Monday, January 30, 2012
Christie Brinkley To Star in Chicago at the Pantages
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| Christie Brinkley in Chicago at the Ambassador Theatre. Photo: Jeremy Daniel |
After her critically-acclaimed debut as Roxie Hart on Broadway and in London’s West End, Christie Brinkley, one of the world’s most successful supermodels, will make her highly-anticipated Broadway tour debut this spring as she reprises her killer role in the six-time Tony Award-winning musical smash hit Chicago. The two-week engagement will run May 15 – 27.
Catch her red-handed in one of Broadway’s most popular and thrilling musicals of all time. This tale of greed, murder, corruption and show biz is filled with hit songs such as “All That Jazz,” "Cell Block Tango” and “Razzle Dazzle” and features some of the most electrifying dancing seen on Broadway choreographed in the style of Bob Fosse.
Directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Ann Reinking, Chicago features set design by John Lee Beatty, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Ken Billington and sound design by Scott Lehrer.
For tickets and more information about Chicago’s Los Angeles run, visit the Pantages Theatre’s official website, http://www.broadwayla.org/ and for more about Chicago on tour go to http://www.chicagothemusical.com/.
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The Old Globe Announces Cast of A Room With a View
The Old Globe has announced the cast and creative team for the world premiere of A Room with a View, a new musical based on the novel by E.M. Forster with book by Marc Acito, music and lyrics by Jeffrey Stock and additional lyrics by Acito. Scott Schwartz directs and music direction is by Boko Suzuki. The musical will run March 2 – April 8.
A Room with a View blends a gorgeous score with the timeless story that inspired the Academy Award-winning film. Amid the golden sunlight and violet-covered hills of Tuscany, sheltered English girl Lucy Honeychurch meets freethinking George Emerson and for the first time glimpses a world of longing and passion she had never imagined. Upon her return to her corseted Edwardian life, Lucy must decide whether to yield to convention or give up everything she has ever known.
The cast features Ephie Aardema as Lucy Honeychurch, Kyle Harris as George Emerson and Will Reynolds as Cecil Vyse. Aardema played Chava in the National Tour of Fiddler on the Roof and starred as Edwina in the Off Broadway production of Dear Edwina. Harris recently starred as Tony in the National Tour of West Side Story. Reynolds was last seen at the Globe as Frank Churchill in Jane Austen’s Emma – A Musical Romantic Comedy. Tony Award winner Karen Ziemba returns to the Globe to play Charlotte Bartlett, the overbearing chaperone of Lucy Honeychurch.
Also included in the cast are Glenn Seven Allen (Italiano, Albert), Etai BenShlomo (Freddy Honeychurch), Gina Ferrall (Miss Lavish, Mrs. Honeychurch), Jacquelynne Fontaine (Ragazza, Minnie), Edward Staudenmayer (Mr. Beeber) and Kurt Zischke (Mr. Emerson).
The creative team includes Heidi Ettinger (scenic design), Judith Dolan (costume design), David Lander (lighting design), Jon Weston (sound design), Bruce Coughlin (orchestrator), Michael Jenkinson (musical staging), Jan Gist (dialect coach), Tara Rubin Casting (casting) and Anjee Nero (stage manager).
Post-show forums led by the Globe’s creative staff will be held on Tuesday, March 13 and 20 and Wednesday, March 28 where you can discuss the play with members of the cast and crew. The Old Globe is located in San Diego’s Balboa Park at 1363 Old Globe Way. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Saturday, January 28, 2012
Our Town is Everyone's Town at The Broad Stage
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| Helen Hunt in David Cromer's Our Town Photo: Iris Schneider |
Though not a musical, I highly recommend David Cromer’s Our Town, starring Helen Hunt as stage manager, currently running at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
Mention Thornton Wilder’s play to almost anyone and chances are they have read it, seen it, done it, or know someone who’s done it, and they’ll certainly have an opinion about it. My first experience with it was in grade school watching the older kids present it in the school basement. We didn’t have a wide range of artistic productions in my small town but we did have teachers who cared enough to expose us to as much as they could.
