'ENTER LAUGHING', DanceBrazil, POTTED POTTER and More Set for Wallis Annenberg Center's 2014-15 Season
By: BWW News Desk Sep. 08, 2014
The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts announces its theater, music, dance, lectures and Theater for Young Audiences programming for the 2014-2015 Season, which begins October 7-19 with the Edinburgh-based Puppet State Theatre Company production of The Man Who Planted Trees in the Lovelace Studio Theater; and in the Bram Goldsmith Theater a new lecture series in partnership with Writers Bloc, presenting a conversation with Leon Panetta on October 15 and Marsalis Well Tempered: An Evening with Branford Marsalis featuring the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia on October 16.
In the Bram Goldsmith Theater, the theatre programming features the acclaimed Oregon Shakespeare Festival's production of Into the Woods, music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by James Lapine, and directed by Amanda Dehnert, December 2-21 (press opening December 3).
Into the Woods is followed by the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company production of Dunsinane, March 27-April 12 (press opening March 28). Macbeth is dead, long live the King! Under cover of night, an English army has swept through the landscape, killed the tyrant and taken the seat of power. In the Lovelace Studio Theater, The Wallis presents two theatrical events: Enter Laughing -- The Musical, based on the semi-autobiographical novel by iconic writer-comedian Carl Reiner, directed by Stuart Ross (Forever Plaid) February 10-March 1 (opening February 11). The book is by Joseph Stein (Fiddler on the Roof) and the music and lyrics by Stan Daniels. The 2014-2015 Season closes with the hit Long Wharf Theatre and Shakespeare & Company production of Satchmo at the Waldorf May 26-June 2 (opening May 27), starring Obie-winner John Douglas Thompson. In Satchmo at the Waldorf, written by noted Wall Street Journal theatre writer Terry Teachout and directed by Gordon Edelstein, the year is 1971 and Louis Armstrong unwinds backstage after his final concert, recounting and reflecting on the heartbreaks and triumphs of his extraordinary life.ABOUT THE PRODUCTIONS
THEATER The Oregon Shakespeare Festival Production ofINTO THE WOODS
Music & Lyrics by Stephen Sondheim
Book by James Lapine
Originally directed on Broadway by James Lapine
Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick
Directed by Amanda Dehnert
December 2, 2014 (Preview); December 3 - 21, 2014 (Opening Night - December 3)
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Tuesday - Friday at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 3:00 & 8:00 PM; Sunday at 2:00 & 7:00 PM Careful the wish you make! Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Jack (of beanstalk fame), a Baker and his Wife find that out when they each take a journey into the forest that tests how far they would go to make their wishes come true. It's a magical, bewildering place full of witches, wolves, giants and mysterious strangers - where familiar tales get tangled up together. Wishes come true here, but at a price. Even storybook characters must face the music in Sondheim and Lapine's Tony Award-winning musical fractured fairytale that looks beyond "happily ever after." ENTER LAUGHING -- THE MUSICAL
Produced by Special Arrangement with Dan Whitten and Tiger Theatricals
In Association with Carl Reiner
Book by Joseph Stein
Music & Lyrics by Stan Daniels
Directed by Stuart Ross
February 10, 2015 - Preview; February 12 - March 1, 2015 (Opening Night February 11)
Lovelace Studio Theater
Tuesday - Friday Eve at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 3:30 & 8:30 PM; Sunday at 2:30 & 7:30 PM David Kolowitz wants to be a big-time Broadway star -- is that so much to ask? But, oy vey, his parents have plans for him to become a pharmacist! Based on the semi-autobiographical novel and play by iconic writer-comedian Carl Reiner, Enter Laughing -- The Musical centers on the journey of a stage-struck errand boy from the Bronx with dreams of making it big. He encounters the madcap eccentrics that inhabit the Great White Way, in this tuneful adaptation.DUNSINANE
By David Greig
Directed by Roxana Silbert
Presented by the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Shakespeare Company
March 27 at 8:00pm & March 28 at 3:00pm, 2015 - Previews
March 28 - April 12, 2015 (Opening Night March 28 at 8:00pm)
