BWW Review: La Mirada Theatre Revisits Classic Musical WEST SIDE STORY
Because it is arguably one the most beloved and critically-acclaimed musicals of all time, WEST SIDE STORY is revisited often by regional theaters across the country (and, frankly, the world). So it is no surprise that yet another large regional theater in Southern California is reviving this nostalgia-baiting, reliably-entertaining, and thematically-resonant show, this time by the talented folks over at McCoy Rigby Entertainment at their home base at the La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts, where performances continue through May 14, 2017. The resulting show---while mostly and genuinely enjoyable---presented a few jarringly curious presentation choices that didn't quite sit well. Unfortunately, in its admirable quest to inject some 'new-ness' into the well-known retro musical, some of the slight staging reinventions did enough to really lessen the impact of certain scenes that have previously been significant highlights.
Photo Flash: La Mirada Stages Timeless Classic WEST SIDE STORY
Powerful, poignant and timely as ever, LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the fourth show of its 2016-2017 season, the most acclaimed musical of all time, WEST SIDE STORY, book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by John Todd and directed by Ovation award-winner Richard Israel.
Something's Coming! WEST SIDE STORY Headed to La Mirada Theatre This Spring
Powerful, poignant and timely as ever, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fourth show of its 2016-2017 season, the most acclaimed musical of all time, WEST SIDE STORY, book by Arthur Laurents, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, music by Leonard Bernstein with musical direction by Brent Crayon, choreography by John Todd and directed by Ovation award-winner Richard Israel.
Michael Arden's Starry MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG Starts Tonight at the Wallis
Legendary American composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim's masterwork Merrily We Roll Along is revisited in a new production under the direction of Tony Award nominee Michael Arden (Spring Awakening) set for the Bram Goldsmith Theater stage at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from tonight, November 23, through December 18.
BWW Blog: Jesse Swimm of Goodspeed's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF - The Day Off
Boy have I been looking forward to this one all week long, lol. This was an especially tough week for a lot of us as we not only had our normal 8 show week, we also had some understudy rehearsal on Thursday and Friday to be ready if the chance arose when we would have to go on. Don't get me wrong, I really do appreciate being able to work on the material in a different way and it is always a treat when you get to hear different interpretations of the story. However, with all that said and done I was still extremely exhausted at the amount of work we had been doing. So the prospect of two days off was a spectacular one. It started out rather a bit intense and not necessarily what one would think would be a relaxing morning. However getting to the gym is something important and actually was the perfect way for us to gear up for our epic day off. Since I have started this job, and a bit before, I have been trying to keep up with a regular routine of gym as well as eating a much more strict diet. So far it has been going well, but there are definitely those times where I would love a large pizza and some beer, ha!!!
BWW Blog: Jesse Swimm of Goodspeed's FIDDLER ON THE ROOF - Countdown to Opening Night
So this Wednesday, the 16th of July, is going to be our official press opening for Fiddler on the Roof. Goodspeed has a wonderful opportunity for actors to run the show for a few weeks as if it were previews and then officially open it at a later date. It really gives the company, at least I feel, the opportunity to really sit into the piece, experience, play, and work on all the little nuances so that it is ready for the critics and audiences alike. For the most part regional theatres don't have this luxury and this is where I really think that Goodspeed excels when it comes to putting on a show. They take the time to truly craft the most exceptional piece of theatre that they can by giving the appropriate amount of time to live with a show before it is ready for the press. With this coming it gave us the opportunity to work some new moments as well as really tighten choreography. Now with Parker gone that duty falls to our dance captain, Curtis Schroeger, to maintain and assess what needs to be looked at before the show has it's press opening. So for the past few days along with our director, Rob, we took the time to really invest in what was happening on our stage, to make it the best possible show we could give. Again it was truly great to be able to take the time to really examine each breath and each beat. The beauty of Fiddler is how truthful it is in its story. It isn't just a piece of fluff. It really has stood the test of time where a lot of musicals have been forgotten by the way side.