These were golden moments when we were able to escape our regular class routine and watch a live performance, and oh how we loved them. Even at that early age we somehow understood that days weren’t meant to be taken for granted; a theme that hovers quietly behind the bustling activity of Our Town. No, that comes later when youthful exuberance gives way to adult practicality. Earning a living, raising a family, and making something of our lives all too often blinds us to the inevitability that a day will come when our time is up. If you haven’t made the most of it by then you’re out of luck because life isn’t a rehearsal. For good or bad, it’s all we have.
Efficient is the word that comes to mind when thinking about David Cromer’s Our Town in its current iteration at The Broad Stage. Previously a hit off-Broadway and in Chicago, its power lies in its simplicity, its compactness, that reveals a heartbreaking truth about life but in a way that doesn’t play to cloying sentimentality.
Cromer honors Wilder’s intention that the play be performed with no set, very little scenery and minimal props. A few chairs, tables, school books and green beans to be snapped are about all you’ll find on a stage that was specially constructed on top of the existing seats in The Broad’s auditorium, in effect creating a brand new “black box” where there was nothing but air before.
The audience sits on three sides of the playing area and quickly become part of the fictional New Hampshire town of Grover’s Corners. Actors enter and exit at the corners of the rectangular room, and use the space between the first row of seating and the bleachers as sidewalks through town. Kids race to school, a drunken Simon Stimson (Jonathan Mastro) borders on the edge of an explosion, and George (James McMenamin) and Emily (Jennifer Grace) play out a significant moment in their courtship in this 3-foot wide walkway that could be anytown USA.
Told in three acts with two intermissions – Daily Life, Love and Marriage, & Death and Eternity – it’s the first time I was surprised when we reached the end of an act. Too often the play feels endless, but not at The Broad. Each act seemed to be over in the blink of an eye. Perhaps it is because there is so much to take in, even in its simplicity. The house lights remain up through most of the show and with actors so close to the audience there is always someone within a few feet to study close up. It’s fascinating to watch stage manager Helen Hunt, for example, as she watches the action. You can read a thousand thoughts in her eyes.
Almost every other stage manager I’ve seen in Our Town has been an older, kindly, meandering, gray-haired gentleman smoking a pipe that I’m sorry to say makes me just want to tune out after awhile. Not so with Hunt. Fully present and quietly determined, she orchestrates the action with precision and an inner strength of purpose that directs not only the actors but we in the audience as well. When she describes the beauty of the last bright glow of the morning star before it goes down behind the mountain, we feel it. When she mentions a rooster crowing at daybreak, we hear it. And when she describes the town itself, from the Congregational Church to the jail in the basement of the Town Hall/Post Office building, to Polish town across the tracks, we see it.
Much of the original cast returns to Cromer’s production, supplemented by local actors who collectively create an outstanding ensemble. And the spectacular final scene in which Emily returns for one more ordinary day on earth is one quite extraordinary surprise. Don’t miss Our Town. which runs through February 12 at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica. Click Here for tickets and more information.
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Labels: broad stage
Monday, January 23, 2012
Kritzerland, A New Aleister Crowley Musical, and the 2nd Annual Betty Garrett Tribute
The Eclectic Company Theatre is presenting a reading of the new musical The Vehement Appetite of the Beast, with book & music by E.R. Clark, and lyrics from the poems of Aleister Crowley, on February 6 at 8:00 pm. The reading is free however donations will be accepted. Light refreshments will be served. The cast features Kerr Seth Lordygan as Aleister Crowley along with members of the The Eclectic Company Theatre. Aleister Crowley (1875-1947), nicknamed "The Great Beast," was an occultist, mystic, magician, poet, astrologer, social critic, and non-conformist denounced as “the wickedest man in the world.” Click Here for reservations or call 818-508-3003.********
Kritzerland at Sterling’s next show is Reel Imagination, Great Songs From Animated Films, Part Two of Our Tribute to Michelle Nicastro, Sunday, February 5 at 7:00 pm. The show will star Juliana Hansen, Melody Hollis, Jane Noseworthy, Lauren Rubin, and Alet Taylor, with special guest Richard Sherman and musical direction by Shelly Markham, and features songs from classic films like The Wizard of Oz, The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T, The Muppet Movie, The Court Jester, and Willy Wonka found on Michelle Nicastro’s album Reel Imagination. Click Here for important reservation details. Sterling’s at Vitello’s, 4349 Tujunga Avenue, Studio City, CA 91604.
