Tuesday, January 17, 2017
Review: Christopher Reiner Reflects on the Road in END UP HERE
 |
| Photo by Joe Reiner |
Reiner has written music for nearly two dozen Zombie Joe productions so he is well-acquainted with the ZJU aesthetic. This particular performance is a departure from the darkness. The two exceptions are the overture (played by a hooded wraithlike figure in candlelight) and one instrumental soundscape in the show. These two passages capture that intergalactic, otherworldly feel you might expect to find in this theatre space. For the rest of End Up Here, the atmosphere is a cross between a coffeehouse salon and an after-hours lounge, somewhere in the neighborhood of 3AM, the bewitching hour to reflect on past lessons and loves.
In this setting, Reiner’s unassuming persona and lack of self-indulgence allows the audience to connect with his witty pop songs in a much more personal way than if they were being presented by singers and actors layering on their own interpretations. It is one of the benefits of hearing a songwriter perform his own work and it plays beautifully here.
In the short space of an hour he transitions through sixteen musical and two literary compositions that made me smile, wonder, nod, and sigh in recognition. It is true what they say, the more specific a story the more universal its appeal.
Reiner’s songs are uncomplicated but potent. Each slice of life tale contributes to the overall emotional journey of the show. He and director Zombie Joe balance humor with introspection, always taking care to let the material speak for itself. Nothing is heavy-handed. The experience ends up being a perfectly delightful diversion for a Sunday afternoon.
END UP HERE
January 8 - 22, 2017
ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601
Tickets ($15) Call 818-202-4120 or ZombieJoes.Tix.com
More Info: ZombieJoes.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: zombie joe's
Sunday, July 6, 2014
Musical News for Sunday, July 6, 2014
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: hollywood fringe, la mirada theatre, nmi, overtone industries, performance riverside, redcat, repertory east, zombie joe's
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Review: A Christmas Carol, Zombie Joe Style
 |
| [Top, L-R] Gloria Galvan, Corey Zicari. [Bottom, L-R] Vanessa Cate, Redetha Deason, Annalee Scott, Sandra Saad, David Wyn Harris. Photos by Adam Neubauer |
They return throughout the one-hour adaptation of Scrooge’s familiar story playing multiple characters, narrating transitions, providing sound effects, and maintaining an unforgettable mood in this spookier than normal Christmas narrative. It was a welcome departure for someone like me who has literally seen more versions of A Christmas Carol than I’d ever want to count.
Sebastian Muñoz, as Scrooge, has good reason to be scared. If Zombie Joe burst into my room in the middle of the night as the Ghost of Jacob Marley I’d be doing some screaming too. Carrying giant chains (and wearing a terrific make-up design), the undead soul warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three ghosts to whom he must listen or suffer a horrible fate. Zombie is in his element here, larger than life and terrifyingly wild-eyed.
The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future are all played by director Denise Devin who spirits Muñoz around the black box sky with deliberate intensity. Clothed in a Victorian gown, her Christmas Past resembles a faded bride whose youth and promise of life have been left standing at the altar in some long forgotten place. The haunted quality is in stark contrast to her boisterous portrayal of Christmas Present, the redheaded dynamo who uses Scrooge’s own words against him.
The change is so unexpected that it draws laughter from all sides, but that’s what this production does best; elicit a gut response over and over as it moves quickly from scene to brief scene, character to fragmented character. I think the shortest was the cameo of the two Zombie children – “the girl is want; the boy is ignorance” – but in its few short seconds it communicated the sad horror needed to leave a lasting impression.
Jason Britt is a natural as Bob Cratchit, full of warmth and quiet dignity. Vanessa Cate, as Belle, also stands out as she creates another poignant picture of Scrooge’s selfish path.
