Cassie Simone

Snehal Desai, Producing Artistic Director of East West Players (EWP) the nation’s longest-running Asian American theater and the largest producer of Asian American theatrical works, has announced the extension of the world premiere musical On This Side of the World.

Next up at East West Players, the world premiere of On This Side of the World co-produced with FilAm ARTS and opening May 14, 2023 (with previews beginning May 11th). Noam Shapiro directs the cast of Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Zandi De Jesus, Michael C. Palma, Cassie Simone, Andrea Somera and Shaun Tuazon, with understudies Melvin Biteng and Justine Rafael. East West Players alumni Michael took some time from his rehearsals and photography to answer a few of my queries.

East West Players, the nation’s longest-running Asian American theater and the largest producer of Asian American theatrical works will present the world premiere of On This Side of the World.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT opened the first show of their 2021-2022 season, the West Coast premiere of the madcap murder mystery, CLUE.

Based on the well-known board game distributed in North America by Parker Brothers (which was later folded into toy and game manufacturer Hasbro) that itself inspired a cult 1985 Paramount Pictures film of the same name written and directed by Jonathan Lynn, CLUE--the stage play--features the same infamous names and, yes, weapons and rooms synonymous with the classic whodunnit game. Writer Sandy Rustin, along with additional writers Hunter Foster and Eric Price, have revived the same colorful characters and personalities of the film and have transposed them into a madcap, 90-minute puzzle that's mostly silly and engagingly fun. The comedy's West Coast Premiere production continues at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through October 17, 2021.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment will west coast premiere playwright Sandy Rustin’s adaptation of Jonathan Lynn’s screenplay CLUE September 24, 2021. Prolific director Casey Hushion steers a cast of Jeff Skowron, Heather Ayers, Ted Barton, Mary Birdsong, Sarah Hollis, John Shartzer, Cassie Simone, Harrison White, Rachel McLaughlan, Michael Cavinder, and James Tolbert. Had the opportunity to learn some behind-the-scenes of CLUE and other productions Casey has worked on.

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the first show of their 2021-2022 season, the West Coast premiere of the madcap murder mystery, CLUE, based on the screenplay by Jonathan Lynn, written by Sandy Rustin, with additional material by Hunter Foster and Eric Price, and based on the Paramount Pictures motion picture and the Hasbro board game 'Clue,' with original music by Michael Holland and directed by Casey Hushion.

East West Players, the nation's longest running theatre of color and largest producer of Asian American theatrical work, is proud to announce a series of special partnerships with Asian AF (the comedy variety show created by Upright Citizens Brigade Member Will Choi), and Crazy Talented Asians (the variety talent showcase created by Singer/Songwriter AJ Rafael) that will bring two multi-day events to the David Henry Hwang Theater in the Little Tokyo district of Downtown Los Angeles.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (celebrating its 25thSilver Anniversary at the theatre) in association with T&D Productions, LLC are thrilled to present Mary Bridget Davies, Broadway's original "Janis" starring in her Tony nominated performance A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, with choreography by Patricia Wilcox, musical direction by Brent Crayon, and created, written & directed by Randy Johnson. A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN will preview on Friday, September 14, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 15 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 7, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre presents critical and audience favorite Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, original production staged by Albert Marre, originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James, and based on Cervantes' Don Quixote. ANW Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs. La Mancha performs August 16 - September 9, 2018 (Press Opening August 18).

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre presents critical and audience favorite Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, original production staged by Albert Marre, originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James, and based on Cervantes' Don Quixote. ANW Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs. La Mancha performs August 16 - September 9, 2018 (Press Opening August 18).

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre presents critical and audience favorite Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, original production staged by Albert Marre, originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James, and based on Cervantes' Don Quixote. ANW Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs. La Mancha performs August 16 - September 9, 2018 (Press Opening August 18).

George M. Cohan has been attributed to being the father of the American Musical, whose works are the very roots of Broadway and musical theater that we know today. Without his numerous contributions to the American theater, Broadway as we all know it probably wouldn't even exist. This is the idea that's drummed rather loudly and patriotically by the ending of YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, the 2004 stage musical now in the midst of its Southern California regional premiere via Musical Theatre West. A fairly entertaining, if inescapably old-fashioned jukebox musical that paints rather broad strokes rather than giving a deep dive into Cohan's life story, this new production continues performances at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through July 22, 2018.

Previous attempts have been made to bring George M. Cohan's life to the stage. None is remembered, however, as much as the 1942 film starring James Cagney. Book writer David Armstrong has constructed a much more realistic account of Yankee Doodle Dandy, tryimg to avoid the traps of Hollywood glamor and tinsel, currently onstage at MTW Long Beach at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts through July 22 In spite of the fantastic cast and sturdy direction and scintillating choreography by James Rocco, it turns in a rather weak account of the father of the American musical comedy (1878-1942). Not that you shouldn't see it; go for the cast and the sheer entertainment value of the music alone that set the scene for Rodgers nd Hammerstein and others to follow.

Celebrate America and the beginnings of our country's musical theatre history with a new look at the life of George M. Cohan in the Southern California premiere of Musical Theatre West's (MTW) production of Yankee Doodle Dandy! at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center July 6-22, 2018.  For tickets go to www.musical.org, call (562) 856-1999 ext. 4 or visit the MTW Ticket Office.  Tickets start at $20.

Jennifer Foster (Off-Broadway's IF THERE IS I HAVEN'T FOUND IT YET, Michael Arden's MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG, Hollywood Bowl HAIR & MAMMA MIA) releases the first of Foster the Art's Live Sessions: 'Coldwater Canyon'. Foster the Art is a group of Los Angeles based artists and musicians who volunteer their time and skills to raise money and awareness for charitable causes through live music.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the fourth show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with SOUTH PACIFIC, book by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan (adapted from the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "Tales of the South Pacific" by James A. Michener), music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by Peggy Hickey and directed by Glenn Casale.  SOUTH PACIFIC will preview on Friday, April 20, 2018 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 21 at 8pm) and run through Sunday, May 13, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

A Noise Within (ANW), the acclaimed classical repertory theatre presents critical and audience favorite Man of La Mancha by Dale Wasserman, music by Mitch Leigh and lyrics by Joe Darion, original production staged by Albert Marre, originally produced by Albert W. Selden and Hal James, and based on Cervantes' Don Quixote. ANW Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott directs. La Mancha performs August 16 - September 9, 2018 (Press Opening August 18).

Powerful, poignant and timely as ever, LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT presented the fourth show of its 2016-2017 season, the most acclaimed musical of all time, WEST SIDE STORY, book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by John Todd and directed by Ovation award-winner Richard Israel.

Perfection! A Noise Within produces a stunning, modernistic, most entertaining take on MAN OF LA MANCHA, the tale of Don Quixote and his man servant Sancho during the sixteenth century Spanish Inquisition. Co-Producing Artistic Director Julia Rodriguez-Elliott most skillfully directs her very talented cast of thirteen staging them in non-stop action.