Gil Kaan - Page 2

Luke Yankee’s Marilyn, Mom & Me world premieres February 16, 2024, at the International City Theatre. Written by Luke, he also directs the cast of Laura Gardner, Alisha Soper, Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield, Brian Rohan and Noah Wagner.

A Noise Within puts their unique spin on Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opening February 17, 2024 (with previews starting February 11th). ANW’s co-producing artistic director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs the cast of: Geoff Elliott, James Everts, Amber Liekhus, Joanna A. Jones, Jeremy Rabb, Cassandra Marie Murphy, Kasey Mahaffy, Josey Montana McCoy and Harrison White.  Cassandra, who plays the cutting role of Mrs. Lovett, graciously took time from juggling her rehearsals with her motherly duties to answer a few of my queries.

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet will have its North American Premiere at the Ahmanson January 31, 2024 (with previews starting January 28th). Matthew directs and choreographs his cast of 27 New Adventures dancers. Matthew managed to answer a few of my queries on the phone amidst the background of police sirens blaring.

Playwright Selina Fillinger’s POTUS Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive will be having its Los Angeles premiere at the Geffen Playhouse January 25, 2024 (with previews already started). Jennifer Chambers directs the cast of Ito Aghayere, Alexandra Billings, Lauren Blumenfeld, Shannon Cochran, Jane Levy, Deirdre Lovejoy and Elizabeth Rodriguez. Selina agreed to give me some insights behind POTUS and her other works.

Rogue Artists Ensemble starts up their 2024 season with a one-night fundraiser Carousel of Fools at the Santa Monica Pier January 25, 2024. Known for its interactive, immersive, site-specific shows with puppetry, Rogue Artists Ensemble will be an interactive, immersive carnival experience utilizing the historical carousel with midway games, puppet shows, sword-swallowing and an actual treasure hunting play.  Rogue Artists Ensemble’s associate artistic director Chelsea Sutton came in out of the rain to answer a few of my queries.

Rogue Machine Theatre starts off their 2024 season with the West Coast premiere of Juan José Alfonso’ Middle of the World opening January 27, 2024, at the Matrix Theatre. Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of Cheryl Umaña, Christian Telesmar, Leandro Cano, Jennifer Pollono and Dan Lin. Guillermo managed to spare some time out of his multi-tasking to answer a few of my queries.

John Ross Bowie’s Brushstroke world premieres at the Odyssey January 27, 2024 (with previews beginning January 23rd). Casey Stangl directs the cast of James Urbaniak, Malcolm Barrett, Brendan Hines and Brendan Hines. James took some time from rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Next up for the Ruskin Group Theatre, two shows in tandem – John Colella’s An Extraordinary Ordinary Man and Paul Linke’s It’s Only a Show!, both opening January 13, 2024. Got the chance to ask Ruskin’s producing artistic director Michael Myers a few questions on Ruskin’s current shows and early beginnings.

A long-time collaborator with Charles Nelson Reilly, Paul Linke has co-written It’s Only a Show!, performing as the popular comedian in his one-man tribute to Charles Nelson Reilly. This solo show directed by Edward Edwards opens January 13, 2024 at the Ruskin Group Theatre, 5pm curtain, in tandem with John Colella’s An Extraordinary Ordinary Man at 8pm. Paul managed to find some time before starting tech to answer a few of my queries.

Black queer playwright/actress Carolyn Ratteray’s one-woman show Both And (a play about laughing while black) returns to Los Angeles opening at The Wallis January 17, 2024 (with previews starting January 13th). Before the holiday rush, Carolyn found some time to answer a few of my queries.

Alison Arngrim’s long-running one-woman show Confession of a Prairie Bitch opens the Sierra Madre Playhouse’s 100th anniversary season January 19, 2024. Alison took some time from all her charity work and writing to answer a few of my queries.

Debbie Allen presents Camille A. Brown & Dancers: ink January 12th and 13th at The Wallis. ink “explores self-empowerment, Black love, brotherhood, and resilience that examines aspects of Black life that are too often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced.” I had the chance to chat with director/choreographer Camille A. Brown before her flying from New York to her Wallis rehearsals.

