Feature: Seven Date Night Recommendations for a Sensational Valentine's Day
Valentine's Day Just Got Sweeter Thanks to Live Theatre!
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, it's time to get your date night plans in order. BroadwayWorld is ready to help with our top recommendations for a theatre night out on the town. It doesn't matter if you're looking to impress your sweetie, meet up with friends, or escape the daily grind on your own, these productions will certainly sweeten the day.
1. SHE LOVES ME at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa.
Never has the simple gift of ice cream been so significant in furthering a love story than in Bock & Harnick's classic 1930's musical, SHE LOVES ME. Set in Maraczek's Parfumerie with an irresistible cast of characters, this charming jewel box of a show continues to make hearts swoon long after it first appeared on Broadway. And while it may take a contrary Georg and Amalia the entire production to realize they've fallen in love with a person they thought they hated, you and your date will have the fun of watching sparks fly from the moment they meet. You can also write a message to your own true love on a heart-shaped post-it in the lobby and add it to the design on their big glass windows. So many have been written to date that they now form two large Valentine hearts! Make the night even more memorable by grabbing an ice cream before the show or enjoying a delicious after dinner drink at one of the many neighboring establishments. For tickets and more information, go to www.scr.org. Pictured: Brian Vaughn and Erin Mackey. Photo by Jordan Kubat.
2. REVENGE SONG: A Vampire Cowboys Creation at Geffen Playhouse in Westwood.
Want a little swashbuckling action for your Valentine's Day? This new work at The Geffen promises to fit the bill. Written by Qui Nguyen, REVENGE SONG is "a rousing, romping, music-filled look at the real life of Julie d'Aubigny, a queer 17th century French swordswoman and opera singer." I know, right? The Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company's brand of theatre blends adventure and dark comedy with an outrageous comic book aesthetic to create a wholly original genre, and this production sounds terrific. A historical comedy with hip hop, rock, and epic fight scenes? Valentine's Day just got a lot more interesting! For tickets and more information, go to www.geffenplayhouse.org. Pictured: Margaret Odette as Julie. Photo by Jeff Lorch.
3. KISS THE BOOK! Shakespeare's Fools & Drunks at the Independent Shakespeare Co. Studio in Atwater Village.
I highly recommend this return engagement of last year's KISS THE BOOK! event with David Melville for a Valentine's Day date night laced with Shakespeare and Renaissance cocktails. You can get wet or dry tickets (with or without alcohol) and the drinks are served at different points throughout the evening as part of the "action." Previous concoctions included honey mead, sack posset, and hippocras along with several others. Who knows what they'll come up with this year! It's a "convivial evening that is part lecture, part performance, and part drinking game" as Mr. Melville answers questions like what was in Falstaff's bottle, and why did the Elizabethans drink beer at breakfast. Plus, it wouldn't be complete without appearances by some of Shakespeare's most delightful fools and notorious drunks. For tickets and more information, go to IndependentShakespeareKTB. Pictured: David Melville in Kiss the Book! Photo by Grettel Cortes
4. LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, mid-city.
Does the thought of romance leave you blue? Then spend it with a legendary artist who could sing the blues like no other. LADY DAY is a love letter to the legendary Billie Holiday and this musical journey takes the audience through what will end up being her last performance. The setting is a seedy Philadelphia bar in 1959. Cue up the drama and pour another whiskey, Ebony Repertory Theatre presents the International City Theatre production starring Karole Foreman. If you missed it previously, this is your chance to hear "God Bless the Child," "T'ain't Nobody's Business If I Do," "Strange Fruit" and a dozen more of Holiday's best loved songs all woven into a final performance you'll never forget. Tickets and more information are available at www.ebonyrep.org. Pictured: Karole Foreman as Billie Holiday. Photo by Pat Loeb.
5. FOUND, IAMA Theatre Company at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in DTLA.
Previews begin on Valentine's Day for the new musical FOUND, a show inspired by Davy Rothbart's popular Found magazine. At the center of the story are a multitude of actual discarded notes and letters that have been 'found' in the real world by everyday people. "The nature of these found notes captures people in the most intimate and ridiculous moments of their lives," says director Moritz von Stuelpnagel. The result is a touching and distinctly human story of three friends who get caught up in a hilarious mission to share them with the world. For tickets and more information, go to www.iamatheatre.com. Rehearsal photo by Jeff Lorch.
6. DATE NIGHT at Skylight Theatre in Hollywood on Vermont.
If you're on a budget, this evening of four short plays about love, sex, and finding "the one" might be just the ticket you're looking for. You'll need to celebrate Valentine's Day early since it is a one-night-only event on February 12th but why not get a jump on things? The plays featured include V-CARD by Stacey Weingarten, OUR FIRST HONEST CONVERSATION by Christine Hamilton Schmidt, CHARLIE by Beth Polsky, and THREE SYLLABLES OF SHAME by Rom Watson. It's a casual evening where you can enjoy a beer or glass of wine before and between the plays, and the Skylight crowd is always a friendly bunch. For tickets and more information, go to skylighttheatre.org/datenight.
7. JANE AUSTEN'S EMMA, Ensemble Theatre Company at the New Vic Theatre in Santa Barbara
And finally, nothing sets the stage for romance like a road trip up the coast. Make your destination Santa Barbara for a production that proves love will always win in the end and you've got a perfect Valentine's Day overnighter. Paul Gordon's musical adaptation of Austen's classic novel is playing at the New Vic and it has it all. A vivacious and witty heroine who gets in over her head, more beautiful melodies than you can count, and a story to satisfy any hopeless romantic. For tickets and more information, go to www.etcsb.org. Pictured: Samantha Eggers and Kevin Earley. Photo by David Bazemore.
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