This is A Christmas Carol that carries with it elements unique to the ZJU aesthetic that work beautifully for Scrooge’s tale of redemption. Devin’s staging is creative, briskly paced, and ripe with moments that feel fresh. The actors walk the line between reality and oddity in their character work and that always makes it interesting. Best of all, you’re never quite sure what will happen next. And that means that the company has done its job. For a ghostly holiday cup of cheer from one of the most inventive theatre companies in town, don’t miss the final performances of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre’s A Christmas Carol.
 |
| Zombie Joe as the Ghost of Jacob Marley and Sebastian Muñoz as Scrooge |
 |
| Denise Devin and Sebastian Muñoz |
 |
| (Top) Denise Devin, (Bottom): Sebastian Muñoz |
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Now through December 22, 2013
ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
Tickets: (818) 202-4120
www.zombiejoes.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: zombie joe's
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Musical News for Saturday November 2, 2013
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: a noise within, angel city chorale, old globe, pasadena playhouse, theatre west, zombie joe's
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
At Zombie Joe's They're Dancing on the Edge
 |
| Donna Noelle Ibale and JJ Dubon. Photos by Denise Devin |
No matter what kind of a production ZJU Theatre Group is working on you can bet they’ll throw themselves into it with everything they’ve got. Their latest, a dance performance piece called Dancing on the Edge, is no exception. Staying true to their overall aesthetic of raw, creative, smartly crafted original works, it blends multiple styles of movement and dance to create an emotionally rich experience completely free of words.
Denise Devin directs the seven dancers (JJ Dubon, Donna Noelle Ibale, Randall Morris, Zee Smith, Jade Waters-Burch, Cody Whitley, and Nicole Wormley) in solo works and ensemble pieces that have been choreographed by Carrie Nedrow and cast members Ibale, Waters-Burch, Whitley and Morris.
The result is a dynamic range of emotions that finds its characters teetering on the edge – of joy, of despair, of beauty and even pain. Dubon begins the show with “Hurt,” a throbbing, broken-hearted solo that immediately grabs the audience with its dark intensity. In “Ma Coeur Mort,” featuring Smith, Morris and Ibale, the counterpoint of two dancers vs. one reveals the precarious balance of a relationship through movement.
 |
| Cody Whitley in "Animal" (And no, that's not the floor. He's upside down on a step ladder against the wall!) |
 |
| Randall Morris and Zee Smith |
Whitley’s self-choreographed “Animal” is a jaw-dropping, gravity-defying piece of unforgettable athleticism, and Smith kills with her hip hop moves and fast footwork in more than one number. Waters-Burch is all cute and flirty personality in “Vaudeville Circus: Fantasia” and “Clown Frolic.” She joins Wormley and Ibale in a comedy-turned-Pussycat Doll fantasy entitled “Redemption” late in the show that re-invents the threesome as their sexy alter-egos.
“Many Toys Celebrate Solstice” is like being caught in the Twilight Zone of the forest with the oddest bunch of characters ever, and there are numerous comedy bits I won’t spoil by divulging the gags here. A dramatic Paso Doble, a gorgeous Swan Lake ballet with a twist, and moves that could rival contestants on So You Think You Can Dance – all of it adds up to a very moving performance. In a final burst of wild energy, the ensemble closes with Zedd’s “Clarity” and sends the audience out on a high.
I’ll be honest, one of the reasons I wanted to see the show was because the performance space is a tiny black box, with a stage barely six or seven feet deep, though wider than normal with the removal of one of the short rows of seats by the entrance. I wondered if a dance show would work in this small theater. Does it ever. Devin puts her own dance background to good use and creates a natural rise and fall of emotions with her staging that is very powerful. Her dancers are terrific and each one excels at his or her given strengths. It’s a mini-dance spectacular.
 |
| Jade Waters-Burch |
A Theatrical Dance Event
Directed by Denise Devin
Produced by Zombie Joe
August 3 - Sept 22, 2013
ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd.
N. Hollywood, CA 91601
Reservations: (818) 202-4120
Tickets: $15
www.Zombiejoes.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: zombie joe's
Sunday, January 13, 2013
What's Happening Around Town for January 13, 2013
Musical Theatre Guild has announced the cast of its upcoming staged concert reading of CHESS which will play two performances, the first on February 11 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale and the second on February 17 at Scherr Forum in the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Center. Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus, formerly of ABBA, wrote the music for this show, which literally and metaphorically showcases The Game of Kings. With lyrics by Tim Rice, the story revolves around the two top players, an American and a Russian, in a world chess tournament. They find themselves competing for both the championship and for the affections of the woman who manages one, yet yearns for the other.