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Tuesday - Friday Eve at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 3:00 & 8:00 PM; Sunday at 2:00 & 7:00 PM Macbeth is dead, long live the King! Under cover of night, an English army has swept through the landscape, killed the tyrant and taken the seat of power. Attempting to restore peace and put in place a new ruler, Siward, the commanding officer, is beset by a brutal guerrilla uprising. Increasingly isolated from his own men and Scottish allies alike, his efforts to restore order appear futile as the situation spins out of control. Dunsinane is a vision of one man's attempt to restore peace in a country ravaged by war. The Long Wharf Theatre and Shakespeare & Company Production of
SATCHMO AT THE WALDORF
By Terry Teachout
Directed by Gordon Edelstein
Starring John Douglas Thompson
May 26, 2015 - Preview
May 28 - June 7, 2015 (Opening Night May 27)
Lovelace Studio Theater
Tuesday - Friday Eve at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 3:30 & 8:30 PM; Sunday at 2:30 & 7:30 PM It's March 1971 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel, and Louis Armstrong has just played one of the final performances of his extraordinary career. Unwinding backstage, he recounts events that transformed him into the world-famous "Satchmo." With no-nonsense manager Joe Glaser at his side, Armstrong kept steady through an era of enormous social change...but at what cost? This is Satchmo at the Waldorf, an absorbing and uplifting new play about the music, struggles and triumphs of the man who invented jazz. Starring Obie-winner John Douglas Thompson as both Armstrong and Glaser in a tour de force performance, this exhilarating production arrives in Los Angeles following smash-hit, sold-out engagements at the Long Wharf Theatre and Shakespeare & Company.LOVE, NOËL: THE LETTERS AND SONGS OF NOËL COWARD
An Entertainment Devised and Written by Barry Day
Directed by Jeanie Hackett
Starring Harry Groener and Emily Bergl
November 29 - December 21, 2014
Lovelace Studio Theater
Thursday - Friday Eve at 8:30 PM; Saturday at 3:30 & 8:30 PM; Sunday at 2:30 PM Following a sold-out engagement last season, Love, Noël, based on Barry Day's book The Letters of Noël Coward, returns just in time for the holidays, starring Harry Groener (Broadway's Crazy for You, Cats and Oklahoma!) as Noël Coward and Emily Bergl ("Shameless," "Desperate Housewives," and "Southland") as the many women who came into his life and influenced his work. Love, Noël, transforms the Lovelace Studio Theater into an intimate lounge for an entertaining performance that interweaves the music of Coward and witty letters between his famous friends across the years. Coward's career as a playwright, composer, director, actor and singer spanned six decades. Known for his wit, flamboyance, his works remain as universal and relevant as ever and continue to influence pop culture today.DANCEKIBBUTZ CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY
November 19 - 21, 2014, Wednesday - Friday at 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company (KCDC) was established in 1970 in Kibbutz Ga'aton, situated in the Western Galilee of northern Israel. Since then, KCDC has established itself as one of the leading dance companies in the world and has developed a thriving and active International Dance Village that is unlike any other. KCDC is widely identified with the work of Artistic Director Rami Be'er whose exclusive and unique choreographic character has become the company's trademark both in Israel and abroad. With its technically strong and physically eclectic cast of dancers and its dynamic sensibility, KCDC characterizes Israeli dance at its best and performs regularly in the most respected theaters and at leading festivals around the world. Performing their 2012 piece entitled If At All a moving theatrical event in figurative and abstract circles, from the closed form to the open structure. Physical space in motion, whose essence is a chain of events of diverse and ever-changing interpersonal relationships.
DANCEBRAZIL
February 6 - 7, 2015, Friday at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 3:00 & 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
For over thirty years, DanceBrazil has thrilled audiences across the United States and throughout the world with its dazzling artistry, which is inspired by the cultural tapestry of Brazil. Whether in the streets or on stage in the most prestigious theaters, the dancers and musicians of DanceBrazil never fail to enthrall audiences with the company's unique fusion of Afro-Brazilian movement, contemporary dance and Capoeira, the traditional dance form that had its origins in Africa and evolved in colonial Brazil.
