Wednesday, October 27, 2010
The Troubies are Back for the Holidays with THE FIRST JO-EL
Yes, the Troubies are back in December with a new show at the Falcon Theatre just in time for the holidays. Get ready for THE FIRST JO-EL, directed by Matt Walker.
They May Be Right or they may be crazy, but the Troubadour Theater Company is telling the story of the nativity with the help of Piano Man, Billy Joel. Let go of that New York State of Mind, and Say Goodbye to Hollywood, and hello to Bethlehem! She's Got a pregnant Way About Her, but when they Tell Her About It that there's no room at the inn, Joseph and Mary are Movin' Out to the manger. Come out and enjoy yourself for The Longest Time!
Previews begin December 1st for the 7-week engagement, with an official opening on Friday, December 10th. Tickets go on sale November 9th and group rates are available. Troubie shows traditionally sell out so make sure you get your tickets early!
For more information go to www.falcontheatre.com/.
Labels: troubies
Into the Warehouse and Into The Woods
Driving out to the location (just north of downtown on Main, across the L.A. River and a couple of streets off to the right in the Taylor Junction area of warehouses), I felt like I was on an adventure…literally going into the urban woods. It was getting dark…I didn’t know what I was walking into…I was on my own. Somehow the lyrics to “Into The Woods” seemed to take on new meaning.
“Into the woods, without delay, but careful not to lose the way. Into the woods, who knows what may be lurking on the journey?”
From the drive, to the parking, to inside the warehouse itself, the location can’t help but steal the show. Remsberg and set designer, Jeanine Nicholas, have placed the stage near one corner of the space, draping vines from iron girders, using metal walkways and other structural elements to create the distressed atmosphere of the woods. Staircases and added ramps allow actors to reach the raised stage, with audience members seated “boxing ring style” on two sides. Jim Harney’s stark lighting furthers the tone, directing the audience’s attention by his use of contrast and shadows.
The fairy tales that intertwine in this musical are familiar; Cinderella, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, and Rapunzel are all stories we’ve heard before, yet this musical does not pretend that all endings are happy. When you get what you want, you may not want what you’ve got…and then what do you do? Wait for the second act and you’ll see.
Into The Woods is one of Sondheim’s most difficult scores and musical director Richard Berent seamlessly blends live acoustic piano and pre-recorded orchestrations to provide the accompaniment for Remsberg’s industrial setting. Fellow musicians will understand the enormous amount of work that has gone into his task, in addition to rehearsing a cast of twenty in just a few short weeks.
Jennifer Malenke and Valerie Rachelle
Standouts among the ensemble include Jennifer Malenke as Cinderella. Even if there was no other reason to see this show (but there is), you should see it for her sparkling soprano spinning out across the warehouse space as she portrays the down-to-earth princess-in-the-making.
The same can be said of Zachary Ford, one half of the comedic duo of princes (along with the dashing David Nett) who leaps on and off the stage in search of damsels in distress. The agony they express over the one thing they want that is out of reach is absolutely delicious, and Ford’s ability to sing through a vocal phrase shows off his gorgeous tenor voice beautifully.
The best one-liners, of course, go to Little Red (Shannon Nelson), who nonchalantly pops them out one after another. She finds herself both in the story and listening to the story, as narrated by a mysterious man, (General Hospital’s Anthony Geary). Geary moves easily in and out of the tale, at times casually observing the other characters and at others, thrusting himself into the story to assist the Baker (David Pevsner). When tragedy finally strikes the mysterious man, the rest of the characters must learn to find their own way in a world that no longer resembles the familiar fairy tale they once knew.
And finally, a cow named Milky White (Johnny Cannizzaro) proves that, without any words, all you really need to do to steal a scene is quietly go about your business.
The Lucid By Proxy production of Into The Woods runs through November 20th at 8:00 pm at Big Art Labs, 651 Clover Street, Los Angeles (downtown) 90031. Tickets and information available online at
Cast: David Pevsner (Baker), Valerie Rachelle (Baker’s Wife), Jennifer Malenke (Cinderella), Shannon Nelson (Little Red Riding Hood), Michael Uribes (Jack), Jessica Pennington (Witch), Pamela Hamill (Jack’s Mom), Nancy Gassner-Clayton (Stepmother), Jessie Withers (Florinda) and Sarah Orr (Lucinda), Johnny Cannizzaro (Milky White), Jayson Kraid (Father), AnnaLisa Erickson (Cinderella’s Mother/Granny/Giant), James Paul Xavier (Steward), David Nett (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Josie Yount (Rapunzel), Zachary Ford (Rapunzel’s Prince), Sarah J. Stuckey (Sleeping Beauty), and Carissa Ro Gatti (Snow White).
Crew: Calvin Remsberg (Director), Richard Berent (Musical Director), Patty Ramsey (Stage Manager), Sasha Harris (Assistant Stage Manager), Jeanine Nicholas (Scenic Designer), Jim Harney (Lighting Designer), Joseph "Sloe" Slawinksi (Sound Designer), Kerri Norris (Costume Designer).
