Don Grigware - Page 52

Guys and Dolls/music & lyrics by Frank Loesser/book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows/based on stories by Damon Runyon/directed by John LaLonde/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through February 27

In his early days circa 1984, when he won 13 consecutive weeks on TV's Star Search, Sam Harris was flatly denied work on TV and in film because he was labeled 'too theatrical'. This quality - and I say quality - is what makes a performer exceptional; it sets him apart from the crowd, separating the men from the boys, so to speak. But casting people and agents frankly did not know what to do with him; his enormous talent defied categorization. He can sing, he can dance, he can act the bejesus out of a piece, injecting so much raw energy and passion into it that its substance literally leaps off the stage, directly into our hearts. Well, times did change. He has worked on television and on Broadway to great acclaim, and now he is back onstage once more with his autobiographical show HAM: A Musical Memoir for a limited run at the Renberg Theatre of LGBT, Hollywood through February 7 only.

Playwright A.R. Gurney, best known for Love Letters and The Cocktail Hour, has written some very topical plays, among them the lesser known 1988 Another Antigone, on the surface a dispute between a college professor of the classics and a creative student, but on a far greater level, exposing the repercussions of anti-semitism and the behind the scenes manipulation of courses and staff by a typical college administration in today's world of education. Produced in the new black box theatre upstairs at Group rep, Antigone is evenly directed by Linda Aznauer and extremely well acted by its ensemble of four, currently through February 7, only. When Senior Judy Miller (Natalia Santamaria) turns in a paper to Profesor Harper (Doug Haverty) in her Greek

Broadway had one of its greatest commercial hits and the longest running comedy-thriller with Ira Levin's Deathtrap in 1978, and it was later on film in 1982 with Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. Like Sleuth  before it, Deathtrap makes a game out of murder with plot twists too numerable to mention, and adds just a small amount of comedy to make it all palatable. It's a play within a play, making it doubly intriguing to watch. Now on stage at Sierra Madre Playhouse, this new production of the classic is solid with fine direction from Christian Lebano and a resilient cast.

On Friday January15 internationally renowned jazz vocalist Lyn Stanley brought her CD release party for her latest hit album Interludes to the beautiful Art Deco La Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. It was a lush evening of jazz with a fabulous onstage orchestra of seasoned musicians and some delightful singing and dancing guest stars.

The Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse, and Almeida Theatre Production of/1984/by George Orwell/in a new adaptation by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan/directed by Icke and Macmillan/The Broad Stage, Santa Monica/through February 6

As Helen Sinclair (Emma Stratton) holds her hand over playwright David Shayne's (Michael Williams) mouth (picture above), fans of the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway are bound to chuckle as they remember the famously unforgettable line spoken by the movie's Helen Sinclair Oscar winner Dianne Weist, 'Don't speak!' Weist, Jennifer Tilly as Olive and Chaz Palminteri as Cheech stole the brilliant film, so when I heard a couple of years ago that they were rehashing this for a Broadway musical, my reaction was 'Sacrilege! Why? Don't tamper with perfection!' Well, they didn't listen to me, obviously, as the musical went forward, and for some sketchy reasons, was a flop on Broadway. Let me tell you, as reluctant as I was to see the musical now onstage at the Pantages through January 24, I am glad I did, for it is actually quite good, with mostly sparkling performances, ingenious choreography recreated from Susan Stroman's original, fabulous costumes by William Ivey Long...and it's faithful to the film. No one dared to touch Woody Allen's uncannily sharp plot, dialogue and laugh lines. Yes, it could have an original score, but what is accomplished with the old standards aiding in moving the story forward, kind of like in Mamma Mia, works damn well. It's fun, ear and eye-filling entertainment!

Loosely patterned after 'an audition process', this 10th annual fully produced event is geared to discovering new talent between the ages of 18 and 32 for the musical theatre stage. This year the contest is generously sponsored/presented by Princess Cruises.

What can one say about pop/rock living legend Gladys Knight? A 7-time Grammy winner for gospel as well as R&B/pop hits, this lady at 71 years young, still rocks. She looks and sounds amazing! On New Year's Eve, Knight made an appearance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for two concerts, one at 7 pm and the second at 10: 30 pm. I attended the 7 pm show, which was a near to full house of genuine fans, those who have followed her career since the 60s when she appeared as Gladys Knight and the Pips. A great five-piece band backed her: musical director Leon Turner; Darryle Woolfork on drums; James Davis on guitar; Joseph Green on bass; and Yuko Tamura on keyboard...and four terrific backup singers: Alexus Hoover, Brandon Smith, Porcha Clay, and JaVonte Pollard, all of whom got into the act a little bit later in the 90-minute set.

Actor/singer John Lloyd Young, best known for his Tony-winning portrayal of Frankie Valli in the original Broadway musical Jersey Boys and for his performance in the 2014 film, has performed eight record-breaking sell-out headlining engagements at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal since October 2014. His December 29th performance was once again sold out, with people waiting in line outside in the bitter cold for hours, and was attended by fans from all over the world, including a small Asian contingent from Japan and Germany. It is absolutely amazing to see how enthusiastically the fans respond to his first entrance onstage, and how they scream and stand up after many of the show's songs. He is revered and idolized almost as much as yesteryear's Elvis or Michael Jackson.

