Los Angeles Interviews

Gloria Calderón Kellett’s One of the Good Ones is nearing the end of its world premiere run at the Pasadena Playhouse, closing April 7, 2024. Kimberly Senior directs the cast led by Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez and featuring Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham and Santino Jimenez. Finally got to pin down Carlos to answer a few of my queries....

Katierose Donohue Enriquez's multi-award-winning Queen of Fishtown returns to Los Angeles for three nights at The Groundlings beginning April 12, 2024. Corey Podell directs Katierose in her love letter to Philly....

BroadwayWorld spoke with Broadway alumn Megan McGinnis about coming back to SoCal, doing an exorcism in front of her 7-year-old son, and keeping a straight face while acting alongside Justin Collette’s Beetlejuice.  ...

The world premiere of John Strysik’s Power and Light is currently running in rep at Theatre 40. Jeff G. Rack directs this story of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla in the beginnings of electricity with the cast of David Hunt Stafford, Eric Keitel, Warren Davis, John Combs, Richard Large, Bailey Castle...

When director Ron Sossi elected to present Stalin’s Master Class at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble for the second time, he was aware that audiences might respond differently to the production than they did to the previous staging 37 years ago....

The west coast premiere of James Ijames’ 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning Fat Ham opened April 4, 2024, at the Geffen Playhouse. Sideeq Heard directs the talented cast of Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Marcel Spears, Benja Kay Thomas and Matthew Eli...

Currently at Rogue Machine, the Los Angeles Premiere of Christian St. Croix’ Monsters of the American Cinema, which just opened April 6, 2024, at the Matrix Theatre. Rogue Machine’s producing artistic director John Perrin Flynn directs the cast of Kevin Daniels and Logan Leonardo Arditty. John took ...

Katierose Donohue Enriquez's multi-award-winning Queen of Fishtown returns to Los Angeles for three nights at The Groundlings beginning April 12, 2024. Corey Podell directs Katierose in her love letter to Philly....

For over a decade, The Getty has hosted its Villa Theater Lab series, an exciting forum for reinterpreting classical theater. These workshops feature new translations of Greek and Roman plays and contemporary works inspired by ancient literature. Their latest offering, Aristotle/Alexander, explores ...

Broadway legend Patti LuPone performs her first solo show A Life in Notes with the LA Opera April 20, 2024, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Patti’s long-time musical director Joseph Thalken took some time between their second and third tour stops (respectively, Morristown, New Jersey’s Mayo Perfor...

Donald Margulies’ 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Dinner With Friends opens April 5, 2024 at the Zephyr for a limited engagement (with a preview April 4th).  Peter Allas directs the cast of: Jack Esformes, Marieh Delfino, Leith Burke, Amy Motta, Chala Savino and Rick Segall. Leith found time amidst...

Founded in 1993 by Adilah Barnes and Miriam Reed, the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival holds the distinction of being the oldest Annual Solo Festival in Los Angeles celebrating powerful women performers. The 31st annual Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival, directed by Jessica Lynn Johnson, has ...

Next up for East West Players, Lisa Sanaye Dring’s Kairos opening April 7, 2024 (with previews beginning April 4th). Jesca Prudencio directs the cast of Sylvia Kwan (as Gina), Gerard Joseph (as David) with Ren Hanami, William L. Warren, Julie Zhan and Zachary Bones. Amidst her rehearsals, Sylvia fou...

The North American tour of Funny Girl lands in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson April 2, 2024, and later at Segerstrom May 28. 2024. Tony Award winner Michael Mayer directs the cast of Melissa Manchester, Katerina McCrimmon, Stephen Mark Lukas, Izaiah Montaque Harris, Walter Coppage. Leah Platt, Cindy Ch...

Howard Skora’s Freud On Cocaine returns to the Whitefire Theater March 29, 2024, after a repeatedly extended run just last year. Playwright Howard also directs his cast of: Jonathan Slavin, Barry Brisco, Aaron LaPlante, Mitch Rosander, Sara Maraffino, Sigute Miller and Amy Smallman-Winston....

