Gil Kaan - Page 24

What do Madonna, Michael Jackson and Stephen Sondheim have in common? Choreographer extraordinaire Vincent Paterson! Vincent new book Icons and Instincts: Choreographing and Directing Entertainment’s Biggest Stars has just been released and Vincent will be appearing at Book Soup September 23, 2022, to sign copies of it.

Next up at Theatre 40, Norm Foster’s A Clean Brush world premieres September 23, 2022. Howard Storm directs the cast of Mandy Fason, Susan Priver, Michael Kerr and James Lemire. I got the chance to pepper Norm (a.k.a. the Canadian Neil Simon) on this world premiere and his extensive resume of 67 plays.

Alaska Thunderfuck 5000's DRAG: The Musical returns to Los Angeles at The Bourbon Room beginning September 23, 2022. Spencer Liff choreographs and directs the cast of Alaska with JuJubee, Jackie Cox, Jan Sport, Joey McIntrye, Nick Adams, Lagoona Bloo, Aria B. Cassadine and Alysha Deslorieux. Alaska managed to find some time for my queries in between promoting her book My Name’s Yours, What’s Alaska? just released last year, and getting ready for her promotional tour for her latest album Red 4 Filth.

Like the proverbial phoenix, Theatre 68 has risen from its pandemic ashes to reclaim their Lankershim theatre space, now re-christened Theatre 68 Arts Complex. Inaugurating this newly re-modelled theatre, will be the reprise of Ronnie Marmo’s very successful I’m Not A Comedian… I’m Lenny Bruce opening September 17, 2022. I got the chance to throw out a few queries to Ronnie, the always multitasking producer/actor/director/producer.

A popular Southern California figure for many years as your friendly TV weatherman, Fritz Coleman will be bringing his latest stand-up comedy show to the El Portal stage October 16, 2022 for two performances he’ll also taping. Fritz managed to carve out some time to answer a few of my queries on Unassisted Living and his long career.

Playwright, screenwriter and television writer Jessica Goldberg reunites with The Echo Theatre Company for the world premiere of her Babe opening September 17, 2022. Chris Fields directs the cast of Wylie Anderson, Julie Dretzin and Sal Viscuso. Jessica was most gracious in discussing Babe, her long relationship with Echo and her productive writing process.

Next up at the Antaeus Theatre Company the Los Angeles premiere of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Everybody September 16, 2022 (with previews beginning September 11th). Jennifer Chang directs the cast of Anne Gee Byrd, Dawn Didawick, Lisa Sanaye Dring, Cherish Monique Duke, Nicole Erb, Harry Groener, Alberto Isaac, Antonio Jaramillo and Gerard Joseph. I got the chance to finally interview Anne after all these years of seeing her wow her audiences on the Los Angeles stages.

Next up at The Ahmanson, the Los Angeles premiere of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s reimagined, Tony Award winning Oklahoma! opening September 15, 2022. I got a chance to toss out a few questions to the very game Barbara Walsh who plays Aunt Eller.

Center Theatre Group’s co-artistic director playwright Luis Alfaro curates and leads CTG’s L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival taking place over the course of two weekends, September 9-11 and September 16-18, 2022 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. I had the chance to obtain a few answers from this very busy, multi-tasking man.

The always working Carolyn Hennesy has finally found some time to mount the L.A. boards again. Carolyn takes on the co-title role of Mehitabel in Dan Gilvezan’s The Secret World of Archy & Mehitabel opening September 10, 2022 at the Whitefire Theatre. Moosie Drier directs the cast of Bill Chott, Richard Horvitz, Kelly Stables, the playwright himself and Carolyn.

The next show up for The Groundlings is their one-nighter Support Group August 29, 2022. I got a chance to chat with Emily Pendergast, one of the very funny Main Company cast members.