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
MTG presents Hello Again
Michele Spears will direct and choreograph, and musical direction is by Matt Smendal. The cast features MTG members Melissa Fahn, Cynthia Ferrer, Michael G. Hawkins, Kim Huber, Gordon Goodman, and Lowe Taylor with guest artists Will Collyer, Rod Keller, Jake Wesley Stewart and Kevin Symons.
Given the wide range of characters (from streetwalker to nurse, soldier to senator) and the extended time period, LaChiusa uses a variety of musical styles to deliver some of the most soul-searching moments in contemporary musical theatre.
The one-night only staged reading takes place Monday, November 8th at 7:30 pm at the Alex Theatre in Glendale. For tickets and more information go to www.musicaltheatreguild.com/ call 818-243-ALEX.
Labels: musical theatre guild
Serial Killers Returns to Sacred Fools!
Labels: sacred fools
Gilbert & Sullivan on Wall Street Receives Staged Reading
The Academy for New Musical Theatre will present a concert reading of the winner of ANMT's 2010 Search for New Musicals on November 15th at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. Gilbert & Sullivan on Wall Street is a loving tribute to the operettas of Gilbert & Sullivan, set to the music by Arthur Sullivan (with book and lyrics by Charles Veley).
Gilbert & Sullivan operettas are arguably still the most widely-performed on the planet, more than a century after delighting their first audiences. This tribute follows happily in their tradition, taking a lighthearted view of contemporary follies and foibles.
Allison Bibicoff directs a cast that includes Christopher Maikish, Johanna Kent, Peter Welkin, Elise Dewsberry, Sean Smith, Ellen Dostal, Elizabeth Greene, Evelyn Halus, David Holmes, Tara Hunnewell, Mona King, Andrea Press, Cody Ruegger, Jeremy Sage, David Scales, Sara J. Stuckey, Tedd Szeto, Michael Downing, Jennifer Winkler, and Paul Wong. Musical director is Ross Källing and stage manager is Kevin Maeok.
The reading begins at 7:30 pm at the Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third Street, Burbank CA. CLICK HERE for tickets and more information.
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Labels: anmt
Coraline to open at SF Playhouse in November
SF Playhouse up in the Bay area is busy readying the west coast premiere of new musical Coraline by Stephin Merritt (of The Magntic Fields) and David Greenspan (She Stoops To Conquer, Dead Mother). The production will begin previews on November 16 and open on the 20th.
Poor bored Coraline. She's left to rattle 'round her perpetually distracted, workaholic parents' house all by her lonesome. But late one night, her dreams of a better reality come true as she opens a big, carved, wooden door at the far end of the drawing room and passes into a perfect replica of her own world. When she's greeted there by a vastly loving Other Mother and a kindly Other Father, she's thrilled! But as the rats start to creep from the floorboards, and the way home becomes increasingly unclear, Coraline begins to suspect that, perhaps, all is not as perfect as it seems.
Playhouse artistic director, Bill English, directs a cast that introduces 12-year old Maya Donato in the title role and features Susi Damilano, Jackson Davis, Maureen McVerry, Stacy Ross, Brian Degan Scott and Brian Yates Sharber.
You can also find out what it takes to go from the page to the stage on November 28th as English and special guests present Coraline: The Making of a New Musical at the SF Library Main Branch (Koret Auditorium), plus, you'll also have a chance to win tickets to see the show.
For more information contact Gretchen Good at 415-557-4521 and for more about the show go to www.sfplayhouse.org.
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Monday, October 25, 2010
Theatre West presents Musical Bingo
Theatre West will present “Musical Bingo,” the first in a projected series of monthly such events at Sherman Oaks Women’s Club from 2:00 – 5:00 pm Sunday November 7th. Members of the Theatre West company will perform musically at various points throughout the afternoon (hence “Musical Bingo”), and proceeds will go to benefit the activities of Theatre West, L.A.’s oldest continuously operating professional theatre.Buy-ins are $20, with extra packs of cards available at an additional charge. Substantial cash prizes and other prizes will be awarded, in addition to raffle prizes. Food will also be available throughout the afternoon.
The Sherman Oaks Women’s Club is located at 4808 Kester Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. For more information, call 323-851-4839.
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Labels: theatre west
Friday, October 22, 2010
Allison Bibicoff is Savin' It Up out in Upland
It’s almost showtime again at the Honky Tonk Bar and Fill and choreographer Allison Bibicoff is ready to turn her dancers loose for tonight’s opening of Savin’ Up For Saturday Night. She originally choreographed the musical for its run at Sacred Fools Theatre Company last fall and the new co-production with The Grove Theatre in Upland amps up the fun for a show that played to sold out audiences here in Los Angeles and was extended due to popular demand.No stranger to the business, Bibicoff has produced and choreographed national touring productions like Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story through her production company, Allicat Produtions, LLC., and also directed and choreographed shows like Rogers and Hammerstein’s Some Enchanted Evening for The Springer Opera House's touring branch, Springer Theatricals.