Currently at Pacific Resident Theatre, Wolf Mankowitz’ The Bespoke Overcoat which opened March 9, 2024. Marilyn Fox & Dana Jackson co-direct the cast of: Harry Herman, Robert Lesser, Bruce Nozick and Tobias Echeverria. Had the chance to cover Bruce with some queries on bespoking his Overcoat. ...

DRAG: The Musical, written by drag superstar Alaska Thunderfuck (with Tomas Costanza and Ashley Gordon), will be returning to The Bourbon Room March 15, 2024 on its way to its New York debut. Emmy-nominated Spencer Liff again directs and choreographs, this time with the cast of Alaska, Nick Adams, J...

The Whitefire Theatre world premieres Pedro Antonio Garcia’s The Witness Room March 23, 2024. Whitefire Theatre’s artistic director Bryan Rasmussen directs the cast of: Tricia Small, Dave Baez, Louie Liberti and Mitch Rosander. Pedro found time from preproduction to answer a few of my queries....

Leo Frank led a comfortable life as a Jewish American in New York City who transferred to Marietta, Georgia to manage his wife’s uncle’s pencil factory. In 1912, he was accused of raping and murdering one of the young factory girls during the town’s July 4th parade, and was brought to trial where he...

Nick Ullett’s The Birthday Party: A Theatrical Catastrophe world premiered March 2, 2024 at the Rogue Machine at the Matrix. Lisa James directs Nick in his real-life account of the cancellation of The Birthday Party in 2014. After a successful opening weekend, Nick found some time to answer a few of...

The consistently busy musical director Michael Orland books gigs on both coasts juggling the multitude of vocalists all vying to have his piano expertise to accompany them. One of his next shows in Los Angeles will be his Open Mic Event at the Write-Off Room March 22, 2024. Michael managed to answer...

Panic! Productions & BarCinBoo Productions’ Footloose the Musical will open at the Colony Theatre March 2, 2024 (with previews beginning March 1st). Barry Pearl directs with co-director/choreographer Michelle Elkin. Barry managed to free up some time to give me some behind-the-scenes of Footloose....

The world premiere of Kristen Adele Calhoun’s Black Cypress Bayou has already begun at the Geffen Playhouse. Tiffany Nichole Greene directs the cast of: Amber Chardae Robinson, Brandee Evans, Angela Lewis and Kimberly Scott. After a successful opening weekend, Kristen managed to find some time to an...

Catya McMullen (pictured), a native New Yorker, now finds herself at home in Los Angeles. While working in film and television, her life-long love of theater inspired her to write plays. The world premiere of Arrowhead is her first being presented here, produced by IAMA at Atwater Village Theatre, d...

Luke Yankee’s Marilyn, Mom & Me world premieres February 16, 2024, at the International City Theatre. Written by Luke, he also directs the cast of Laura Gardner, Alisha Soper, Jacquelin Lorraine Schofield, Brian Rohan and Noah Wagner....

A Noise Within puts their unique spin on Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler’s Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street opening February 17, 2024 (with previews starting February 11th). ANW’s co-producing artistic director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs the cast of: Geoff Elliott, James Everts,...

Matthew Bourne’s Romeo + Juliet will have its North American Premiere at the Ahmanson January 31, 2024 (with previews starting January 28th). Matthew directs and choreographs his cast of 27 New Adventures dancers. Matthew managed to answer a few of my queries on the phone amidst the background of po...

Playwright Selina Fillinger’s POTUS Or, Behind Every Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive will be having its Los Angeles premiere at the Geffen Playhouse January 25, 2024 (with previews already started). Jennifer Chambers directs the cast of Ito Aghayere, Alexandra Billings, Lauren Blume...

