Sami Staitman News

Members of the 'Pro99' movement of Actors' Equity Association have issued an open letter to AEA's newly elected president, Kate Shindle, in response to her victory and to her inaugural address as president of the national union for actors and stage managers. The open letter is signed by over 400 Equity members (listed below), including such notable names as Ed Asner, Francis Fisher, Sally Kirkland and Alfred Molina. The 'Pro99' movement formed in late 2014 in opposition to AEA's rollout of a new plan that will effectively force 'intimate theaters' in Los Angeles to pay Equity actors minimum wage, go 'non-union' or even close - despite an overwhelming vote against the plan by 66% of the Los Angeles membership on an advisory referendum. 'Pro99' members around the nation, who take their name from the current AEA '99 Seat Plan' that allows members to volunteer in smaller venues, oppose AEA's new promulgated plan. They are requesting that Equity leadership put a moratorium on the plan until local members' voices can be heard, and that the union work with its members to develop an alternative plan that will more realistically address the needs of the Los Angeles theater community.

Welcome to My World, starring Sami Staitman, is the first ever one-girl musical written for and about a fourteen-year-old. The musical will have its world premiere September 10 and continue through September 27, 2015 at the Grove Theatre in Burbank, CA. The official Press and Gala opening will be September 12th at 8pm.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY IV, their 5th anniversary show, on Sunday, September 6, 2015 at 7:00 PM.

Founded by BroadwayWorld TV's own Michael Sterling (On-air Producer and Host for live entertainment news events in Los Angeles), Sterling's Upstairs first opened its doors at the renowned Vitello's Restaurant in Studio City, CA. where it single handedly brought back to Los Angeles the art of intimate upscale cabaret concerts which had all but vanished from the cultural scene in movie town, USA.  However, in due time, the venue was whole heartedly embraced by enthusiasts of LA's performing arts community and continued to thrive for 6 successful years in a former storage room that was transformed by Sterling into a true supper club environment.  

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents WE'VE ONLY JUST BEGUN: THE SONGS OF PAUL WILLIAMS on Sunday, July 5, 7PM.

The always reliable and very informative host Bruce Kimmel unfailingly surprised his captured audience with the most interesting tidbits of Broadway trivia. Songs of this evening were chosen as to their fit in this, to quote Kimmel, 'potpourri of pleasant and perverse.'

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT - OUR ANNUAL YOUNG PEOPLE SHOW! on MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015 - 7:00 PM.

The cast of fantastic singers included Kim Huber, Robert Yacko, Madison Claire Parks, Roger Befeler, special guest Jason Graae, and young singers Sami and Sarah Staitman, Brennley Brown, Paige Befeler and 10 year-old Hadley Belle Miller. Virtuoso pianist James Lent served as musical director for the event headed up by host Bruce Kimmel, who was in especially good form about to celebrate a birthday on December 8.

Kritzerland at The Triad presents 'SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIUS! The Songs of The Sherman Brothers' tonight, November 15, 2014 to 7:00 PM and 9:00PM.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents 'HAPPY HOLIDAYS! THE ANNUAL KRITZERLAND HOLIDAY SHOW' on Sunday, December 7, 2014 at 7:00 PM.

On Sunday November 2, Kritzerland presented its 51st show Put on Your Sunday Clothes, The Songs of Jerry Herman at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal with special guest star Karen Morrow. No surprise that this was an uplifting, thoroughly enjoyable evening of song, for as host Bruce Kimmel stated up front, 'No one brings optimism to Broadway like Jerry Herman.' Fabulous Tom Griep served as musical director at the piano with super songsters David Engel, Valerie Perri, Damon Kirsche, Shannon Warne, Chelsea Emma Franko and 14 year-old Sami Staitman as well as the aforementioned queen of singers Karen Morrow. Singing doesn't get any better than this!

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents PUT ON YOUR SUNDAY CLOTHES - THE SONGS OF JERRY HERMAN, Sunday November 2, 2014 - 7:00 PM

Kritzerland at The Triad presents 'THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY! A Potpourri of Kritzerland Favorites' on Sunday, November 16, 2014 at 7:00 PM.

Kritzerland at The Triad presents 'SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIDOCIUS! The Songs of The Sherman Brothers' on Saturday, November 15, 2014 to 7:00 PM and 9:00PM.

Continuing its 8 year reign as the most critically acclaimed, award-winning supper club of its kind in the greater Los Angeles area dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway Performers and Nightclub Artists in concert, Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal welcomes Broadway's David Burnham and Valerie Perri in their co-headlining concert debut of Together Again for the First Time, an evening of non-stop Broadway showstoppers with Musical Direction by Mark Vogel at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood Sunday, September 21, 2014.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents KRITZERLAND AT FIFTY on Sunday, October 5, 2014 at 7 p.m.

On Sunday September 7, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, due to an advance sell-out crowd for the 7 pm show, an additional matinee show was performed for the Fourth Anniversary of Kritzerland. Needless to say, both matinee and evening performances were sold out, making the monthly Kritzerland tributes the most popular shows at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. The anniversary party was entitled They're Playing Our Song: The Songs That Got Away III and along with special guests Kerry O'Malley and Bruce Vilanch, the big cast also included Robert Yacko, Evan Harris, Madison Claire Parks, Sami Staitman, Jenna Lea Rosen, and also little Hadley Miller, and in chorus numbers of What If?: Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Bruce Merkle, and Adrienne Visnic, all under the baton of super musical director John Boswell. This marked the 49th Kritzerland show since its inception at the Gardenia in 2010, and its host Bruce Kimmel, founder of Kritzerland Records, was in rare form, doling out trivia-worthy anecdotes about every number presented, as well as singing a song himself, due to the absence of Guy Haines.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents its fourth anniversary show -- THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY III -- on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at 2 p.m. AND 7 p.m. Doors open at 1 p.m. before the JUST ADDED matinee for brunch/lunch.

It was a pleasure to return to Kritzerland Sunday July 6 for its 47th show saluting Off-Broadway shows: Kritzerland Goes Off-Broadway. Featured were stalwart hits: Hair, Ruthless!, Little Mary Sunshine, Dames at Sea, Falsettos, The Fantasticks and more recent hits such as Floyd Collins, Jason Robert Brown's The Last Five Years and Dogfight. With Bruce Kimmel as host, in dandy form as usual with his amazing trivia notes in between numbers, and sensational musical director John Boswell at the piano, the show got off to a rousing start with young Brennley Brown belting out 'Born to Entertain' from Ruthless! Also on the bill for the evening were the wonderful: Robert Yacko, Madison Claire Parks, Kim Huber, young folks Jenna Lee Rosen, Sami Staitman and special guest stars Jason Graae and Rita McKenzie.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents KRITZERLAND GOES OFF-BROADWAY!