LOS ANGELES INTERVIEWS

Prolific playwright Tom Jacobson world premieres his two latest works The Bauhaus Project and Crevasse in July. Open Fist Theatre Company premieres The Bauhaus Project, a theatrical event presented in two parts (Part 1: Bauhaus Weimer and Part 2: Bauhaus Dessau and Bauhaus Berlin) opening Ju...

David Dean Bottrell will bring his two one-man shows Dear Mr. Bottrell, I Cannot Possibly Accept This and The Death of Me Yet in rep to the Matrix opening July 10, 2024. David graciously took time out of his rehearsals to answer a few of my queries....

The first all-Gershwin concert in history Cuban Overture will be re-created July 11, 2024 at the Hollywood Bowl as All-Gershwin.  Former LA Phil Associate Conductor Lionel Bringuier reprises the night with Gershwin’s iconic classical, jazz, and Caribbean rhythms, while celebrating Rhapsody in Bl...

Produced by Klutzy Dragon and Paper Starship Studios, Expatriated is a poignant new play written and performed by Dominique Roberts and Candace Leung that explores contrasting experiences of migration, centered around the stories of an LA lawyer who finds herself in the vibrant city of Hong Kong, wh...

East West Players world premieres Philip W. Chung’s Unbroken Blossoms June 30, 2024 (with previews beginning June 27th). Jeff Liu directs the cast of: Gavin Kawin Lee, Ron Song, Arye Gross, Alexandra Hellquist, Conlan Ledwith, Paul Dateh, Ty Aldridge and Valerie Rose Lohman. Gavin took some time f...

Currently in previews, Mike Lew’s tiny father takes the mainstage of the Geffen Playhouse (with opening night June 20, 2024). Moritz von Stuelpnagel directs the cast of Tiffany Villarin and Maurice Williams....

HorseChart Theatre presents Charles Busch Campy Comedy Psycho Beach Party opening June 21, 2024 (with previews beginning June 19th) at The Matrix Theatre. Ryan Bergmann and Tom DeTrinis co-direct the cast of Adrián González, Chase Rosenberg, Daniel Montgomery, Daniele Gaither, Drew Droege, Harriso...

In May 2014, I heard about the new solo show Coming Out Kinky written and performed by Jean Franzblau in which she related her personal journey to sexual self-acceptance. In it, she portrayed 20 characters in her sexual memoir adventure story for curious and open-minded adults to enjoy. So when I h...

Every so often, a new play or musical being done in Los Angeles catches my eye with a big dose of curiosity. Such is the case with the musical The Translucent Frogs of Quuup with Book by Chris Larner and Music by Mark Stevens, produced by Alchemy Theatre Company and directed by Brian Pirnat with mus...

Next up at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Tony Award-winning Jelly’s Last Jam opening June 2, 2024 (with previews starting May 29th). Kent Gash directs the cast led by John Clarence Stewart as Jelly Roll Morton, Cress Williams, Jasmine Amy Rogers; Wilkie Ferguson III, Karole Foreman, Eric B. Anthony...

Michael R. Jackson’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop opens June 5, 2024; at the Ahmanson. A co-production of Center Theatrer Gtoup and American Conservatory Theatre, Stephen Brackett  directs the cast led by  Malachi McCaskil as Usher with Dave J. Abrams, Angela Alise, ...

Katerina McCrimmon talks to BroadwayWorld about the rigorous demands of playing Fanny, what it’s like to work with the iconic Melissa Manchester, and how her high school boyfriend’s mom predicted she would land the role someday. ...

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Reefer Madness, a new revised version Reefer Madness the Musical will open May 30, 2024 at The Whitney. I talked to director/choreographer Spencer Liff during the early days of rehearsals, so casting hadn’t been finalized. Members of the original c...

A co-production between Latino Theater Conpany and Playwrights’ Arena, the world premiere of Boni B. Alvarez’ Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of A German Jewish Boy opens May 18, 2024; at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. ...

Next up at A Noise Within, George Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance which opened May 12, 2024. Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of: Joshua Bitton, Dan Lin Josey Montana McCoy, Trisha Miller, Riley Shanahan, Erika Soto, Deborah Strang, Frederick Stuart and Peter Van Norden....

BroadwayWorld talks with Marcus M. Martin about what it's like playing 'Genie' eight shows a week in Aladdin, how he got here (including running on a treadmill while singing 'Friend Like Me' to get in shape for the part), and what's next for the new touring Broadway star. ...

ArtsUP! LA is presenting Broadway Bound: Songs & Scenes from Tony Award-Winning Musicals, a new jukebox musical created and directed by Laurie Grant, featuring Rex & Friends, all extraordinary musicians with different disabilities and perfect pitch. Rex & Friends will take you on a fantastic trip of...

Dr. Noreen Green, the Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony has spent 30 years presenting music of the Jewish experience. I decided to speak with Maestra Green on her history with the LAJS, conducting past concerts, and the group’s recent 30th Anniversary cele...

In a co-production with IAMA Theatre Company, Boston Court’s current production - Tira Palmquist’s The Body’s Midnight opened April 18, 2024. Boston Court’s artistic director Jessica Kubzansky directs this world premiere cast of Ryan W. Garcia, Jonathan Nichols-Navarro, Sonal Shah and Kelih...

Broadway @ The Wallis concert series, this time featuring Seth Rudetsky and Norm Lewis, returns for its final curtain of the 2023/2024 Season May 2, 2024, at The Wallis. Expect an evening of loads of Broadway trivia from Seth coupled with the melodious vocals of Norm.  Amidst his busy schedule, Nor...

Drag icon Varla Jean Merman brings her latest one-woman show Stand By Your Drag to the Catalina Jazz Club for one night only April 23, 2024. Varla Jean found time after her Palm Springs engagement to answer a few of my queries. ...

BroadwayWorld spoke with Broadway alumn Megan McGinnis about coming back to SoCal, doing an exorcism in front of her 7-year-old son, and keeping a straight face while acting alongside Justin Collette’s Beetlejuice.  ...

The world premiere of John Strysik’s Power and Light is currently running in rep at Theatre 40. Jeff G. Rack directs this story of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla in the beginnings of electricity with the cast of David Hunt Stafford, Eric Keitel, Warren Davis, John Combs, Richard Large, Bailey Cast...

When director Ron Sossi elected to present Stalin’s Master Class at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble for the second time, he was aware that audiences might respond differently to the production than they did to the previous staging 37 years ago....

The west coast premiere of James Ijames’ 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning Fat Ham opened April 4, 2024, at the Geffen Playhouse. Sideeq Heard directs the talented cast of Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Marcel Spears, Benja Kay Thomas and Matthew E...