Rogue Artists Ensemble starts up their 2024 season with a one-night fundraiser Carousel of Fools at the Santa Monica Pier January 25, 2024. Known for its interactive, immersive, site-specific shows with puppetry, Rogue Artists Ensemble will be an interactive, immersive carnival experience utilizing ...

Rogue Machine Theatre starts off their 2024 season with the West Coast premiere of Juan José Alfonso’ Middle of the World opening January 27, 2024, at the Matrix Theatre. Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of Cheryl Umaña, Christian Telesmar, Leandro Cano, Jennifer Pollono and Dan Lin. Guillermo ...

John Ross Bowie’s Brushstroke world premieres at the Odyssey January 27, 2024 (with previews beginning January 23rd). Casey Stangl directs the cast of James Urbaniak, Malcolm Barrett, Brendan Hines and Brendan Hines. James took some time from rehearsals to answer a few of my queries....

Renee O’Connor is perhaps best known as Gabrielle from the popular TV Show Xena Warrior Princess. Along with her roles in many movies, she is now stepping into the role of director for Encore Production’s Matilda, a musical extravaganza featuring cast members of all ages and backgrounds at the Redon...

Next up for the Ruskin Group Theatre, two shows in tandem – John Colella’s An Extraordinary Ordinary Man and Paul Linke’s It’s Only a Show!, both opening January 13, 2024. Got the chance to ask Ruskin’s producing artistic director Michael Myers a few questions on Ruskin’s current shows and early beg...

A long-time collaborator with Charles Nelson Reilly, Paul Linke has co-written It’s Only a Show!, performing as the popular comedian in his one-man tribute to Charles Nelson Reilly. This solo show directed by Edward Edwards opens January 13, 2024 at the Ruskin Group Theatre, 5pm curtain, in tandem w...

The Verdi Chorus, the only choral group in Southern California that focuses primarily on the dramatic and diverse music for opera chorus, continues to celebrate its 40th Anniversary season by presenting its first full-length opera, Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana for one performance only at t...

Black queer playwright/actress Carolyn Ratteray’s one-woman show Both And (a play about laughing while black) returns to Los Angeles opening at The Wallis January 17, 2024 (with previews starting January 13th). Before the holiday rush, Carolyn found some time to answer a few of my queries....

Alison Arngrim’s long-running one-woman show Confession of a Prairie Bitch opens the Sierra Madre Playhouse’s 100th anniversary season January 19, 2024. Alison took some time from all her charity work and writing to answer a few of my queries....

Debbie Allen presents Camille A. Brown & Dancers: ink January 12th and 13th at The Wallis. ink “explores self-empowerment, Black love, brotherhood, and resilience that examines aspects of Black life that are too often appropriated, rewritten, or silenced.” I had the chance to chat with director/chor...

The 6th Act world premieres Matthew Leavitt’s SUKKOT opening January 13, 2024; at the Skylight Theatre. Joel Zwick directs the cast of Natalie Lander, Liza Seneca, Andy Robinson and Jonathan Slavin. A regular familiar face on the Los Angeles stages, Natalie carved out some time to answer a few of my...

Theatre 40’s hit immersive drama The Manor- Murder and Madness at Greystone returns for its nineteenth season at the Greystone Mansion January 18, 2024.  Martin Thompson directs the cast of Darby Hinton, Eric Keitel, Daniel Leslie, Carol Potter, Nathalie Rudolph, David Hunt Stafford, Amy Tolsky, Joh...

A new Pasadena Playhouse holiday tradition begins with the premiere of Tony nominee Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair’s Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular running December 14th through December 23rd. Sam directs the cast of MaryAnn Hu, Lesli Margherita, George Salazar and Jason Michael Snow. I had t...

Next up at the Ahmanson, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul’s A Christmas Story opening December 8, 2023 (with previews beginning December 5th). Matt Lenz directs the cast of Chris Carsten, Eric Petersen, Sabrina Sloan, Shelley Regner, Kai Edga, and Henry Witcher; with ensemble members Steven-Adam Agdeppa, ...