Shari Barrett - Page 28

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a hip musical comedy which follows six young people in the throes of puberty, who are overseen by grown-ups who barely managed to escape childhood themselves, as they learn that winning isn't everything and that losing doesn't necessarily make you a loser. The musical, featuring emotionally revealing musical selections filled with side-splitting lyrics written by William Finn, chronicles the overachievers' angst of six precocious adolescents who turn out to be the unlikeliest of heroes: a quirky yet charming cast of outsiders for whom the Bee is the one place where they can stand out and fit in at the same time.

For those of us who have lived through the passing of a loved one from cancer, it may seem an impossibility to create humor out of that heartbreaking situation. But the West Coast Premiere of Halley Feiffer's A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Gynecologic Oncology Unit at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center of New York City, she shares the entertaining tale of two adult children, sitting bedside with their mothers, with enough funny one-liners to generate laughs galore.

Just as so many retired Americans over the age of 55 are choosing to sell their homes and take to the roads crisscrossing our nation in motor homes or campers for extended periods of time, a growing number of Australian retirees, called Grey Nomads, are choosing to continuously circumnavigate the world's largest island the same way. The world premiere comedy GREY NOMAD by Australian playwright Dan Lee, directed by Iain Sinclair as a guest production at the Skylight Theatre, captures these travelers' unique spirit and sense of camaraderie, with tons of laughter thrown in along the way.

Performed in both English and Spanish to appeal to a broader Los Angeles fan base, the family friendly musical fantasy Disney's Aladdin, Dual Language Edition is set in the fictional Middle Eastern city of Agrabah, where a beloved Disney princess named Jazm n decides to rebel against her father the Sultan's wishes to marry one of three princes he has selected for her. Of course, she dislikes them all and decides to escape before the deadline to marry occurs. On her escape route, she meets a street rat named Aladdin, but how can this chance meeting lead to ever-lasting love for the two from such different backgrounds?

There are many reasons why THE FANTASTICKS original off-Broadway production ran a total of 42 years and 17,162 performances, making it the world's longest-running musical which continues to enchant audiences around the world. Aside from it being a 'Romeo and Juliet' type story we can all relate to, but with a much happier ending, its most well-known song, 'Try to Remember,' speaks to everyone wanting to go back to a time in our lives when all things were much more simple, romantic, and totally carefree.

The small dining room at a local studio was an excellent choice to showcase a classic dysfunctional family living an upper-class life as they descended into chaos over the course of one year. With each of the family members in this dark comedy only really thinking of themselves and their own needs, or living their lives to be sure none of their friends can find fault with anything they do, PTERODACTYLS suggests that our extinction is beginning not with an asteroid or an ice age but rather with a severed connection to the ones closest to us.

Kira Turnage aka Lola Boutee, the CEO, Director and 2008 Founder of The Dollface Dames promises her troupe of Burlesque entertainers is the best L.A. has to offer with their high-class, show-stopping live entertainment for any occasion, whether you're looking for the best burlesque shows in town or to book choreographed full stage shows, cabaret dancers, burlesque soloists, singers, aerialists, fire performers, hoop artists, contortionists, variety acts, or magicians. My curiosity got the best of me, so I sat down to chat with her about her career and how she decided to get into the world of burlesque.

As a lifelong fan of David Bowie and human rights equality, when I heard The Los Angeles LGBT Center was hosting a return performance of the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles (TCLA) to its Renberg Theatre the weekend of August 26-27, 2017 to perform planet Earth's first staged concert production of Bowie's full The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars album, I rushed to get my tickets! And thanks to TCLA's artistic director, Lindsey Deaton, and the talented artistic singers of the group, I can tell you the evening was one of the most inspirational of my life.

