Shari Barrett - Page 31

Often called the greatest set of variations ever written for keyboard, the 33 Variations on a waltz by Anton Diabelli, Op. 120, commonly known as the Diabelli Variations, was written by Beethoven between 1819 and 1823, the time frame of his life which is examined in the play, told concurrently with a modern-day fictional story of college professor Dr. Katherine Brandt as she ventures to Bonn to complete her research on why the great composer chose to spend so much time working on such a second-rate piece of music. Along the way, we learn these two will give up nothing in order to reach their goals, even though both were suffering great medical challenges threatening to sidetrack their work. And, even though they're separated by 200 years, these two people share an obsession that might, even just for a moment, make time stand still.

As the world prepares for the Centennial of legendary American composer Leonard Bernstein this August, La Mirada Theatre and VPAC present perhaps his greatest musical and one of the most memorable love stories of all time, WEST SIDE STORY. Director Richard Israel shares his vision for the production, as powerful, poignant, and timely as ever, with the thrilling Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim score including "Tonight," "Maria," "America" and the classic "Somewhere" remaining one of the best ever written. In it, Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to modern-day New York City with two lovers, Tony and Maria, caught between warring street gangs; the Italian-American Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence, and prejudice is one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

Over the years, I have seen many productions of COMPANY and am pleased to tell you the current production at the Morgan-Wixson in Santa Monica is by far the best one I have ever seen thanks to the brilliant direction and fabulous casting done by Kristin Towers-Rowles, herself a triple-threat performer who could no doubt shine in any of the musical's roles herself. The entire revival is perfect in all aspects including musical direction by Daniel Koh, the glorious 70s costumes designed by Michael Mullen, the fabulous multi-level New York-inspired set designed by William Wilday, evocative, attention-focusing lighting designed by Donny Jackson, and the fun choreography by Jaime Pierce, which all combine to make this the perfect introduction to Sondheim's body of work.

Fueled by love, anger, hope and pride, Larry Kramer's masterpiece THE NORMAL HEART centers on a circle of friends struggling to understand and contain a mysterious disease ravaging New York's gay community and one man's fight to awaken the world to the urgency of the situation. The guest production at the Chromolume Theater is magnificently directed by Marilyn McIntye on the small stage, a large part of which is due to the 5 moveable set pieces designed by David Mauer which are moved about to create all the different rooms so necessary for the production. Set changes are inspirational to watch, choreographed like a ballet down to the slightest detail.

American audiences first met Rain Pryor as television's first biracial child on "Head of the Class." Los Angeles audiences can now meet her up close and personal during her new solo play, FRIED CHICKEN & LATKES, in which Richard Pryor's talented daughter shares many of her childhood memories as the offspring of show business royalty, growing up African-American and Jewish in Beverly Hills during the tumultuous years when a biracial child faced prejudice from both sides of the fence. Her fascinating tales are filled with pain, poignancy, purpose, and lots of laughter as she portrays her father, mother, grandparents, and many other colorful characters who assisted her along the way to personal acceptance and adulthood.

If you were amazed and dazzled by the puppetry in War Horse, be sure to grab tickets for the remaining performances 946 before it leaves town! 946 is a tender coming-of-age tale that uncovers the secrets behind World War II's D-Day landings. Set in the idyllic seaside village of Slapton Sands, the lives of Lily, her family, and her fiercely independent cat Tips are barely touched by war until American soldiers occupy their house and surrounding land. With a live onstage swing band, enchanting puppetry and Kneehigh's signature stage sorcery, director Emma Rice configures a story of love, war and prejudice that crosses borders both geographical and generational.

FOREVER PLAID by Stuart Ross is a musical that lends itself to offering audiences a goofy, charming musical escape, and is considered one of the most popular and successful off-Broadway musicals in history. Having never before seen a production of it, I have always been curious why those who have either been in a production or seen the show are such outspoken fans of it. Those involved with the show speak of the 'brotherhood of Plaid' that exists between those who have performed or directed the show previously, with the understanding that if called upon at any time to take part in a production of the musical, it would be a crime to not jump in and make the show an audience favorite. So when I was invited to the current production at the International City Theatre in Long Beach, I jumped at the chance to see what all the fuss is about.

Writer, Daniel Sugimoto has always tried to push past our standard social interactions, which are based on the rules of politeness, in order to have real human interactions instead. His latest play, WHITE PEOPLE DRINKING, which is NOT a musical, is all about those honest conversations during a dinner party with 3 very different couples, each of whom wind up speaking what is really on their minds after the free-flowing drinks loosen their tongues. All the topical taboo scenarios we fear on a silver platter are brought to light in fits of wit and whimsy, often so fast that you may feel your head is spinning trying to catch all the sarcasm as it flies past your ears. Imagine sitting down to dinner with friends, enjoying a few drinks and then really saying what is on your mind including secrets, opinions, and unfiltered drunk words. Would your friendships survive?

Celebrated soprano Julia Migenes has returned to L.A. with the world premiere of DEBUSSY: HIS LETTERS AND MUSIC, her newest musical portrait of legendary French composer Claude Debussy. Her exploration of his life - his youth, his determination to find his own musical path while battling the more conservative musical world, and his great wit - begins with his actual letters, then integrates his music. Accompanied on piano by Manuel Arellano, currently a collaborative pianist and vocal coach at El Camino College whose fingers literally fly over the keys, the show is directed by Academy Award-nominated director Peter Medak who allows Ms. Migenes to shine brilliantly whether she is reading, singing, or interacting with the audience.