She was also assistant choreographer and an associate producer on the Broadway musical, Xanadu, which was nominated for four Tony Awards, including best new musical and best choreography. Earlier this week she took a break from her busy schedule to tell me all about the new production.
Savin’ Up was incredibly successful in its initial run at Sacred Fools and now you’re remounting a co-production with The Grove Theatre in Upland. Has it been easy to transfer the show from a 99-seat theatre like Sacred Fools to a 425-seat venue like The Grove?
It’s lovely to have a larger theatre! It makes some things so much easier, and yet it still creates new challenges. There’s a quote by Rob Ashford about how, when you’re faced with problems and forced to make changes, your end result is often better than had the problem never happened. I truly believe that.
What kind of changes have you made?
We have a bigger stage and it’s also deeper. The band was originally placed up center but in this larger space they were too far back. I had the idea of putting a little stage in the center of the dance floor downstage so the lead singer can be closer to the audience, but now that means I’m back to a smaller stage, which also changes the choreography. There’s one step I really love in the show called a ‘floor sweep’ that all of the couples do as the last number. On the smaller stage it meant I needed to take two couples out so no one hit their head on the platform.
Also, the scope of the show is a little bigger. We now have eight dedicated dancers – four partner dancers and four technical dancers. Brendan Hunt (Eldridge) and Courtney DeCosky (Patsy) are returning in the roles they originated and we have two new cast members. Wendi Hammock, who was featured in The Who’s Tommy at the Chance Theater, is playing Lucinda, and Doug Gochman is our new Doc. Plus, our composer, Richard Levinson, will be joining the original band members as Roddy on piano.
How did you first become involved with Savin’ Up?
I was googling around on the Internet, looking for shows that might be right for me and I stumbled on Savin’ Up. It was a show that called for partner dancing, and that’s my specialty. I found the director, Jeremy Aldridge, online on Facebook and I sent him a message saying, ‘hey, you don’t know me, but I’m a choreographer and I think I’d be perfect for your show. I do musical theater and I do partner dancing and I’d love to chat with you.’ Now, a year later, he’s a great friend.
Some people have categorized the show as a country musical. Would you say that’s an accurate description?
I think of Savin’ Up as a musical comedy, not a country musical. It’s funny because I don’t like country music at all, but I love this honky-tonk, dance hall musical. And we do all different styles of dance in the show, from west coast swing and east coast swing, to waltz and two-step. I really believe in the show and this time I’m also a producer, along with Brian Wallis, Richard Levinson and Jeremy Aldridge.
You first started out as a dancer. Was that always a dream of yours?
Isn’t that what all little 4-year old Jewish girls do in Brooklyn? My sister was a klutz so she became a lawyer. My family moved to Florida when I was five, then to California when I was seven, so I grew up in Tarzana.
I got my first job as a dancer after I graduated from UCLA and auditioned for Evita.
I was really a dancer who had transferred into acting in college but I didn’t know a lot about theatre. I remember asking if there was any tap in the show because I don’t tap. I didn’t know you had to sing. I wish I’d known that when I was four because I would have taken voice lessons. So I sang scales and luckily I didn’t have to tap, and I was cast in Evita. From there I went on to dance in a lot of shows.
How did you make your transition to choreographing?
Probably the way most people do…by thinking I could do it better when I saw shows. My first show as a director/choreographer was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Covina Valley Playhouse.
Is it different preparing to direct a show than to choreograph it?
Yes, choreographing is a lot harder. It takes more planning. There are a lot more bodies to juggle and in eight counts of music there is a lot more going on, so just technically there’s a lot more prep work. But basically, underneath them both, they’re the same thing. You’re still telling a story. When I start I always ask, what’s happening in this dance? It can’t be just a bunch of steps…even if they’re great steps.
What kind of story does the dancing tell in Savin’ Up?
Funny you should ask that because in Savin’ Up there are some numbers that don't tell a story like they usually would. The show takes place in a honky tonk bar/dance hall and the dancers are actually dancers at a dance hall, dancing.
One way I do use it to enhance the story is by furthering the mood of the leads. If they’re singing a sexy blues song the dancers are doing sexy blues dancing and it’s about the relationships of the dancers. And there is a number called "Now I'm Swinging," where Lucinda is no longer the lead singer and she’s trying to steal all the attention from the new singer by jumping around and dancing from one guy to another during the song. That one definitely moves the story along.
Do you use any signature moves in the show?
(laughing) I do. I always joke that I won’t do a show without a mirror ball. Xanadu had something like eighty of them, and yes, Savin’ Up has one too. I’m also known as being a lift/aerial queen. I love when people get thrown around. I loved doing it when I was performing and I think the audience loves it too. It’s exciting for them so I try to put a lot of tricks in my shows when appropriate.
