Michelle Lane

Celebration Theatre will present OUTober, a weeklong festival of live events to spotlight the coming-out experience across the queer spectrum. The festival takes place October 10 - 16 at The Broadwater complex in Hollywood Theatre Row, as well as free-to-the-public livestreams on YouTube.

More than 40 people and puppets from the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q have reunited in a special music video of the hit finale, “Only For Now.”

Celebration Theatre announced its first-ever online theatre festival CELEBRATING PRIDE. The nation's oldest continuously-producing LGBTQ+ theatre will host a FULL SEVEN DAYS of online programming dedicated to remind the community to live out loud, to be proud of our past and to look forward to the future!

Knot Free Productions Presents/In Trousers/book, music & lyrics by William Finn/directed by Ryan O'Connor/Lounge Theatre, Hollywood/musical director: Jake Anthony/through November 3 When I saw Stephen Sondheim's Company on Broadway in the early 1970s, I was overwhelmed by the speed at which the ensemble said their lines, sang their songs and just moved across the stage. I knew I was in the presence of genius, but I had to really listen and focus in order to keep up with them and understand what was happening. William Finn's In Trousers, composed in 1979 and revised in 1985 for off-Broadway and... so rarely produced, is akin to Company in this way. It moves with the speed of light, and the four actors never let down for a second. Later Finn composed March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, put together as Falsettos. These two along with In Trousers have often been referred t

Knot Free Productions presents In Trousers, a 'prequel' to William Finn's groundbreaking March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, directed by Ryan O'Connor.

Actress/Producer Tal Fox is about to open in the rarely produced In Trousers at The Lounge. In our conversation she tells us about this and her other theatrical chestnuts. TAL FOX  - Tal is an LA-based actress, singer and theater educator. Theater credits include: Max & Ruby (National Tour), The Christians (Center Theatre Group), Star Is Born 3, Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz (The Rockwell), Kiss Me, Kate, Urinetown, Sunday in the Park with George, Zorba, Hello Again, The Spitfire Grill, Ragtime... Tal holds a BFA in Musical Theater and BA in Communications from Pace University, and is also a producer, writer, and casting director. Producing credits include: Star is Born 3 (The Rockwell) and Dreamgirls (5-Star Theatricals). Casting work includes: Good Grief (Center Theater Group), Collective Rage (Theatre @ Boston Court), 5-Star Theatrical's productions of Shrek, Matilda, West Side Story, and The Music Man. Follow her on Instagram: @talmorningdew ~Tal  

Lisa Danielle Buch's new solo show, SIMPLE MATH: solving for the neurobiology of assault will have its New York Premiere at The New York International Fringe Festival in October. The limited engagement will play for five shows between October 13 - 28.

Jerry Herman's second great triumph following the success of Hello Dolly! was Mame in 1966 and a triumphant Broadway debut for Tony winning Angela Lansbury. Based on Patrick Dennis' memoir of his wildly eccentric aunt, the story lent itself beautifully to Herman's upbeat score. It is rarely revived, and thanks to the Musical Theatre Guild, who do fully staged readings of old or lesser known musicals, we got a lovely presentation on Sunday September 23 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale.

Musical Theatre Guild's production of 'Mame' wowed a Sunday evening audience with its broad comedy, Jerry Herman's tuneful score, and winning performances from its cast. The staged reading included full costumes, choreography, and some wonderfully funny moments, thanks to Lewis Wilkenfled's skillful directing.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will open their 23nd Anniversary season with Jerry Herman's classic musical MAME. The one-night-only concert will take place at Glendale's historic Alex Theatre on Sunday, September 23, 2018 at 7:00 PM.

NEXT TO NORMAL officially opened Saturday night, June 2nd, 2018.  A multi-award and Pulitzer Prize winningmusical by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt. The acclaimed rock musical opened to a sold out house and standing ovation. An unflinching look at a suburban family struggling with the effects of mental illness.

