Michael Matthews News

CVRep's 2021-2022 play season of Hopes, Dreams, and Expectations concludes with Native Gardens by Karen Zacarias, directed by Michael Matthews and starring: Marta Portillo, Andrew Joseph Perez, Dennis Gersten and Janellen Steininger.

The Echo Theater Company has moved the previously announced Echo LABFest 2022, readings of seven new plays developed in the company's Playwright's Lab under the leadership of Brian Otaño and Hannah Wolf, online.

After more than 15 months of a darkened stage as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Coachella Valley Repertory is welcoming back live audiences. “Welcoming patrons back to the Playhouse is an incredible feeling. Live arts are so important to the community, and the entire board, staff and volunteers are so excited to return,” said Ron Celona, Artistic Director.

The Celebration Theatre's program of celebrating new works returns with Ryan Spahn's NORA HIGHLAND airing Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at 7:30pm PT on Celebration Theatre's YouTube Channel. NORA HIGHLAND chronicles the casting of a notable gay character in an upcoming Broadway revival, while challenging the phenomenon of straight performers being lauded for their work in queer roles.

Casting has been announced for week two of The Blank Theatre's 28th Annual Young Playwrights Festival. Being presented this year as digital shorts, the next three of 13 winning plays by young playwrights aged 15a?"19 from nine different states will be available to stream on Vimeo August 15a?"22.

Now celebrating its 28th Anniversary, The Blank Theatre's Nationwide Young Playwrights Festival is set to present 13 plays by playwrights aged 15a?"19 from nine different states. These plays will be presented as digital shorts on Vimeo by professional actors and directors, running from August 8 through September 19. They will then migrate to The Blank's 3rd Stage on Patreon.

Laguna Playhouse will present RITA RUDNER and PAUL RODRIGUEZ in BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, written by Neil Simon and directed by Michael Matthews. 

A creative staple of the Los Angeles Theatre community, director/actor Michael A. Shepperd will next be exhibiting his directorial talents in the world premiere of playwright Penelope Lowder's WEST ADAMS, opening February 1, 2020 at the Skylight Theatre. This dark comedy on race, class, and a bouncy house in the West Adams neighborhood features Andrés M. Bagg, Allison Blaize, Clayton Farris and Jenny Soo. Michael managed to find a spare moment between his multi-tasking to answer a few of my inquisitive queries.

Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Executive Director Ellen Richard are thrilled to announce that two comic legends, RITA RUDNER and PAUL RODRIGUEZ will star in the hilarious and heartfelt comedy, BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, written by Neil Simon and directed by Michael Matthews.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCoy Rigby Entertainment presents the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl's MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, choreography by Kate Dunn and directed by Michael Matthews.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT presents the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl's MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, choreography by Kate Dunn and directed by Michael Matthews. MATILDA, THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, October 25, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 26 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, November 17, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl's MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, choreography by Kate Dunn and directed by Michael Matthews. MATILDA, THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, October 25, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 26 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, November 17, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

On this episode of West of Broadway, Will and Lara speak with Michael A. Shepperd who is currently starring as 'Miss Trunchbull,' in the La Mirada production of Matilda the Musical.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl's MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, choreography by Kate Dunn and directed by Michael Matthews. MATILDA, THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, October 25, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, October 26 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, November 17, 2019 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the second show of their 2019-2020 season, Roald Dahl's MATILDA, THE MUSICAL, book by Dennis Kelly, music and lyrics by Tim Minchin, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, choreography by Kate Dunn and directed by Michael Matthews.

The 2019 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fifth annual celebration included productions that opened between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019. Stage Raw is a community funded professional journalism website that was created in response to the decline of arts coverage in local mainstream and alternative media.The Awards ceremony was held Monday night, September 9, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles, and was co-hosted by IAMA Theatre Company and Ammunition Theatre Company (a?oeAmmoa??).

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael A. Shepperd, is thrilled to announce that the second show in its 2019 season, the critically acclaimed, smash-hit, Ovation Recommended, Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere production of THE PRODUCERS, A New Mel Brooks Musical is EXTENDING through MONDAY, AUGUST 26 at Celebration Theatre at the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Digital arts journal Stage Raw announces the nominees for its fifth annual Stage Raw Theater Awards, to be held Monday night September 9, 2019, at Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets will go on sale Wednesday August 7, 2019. The Stage Raw Theater Awards honor the finest work performed on Los Angeles area stages of 99-seats or fewer, and are selected by a jury of Stage Raw critics. This year's awards celebrate work performed between June 1, 2018 and May 31, 2019.

Tony Award-winning actress, Daisy Eagan, makes her Edinburgh Festival Fringe debut in a new thriller by Steve Yockey (a writer of CW's Supernatural, MTV's Scream). Directed by Michael Matthews (director of Edinburgh Festival hit all-male production of The Bacchae) and designed by an award-winning creative team including, Cricket S. Myers (Tony Award-nominee for Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Sleeping Giant is a modern thriller told through a series of intimate, darkly comic, and sometimes startling vignettes about the lengths people go to when they desperately want something to believe in.

NBC Sports' coverage of the 106th Tour de France on NBCSN has delivered the most-watched start to the event since 2016, averaging 290,000 viewers – up 23% from last year (235,000) through Stage 4.