Don Grigware - Page 77

On Sunday November 7 Barbara Van Orden made a splashy return to the world of cabaret @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's after a three year absence in a new show directed by the ever resourceful Joe Giamalva. Van Orden belongs to the cabaret world of days gone by, when Sinatra was king and when tasteful music reigned supreme. Promising her audience at the top nostalgia and one exciting ride, she proceeded to captivate with a genuine warmth, fine voice and campy style of humor, all of which will grow even stronger as she continues to perform on a regular basis.

It amazes me that a play has not been written before about a cross section of people getting trapped in an elevator, as the potential for drama is limitless. People have a tendency to open up as never before when they face calamity, and, with this in mind, Michael Leoni goes the distance theatrically in Elevator, now in its fourth incarnation, this time around @ The Macha Theatre. Its electric ensemble cast and nonstop fluid action should keep most audiences glued to their seats.

Richard Myrle Buckley, aka Lord Buckley, was an American lounge comic (1906-1960), who had a cult following in the 50s; he went in for hip semantic and scat, associated with jazz greats such as Dizzy Gillespie, Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey and Ella Fitzgerald. His word play was delivered with a cool one-of-a-kind lightening-like speed, making him a forerunner of the Beat Generation. He influenced such comics as Lenny Bruce, Richard Pryor and Robin Williams. Bringing him to life requires formidable skill: bold, fearless and hypnotic, all rolled into one. Jake Broder, who essayed Louis Prima on stage in Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara to critical and popular acclaim, is currently getting under the skin of Lord Buckley and creating an intense, furiously fast and deliriously brazen characterization through word and song that manifests a truly dizzying brilliance. On November 2 and 3 - back by popular demand - Broder brought the show to the Inner Circle of the Magic Castle for the second time this year.

Actress Salome Jens is an actor's actor. She considers acting a pure art form and is ever respectful of every single role she plays. From films like Angel Baby to Mae Olinski in TV's Mary Hartman Mary Hartman to her one-woman play About Anne, her work is passionate, thoughtful and evocative. She will be performing About Anne @ Group rep in NoHo November 19 and 20 as a benefit for the theatre. In our chat recently conducted on the stage of Group rep, she talks about the roots of About Anne (poet Anne Sexton, who struggled her entire short life with mental illness and committed suicide) and other theatrical passions.

The phenomenally successful 1977 Broadway musical Annie took America by storm and has been filmed twice. After 33 years, and especially now during our country's long bout of economic recession, its Depression era optimism holds up better than ever, and in MTW's current glowing production everything is in place to savor.

When Happy Days premiered in 2006 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank it had the subtitle A Family Musical; now it's changed to A New Musical. For obvious reasons, I liked the original version better. We grew to love the Cunninghams on TV as a family and the Falcon depicted their home; in this new production at Cabrillo, the only part of the home on display is the kitchen. This is not to say that the production is not worth seeing, though, for it has a great cast - and the music and dancing and corny comic setups are terribly enjoyable backed by Susan Morgenstern's consistently even pacing as director.

Born in a little town outside Lynchburg, Tennessee Dee W. Ieye was the sole heir to the Jack Daniel's fortune. She began her circuit of beauty pageants at a young age and eventually found herself out here in L.A. competing for the crown in Aid for Aids Best in 'drag' show in 2004. Taking her new found fame from that competition, Dee stepped into the role of Tupperware Lady in 2005, doing in home party demonstrations of Tupperware's classic food storage containers. It wasn't long before Dee became the # 1 Personal Seller of Tupperware products in the Nation. For 3 years she has held that title of # 1 in personal sales and is on her way to find out if it's year # 4 in Orlando next week at the big Tupperware convention. Not only is Dee busy with her party demonstrations, she is also very active in the community doing personal appearances, MC -ing events, private parties and fundraising. She's best known for her charitable works with raising money for Aids Services Orange County and their affiliate Friends of Dorothy. Each year 4 events are held where money is raised directly to support those in Orange County living with HIV / AIDS.