When I found out John Mayall "The Godfather of British Blues" was going to be at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica on Friday, August 25, I rushed to get tickets to be in the presence of the man who directly influenced generations of the greatest musicians of all time during his impressive musical career spanning more than 50 years. What a treat it was to listen as Mayall, along with Jay Davenport on drums and Greg Rzab on bass, delivered a career retrospective with new slants and sounds to showcase his monumental life as a master of blues music.

TROUBLE IN MIND, the scathingly funny and thought-provoking backstage drama about interracial politics by pioneering African American playwright Alice Childress, is currently enjoying a brilliant revival at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum in Malibu thanks to director Ellen Geer's vision of the groundbreaking 1955 satire in which an integrated theater company in rehearsal for a “progressive” anti-lynching drama marks the first opportunity for gifted African American actress Willetta Mayer (portrayed by multiple NAACP Award-winner Earnestine Phillips who commands the stage) to play a leading lady on Broadway. This could be her dream come true, but what compromises must she make to succeed?

The glamorous passenger train Twentieth Century Limited, which ran between New York and Chicago between 1902 and 1967, is the main setting for the musical screwball comedy ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY now playing through August 27 at the Pan-Andreas Theatre, 5119 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90038. Based partly on the 1930s film and play of the same name, the musical, with book and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and music by Cy Coleman, is part operetta, part farce, and part screwball comedy telling the story of the behind-the-scenes relationship between Lily, a temperamental actress and Oscar, a bankrupt theatre producer. The duo, played with great skill and comedic timing by Alena Bernardi and Wade Kelley, recount the tale of their adventure traveling from Chicago to New York in the 1930s as Oscar tries to cajole the glamorous Hollywood star into playing the lead in his new, but not-yet-written drama, and perhaps to rekindle their romance.

From the award-winning Celebration Theatre, producers Nathan Frizzell and Tom DeTrinis, whose hilariously twisted minds brought you Go-Goy Boy Interrupted, comes the hilarious solo show SO LONG BOULDER CITY, a satire of the almost-Best Picture winner LA LA LAND. Its genesis began when co-writer/star Jimmy Fowlie and co-writer/director Jordan Black watched the movie and couldn't help but ask themselves what exactly about Mia's poorly-produced, designed and attended one-woman show in the movie was supposed to have launched her highly successful career? And since there was no definite answer to be found, the two created their own hysterical spin on the glorious mystery.

Now playing at Theatre of NOTE is the west coast premiere of WELCOME TO THE WHITE ROOM, written by Trish Harnetiaux and directed with constant, attention-getting movement by Megan A McGuane. In the small, black box theater, we discover Ms. White (Sierra Marcks), Mr. Paine (Chris Gardner), and Jennings (Sarah Lilly) shortly after they have arrived in a completely white room set designed by Amanda Knehans. It soon becomes apparent they have not met before nor do any of them know the reason they have been brought into this strange place. As the one-act play unfolds, we follow their journey as they attempt to figure out exactly what they are meant to do and the reason for their entrapment in such a strange place.

For those who have never attended THE PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS live show or its sister event THE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS in Laguna Beach, you are missing a wonderful treasure of not only art but theatrical spectacle during which historical works of arts are brought to life with real people stepping in to portray the characters in each piece of art, be it a painting, sculpture, or promotional advertisement for artistic spectacles taking place all over the world. Each person is costumed to perfectly represent the characters being portrayed, making each presentation a wonder of creativity and awe.

Each summer, the Torrance Theatre Company opens its season with a musical production at the James Armstrong Theatre. This year, it's SISTER ACT, the feel-good musical comedy smash based on the hit 1992 film starring Whoopi Goldberg as disco diva Deloris Van Cartier, who witnesses a murder and is put in protective custody in the one place the cops are sure she won't be a found: a convent! Featuring original music by Tony (and eight-time Oscar) winner Alan Menken (Newsies, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors), this uplifting musical was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The Torrance Theatre Company production is directed by Jim Hormel with musical direction by Bradley Hampton, and choreography by Christopher Albrecht, and features an outstanding live orchestra who knows how to rock the house! The production features a cast of 30 actors from all over Southern California, starring Ashley Elizabeth Crowe as Deloris who transforms herself into Sister Mary Clarence. Crowe will grab your attention every moment she is on stage with her booming voice and over-the-top energy.

