Shari Barrett - Page 16

Here's your first look at the cast of Neil LaBute's romantic comedy REASONS TO BE PRETTY, which takes a truthful look into the fragilities, fears and vulnerabilities we all feel in love while making a case for being yourself, standing up for what you believe in, and making brave choices. Directed by Cherry Norris as the first theatrical production of Cherry Productions and Five Acre Films, opening September 12 at New Collective Theatre, 6440 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038.

Staged on a brilliantly creative two-setting, split-level scenic design by Dane Laffrey which includes a scene-dividing projected face on a screen on which the most extraordinary, ever-changing, light-flashing and color-changing eyes appear, this inventive retelling of a sharp, subversive fable debates how much our souls are worth when hope is hard to come by beginning when a charming Devil (Evan Jonigkeit, a black-clad, roguishly perfect scene stealer) arrives in the quiet village of Edmonton to bargain for the souls of its residents in exchange for their darkest wishes. But which of the five inhabitants will agree to sell their soul to attain whatever it is they think will make them happiest?

I'M NOT A COMEDIANa?? I'M LENNY BRUCE focuses on the life and battles of the undisputed comic legend, one of the greatest stand-up artists of the 20th Century. His life and work have had an impact on poetry, politics, music, film and, of course, comedy, becoming a true inspiration for hundreds of comics who followed his lead in speaking the truth about our out-of-whack society. During the 90-minute show, now more tightly presented so scenes seem to flow effortlessly, Marmo authentically inhabited the great passion and great pain Bruce endured in his tempestuous personal and professional lives, as well as his unwavering commitment to free speech which led to numerous obscenity charges and arrests.

I was unaware of how Anzu's personal history inspired Ono's spirit to speak so directly to her until I was in the audience at her World Premiere solo show, DEAR YOKO, in which Anzu opened her heart and soul as she revealed how her personal history of non-acceptance as an Asian woman and her overwhelming depression was turned around when she discovered Ono as she studied her story and writings. During her 90-minute performance, directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson at the Whitefire Theatre, Anzu not only portrayed Ono with her signature dialect, hat and sunglasses, but also personal family members, rock musicians she met while touring as a singer/songwriter, agents and entertainment moguls who brought on the need for the #MeToo movement, and others who assisted her in turning her life around and accepting herself as the person she really was meant to be. And that road was never easy but so worth the journey.

Appropriately called the Jimi Hendrix of Rock Ukulele, Jake Shimabukuro's records have topped the Billboard World Music Charts on numerous occasions, and as a live performer he has become one of the hottest tickets around. He's played with world-renowned orchestras and at prestigious venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Lincoln Center and the Sydney Opera House, and has dazzled audiences at music festivals including Bonnaroo, SXSW, the Playboy Jazz Festival and Fuji Rock Festival. He even performed for that rarest of audiences: Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Now local fans have an opportunity to experience Shimabukuro's wholly unique approach to the acoustic ukulele during his current nationwide tour stop on Thursday, October 3 at 7:30pm at The Broad Stage, 1316 11th Street in Santa Monica 90401.

Audience members traverse memories, dreams, emotional and real battlefields, coming in contact with a multitude of characters from Dalton Trumbo's life and novel, as we re-visit Johnny's childhood loves, family members, war room generals, soldiers, nurses, and even major religious figures, each performed to perfection while maintaining the ability to guide and interact with audience members who are often asked to participate and/or share comments during each scene. Soon it becomes apparent in THE JOHNNY CYCLE that each character, whether intentional or not, has sent Johnny to his destiny as he desperately struggles to be heard, trapped between the living and the dead without a voice. Immersive theater at its best!

Sibling rivalry between brothers goes back to the Bible story of Cain and Abel, with one pitted against the other due to jealousy, often resulting in a deadly game of one upmanship. Such is the case between Lee and Austin, two estranged brothers at the center of Sam Shepard's TRUE WEST, who reunite at their mother's rustic home in the San Bernardino foothills about 40 miles east of Los Angeles. Sparks fly and passions rage as the two erratic characters, apparently from totally opposite ends of the success spectrum, nearly reach the end of their troubles by catching a glimpse of paradise just around the corner, which turns out to be totally unattainable.

The Torrance Theatre Company's production of Disney's BEAUTY AND THE BEAST features a live twelve-piece orchestra conducted to perfection by Bradley Hampton, and a cast of 44 actors from all over Southern California, who donate their time and talent to bring high-quality theatrical performances to Torrance and the South Bay. Assisted by a team of backstage wonder workers, from the stage hands to the costume and wig dressers, the cast is brilliantly led by brunette beauty Brianna Liddi as Belle and Christopher Tiernan who brings just the right mix of brutality and humanity to The Beast, highlighted during his Act 1 closing solo a?oeIf I Can't Love Her.'

William Shakespeare's rollicking and ever-popular comedy of mistaken identity, TWELFTH NIGHT, brings its magical combination of mischief, madness and romance into the outdoor amphitheater at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum this summer where it plays in rep through September 28. Written in 1601 and first seen in the Inns of Court shortly after Christmas (hence, the title), the holiday was celebrated as a festival during which everything was made delightfully topsy-turvy, much like the world of the play's Illyria. And you could not ask for a more ideal cast of characters to bring The Bard's non-stop, high energy hijinks to life.

