Larry Cedar News

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is delighted to present French Stewart and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in the wonderfully comic HARVEY, written by Mary Chase and directed by Andrew Barnicle.  Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, "We could not think of a better play to end our 98th season with than HARVEY, starring French and Vanessa Claire Stewart under the inspired direction of Andrew Barnicle. French Stewart will be the perfect Elwood, a role he has always wanted to play! Our subscribers and audiences are going to go crazy with laughter and believe in very tall rabbits once more!"

LAGUNA PLAYHOUSE is delighted to present French Stewart and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in the wonderfully comic HARVEY, written by Mary Chase and directed by Andrew Barnicle. Comments Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard, "We could not think of a better play to end our 98th season with than HARVEY, starring French and Vanessa Claire Stewart under the inspired direction of Andrew Barnicle. French Stewart will be the perfect Elwood, a role he has always wanted to play!

The musical is a send-up of the cult classic movie and other sci-fi films and TV shows of the 1950s, melded with plot elements from "The Tempest" along with dialogue bits from multiple Shakespeare plays. That was part of the fun for me, catching so many Shakespearean quotes perfectly placed in the dialogue of Bob Carlton's musical set on a spaceship sometime in the future, featuring a galaxy of 1950's and 1960's rock and roll classics including "Wipeout," "Good Vibrations," "Great Balls of Fire," "All Shook Up," "Monster Mash" and "We Gotta Get Out of this Place." And what an outrageously fabulous band under the musical direction of Trevor Wheetman and Omar D. Brancato, both of whom rocked the house on guitars while believably playing Ensign crew members onstage.

Get ready to blast off as Rubicon Theatre Company presents the hilarious, out-of-this-world musical RETURN TO THE FORBIDDEN PLANET, returning to Ventura after its acclaimed run in 2016. Winner of the Olivier Award for Best Musical, this fabulously campy send-up of "Forbidden Planet" and other sci-fi films and TV shows of the 1950s and 1960's melds plot elements from The Tempestwith language from multiple plays by Shakespeare. Set on a spaceship sometime in the future, the show features a galaxy of rock-and-roll classics, including "Wipeout," "Good Vibrations," "Great Balls of Fire," "All Shook Up, and "Monster Mash." The jukebox musical spoof rockets into orbit just in time for Halloween - with a gala costume party on Saturday, October 20 at 7:00 p.m. followed by an after-party at Rhumb Line on the Harbor. Low-priced previews are October 17-19. The show runs Wednesdays through Sundays through November 4.

KPFK Radio's Arts in Review, Los Angeles's longest-running radio showcase on live theater and cabaret, airs Fridays (2-2:30pm) on KPFK 90.7FM. Today, Sep 7, Julio hosts Valerie Perri and Larry Cedar from Reprise 2.0's staging of the musical, The World Goes Round, currently performing though Sep 16 at The Freud Playhouse at UCLA

Somewhere between its opening of SWEET CHARITY in late June and the end of July, Reprise 2.0 postponed its second scheduled production of its inaugural season, VICTOR/VICTORIA. In its place, the company has mounted a revival of Kander & Ebb's musical revue, THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND, and, while it isn't a rarely revived book musical, which has always been Reprise's focus in the past, it does contain a score derived from some of the best songs in the classic Kander & Ebb catalogue (think CHICAGO and CABARET).

Following Reprise's successful re-launch (as the newly christened REPRISE 2.0) with a crowd-pleasing SWEET CHARITY, REPRISE 2.0 mounts THE WORLD GOES 'ROUND on the Freud Playhouse boards beginning September 5, 2018. We had the chance to chat with one of WORLD's talented cast members, theatre vet Valerie Perri on being back with Reprise, while hitting highlights of her extensive theatrical career.

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, presented in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, performing at UCLA Freud Playhouse, announces casting for Grand Hotel performing October 24 to November 4, as well as a new 2-show FlexPass for $99, now on sale at Reprise2.org and by phone at 866-811-4111.

