Don Grigware - Page 46

War Horse/based on the novel by Michael Morpurgo/adapted by Nick Stafford/in association with Handspring Puppet Company/original co-direction by Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris/US tour directed by Bijan Sheibani/music by Adrian Sutton/Pantages Theatre/through October 13 only

Casting director John Frank Levey is the director of the Road Theatre Company's current production of Lake Anne at their second theatre space on Magnolia in the NoHo Senior Arts Colony. He has directed many shows over a 45 year period; in fact, Levey had the NEA Directors Fellowship in 1980 at the Mark Taper Forum here in Los Angeles.

Ah, Wilderness!/by Eugene O'Neill/directed by Thom Babbes/Actors Co-op, Crossley Theatre, Hollywood/through October 13

On Sunday September 29 at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Los Angeles theatre actor/singer Will Collyer presented Will Collyer in Concert directed by Mandy Kaplan and with musical direction by Brett Ryback. The 75-minute set featured guest appearances from Kaplan and Melissa Lyons. Collyer is an exceedingly affable 34 year-old openly gay actor who looks more like 19. Cute, drole and consistently mobile, Collyer did a retrospective of his life so far, which included his birth - very amusing segment on the music his mother was listening to in hospital when she gave birth to him - boyhood background, college days, his first kiss with another boy, local musical theatre, and a tribute to his life partner of 14 years... a mixture of banter and songs that he grew up with, some of which he actually performed in shows.

The Normal Heart/by Larry Kramer/directed by Simon Levy/Fountain Theatre/through November 3

Frank V. Furino's world premiere play Marilyn MADNESS & Me, like the film My Week with Marilyn, puts a lesser known character in the lead and Marilyn is seen through his eyes, eyes filled with more than just lust and obsession...with real love for Norma Jean. Now at the El Portal Monroe Forum, the play, although still in the rough stages, presents an engrossing slant on the human side of Norma Jean, how she affected one average human being, as well as presenting a panorama of historical events of the 60s, woven together by a curiously fictional thread.

Lorenzo Pisoni is such a damn agile and talented clown that the 90-minute set goes by in a flash, replete with tricks, virtuoso displays of ultimate precision and a lesson or two about the ups and downs of life learned from a father... that many, many can relate to.

Tall and sexy 'matinee idol' handsome Broadway and London West End actor/singer Jeremiah James performed at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal Sunday September 22 with his all-new show Choose Love. As special guest star, James made a wise choice with his high school friend the beautiful Cherish Lee. So, with two very appealing looking artists onstage, how can you miss? The show was more than off to a grande start, before it began. Add as musical director the prolific David O, and it doesn't get much better than this. On bass Oliver Steinberg accompanied, and on percussion, Emiliano Almeida.

Awake and Sing!/by Clifford Odets/directed by Larry Eisenberg/Group rep/through November 3

Sweeney Todd/book by Hugh Wheeler/music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/directed by Chuck Ketter/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through October 13

The Wizard of Oz/adapted by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams/music by Harold Arlen/additional music by Andrew Lloyd Webber/lyrics by E.Y. Harburg/additional lyrics by Tim Rice/directed by Jeremy Sams/Pantages Theatre/through October 6

2013 Interview with Larry Eisenberg by guest journalist Steve Peterson

Playwright/doctor Marthe Rachel Gold's play Lake Anne is being produced by The Road Theatre Company and is about to open at the new theatre at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony on Magnolia in NoHo on September 20. In our chat, Gold offers us a sneak peek at the play and its background.

Just as opera singer Caruso valued music as the highest form of art, playwright Daniel Beaty creates his Breath and Imagination as a perfect theatrical gem, overflowing with simplicity and wisdom. Now onstage at the Colony Theatre, in its West Coast premiere, Breath and Imagination soars with a brilliant cast and smooth direction from Saundra McClain through October 13.

Now onstage at Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin, Fiddler is a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of family and making one's way through life's shaky journey. This production, directed by Michael Lopez, is lovingly conceived from top to bottom.

Actress Nicole Parker is onstage two more weekends as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl in Fullerton, through September 22 and in Redondo through September 29.

Little Shop of Horrors/book & lyrics by Howard Ashman/music by Alan Menken/based on the film by Roger Corman, screenplay by Charles Griffith/directed & choreographed by Michael-Anthony Nozzi/music direction by Joshua Eli Kranz/Kentwood Players at Westchester Playhouse/through October 19

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change/ book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro/music by Jimmy Roberts/directed by Gary Lee Reed/musical director: William A. Reilly/Crown City Theatre/through October 20

Sitcom, from TV to stage, is primarily the first impression of Elin Hampton's The Bells of West 87th, now onstage at the Greenway Court Theatre through October 13. Hampton comes from TV and most writers of that genre can easily get 'trapped' - like Molly in the play - into the oh so familiar situations, and the fast/clean/neat comedic setups that we are used to seeing on the tube. There's one exception here, one big one, in fact: Hampton's characters as played by a vibrant cast are far more eccentric than usual and grab us deliciously from the start.