Gil Kaan - Page 29

Multi-faceted, creative hyphenate Charles Busch will be appearing in his latest reincarnation of his 1999 classic cult-fav DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! for four performances May 17 through May 19, 2019 for L.A. Theatre Works. Dazzlingly filling out the crazy cast of characters of DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! - Mark Capri, Willie Garson, Ellis Greer, Jeffrey Self and Ruth Williamson. I had the wonderful chance to revisit Charles' gracious wit after almost two decades previous.

The Fountain Theatre's Southern California premiere of DANIEL'S HUSBAND has brought together a not-oft-enough, ideal convergence of uniformly talent of talents - with witty, realistic, heart-rendering dialogue by playwright Michael McKeever; sturdy, even-paced directing by Simon Levy; first-rate technical elements; and a pitch, pitch-perfect cast of five actors, each at the top of their individual games.

The Groundlings have topped themselves Ahhh-gain with their latest Friday and Saturday night show NEW YORK FASHION GROUNDLINGS. The collective comic genius of this cast of seven zip through a program of fourteen hilariously entertaining skits, sharply directed by Kevin Kirkpatrick at a brisk, breakneck pace with almost insufficient time to finish laughing before another hysterical bit immediately follows.

The Actors' Gang's latest production VIOLENCE: THE MISADVENTURES OF SPIKE SPANGLE FARMER has just opened this week. This revival of their original 1986 piece, co-written by Actors' Gang Artistic Director Tim Robbins and frequent collaborator Adam Simon, seems, unfortunately, timely as ever. Adam shared with me his history with Actors' Gang, Tim and Roger Corman.

With flashes of ROCKY HORROR and RENT, Michael Shaw Fisher's DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES gives the audience more than an eyeful of enthusiastic and energetic nubile women and men in a fast-paced burlesque romp, inventively choreographed to every inch of the Lex's tiny stage.

Los Angeles Theatre Community staple, director Jon Lawrence Rivera will be previewing his latest directorial Open Fist project ANNA IN THE TROPICS April 26, 2019 at the Atwater Village Theatre, even before his previous directorial Playwrights Arena's SOUTHERNMOST closes (also at the Atwater Village Theatre). Jon managed to squeeze some time for me between his masterful juggling of his two productions.

The adaptation of Dostoyevsky's classic novel Crime and Punishment receives a three-actor, ninety-minute theatrical mounting at the Edgemar Center for the Arts beginning April 27, 2019. I managed to fly a few questions pass a very in-demand Michael Trevino, who plays CRIME AND PUNISHMENT's central character Raskolnikov in this adaptation by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, and directed by Peter Richards.

Theatrical hyphenate Michael Shaw Fisher brings his latest creation DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES - A ROCK MUSICAL to the Celebration Theatre @ the Lex beginning April 26, 2019. I had the very fun opportunity to probe actor/writer/producer Michael's brain for his birthing of Dr. NYMPHO.

Playwright Cicely Hamilton's first productions of her DIANA OF DOBSON'S in 1908 must have been quite controversial with a, then unheard of, strong, outspoken woman Diana Massingberd as the lead character. Abigail Marks more than fills the shoes of Diana with her relentless command of the stage. Director Casey Stangl deftly guides her talented cast in a fast-talking, fast-paced journey of Diana's adventures.

In this world premiere of THE THINGS WE DO, playwright Grant Woods has created an interesting take on an affair of the loins, acted out by a most committed cast. The two adulterers, wanting to continue their illicit trysts, plot to introduce their respective spouses to each other with the purpose of them taking a liking to each other. As scripted by Woods and directed by Elina de Santos, the actors playing the cuckolded spouses have a variety of human qualities to act on, allowing them to convey sympathetic three-dimensionality.

