From a very early age, Amber Romina Cassell always knew that she did not want to be a writer. While attending film school at the University of Southern California, however, she volunteered as a critic for the school newspaper in order to see all the plays and screenings around town and the rest, as they say, is history. A devoted lover of musical theater, Amber has had the immense pleasure of covering some of Los Angeles' most prominent theatrical events and has conducted in-depth interviews with some of Broadway's greatest talents and strives everyday to help promote and encourage the LA theater scene.
April 30, 2013
Currently in its world premiere run at Burbank's Colony Theatre through May 19th, Falling for Make Believe is a 95-minute bio-musical-dramedy chock full Broadway nostalgia, debilitating alcoholism, covert homosexual dalliances and musical fantasy sequences that is often-times bewitching, occasionally bothersome, and at points just downright bewildering.
July 26, 2012
Spring Awakening has sprung once again in Los Angeles, only this time there is a more powerful message behind it. Done as a concert production, Glorystruck's new pared down rendition of the Tony-winning musical about German teens discovering their sexual and personal identity is helping to raise funds and awareness for the Love is Louder organization.
April 24, 2011
What if you were suddenly faced with the now-or-never chance to leave your spouse for your lover, no messy strings attached? Would you take it? Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk) and Vs. Theatre Company artistic director Johnny Clark star in the Los Angeles premiere of The Mercy Seat, Neil LaBute's caustically funny examination of opportunism in the wake of tragedy. Ron Klier directs a six-week run, opening March 19 at [Inside] the Ford. Pay-what-you-can previews take place on March 17 and 18.
April 10, 2011
Four-time Emmy award-winning actress Michael Learned and veteran actor Granville Van Dusen find unexpected love in Kathleen Clark's perceptively witty and poignant play, Southern Comforts, directed by Jules Aaron. The four-week run ends April 10 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center.
March 17, 2011
What if you were suddenly faced with the now-or-never chance to leave your spouse for your lover, no messy strings attached? Would you take it? Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk) and Vs. Theatre Company artistic director Johnny Clark star in the Los Angeles premiere of The Mercy Seat, Neil LaBute's caustically funny examination of opportunism in the wake of tragedy. Ron Klier directs a six-week run, opening March 19 at [Inside] the Ford. Pay-what-you-can previews take place on March 17 and 18.
March 16, 2011
Meet hard-working salesman Willy Loman as he chases the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning tragedy, Death of a Salesman. Stacy Keach and Jane Kaczmarek head the cast when Academy Award-winning filmmaker Eric Simonson directs one of the most important dramas of all time for L.A. Theatre Works. Five performances will be recorded March 16-20 at the Skirball Cultural Center for future radio broadcast; L.A. Theatre Works' nationally syndicated radio theater series airs locally in Southern California on KPCC 89.3 every Saturday from 10 pm -midnight and can be streamed on demand at www.latw.org. Employing stark realism, expressionism and archetypal characters with compassionate simplicity, Death of a Salesman remains one of American drama's most riveting and timeless works. Miller's devastating social commentary explores the pursuit of success and failure in the ever-shifting ideals of the American landscape. Willy Loman loses his tenuous grasp on reality as he struggles to achieve the noble dream of owning his home, suffering the terrible consequences of chasing after an illusion at the expense of his family and ultimately, himself.
March 11, 2011
Music, passion, madness, and one woman's fight for her right to a career. The intense relationships between Robert Schumann, his wife Clara Schumann and the young Johannes Brahms come to theatrical life in a new romantic drama by playwright and renowned concert pianist, Israela Margalit. The U.S. premiere of Trio, directed by Rick Sparks and featuring Peter Colburn, Bjorn Johnson, Meghan Maureen McDonough, Brian Normoyle and Jeremy Shranko, opens for a five-week run on March 12 at the Lounge 2 Theatre in Hollywood.
March 9, 2011
Show at Barre is proud to host yet another all-star lineup of Broadway, film, and TV stars for March 9th's edition of The Christopher Show. The Christopher Show is a live, comedic American talk show that interviews established Hollywood as well as new Hollywood and the Broadway community. Funny man and Broadway star Christopher Youngsman (Grease) hosts. This week in the interview chair will be TV & film star Cindy Williams (American Graffiti, Laverne & Shirley), and Broadway leading ladies Jennifer Cody (Urinetown, Shrek) & Julia Murney (The Wild Party, Wicked). The show, which recurs Wednesday evenings at the beginning of each month at BARRE, vt, will be live on March 9th at 8pm.
March 5, 2011
Four-time Emmy award-winning actress Michael Learned and veteran actor Granville Van Dusen find unexpected love in Kathleen Clark's perceptively witty and poignant play, Southern Comforts, directed by Jules Aaron. The four-week run opens March 18 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Low-priced previews take place on March 15, 16 and 17.
