Thursday, May 25, 2017
MUSICAL NEWS for Thursday, May 25, 2017
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Labels: art in relation, hff17, hollywood pantages, la mirada theatre, odyssey theatre, redcat, ucla tft
Friday, August 19, 2016
CABARET, FILM & DANCE NEWS for Friday, August 19, 2016
CABARET/CONCERTS
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| Kurtis Simmons |
The following Monday night (August 29) at Rockwell, Kurtis Simmons makes his LA solo debut performing songs from his critically acclaimed pop/rock CD Fraction of a Thread, along with tunes from his original musical Hipster Sweatshop (co-written with Kyle Puccia and Darryl Stephens). Music direction is by Sean Bart. Also appearing with Simmons are Jordan Kai Burnett and Nicci Claspell. Rockwell-la.com
Theatricum Botanicum’s Under the Oaks salon series returns during the month of September with four Thursday night musical performances outdoors under the California oaks in the company’s S. Mark Taper Foundation Pavilion. Sept 1 is an evening of song with actress Judy Norton. On Sept 8 it’s Roots, gospel and old school R&B with Skyrocket recording artists Little Faith. Sept 15 Tom Allard will perform Love Songs, Storytime and Moon-Madness! with musical guests. And on Sept 22, multi-instrumentalists Many Distant Cities (Clara Dykstra on accordion, ukulele and trumpet, Liz Eldridge on glockenspiel and ukulele, and Carl Turner on bass, drums and ominichord will sing about love and dying and bleeding a lot. www.theatricum.com
An Evening of Classic Broadway with Brad Ellis and Dianne Fraser returns August 22. Show features music by music by Bernstein, Sondheim, Guettel, Jason Robert Brown, Hugh Martin, Kander & Ebb sung by Julie Garnyé, Emma Ashford, Joshua Finkel, Barrett Foa, Zachary Ford, Susan Edwards Martin and Christina Saffran. Rockwell-la.com
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| Photo courtesy of Disney |
It’s hard to believe that Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is celebrating its 25th anniversary, but it is. To mark the occasion, the El Capitan theatre in Hollywood is showing the film daily, Sept 2-18, and also featuring a special appearance by Belle, live on stage before each screening. Showtimes are 10am, 1pm, 4pm & 7pm. Tuesdays are designated as Tiny Tot Tuesday and during the 10am screening, parents and small children can enjoy the movie in a tot-friendly way – with lights dimmed rather than out and with reduced sound levels. At the end of the film, families will have the opportunity take pictures with Belle on stage. For more info about special events in connection with the screenings at the El Capitan go to www.elcapitantickets.com.
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| CONTRA-TIEMPO |
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| Photo by Marc Domage |
Local favorite Diavolo – Architecture in Motion is celebrating its 25th Anniversary season by bringing Passengers, a new work, to The Broad Stage, Sept 23-25, along with audience favorite Trajectoire. Passengers takes place on and around a giant morphing staircase with multiple doors, passageways, and shifting surfaces. Here, the dancers contend with themes of journey and transition and the tenuous balance we attempt to strike each day as both indomitable drivers and unwitting passengers. Following intermission, Trajectoire takes the audience on a visceral and emotional journey through the ebb and flow of the human experience. As the performers struggle to find their balance on a voyage of destiny and destination, Trajectoire shows the transcendence of the human soul against all odds. www.thebroadstage.org
The USC Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, Oct 5 to celebrate its grand opening. The center will act as the new home of the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, the first new school to be established at USC in nearly forty years. “This is the largest dance-dedicated complex on a private university campus,” said Jeffrey de Caen, Associate Dean for Operations. At the Kaufman Dance Center, students will have endless tools to experiment with different settings and engage in dialogue with other performing arts disciplines both on and off campus; even its courtyard can act as a non-traditional venue space.” Kaufman.usc.edu
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Labels: el capitan, redcat, rockwell, the broad stage, theatricum botanicum
Saturday, August 8, 2015
REDCAT's NOW Festival: Program 2: Sammanfläta (Intertwined), BIT, and Circle Jerk
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| Stina Ahlberg Sammanfläta (Intertwined). All photos by Rafael Hernandez/Calarts |
REDCAT debuted an eclectic program of new works this week during its 12th Annual New Original Works Festival – two dance/movement-based pieces and a third that fused theatre and live music to create an absurdist performance art piece based on early twentieth century Surrealism.