The cast will feature Dan Callaway (Anatoly), Louis Pardo (Freddie), Shannon Warne (Florence), Melissa Lyons Caldretti (Svetlana), Jason Graae (Arbiter), Joshua Finkel (Molokov), Will Collyer (Walter), Reed Armstrong (Gregor), along with ensemble members Jill Marie Burke, Alyssa Simmons, Kathy Deitch, Tomasina Abate, Samantha Altounian, Jeffrey Polk, Trey Ellett, Loren Smith, and Brad Standley. www.musicaltheatreguild.com
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Group proudly presents their all-new premiere production, Two Cosmic Brothers Unshackle Mother Earth, celebrating the highs and lows of brotherhood, sisterhood, spirituality, and the laws of attraction. The show features real-life brothers Alex and Robert Walters, Amy Bartlett and Nicole Fabbri, with an original live musical score by Christopher Reiner and is directed by Zombie Joe. It plays Saturdays at 8:30 pm, January 19 - February 9 at ZJU Theatre Group, 4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. For reservations, call (818) 202- 4120. Tickets: $15. www.Zombiejoes.com
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Broadway Songwriting Duo Kait Kerrigan (words) and Brian Lowdermilk (music) will make their west coast debut at Catalina Bar and Grill on Sunday, January 20 at 8pm. Presented by Chris Isaacson and Upright Cabaret, the show will feature performances by Sarah Hyland (Modern Family), Melissa Benoist (Glee), Barrett Foa (NCIS-LA), Max Ehrich (Young and The Restless, Broadway: Newsies), Dezmond Meeks (America’s Got Talent), Meghann Fahy (Broadway: Next To Normal), Matt Sax (Clay), Morgan Karr (Spring Awakening), Arielle Jacobs (In The Heights), Colleen Ballinger (Miranda Sings), Laura Dickinson (Disney’s Phineas & Ferb) and more. The evening is music directed by Brent Crayon and will perform One Night Only - on Sunday, January 20 at 8pm at the Catalina Bar and Grill, 6725 W. Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.
Tickets: $25, VIP Seating Available. For Tickets, visit online www.UprightCabaret.com or call (866) 468-3399. Upright Cabaret at Catalina Bar & Grill is located at 6725 West Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028. For more about the duo, visit www.kerrigan-lowdermilk.com.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Kander and Ebb’s impeccably woven, high voltage And The World Goes ‘Round, a stunning revue of two of Broadway and motion picture’s most prolific songwriters with direction by Los Angeles multiple theatre award winner Gary Lee Reed and musical direction by Joshua Kranz will run February 2 - March 10 in North Hollywood. Choreography is by Noel Britton. This true-to-the-original Broadway production is presented by Be Wild About Music in association with Kevin Bailey and the NoHo Arts Center and features cast members Erica Hanrahan-Ball, Emily King Brown, Isaac James, Kristin Towers-Rowles, and Ryan Ruge.
A special performance will be presented Sunday, February 10 for Asperger teens, young adults, adults, and their families. The performance will be tailored specifically to accommodate their needs, and is meant to entertain and inspire their interest in the performing arts. All proceeds from the performance will go to the MIND (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute at UC Davis for research identifying the causes of autism and targeted treatments. There will be also be a special Valentine’s Day promotional performance on Thursday, February 14 in conjunction with North Hollywood area restaurants. All seats are general admission and are priced at $28 (with the exception of one preview performance on February 1 with all seats priced at $15). For reservations and tickets, visit www.plays411.net/world or call (323) 960-4418.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Cabrillo Music Theatre announces the next in a series of fundraising and entertainment events in the recently renovated Founders’ Room of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. Shirley Jones & Patrick Cassidy: Two Side To Every Story will take place on Sunday, February 10, at 7:00 pm, and reunites the Oscar-winning star of stage, films and television, Shirley Jones, with her son, Broadway and television star Patrick Cassidy. The pair, who headlined Cabrillo’s popular Holiday Spectacular a couple of years back, use the intimate space of the Founders’ Room to regale guests with stories and anecdotes about their lives and careers, take questions from the audience, and perhaps launch into a song or two.
