Don Grigware - Page 75

Mon dieu! When they said Traces was one-of-a-kind and would knock me out of my seat, they weren't kidding! This is an acrobatic/dance-mixed, very physical performance. The troupe of 7 amazing people, not unlike the clowns, aerialists and gymnasts of Cirque du Soleil, all rolled into one, offer a jubilantly loose performance structure and set forth an innocently novel intent. Indeed, there is no malice intended, despite initial warnings that anything dangerous might happen and in spite of an ending that places the performers' safety first and foremost. There are really only good humane thoughts. Remember: they are part clown trained to make people smile and maybe, even think a bit. But happily just a little, as entertainment is the top priority. Through February 20 the Ricardo Montalban stage serves as home to this Canadian based group, ingeniously guided by not one but two directors Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider.

I was thoroughly unprepared for the impact Daddy had on me. From the title I had imagined a campy foray into the sleazy world of gay leather encompassing a slave/master experience. Comical use of Who's your daddy? came to mind. Well, how wrong could I be! Yes, indeed, the play is about gay relationships; there are even a couple of scenes in a gay bar, but Dan Via (who also plays Stew) has overall constructed a humorous, intelligent, insightful and riveting play that delves deeply into all types of relationships: friends, lovers and parents, that will appeal to everyone, gay or straight. Now onstage @ the Hudson Mainstage, Daddy, expertly helmed by Rick Sparks, will leave you ruminating.

On Sunday January 16, songbird Nita Whitaker returned to Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's for a joyfully rousing concert full of great singing and indomitable humor. I am always thrilled when a cabaret exceeds my initial expectations. I had heard Whitaker sing on her website, so I knew I was in for a pleasurable evening, but what I got was a star-stature talent that must be experienced first hand. She is beautiful, very funny and a helluva scintillating singer.

On Wednesday, January 12 Kritzerland at the Gardenia, a series presented on the first Wednesday of every month - January being the exception, and which originated in September of 2010, offered The Sondheim Albums. The series, based on Bruce Kimmel's record label and albums, honors a composer's lesser known material, oft times cut from an original score. Nine skilled singers participated in the fine evening; they were: Damon Kirsche (photo at left), Kim Huber, Zachary Ford, Juliana Hansen, Alet Taylor, Shannon Cudd, Aleah Whaley, Holly Long, and very special guest artiste Millicent Martin.

What can one add about the success of the Follies in this their twentieth season but to say one big 'Bravo'! I attend the show every season, sometimes twice - ever since 2005 - and never go away disappointed. It never fails to lift my spirits high! This year, there is a very large video screen in back of the stage that shows a montage of pictures of the careers of each and every Follies' lady during the Pretty Woman segment and continues to churn out great photos and appropriate and pretty graphic images throughout the show. It's amazing!

On Sunday, January 9 @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's singer Jeanie Brandes made, by popular demand, a return engagement to sing selections from her newest CD Jeanie Brandes ... Kisses You Awake, a heavenly mix of beautiful songs from the Great American Songbook. Accompanied by dynamic musical director Shelley Markham and his musicians Tim Emmons on bass and M.B. Gordy on drums, Brandes with her blessed vocal instrument and loving personality held her intimate audience captive with radiance and warmth. That audience included acclaimed song stylist and friend Andrea Marcovicci and comic actress Cissy Conner, who recently performed @ Sterling's. Brandes' was a lovely, laid-back evening of song.

One of a kind musicals like Hair must be experienced first hand. It's the live, up-close, in-your-face tone that gives the musical its rare fervor. First produced in 1967 by Joe Papp at his Public Theatre, eventually opening on Broadway in 1968, Hair is about the hippie generation of the 60s, whose drugs and flower-power may have been a controversial mishmash then, but now make more sense than ever; the message rings loud and clear: stop the war! There's another message underneath: trust yourself and live the life you want to live, as long as you're not hurting others! Sad to say, 40+ years later, senseless war still rages and most people live by the status quo, even if its stress is so overbearing, it practically kills them. This new touring production, based on the 2009 Tony Award winning revival, is a powerful reminder and a powerhouse winner.

Only an actor of the calibre of John Lithgow - who remains a class act after almost 40 years in the theatre - could mount the very simplistic Stories by Heart on the large Taper stage. Ideal for a smaller, more intimate venue, Stories becomes more than a retelling of two classic tales, one by P.G. Wodehouse and the other by American journalist Ring Lardner. In the hands of Lithgow the art of storytelling is put on a pedestal. We all know how vital it is to a child's education, but it can truly enrich one's life, regardless of age, and, in fact, it has been proven to encourage, nurture and increase the quality of the very process of living. Quite a feat! Well, Lithgow, self described exuberant actor, makes it ebulliently unfold.