Swedish choreographer Stina Ahlberg’s solo dance piece, Sammanfläta (which translates as intertwine) opened the evening. The short 15-minute hypnotic enterprise pairs wind-like sounds with a cappella voices in choral layers to create a haunting work with an otherworldly feel. Ahlberg’s earthy physicality conjures images of a broken bird and the collapsing and unfolding of the spirit as she creeps and crouches and writhes with tactile sensuality.
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| Mint Park and Hee-Eun Jeong's BIT |
In BIT, the interplay between light pools and shadows, synthesized sound, and stylized movement creates a piece that moves propulsively through several stages of storytelling. At times Mint Park and Hee-Eun Jeong’s new work achieves a sharp but beautifully lyrical quality that feels like one is watching a film scene unfold live. I found the opening featuring a solo male dancer (Jung-Woon Jung) spinning and expressively moving with a martial artist’s precision inside that shifting light to be very exciting and a powerful expression of the potential of the piece. Three additional female dancers and abstract modernistic projections expand its multi-layered progression.
Off-putting was the “strobe light” effect consisting of hand-held lights manipulated by the dancers. Too often they were flashed directly into the audience’s eyes rather than used to create effects that would have made a greater impact on the visual interpretation of the work.
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| Robert Cucuzza's Circle Jerk |
Following intermission, Robert Cucuzza ventures into the potent world of André Breton and The Surrealists in his theatrical staging of Circle Jerk. The basis of the play is a series of provocative discussions on the topic of sex and sexual perversity led by Breton over a 4-year period beginning in 1928. All of its text comes directly from transcripts of the sessions and no question is off limits.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Circle Jerk is the contrast between its direct and intentionally absurdist humor and the sheer beauty of the subtle jazz trio that accompanies it. (The outstanding original score is by Juli Crockett and Michael Feldman, with Crockett on cello and vocals, Feldman on piano, and Danny Graziani on violin). Fragments of lyric – “she’s just a girl” and “melody haunts my reverie” float in the background while an eye-opening question and answer session delivers the harsh truths about men and women’s roles from the male perspective.
The piece wanders at the midpoint when the interactive group discussion becomes more philosophical and focused on only one individual before snapping back to life when the characters begin a direct address to members of the audience. That discussion probes more taboo questions of erotica in regards to children, animals, and monogamy.
Together the three new works provide a stimulating representation of the kind of adventurous work REDCAT is known for. The final performance for Program 2 is tonight.
REDCAT NOW FESTIVAL
Program 1: July 30 - August 1, 2015
Bloom - Nguyễn Nguyên and Maria Gillespie
In|Expiration - Sheetal Gandhi, Ulka Mohanty & Mark Gutierrez
Crying - Zac Pennington, Jherek Bischoff and Steven Reker
Program 2: August 6-8, 2015
Sammanfläta (Intertwined) - Stina Ahlberg
BIT - Mint Park and Hee-Eun Jeong
Circle Jerk - Robert Cucuzza
Program 3: August 13-15, 2015
Stellar Tears - Cassandra
Touch of the Other - Takao Kawaguchi, Jonathan Hall & Deanna Erdmann
Trophy - Kevin Williamson
REDCAT is located at 631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 in the heart of downtown Los Angeles on the northeast corner of the intersection of W. 2nd and Hope Streets. Housed in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex, REDCAT has a separate entrance at the corner of West 2nd and Hope Streets. Tickets and information: (213) 237-2800 or www.redcat.org. Performances begin at 8:30 pm.
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Labels: redcat
Thursday, December 18, 2014
MUSICAL NEWS for Thursday, December 18, 2014
The cast will feature Noah Parets as Billy (National Tour, Billy Elliot), Vicki Lewis as Mrs. Wilkinson, Jake Kitchin as Michael (Broadway & National Tour, Billy Elliot), Jamie Torcellini as George, Marsha Waterbury as Grandma, Kim Huber as Billy’s Mum, Brandon Forrest as Adult Billy, Neil Dale as Mr. Braithwaite, Sammy Gayer as Debbie, and in the ensemble: Andrew Blake Ames, Brooke Besikoff, Emma Bradley, Michael Dotson, Jeremy Duvall, Zachary Hess, Olivia Knox, Emilie Lafontaine, Tyler Ledon, Julia Nicole Massey, Jenna McConnell, Bruce Merkle, McKenna Perez, Gary Lee Reed, Benni Ruby, Brian Steven Shaw, Hannah Jean Simmons, Ashley Kiele Thomas, Brooklyn Vizcarra, and Justin Wilcox. Tickets: (562) 944-9801, (714) 994-6310 or www.lamiradatheatre.com
REDCAT presents the world premiere of Half Life, the newest work by Los Angeles multimedia ensemble Cloud Eye Control, Jan. 15 - 18, 2015. Cloud Eye Control was formed in 2006 by the Los Angeles based trio of animator and media artist Miwa Matreyek; composer, writer, and performer Anna Oxygen (Anna Huff); and theater director Chi-wang Yang, all known internationally for their stunning work individually and as a multimedia collective. A deeply expressive lamentation of fierce urgency, their latest multimedia production is an imagistic, visceral work inspired by the nervous fear felt in the wake the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. It features Cloud Eye Control’s signature hybrid performance style that mixes projected animation, live performance, and a live soundtrack of original electronic music.