We also have what partner dancers call a ‘jam'. Sometimes when you’re out social dancing a really hot song will come on and they’ll all start clapping and form what’s called a jam circle. Then the hot couples go out one at a time and show off all their tricks.
Do you think you direct differently than other directors because you have a dance background?
I hope not. I hope everyone is thinking about what’s happening in the number. I think that not all directors can choreograph because it’s a different skill. But I think if you’re a good choreographer you’re a good director because you’re telling a story in your dances.
You’ve worked with and assisted a number of other directors and choreographers. Why?
I like to do it because I learn a lot. I like to be busy and you meet people and make new contacts. About a year ago worked with Kathleen Marshall as part of the SDC (Stage Directors and Choreographers Society) Observership Program.
Can you share anything you’ve learned from some of the people you’ve assisted?
Awhile ago I assisted Gordon Hunt on Camelot at the Hollywood Bowl. From him I learned that whenever an actor asks, ‘what about this?’ to say….let’s try it. That’s all he says, let’s try it. Because if you don’t let them try it they’re always going to think their idea is better than yours, or, maybe their idea is good, or maybe something else will come from it. Unless you’re on a time restriction there’s no reason to say no.
From Kathleen Marshall I learned that I can do this. Whenever she gave a direction I had also had the same thought that something needed to be adjusted, and then she would address it and change it. I was with her when she was setting the choreography before the dancers came in and I saw that she had an assistant that would remember it all for her, and that makes it easier too.
I also wish I could be more like Jules Aaron in many ways. Jules has no ego and he has every right to have one, which I really admire. I’ve seen him work with some very difficult actors and he just says everyone has their own things they need to do in order to get to their performance. Often the more talented the actor, the less ego they have.
Did you find that to be true when you worked on Xanadu on Broadway?
Talk about no ego…Kerry Butler and Cheyenne Jackson were great to work with. Everyone worked so hard on that show. One day I was sitting outside the stage door with Kerry waiting to come back from break and I told her that I really admired how calm she was during the whole rehearsal process. I mean, here she is, opening a Broadway show and she’s been through three different leading men in one week due to injuries, and she had no attitude. Never a word of complaint from her, not one whine. She said… it’s just a job. She had recently adopted a baby and she just had her head on straight.
Was it challenging to work on roller skates?
Yes, we had a lot of broken legs. During previews James Carpinello broke his leg, badly, in three places, Marty Thomas stress fractured both of his ankles, Kenita Miller broke her ankle. Opening night the general manager gave us shirts that said, “Do not tell me to break a leg.”
Any words of advice for aspiring dancers?
I think in this business you need a specialty. Mine is partnering, so that’s my 'in'. I also do swing, salsa and tango. Play to your strengths. If you enjoy it more, you work harder at it, you end up doing it better, and it’s a better product.
Recognize that dancing and choreographing are different skills. Not every fantastic dancer can be a good choreographer and not every choreographer is a fantastic dancer. If you do want to choreograph, try to assist choreographers you admire. That’s what has worked for me. Kathleen Marshall says this is an apprenticeship art and I really believe that.
Realize that it’s never glamorous, no matter what stage of the business you’re in. Just enjoy working hard and have a fantastic attitude. Try hard and smile. Really. It means a lot. If I feel like a person will work hard I’ll hire them. I’ve witnessed many Waiting For Guffman auditions and professionalism means a lot.
What other projects do you have in the works?
In addition to Savin’ Up for Saturday Night, which opens tonight, I’m directing a staged reading of a new ten minute play called Spanks Giving by Tom Misuraca on Saturday the 23rd for ALAP. I’m also directing a staged reading of Gilbert & Sullivan on Wall Street at the Colony Theatre on November 15th. It was the winner of ANMT’s Search For New Musicals. I have two other potential projects that haven’t been solidified yet, plus I’m working on getting the rights to a very well known movie and adapting it.
You can catch Allison’s work in Savin’ Up For Saturday Night by Jeff Goode and Richard Levinson October 22 – November 21, 2010 at The Grove Theatre in Upland. For tickets and more information go to www.grovetheatre.com/ or call 909-920-4343.
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America Tropical Offers Free Performance
America Tropical, an opera that traces L.A.’s history from the 1780s to the 1990, is offering a free performance at USC on Saturday, October 23rd at 3:00 pm. (Parkside Restaurant, 3771 S. McClintock Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90089) Attendance is limited to 150.
Written by playwright Oliver Mayer and composer David Conte, the title comes from the 1932 mural by Mexican artist David Alfaro Siqueiros "La America Tropical" depicting a crucified Native American, that generated a great deal of controversy when it was first unveiled.
There is also a performance tonight Friday, October 22 at 7:00 pm at Pico House, (which includes a cocktail reception), 430 N. Main Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Tickets are $35 per person, $20 for students (current student ID must be presented) and attendance is limited to 125 people.