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Theatre West is presenting a concert performance of Let’s Face It! on March 3 and 4 for their second annual Betty Garrett Memorial Musical Comedy Tribute. The 1941 musical was written by Herbert & Dorothy Fields (book) and Cole Porter (music & lyrics). Original Broadway cast member Miriam Nelson will choreograph and Brian O’Halloran, director of last year’s Something For The Boys, returns to direct. Proceeds from the performances support the continuing work of the Betty Garrett Musical Comedy Workshop, named in memory of the beloved MGM musical star who was a Theatre West co-founder and who moderated its musical comedy workshop for decades.
The cast includes Brandon Alpert, Jeanine Anderson, Walter Beery, Emily Bridges, Anthony Gruppuso, Bridget Hanley, Marvin Kaplan, Daniel Keough, Gerald Lancaster, Barbara Mallory, Mark Marchillo, Lee Meriwether, Andrew Parks (son of Betty Garrett), Victoria Rabitcheff, Connie Sawyer (still singing and dancing at 99), Kelly Stables, Janie Steele, Deborah Webb Thomas, Sandra Tucker, and special guests The Pied Pipers (Kevin Kennard, Don Lucas and David Zack) who are the current edition of the vocal group that backed Frank Sinatra and Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra. They currently tour with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. Click Here for tickets call 323-851-7977.
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Labels: theatre west
3-D Theatricals to open THE SOUND OF MUSIC February 10
3-D Theatricals Presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music directed by T.J. Dawson, with musical direction by Julie Lamoureux and choreography by Kami Seymour beginning Friday, February 10 at Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton.The cast will feature: Kim Huber as Maria, Tom Schmid as Captain Von Trapp and in alphabetical order, Melissa Batalles, Matthew Benedict, Abby Bolin, John Butz, Carin Castellano, Megan Cherry, Deborah Chitty, Macleish Day, Kaitlyn Etter, Amy Glinskas, Tessa Grady, Pamela Hamill, Laura Hathaway, Bonnie Kovar, Stephanie Leppert, Michael Marchak, Cynthia Marty, Kimberly McCoy, Hadley Miller, Jenna Lea Rosen, Griffin Runnels, Natalie Sachse, Stefanie Salai, Peter Schueller, Neil Starkenberg, James Stellos, Carter Thomas, Matthew Thurmond, Jill Van Velzer, Jaidyn Young, Zachary Zaret, Tamara Zook and Cozi Zuehlsdorff.
The production team includes Bruce Goodrich (set design), Kent Sheranian (lighting design), John Feinstein (sound design), Cliff and Kat Senior (hair/wig design), Terry Hanrahan (props), and Lisa Palmire (stage manager). Assistant stage manager is Jenny Jacobs.
The Sound of Music will run February 10 - 26 at the historic Plummer Auditorium, 201 E. Chapman Ave. in Fullerton. Click Here for tickets or call714-589-2770. Plummer Auditorium is located at 201 E. Chapman Ave. in Fullerton, Calif., 92832. Parking is free in the structure across the street.
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Labels: 3D Theatricals
Sunday, January 22, 2012
February 2nd is TUTU DAY at the Pantages. And you can win tickets!
I’m always impressed by the creative ideas the Pantages uses to publicize its musicals. The folks behind the scenes spend a great deal of time thinking about their potential audience members and go out of their way to find some really fun special events to appeal to that audience. Take their upcoming show, Billy Elliot The Musical. In honor of its L.A. premiere, they have declared Thursday, February 2 to be “Tutu Day!”
In Billy Elliot, the tutu is not just a piece of dancewear, but symbolizes the personal expression and dream of one boy that inspires an entire community. Here are some of the events that will be part of the Tutu Day celebration.
Facebook Tutu Photo Contest
In advance of Tutu Day, the Pantages will host a contest January 26 – February 1 on its Facebook page, www.Facebook.com/PantagesHollywood. Fans are invited to upload a photo of themselves wearing a tutu. Then, their Facebook community will cast votes on which photo they like the best, and the one with the most votes at the end of the contest will be awarded two free tickets to the first performance of Billy Elliot The Musical along with a gift bag and a poster signed by the entire cast.
