Gil Kaan - Page 30

Emmy-winning composer Jim Dooley teams up with Troubies’ founder Matt Walker to world premiere the ‘dynamic plot-concepted’ The Revue at the Colony Theater opening March 17, 2022. Matt directs the cast of himself with Rick Batalla, Katie DeShan, Tiffany Daniels, Isaac Robinson-Smith and Travis Leland. Jim carved some time from rehearsals to explain his novel dynamic plot concept and chat on some highlights of his varied career.

Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Microsoft Theater will launch their new five-year partnership of presenting a Cirque du Soleil touring production within L.A. LIVE annually with their high-energy, high-acrobatic spectacular OVO opening March 16, 2022. I had the opportunity to field a few queries to Cirque du Soleil’s president of the touring shows division Mike Newquist.

Open Fist Theatre Company returns to live performances with Sarah Ruhl’s In the Next Room, or the vibrator play opening March 18th at Atwater Village Theatre. Lane Allison directs the cast of Bryan Robert Bertone, Spencer Cantrell, Stephanie Crothers, Monazia Smith, Dionna Veremis, Alex Wells and Jennifer Zorbalas. I had the opportunity to toss out a few queries to Lane on her vibrator play, her back story with Open Fist and her history with L.A. Theatre.  

Marisa Matthews and Ashley Moniz produced their first edition of their monthly cabaret Broadway at The Bourbon Room last month with their second edition Songs of Sondheim playing March 28, 2022, at (of course) The Bourbon Room. Got a chance to throw out a few questions to B@BB’s musical director extraordinaire, the very busy Benet Braun.

Multi-million selling recording artist Sam Harris debuts his latest show Sam Harris: Openly Gray on the West Coast at the Catalina Bar & Grill March 25th and 26th. I had the opportunity to pose a few questions to this popular and very talented cabaret performer/writer.

Playwright Benjamin Benne’s Alma (already in previews) will world premiere March 13, 2022, at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, produced in cooperation with American Blues Theater. Juliette Carrillo directs Cheryl Umaña in the title role with Sabrina Fest as her daughter Angel. I had the most delightful Zoom interview with Cheryl before she had to go to her rehearsals.

East West Players has resumed LIVE performances with Stephen Sondheim’s Assassins (already opened). East West Players’ producing artistic director Snehal Desai directs the cast which includes Trance Thompson, Gedde Watanabe, Adam Kaokept, Joan Almedilla, Max Torrez, Christopher Chen, George Xavier, Astoncia Bhagat, Arvin Lee, Aric Martin, Kym Miller, Andrea Somera, Jalen Lum, Michael Cavinder and Maya Nahree McGowan. I had the chance to toss a few questions to Gedde, this enduring, steadily working actor, about his long relationship with East West and his various other acting gigs.

The Musical Theatre Guild will be presenting for one-night only A Sondheim Birthday Celebration Live! Laugh! Love! on Stephen Sondheim’s birthday March 22nd at The El Portal Theatre. Jason Graae hosts the Celebration featuring Musical Theatre Guild members with special guest, Stephen Sondheim veteran Teri Ralston. I got to playfully rouse Teri to reminisce about her decades’ history with Stephen Sondheim.

The critically acclaimed The Lehman Trilogy opens March 6, 2022, at the Ahmanson after its successful runs on Broadway and the West End. Multi-award-winning Sam Mendes directs Simon Russell Beale and Adam Godley reprising their Broadway roles, with Howard W. Overshown who understudied in the Broadway production. Playwright Ben Power has adapted Stefano Massini’s original script on the deep-dive history of the Lehman Brothers investment banking company. I had the opportunity to speak with The Lehman Trilogy’s composer/sound designer Nick Powell just before going into dress rehearsal.

Geffen Playhouse’s next live production in their Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater, Lindsay Joelle’s TRAYF opens March 10th (with previews already in progress). Maggie Burrows directs the cast of Ilan Eskenazi, Ben Hirschhorn, Louisa Jacobson and Garrett Young. For those unfamiliar with the term “trayf,” Oxford Language dictionary defines trayf as “adjective: (of food) not satisfying the requirements of Jewish law.” I had the opportunity to throw out a few questions to Lindsay amidst her final rehearsals.