Sunday’s 7:00 pm performance at Autry National Center is currently sold out.
The cast of America Tropical features Adrian Rosales, Abram St. Amand-Poliakoff, Marisa Johnson, Ashley Faatoalia, Nick Volkert, Michael Bannett, Andrew Pardini, and Quinn Middleman.
Creative team includes: Nathan Singh (director), Ryan Zwahlen (musical director), Rose-Yvonne Colletta (stage manger) and Jeanette Louise Yaryan (Répétiteur).
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Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Luca Ellis Takes Edgemar Hoboken To Hollywood
Photos: James W. Thompson
Even though the name Sinatra is never mentioned in Hoboken to Hollywood, it’s clear from the moment Luca Ellis hits the stage that we’re watching a remarkable talent channeling the one and only “ol’ blue eyes” himself. Backed by the fantastic Paul Litteral Orchestra, Ellis weaves an irresistible spell over the audience with spot-on vocals and an elegant, commanding presence, all while crooning some of the best-loved songs in the Great American Songbook.
Ellis is no stranger to the style, having played Sinatra in both Sandy Hackett’s Rat Pack Show at the Sahara in Las Vegas (under the musical direction of Joey Singer) and in A Vegas Holiday, Songs From Live at the Sahara, which ran at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood last December.
He’s joined by some outstanding professional musicians, that include Jim Jedeikin, Josh C. Harris, Colin Kupka and Damon Zick on sax, Craig Kupka and Robbie Hioki on trombone, musical director Paul Litteral, Ron Sewer and Kendall Wallace on trumpet, Paul McDonald on piano, Nicholas Klingenberg on bass, and Steve Pemberton on drums. Together they take the audience through a set list that offers a fantastic combination of popular standards and lesser known gems such as:
Bye, Bye Blackbird
Swinging on a Star
Almost Like Being in Love
I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm
Call Me Irresponsible
Don’t Worry ‘Bout Me
The Curse of an Aching Heart
Old Black Magic
Route 66
That’s Life
You’re Nobody Until Somebody Loves You
Shiny Stockings
Stardust
On the Sunny Side of the Street
Blue Moon
Ciribirbin
There Are Such Things
Fly Me To The moon
Green Onions
One For My Baby
I’m Gonna Live Till I Die
Young At Heart
Ya Gotta Try Harder
Director Jeremy Aldridge has set the evening up as a behind-the-scenes look at the taping of a television show, much like Sinatra’s Timex specials from the 1960’s, complete with commercials, live camera shots, a bumbling stand-in show runner (Pat Towne), hothead producer (Al Bernstein), and Nelson Riddle (Jeff Markgraff) conducting the band. It’s an effective framework, yet still feels a bit self-conscious, as the supporting actors work to find their groove.
Nothing can take away from the real stars of the show, however, which are Ellis and the music…and for that reason alone, this is a show not to miss.
Hoboken to Hollywood is written by Luca Ellis, Paul Litteral and Jeremy Aldridge, produced by Peach Reasoner and runs through December 12, 2010 at the Edgemar Center for the Arts, 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405. For tickets and more information go to www.hobokentohollywood.com.
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Tuesday, October 19, 2010
When Garbo Talks! Premieres at ICT
Jessica Burrows and Christopher Carothers
Greta Garbo’s iconic career was built upon mystery. The elusive Swedish-born star was well-known for her incomparable onscreen talent and fierce dedication to her art, but very little is actually known about her off-screen personae.
The musical bio When Garbo Talks!, playing at International City Theatre in Long Beach, attempts to fill in the story but much of the mystery still remains once the tale is finished. It is the first full length musical and last work by Buddy Kaye (book & lyrics) and Mort Garson (music), and was completed following Kaye’s death by his son Richard.
Incorporating input he received from both Greta Garbo and John Gilbert’s family members (Gilbert had been one of Garbo’s significant romances), Kaye continued to shape the musical and ready it for production. Gilbert’s daughter, Leatrice, was especially helpful with insight into her father, according to Kaye. Indeed, in this version of the story, Gilbert’s character (portrayed by Christopher Carothers) is one that is easiest to understand.
Chronologically, the musical follows Garbo’s early days in Sweden, auditioning for the Royal Dramatic Theatre Academy and meeting her mentor, Mauritz Stiller, through her arrival in America, and rise to fame in silent film and talkies.
Kaye has fictionalized some additional events to fit into the musical’s timeline, which spans 1922 – 1929, like the question of Garbo’s sexuality. She was reported to have been bisexual and had relationships with both men and women, including a well-publicized relationship with poet/playwright, Mercedes de Acosta. Since she didn’t actually meet Acosta until 1932, Kaye redirected that aspect of the story to her Swedish acting coach, Signe Enwall.