LA's Next Great Stage Star 2011 began its six-week run through February 6 this past Sunday, January 2, 2011 @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's. It was a long first show, due mostly to some unforseen technical issues, but boasts 20 very talented vocalists, well worth checking out in the weeks ahead.

Opera diva Julia Migenes performed Diva on the Verge ten years ago at the Odyssey after a triumphant London engagement; at that time she showed a bold bravura that still is tantalizingly delicious. After beginning the evening with a disclaimer that more or less states 'if you expect serious opera, you have come to the wrong venue', Migenes clearly and frankly details the practically impossible feats that are expected from a diva in an operatic performance and then proceeds to illustrate them to the audience through wickedly exaggerated yet endearingly loving renditions.

Renowned actress/singer Kristin Chenoweth upheld her 'Popular' -ity on New Year's Eve @ the Walt Disney Pavilion by giving her audiences, who regail her for TV's The West Wing, Pushing Daisies and Glee, what they want most: namely, a large dose and a half of her glowing charisma. The petite and pretty talent has a gorgeous soprano voice which she displayed most effectively and a great sense of comedic humor which was also put to good use throughout the varied 90-minute set.

Actor/singer Luca Ellis is having a breakthrough year portraying Frank Sinatra in the huge hit Hoboken to Hollywood at the Edgemar Center for the Arts, now extended to the end of January. Having portrayed Sinatra last year with the cast of Louis and Keely @ the El Portal, he is no stranger to the legend. It shows, for when you close your eyes, you feel you are listening to Sinatra himself. Handsome and confident, Ellis talks about the show, its eventual move to a larger space - one that has been confirmed by director Jeremy Aldridge, who also directed Louis and Keeley Live at the Sahara to great acclaim - and shares other insights about singers and the art of singing.

This is my fifth visit to Santasia, my first time seeing it @ the Whitefire, and I must admit within six years the show has gotten tighter and better, without losing a morsel of its unique comedic charm. Brothers Shaun and Brandon Loeser and four other actors: Andrew J. Hillis, James Elden, Lon Gowan, and Art Oden sing, dance, act and fool around as chums tend to do in a nonstop, side-splitting bevy of sketches not unlike those of Saturday Night Live, where good old silliness reigns supreme.

Cabrillo Music Theatre have done themselves proud these past couple of seasons with stellar productions of great Broadway shows. Their 2010 Holiday Spectacular is indeed just that. There's something for everyone in the family: Broadway show tunes, Christmas carols and a delightful sing-a-long, and some pretty wonderful dance numbers involving some pretty talented kids, beautifully choreographed by director Cheryl Baxter.

The Best in LA Theatre for 2010

GMCLA's annual holiday concert, this year entitled Comfort & Joy, was presented Saturday, December 18 and Sunday, December 19 to sold out houses at the Alex Theatre in Glendale, and proved once again to be one of the most innovative and enjoyable holiday concerts around town. With guest director Dr. Timothy Seelig - en route from Dallas, Texas to take over as director of the GMC in San Francisco - firmly in control, the afternoon was a glorious one indeed.

Actress/singer ValLimar Jansen beautifully becomes Ethel Waters, body and soul, in Sweet Mama String Bean. The story concerns the first half of Waters' life, which may be little known to many: how she rose from illegitimacy to radio, club and Broadway super-stardom by the 1940s, before becoming the well-known Emmy and Oscar nominated actress.

On Sunday December 12 Antony Field and Chip Smith presented a CD release party of their new Christmas CD You and Me on Christmas Eve @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's. For fans of jazz and country inspired music, this one's for you! Field has a vocal sound along the lines of Frank Sinatra or Harry Connick Jr. - a true gem of a singer with velvety smooth vocal chords - and musician Smith has an amazing versatility on keyboards, horn, sax and clarinet. Their 10 original Christmas songs have an easy-going, mellow sound perfect for a laid-back holiday evening by the fireside or sitting around a table with lots of friends and Christmas libation.

It's hard to believe, but the fiercely fruity hit Fruitcake Follies is celebrating its 12th birthday, having originated in Hollywood at the Cinegrill, and now in its permanent residence in the basement of a Mexican restaurant in Silver Lake. About as original as you'll find anywhere, the show's genius is James Gray, who serves as host, and costars the one and only Momma ... and this year Eric Seppala and Sandy Fox. Guest stars are Leslie Carrara and puppet pet Lolly and Melanie Hutsell as chef Paula Deen.