The entertainment will be preceded by a brief cocktail hour featuring hors d’ouevres, and followed by a reception with Patrick and Shirley, with desserts from Valley Bakery. Tickets are $75, and can be purchased at www.cabrillomusictheatre.com or by calling (805) 497-8613. The Founders' Room is located in the Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. in Thousand Oaks.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
Theatre West will present Panama Hattie as its 3rd Annual Betty Garrett Memorial Musical Comedy Benefit, featuring the music & lyrics of Cole Porter and book by Herbert Fields & B.G. DeSylva. Performance dates are March 2, 3, 9, and 10. Miriam Nelson directs and choreographs, and Brian O’Halloran returns as musical director. The cast features Jeanine Anderson, Sara Ballantine, Jacque Lynn Colton, Paul Denniston, Neil Elliot, Oliviana Griep-Halus, Anthony Gruppuso, Nicholas Gutuerrez,, Doug Haverty, Gerald Lancaster, Don Lucas, Mark Marchillo, Lee Meriwether, Donald Moore, Chi Chi Navarro, Victoria Rabitcheff, Cody Rogers, Sarah Ann Vail, and David Zack. Click Here for tickets or call (323) 851-7977.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
HAIR, the American tribal love-rock musical, has just opened and is playing at the Grove Theatre in Upland through January 27. Seeking a new way, and with a yearning to change the world, the flower children take on the feel of an American Indian tribe, questioning authority, the society they are living in and the war in Asia. Attempting to live a philosophy of peace and love, they hang out in clouds of incense and grass, turning on, freaking out and dropping out. Living in crash pads, in the parks and on the streets, they are unkempt, wild, free, unique, colorful and hip, joining hands in protest and in song. Phenomenal musical numbers include Aquarius, Good Morning Starshine, I Believe in Love, Hair, I Got Life, What a Piece of Work Is Man and Hippie Life. The Grove Theatre is located at 276 E. Ninth Street, Upland, CA 91786. For tickets, call (909) 920-4343 or visit www.grovetheatre.com.
♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
The Grove Family Theatre is proud to present Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. Opening on Saturday, February 2nd, performances are scheduled each Saturday at 2pm and Sunday, February 3rd and 24th through February 24th. Join Alice's madcap adventures in Wonderland as she chases the White Rabbit, races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with the Tweedles, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar, and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game. This is a fun show for the entire family. Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for children and can be purchased by calling (909) 920-4343, by visiting The Grove’s box office at 276 E. Ninth Street, Upland, or on the web at www.grovetheatre.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: cabrillo music theatre, musical theatre guild, noho ace, the grove theatre, theatre west, upright cabaret, zombie joe's
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish – An Adorable Limecat Family Spectacular
 |
| The Cast of The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish Photos by Denise Devin |
Want to see another side of Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre Company you might not expect? Take your kids to see The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish, brought to you by their companion theatre group, Limecat Family Theatre. Limecat produces original musical adaptations of familiar children’s stories that are just right for the under 10 set – adorably fun, colorful and fresh, and filled with the same fast-paced action you’ll find in the rest of the ZJU shows (but minus all the scary stuff).
The cute factor is high as Teri Tortoise (Caroline Montes), who’s having a very bad day, and Harry Hare (Sebastian Munoz), who can’t reign in his overly abundant energy, take each other on in a race through Silly Smelly Swamp, over Highly Hilly Hill, and around Willy Wiley Woods, that will end up at the annual Holiday Hoop-La. The winner will receive a one-time only wish, granted by Princess Catnip (Linda Fitak), and though you may think you know the end of the story, this one’s got a twist you won’t see coming and packs a few well-placed lessons along the way.
Montes is a charmer as the slow and steady Tortoise making a nice contrast to Munoz’s kooky, motor mouthed Hare. The energetic supporting cast takes on multiple roles and keeps the dialogue whizzing fast and furious as quick costume changes fly by, musical numbers lift the energy, and punch lines hit their mark.
Before the show, director Denise Devin asked how many of the children in the audience had never seen a show before and quite a number of hands went up. It was just as much fun watching their faces as they watched the show as it was actually watching the show. The little ones were mesmerized; wide eyes transfixed on the characters and their colorful costumes. Some sang along with the music, their bright faces full of smiles, and others chimed in unexpectedly when a line especially engaged them in the story. Even the adults who attended without kids were full of smiles, proving that this lovely, lively holiday entertainment really is perfect for the whole family.