April 16 - 18, 2015, Thursday - Saturday at 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Following their sold-out debut at The Wallis this past season, Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (BJM) returns with a program of new works. An internationally renowned repertory company led by Artistic Director Louis Robitaille, BJM has continued to grow with all the energy and spirit of exploration for which it has been known since its birth in 1972. While preserving the essence of the company, BJM works today with some of the most prestigious figures in the world of dance and contemporary ballet. Displaying its radiant and expressive style, BJM explores the creative side of contemporary trends, yet is still firmly committed to classical aesthetics, in their unique style which often has an uplifting effect on the soul. MUSICMARSALIS "WELL-TEMPERED": AN EVENING WITH BRANFORD MARSALIS
FEATURING THE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA OF PHILADELPHIA
October 16, 2014, 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Renowned Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and Tony Award nominated composer Branford Marsalis joins the highly celebrated Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia in Marsalis "Well-Tempered", performing Baroque masterpieces by Albinoni, Bach, Handel, Vivaldi and others.DAN ZANES AND FRIENDS
October 19, 2014 at 11:00 AM & 2:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Dan Zanes occupies a unique place in American music where sea shanties, English music hall, North American and West Indian folk music, play party songs and the spirit of early rock n' roll and soulful originals collide. With his band, Dan Zanes and Friends, he has toured the world sharing handmade 21st century social music with enthusiastic crowds of kids and kids at heart. The Grammy Award-winner has been introducing new songs and reconnecting people to songs that have always been there, and still are -- although people may have forgotten about them. Referred to as "the family-music genre's most outspoken and eloquent advocate" by Time magazine, his widely-acclaimed music has all been featured on "Sesame Street," Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, HBO Family and Sprout.KEYBOARD CONVERSATIONS WITH JEFFREY SIEGEL
The Romantic Music of Chopin
January 17, 2015, 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
As an internationally acclaimed pianist, Jeffrey Siegel has toured the globe, appearing as soloist with some of the world's greatest orchestras. With Keyboard Conversations, Siegel performs a brilliantly polished concert-with-commentary in a format where lively, captivating remarks precede virtuoso performances of piano masterpieces. The Romantic Music of Chopin program includes the beloved composer's compositions whose familiar melodies are not only heard in concert halls, but in movie scores and television commercials. Keyboard Conversations is a perfect concert for avid music lovers and newcomers looking for inviting, instant access to the joys of great music.LA SCALA CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
March 19, 2015, 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
The chamber orchestra of Cameristi della Scala was founded in 1982 and is formed by musicians from the Orchestra of Teatro alla Scala. As a leader in the international music scene for over two hundred years, the Teatro alla Scala is a universally recognized symbol of Milan. Cameristi della Scala have performed concerts in the most prestigious theaters and concert halls in the world, leading audiences through a fascinating musical journey that includes the best of Italian instrumental music from the 1700s to the present day. Cameristi della Scala make their debut at The Wallis with a trio of violin, cello and piano for one night only.SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE
April 19, 2015, 7:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
The SFJAZZ Collective is an all-star jazz ensemble comprising eight of the finest performer/composers at work in jazz today. Launched in 2004 by SFJAZZ, the Collective has quickly become one of the most exciting and acclaimed groups on the American and international jazz scenes. As soloists, composers and bandleaders, they represent what's happening now in jazz. More than master instrumentalists, each member is possessed of a totally individual creative voice, working collectively to express a unified musical identity. They also demonstrate that jazz has truly become an international language. Hailing from Puerto Rico, New York, Venezuela, Philadelphia, New Zealand, and Israel, the Collective's multi-cultural lineup mirrors the explosion of jazz talent around the globe. The award-winning all-star SFJAZZ Collective roster includes alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón, tenor saxophonist David Sánchez, vibraphonist Warren Wolf, trumpeter Avishai Cohen, trombonist Robin Eubanks, pianist Edward Simon, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Obed Calvaire.IGOR LEVIT
April 21, 2015, 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Igor Levit began playing piano at age three, and as a child he had his first successes on the concert stage in his hometown of Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. At age eight, his family moved to Hannover, German where he completed his piano studies at Hannover Academy of Music, Theatre and Media in 2009 with the highest academic and performance scores in the history of the institute. He has appeared in major concert halls and music festivals in the world, and has won several international awards, amongst them second prize at the International Maria Callas Grand Prix, Athens (2004), first prize at the International Piano Academy Competition in Hamamatsu (2004), silver medal and three awards at the Arthur Rubinstein International Piano Master Competition in Tel Aviv (2005) and the Luitpold Prize for young artists in Bad Kissingen (2009).BRENTANO STRING QUARTET