When Faith Prince and Jason Graae first performed their show The Prince and the Showboy at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in June, 2012, I wrote, '...there were enough sparks to set Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal on fire as Jason Graae and Tony Award winner Faith Prince seized the stage with the premiere of their new show The Prince and the Showboy to an adoring packed house. Graae's inimitable sarcasm and overdone delivery along with Prince's unique pauses and double takes made for a delicious evening of comedy through song as they focused on what makes them click as a team, namely the fun side of life'. Well, the show played 54 Below in New York and has returned to the Federal - December 27 and 28 for two nights only. It's now about 20 minutes longer, bringing it in at 90 minutes and allowing each of the stars to concentrate more fully on dramatic career transitions, especially for Prince.

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2015 which I did not cover. This list is based only on what I saw and reviewed. (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories) No set, costume, or technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.

On Tuesday, December 22 exciting singer Laura Dickinson brought her BIG BAND HOLIDAY to the El Portal Mainstage in NoHo. The house was SRO, and Dickinson, needless to say, accompanied by a 17-piece band, knocked it out of the park. When I reviewed her CD release party a year ago at Vitello's I noted, 'She blew the roof off the joint with her dynamic delivery, oozing charm and warmth from every pore. Not only is she beautiful, but oh so terribly engaging as she grabs hold of you and won't let go. She's been called 'masterful'; I'll go a step further and add 'captivating and spellbinding'. She's a singer to be reckoned with!' A year later, she's even more appealing with a talent and drive that will not quit.

Award-winning veteran director Jules Aaron has been putting his directorial stamp on musicals and plays for several decades.  Mr. Aaron takes time out of his busy schedule to talk with us about his current project, the west coast premiere of The Group Rep's production of THAT LOVIN' FEELIN' running December 11 through January 24, 2016 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, which already has some SOLD OUT performance dates.  He also gives us a glimpse into his background and the encouragement he received along the way.

Resourceful Dan Goggin designed a line of greeting cards to honor the nun, then turned the project into a cabaret which finally became a full-fledged musical comedy in 1985. Now Nunsense plays in several languages all over the world. Everyone has a peculiar fascination with nuns. Why? Well, number one, they dress oddly and apart from that, they live out their daily lives praying and doing things uncommon to the average person. Say you are or grew up a Catholic, you still have difficulty figuring them out. Are they really that stern and block-headed? Well, Dan Goggin takes you behind the scenes, so-to-speak, in this tongue -in-cheek look at the Little Sisters of Hoboken at Mt. Saint Helen's School - you will see them do things, irreverent things, you never imagined in your wildest dreams - who are about to put on a benefit show to raise funds to...Oh, Saints preserve us... to bury four nuns who died from botulism. Currently onstage at Crown City Theatre in NoHo, Nunsense is receiving a nifty revival directed by the terrific Kristin

On Saturday December 19 at 3 pm and 8 pm and on Sunday December 20 at 3 pm, the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) presented its annual Holiday Spectacular at the Alex Theatre, Glendale, this year entitled Brassy, Classy & Sassy! There's always diversity in the shows - it's what I like most - and this year, Acts One and Two of Brassy, Classy & Sassy!were as different as night and day. The chorus is under the executive direction of Chris Verdugo and artistic direction of conductor Dr. Joseph P, Nadeau. Chris wore a silly blue Christmas suit covered with snowflakes ,which almost blinded me and Nadeau a sweater, well, we'll talk about that one later on...

On Friday December 18 the legendary Ben Vereen came to Catalina Jazz Club for his latest one-man cabaret An Evening with Ben Vereen. Backed by three fabulous musicians, musical director David Loeb at the piano, Tom Kennedy on bass and Marc DiCianni on drums, Vereen took the stage for 70 minutes and let fly. There was enough energy and passion abounding for three performers, let alone one. Known as a primo dancer, that was at a minimum, as he is approaching 70, but he moved in constant rhythm across the stage and back as he lovingly sang 20 songs, mostly from Broadway. There was very little patter; Vereen poured his soul into the work and kept his packed house begging for more.

Hollywood with a divine program of entertainment. Among the stellar singers were Joan Ryan, Ruth Williamson, Sharon Catherine Brown, Scott Harlan, Jeffrey Christopher Todd, Walter Winston ONeil, Chelsea Field and producer Dianne Fraser, and a very special treat Tim Curry and one of his original song partners from the days of Rocky Horror onstage Jamie Donnelly, all under the baton of the one and only musical director Brad Ellis. This was not a Christmas program as such, but Broadway fare sprinkled with a couple of holiday tunes. Ellis, as always, with his inimitable style - he looks and comes off totally dry and unrehearsed - was sheer delight as he opened the show with 'You're Here', a delicious original composition.

This Troubie Christmas Show Santa Claus Is Comin' to Motown was first presented at the Falcon in 2004, so seeing it again was like seeing it for the very first time. Who could remember details from 11 years ago? And also, the Troubies are known for adding new jokes and gags consistently. New jokes about Donald Trump or Hilary Clinton in an election year would not have been in the first rendering of this show. I have always attested to the genius of Matt Walker, Beth Kennedy, Lisa Valenzuela and Rick Batalla, whose improv skills surpass any one else's. If I haven't said it outright before, I'm stating it now, they are THE BEST anywhere. And that goes for the entire gang.

Playwrights Horizons in association with The Actors Theatre of Louisville presented Lucas Hnath's new play The Christians this past fall in New York to great acclaim. The controversial  play with contradictory arguments about God and heaven/hell has now docked at the Mark Taper Forum through January 10, 2016. Judging by the opening night audience - you could hear a pin drop - The Christians with its crisp dialogue,  stellar cast and taut direction is a surefire winner.