Garbo also had a difficult time on the set of her second American film, The Temptress. During production she received a telegram from Stockholm informing her of the death of her sister Alva at age 23. MGM did not allow her to return to Sweden for the funeral, and shortly thereafter her mentor, Stiller, was replaced with a new director. Stiller returned to Sweden and later died, but in the musical, it is the death of Stiller that gets the letter scene, not Alva.
The actors, led by a gorgeous Jessica Burrows as Greta and Michael Stone Forrest as Stiller, give this show their all. Both have beautiful voices and have done a great deal of work creating their characters, but their biggest challenge is the show’s writing. The mostly predictable story of a star’s rise to fame offers little real insight into the enigmatic star and her relationships.
I also found it difficult to accept Greta Garbo as a soprano. To me, that mysterious actress with the long-awaited deep, exotic speaking voice begged to sing in a lower vocal register. I wanted to hear that accent in a rich alto, even though Burrows' sang beautifully.
Garson's songs have the feel of Sigmund Romberg and Rudolf Friml’s early operettas of the period, and do contain some beautiful melodies. Missing, however, is the charm of Buddy Kaye’s lyrics in songs like “A-You’re Adorable,” “Full Moon and Empty Arms,” and “Till The End of Time.”
There are moments when Debra Garcia Lockwood’s lighting zeros in and captures Burrows’ magnificent face, alone (usually at the end of a scene), that we see the potential in the silences to create the Garbo allure. Director Jules Aaron and his team have done their best, but this would be a more fitting musical tribute if it had the benefit of a truly compelling book, and supporting characters that each had an arc of their own. Until then, Garbo the woman remains as mysterious as ever.
When Garbo Talks! runs through November 7th at International City Theatre in Long Beach. For tickets go to www.ictlongbeach.org/.
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Monday, October 18, 2010
2010 Ovation Award Nominees Announced
The 2010 Ovation Award nominees were announced tonight at The Autry Museum in Griffith Park. They are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, voted upon by members of the theatrical community.
The Theatre at Boston Court received seventeen nominations, followed by Center Theatre Group with sixteen, the Geffen Playhouse with twelve and, in a tie with ten nominations each, Musical Theatre West and Reprise Theatre Company.
The 2010 Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, January 17, 2011 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (Bank of America Performing Arts Center), home of Cabrillo Music Theatre.
CLICK HERE for a complete list of nominees and more information about the awards. Congratulations to all the nominees. Well done!
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Thursday, October 14, 2010
CTGSC Young Performers present Once Upon a Mattress
The Eclectic Company Theatre and Children’s Theatre Group of Southern California will present Getting to Know…Once Upon a Mattress October 29 – November 21, 2010. Produced by Sherry Lynn and Robert Briscoe Evans, the production will be directed by Bonnie Hellman, musical directed by Roy Leake, Jr., and choreographed by Katie Scarlett.
The musical is based on the classic fairy tale of The Princess and the Pea and the Rodgers estates have authorized a new version of the show especially designed for young performers. (Composer Mary Rodgers is the daughter of Richard Rodgers).
The cast will feature Lynette Aslanian, Livia Blum, Jesse Clem, Gaby Edwards, Jake Foster, Chris Gates, Lucy Gilbert, Nathan Herbst, Julia Jade Hollander, Sara McMahon, Noah Meyers, Jack O’Dea, Ava Penner, Daniela Rodrigo, Nicholas Sparks, Sophie Wilks, Peter Wolf, Martine Wolfe and Robby Word.
CTGSC was founded by Bonnie Hellman and Sherry Lynn and is dedicated to producing and training young performers, and helping them establish professional standards.
Performances of Getting to Know….Once Upon a Mattress will take place at The Eclectic Compnay Theatre, 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd. (between Chandler and Magnolia), Valley Village, CA 91607. For tickets and more information CTGSC go to http://www.ctgsc.org/.