Wear A Tutu, Get Free Tickets!
On Thursday morning, February 2, the Pantages will be giving away 22 pairs of tickets. To get a free pair of tickets, be one of the first 22 people in line at the Pantages Box Office wearing a tutu. Prize tickets will be distributed after the box office opens at 10:00 am.
A Tutu Day 2-Fer Deal
In addition, all day on February 2, they will be offering Southern Californians the opportunity to get 2-for-1 tickets to see Billy Elliot on any Tues, Wed, Thurs, Fri or Sun evening performance in April. You can only get the 2-fer special in person at the Pantages Box Office on 2/2/12, and the offer is valid on selected Price Level 2 seating. Restrictions apply. For complete details, visit www.BroadwayLA.org/Tutu.
Billy Elliot will run April 11-May 13 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. The musical is based on the hit film and featuring music by Elton John, book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry. Set in a small town, the story follows Billy as he stumbles out of the boxing ring and into a ballet class, discovering a surprising passion that inspires his family and his whole community.
Click Here to purchase tickets or call 1-800-982-2787. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Blvd, just east of Vine Street. Happy Tutu Day!
Photo: Faith Prince (Mrs. Wilkinson) and the ballet girls with Daniel Russell (Billy) and Rachel Mracna (Debbie) Photo credit: Kyle Froman
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Saturday, January 21, 2012
OVO - Cirque du Soleil's Theatrical World of Insects
Watching Cirque du Soleil’s OVO from the front row of the Big Top may not have initially been my first choice of seat locations, but in actuality it ended up being the perfect place to view this particular show. Because of my close proximity to the performers, I was able to see the nuances in their movements in a way that would have been lost at a distance. Every twitch of the head, shimmy in their bodies, and flicker of expression became a show within a show that was as delightful and comical as it was surprising. For that reason, I highly recommend you see OVO close-up.
That’s not to say that OVO’s cast of 55 isn’t also a ridiculously talented group of acrobats that will thrill you both on the ground and in the air as well. They emerge from a cocoon of aerial silks overhead, display precision foot juggling as worker ants, and perform a beautiful and dangerous airborne butterfly ballet suspended on a rope.
The Scarabs Volant trapeze act features six flyers combining disciplines like banquine, Russian swing and swinging chair, and is the most difficult act in the world to execute due to its distance between stations. It is magnificent from every angle. An amazing spider contortionist entices crickets into her lair, and a lone arachnid balances upside down on a unicycle atop a slackwire 15 feet above ground in a performance that had audience members leaping out of their seats in a standing ovation upon its completion.
But nowhere is the dazzling speed and agility of the artists more evident than in the final act in which 20 artists come together in a stunningly choreographed gravity-defying series of acrobatics, up a floor-to-ceiling vertical wall, using only a power track, hidden trampolines, and their own strength to propel them.
OVO premiered in Montreal in 2009 and will offer performances at Santa Monica Pier through March 11 before continuing its trek across North America. Writer/director & choreographer Deborah Colker is Cirque du Soleil’s first female director and the creative force behind the show. She has conceived an OVO that captures the constant swirl of activity in the insect world and focuses our rapt attention in a place we often overlook.
The story line features three distinct characters – a Fly, a Ladybug, and Master Flipo, the chief of the insects. Fly wanders into the insects’ midst carrying a mystical egg (ovo is the Portuguese word for “egg”) which becomes a source of great fascination for the bugs. When he meets a roly-poly cute-as-a-button Ladybug, the buzzing and cooing becomes a sweet courtship, with Master Flipo egging on the suitor amid large doses of humor and clownish interaction with the audience.
Berna Ceppas’ Brazilian musical score for OVO combines the sounds of bossa nova and samba with funk and electro music, and incorporates actual insect sounds into its ever-shifting soundscape, all performed live by a band of cockroaches. They make a sensual accompaniment to the crazy action.
Costumes by Liz Vandal are especially beautiful in their intricate detail, built for flight and embellished with detachable fantasy pieces. The lace wing legs of the dragonfly were quite spectacular when the artist balanced upside down, and the emerald green angular legs of the crickets were a source of much careful study. Gringo Cardia's sets, Éric Campoux’s lighting and Julie Bégin's make-up complete the onstage magic.