The story centers around two women who literally and figuratively live on opposite sides of the world. When an unknown cataclysmic force disrupts both of their lives, each is compelled to embark on a journey to locate its source. Cloud Eye Control transforms the stage into an imaginative landscape with several customized, moveable screens full of lush animations where live actors interact in the layered space to create imaginative and odd encounters between the virtual and the physical. The original score, sung by the performers with a live band, brings a rock concert dynamism to the moody and atmospheric world. Click Here for more information or call (213) 237-2800.
ComeTogether A BeatlesTribute - Trailer 2014
.Devolver Digital Films is proud to announce the digital VOD release of The Beatles tribute documentary, Come Together Feb. 3, 2015. Directed by Steve Ison and John Scofield, Come Together features performances by ten of an estimated 8,000 international Beatles tribute bands keeping the legacy of The Fab Four alive around the world. Come Together was filmed primarily in and around Liverpool, the birthplace of The Beatles – including the world famous Cavern Club where they were discovered – during International Beatleweek, five decades after the band was formed in 1960. Julia Baird, the sister of John Lennon, narrated the film. In addition to entertaining viewers, Come Together demonstrates the impact of The Beatles on global culture. For more information, visit www.cometogethermovie.com
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Labels: cabrillo music theatre, la mirada theatre, redcat
Saturday, July 26, 2014
Review: REDCAT's NOW Festival Program One: Saana/The Foreigner, Still, Iceland
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| Cesili Williams and the cast of ICELAND. Photos by Steven Gunther |
REDCAT opened its eleventh annual New Original Works Festival this weekend with a trio of intriguing pieces incorporating movement, dance, music, and a variety of theatrical elements that push the boundaries of thought and creativity. Together they make up the first of three programs that will be offered now through August 9. Each weekend will introduce a new selection of works.
Choreographer Wilfried Souly’s Saana/The Foreigner explores the journey of an immigrant presented by one dancer (Souly) and two live musicians, Julio Montero and Tom Moose. Beginning in the lobby before moving into the theater, it is a dramatic expression of the challenging physical and psychological journey one makes when coming to this country. Souly winds and unwinds his body with shuddering intensity throughout the half hour piece, which is full of wild tribal outbursts, fragile lyrical moments, and harsh dissonances that melt into musical order as the journey progresses. A satiric video compilation integrated with the movement reveals the complexity of a couple’s interrogation as authorities determine the validity of their marriage. Raw, and unflinchingly honest, it is a powerful work of intensely personal nature.
In Rosanna Gamson/World Wide’s Still, four men and two women create an intricately beautiful dance of the psyche as light shifts, shadows move, and bodies intertwine with exquisite sophistication. REDCAT’s website describes Gamson’s work as a “kinetic investigation of the neuroscience of dreams…an evocative new work, rich with tender and violent movement, explosive athleticism, shape-shifting theatricality, and stunning moments of stillness. Still is set in, and against, an eclectic sonic landscape which sources viol, cello, and violin music ranging from French 17th century court composer Marin Marais, to new world post-rock band instrumentals.” Though a bit esoteric and cerebral, it is an accurate description. To see it in motion, however, is a very sensual and quite unforgettable experience.
Technically the dancers are a muscular marvel, whirling and connecting at a feverish pitch within a kind of androgynous visual collage. Staccato whisperings, the sounds of a train and an ethereal circus-like presence waft in and among the shadows while billowing fabrics drape and move to contain space. Even the female dancers’ long hair become characters of their own, moving through space with a kind of liquid presence that is astonishing, especially in combination with Tony Shayne’s masterful lighting design. Still is a beautiful example of movement and light partnering in a breathtakingly emotional way, highlighting the lines of the body like a canvas upon which to create a fluid design. And then in a moment, the frenetic movement stops and all is still.