May 9, 2015, 8:00 PM
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Named for Antonie Brentano, whom many scholars consider to be Beethoven's "Immortal Beloved," the Brentano String Quartet (Mark Steinberg, violin; Serena Canin, violin; Misha Amory, viola; Nina Lee, cello) was founded in 1992, and has appeared throughout the world to popular and critical acclaim. In addition to performing the entire two-century range of the standard quartet repertoire, the Brentano String Quartet has a strong interest in both very old and very new music. It has performed many musical works pre-dating the string quartet as a medium, among them Madrigals of Gesualdo, Fantasias of Purcell, and secular vocal works of Josquin. Also, the quartet has worked closely with some of the most important composers of our time including Elliott Carter, Charles Wuorinen, Chou Wen-chung, Steven Mackey, Bruce Adolphe, and György Kurtág. In July 2014, Brentano String Quartet was named Artists in Residence at Yale University.THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCESSPECIAL EVENT
POTTED POTTER
The Unauthorized Harry Experience -- A Parody by Dan and Jeff
February 25 - March 1, 2015
Bram Goldsmith Theater
Tuesday - Friday Eve at 8:00 PM; Saturday at 12:00, 3:00 & 8:00 PM; Sunday at 12:00, 2:00 & 7:00 PM Playing to sold-out houses all over the world, the Olivier Award nominated POTTED POTTER - The Unauthorized Harry Experience -- A Parody by Dan and Jeff takes on the ultimate challenge of condensing all seven Harry Potter books (and a real life game of Quidditch) into seventy hilarious minutes. Even if you don't know the difference between a horcrux and a Hufflepuff, POTTED POTTER will make you roar with laughter. Created by two-time Olivier Award-nominated actors Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner, POTTED POTTER is perfect for ages six to Dumbledore (who is very old indeed). Puppet State Theatre Company
THE MAN WHO PLANTED TREES
Adapted from Jean Giono's story by Ailie Cohen, Richard Medrington and Rick Conte
Directed by Ailie Cohen
October 7 - 19, 2015
Lovelace Studio Theater
Saturday at 12:00, 2:30 & 5:00 PM; Sunday at 12:00 & 2:30PM This multi-sensory theatrical adaptation of Jean Giono's environmental classic tells the inspiring story of a shepherd who plants a forest, acorn by acorn, transforming a barren wasteland. As much a touching tale as it is a hilarious puppet show, The Man Who Planted Trees shows us the difference one man (and his dog!) can make to the world.
Recommended age 7+/Running time 65 minutes. Erfreuliches TheatErfurt
THE QUEEN OF COLORS
Based on the book by Jutta Bauer
January 5 - 18, 2015
Lovelace Studio Theater
Friday at 6:00 PM; Saturday at 12:00 & 2:30 PM; Sunday at 12:00 & 2:30PM Color takes on a giant rainbow of meaning in a smart and sweet tale for young children. Based on the children's book by German author Jutta Bauer, The Queen of Colors uses ingenious puppetry to weave a simple story about kindness and originality. The Court Painter, who is accompanied by a Court Musician, creates vivid backdrops for the feisty little puppet queen as she ventures into her kingdom to experience the personalities of each color of the rainbow. We soon learn that while fun comes in all colors, too much of a good thing can turn into a mucky, yucky mess. Full of kaleidoscopic wonder and vivid imagination, The Queen of Colors, is a whimsical story about choosing not to color within the lines and unleashing creativity. Winners of the Children's Jury Award at the International Puppet Theater Festival, Germany's Erfreuliches TheatErfurt makes its West Coast debut with a delightful production that weaves music, painting and puppetry.
Recommended age 4-7 / Running time 45 minutes. Catherine Wheels Theatre Company
LIFEBOAT
By Nicola McCartney
Directed by Gill Robertson
March 10 - 22, 2015
Lovelace Studio Theater
Friday at 6:00 PM; Saturday at 12:00 & 2:30 PM; Sunday at 12:00 & 2:30PM Lifeboat is the extraordinary true tale of Bess Walder and Beth Cummings, who in 1940 set sail on a ship from Liverpool to Canada to escape the relentless bombing and dangers of war-torn Britain. Four days into the journey, their ship The City of Benares was torpedoed and sank. Bess and Beth spent nineteen terrifying hours in the water on an upturned lifeboat through a pounding storm, living to tell their story of survival and friendship. This new production from the extraordinary Catherine Wheels Theatre Company is recommended for ages 10+ and runs 70 minutes.ARTS & IDEAS: CONVERSATIONS AT THE WALLISWriters Bloc and The Wallis present: Leon Panetta
October 15, 2014, 8:00 PM Leon Panetta served in the Barack Obama administration as Director of the Central Intelligence Agency from 2009 to 2011 and as Secretary of Defense from 2011 to 2013. His book Worthy Fights: A Memoir of Leadership in War and Peace will be released October 7.Writers Bloc and The Wallis present: Dick Cavett
November 6, 2014Dick Cavett is widely regarded as one of the foremost interviewers of our time, having appeared as a talk show host on American broadcast television from the 1960s through the 2000s. His book Brief Encounters: Conversations, Magic Moments, and Assorted Hijinks, will be released on October 28.Neiman Marcus and The Wallis present: Designer as Dramatist - The Intersection of Fashion & Theater
Spring 2015
Ken Downing, Fashion Director, Neiman MarcusKen Downing is credited for re-inventing Neiman Marcus of Beverly Hills, and has appeared as a fashion industry expert on the "Oprah Winfrey Show," "The Rachel Zoe Project" and "Project Runway All-Stars."
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