REPRISE 2.0, led by Producing Artistic Director Marcia Seligson, in association with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television Department of Theater (UCLA TFT) chaired by Brian Kite, announces Dawnn Lewis (This Is Us, Major Crimes and IZombie), Valerie Perri (LA Shubert Theatre Evita, Jerome Robbins' Broadway) Larry Cedar (Deadwood), Kelley Dorney (Annie at Hollywood Bowl) and Michael Starr (Bright Star national tour) for its production of The World Goes 'Round with music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb and conceived by Scott Ellis, Susan Stroman, and David Thompson. It will play September 5 through September 16 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse.  

Larry Cedar's one-man stage adaptation, NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND (based on the Fyodor Dostoevsky novel) was awarded BEST ONE-PERSON SHOW (Drama) and BEST DIRECTOR ONE-PERSON SHOW (Pamela Cedar) at last evening's 2017 NoHo Fringe Festival Award Ceremony, beating out strong contender Joe Mantegna and his production, I'm Not a Comedian, I'm Lenny Bruce in both categories. NOTES will now return by popular demand for two encore performances on December 22nd and 23rd.

Enter the existential world of Fyodor Dostoevsky through Larry Cedar's original one-man stage adaptation of the acclaimed novel, NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND, now playing November 2nd, 9th, and 16th at The Sherry Theater in North Hollywood as a featured production of the 2017 NoHo Fringe Festival.

What would it be like if dogs could speak? That's one question that is answered in A. R. Gurney's 1995 play Sylvia, which deals with much more than just a man and his dog.  Sylvia is currently playing through Sunday, May 7 at the Rubicon Theatre Company Ventura. 

Pericles marks the 24th Shakespearean production for the Porters on their quest to completing the canon. Artistic Director Charles Pasternak returns to the directing chair and Leon Russom to the boards. They last worked together on 2014's production of Henry V, a critical and audience hit, which received Ovation, BroadwayWorld, and Valley Theatre Award nominations. Scroll down for a first look at the cast in action below!

The dog days of summer arrive early this year, as Rubicon Theatre Company presents a spring production of A.R. Gurney's howlingly funny canine comedy SYLVIA, a love story about empty nesters Greg and Kate, and an irrepressible mutt named Sylvia. Written by Drama Desk, Obie and Lortel Award-winning playwright A.R. Gurney (also known for Love Letters and The Dining Room), the plot follows what happens after a man going through a midlife crisis finds a dog in Central Park and brings her home without consulting his wife.

Pericles marks the 24th Shakespearean Production for the Porters on their quest to completing the canon.

Pericles marks the 24th Shakespearean Production for the Porters on their quest to completing the canon. Artistic Director Charles Pasternak returns to the directing chair and Leon Russom to the boards.

The Porters are happy to announce the first show of their 11th Season: Pericles marks the 24th Shakespearean Production the company has mounted in that time. Artistic Director Charles Pasternak returns to the directing chair and Leon Russom to the boards. They last worked together on 2014's production of Henry V, a critical and audience hit, which received Ovation, Broadway World, and Valley Theatre Award nominations.

Enter the dystopian world of George Orwell via this one-hour stage adaptation based on three of the author's most popular works. Through Orwell's literary prism, visit the chaotic kitchens of Down & Out in Paris & London, a barnyard on the brink of creature revolt in Animal Farm, and the futuristic hell that is 1984.

Enter the dystopian world of George Orwell via this one-hour stage adaptation based on three of the author's most popular works. Through Orwell's literary prism, visit the chaotic kitchens of Down & Out in Paris & London, a barnyard on the brink of creature revolt in Animal Farm, and the futuristic hell that is 1984.

OPHELIA, the official selection at the 2016 Revelation Perth International Film Festival, has been selected as Best of Fest at this year's LA Shorts Fest and will screen as part of the official selection at the prestigious Oscar qualifying festival starting September 1.