A Martinez News

The cast of DANI GIRL came out to play and comfort the pediatric cancer patients at Child Haus on Tuesday, July 23, 2019.

When I hear the term "Summer Camp," I have an idyllic vision of canoes on a lake, arts and crafts (I was a whiz at braiding lanyards), and sappy songs around a campfire. That vision, as Margaret once said, is "gone with the wind." Today's youth want to have a good time exploring more relevant skills such as acting, singing and dancing. This month, the Valley's largest theatre camp, KidsWorks in Indio, will be performing three different shows. It looks like they are worthy of our attention.

Dance like you've never danced before! Flashdance the Musical tells the inspiring and unforgettable story of 18-year-old Alex, a welder by day and 'flashdancer' by night, who dreams of becoming a professional dancer. When a romance complicates her ambitions, she harnesses it to drive her dreams.

Desert Theatreworks, the Valley's fastest-growing theatre company, has stepped outside of their pattern of familiar Broadway hits with their current production of Real Women Have Curves. The audience is the winner! Director Rebecca Havely has taken five dynamite actresses, a 1987 script, and presented a production that is as relevant as this morning's headlines. Fortunately, it is delivered with so many laughs and so much love that any messages and societal observations are secondary. It's a genuine feel-good evening in the theatre.

On May 4, 2019, Los Angeles Opera presented a colorful, opulent production of Manuel Penella's opera EL GATO MONTES (THE WILDCAT) at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Starring in the cast were Placido Domingo as Juanillo, El Gato, with Ana Maria Martinez as Solea and Arturo Chacon-Cruz as Raphael, El Macareno. Needless to say the house was packed. 

Trinity Repertory Company presents Little Shop of Horrors.  Directed by Tyler Dobrowsky. Performances run April 11 - May 12.

The 33rd Annual MAC Awards were handed out last night (Tuesday, March 26, 2019) during a glitzy evening at New York City's SONY Hall.

On Wednesday, March 22nd, I sat down to watch my first production of EVITA, ever, at the Century II Concert Hall. Grimly aware of my myriad prejudices, chief among them being the fact that I had listened to the original Broadway cast recording with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin ad infinitum ad nauseum since its eagerly awaited release back in 1979. It was the second rock musical concept piece written by Webber and Rice, and was directed by Harold Prince, and garnered 11 Tony nominations. The show has lived in my head all these years, every minute choreographed and staged. Since I was a poor working actor back in Buffalo, NY, I knew I was never going to get to NYC to see this show unless some fairy godmother intervened. Which was sadly not the case. Since I was a working class girl in a working class town, cutting my musical theatre teeth in the Meatloaf era (late 70s, early 80s), I liked my musicals with a certain amount of grit and truth, and have bemoaned the sanitization of my favorites, including Grease. It was with these heavy expectations and much trepidation that I sat down to watch Evita.

If you hear an explosion of energy coming from the east end of the valley over the next couple of weekends, it is almost certainly the production of Hairspray at Indio's Desert Theatreworks. I enjoyed virtually every detail of the production so much that it's hard to know where to start. The performers, the sets, the singing, the dancing, and above all, the exuberance grab us from our chilly winter evenings and whisk us away to a truly happy place!

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 46th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards.

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) today announced the Drama Performer Pre-Nominations for the 46th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards.

Indio's Desert Theatreworks has scored another bullseye with their current production of Neil Simon's Brighton Beach Memoirs. Simon's semi-autobiographical memory piece about his early teenage years in a crowded Brooklyn tenement is delivered in a finely-nuanced performance by a dream cast in the capable hands of director Rebecca Havely. As a result, the tale of a young teen's personal growth and exploration, set against a house full of family conflict and financial strife, takes the audience on a ride which they all seemed to greatly enjoy on the evening I viewed the show.

Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and ArtCenter/South Florida are pleased to announce the programming schedule for the first-ever Latinx Art Sessions on January 24-25, 2019. Free and open to the public, this two-day future-focused discussion program-connecting artists, industry leaders, and the greater Miami art scene-will explore the impact that Latinx art is having on the national landscape and how greater research and academic focus can drive even greater impact.

Alisha Bates, from La Quinta, is planning to sing and dance from California to Europe, as part of the January 2019 UP WITH PEOPLE six-month tour. She is currently trying to raise the final $3000 to participate.

Desert Theatreworks' THE SOUND OF MUSIC is a must-see, with great acting, singing, staging, and technical production.

Indio's Desert Theatreworks continues their strong 2018/19 season with a stylish production of Agatha Christie's MURDER ON THE NILE. Smartly dressed characters with distinct, larger-than-life personalities, come together in the early 1940's onboard an Egyptian riverboat. One of them gets shot through the head, and the remainder of the show deals with the characters figuring out whodunnit.

Artist-producer Keenan has teamed up with acclaimed rapper Skizzy Mars and platinum-certified pop/R&B powerhouse Marc E. Bassy on his debut solo release – “Manhattan” is available now on all DSPs. The Boni Mata directed companion visual, which was shot in New York City and stars all three artists, premiered earlier today via HYPEBEAST – watch HERE.

San Francisco Opera presented Placido Domingo in concert on Sunday, October 21, 2018 at 2 p.m. The legendary artist returned to the War Memorial Opera House with Puerto Rican soprano Ana Maria Martinez, Mexican tenor Arturo Chacon-Cruz and the San Francisco Opera Orchestra conducted by Spanish conductor Jordi Bernacer for this sold-out performance of operatic scenes from Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata and Simon Boccanegra, along with arias and duets from Spanish zarzuelas.

Desert Theatreworks has mounted a must-see production of Stephen Sondheim's and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS. The acting, singing, and choreography are superb.

The Phoenix Chorale opens its milestone 60th Anniversary Season with Desert and Rivers, a lush concert filled with music inspired by the contrasting landscapes of our home state. The September concerts are the first of the ensemble's celebratory season, with each concert of the season celebrating a unique aspect of the Phoenix Chorale's roots, origins and history.