Melvin Biteng

The Colony Theatre  will present the Panic! and BarCinBoo production of Footloose the Musical March 1–17.

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.

While there are laughs to be had, nostalgia to be indulged and charm aplenty in Christian Lebano’s production of YaGM Charlie Brown for the Sierra Madre Playhouse, there is also a certain quotient of angst that no bright costumes or cutesy set pieces can disguise.

Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life's great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship.

Charlie Brown and the entire Peanuts gang explore life's great questions as they play baseball, struggle with homework, sing songs, swoon over their crushes, and celebrate the joy of friendship.

Eight brand-new fifteen-minute musicals will have their world premiere on July 18 and 19 at the Broadwater Second Stage in Hollywood. These musicals are a decades-long tradition at New Musicals Inc., and one of the hottest tickets in town.

The Bully Problem opens this Friday, June 14 , 2019 at the The Broadwater - Main Stage. In this award-winning musical from Michael Gordon Shapiro, impassioned nerds face a slew of school bullies head on, with the help of a mostly-functional android.

Zoo Theatre Company will present the World Premiere of 'THE UPCYCLERS - An Earth Saving Musical,' with Book, Music and Lyrics written by Daniel Sugimoto, concept by Julia Lisa and Daniel Sugimoto, starring Julia Lisa and Lexi Eiserman as Rosie Bloom, Carlos R. Chavez as Ralph Berry, Samantha M. Lawrence as Marian, Max Peters as Jack, Melvin Biteng as Mikey, Milton David as Carl Bloom, Spencer Frankeberger as Paul, & Asia Ring as Dr. Petrol under the direction of Daniel Sugimoto. Performances will be presented at the Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Boulevard (located between Wilshire Boulevard and California Avenue), Santa Monica, CA 90403, for a Limited Five-Week Run todays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. on November 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, December 1 and 2, 2018. Tickets can be purchased by calling 323-301-9002 or online at www.thezootheatreco.com

Zoo Theatre Company will present the World Premiere of 'THE UPCYCLERS - An Earth Saving Musical,' with Book, Music and Lyrics written by Daniel Sugimoto, concept by Julia Lisa and Daniel Sugimoto, starring Julia Lisa and Lexi Eiserman as Rosie Bloom, Carlos R. Chavez as Ralph Berry, Samantha M. Lawrence as Marian, Max Peters as Jack, Melvin Biteng as Mikey, Milton David as Carl Bloom, Spencer Frankeberger as Paul, & Asia Ring as Dr. Petrol under the direction of Daniel Sugimoto. Performances will be presented at the Miles Memorial Playhouse, 1130 Lincoln Boulevard (located between Wilshire Boulevard and California Avenue), Santa Monica, CA 90403, for a Limited Five-Week Run on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 p.m. on November 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, December 1 and 2, 2018. Tickets can be purchased by calling 323-301-9002 or online at www.thezootheatreco.com

LETTERS TO EVE's creator Daniel Sugimoto has cast a stage-full of vocal knock-outs to more than ably assist in communicating his loving ode to his grandmother Midori, who was incarcerated in the American concentration camps during WWII. Sugimoto not only details interned life for the imprisoned Japanese-Americans, but cleverly counterpoints with innocents jailed under Nazi rule.

LETTERS TO EVE has been a 7-year labor of love for Daniel Sugimoto, which he started writing for his grandmother, Midori Sugimoto, who grew up in an American Concentration Camp during WWII. Even through their incarceration, Japanese Americans continued on living, loving, and laughing, all life aspects beautifully portrayed through Sugimoto's story and music, especially since he plays the score live onstage during every performance. This epic WWII musical follows a Japanese American family and their plight through forced incarceration and an African American jazz musician captured during Germany's occupation of France, all expressed through the powerful spirit of music. Sugimoto acknowledges, 'In America's current political situation, I also wanted to speak to the fact there are flickers of history repeating, and it is important to hear the lessons of the past to make a better future.'

One of the hottest tickets in Los Angeles every year is the inspiring 15-minute musicals developed at New Musicals Inc. There are seven musicals this year, having their world premiere on June 29, 30, and July 1 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. These musicals are a decades-long tradition at the NMI's Academy for New Musical Theatre.

Michael Sterling (Creator/Executive Producer) and Barbara Van Orden (Sponsor/Co-Executive Producer) proudly presented the critically acclaimed and highly anticipated LA's Next Great Stage Star competitions. The 2015 season began in January, in North Hollywood, CA. at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal.

Loosely patterned after 'an audition process', this 9th annual fully produced event is geared to discovering new talent between the ages of 18 and 32 for the musical theatre stage.

Michael Sterling (Creator/Executive Producer) and Barbara Van Orden (Sponsor/Co-Executive Producer) proudly presented the critically acclaimed and highly anticipated LA's Next Great Stage Star competitions. The 2015 season began this weekend with its launch last Sunday, January 5th, in North Hollywood, CA. at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. Scroll down for photos!