Gil Kaan - Page 48

The Groundlings, in continuing their online presence, will Zoom this year's annual THE GROUNDLINGS HOLIDAY SHOW - ONLINE EDITION. This sure-to-be laugh-filled program airing three December weekends features original skits and improvs from the hysterical Groundlings Main Company members.

Playwright/actor Larry Powell has been making the very most of his time in these crazy quarantine circumstances. Larry has two of his plays opening online this week - THE RECLAMATION OF MY BLACK ASS IMAGINATION: AN AWAKENING (as part of Greenway Court Theatre's 20th anniversary season opener IF I SHOULD WAKE); as well as, THE GAZE... NO HOMO for the Fountain Theatre.

With still the absence of live theatre audiences, Antaeus Theatre Company creatively pivots with THE ZIP CODE PLAYS: LOS ANGELES, its series of six new plays as podcasts. ZIP CODE's audio producer/sound designer/foley artist Jeff Gardner broke away from his artistic multitasking to answer a few of my queries.

During these quarantined times, top-selling recording artist Chris Mann has made the ultimate lemonade out of lemons - musical parodies viewed by tens of millions; all while sequestered with his family, and putting the finishing touches on his latest release Noise.

CITIZEN DETECTIVE, Geffen StayHouse's third production, has already been sold out, just as the first two did. Specifically written for Zoom, playwright/director Chelsea Marcantel has fashioned a mystery who-done-it with the Zoom audience as the solving detectives. Best-selling true crime author Mickie McKittrick (played by Morgan Rusler) will guide the Zoom participants as they form into smaller break-out groups to follow the clues laid-out in this 1920's unsolved Hollywood murder.

This year's semi-finalist on America's Got Talent, sword-swallower extraordinaire Brett Loudermilk will be presenting THE BRETT LOUDERMILK HALLOWEEN SPECIAL Zoomed live online October 29 & 30, 2020. Special guests for this self-described 'CIRQUE DU SOLEIL meets PEE-WEE'S PLAYHOUSE' include Gilbert Gottfried (and other surprise celebrity trick-or-treaters).

Songwriter, vocalist, and music producer Michael Berns has been keeping busy during these quarantined times producing a six-song EP of his theatrical show BLOOD ROCK: THE MUSICAL. With the able vocal assist from his Broadway friends (Andy Mientus, Damon Daunno, Jennifer DiNola and Robert Torti), and his new writing partner Ralph Pezzullo, Broadway Sings Blood Rock The Musical has been created.

Geffen Stayhouse's second full-length virtual production INSIDE THE BOX sold out its six-week run in minutes. Now extended through January 3, 2021, puzzle master and magician David Kwong will interact with his audience INSIDE THE Zoomed BOXes, weaving a tale of past puzzle-makers with puzzle-solving, wordplay and multi-layered games.

Mentalist/performance artist Scott Silven will west coast premiere his virtual creation THE JOURNEY for The Broad Stage opening October 20, 2020. Storyteller Scott will weave illusions and feats of imagination into his tales of his Scottish heritage for a maximum of 30 fortunate households per online performance.

Mikhael Tara Garver, creator and experiential director of 13Exp, will team up with River LA for RIO REVEALS, a series of immersive, online events on the history and future of the Los Angeles River. River LA donors will have access to the in-person FIREFLY NIGHTS, first of their RIO REVEALS series October 23 through 26, 2020; with the second immersive event RIO RECORDS opening to the general public for a six-week run beginning November 19, 2020.

Playrights' Arena's artistic director Jon Lawrence Rivera will world premiere MARCH, inaugurating the Los Angeles LBGT Centera??s innovative new live theatre series, GARAGE THEATRE on Saturday, October 17, 2020. Performances for audiences (in their individual vehicles) will take place in the unique, experimental space of an underground parking structure located below the Centera??s Anita May Rosenstein Campus in Hollywood.

The versatile and frequent Los Angeles theatre collaborator, actor/producer Matthew Herrmann will next be virtually seen in ARE YOU THERE GOD? IT'S ME KAREN CARPENTER, a benefit for the Cavern Club Celebrity Theatre at Casita del Campo October 1 live at 7pm PST. Joining Matthew will be familiar faces from the L.A. theatre community: Drew Droege, Carey Peters, Jennifer Blake, Amy Procacci, Libby Baker, Frances Chewning, Rae Dawn Hadinger, Joe Donohoe and Brad Griffith.

Javon Johnson, the most winningest poetry slam competitor to-date ('Humble brag,' Javon interjecting), will open the Pasadena Playhouse's new streaming platform PLAYHOUSELIVE September 30, 2020 with his one-man show STILL. Poet/performer/professor Javon shares his most timely take on the complexities of the Black experience in the format he's been most successful - poems.

Emma Rice, the creator and leader of the UK theatre company Wise Children, has remounted the interrupted U.S. tour of her ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS. Wise Children will present a LIVE production of ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS (with dancing and kissing) livestreaming from the Bristol Old Vic stage September 22 through 26, benefiting 30+ theatres worldwide, with each night targeting a different country or region.

Dennis Hensley's long-running THE MISMATCH GAME has reinvented itself to the new normal of ZOOM for two weekend nights, September 26 and 27, 2020. Dennis shared some history of his charitable project, produced pre-pandemic on the stages of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Dennis dons his hosting polyesters as Gene Rayburn.

Magician extraordinaire (I'm a convinced eyewitness!) Helder Guimarães has been performing his virtual magic show THE PRESENT (a Geffen Playhouse production) since May 7, 2020; when it had an initial run of four weeks, (selling out in under an hour!). With his third (and, sadly, final extension), Helder, with director Frank Marshall, will give his THE PRESENT: A GRAND FINALE on October 17 in a special global livestream via Stellar.

Kritzerland will celebrate their ten years of producing monthly cabarets with their 109th show THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY SHOW, livestreaming this Sunday September 13, 2020. I jumped at the chance to pose a few queries to Beth Malone, Tony nominated for her lead role as author Alison Bechdel in FUN HOME, and, as Angel, seen flying over Prior Walter in ANGELS IN AMERICA.

Emma Rice, the creator and leader of the UK theatre company Wise Children, will virtually premiere her ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS months after live theatre was shuttered aborting their U. S. tour. The livestreaming from the Bristol Old Vic stage September 22 through 28 will benefit 30+ theatres worldwide, with each night targeting a different country or region.

Kritzerland will present its 108th show SING HAPPY! THE SONGS OF KANDER & EBB as a benefit for Group Rep this Sunday August 9, 2020 at 5p PST via their Facebook and YouTube pages. This tribute to legendary composers John Kander and Fred Ebb (hosted by its incomparably witty producer Bruce Kimmel and co-produced by Doug Haverty) will feature Brent Barrett, Debbie Gravitte, Peyton Kirkner, Karen Mason, Kerry O'Malley, Hartley Powers, Jennifer Simard, Sami Staitman, Adrienne Stiefel, Robert Yacko and Karen Ziemba. got the chance to ask of few queries of Kerry, who in Kritzerland #107 performed a show-stopping duet with herself in a tongue-twisting, speed-singing 'All For The Best' from GODSPELL. Simply brilliant!

As live theatre remains in lockdown, Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC) is morphing their Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival into a free, livestreaming program of four FESTIVAL EVENTS on Saturdays in August, and a hybrid stage production of ROMEO & JULIET Labor Day weekend. ISC's co-founders David Melville & Melissa Chalsma were most gracious in answering my emailed queries on their twenty-plus-years-old theatre organization.