Next up at The Getty Villa, Sophocles' classic play Oedipus adapted by Jenny Koons, Andrew Morrill and Alexandria Wailes opening September 7, 2022. Jenny also does double duty directing the cast of Treshelle Edmond, Russell Harvard, Ashlea Hayes, Amelia Hensley, Matthew Jaeger, Gregor Lopes, Andrew Morrill, On Shiu, Alexandria Wailes, Akia Takara and Jon Wolfe Nelson.

Producer/creator Jim Dooley reprises The Revue, his modern musical parody at The Bourbon Room September 17, 2022. In this edition, Rick Batalla takes over the directing reins from Matt Walker with the cast of Katie DeShan, Tiffany Daniels, Isaac Robinson-Smith and Philip McNiven. I had the chance to throw out a few questions to Katie on her history with The Revue and the Troubies.

When funny ladies Allison Dunbar and Emily Pendergrast decided to produce a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood September 16th, they simply picked up their phones and called their Sister Groundlings to participate. The roster for September 16th includes current main company members, as well as Groundlings alumni. Deanna Oliver directs Lauren Burns, Patty Guggenheim, Rachel Harris, Phyllis Katz, Lyric Lewis, Karen Maruyama, Laraine Newman, Cheri Oteri, Jessica Pohly, Ariane Price, Lisa Schurga, Annie Sertich, Cathy Shambley, Mindy Sterling, Christen Sussin and Michaela Watkins. I had the chance to catch the very busy Allison to respond to a few questions between her recent nuptials and the fundraiser.

The national touring company of The Prom lands at the Ahmanson August 10, 2022 (with a preview August 9th). The story of a group of Broadway divas meshing with a small-town high school results in hijinks and lots of fantastic dancing. Tony Award winner Casey Nicholaw reprises his Broadway directing and choreographic duties on this tour. Got a chance to throw some questions out to Patrick Wetzel, who plays one of the Broadway superstars Barry Glickman.

Performance artist/comedian/ writer Kristina Wong (in partnership with API RISE) returns to East West Players with her new rendition of From Number To Name: Back To Life livestreaming August 5th through 7th. As Kristina described in her last interview with me: “From Number To Name is a devised theater piece created with formerly incarcerated Asian Pacific Islander Americans. The cast is formerly incarcerated APIs, folks with family on the inside and their supporters. It's storytelling we rarely see in our community, from the people who have experienced it.” I got Kristina to say a few words before turning this interview over to Kirn Kim, one of the formerly incarcerated featured in From Number To Name.

Next up at the Geffen Playhouse, the west coast premiere of playwright Fernanda Coppel’s King Liz opening July 21, 2022 (previews already begun). Jesca Prudencio directs the cast of Ray Abruzzo, Oscar Best, Nancy Linari, Evan Morris Reiser, Michelle Ortiz and Sabrina Sloan. I had the opportunity to throw out a few questions to Fernanda about King Liz, as well as her writing career.

Next up at the Fountain Theatre, the L.A. premiere of Tony Award-winner Steven Levenson’s If I Forget beginning July 23, 2022 (with previews starting July 20th). Jason Alexander (also a Tony Award-winner) directs the cast of Síle Bermingham, Caribay Franke, Matt Gottlieb, Samantha Klein, Leo Marks, Valerie Perri, Jerry Weil and Jacob Zelonky. I had the opportune occasion to throw out a few queries to Jason, the well-known TV actor and respected L.A. Theatre community denizen.

Playwright Peter Lefcourt’s Remembering the Future world premieres at the Odyssey Theatre July 16, 2022. Terri Hanauer directs the cast of Michael Corbett, Fatima El-Bashir, David Jahn, Andrew Neaves and Tarina Pouncy. I had a very enjoyable phoner with the multi-tasking, ever busy Michael.

The world premiere of The Streaming-verse of Madness: An Unauthorized Musical Parody has already opened at the Lyric Hyperion Theatre. This mash-up of pop song favorites doubles as the official re-opening of this Silverlake landmark. I had the opportunity to dig into the mind of Aidan Park, who essays the role of Dr. Strange in this Madness.