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Labels: ctgsc
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Ghosts and Ghouls and Gore, Oh My
The Phantom of the Opera, playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, will close on Halloween. This is the final Los Angeles engagement of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s tragic love story of a beautiful opera singer and a young composer shamed by his physical appearance into a shadowy existence beneath the majestic Paris Opera House. It’s adapted from Gaston Leroux’s classic novel of mystery and suspense, and features some of the most lavish sets, costumes and special effects ever to have been created for the stage. http://bit.ly/9dnesu
Head: The Brain That Wouldn’t Die Musical is a new rock musical adaptation of the 1962 B-movie, The Brain That Wouldn’t Die, now playing Friday and Saturday late nights at the MET Theatre through November 2. It’s the story of a doctor who keeps his girlfriend’s head alive after a fatal car crash and desperately searches for a replacement body, complete with singing and dancing. For adults only. Mature content. http://bit.ly/aroh5H
Into The Woods: Lucid By Proxy’s darker take on the familiar fairy tale mash-up strips away the lavish, brightly-colored fairy-tale sets and costumes and focuses on the relationships, the storytelling and Sondheim's amazing music. Directed by Calvin Remsberg and starring Anthony Geary, this is Into the Woods in a way you've never seen it before. www.lucidbyproxy.com
Spider Baby The Musical playing at the Lyric Hyperian Theatre Café is an authorized adaptation of Jack Hill's classic horror film. Spider Baby the Musical tells the story of the Merrye family, whose members all suffer from a degenerative mental disorder which causes a loss of impulse control. Their distant relatives want to institutionalize the Merrye children and sell their land and the show deals with the extreme measures the family takes to stay together. www.spiderbabythemusical.com
Zombie Love The Musical: “How do you woo the girl of your dreams when she should be your next meal?” That’s the question this cleverly-twisted musical tale asks. Adapted from the award-winning film of the same name, Zombie Love is a deliciously biting new comedy about desire, dissent, danger ...and dismembered delicacies of the undead. Playing at the Maverick Theater in Fullerton. Student discounts available. http://bit.ly/c44sLH
Scary Poppins: The All-American Melodrama invites you to Long Beach for some fun for the whole family. A lonely inventor, Crappoticus Plops gets more than he bargained for when new nanny Scary Poppins comes to care for his children in this hilarious adventure spoof of those wonderful children's fantasy films of the 1960's. www.allamericanmelodrama.com
Blithe Spirit, Noel Coward’s timeless comedy is currently playing at A Noise Within in Glendale. Charles Condomine and his wife Ruth get more than they bargained for when an after-dinner seance led by local spiritualist/eccentric Madame Arcati produces an uninvited guest from the great beyond to crash the party, prompting a delightfully cosmic clash of personalities both worldly and otherwise. www.anoisewithin.org
A Midsummer Night’s Scream: Hunger Artists Theatre Company in Orange County uses Shakespeare's original text and twists this classic romantic comedy for Halloween. Four love-struck teenagers wander into a deserted cemetery and find themselves caught in the crossfire of a feuding pair of regal ghouls and their zombie subjects. www.hungerartists.com
Kidnapped by Craigslist: The Graveyard Shift is an eerie and risqué new comedy that explores the carnivalesque, cult-like phenomenon that is Craigslist, bringing actual postings to life from the website with scripted material and music. The unique one-hour play explores the true stories that are locked inside the online community, just in time for the Halloween season. Elephant Space Theatre in Hollywood. www.thespyants.com
And finally, here’s a sneak peak from GLEE’s Rocky Horror Picture Show episode, airing Tuesday, October 26 at 8/7C. http://bit.ly/bvOhfp
"Science Fiction Double Feature”
Dance Contest Celebrates Opening of BURLESQUE
Dancers: Do you think you have what it takes to be the next big thing? How about winning $5,000 and a spot on MTV?To celebrate the opening of of the film BURLESQUE, Screen Gems, MTV, KIIS 102.7 FM and Hollywood & Highland Center are looking for the best dancer in the nation. If you are an amateur dancer between the ages of 13 - 30, come to Hollywood and Highland on Sunday, October 24 and show them your stuff (6801 Hollywood Blvd, Central Courtyard on Level 2, Hollywood, CA 90028).
KIIS FM’s JoJo will host the competition. All forms of dance are welcome: lyrical, hip-hop, freestyle, jazz - you name it. Dress code and performance must be family friendly and the contest is for individuals only, no groups.
The Los Angeles winner will receive two tickets to the world premiere of BURLESQUE, $300 and will qualify for a chance to win the $5000 grand prize and have their performance featured on MTV. For complete rules and more details go to burlesque.mtv.com or visit www.kiisfm.com/.
Download official rules, entry form and official song to perform to at burlesque.mtv.com. You can pre-register by emailing dancecontestla@gmail.com or by calling 818-260-6977. You will be contacted by a representative after registration is complete.
Additional cities include Atlanta, Boston, Cleveland, Dallas, Houston, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC, Las Vegas, St. Louis, Denver, West Palm Beach, Detroit, New York, and Chicago.
BURLESQUE starring Cher, Christina Aguilera and Julianne Hough opens in theaters everywhere this Thanksgiving.
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Labels: film
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Calvin Remsberg takes "Into the Woods" into the Dark
Calvin in rehearsal. Photo: Tris Beezley |
Calvin Remsberg is directing a unique production of Sondheim’s Into The Woods for Lucid by Proxy’s tenth anniversary. His darker take on the fairy tale mash-up is being staged in a unique performance space and opens October 22, 2010.
“When I was approached by Lucid by Proxy about directing Into The Woods I said I would only be interested if we could find a non-traditional space to do it in; something industrial, like an open abandoned store or warehouse. We started looking at spaces in the spring but didn’t find anything that fit that description until we stumbled upon Big Art Labs over the summer.”
“We aren't trying to hide the warehouse,” he says, “but rather embrace it, and we’re modernizing the look of the show by eliminating a lot of the traditional fairy tale trappings. This is a slimmed down, low-tech version of Into The Woods that focuses on the truth of the storytelling and the music. As the action gets more intense, the storytelling gets darker, especially as more characters die in the second act.”