March 4, 2011
Padua Playwrights presents the world premiere of DaddyO Dies Well, written and directed by legendary poet-playwright Murray Mednick. A deeply lyrical and darkly comic meditation on the sacred and profane that is the fifth installment in Mednick's eight-play 'Gary Plays' cycle, DaddyO Dies Well will run April 2 through May 22 at the Electric Lodge in Venice.
March 3, 2011
Show at Barre invites you to experience the soundtrack of a modern motion picture master. FOR THE RECORD: Baz Luhrmann celebrates the music from The Red Curtain Trilogy- Luhrmann's homage to the major theatrical conventions of Dance, Poetry and Song -STRICTLY BALLROOM, ROMEO + JULIET and MOULIN ROUGE. Playlist includes hit songs such as Lovefool, Kissing You, When Doves Cry, Love Is In The Air, Time After Time, Come What May, Your Song, Roxanne, Children Of The Revolution, Rhythm Of The Night and many more. Tracie Thoms joins the cast this Saturday, March 5th.
March 3, 2011
Show at Barre welcomes Tracie Thoms, star of RENT (Film version, Broadway, Hollywood Bowl), Quentin Tarantino's Deathproof, and TV's Cold Case, to the cast of FOR THE RECORD: BAZ LUHRMANN. Ms. Thoms will make her debut performance in the sell-out live concert event this Saturday, March 5th, and will be part of the rotating ensemble from then on
February 28, 2011
Theatre Planners has extended the West Coast premiere of Daddy by Dan Via for a second time, through April 10.
February 25, 2011
Meet hard-working salesman Willy Loman as he chases the American Dream in Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning tragedy, Death of a Salesman. Stacy Keach and Jane Kaczmarek head the cast when Academy Award-winning filmmaker Eric Simonson directs one of the most important dramas of all time for L.A. Theatre Works. Five performances will be recorded March 16-20 at the Skirball Cultural Center for future radio broadcast; L.A. Theatre Works' nationally syndicated radio theater series airs locally in Southern California on KPCC 89.3 every Saturday from 10 pm -midnight and can be streamed on demand at www.latw.org. Employing stark realism, expressionism and archetypal characters with compassionate simplicity, Death of a Salesman remains one of American drama's most riveting and timeless works. Miller's devastating social commentary explores the pursuit of success and failure in the ever-shifting ideals of the American landscape. Willy Loman loses his tenuous grasp on reality as he struggles to achieve the noble dream of owning his home, suffering the terrible consequences of chasing after an illusion at the expense of his family and ultimately, himself.
February 25, 2011
Four-time Emmy award-winning actress Michael Learned and veteran actor Granville Van Dusen find unexpected love in Kathleen Clark's perceptively witty and poignant play, Southern Comforts, directed by Jules Aaron. The four-week run opens March 18 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Low-priced previews take place on March 15, 16 and 17.
![Vs. Theatre Company presents the Los Angeles premiere of Neil Labute's The Mercy Seat at [Inside] the Ford](https://cloudimages.broadwayworld.com/columnpic3/2002129774clowns2.jpg)
February 25, 2011
What if you were suddenly faced with the now-or-never chance to leave your spouse for your lover, no messy strings attached? Would you take it? Michelle Clunie (Queer as Folk) and Vs. Theatre Company artistic director Johnny Clark star in the Los Angeles premiere of The Mercy Seat, Neil LaBute's caustically funny examination of opportunism in the wake of tragedy. Ron Klier directs a six-week run, opening March 19 at [Inside] the Ford. Pay-what-you-can previews take place on March 17 and 18.
February 24, 2011
Kicking off its 20th Anniversary, Deaf West Theatre puts its own, unique spin on the classic story of a mischievous puppet who wishes to become a real, live boy. Using a mix of deaf and hearing actors, Stephen Rothman directs The Adventures of Pinocchio, a commedia dell arte adaptation of Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel by Lee Hall that brims with clever political subtext and sly social commentary. Deaf West's retelling of Pinocchio's treacherous journey through childhood opens February 25 at Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, with two low-priced previews on February 17 and 18. (The Adventures of Pinocchio is rated 'PG' for mild language and dark themes - recommended for ages 10 and up.)
February 19, 2011
Kicking off its 20th Anniversary, Deaf West Theatre puts its own, unique spin on the classic story of a mischievous puppet who wishes to become a real, live boy. Using a mix of deaf and hearing actors, Stephen Rothman directs The Adventures of Pinocchio, a commedia dell arte adaptation of Carlo Collodi's 1883 novel by Lee Hall that brims with clever political subtext and sly social commentary. Deaf West's retelling of Pinocchio's treacherous journey through childhood opens February 25 at Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District, with two low-priced previews on February 17 and 18. (The Adventures of Pinocchio is rated 'PG' for mild language and dark themes - recommended for ages 10 and up.)
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