Those that have seen one will agree there is nothing like a Cirque du Soleil show. Beginning with 20 street performers in 1984, Cirque has grown into an artistic marvel with shows that tour the world delighting audiences on five continents. OVO’s exotic insect soiree, with its unusual creatures and amazing acrobatic feats, is just what the doctor ordered if you’re in the winter doldrums. It’s the best prescription for kids and adults alike.
Tickets are now available online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/ovo or at the box office located inside the main entrance tent of the Grand Chapiteau at the Santa Monica Pier. Box office hours are 12:00 pm - end of show Tues thru Sat; 11:00 am - end of show on Sunday and will be closed on all Monday’s and the following Tuesdays: Feb 7, 28 & March 20.
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Labels: cirque du soleil
Friday, January 20, 2012
OVO - A Terrific First Look at the Santa Monica Pier
The Foreigner Fly buzzes in to a most unusual insect community
Adorable cute-as-a-bug Ladybug is destined to fall in love with the Foreigner Fly, and silly eccentric Master Flipo plays it all for laughs.
A tour-de-force performance by a daredevil Spider atop the slackwire
The Ants and their fancy footwork and precision juggling....WITH kiwis!
A sensual Spider contortionist reels in the crickets.
20 artists in a stunning vision of theatrics on the
Trampo-wall drew gasps
The Firefly sends four spinning spools flying high in a dazzling diabolo display
Acrosport athleticism, sheer agility and grace by the sweetest Fleas you've ever seen
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Labels: cirque du soleil
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Cabrillo Music Theatre to host A MUSICAL VALENTINE
Cabrillo Music Theatre has announced the next in a series of fundraising events entitled A Musical Valentine, on Monday, February 13 at 7:00 pm to be performed in the recently renovated Founders’ Room of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. The show features some of the stars you love from past Cabrillo shows, including The Sound of Music, Seven Brides…, 42nd Street and more. Shannon Warne, Michael G. Hawkins, Stuart Ambrose and Alet Taylor are sure to win your hearts during this evening of romance, love and laughter. Dan Redfeld will serve as accompanist.
The entertainment will be preceded by a brief cocktail hour, featuring hors d’ouevres provided by Mastro’s Steakhouse, and followed by a reception with desserts from Valley Bakery. Tickets are $75.
Cabrillo Music Theatre’s Monday Night Concert Fundraiser Series is a collection of intimate concert-style events designed to raise critical funds for the theatre and the performers featured are donating their time for the performance. The Founders Room is located in the Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. Click Here for tickets or call 805-497-8613.
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SNOOPY Opens March 2 at Eclectic Company Theatre
Several seasons ago, Children’s Theatre Group of Southern California presented You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown, the first of the two musicals derived from the popular comic strip Peanuts, and now the company presents the second, Snoopy! The show will run March 2 – May 25 at the Eclectic Theatre Company in North Hollywood. You’ll see all your favorite characters including Charlie Brown, Linus, Lucy, Sally, Peppermint Patty and Woodstock in a musical that feature everyone’s favorite beagle.
Snoopy lives on stage just as you remember him in your favorite Peanuts comic strip stories. He’s the great American writer. He’s the canine companion to Linus waiting for The Great Pumpkin. He watches clouds with the kids. And he ultimately receives his appointment as The Head Beagle.
The cast includes Major Curda, Lucy Gilbert, Addison Landsburg-Putman, Jack O’Dea, Ava Penner, Peter Wolf and Mikaela Zelinger directed and choreographed bythe award-winning Kay Cole.
The creative team includes the work of Michael Harris (set design), Tricia Berry, (costume design), John Dickey (lighting design) and assistant director is Katie Scarlett.
Snoopy is based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by Charles M. Schulz featuring book by Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, Warren Lockhart, Arthur Whitelaw and Michael L. Grace, lyrics by Hal Hackady, and music by Larry Grossman. It is produced by Sherry Lynn and Robert Briscoe Evans and presented by Children’s Theatre Group of Southern California and The Eclectic Company Theatre. Eclectic Theatre Company is located at 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd. (between Chandler and Magnolia), Valley Village, CA 91607.
CTGSC’s shows sell out so get your tickets now at www.ctgsc.org/ or call 818-508-3003.