A stretch break after Teri and Harry pass Silly Smelly Swamp – pee-yew – invites everyone to do the bunny hop (hop, hop – wiggle, wiggle, wiggle) and gives parents a chance to take photos. Funny dancing Matzoh Balls (Heather Lehigh and David Wyn Harris), a sweet lost Snowflake named Shiloh (Heldine Aquiluz), and the Bah Humbugs (Redetha Deason and Janet Cha) are a few of the distractions Harry encounters during the race, but slow and steady Teri keeps to her mantra singing “Gotta Keep Moving Along.”
Limecat’s Tortoise & the Hare is 50 minutes of silly, giggly fun, and a great introduction to theatre for even the tiniest of audience members. So cute. So adorable. And bursting with the kind of joy and merriment that will brighten your day and instantly put you in the holiday mood.
 |
| Standing: L-R: Sebastian Munoz (Harry Hare), Caroline Montes (Teri Tortoise), Linda Fitak (Princess Catnip), David Wyn Harris (Barry Bear), Redetha Deason (Sally Squirrel), Heather Lehigh (Felicia Fox). Seated: Janet Cha (Gopher Dan) and Heldine Aquiluz (Shiloh Snowflake) |
The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish
Sundays at 1pm and 3pm
December 2, 9, 16, & 23, 2012
Written by Denise Devin and Zombie Joe
Original music & lyrics by Christopher Reiner
Additional lyrics & choreography by Denise Devin
Costumes & Scenic Design by Jeri Batzdorff
Produced by Zombie Joe
The Limecat Family Theatre @ ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood
Reservations: (818) 202-4120
www.limecat.org www.zombiejoes.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: limecat family theatre, zombie joe's
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Evolution of a Limecat
.jpg) |
| The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish |
How does a theater company that produces some of the best Horror productions in Los Angeles one day decide to present original children’s shows? You might be surprised. Director and writer Denise Devin talks about the humble beginnings of the Limecat Family Theatre and gives us the scoop on their latest holiday production, The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish, opening December 2nd.
Denise, I know you love the Limecat shows. Did you ever worry in the beginning that parents wouldn’t understand that these were family musicals and nothing like ZJU’s signature Horror shows?
DD: For years, we kept the name Zombie Joe’s Underground away from the Limecat, so that we wouldn’t scare the parents or the kids. But now everyone is familiar with our work and they know how very different our Limecat shows and Horror shows are. Go figure, we are the experimental Horror theater with a very cute family theater banner! Our kid’s shows are dear to our hearts and a true labor of love. The wild and crazy ZJU crew grew really fond of the Limecat and we found that parents made reservations the moment we sent them the flyer.
How did Limecat first begin?
 |
| The Princess and the Frog |
DD: The Limecat started as an experiment about 8 or 9 years ago. A few of us were sitting around and someone said, “We should do a kid’s show!” I was the Education Director for Diavolo Dance Theater for a couple of years, and others had similar backgrounds with educational theatre. I actually did not go further with the idea, but a few of our core members took up the idea and we presented Chicken Little. It was not in the format that exists now - we didn’t create a newer version of the tale, and the music wasn’t original. But our scenic artist, Jeri Batzdorff, painted a beautiful wall mural on the back wall, and the cast pitched in and stepped up just like any of our other shows and the kids loved it. So...Limecat was born. We fell in love with the kids’ energy and enthusiasm and now, ten original musicals later, we couldn’t be happier.
Do you have a separate production staff for the shows?
DD: Zombie and I stepped in to lead the company and Jeri joined us providing amazing backdrops and specialty costumes. In the beginning we were using original lyrics but not music. Then, one day, composer/lyricist Chris Reiner said he would be interested in joining us, and the final Lead Directorship of the Limecat was formed.
Where do you get your ideas for the Limecat shows?
DD: The bulk of our musicals are original concepts taken from well-known stories or fables, with original (or at least 80% original) music and lyrics by Chris. We keep the main lesson or theme, and kernel of the story, and re-write everything else. I pick a fable or story idea that might be good or sometimes we come up with an original story idea. Then Zombie and I brainstorm some characters, situations, what the lesson might be, and then I sit down and write it. In the beginning, I also wrote some of the lyrics, but after a musical or two, Chris took over that department. I was relieved and thrilled.
Once you have the idea, what comes next?