Kentwood Players proudly presents the new Broadway musical "BIG FISH" with Music and Lyrics by Andrew Lippa and Book by John August, based on the novel by Daniel Wallace and the Columbia motion picture written by John August, opening Friday, March 17 through Saturday, April 22, 2017 on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm at the Westchester Playhouse, located at 8301 Hindry Avenue in Los Angeles, CA 90045. Pre-show sweets and champagne receptions will take place from 7:00-7:30pm on opening night March 17 for members and their guests, and on Saturday, March 18 for subscribers and their guests.

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica recently presented the one and only spectacular Broadway legend Chita Rivera in a unique, one-night solo concert event - CHITA: A LEGENDARY CELEBRATION, and I can honestly tell you the girl's still got it and knows exactly how to use it to bring Broadway magic to the stage! The incomparable Tony Award winner recreated signature moments from her legendary career including numbers from Sweet Charity, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie, The Rink, The Visit, and from her electric performance as Anita in the original Broadway premiere of West Side Story which brought her the stardom she so richly deserves.

The Actors' Gang is presenting the groundbreaking multimedia production LYRICS FROM LOCKDOWN, a solo show written and performed by Bryonn Bain and directed by Gina Belafonte, which tells Bryonn Bain's true story of racial profiling and wrongful incarceration at the hands of New York City police and how this experience led to a transformative friendship with death row inmate Nanon Williams. Bain weaves the voices of over 40 characters into an extraordinary, internationally acclaimed tour de force production featuring a live band, performing a fusion of hip hop, theater, spoken word, rhythm and blues, calypso and classical music, to tell Bain's story.

Los Angeles audiences now have the chance to see brilliant performances as The Geffen Playhouse is presenting O'Neill's masterpiece featuring Emmy nominee Jane Kaczmarek and Tony nominee Alfred Molina as leads Mary Cavan Tyrone and James Tyrone, along with Angela Goethals as Cathleen, Stephen Louis Grush as James Tyrone, Jr., and Colin Woodell as Edmund Tyrone. This production marks the first major staging of the classic play in Los Angeles in nearly a decade, and even though it runs almost three and a half hours, each of the actors give amazing performances, making even the longest of scenes riveting to watch thanks to Jeanie Hackett's direction and the actors' skills.

The story of FUGU, a world premiere play written by Howard Teichman and Steven G. Simon which Teichman also directs and produces, takes place at a time just prior to the United States' entry into World War II. Suggested by true events, it recounts the efforts of Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara who assisted in getting 6000 Lithuanian Jews rescued from the clutches of the Nazis and relocated to Kobe, Japan, and the choices which had to be made to ensure their safety.

When we entered The Edye at The Broad Stage to see Jonny Donahoe's solo show EVERY BRIILIANT THING, we were handed pieces of paper with a number and a phrase after being asked if we would be willing to participate when called upon to read the contents when our number was called. Of course, we agreed and so the stage was set for a very fun evening of audience participation theatre in this new play about depression and the lengths we will go to for those we love. In this acclaimed show based on true and untrue stories, a young boy attempts to cure his mother's depression by creating a list of the best things in the world.

I first heard about Kurt Weill's final musical masterpiece, LOST IN THE STARS, when I was studying his body of work during my senior year at CSUN. It was at a time, such as now, when society was being torn apart by opposing political forces, protests filled the streets, and racial inequality was being challenged in the wake of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. And I have been waiting since then to see a production of the "musical tragedy" which opened on Broadway in 1949, just one year prior to Weill's death at age 50, at a time when segregation was still rampant in America. I am thrilled to report my wish came true last weekend at UCLA's Royce Hall when the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, in partnership with CAP UCLA, presented the first Los Angeles performance since the 1950s of LOST IN THE STARS.

Samuel Beckett (1906-1989) is widely recognized as one of the greatest dramatists of the 20th century. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1969, and is best known for his play Waiting for Godot which launched his career in theater. He then went on to write numerous successful full-length plays including Endgame in 1957, Krapp's Last Tape in 1958 and Happy Days in 1960, as well as several short, one-act plays. While his plays may not be for everyone, Beckett's works capture the pathos and ironies of modern life, yet still maintain his faith in man's capacity for compassion and survival no matter how absurd his environment may have become.

Santa Monica's Morgan-Wixson Theatre is sharing the comedy so prevalent in Florence Foster Jenkins performances by presenting "GLORIOUS! the True Story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the Worst Singer in The World" written by Peter Quilter through February 5, 2017. It is a hilarious and heart-warming comedy, somewhat similar to the 2016 film Florence Foster Jenkins starring Meryl Streep. As directed by Anne Gesling, and thanks to the brilliant performance of AnnaLisa Erickson as Florence, we get to know the real woman who truly believes she is the best opera singer in the world - with a remarkable ability to ignore the taunts and laughter from her critics and audiences in the pursuit of her dream. Erickson's ability to overplay Florence's brutally imperfect singing and flamboyant physical style to perfection is captivating.

Almost fifteen years ago, Ronnie Marmo pulled together a group of his most talented friends in Los Angeles and created The 68 Cent Crew Company, after having arrived here with 68 cents in his pocket and a head full of dreams. So, when a company member recently asked him what they could do about terrible current events, and about how our country is dealing with racism, perfect timing intervened the following morning when the play A TIME TO KILL came across his desk, and as the father of an 8- year-old child, Marmo knew he needed to present it.

After Penny Fuller approached Barry Kleinbort to create a musical version of Hatcher's play for her to perform as a cabaret artist, 13 Things About Ed Carpolotti was originally developed at The Eugene O'Neill Theatre Center Cabaret and Performance Conference in Summer 2012 and had its New York premiere in December 2012. The two have a natural affinity for knowing what works well for both of them, and the musical spark between Fuller and her accompanist Paul Greenwood lights up the stage.