Producer Paul Panico, along with Panic! Productions and well-known Casting Director Kymberli McKanna announce the complete cast of their season opening musical production of 2018.  The multi-award and Pulitzer Prize winning "NEXT TO NORMAL" by Brian Yorkey, with music by Tom Kitt.  They are thrilled to have an exceptionally talented team in place.  The acclaimed rock musical will open June 2nd, 2018 at Hillcrest Center For The Arts.  Tickets & info at:  www.panicproductions.org

Producer Paul Panico, along with Panic! Productions are pleased to announce the first musical production of 2018. The multi-award and Pulitzer Prize winning "NEXT TO NORMAL" by Brian Yorkey, with music by Tom Kitt. They have also cast award-winning actress Michelle Lane, for the lead role of "Diane." The acclaimed rock musical will open June 2nd, 2018 at Hillcrest Center For The Arts.

It takes a village to create a new musical. And it takes a village like A LITTLE NEW MUSIC to give musical theatre writers a place to showcase new material while their Broadway-hopeful shows are in development. Meet Peter Welkin, Christopher Maikish, Luke Klipp, Amy Francis Schott, and Kila Packett from A LITTLE NEW MUSIC.

ANNIE, the world's favourite family musical, will be presented by Pieter Toerien and Hazel Feldman at Artscape for the 2016 festive season.

If you have the opportunity to see Cabrillo Music Theatre's splendid production of Evita this weekend, you will no doubt be drawn to the electrifying performances by its stars, Cassandra Murphy, as Eva Peron, and Marc Ginsburg, as Che (profiled in our October 4 story - http://vconstage.com/marc-baron-ginsburg-talks-about-playing-che-in-cabrillos-new-production-of-evita/ ). But there is another, younger, performer who we predict will be a big star, whether it is on the stage, in films, or on television. Her name is Isa Briones. Isa, who is just 17, is a high school senior who comes out of the ensemble to play the part of Argentinean dictator Juan Peron's unnamed mistress, who gets shooed out of the president's palace by Eva and sings the lament, 'Another Suitcase in Another Hall.' It is one of the most quietly exquisite moments in the entire musical. Prior to playing in Evita, Isa was astonishing in Pico Playhouse's production of Next to Normal, in which she played the part of confused teen Natalie Goodman. We had a chance to visit with Isa, and found out that not only is she no novice in the world of performing, she has a perceptive and mature perspective on performing and working within a character in a musical. VCOS: Isa, when I looked at your website and checked out your credits, I was stunned by all the things you've done and that you are still only seventeen. It helps when your parents are in show business, too, doesn't it?

Last Sunday, we ventured into Los Angeles to see two Ventura County theater alumni in a production of Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's Next to Normal, the Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical that is being staged at the Pico Playhouse. Michelle Lane and Harrison Meloeny were both in Cabrillo Music Theatre's 2015 production of Mary Poppins and have reunited to appear in this highly acclaimed production.

Bipolar disease most often occurs in women creating abnormal behavior patterns, and usually treated with drugs. In the Pulitzer Prize winning Next to Normal, the problem is presented via a wife and mother, Diana (Michelle Lane). Her behavior shows extreme mental instability, and the effects on her husband Dan (Nick Sarando) and teen daughter Natalie (Isa Briones) cause a serious rift in their ongoing relationships. Eventually a heartfelt loss from the past unravels that is at the core of the woman's suffering. Structured in a most unusual way, Next to Normal is akin to a rock opera, but it is not completely sung; there is intermittent dialogue. The most emotional moments, though, come through song, so the music by Tom Kitt and book by Brian Yorkey flow together smoothly, and with the three tiered open set and loosely structured staging, what occurs is an unparalleled musical drama. Now in the intimate space of the Pico Playhouse, the complex drama unfolds crystal clear with fine direction from Thomas James O'Leary and a marvelously skilled ensemble, all of whom sing and act their socks off.

After a 3 month absence, (mostly)musicals made a long-awaited return to the E Spot Lounge on Monday, August 15 with ROAD TRIP, the company's 18th entry in a series of themed cabarets. BroadwayWorld takes you inside the event below!

Occasionally we venture out of the sanctity of Ventura County to see how some of our locally raised theatricians are faring in their acting careers. Today we visit with Harrison Meloeny and Michelle Lane, two performers familiar to Cabrillo Music Theatre audiences (both were in Mary Poppins last year) about a fabulous opportunity to appear in the Pico Playhouse's new production of the Tony Award-winning smash, Next to Normal, in which Michelle will play Diana and Harrison will play Gabe. The show opens August 19 and plays through September 25.