DD: Chris, Zombie and I would meet over a first draft, and talk about music, tempos, and the main thrust for lyrics so that they could forward the story. Then I’d go away again and write it out. At the same time I would inform Jeri of the different characters, costume needs and backdrop. She really gets to shine here and she goes all out. Some of her pieces are works of art, literally, and we never want to paint over her colorful backdrops.
It sounds like you put together a well-balanced team.
DD: The four of us always got along great, which was another blessing on the Limecat. I don't think I've ever been in any other partnership that was so successful. We were all busy, so everyone really focused on their part of the whole, and it all came together.
How did you come up with the name Limecat?
 |
| The Princess and the Frog |
DD: It just kind of came to us. The walls at ZJU used to be lime green (I kind of miss them) and I always loved cats. One day Zombie came home and said “Limecat” and I thought, perfect. Jeri drew up the logo on a sheet of paper, we scanned it in, and have been using it ever since.
What can parents expect when they bring their family to see a Limecat musical?
DD: We don't talk down to the kids. We want them to feel truly entertained, and in a way that doesn't make them feel less than or not as important as adult theater. The stories must contain enough adult humor to keep the parents engaged. When I say adult, I mean very kid friendly adult, with a little bit of double meanings attached. It has been important that the Limecat be entertaining to all who come, even though geared to young ones. And there is always a lesson that is the heart of the story.
You do something else that's unique with the Limecat shows too, don’t you?
 |
| The Goldfish Twins |
What age children can families bring to the shows?
DD: The Limecat shows are for all ages with the primary audience being 3 or 4 to 10, although it can change depending on the show. Our parents are very happy to bring their kids because they know it will be a fun experience that is safe, high quality, and enjoyable for the kids. It will be artistic, original…all the things you want for your little ones. And at the end of the show we sign autographs and give out juicys and stickers.
It sounds like the Limecat musicals are as unique and special as your ZJU shows, just in a different way.
DD: Yes, they are fast paced, turbo charged, high energy musicals that we do with the same heart and zeal as all of our other shows. They’re also “close up” which really helps to involve the kids. They are very funny, and very original. Even though the story may be familiar, what the audience sees is highly original.
Tell us a little bit about The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish.
 |
| The Tortoise & the Hare |
DD: It’s our new holiday musical comedy spectacular that features 12 songs, dancing, a bunny hop stretch break, colorful costumes, lots of laughs -- and everyone wins at the end. For this story the lessons include teamwork, the holiday spirit of giving and forgiving, peace and harmony and getting along with others, friendship and of course, slow and steady wins the race
It has a colorful supporting cast of animal friends, snowflakes, dancing matzo-balls and hum-bugs. Terri Tortoise and Harry Hare race through Silly Smelly Swamp, over Highly Hilly Hill, around Willy Wiley Woods before ending at Animal Land’s annual Holiday Hoop-La, hosted by the magical Princess Catnip. The winner gets a magical wish to be granted at the end of the race.
Harry, of course, is out in front but he has a lot of distractions like The Bah Humbugs, the Matzo Balls, a lost snowflake, Mistletoe and Menorrah, and the beautiful Polly Winterflower. Teri, however, just keeps running, or slowly moving, as the case might be. To tell more about the story would be a spoiler alert but they all end up very happy with the unusual outcome, and Animal Land celebrates the Holiday Hoop La. (which, by the way, is non-denominational.)
Are your cast members all part of the ZJU company?
DD: Our cast includes a number of regulars on the ZJU roster: Redetha Deason, Caroline Montes, Wynn, Heather LeHigh, Sebastian Munoz (who also directs at ZJU), and a couple of new actors to the company – Heldine, and Janet Cha (new to Limecat but a regular Urban Death performer).
The Limecat has grown, but the reason for the shows is still very much the same as when they started. It is something we do to “give back” to the community, and the whole ZJU leadership supports it. For us, that’s what it’s all about.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The Tortoise & the Hare Make a Holiday Wish
Sundays at 1pm and 3pm
December 2, 9, 16, 23
Limecat Family Theater
@ ZJU Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood, 91601
Reservations: (818) 202- 4120
Tickets: $10 for adults, $8 for children 12 and under.
www.Limecat.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
Labels: zombie joe's