Don Grigware - Page 68

For the last few years the uber talented Lythgoe family have been entertaining us at Christmastime, first at the El Portal in NoHo and now at the Pasadena Playhouse with a British style panto. A panto is an interactive entertainment that starts with a very contemporary retelling of a fairy tale such as Snow White, Cinderella, or in this case Sleeping Beauty and turns it into a fun imaginative show with music that will appeal to both children and their parents. There's usually an actor in drag (outrageous David Engel as Nanny Tickle, Aurora's nanny), a villain or villainess (Lucy Lawless as Carabosse))... and audience are encouraged to root for the heroes and HISS loudly at the villains. Lawless tries to sway and seize control over the audience by singing 'One Way or

Executive director Chris Verdugo and artistic director/conductor Joe Nadeau of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles (GMCLA) are busy these days getting ready for the big holiday concert to take place this weekend Saturday December 13 at 3 pm and 8 pm and Sunday December 14 at 3 pm at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills.

Actor Charles Edwards, known for his roles in Batman Returns and Downton Abbey, will appear in Blithe Spirit with Angela Lansbury at the Ahmanson opening December 14. In our conversation he talks about the play, working with Miss Lansbury and other highlights of his career so far.

Few singers have the expertly unique phrasing or deeply felt emotional delivery of Ellen Greene. She is a one.of.a.kind first class gem and after 10 long years, has finally released a second CD entitled Songs for a Winter's Night with her terrific musical partner Christian Klikovits at the piano. Fans of Greene will remember that in 2004 they collaborated on her first solo album the evocative In His Eyes.

Loud repetitious music usually is a turnoff to me, in spite of the fact that the rock and roll of the 60s and 70s constitutes a large part of my musical background. I grew up listening to it and like much of it, but in later years have narrowed my preferences to pop standards, jazz and Broadway fare, which always make me happy. Although Irish, I have learned to love Celtic music more recently; since Once, I have become increasingly enamored of that sound especially at Christmas. When you add violin to keyboard, drums and guitar, as do the creators of Striking 12, now in its Orange County premiere at the Laguna Playhouse through December 28, you get that joyful sound loud and clear, and that plus the brilliance of the four musicians/actors (Brent Schindele ...

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.

Shawn Ryan sparkles onstage just by being himself. Of course, he exaggerates a tad. Every actor/comedian does. But, it is Ryan's genuine likability that makes him shine. He is self-deprecating, willing to go all the way with a joke or gag, and within the boundaries that he creates, his four-letter words and raw sex talk seem almost as sweet and endearing as apple pie. Honestly, I never heard him curse, it all sounded so natural.

Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre's annual Christmas show is an original with concept and script by artistic director John LaLonde incorporating well-known and lesser known holiday tunes and carols. It's Christmas Every Day is a feel-good, forget.your.troubles kind of show. Think the whimsy of White Christmas, the silliness of The Wizard of Oz, the sass of Sister Act, the daring.do of Singin' in the Rain and other MGM movies and even the class of Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Ballet, which are all thrown in for good measure.

A Little House Christmas/based on the book Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder/'adapted for the stage by James DeVita/directed by Emily Chase/Sierra Madre Playhouse/through December 23Laura Ingalls Wilder's classic book Little House on the Prairie (1932) became famous as an hour-long TV drama in the 70s (1974-1983) starring Michael Landon and featuring Melissa Gilbert in her acting debut as Laura. The books, as well as the TV show, are forever popular. As part of their focus on America season, Sierra Madre Playhouse and its artistic director Christian Lebano have chosen James DeVita's stage adaptation of the stories as its holiday presentation A Little House Christmas beautifully directed by Emily Chase and featuring a superb cast of 10, now onstage in its West Coast premiere, through December 23.

Ah, the art of making art! In an excellent adaptation of the 1999 Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Chromolume Theatre steps up to bat with stellar direction from Cate Caplin and boasting a terrific cast through December 21 at their home the Attic Theatre in West LA.

Joe Orton's insanely insane world in 1960s England is no better displayed than in his third and final play What the Butler Saw now onstage at the Mark Taper Forum through December 21. A terrifically energized cast are on hand as is seasoned director John Tillinger, but things got off to a somewhat slow start opening night and really did not start to cook until Act II. It might be the width and depth of the Taper stage, which is not easy to cross that rapidly. I saw a production a couple of years back at the Odyssey, and the space being half the size, entrances and exits were quicker as was the tempo of the whole play.

Actor Michael Arden, who has played Broadway and sung on a European tour with Barbra Streisand, is currently blowing audiences away at La Jolla Playhouse as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, playing through December 14.

Once again the uniquely talented Hershey Felder endears his audience to him with his newest presentation, the life and work of the one and only composer Irving Berlin in Hershey Felder as Irving Berlin. Currently onstage at the Geffen Playhouse through December 21, Felder's tribute, although a bit long - coming in a tad short of two hours without an interval - is enriching, humorous and replete with most of the brilliant Berlin tunes.

Victor Hugo's monumental romantic/gothic novel of the mid 15th century The Hunchback of Notre Dame centers in, around and on top of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, France. The new musical of the same name written by Peter Parnell, Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken, which is receiving its U.S. premiere at La Jolla Playhouse, capitalizes on this fact. Alexander Dodge's massive set of the cathedral replete with gargoyles, multiple statues, stained-glass window and huge overhanging bells is a work of art that dominates the action onstage in front of it. In fact, it is impossible to take your eyes off at least a part of it for a split second.

Actor John LaLonde, artistic director of Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont is preparing to mount his Christmas show It's Christmas Everyday at Candlelight, opening the weekend after Thanksgiving. In our chat, he talks in detail about the show, the upcoming season and some of his favorite musical roles.

Following in the footsteps of La Cage Aux Folles, Billy Elliott and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, all foreign films turned into Broadway musicals, Kinky Boots, the 2013 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, brings its spirited message of 'Just Be Who You Wanna Be' to the Pantages in its West Coast premiere for three weeks only through November 30. Replete with splashy direction and choreography by Jerry Mitchell and a splendid cast, it's top.of.the.line entertaining fare.

On Saturday November 8 at Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, international jazz vocalist Lyn Stanley presented a CD release party to celebrate her new recording Potions (from the 50s). Onstage with her were sensational musicians tenor-saxophonist Terry Harrington, pianist Mike Lang, bassist Mike Valerio and drummer Joe La Barbera. The 80-minute set was an evening to remember, a jazz lover's dream come true.

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!

Based on Daniel Wallace's 1998 novel and Tim Burton's 2003 film of the same name, Big Fish, with a few minor changes in plot, becomes quite an imaginative musical...with Andrew Lippa composer of some of the best songs written for a Broadway show in a long time. So, it is hard to imagine why its Broadway run ended after a mere three months. Now in its West Coast premiere, Big Fish comes to MTW with a glorious cast directed by Larry Carpenter and choreographed by Peggy Hickey with vibrant sets and costumes from the original New York production. It's a real charmer and another big win for MTW.

Which is more important in life ... love or position? Ambitious men and women compete for power in the corporate world and sometimes business partners fall in love, but can they have both equally? In his new comedy A or B? Ken Levine thinks not. With two dynamic and likable actors and directed skillfully by Andrew Barnicle at the Falcon through November 16, the play is slick, funny and engaging to a point, but something is lacking.