the musical team behind Honk! and Mary Poppins is full of witty word play, great music, and a Big
Bad Wolf. When Mother Pig decides it’s time to send her piglets out to make their own way in the world, Cha (the gym-rat) Siu (the environmentalist) and Bao (the bookworm) think they’re too different to live together. Cha builds his house out of sticks, Siu builds hers out of straw, and Bao builds his out of bricks. When the Big Bad Wolf comes to eat them, they realize that if they work together, they can defeat him! For ages 4 and up.
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| Michael Covert, Kyla Garcia and Joe Fria |
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| Michael Covert, Tracey A. Leigh, Joe Fria and Kyla Garcia |
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| Kyla Garcia, Joe Fria, Michael Covert, and Michael Manuel |
THE THREE LITTLE PIGS
October 4 – 19, 2014
Saturdays at 1:00 pm & 4:00 pm, Sundays at 1:00 pm
(No performance Sunday 10/5)
Lewis Family Playhouse in the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center
12505 Cultural Center Drive
Tickets: (909) 477-2752 or
www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com
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Sunday, February 2, 2014
Review: The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley Brings a Classic to Life
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| Amanda Pajer, Michael Faulkner, Doug Harvey and Josey Montana McCoy Photos by Ed Krieger |
An hour and a half east of L.A. in Rancho Cucamonga, The MainStreet Theatre Company puts on a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) season at Lewis Family Playhouse. Of that season, one of the shows is specifically chosen for the very youngest audience members and this year it’s The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. During the curtain speech, the producer asked who was familiar with the book and a room full of hands shot up in the air. It would be an exciting day for these young people who were eager to see how the company would bring their beloved Stanley to life.
Based on the wildly popular book by Jeff Brown, the musical follows the adventures of Stanley Lambchop (Doug Harvey), a normal young boy whose only desire is to “travel the world doing things no one has ever seen before.” One night while clowning around with his brother, Arthur (Josey Montana McCoy), Stanley makes a wish and a star falls in the sky, bringing the bulletin board above his bed to life. It falls on him while he’s asleep and, in the morning, he magically wakes up flat as a pancake.
Soon Stanley is off to see the world, thanks to the postal service, and his new ability to fit in an envelope. On his journey he meets a director in Hollywood, helps catch an art thief in Paris, and films a surfing movie in Hawaii. Everything is great…until he realizes that he misses his family and really wants to go home.
Harvey has a natural charm and a bright singing voice that makes him a likable main character. His relationship with McCoy provides some of the best comic moments in the show as they spar with lightsabers, pretend to have super powers, and make each other laugh as only little boys can. The standout musical number is their enthusiastic duet, “I Wish I Were,” an energetic pop rock song that expresses the boys’ desire to be a hero and do something great. Another is McCoy’s Hollywood Agent production number “Talent,” which is his advice to Stanley about what it takes to make it in Hollywood, complete with hats and canes and a big finish. (All of the cast members, except for Stanley, play several roles.)
The show is a perfect piece for a young audience, bringing the source material to life with broad strokes both in design and performance. The brightly colored set is a bold mix of geometric shapes made of dual-functioning movable pieces with surprising touches. Dwight Richard Odle is responsible for the versatile set as well as the three-dimensional and flat costumes. Stanley is a sight gag best viewed from the front so sit toward the middle of the house if at all possible. From the sides the optical illusion doesn’t have quite as much impact unless Stanley is further upstage, and his flatness is too much fun to miss.
The direction is crisp, dialogue and lyrics are easily understood, and there is enough audience interaction that the one-hour musical moves at a pace brisk enough to keep the kids engaged. They loved the physical jokes and the abundance of laughter throughout the show was proof positive that Stanley had succeeded in making its target audience happy.
The cast and creative team also includes Michael Faulkner (Mr. Lambchop), Ann Marie Lee (Mrs. Cartero), Amanda Pajer (Mrs. Lambchop), Janice Rodgers Wainwright (musical director), Kevin Cochran (director), Lisa Hopkins (choreography), Tom Ontiveros (lighting design) and Kevin Williams (prop designer).