Actress/writer Nia Vardalos will be bringing her latest theatrical creation TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS to the Pasadena Playhouse beginning April 10, 2019. In her stage adaptation of Cheryl Strayed's New York Times best-seller (co-conceived with Thomas Kail & Marshall Hayman), Nia reprises the lead role of Sugar, an online advice columnist by happenstance. Nia managed a few spare moments of her crazy, busy schedule to answer a few of my inquisitive inquiries on Sugar & Toula.

Playwright Eleanor Burgess' latest work THE NICETIES receives its west coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse beginning April 9, 2019. THE NICETIES charts the escalating series of calm-to-volatile discourses between a university college professor and her brilliant student on history, race and reputation. Eleanor, a Huntington Playwright Fellow, carved out some time to answer a few of my inquisitive inquiries on her writing processes, while touching on some of her professional milestones.

Antaeus Theatre Company's 2018 Southern California premiere of NATIVE SON has been chosen as the third and final production of Center Theatre Group's BLOCK PARTY 2019, beginning April 18, 2019 at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Nambi E. Kelley's adaptation of Richard Wright's classic novel Native Son will be reprised with its entire original Antaeus cast of nine, again with director Andi Chapman at its helm. I had the chance to ask some delving questions of Jon Chaffin, who portrays NATIVE SON's most integral character, Bigger Thomas.

#1. The wit of Kate Pazakis (executive producer of the UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY OF... series) - writes some of the sharpest and laugh-inducing dialogue while name-dropping and parodying the 1999 cult classic, Heath Ledger/Julia Stiles-starrer 10 Things I Hate About You. (No need to have already seen the film. You'll enjoy the wall-to-wall talent acting out the UMPO stand-alone storyline.)

Wasatch Theatrical Ventures brings Arthur Miller's classic ALL MY SONS to the Lounge Theatre beginning April 6, 2019. A staple of the Los Angeles Theatre community, director/actor/designer Gary Lee Reed helms this ironically timely tale of defective aircraft tragedies. Gary spent a few moments to answer some of my quizzing questions.

24th Street Theatre presents its latest for kids (and for the kids in all of us), the Los Angeles premiere of THE MIRACULOUS JOURNEY OF EDWARD TULANE, opening April 6, 2019 at their converted carriage house at the edge of L.A.'s historic West Adams district. I acquired the chance to query Brady Dalton Richards, one of the four-person, EDWARD TULANE ensemble. Brady tackles a number of roles, not including the porcelain rabbit named Edward Tulane.

The 2019 National tour of Lincoln Center Theater's production of FALSETTOS has already begun in San Francisco, with its next stop the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (beginning April 16, 2019). I was afforded the most opportune chance to chat with Nick Blaemire in between shows at the SHN Golden Gate in San Francisco. A produced Broadway writer at the early age of 23, Nick now portrays shrink/husband/step-dad/friend Mendel, the connecting link between FALSETTOS's myriad of characters created from the fertile meetings of the artistic minds of William Finn and James Lapine.

Skylight Theatre Company's 2017 production of ROTTERDAM has been chosen to be remounted at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of Center Theatre Group's third annual BLOCK PARTY. The talented cast of four (under the very able direction of Michael A. Shepperd) have already begun reprising their respective roles. I grabbed the opportunity to chat with Miranda Wynne who essayed Alice at Skylight.

Award-winning writer/actress Renee Taylor will be bringing her touring one-woman show RENEE TAYLOR'S MY LIFE ON A DIET back to her home town at The Wallis April 5, 2019. Known to many television fans of The Nanny as Fran Drescher's TV mom, Renee has collaborated on a multitude of movie and theatrical projects with her late husband Joe Bologna. I had the very lovely chance to get some hilarious answers to my under-other-circumstances, 'un-polite' questions.

Playwright Robert Harling's sharp, snappy, heart-wrenching, Louisiana-favored dialogue receives its most worthy due in this Actors Co-op production; cast with a spot-on ensemble of six amazing actresses, smoothly and expertly helmed by director Cameron Watson.