What a glorious evening of song and mirth is to be had in the company of supertalents Wayland Pickard and Deborah Johnson in Legendary Duets! Facing each other at dueling pianos, Pickard and Johnson play, cavort and sing. As one gets up to solo, the other assists with background accompaniment. Pickard is most definitely the comic and Johnson is straight-man. Behind is a screen with projections of the singing artists in question. And there is a variety of music explored: rock from the 50s, 60s and 70s, country, the classics, Hollywood film tunes and Broadway pop.

A stage without Cissy Conner is like a day without sunshine. Her presence alone, never mind her enormous talent, lights up a room with laughter. On Sunday October 24, Conner made a rare appearance @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's with her cabaret act Cissy Conner Farewell Tour, which, hopefully, will turn into at least a semi-annual event. The lady sings, does hilarious impressions and is just plain and simple a funny, funny girl.

To be frank, John van Druten's works, which include I Am a Camera and The Voice of the Turtle, as well as Bell, Book and Candle, may be considered dated, because sadly plays are no longer written with such style and wit. And who dotes on love and just being human in the 21st century? There's no time; it's unheard of! The Colony Theatre in Burbank proudly presents van Druten's amusing and cherished play about witchcraft, that may very well have inspired TV's Bewitched, with a delightful cast under Richard Israel's nourishing direction.

When Happy Days premiered in 2006 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank it had the subtitle A Family Musical; now it's changed to A New Musical. For obvious reasons, I liked the original version better. We grew to love the Cunninghams on TV as a family and the Falcon depicted their home; in this new production at Cabrillo, the only part of the home on display is the kitchen. This is not to say that the production is not worth seeing, though, for it has a great cast - and the music and dancing and corny comic setups are terribly enjoyable backed by Susan Morgenstern's consistently even pacing as director.

Actress Stephanie Zimbalist certainly needs no introduction. With her star turn on Remington Steele on TV in the 80s, her multiple MOWs and frequent stage appearances all over the country, she is an actor in demand. In this conversation she talks about the challenges of playing Katharine Hepburn in Matthew Lombardo's Tea at Five, which she recently completed for the Rubicon in Ventura and is about to open at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank on October 22.

Sweden's great beauty Greta Gustafsson, later renamed Greta Garbo has been the subject of several plays, but, to my knowledge, When Garbo Talks is the first musical to recount her fascinating career. ICT's world premiere production in Long Beach is well directed, has an excellent cast, but at best comes off disconnected and unduly and unclearly satirical. If parody is the intent, it is far from apparent at the beginning.

Actress/singer Callie Carson made her cabaret debut @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's Sunday October 17 and wowed the SRO house with her super-talent, beauty and glowing charm. It is hardly pretentious to say it, so let's proclaim it loud and clear: this gal has it all. Her height and wholesome good looks have already made her a very successful model. If being offered role after role in musical comedy productions like Little Shop of Horrors and Happy Days the Musical isn't enough proof of her fine singing and acting abilities, then this Sterling's supper club gig should help to pave her way to stage stardom. She is that good.

It's great news that the Pasadena Playhouse has reopened its doors, less than a year from the time that it filed Chapter 11. The first entry into the current season is unusual for this venue, a one-person show, written in 1977 by Dore Schary as a sequel to his 1958 popular hit Sunrise at Campabello. The Pasadena stage is too large for this play, but due to the present state of the economy and the playhouse's tight budget, FDR will have to suffice, and with octogenarian favorite Ed Asner as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it becomes a wholeheartedly valuable and enjoyable experience.

Actress/singer Andrea McArdle made a big splash on Broadway in 1977 as the very first Annie, and has not stopped working since. She has been seen more recently in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Starlight Express as well as State Fair, and this summer, essayed for the very first time the role of Miss Hannigan in Annie. She is about to repeat Miss Hannigan for Musical Theatre West's production opening in Long Beach on October 30. In our chat she speaks about Annie, Hannigan and other theatrical delights.