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The Coterie Announces February Shows
The Coterie has announced its upcoming shows for February. Here's what's up next:
February 10-19, 2012
Red Carpet Memories: A Musical Celebration of The Academy Awards
A spectacular concert event featuring all Oscar-nominated songs, right next door to the actual Oscars. Relive your favorite musical movie moments with Fred & Ginger, Judy Garland, the kids from Fame and more. Six performances only, the perfect way to celebrate awards season! The cast will feature Tomasina Abate, Jessica Bernard, Rogelio Douglas Jr., Lexi Lawson, Brett Ryback and James Snyder. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30pm, Sundays at 8pm. Tickets are $10-30.
February 22, 2012
Amir Levi: Closer to Myself
Levi performs a collection of songs that touch on the different men he's loved and lost in his search for Mr. Right. The program includes covers of songs originally performed by women who have inspired him such as Madonna, Indigo Girls, Bonnie Raitt, Cher, and several new songwriters as well. Accompanied by his musical director, Anthony Starble, the night promises a vulnerable glimpse into the many cycles and punches of love. www.theamirlevi.com. 8:30pm. Tickets are $5-15.
February 29 & March 1
Jim Caruso’s Cast Party
Showbiz superstars hit the stage alongside up-and-comers, serving up jaw-dropping music and general razzle-dazzle. Caruso guides the entire affair like a bubbly cruise director, musical director Billy Stritch holds court at the ivories, and the audience is invited to participate in the festivities. It’s the party that would happen if somehow David Letterman and Ed Sullivan threw a hip house party around the grand piano! 8:30pm. Tickets are $10-30.
All performances take place at The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel located at Hollywood & Highland. Click Here for show times, reservations, and information about all of The Coterie’s upcoming events.
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Storybook Theatre Presents Aladdin, the Princess, and the Magic Lamp
Storybook Theatre’s Aladdin, the Princess, and the Magic Lamp presents the classic story of the genie who grants wishes to Aladdin in a delightful musical adaptation that is fun for the whole family. Book, music and lyrics are by Lloyd J. Schwartz and the show is directed by Elliot Schwartz.Aladdin is appropriate for all ages and features plenty of singing and dancing and loads of audience participation. The show runs Saturdays at 1:00 pm, March 10 – July 14, 2012. Tickets for adults are $12 and children are $10. Discounted rates are available for birthday parties and weekday school field trip performances.
Storybook Theatre performances take place at Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, in Los Angeles, CA 90068. There is FREE parking in a lot across the street. Click Here for tickets and more information or call 818-761-2203.
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La Jolla Playhouse's 2012 POP Tour is RECIPE FOR DISASTER
Commissioned by La Jolla Playhouse and the Arizona-based Childsplay, this world-premiere production is directed by David Saar and features original music by Deborah Wicks La Puma (composer of the Playhouse’s 2011 POP Tour production of Frida Libre). Public performances will take place at La Jolla Playhouse Saturday, February 25 and Saturday, March 3 at 1:00 pm and 3:30 pm.
In Recipe for Disaster, two blustering, boisterous chefs make a mess of an important exam for one struggling young apprentice. Will the chefs’ need to top each other lead to culinary chaos? Or will the apprentice convince them to put down their spatulas and work together? With elements of clowning, dance and improvisation - and a good dash of silliness -Recipe for Disaster delivers “just desserts” to all who behave with civility and grace - and to those who don’t.
The cast features Ricky Araiza as “Apprentice,” David Dickinson as “Chef,” Rae Henderson as “Chef” and Steven Lone as “Head of School."
Prior to each performance, a Playhouse teaching artist will visit each school to engage students in an interactive workshop to explore issues and themes at the core of the play. The Playhouse will provide schools with a standards-based engagement guide that enables educators to integrate the play into their existing curriculum. After each performance, the cast and crew will conduct a question and answer session with the audience.
For more information about the POP Tour, please contact Nicole Keepers at nkeepers@ljp.org. Tickets to this year’s public performances on February 25 and March 3 go on sale January 25 and are available online at LaJollaPlayhouse.org or by calling 858-550-1010.
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Monday, January 16, 2012
SMASH. It's Going To Be a Smash!