When Monty Python's Flying Circus first premiered on television in 1969, few could have imagined how influential the program would become thanks to the inventive minds of its six main collaborators Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin. Known for their surreal slapstick humor which satirized the over-politeness perceived to be the epitome of British culture, the series spawned multiple films, some stage performances, and the outrageously hysterical musical SPAMALOT, mostly based off the 1975 film Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and some of the television show's more memorable skits. The original 2005 Broadway production was nominated for 14 Tony Awards, including the scenery and costumes currently being used in the thoroughly entertaining 3-D Theatricals musical comedy extravaganza from August 4 - 13 at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center and August 18 - 27, 2017 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Although I never watched their program, I do remember that Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker were wildly known almost as much for their outrageous personalities and sartorial style as their devotion to preaching the gospel of Jesus. It is easy to see why the pair became an unlikely surrogate family for the two teenagers from Detroit raised on that same belief, as they rapidly became the hottest stars in televangical America. But for the naive siblings, especially BeBe, it's not an easy lesson learning how to reconcile the temptations of fame and fortune with the things he ultimately values more. It's a wildy funny yet emotional journey toward self-discovery, told with great music and outstanding performances by siblings Juan Winans and Deborah Joy Winans (the children of Carvin Winans, Sr. and Deborah Winans) who portray their aunt CeCe and uncle BeBe with the utmost respect, magical stage presence, and the most amazing vocal pipes!

ANIMAL FARM, Orwell's brilliant political satire about the corrupting influence of power, charts the fall of idealism and the rise of tyranny after the animals of Manor Farm rise up against their oppressive human owner in a struggle for rights, equality, gaining the right to make their own choices on how to live their lives. Onstage, the story is read by two children, the girl (Sierra Rose Friday) and boy (Shane McDermott), keeping the audience informed as to the action taking place or what has gone on off stage leading to that particular scene. It all begins as the animals, led by Snowball, an idealistic pig (Christopher Yarrow), take over the farm from Mr. Jones (Steve Fisher). Their plan goes well at first; all the animals are equal and content. But eventually, several of the other pigs, led by Napoleon (Mark Lewis) and Squealer (Melora Marshall), yield to the lure of power and start to make decisions that serve their own interests best, eventually leading them to proclaim that some animals are more equal than others. The quote, 'absolute power corrupts absolutely,' certainly applies to Orwell's masterful work.

During the multimedia production, directed by Trevor Hay, Felder plays himself as well as the world-famous composer, along with a wide assortment of people from the many phases of Tchaikovsky's life. For each one, Felder completely changes his vocal patterns as well as his physical being, after telling the audience that in order to present his stories about all these real people, he first considers the place, then the character, and lastly the music to set the stage for each segment. And be sure to keep an eye on the picture frame displayed prominently on the ornate set designed by Felder as it changes portraits as the many characters are introduced, allowing us to see the real people he is portraying. But you would never know the music was not considered first, given the way his hands fly over the keys as he energetically plays some of the greatest works created by his favorite composer since childhood.

The dialogue in Adam Rapp's searingly and brutally honest play NOCTURNE is so beautifully written with remarkably descriptive phrases, it will awe your imagination into immersing yourself into one man's journey after, as a teen, he unwittingly caused the death of this younger sister in a late-night, tragic car accident on a country road due to failing brakes. The Son, whose name we never learn, is brilliantly portrayed by Jamie Wollrab who engulfs his entire being into telling one man's journey of redemption in this gut-wrenching yet hauntingly lyrical mediation on guilt and grief, all of which begins with the repeated line, "Fifteen years ago, I killed my sister."