Bill Brochtrup News

This Spotlight focuses on Simon Levy who began his directing career in San Francisco, then moved to Los Angeles in 1990 where he has been the Producing Director for the Fountain Theatre since 1993. His directing and producing credits are numerous, with over 100 productions in Los Angeles and San Francisco that have won more than 200 awards. His journey has been blessed with having wonderful mentors along the way, which has enabled the talented director to earn his living doing theatre and earned him great respect from the entire L.A. Theatre community.

Season 2 of After Forever picks up 6 months after Season 1 ended. Brian (2019 Emmy Award winner, Kevin Spirtas) is dating David (Mike McGowan) with whom he was set up at the end of Season 1 by his late husband's parents, Frannie and Carl (2019 Emmy Award nominee Anita Gillette, and Lenny Wolpe).

This Spotlight focuses on Bill Brochtrup who rose to TV stardom as PAA John Irvin on the ABC television drama NYPD Blue and continues to dazzle audiences as an actor, most recently in the Ovation Award-wining DANIEL'S HUSBAND at the Fountain Theatre, and planning programming for the Antaeus Theatre Company in Glendale as its Artistic Director. And when he can find the time, Bill enjoys traveling around the world and hiking in some of the most beautiful places on Earth.

In these crazy, safe-distancing times; I reached out earlier this week to various heads of Los Angeles theatres to see how they and their theatre families are holding up. The replies were amazing in their quickness, numbers and uniform positivity.

A standing room crowd gathered for a Season 2 Premiere launch last week at The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre including Sam Harris, Bill Brochtrup, Lawrence Zarian, Gregory Zarian, Todd Sherry, Christopher J Hanke, Nick Adams, and Tony Award winning producer for Dear Evan Hansen, Scott Mauro.

The 30th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Monday, January 13, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown LA.

a?oeSome rise by sin and some by virtue fall.a?? The fine lines between justice and mercy, lust and love, forgiveness and retribution are exposed when Antaeus Theatre Company presents William Shakespeare's dark comedy, Measure for Measure. Armin Shimerman and Elizabeth Swain co-direct for a Feb. 21 opening at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through April 6. Low-priced previews begin Feb. 13.

A German Jewish refugee is haunted by her past, but resiliently moves toward the future. Antaeus Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Eight Nights, a story developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab that honors the global refugee experience. Written by Jennifer Maisel and directed by Emily Chase, Eight Nights opens at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale on Nov. 8, where performances continue through Dec. 16. Low-priced previews begin Oct. 31.

A German Jewish refugee is haunted by her past, but resiliently moves toward the future.Antaeus Theatre Company presents the world premiere of Eight Nights, a story developed in the Antaeus Playwrights Lab that honors the global refugee experience. Written by Jennifer Maiseland directed by Emily Chase, Eight Nights opens at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale on Nov. 8, where performances continue through Dec. 16. Low-priced previews begin Oct. 31.

a?oeIf you have doubts about your identity, contact Las Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo.a?? So read billboards across Argentina, where thousands of people were a?oedisappeareda?? between 1976 and 1983 under a brutal military dictatorship. Questions of truth and identity are explored when Antaeus Theatre Company presents theWest Coast premiere ofStephanie Alison Walker's striking new play, The Abuelas. Andi Chapman directs for anOct. 11 opening at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through Nov. 25. Low-priced previews begin Oct. 3.

Two venerable Los Angeles intimate theaters will each host a Mueller Report Read-A-Thon, offering Angelenos the opportunity to hear the Mueller Report read aloud, in its entirety, on either side of the City. The Fountain Theatre in East Hollywood will host a single, 15-hour event on Thursday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to midnight. The Odyssey Theatre Ensemble in West L.A. will hold a separate marathon reading, breaking it up into two 8-hour sessions on Monday, July 22 and Tuesday, July 23, each from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Admission to both Read-A-thons is free and open to the public.

Best known for its productions of classical theater, Antaeus Theatre Company will try something different in 2019-20, kicking off the season at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale with two new plays that will run in repertory this fall, then following up with two classical works in 2020.

The Fountain Theatre's Southern California premiere of DANIEL'S HUSBAND has brought together a not-oft-enough, ideal convergence of uniformly talent of talents - with witty, realistic, heart-rendering dialogue by playwright Michael McKeever; sturdy, even-paced directing by Simon Levy; first-rate technical elements; and a pitch, pitch-perfect cast of five actors, each at the top of their individual games.

There is the rule of law, and there are the laws of the heart. Which do we follow and when? The Fountain Theatre presents the funny, passionate and poignantSouthern California premiere of Daniel's Husband, the 2018 off-Broadway hit play byMichael McKeever that was hailed as "compelling" by The New York Times, "emotionally charged" by the Huffington Post and "beautiful and powerful" by the Daily Beast. Opening night is set for May 4, with performances continuing through June 23. Pay-what-you-want previews begin May 1.

When poorly paid worker Diana inherits enough money to free her from a lifetime of drudgery, she impulsively decides to spend it all on a madcap, month-long taste of the high-life. But what she learns about love, money and society may surprise us all. Antaeus Theatre Companypresents a rare revival of the 1908 romantic comedyDiana of Dobson's byBritish suffragist (and friend of George Bernard Shaw) Cicely Hamilton.Casey Stangl directs a partner-cast ensemble for an April 18 and April 19opening (one opening night for each cast) at theKiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through June 3. Low-priced previews begin April 11.

ABC has given a formal pilot order to the reboot of Dick Wolf's New York Undercover, according to Deadline.

Fabien Frankel has been cast as the lead in the upcoming 'NYPD Blue' sequel set at ABC, according to Variety. Frankel will play Theo Sipowicz in the pilot.

The Fountain Theatre has announced a 2019-20 season of vibrant, thought-provoking, fresh and funny new work by a diverse group of playwrights, each of whom explores important social and cultural issues from a wholly unique perspective.

Dreams are in short supply on the island of Inishmaan, especially for Billy Claven, orphaned and crippled since birth. Antaeus Theatre Company presents The Cripple of Inishmaan, a darkly comic Irish yarn by master storyteller Martin McDonagh. Steven Robman directs a partner-cast ensemble for a Jan. 24 and Jan. 25 opening (one opening night for each cast) at the Kiki & David Gindler Performing Arts Center in Glendale, where performances continue through March 11. Low-priced previews begin Jan. 17.

Ensemble Theatre Company's production of The Legend of Georgia McBride, directed by Jenny Sullivan, avoids the landmines. It's neither preachy nor offensive, and it tells a story of redemption that's timely, socially relevant, and charming. The show takes place over the period of a year, starting and ending around Christmas, an appropriate staging choice for a piece with such a clear connection to the general themes of the yuletide season. Georgia McBride is about family, forgiveness, celebration, and general joy to the world.