LA Opera’s next production St. Matthew Passion will open March 12, 2022, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. LA Opera’s music director James Conlon conducts with choreographer John Neumeier staging Johann Sebastian Bach’s scared masterpiece with members of the Hamburg Ballet. The always busy Maestro found some time to answer a few of my orchestral queries.

Theatre 40’s next production of their current season - Lauren Gunderson’s Silent Sky - opens March 17, 2022.  Ann Hearn Tobolowsky directs the cast of Marie Broderick, Dalen Carson, Tammy Mora, Abigail Stewart and Amy Tolsky. I had the chance to throw out a couple of questions to Abigail.

Skylight Theatre Company and Playwrights’ Arena join creative forces to present their second world premiere offering, Boni B. Alvarez’ APARTMENT LIVING opening March 12, 2022, live at the Skylight Theatre. Jon Lawrence Rivera directs the cast of Gabriel Leyva, Geri-Nikole Love, Charrell Mack,  Gigette Reyes, Andrew Russel and Rachel Sorsa. I had the opportunity to field a few queries to Boni on APARTMENT LIVING and his previous relationships with Skylight and Playwrights’ Arena.

24th Street Theatre and The Wallis world premieres Olivier Award-winning playwright Mike Kenny’s RAPUNZEL ALONE March 5, 2022, with live performances alternating between 24th Street Theatre and The Wallis. I had the chance toss a few questions to Mike across the ocean on RAPUNZEL ALONE, as well as on his very lengthy resume of past plays.

Ensemble Theatre Company (ETC) presents the third show of its 2021-2022 season live on stage, David Cale’s LILLIAN starring Nancy Travis. Previewing on March 3rd, LILLIAN opens March 5th at The New Vic in Santa Barbara. I had the chance to ask the ever-popular, always working television star about her theatrical beginnings and present stint as LILLIAN on the boards.

Heartbeat Opera’s tour of FIDELIO lands at The Broad Stage February 26th and 27th. Heartbeat’s artistic director Ethan Heard directs Beethoven’s 1814 masterpiece re-imagined and re-orchestrated for the era of Black Lives Matter. I had the chance to throw a few queries out to Ethan on his timely and unique project that he also adapted and co-wrote.

The Road Theatre Company returns to live performances with the world premiere of Bernardo Cubria’s THE PLAY YOU WANT March 1, 2022; the first of three plays performing in repertory. Michael John Garcés directs the cast of Peter Pasco, Chelsea Gonzalez, Natalie Llerena, Jonathan Nichols, Roland Ruiz, Christopher Larkin, Stewart J. Zully and Presciliana Esparolini. I had the chance to query Bernardo on THE PLAY YOU WANT and his other important upcoming projects.

Actor/ producer/ director/ singer/ performer Marisa Matthews will be inaugurating her monthly musical cabaret BROADWAY AT THE BOURBON ROOM February 21, 2022, at The Bourbon Room. Each cabaret (populated with Broadway’s latest talents) will have different themes, with opening night Give My Regards to Broadway. I had the chance to ask a few queries of Marisa on some of her history leading up to this show.

Playwright Jeremy O. Harris’s critically lauded SLAVE PLAY just opened February 16, 2022, at the Mark Taper Forum receiving a thunderous standing ovation. Before starting their previews, I had a nice long chat with Jonathan Higginbotham who’s reprising his role of Philip from the August Wilson Theatre production earlier this year.

The Geffen west coast premieres Paul Grellong’s POWER OF SAIL, already in previews. Weyni Mengesha directs the cast of Hugo Armstrong, Amy Brenneman, Bryan Cranston, Donna Simone Johnson, Tedra Millan, Seth Numrich and Brandon Scott. I had the chance to question Hugo, a familiar face on the Los Angeles theatre stages on being in POWER and his ongoing relationship with L.A. theatre.