Mickey Rooney News

Meet the Cast of Mike & Mindy's Wild Weekend Jam (Music & Lyrics by Bucky Heard & Timothy D. Lee of The Righteous Brothers with a book by Eileen Nelson & Mark Corallo; directed by Scott Werntz).

Los Angeles is never lacking outstanding theatre, whether epic Broadway shows, engrossing dramas or bold fringe offerings. BroadwayWorld is rounding up our top recommended theatre every month. Our top picks for May 2023 include Melissa Errico, LA Opera, and more!

Mr. Yunioshi will return for a limited engagement of six performances from August 4- August 13, 2023.

Elizabeth McGovern gets downright gritty in a gutsy, full-blown exploration of one of Hollywood’s most meta-femmes fatales in AVA: THE SECRET CONVERSATIONS.

Next up at the Geffen Playhouse, the U.S. premiere of Ava: The Secret Conversations opening April 13, 2023 (with previews already begun). Elizabeth McGovern stars as Ava Gardner in this new play that she wrote. Moritz von Stuelpnagel directs Elizabeth and her co-stars Aaron Costa Ganis and Ryan W. Garcia. Moritz made some time between rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

This month, the reader question was: Which Broadway theaters have been demolished/repurposed and when/why?

The Fine Arts Theatre Beverly Hills with celebrate the 86th Anniversary of the historic theatre with retro 1937 ticket prices of twenty-five cents per movie ticket and fifty cents for Double Features during a month-long celebration screening of 11 classic films from April 2 – 30, 2023.

The breakout hit of Sierra Madre Playhouse's winter season, Mr. Yunioshi, returns for a limited engagement of four performances.

Geffen Playhouse has announced the full cast for the U.S. premiere of Ava: The Secret Conversations, written by and featuring Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy Award-nominated Elizabeth McGovern (Once Upon a Time in America, Downton Abbey) as Ava Gardner, and directed by Tony Award-nominated Moritz von Stuelpnagel (Bernhardt/Hamlet, Present Laughter).

Alessandra Assaf, who enacts the Hollywood icon in 12 O’CLOCK TALES WITH AVA GARDNER, the play she has written with Michael Lorre, brings out all of the actress’s fire, charisma and messiness.

This month, the reader question was: 'What are the longest running musicals that haven't been revived?'

Movie star. Femme fatale. Homewrecker. Civil Rights activist. The Whitefire Theatre plays host to a new solo play that reveals the contradictions and complexities of the passionate and deeply flawed woman behind silver screen icon Ava Gardner.

The musical adaptation of Night at the Museum has had its first workshop! As BroadwayWorld previously reported, the stage adaptation of the film series is in the works, with music from Alan Menken.

​​​​​​​The title Mr. Yunioshi refers to the name of the character portrayed by Mickey Rooney in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's, directed by Blake Edwards (Rooney's former roommate). Rooney portrays Audrey Hepburn's neighbor. It is a cringe-inducing characterization, in which Rooney dons yellowface and wears appliances to 'play Asian.'

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at CM Performing Arts Center? As soon as CM Performing Arts Center's live orchestra struck up the first few chords of 'The Wizard of Oz's' iconic overture, a wave of nostalgia hummed throughout the Noel S Ruiz Theatre. Multiple generations filled the house at the opening weekend matinee. Children, parents, grandparents, and children at heart visibly delighted in the stellar stagecraft, vibrant costumery, and charming performances featured in CM's Season 49 finale.

Rubicon Producing Artistic Director and Co-Founder Karyl Lynn Burns retired from the company on Sunday, November 13, following the acclaimed sold-out run of In the Heights.

November 2nd, 2022 marked the twentieth anniversary of critically-acclaimed and Award-winning Judy Garland tribute artist, Peter Mac. On Saturday November 19th at 8PM Mac will host a gala celebration at the legendary and famed Woman's Club of Hollywood in Los Angeles, California to commemorate the occasion.

Two dazzling specials featuring some of the biggest names in music will bring melodies in December: “A Very Backstreet Christmas” celebrates the holidays with The Backstreet Boys, and “Finding Harmony” is an uplifting story featuring EGOT winner John Legend and David Brown, founder of the Columbus-based Harmony Project in Ohio.

Next up at Laguna Playhouse, Love Among the Ruins world premieres October 30, 2022 (with previews starting October 26th). Michael Arabian directs the stellar cast of JoBeth Williams and Peter Strauss in this adaptation of the 1975 ABC Theatre Presentation that starred Katherine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier. Peter graciously found some time between rehearsals and his orange farm to answer a few of my queries.

Forget your troubles, come on get happy! Find your place over the rainbow and back into the theatre with GBSC Artistic Consultant, director/choreographer, and educator, Ilyse Robbins, as she brings her lecture series, Icons of the American Musical to the stage!