Adryan Russ News

The multi-tasking Lloyd J. Schwartz’ The Right is Ours! world premiered at the Sierra Madre Playhouse last week. Not content to only be writing and directing The Right is Ours!, Lloyd’s also the creative force behind Storybook Theatre at Theatre West (with his wife Barbara Mallory Schwartz). Lloyd managed to carve out some time between multiple responsibilities to answer a few of my queries.

A new musical The Right Is Ours! will have its world premiere engagement of a new musical at Sierra Madre Playhouse. 

Sierra Madre Playhouse has announced their upcoming production of a World Premiere musical, The Right Is Ours, debuting at the Playhouse on September 8.

In the culmination of a seven-week run that featured over seventy one-person theatre productions from across the globe, the world’s largest solo theatre festival concluded its thirteenth season at Theatre Row on 42nd Street in New York on November 20, with this year’s awards gala.

Triple-Threat Elijah Rock has released his sophomore album, 'Matters of the Heart.' The ten song album is going to be followed soon by a four song EP in Spanish. Tradition, style, and romance meet at the audio crossroads of Ageless & Timeless boulevards on “Matters of The Heart”, the sophomore recording of baritone crooner Elijah Rock. And it’s well worth the wait. Herein, Rock continues his impassioned excavations of love’s seductive soundtrack and even contributes several sparkling originals to the brew. 

The Group Rep presents L.A. Now and Then, a brand new musical revue celebrating the City of Angels, its past and present, directed by Bruce Kimmel, with musical direction by Richard Allen, produced by Kathleen Delaney and Doug Haverty for the Group Rep.  

16 STORIES is a collection of 16 previously unrecorded songs written by award-winning musical theatre creators from around the world and recorded by The Australian Discovery Orchestra, conducted by Kevin Purcell.

Broadway Records announced today the release of 16 Stories, a collection of 16 previously unrecorded songs written by award-winning musical theatre creators from around the world and recorded by The Australian Discovery Orchestra.

Group Rep will be inaugurating their 2021 season with Neil Simon’s LONDON SUITE September 17, 2021. Got the chance to delve into some Group Rep history and future plans from their always busy, very handy artistic director Doug Haverty.

Kritzerland celebrates their eleventh anniversary of producing monthly shows with KRITZERLAND’s 115th September 12, 2021 at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s. Had the chance to talk to Robert Yacko, a Kritzerland staple on his long relationship with Kritzerland, as well as on fun stuff on his resume.

Meet the playwrights from the 2nd week of LA's first TogetherLAFestival. Presented by Alternative Theatre Los Angeles (ATLA) in association with LA Stage Alliance (LASA), a?oeTogether LA: A Virtual Stage Festivala?? is celebrating the vibrant and diverse intimate theatre scene of the greater Los Angeles area.

The Group Rep will present the revival of Doug Haverty's award winning play IN MY MIND'S EYE, directed by Bruce Kimmel, and produced for the Group Rep by Bita Arefnia. The play will run February 7 through March 15 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California.

Actor/singer Scott Dreier needs no introduction. His involvement with The Doris Day Project is amazing and next Sunday he will present The Merry Little Christmas Show for two performances only at the Colony Theatre. In the conversation that follows he talks in depth about both. Tell our readers about your Christmas show. Is this the first time you have done one at Christmas? SD: This is my first official Christmas show! Of course, as a singer, I have been hired many times over the past years to sing for different Christmas and holiday events. And I have always absolutely loved getting to sing these timeless, gorgeous songs. I have always wanted to create a holiday show. And the inspiration for it has been watching those classic Christmas specials of Perry Como, Andy Williams, The Carpenters, etc. No matter how many times I watch those specials during the holidays, it just feels like they are each effortlessly transporting me with them into the cozy comfort of their living rooms.a?? And I wanted to create a show that would honor that feeling that we all get and just help take people

Music composer, pianist Michele Brourman is world reknowned for her brilliant compositions and collaborations with other great songwriters like Amanda McBroom. She has a tremendous passion for performing. She will be in Chicago on the 15th and in New York in October doing what she does best. The world is a better place because of it.

The Australian Discovery Orchestra, the world's first solely digital streaming orchestra, is proud to announce "16 STORIES" - a worldwide online vocal competition. Renowned musical theatre creators from around the world have contributed a song from a musical they have written that has never previously been recorded for commercial release; these 16 songs will comprise an upcoming Australian Discovery Orchestra album, to be released on the Broadway Records label.

Bruce Kimmel wrote, directed and starred in the cult movie hit, "The First Nudie Musical."  He also co-created the story for the hit film, "The Faculty," directed by Robert Rodriguez.  As an actor, Mr. Kimmel guest-starred on most of the long-running television shows of the 1970s.    Mr. Kimmel is a legendary Grammy-nominated producer of theatre music on CD, having produced over 180 albums. Most recently he has directed the shows L.A. Now and Then, Hit Song, The Musical, Welcome to My World, Li'l Abner, and Inside Out.  Mr. Kimmel is the author of seventeen books, many musicals, and is an award-winning songwriter. Bruce Kimmel serves as director on the Group Rep's upcoming production of Frederick Knott's mystery thriller Dial "M" for Murder which opens on the Main Stage, June 30th, at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood at the edge of the NoHo Arts District.  Written by Steve Peterson

The Group Rep presents the world premiere of Brent Beerman's comedy drama A Dull Pain Turned Sharp, directed by Kay Cole, produced by Mannette Antill, about a mother's dream to be a grandmother, a daughter's dream of independence, and another mother's dream of carrying on the lineage of her deceased son. What happens when one's happiness depends upon the actions of another? The play runs April 21 through June 4, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:00 pm at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood.

What a lovely surprise! I know that Bruce Kimmel is quite the clever gentleman and would not expect anything less than superlative work from his camp, but stepping down to the college campus level to review is not something that I particularly savor. These actors, with the exception of Robert Yacko and April Audia, are students, not yet professional performers as such. Needless to say, I was overwhelmed, not by the singing, but at least by the acting and overall drive and energy of the performers who delivered a mightily informative, nostalgic and fun show. It's called L.A. Now and Then, and it's a revue with songs and monologues that take a glance back at Los Angeles through the years and compare past with present cultural values. Kimmel as director maintains a great pace throughout: no lags; the show moves!

Conceived and Directed by Grammy nominated Producer, Director, Writer, and Composer Bruce Kimmel, L.A. NOW AND THEN, is a new musical revue about the city that was and the city that is. Proudly presented by Kimmel's alma mater, The Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy and Kritzerland Entertainment, the production will be presented May 13 - 22, 2016 at the Caminito Theatre on the campus of Los Angeles City College (LACC). BroadwayWorld has an inside look at the show's opening night; scroll down for photos!

Conceived and Directed by Grammy nominated Producer, Director, Writer, and Composer Bruce Kimmel, L.A. NOW AND THEN, is a new musical revue about the city that was and the city that is.