I was invited to a see a screening of the new TV series SMASH this past week and folks, I’m telling you right now, you’re going to love this show. It truly is for everyone who’s ever had a dream. It’s the world no one gets to see; the joy, the heartbreak, and the hard knocks of trying to make it on Broadway done in a way that is beautiful, exciting, and incredibly inspiring.
Told from the viewpoint of its various characters – producer, director, writers, and actors – it starts at the very beginning; with an idea for a Broadway musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe. The producers are a dream team of heavy-hitters that includes Craig Zadan & Neil Meron, producers of the films Chicago and Hairspray, Michael Mayer, director of Spring Awakening and American Idiot, Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman, composer and lyricist of Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can, and Theresa Rebeck, the show’s creator, along with none other than Stephen Spielberg.
It captures the energy of that world in a way that is relatable to everyone, whether or not you’re an artist yourself. It has characters and relationships you care about, dramatic tension that builds as you watch the story unfold, and musical numbers that are so full of energy you'll burst into applause in your living room (we did in the theatre!)
Plus, it's got a terrific cast!
~Megan Hilty as Ivy Lynn, a veteran Broadway chorus girl looking for her big break as Marilyn
~Katherine McPhee as Karen Cartwright, the unknown singer from Iowa who just might take the role away from her
~Debra Messing as Julia Houston, one half of the writing duo of Marilyn the Musical along with Christian Borle as her writing partner Tom Levitt
~Brian D'Arcy James as Frank Houston, Julia's husband who thinks she’s taking a year off so they can adopt a child
~Jack Davenport as Derek Wills, the handsome, brilliant, womanizing director who doesn’t get along with Levitt…at all
~Anjelica Huston as Eileen Rand, the musical's producer currently going through a nasty divorce that could compromise everything
~Raza Jaffrey as Dev Sundaram, Karen's boyfriend, who works at the Mayor's office
~Jamie Cepero as Ellis, Levitt's new assistant, and somewhat responsible for the Marilyn musical idea
SMASH will premiere Monday, February 6th on NBC. Don’t miss it! For more clips, photos and exclusive information go to the show’s official website www.nbc.com/smash.
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Labels: smash
Thursday, January 12, 2012
SPAMALOT Returns to the Pantages
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| Kasidy Devlin, Adam Grabau, Jacob L. Smith, Thomas DeMarcus, Arthur Rowan, and Michael J. Berry. Photo credit: Scott Suchman 2011 |
Monty Python’s SPAMALOT returns to taunt L.A. for one week only, February 28 – March 4, at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Based on the Tony Award winning direction of Mike Nichols and the riotous choreography of Casey Nicholaw, SPAMALOT features a book by Eric Idle, based on the screenplay of Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Monty Python creators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, with music and lyrics by the team of Mr. Idle and John Du Prez.
SPAMALOT tells the legendary tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and their quest for the Holy Grail, featuring a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits and one legless knight.
Leading the cast are Arthur Rowan as King Arthur and Brittany Woodrow as The Lady of the Lake, with Michael J. Berry (Patsy), Adam Grabau (Sir Lancelot, The French Taunter, King Ni, Tim the Enchanter), Jacob L. Smith (Sir Galahad, Black Knight, Father), Kasidy Devlin (Sir Robin), Thomas DeMarcus (Mayor, Dennis’ Mother, Sir Bedevere, Concorde), James David Larson (Not Dead Fred, Prince Herbert) and Joe Beuerlein (Historian, Minstrel, Brother Maynard, French Guard).
Rounding out the company are Kimber Benedict, Jason Elliott Brown, Ryan Cowles, Carl DeForrest Hendin, Amanda Johns, Andrew Leggieri, Melissa Denise Lopez, McKayla Marso, Jesse Palmer, Tiffani Robbins, Jared Titus and Bradley Allan Zarr.
Click Here for tickets and information or call 800-982-2787. The Pantages Theatre is located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Vine Street.
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Labels: pantages
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
The Colony Theatre Presents Old Wicked Songs
Stephen is a young, brilliant American pianist who has come to Vienna with the hope of regaining his shattered confidence. His teacher is a lonely, eccentric, elderly professor with a shadowy past. As the glorious music of Robert Schumann floods the professor's studio, the past collides with the present, deep secrets are revealed, and the men slowly discover they have more in common than just the music they love. Nominated for the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, Old Wicked Songs travels an emotional journey that weaves together profound sorrow, boundless joy, and soaring inspiration.