The third selection on this program is one that will be of most interest for musical theatre lovers. It is a presentation of the first part of Overtone Industries’ Iceland, written and composed by O-Lan Jones and Emmett Tinley, which is scheduled for a full production in 2016. (Jones also directs.) The experimental work crosses genres and incorporates elements of musical theatre, opera, and storytelling with orchestral accompaniment and the bridging of two worlds – ancient and contemporary – to tell a haunting love story. If this short half hour is any indication of what’s to come, the final mounting of this piece will be an exciting event.
Cesili Williams (Vala) and David O (Mudar) bring to life the two characters who meet, experience a disaster, and emerge in a transcendent place. Williams has a rich, buttery voice that suits the music well and David O, normally seen in his capacity as composer and music director in LA, reveals a quiet intensity as Mundar that gives this pairing a very conscious and mindful appeal.
A twelve-member Hiddenfolk Ensemble of singers in Icelandic costumes, envisioned by Christina Wright and Christopher Tulysewski, moves around the lovers to create the world and provide suggestions of what the production design will include: airplane propeller props, a parachute with angel descending from the sky, and lengths of gray cloth to represent the path of a person seeking the right way in a life’s journey. There is an otherworldly quality to it that forecasts a richness of textural depth in the vision. Jones takes the abstract and unites these elements to create a story built from the imagination that is absolutely mesmerizing and leaves you wanting more. At an early stage in development like this, that is exactly what you want. I highly recommend you see this portion of the project now so you can experience the full impact the final production will have.
You can see one more presentation of these three works tonight at 8:30 pm at REDCAT downtown. Here is a full schedule of upcoming festival events.
REDCAT NOW FESTIVAL
Program 1: July 24, 25 & 26
Saana/The Foreigner - Wilfried Souly
Still - Rosanna Gamson/World Wide
Iceland - Overtone Industries
Program 2: July 31, August 1 & 2
The Singing Head - Carole Kim
Object of Her Affection - Marsian De Lellis
Electrogynous - D. Sabela Grimes
Program 3: August 7, 8 & 9
Blacktop Highway - John Fleck
For Now - Ate9 DanceCompany
REDCAT is located at 631 West 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 in the heart of downtown Los Angeles on the northeast corner of the intersection of W. 2nd and Hope Streets. Housed in the Walt Disney Concert Hall complex, REDCAT has its own street entrance on 2nd Street. Tickets and information: (213) 237-2800 or www.redcat.org. Performances begin at 8:30 pm.
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Labels: overtone industries, redcat
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Musical News for Sunday, July 6, 2014
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Labels: hollywood fringe, la mirada theatre, nmi, overtone industries, performance riverside, redcat, repertory east, zombie joe's
Monday, October 21, 2013
What's Happening Around Town for October 21, 2013
Feb. 7 – March 9, 2014
Book by Douglas Carter Beane, music & lyrics by Lewis Flinn
Directed by Kari Hayter, choreographed by Kelly Todd
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 are an electric combination of Mean Girls, Glee and Pitch Perfect.
TONY AWARD-WINNING MUSICAL TBA
July 3 – August 3, 2014
This musical surprise is the winner of four Tony Awards (including Best Musical) and a potent reminder of the importance of chasing one’s dreams and finding where you belong. The Grammy award-winning score serves as the backdrop for a community with dreams of succeeding while at the same time holding onto your heritage.
SHE LOVES ME
Nov. 28 – Dec. 28, 2014
Book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, music by Jerry Bock
Travel back to the 1930’s where you’ll meet Georg, the dull but adorable manager, and spirited new clerk, Amalia. This is the musical adaptation of the play that inspired such films as 1940 Jimmy Stewarts’ The Shop Around The Corner, the 1949 Judy Garland musical In The Good Old Summertime, and most recently as the 1998 Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan film You’ve Got Mail.
December 9 – 28, 2014
By Brendan Milburn, Rachel Sheinkin, and Valerie Vigoda
Directed by Oanh Nguyen
New Year’s Eve in modern-day New York collides with 19th Century Denmark in this concert-with-a-story, sketch-comedy-meets-musical event for the holidays. While some choose to grumpily ignore the season, others choose to try and spread cheer - while selling full-spectrum holiday light bulbs. Inspired in part by Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Match Girl, the show springs to life through an eclectic score of classical, musical theater, jazz and rock. See it once and it will become your new holiday tradition.
