Gil Kaan - Page 30

Lauded jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, accompanied by THE MEMPHIS SOULPHONY, will be bringing her latest show MEMPHIS: YES, I'M READY, based on her latest musical release Memphis: Yes, I'm Ready to The Wallis for one night only March 23, 2019. The most warm and delightful Ms. Bridgewater managed to entertain and enlightened me on the phone for an informative, heartfelt forty-five minutes.

Playwright/director Robert O'Hara will helm the world premiere of Inda Craig-Galvan's BLACK SUPER HERO MAGIC MAMA, already in previews at the Geffen Playhouse. When MAMA loses her 14-year-old to a police shooting, she retreats into the comic book world created by her deceased son. Robert talks MAMA, George C. Wolfe, and what it means to be an artist.

FOR THE LOVE OF (OR, THE ROLLER DERBY PLAY), the first of the three productions Center Theatre Group remounts at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of their BLOCK PARTY 2019, opens March 9, 2019. As cosmic forces would have it, sound designer Gilly Moon also skates in the San Fernando Valley Roller Derby. Gilly took a breather between her sound and skating pursuits to chat with me.

Lauded Broadway and recording artist Telly Leung will be bringing this cabaret show SING HAPPY for one-night-only to Vitello's March 18, 2019. SING HAPPY will include songs from Telly's various musical roles, tunes from his vocal idols, and some simply for personal significance.

Tony Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson brings his autobiographical solo show LACKAWANNA BLUES to the Mark Taper (already in previews), with opening night set for March 13, 2019. Hearkening back to his 1950's childhood in Lackawanna, New York; Ruben assumes the roles of twenty-plus characters he grew up with.

Boston Court Pasadena's artistic director Michael Michetti assuredly directs his pitch-perfect cast in DEEE-livering the whip-smart words of David Hare's THE JUDAS KISS in a smooth, non-stop, totally involving pace. Chameleon Rob Nagle has once again transformed himself into another fully-fleshed out characterization. Nagle COMMANDS the stage every second he's on it. Bravo, Mr. Nagle!

Menander Productions and Jamie Pierce have gathered a talented cast and crew to populate their world premiere of playwright Gina Torrecilla's ATTACK OF THE SECOND BANANAS, now at the Zephyr Theatre. Ryan Bergmann sharply directs his six-person ensemble in a slick, quick pace of much laughs and hilarity. Taylor Stephenson's underscoring of mock suspense music aptly heightens this involving, who-done-it mystery.

PigPen Theatre Company will be bringing their latest show THE OLD MAN AND THE OLD MOON to The Wallis March 2, 2019. The seven-member PigPen Theatre Company, together since meeting in 2010 as undergrads at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, have become so tight-knit; they finish each others' sentences. So, it's only fitting in this round-robin, free-for-all of an interview that everyone answers at once, or in partial sentences. In this organized chaos of a Q&A session, I will attribute all the answers simply to the collective 'PigPen,' of which these charming seven go by their individual names of Alex Falberg, Ben Ferguson, Curtis Gillen, Ryan Melia, Matt Nuernberger, Arya Shahi and Dan Weschler.

Playwright Ian McRae's THE JOY WHEEL kicks offs with one of the most effective opening, introductory scenes I've seen in a while. Jason Alexander smoothly and sure-handedly directs his two top-notch actors, Dann Florek and Gina Hecht as husband and wife Frank and Stella Conlin, as they vividly describe their relationship (40 years married) and back stories leading up to their present situation - preparing for Frank's retirement party that evening. McRae has written a most witty, descriptive dialogue for Florek and Hecht to sink their talented teeth into, ...

Actor/writer/LGBTQ cause celebre Matthew Wilkas L.A. premieres his latest theatrical piece (co-written with Mark Setlock) BORN TO WIN at the Celebration Theatre @ the Lex beginning February 13, 2019. Focusing on the shenanigans that can go on during a little girls' beauty pageant, Matthew takes the stage facing off with the always working Los Angeles Theatre darling Drew Droege. Michael Matthews directs with choreography by Janet Roston.

Following in the hallowed footsteps of the choreographic greats that he's worked with, the ever busy choreographer Mark Esposito has added his choreographic Midas touch to the cast of twenty performers of RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL, just opening yesterday at the Pasadena Playhouse.

Director Patricia McGregor returns to the Geffen Playhouse after her successful directorial stint of Dominique Morriseau's SKELETON CREW last year. This time, Patricia directs the west coast premiere of LIGHTS OUT: NAT 'KING' COLE (now, already in previews), co-written by herself and Coleman Domingo. Patricia took some time after a long day of rehearsals to chat with me over the phone.

East West Players solidly world premieres playwright Anna Moench's MAN OF GOD , a witty, biting account of four teenage Korean girls on a prayer mission to Thailand under the guidance of their male pastor. What starts off as a mish-mash of teenage bickering and clashing personalities smoothly morphs into a serious depiction of sexual tragedies and their responses.

Prolific director Michael Michetti maintains his steady productivity of theatrical output with THE JUDAS KISS at Boston Court Pasadena, beginning previews February 15, 2019. After attending many of the shows he's helmed over the years, cosmic forces finally brought Michael and I together for this interview.

A frequent creative fixture of Los Angeles Theatre, as well as, in theatre communities nationwide; Gilbert Glenn Brown will next be sharing his acting acumen and gravitas on the Garry Marshall Theatre stage reprising his role of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Katori Hall's Olivier Award-winning THE MOUNTAINTOP, beginning February 6, 2019. I managed to catch Gilbert for a few moments between juggling his many acting commitments to answer a few of my queries.

Funny lady Julia Sweeney brings her latest one-woman show JULIA SWEENEY: OLDER & WIDER to the Geffen's Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater stage for a limited comedy engagement February 5 through February 10, 2019. I had the pleasure of delving into the comedic genius of this Saturday Night Live/The Groundlings alumnus, getting some very insightful responses.

What does a black Christian man and a white Jewish man have in common? Griffin Matthews, a black Christian man, and Matt Gould, a white Jewish man, are co-directors of a non-profit, co-writers of a docu-musical, and co-parents to a beautiful little boy. Their theatre piece WITNESS UGANDA (based on their non-profit UgandaProject) will begin February 8, 2019 at The Wallis. They took some time out of their combined multi-tasking to answer a few of my inquiries.

Choreographer extraordinaire Matthew Bourne, already a force of nature in the British dance arena since 1988, turned the international dance world upside down with his ground-breaking SWAN LAKE in 1995. His unique take on CINDERELLA will land at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre beginning February 5, 2019, as part of its international tour. I had the wonderful occasion to interview Andrew Monaghan, who's dancing the dual lead role of Cinderella's heroic pilot Harry, as well as, The Prince.

Being the daughter of the first Jewish Miss America, Barra Grant sailed through her childhood rebellious and harboring a contentious relationship with mom Bess Myerson. Not until Barra had a daughter of her own, did she understand her mom's methods more clearly. Barra has turned her lemon of her childhood experience into the lemonade of her theatre piece MISS AMERICA'S UGLY DAUGHTER, which begins February 8, 2019 at the Greenway Court Theatre. I had the chance to illicit some bon mots from this enduring writer/performer.

The west coast premiere of playwright Laura Maria Censabella's PARADISE receives a strong mounting at the Odyssey Theatre, blessed with the sturdy acting chops of Medalion Rahimi and Jeff Marlow in this singular two-hander. Vicangelo Bulluck ably directs this important, not-oft-told story of a Muslim girl having to weigh her options of family obligations vs. personal goals.