The 6th Act world premieres Matthew Leavitt’s SUKKOT opening January 13, 2024; at the Skylight Theatre. Joel Zwick directs the cast of Natalie Lander, Liza Seneca, Andy Robinson and Jonathan Slavin. A regular familiar face on the Los Angeles stages, Natalie carved out some time to answer a few of my queries.

Theatre 40’s hit immersive drama The Manor- Murder and Madness at Greystone returns for its nineteenth season at the Greystone Mansion January 18, 2024.  Martin Thompson directs the cast of Darby Hinton, Eric Keitel, Daniel Leslie, Carol Potter, Nathalie Rudolph, David Hunt Stafford, Amy Tolsky, John Combs, Katyana Rocker-Cook, Gail Johnston, Kristin Towers-Rowles and Peter Mastine. John managed to carve out some time to answer a few of my queries.

A new Pasadena Playhouse holiday tradition begins with the premiere of Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair’s Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular running December 14th through December 23rd. Sam directs the cast of MaryAnn Hu, Lesli Margherita, George Salazar and Jason Michael Snow. I had the chance to toss a few questions out to Broadway, Los Angeles and London stage veteran, Ms. Lesli Margherita.

Next up at the Ahmanson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s A Christmas Story opening December 8, 2023 (with previews beginning December 5th). Matt Lenz directs the cast of Chris Carsten, Eric Petersen, Sabrina Sloan, Shelley Regner, Kai Edga, and Henry Witcher; with ensemble members Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Gabbie Fried, Andrew Ge, Juliane Godfrey, Julia Harnett, Michael James, Trent Mills, Kyle Montgomery, Gabriel Navarro, Jane Papageorge, Zeke Bernier, Addalie Burns, Jack Casey, Jordan Coates, Greta Rebecca Kleinman, Kayden Alexander Koshelev, Emilie Ong, Izzy Pike, Jacob Pham and Charlie Stover. Sabrina took some time from her Mother-ing to answer a few of my queries.

The Christmas with The Tabernacle Choir holiday special celebrates its 20th year with PBS premiering December 12, 2023. This perennial favorite, PBS’ #1 holiday show each year, this year features guest stars Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet performing with the 360-membered Tabernacle Choir and 110-piece Orchestra in the 21,000 seat Salt Lake City Conference Center. This program, titled Season of Light, was taped as a compilation of three performances last holiday season. I had the opportunity to partake in a Zoom Q&A with Lea, Sir David and music director Mack Wilberg.

For The Record’s perennial holiday favorite Love Actually Live returned to The Wallis November 29, 2023. Commemorating the film’s 20th anniversary, Anderson Davis directs the cast of Tomasina Abate, Madison Taylor Baez, James Byous, Chris Cockrill, Audrey Cymone, Anthony Fedorov, Brayden Gleave, Grace Kinstler, Parissa Koo, Doug Kreeger, Austin Lesch, Ruby Lewis, Chris Mann, Jordan Ann Martone, Brian McKnight Jr., Darrell Morris Jr, Nina Nelson, Spencer Schaffe, Drew Seeley, Rex Smith, Alkaio Thiele and Cheyenne Isabel Wells. In the midst of previews, Ruby found some time to answer a few of my queries.

Jeff Schell and The Habit’s A Very Die Hard Christmas opens December 10, 2023 at Theatre 40. Celebrating the film’s 35th anniversary, Sandro Monetti directs this musical parody with the cast of Nick Versteeg, Lauren Samuels, Jesse Merlin, Raymund King, Nick Bredosky, and Theatre 40 favorites Roslyn Cohn, Joe Clabby and Kristal Dickerson. Sandro graciously made it a priority to promptly answer a few of my queries.

Broadway legend Audra McDonald returns to LA Opera backed by the LA Opera Orchestra and her four-piece ensemble (led by musical director Andy Einhorn) December 2, 2023. Be prepared to experience the stunning vocals of six-time Tony winner singing her expansive Broadway and opera repertoire filling the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. The busy mom found some time between her touring engagements to chat with me on the phone.