In addition, plays on Chance Theater’s season include the Southern California premiere of Sarah Ruhl’s Passion Play directed by Trevor Bishop (April 25 – May 25, 2014) and Jordan Harrison’s Maple and Vine (Sept. 19 – Oct. 19, 2014). For more information visit http://chancetheater.com/.
EVITA will return to L.A. by way of Hollywood Pantages Oct. 23 – Nov. 10. Directed by Tony and Olivier Award-winner Michael Grandage and choreographed by Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford, it stars stars Caroline Bowman as Eva Peron, Josh Young as Che, Sean MacLaughlin as Peron, Christopher Johnstone as Magaldi, Krystina Alabado as Mistress and Desi Oakley serves as the Alternate for Eva Peron. Individual tickets for EVITA may be purchased at www.HollywoodPantages.com or calling 1-800-982-2787.
Creating Arts Company presents The Boondoggles Adventure, Out of Boondoggle Central, which centers on Colton the cowboy, an imaginary friend who is determined to find his way back into the real world to find his boy Michael. Along the way he befriends a few of the imaginary friends that call Boondoggle Central home like Howard the monster, Crash the ninja, Fae the fairy, Jade the witch, Carmen the diva and even the Princess Taisie. He discovers that Barb the doll, Candy and Sandy the twins, Mosh and Leel the evil management will do everything they can to keep him from leaving their imaginary paradise. Overflowing with heart, humor, imagination and self-discovery, The Boondoggles is an extraordinary new children's musical that reminds us what friendship is all about. Now through Nov. 10 at Promenade Playhouse, 1404 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica, CA90401. For more information call (310) 804-0223 or visit www.creatingarts.org.
DANCE: Helios Dance Theater presents Puss In Boots: From Drawings to Dance Saturday October 26 at 11:00 am. You’re invited to take a peek behind-the-scenes as Helios artistic director Laura Gorenstein Miller and her dancers share the process of creating the choreography for the characters in DreamWorks’ Academy Award-nominated film, Puss In Boots. Drawings dance to life in styles from flamenco to contemporary as this award-winning company incorporates hand drawn story boards, choreography, video of the motion capture technology and finished film scenes from the movie. It’s fascinating for audiences of all ages to experience live dance in this new and innovative way using popular culture and the love of film. Following the show, stay for fresh cookies and milk and an artist meet and greet. http://thebroadstage.com/puss-n-boots
Sterling’s Upstairs at the Federal has added a second performance of Supercalifragilistic expialidocious! The Songs of the Sherman Brothers at 3pm on Sunday Nov. 3. Call (818) 754-8700 for reservations. Lunch/Brunch seating is at 2:00 pm. The show starts at 3:00 pm and runs an hour and a half. www.msapr.net
A tribute concert to Astor Piazzola will take place Nov. 3 at Sierra Madre Playhouse. The composer and musician, was famed as the creator of nuevo tango, which transformed traditional tango by infusing it with elements of jazz and classical music. On November 3, three Colburn Conservatory of Music students, Stephanie Ng (piano), Sang Yoon Kim (clarinet), and Kevin Lin (violin) will perform a concert in tribute to this important 20th century artist. This is the second concert in the ongoing Sunday Series featuring Emerging Artists at the Playhouse, a collaboration between Sierra Madre Playhouse and the Colburn Conservatory of Music 7:00 pm at Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Tickets: $20. Students (to age 21) and seniors (65+) $15. Reservations: (626) 355-4318 or www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
Ryan Black’s Don’t Tell Mama LA - An Evening with Diane Warren Oct. 23. There is no cover charge and seats may be reserved with a dinner reservation by calling (323) 380-7209. Open mic after the show. Tickets: HERE.
Sarah Brightman has kicked off her North American 33-city fall tour in support of her new #1 album, Dreamchaser. This spectacular production will visit Southern California next week with two area shows -- Friday November 1st at Dolby Theatre followed by The Theatre at Honda Center on Saturday, November 2nd. Tickets: www.livenation.com or www.ticketmaster.com
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Labels: chance theater, creating arts company, helios, pantages, redcat, sierra madre playhouse, sterling's, upright cabaret