Richard Berent

NICKY AND THE ANGELS, a brand new 1980s-set musical, will make its world premiere at the Second Stage at the Broadwater as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival on June 3, 17 and 18.

Storybook Theatre will present its musical version of the classic story Goldilocks And The Three Bears. There is plenty of audience participation as the children help Goldilocks in the comical forest adventure with the three bears. Goldilocks learns that bears can be people, too.

Storybook Theatre will present its musical version of the classic story Goldilocks and The Three Bears. There is plenty of audience participation as the children help Goldilocks in the comical forest adventure with the three bears.

Storybook Theatre will present its musical version of the classic story Goldilocks And The Three Bears. There is plenty of audience participation as the children help Goldilocks in the comical forest adventure with the three bears.

'IT TAKES TWO: A Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber Birthday Celebration', featuring selections from the song catalogues of both groundbreaking Broadway composers, will be offered Saturday, March 13th, via exclusive live stream.

Theatre West will present Storybook Theatre's musical adaptation of the classic fairy tale, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" on Saturdays at 1 p.m. at 3333 Cahuenga Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90068

Director Dan Fishbach returns to the Odyssey Theatre, following up his smartly-directed JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS from last season, with his equally smartly-directed SIDE BY SIDE BY SONDHEIM. Strong vocals notwithstanding, Fishbach has managed to also feature the comedic underlyings of this Sondheim revue, resulting in laughs at the most delicious of moments.

Chromolume Theatre will present the Neil Bartram/Brian Hill musical The Story of My Life in the 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival, it was announced today. Under the direction of Michael Marchak, the cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Daniel Koh and Andrew Schufman. Music direction is by Richard Berent. The show will run for five performances only at the Hobgoblin Playhouse beginning June 3 at 7:30pm.

For our 86th show we once again celebrate April Fools and all things April Foolish, one of our favorite shows to do. After a year and three months of doing the initial Kritzerland shows, we inaugurated the Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal room on April 1, 2012, so this is our sixth anniversary in the room. That, of course, is reason enough to come but it's also always a wild and wacky show.

INTO THE WOODS may be one of the most popular musicals for those skilled in the art of presenting musical theater comedy. So much so that when Cupcake Studios held auditions for the 17 character roles in the show, over 1,000 people submitted online and in person to be in the show at the North Hollywood theater location. So it is no wonder each and every person in the show creates magic when they take the stage! Kudos to Michael Pettenato, the group's Artistic Director who directs and produces this musical extravaganza, for selecting the best of the best to bring such excellence in all aspects of the production.

On Sunday, February 19 LA's Next Great Stage Star 2017 Presented by Princess Cruises came to an uber exciting conclusion at the Colony Theatre. After a very entertaining 90-minute program in which the 18 contestants gave 150% to their uptempo songs from Broadway shows, thirteen contestants were eliminated and the top five finalists selected during the first intermission. It was then decided, like the last two years from the consensus of the judges, to add a sixth contestant. Then each of the six proceeded to perform a second number after which the distinguished panel of 18 judges made the final decision during the second intermission. Musical director par excellence Richard Berent accompanied at the piano throughout the three hour show.

Loosely patterned after 'an audition process', this 11th annual fully produced event is geared to discovering new talent between the ages of 18 and 32 for the musical theatre stage. This year once again the contest is generously sponsored/presented by Princess Cruises. As has become the standard, approximately 20 contestants compete for the title, a $2500 cash prize, a headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal during the New Year, professional representation in the business of  musical theatre, and other valuable prizes. To date, over a dozen former contestants have already made their Broadway and/or Off-Broadway debuts; while nearly another 100 have either starred in Broadway U.S. National Tours; Regional U.S. Musical Theatre productions; Las Vegas Hotel sit-downs of Broadway Musicals; on board in lavish production shows presented by some of the world's most prestigious cruise lines; or have starred on stages at numerous Southern California Theme Parks such as Disneyland's California Adventure and Lego Land. Internationally, Tokyo Disney is also host to Stage Star talent. 

Actress/singer Maggie Randolph won the prestigious LA's Next Great Stage Star 2016 last winter. Upon witnessing her amazing vocal range and spunky personality laced with oodles of warmth, it is easy to understand why. On Sunday November 20, Randolph premiered her LA Cabaret show Home Again to an SRO audience at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Accompanying her at the piano were musical director Richard Berent, Kerry Fenster on guitar and Ksenia Rozhdestvenskaya on violin. Needless to say, they all made beautiful music together in the hour long set. The entire evening was directed with great fervor by Peter Welkin.

Maggie Randolph, winner of LA's Next Great Stage Star® presented by Princess Cruises, celebrates her 2016 win of the competition with her first ever solo headlining concert "Home Again" at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal Sunday, November 20, 2016. The much anticipated event is directed by Peter Welkin, with Musical Direction by Richard Berent (piano) and musical support by Kerry Fenster (guitar) and Ksenia Rozhdestvenskaya (violin); Special guest stars Sara Gonzales and Charlotte Mary Wen (LA's Next Great Stage Star 2013) will also be featured. Tickets are available at BrownPaperTickets.com.

The Group Rep presents the world premiere musical Love Again, book by Doug Haverty, music by Adryan Russ, lyrics by Russ and Haverty, directed by Kay Cole, produced by Richard Alan Woody and Jon Cortez for The Group Rep, with musical direction by Richard Berent.

The Group Rep presents the world premiere musical Love Again, book by Doug Haverty, music by Adryan Russ, lyrics by Russ and Haverty, directed by Kay Cole, produced by Richard Alan Woody and Jon Cortez for The Group Rep, with musical direction by Richard Berent.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will continue their 2014-2015 season with the 1955 cult classic THE GOLDEN APPLE. The one-night-only concert will take place at the Moss Theatre at New Roads School in Santa Monica on Sunday, February 8, 2015 at 7:00 pm.

Ah, the art of making art! In an excellent adaptation of the 1999 Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Chromolume Theatre steps up to bat with stellar direction from Cate Caplin and boasting a terrific cast through December 21 at their home the Attic Theatre in West LA.

Chromolume Theatre succeeds in putting together a strong cast of five vocally gifted singers to harmoniously perform the collection of Stephen Sondheim songs strung together in the revue Putting It Together.

Chromolume Theatre has announced its final production of 2014, Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, opening tonight, November 14 at 8pm. Devised by Sondheim and Julie McKenzie with music and lyrics by Sondheim and musical direction by Richard Berent, Putting It Together will be directed and choreographed by Ovation Award-winner Cate Caplin. The show will play a strictly limited engagement through December 21 only.