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| Josey Montana McCoy, Doug Harvey, Amanda Pajer and Ann Marie Lee |
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| Doug Harvey as Flat Stanley |
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| Josey Montana McCoy, Michael Faulkner, Amanda Pajer, Doug Harvey and Ann Marie Lee |
THE ADVENTURES OF FLAT STANLEY
February 1 - 16, 2014Mainstreet Theatre Company
Lewis Family Playhouse
12505 Cultural Center Drive
Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739
Tickets: 909-477-2775 x 5 or
www.lewisfamilyplayhouse.com
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Wednesday, January 8, 2014
What's Happening Around Town for Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Athens University is in the midst of a thirty-year losing streak, so Lyssie J. and her girl-power posse won’t “give it up” to their basketball-playing boyfriends until they win a game. The hilarious dialogue and upbeat score from five-time Tony nominated playwright Douglas Carter Beane and Lewis Flinn is an electric combination of Mean Girls, Glee and Pitch Perfect. The Opening Gala on Saturday, Feb. 15 includes a post-show reception at Chance Theater’s new location, 5522 E. La Palma Ave., Anaheim, CA 92807. For tickets, call (714) 777-3033 or visit www.ChanceTheater.com.
Getting to Know….Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the authorized version of the classic musical Cinderella for young people, will take place in North Hollywood Feb. 28 – March 23. The show features book & lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, music by Richard Rodgers, and is adapted by Tom Briggs. Presented by the Children’s Theatre Group of Southern California and The Eclectic Company Theatre, it is directed and choreographed by Kay Cole, and features vocal direction by Ben Enright. The cast includes Ava Benavente, Lola Michelle Brown, Zoe Busenberg, Sabrina Grace Carr, Tess Cooley, Ella Grane, Griffin Gunn-Myers, Langdon Janos, Justin Knott, Savannah Miller, Cleo Riley, Vera Wheatley and Jenna Zuckerman. Costume design is by Tricia Berry. Set and lighting design is by John Dickey. Produced by Sherry Lynn and Robert Briscoe Evans. For tickets, call (818) 508-3003 or go to www.ctgsc.org.
Hippolyta rules as Queen of the Amazons, where women are warriors and men keep house, raise the kids, and buy new hats. The source of the queen’s power is the girdle of the goddess Diana, in the possession of and worn by Hippolyta. The gods have decreed that Hercules, as one of his assigned Twelve Labors, must relieve Hippolyta of the girdle and spirit it away so Hercules heads for Amazonia in the company of the Greek army. The fun has just begun. By Jupiter’s cast includes Saratoga Ballantine, Troy Guthrie, Patricia Jaramillo, Devra Korwin, Gerald Lancaster, Evan McNamara, Kerry Melachouris, Barbara Minkus, Anne Montavon, Donald Moore, Michael Pammit, Linda L. Rand, Nick Santa Maria, Sandra Tucker, and Sarah Ann Vail. For tickets, visit www.theatrewest.org.
William Finn & Rachel Sheinkin’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee will run Feb. 14 – Mar. 1 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, directed by Kristin Towers-Rowles, with musical direction by Jake Anthony. The cast includes Nicole Barredo, Tavis Dixson, Leigh Golden, Kimberly Hessler, John Devereaux, Craig McEldowney, Chuck McCollum, Erik Romney and Emily King Brown. www.elportaltheatre.com
MUSICAL THEATRE CLASSES: Dan Callaway’s Musical Theatre Workshop & Dinner is back, beginning Tuesdays, January 21st. Bring any song you’re working on, need to prep for an audition, or are adding to your book and work it. An accompanist is provided and Dan’s new structure is even easier than before. Class is $45 (It used to be $75/class, $300/month and there is a week-by-week sign up with no monthly commitment. Dinner at 6:00 pm. Class is 7:30 – 9:00 pm. Eight participants max. Location: Dan’s home in Eagle Rock. Click Here for more info and how to sign up.
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Labels: chance theater, ctgsc, el portal theatre, mainstreet theatre company, riverside rep, theatre west