Paul Garman News

Long Beach's premier theatre company has announced the return of the seven-time Tony award-winning musical Damn Yankees to its stage for select nights October 14th- 30th.

This weekend, Musical Theatre West's summer production of Grease will be closing the doors to Rydell High with final performances Friday-Sunday, July 22-24.

Musical Theatre West has recognized the outstanding musical theatre achievements of fourteen high school students from Los Angeles County and Orange County with scholarships for the upcoming 2022-2023 year.

Don’t be a “beauty school dropout” this summer! Musical Theatre West has announced that the iconic role of Teen Angel for its summer production of Grease will be played by RuPaul's Drag Race Season 12 star Darius Rose, aka Jackie Cox!

Musical Theatre West has announced the return of one of the world's most popular musicals, Grease, to its stage this summer! Fifty years after the original show hit Broadway, MTW's 2022 production of Grease will tell the classic love story of Danny and Sandy, featuring a talented cast that reflects the diversity of a typical Long Beach high school.

That triple-threat talent named David Engel will once again grace the Musical Theatre West stage in FOREVER PLAID 30th ANNIVERSARY REUNION CONCERT beginning August 5th, but this time socially distancing at Blair Field near by. Since David originated the PLAID role of Smudge, he has performed on many a stage from Broadway to his home away from home Musical Theatre West. David managed to answer my queries while in the car on the way to his husband Larry Raben’s opening night of SCHOOL OF ROCK he directed at Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Ivins, Utah.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) virtual benefit concert series “2021 Keep the Lights On,” continues its nine-concert streaming series.

Inclusion Media Group will partner with seven Southern California theatre organizations for the 2020 'Raise Your Voice' Playwright Competition.

Due to the closure of the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts through August 24, Musical Theatre West (MTW) is postponing its summer productions of Mame and Treasure Island.  New dates will be announced in the coming months.

Here's the third installment of responses from various Los Angeles Theatre heads on how their individual theatre families are holding up in these crazy, safe-distancing times. As with the first two batches of responses, these are just as amazing in their acknowledged realism and uniform positivity:

Musical Theatre West announced today that, in compliance with the directive of the California Department of Public Health, the upcoming production of Mame scheduled for March 27 through April 12, 2020 will be postponed.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) brings Jerry Herman's musical masterpiece Mame to Southern California for a three-week run at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center March 27 a?" April 12.  Based on the novel, Auntie Mame by Patrick Dennis and the play Auntie Mame by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, Mame lavishly delivers one of theater's all-time great heroines in a brassy, tuneful, hilarious and touching fashion.  Tickets are available at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the Musical Theatre West Ticket Office.  Tickets start at $20.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) brings five-time Tony Award-winning musical Ragtime to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center February 7-23.  Based on E.L. Doctorow's acclaimed novel, the 13-time Tony-nominated musical tells the story of three families trying to find their way during the turn of the 20th century in New York City; each struggling with the changing cultural climate in America and each facing the promise of hope and new beginnings in the midst of prejudice and bigotry.  Showcasing music and lyrics by the Tony Award-winning team of Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens and a Tony Award-winning book by Terrence McNally, Ragtime features a score with such memorable songs as a?oeYour Daddy's Son,a?? a?oeWheels of a Dream,a?? a?oeTill We Reach That Daya?? and a?oeMake Them Hear You.a??

Ballet, opera and musical theater director Daniel Pelzig helms the musical version of Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, playing at Musical Theatre West. This is Pelzig's fourth production with MTW, after My Fair Lady in 2015, Mary Poppins in 2017 and The Little Mermaid earlier this year.

Musical Theatre West celebrates the holiday season with the classic movie-turned- Broadway musical Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn December 6-15 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.  Tickets are on sale now at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the Musical Theatre West Box Office.  Tickets start at $20.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) opens its 67th season with the West Coast regional theatre premiere of the 10-time Tony nominated musical Something Rotten! at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center October 18 a?" November 3.  From the co-director of The Book of Mormon and the producer of Avenue Q comes a no-holds-a?oeBarda?? deliciously loopy celebration of the greatest English playwright and the greatest American art form.   Music and lyrics by Grammy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Wayne Kirkpatrick and Golden Globe and Tony Award nominee Karey Kirkpatrick and book by Tony Award nominees Karey Kirkpatrick and best-selling author John O'Farrell.

3-D Theatricals concludes its 10th Anniversary season with the Tony Award®-winning musical comedy, SHREK The Musical, directed and choreographed by David F.M. Vaughn. SHREK The Musical, featuring music by Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori, and book and lyrics by Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire, will play August 9-25, 2019 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (18000 Park Plaza Drive, Cerritos, CA). Opening night is Saturday, August 10.

Musical Theater West (MTW) brings the incredible true story, turned hit film, turned Broadway Tony Award-winning musical Catch Me If You Can to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center March 29 through April 14. Created by the dream team of song writers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman (Hairspray, Smash, Mary Poppins Returns) and librettist Terrence McNally (The Full Monty, Ragtime), Catch Me If You Can delivers a the high-flying musical comedy about chasing your dreams and not getting caught.

Consider yourself at home at Musical Theatre West's (MTW) production of Lionel Bart's Tony Award-winning musical Oliver! at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center February 8-24. Tickets are on sale now at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the MTW Box Office. Tickets start at $20.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) brings everyone's favorite Elf to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in the new holiday classic Elf: The Musical November 30 - December 9.  Tickets are now on sale at www.musical.org, by calling (562) 856-1999, or at the Musical Theatre West box office.  Tickets start at $20.