A Sondheim musical is notoriously complex, both emotionally and musically. Into The Woods contains a great deal of humor, but there is also pain and loss at its core. To Remsberg, “the heart of the show resides in the relationship between the Baker and his father, and ultimately the Baker’s realization of the importance of family. In the end, it feels that a new family is forming...It rather reminds me of the end of Candide.”
General Hospital’s Anthony Geary is headlining the cast as the Narrator/Mysterious Man and Remsberg is thrilled to direct his friend in the role. “Tony has been a private voice student of mine for several years and kept expressing his interest in getting back onstage again. When this opportunity came up, I thought of him immediately. Wait until you see him. He’s really great in the role.”
Joining Geary in the cast are David Pevsner (Baker), Valerie Rachelle (Baker’s Wife), Jennifer Malenke (Cinderella), Shannon Nelson (Little Red Riding Hood), Michael Uribes (Jack), Jessica Pennington (Witch), Pamela Hamill (Jack’s Mom), Nancy Gassner-Clayton (Stepmother), Jessie Withers and Sarah Orr (Florinda & Lucinda), Johnny Cannizzaro (Milky White), Jayson Kraid (Father), AnnaLisa Erickson (Mom/Grandmother/Giant), James Paul Xavier (Steward), David Nett (Cinderella’s Prince/Wolf), Josie Yount (Rapunzel), Zachary Ford (Rapunzel’s Prince), Sarah J. Stuckey (Sleeping Beauty), and Carissa Ro Gatti (Snow White).
Musical director for Into The Woods is Richard Berent, who Remsberg says is doing a “bang up job. Wait till you hear the cast! I am thrilled to have it so well sung. And I won't say more...come and be surprised!”
Coincidentally, the musical will open October 22, just in time for theatergoers looking for a special pre-Halloween experience, and will continue through November 20 at Big Art Labs, 651 Clover Street, Downtown Los Angeles 90031.
For more information about the show go to www.lucidbyproxy.com/.
Calvin Remsberg has worked extensively both as a performer and as a director. He is perhaps best remembered by Los Angeles audiences for his portrayal of Firmin, the crotchety opera house manager in the record breaking production of The Phantom of the Opera at the Ahmanson Theater.
He played the Beadle in Sweeney Todd for both national tours and the acclaimed television production, plus he has directed the show four times, including the 20th Anniversary production at the Ahmanson, starring Kelsey Grammer, Christine Baranski, and Neil Patrick Harris, and this year’s production at Musical Theatre West in Long Beach.
Remsberg has directed numerous works for the stage including The Medium (with Glenn Close), Gypsy, Brigadoon, Hello Dolly (3D Theatricals), Urinetown (Interact) and Sunday in the Park with George (West Coast Ensemble). He also maintains a private voice studio in Van Nuys, California, with students that include David Hyde Pierce and American Idol finalist Adam Lambert.
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Celebrate the Holidays with Plaid Tidings at The Old Globe
The Old Globe in San Diego has announced that Plaid Tidings, the hit holiday musical that offers the best of Forever Plaid has been added to its schedule. The show is written, directed and choreographed by Stuart Ross and will run November 27 – December 26, 2010 in the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre.
Plaid Tidings — A Special Holiday Edition of Forever Plaid continues the story of the singing group whose lives were lost in an accident involving a busload of teens en route to see “The Ed Sullivan Show.” Encouraged by a heavenly phone call from Rosemary Clooney, the high-spirited boys of Forever Plaid – Frankie, Sparky, Jinx and Smudge – are transported from the ethereal cosmos to stage a nostalgic holiday extravaganza for world-weary mortals on Earth. Stuffed with such “Plaid-erized” Christmas standards as “Mr. Santa,” “Let It Snow” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” Plaid Tidings is one holiday treat that is truly heaven-sent.
Casting will be announced shortly. For more information to go www.theoldglobe.org.
The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way.
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Monday, October 11, 2010
ANMT's Search For New Musicals is open for Submissions
Calling all musical theatre writers: The Academy for New Musical Theatre has announced its fourth annual SEARCH FOR NEW MUSICALS with a deadline of December 15, 2010. There are some $30,000 in prizes, in the form of feedback, table readings, workshops and concert readings. All submissions will receive personalized feedback.
Past winners include: The Water by Jeff Hylton, Tim Werenko, and Georgia Stitt (2008); Greenbrier Ghost by Susan Murray and Clay Zambo (2009); and Gilbert & Sullivan on Wall Street by Charles Veley and Arthur Sullivan (2010), which will receive a concert reading at the Colony Theatre on November 15, 2010.
Information on submitting to the Search is available at http://www.anmt.org/ or by emailing academy@anmt.org.
ANMT is located at 5628 Vineland Avenue in North Hollywood, California, 91601.
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Labels: anmt