James Sims - Page 16

Distracted, a world premiere play by Lisa Loomer, opened Sunday afternoon at the Mark Taper Forum in downtown Los Angeles. With Rita Wilson, wife of Tom Hanks, starring in the show, many Hollywood friends and turned out on the sunny afternoon for the play and after party, at the adjacent Dorothy Chandler Pavilion...

Upon first entering the Mark Taper Forum, distraction ensues with three large television screens barraging the theatre with television clips ranging from CNN to the 'Price is Right,' all hoping to establish the overwhelming drowning feeling created in a world full of immediate and all too accessible information coming from anywhere and everywhere...

Leave it to a former 'Daily Show With Jon Stewart' correspondent to twist a situation, which on face value could be predisposed to sheer melancholy, into a wry satirical commentary on the poorly operated Los Angeles penal system...

That's a wrap, and it seems as though 'nerd' is the word. NBC's reality casting series, 'Grease: You're the One That I Want' finished with a bang Sunday night crowning Max Crumm and Laura Osnes the leads, Danny and Sandy, in the upcoming Broadway revival of Grease...

The story is perhaps better known among the modern generation of playgoers than any other biographical production in theatrical repertory. It could thus be imagined that any such show is doomed to come off as stale or tired, yet it is the very fact that the multi-generational awareness of The Diary of Anne Frank is so abundant that the latest incarnation at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura works so well....

UPRIGHT Cabaret, on March 9, was up to their unique musical celebration of up and coming performers along with the Broadway and Hollywood stars who frequent the monthly event at La Boheme restaurant in West Hollywood...

Finally, after what has to have been one of the longest audition processes for a Broadway show, NBC's 'Grease: You're the One That I Want' narrowed down the nation-wide search for Danny and Sandy to the final four, whittling away the lesser talents along the way...

Space Therapy, a screwball comedy full of outrageous humor and shock-tainment, is Tanner's latest work, which he also directs, making its world premiere at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood. This cult playwright, having co-written the long running Zombie Attack!, and more recently Oklahomo!, is up to his usual risqué fun once again...

In the constant battle of old and new, jazz pitted against R&B, conservative hair versus hip-hop fashion, the neighborhood barbershop allows each struggle to take center stage while three generations of barbers reminisce and look ahead at the changing times...

Stars of theatre, film and television gathered last weekend (March 10 and 11) for the 23rd Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.), the longest continuously running AIDS benefit in the world, raising more than $300,000 for AIDS Project Los Angeles...

In hopes of finding two virtually unknown talents to lead this summer's upcoming revival of Grease on Broadway, NBC's reality casting special, 'Grease: You're the One That I Want' reached the semi-finals round, narrowing down the Sandy Dumbrowski and Danny Zuko wannabes to six overall...

Taking the now familiar path of stand up comedy by way of theatrical houses, Billy Connolly Live! has set up shop at the Brentwood Theatre for a short while, which works to Connolly's benefit as the 500 seat intimate venue allows for a unique experience...

Andrew Lloyd Webber, in his quest to become arguably one of the most prolific modern musical theatre composers, produced his fair share of absolute tragedies, including the extremely disjointed Song and Dance, which originally ran in London under the title Tell Me On a Sunday, both to critical brow beatings...

NBC put on its game face Sunday with the latest installment of 'Grease: You're the One That I Want,' their reality casting special for the soon to bow on Broadway revival of the classic musical. This week was missing any female performances, as the remaining four Danny's left in the competition made it guy's week...

Taking in a night of Marilyn: Forever Blonde is a treat, and far more enjoyable than turning on another episode of 'True Hollywood Story' ...

The theatrical industry was abuzz Wednesday morning as a smattering of Broadway's most successful American composers gathered in the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion's Founder's Room in downtown Los Angeles, kicking off the Festival of New American Musicals...

A show that started in this city nearly 30 years ago, They're Playing Our Song, makes a rather pleasurable return to the El Portal Theatre spinning some disco-era tunes from the genius of composer Marvin Hamlisch and lyricist Carole Bayer Sager...

The outfits were divine and the amount of talent packing the house was innumerable as self-congratulatory praise was spread around. Oh wait, that was the Academy Awards… wrong show. Once again, NBC faced a formidable opponent in terms of a ratings battle as 'Grease: You're the One That I Want' was pitted against another kudos fest Sunday night...

Let the games begin. That is games of ticket scalpers and daily lottery drawings for those impossible to snag seats, as Broadway's smash hit Wicked has finally landed in Hollywood for a presumably lengthy run...

After last week's taping of NBC's 'Grease: You're the One That I Want,' I had the opportunity to sit down with judges David Ian, Kathleen Marshall and Andrew Lloyd Webber to get the dish on the casting series and what the future holds for this Broadway-bound production...