The two-person cast will feature Tavis Danz as Stephen Hoffman and John Towey as Professor Josef Mashkan, and the design team includes Stephen Gifford (Scenic Design), Jared A. Sayeg (Lighting Design), Kate Bergh (Costume Design), and Drew Dalzell (Sound Design). Props design and set dressing is by Colony Theatre resident designers MacAndMe.
Question-and-answer talkbacks will follow the performances on Friday, February 10 and Thursday, February 23, and if you’ve never been to an opening night at the Colony, you should consider going. It’s great fun. Tickets for the Opening night performance and reception are specially priced. You can Click Here to go to The Colony's website for more information or call 818-558-7000 x 15.
The Colony Theatre is located at 555 North Third Street (at Cypress) adjacent to the Burbank Town Center.
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Labels: colony theatre
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
The Vault Celebrates 2nd Anniversary with January 12 Performance
The Vault Ensemble, Los Angeles Theatre Center’s resident satirical comedy-and-music ensemble with a multi-ethnic cast, celebrates “Two Years Strong” with a Second Anniversary Show of its greatest skits. The critically acclaimed group’s performance will coincide with the Downtown L.A. Art Walk on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at 9 pm. Performance takes place in the 320-seat Theatre 3 at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. Tickets are available at the door only, and are just $5.00. Complimentary wine is available for adults (21+) with I.D.In the words of musical director Jasmine Orpilla, “The Vault is a rebellious, genre-bending theatre and musical performance art ensemble. Continually inspired by local L.A. and global real-life happenings, this multi-cultural and interdisciplinary ensemble creates an unpredictably fast-paced experience where no issue is taboo…except for our mothers.”
Members of The Vault include Brenda Banda, Stephen Buchanan, Aaron Garcia, Sam Golzari, Fidel Gomez, Esperanza America Ibarra, Theodore Lange IV, Jasmine Orpilla and Vicki Syal.
Click Here for more information or call 213-489-0994.
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Labels: latc
Thursday, January 5, 2012
The Coterie Announces January Events
Here’s a look at the The Coterie's January performance schedule from executive producers Amber Cassell and Julie Garnye. The Coterie is located at Hollywood & Highland in the beautiful Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.
Tuesday, January 10 & 17The Swell Show, starring Cortes Alexander (right), star of Broadway’s Liza’s at the Palace, featuring guest performances by Melissa Bailey and Jennifer Rapp, with musical direction by Ross Kalling. Opening for Mr. Alexander will be the much anticipated return of The Lovely Carol.
Sunday, January 22
When You Wish Upon a Star, featuring music from classic family films. The cast includes Christy Carlson Romano (Beauty & the Beast, Even Stevens, Kim Possible) and Carla Renata (The Lion King, CW’s Heart of Dixie), Haviland Stillwell (Les Miserables, Fiddler on the Roof), and OWN Network & YouTube star Ryan O’Connor. A large portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to a children’s philanthropy of the cast’s choice.Tuesday, January 24
Anjali Bhimani – It’s Happening Again. Join Broadway’s Anjali Bhimani for a comic and heartfelt evening of songs of love, loss, lust, and laughs (and sweet potato tater tots...) Featuring Jonny Morrow, Nick Perez, Anthony Starble, and Rob Humphreys. With songs by Anjali Bhimani, Norah Jones, k.d. lang, Ty Taylor, Susan Tedeschi, and more. For more information on Miss Bhimani, visit http://www.anjalibhimani.com/.
Friday & Saturday, January 27 & 28
Miranda Sings LIVE! Miranda will be joining forces with celebrity guests to bring you a hilarious night filled with improvisation, hit songs, onstage voice lessons, magic tricks, and dramatic readin...gs of hate mail. Don’t miss seeing this lipstick-wearing, epileptic eye-browed, crooked-smiling beauty live and in person. Special guests include GLEE’s Lindsay Pearce & Curt Mega, and American Idol’s Todrick Hall & Tori Kelli.
All performances take place at The Renaissance Hollywood Hotel located at Hollywood & Highland. Click Here for show times, reservations, and information about all of The Coterie’s upcoming events.
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Labels: coterie