FEFU AND HER FRIENDS, a surreal dramedy by Maria Irene Fornés, known as an early feminist giant of the avant-garde, challenges modern audiences in that the play is plotless except for the fact eight women with very different agendas, personalities, and sexual orientations have gathered in the country home of their eccentric friend, Fefu, to plan an event for their do-gooding educational work. As multiple conflicts unfold between the old friends, they struggle to define who they are and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world.

This universally appealing play is bound to be a hit thanks to the sure-fire comedic direction by Howard Storm, an A-List comedian early in his career who subsequently became one of the busiest directors of television comedy, on a single a?oehome during renovationsa?? set by Jeff G. Rack which represents the homes of all 3 couples, often simultaneously without a bit of confusion as to who is where with whom. It's an amazing feat of direction, performed to perfection by a talented cast.

Christian Rodrigo first professional theater project was as an Assistant Director of John Malkovich in 2003 and 2004 when he directed the play Hysteria in Barcelona and Madrid. The Spanish actor, producer, director and member of The Actors' Gang credits include Snatch (Season 2), No Way Out, Wings and Stevie. Perhaps his most noteworthy artistic creation is The BRISK FESTIVAL, which he created in Los Angeles in 2018 as an international theater Festival that features short plays up to 10 min long, giving all involved the opportunity to experience what makes live theater so special, namely the human interaction between the players on stage and between actors and audience members.

Emmy nominated and Drama Desk award winning writer Eugene Pack, who is also the creator of the hit show 'Celebrity Autobiography' which made its Broadway debut last year, is generating tons of fun and laughter on Tuesday nights at theaters around Los Angeles with THE PACK, his monthly reading series of his own original short comedies which he also directs. The series has been building a huge following and is attracting outstanding talent in LA along with Special Celebrity Guests.

When Billie Holiday died in 1959, she left this world a true Jazz icon, revered for her ability to create stage magic as she expressed deep personal, emotional hurt which governed her entire existence and in turn, spoke to millions worldwide. Known as perhaps the first female vocalist to use her voice in the style of jazz improvisation, it takes a special woman to effectively share Holiday's brutally tragic life story as well as her amazing vocal talents. Such is the combination of skills on display by Sybil D. Jatta as BILLIE HOLIDAY: FRONT AND CENTER now onstage at the WACO Theatre Center in NoHo through Sunday, August 18, directed with heart and soul by B'Anca.

First recorded in 1969, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT with music and lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, finally opened Off-Broadway in November 1981 and then moved to The Great White Way in January 1982 where the production received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Book and Score. This ever-popular musical based on the a?oeCoat of Many Colorsa?? story from the Bible's Book of Genesis failed to win even one Tony, but has gone on to be one of the most popular, family-friendly stories with actors of all ages involved in the big-scale production performed around the world. Now being presented as the 40th production by The Aerospace Players, directed by John Woodcock and Angela Asch (who also choreographed the show), the dedicated (and all volunteer) cast features stand-out performances by many in the leading roles who make the story as fun to watch as it is entertaining.

Even if, like me, you have never seen an episode of the TV series, no doubt the fame of the real-life actors on the show, each of whom celebrate their fame in song during "The One Where We Make a Million Dollars an Episode," makes this show an exceedingly fun time thanks to the skill of the talented, triple-threat cast.

The opening prologue of SCRAPS, masterfully performed by Tyrin Niles as Jean-Baptiste Delacroix sitting on the front stoop of his Brooklyn brownstone, captured my attention and took me inside his close-knit neighborhood three months after the fatal shooting of black teenager by a white police officer. The ramifications of that event, told through a provocative mash up of poetry, realism and expressionism, reverberated among his friends, lover, and most importantly, his young son, the real focus of the West Coast premiere of this daring new play, written by Geraldine Inoa and directed with attention-grabbing flair by 2019 Obie Award winner Stevie Walker-Webb.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble kicks off its 'Circa '69' season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the Odyssey's 1969 inception with Joe Orton's darkly comic masterpiece LOOT, which asks us to wipe the fluff from our eyes and see society the way he sees it. And as a gay man during a time when British society forced artists into the closet, his farce comically examines a sort of rigged system that benefits bullies and oppressors and controls anyone stupid enough to go along with the lies. As directed by Bart DeLorenzo, this tale of corrosive wit, dizzying intrigue and classic farce suggests that the only acceptable alternative is to become a criminal, with Orton supplying laughs at everyone's expense along the way.

I have visited Laguna Beach for several consecutive summers, enjoying the vibrant arts scene by spending a full day wandering through THE SAWDUST FESTIVAL, THE LAGUNA ART A-FAIR, FESTIVAL OF ARTS and PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS, with all sites, including the Laguna Playhouse, within walking distance of each on the main street into the city. The beautiful coastal city has so much to offer in the way of fine dining, art galleries, shopping, theatre, beach activities, all accessible via a free shuttle service, it would easily make for a wonderful week-long family vacation site or a jam-packed day of celebrating the arts.

However, director Mattsson, who helmed the Morgan's sold-out hit production of Mary Poppins last season, certainly should have known about the theater's sound system problems and addressed them in advance of the opening. For as entertaining as this big rock musical should have been, unfortunately it suffers from the worst of all problems in staging such a musical extravaganza - a sound system which cannot handle the volume needed to successfully present such an undertaking. Consequently, even the music track was played too softly to achieve the necessary effect, with the singers often barely audible over it. Perhaps the biggest saving grace in the production is the entertaining choreography which fills the stage with clever, comical, and attention-grabbing costumes and wigs which honor the 'big' outrageous mid-80s fashion trends.