Ahmanson Theatre News

Two-time Emmy and Grammy Award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin brings her searing brand of pull-no-punches comedy to the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum with the 'Like A Boss' Tour for two performances, tonight and tomorrow, November 4 and 5 at 8 p.m.

The New Group presents the world premiere of STEVE, a new play by Mark Gerrard. Directed by Cynthia Nixon, this production features Ashlie Atkinson and Francisco Pryor Garat, and as announced, Mario Cantone, Jerry Dixon, Malcolm Gets and Matt McGrath. A limited Off-Broadway engagement plays tonight, November 3, through December 27 at The Pershing Square Signature Center (The Romulus Linney Courtyard Theatre, 480 West 42nd Street), with Official Opening Night set for Wednesday, November 18.

Young Jean Lee's STRAIGHT WHITE MEN will have its West Coast premiere November 20 - December 20, 2015, at the Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre, directed by Lee and presented in collaboration with the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA. The first U.S. performances of the play since The Public Theater presented its New York premiere last fall will feature a cast of Frank Boyd, Richard Riehle, Brian Slaten and Gary Wilmes.

The Fred Ebb Foundation in association with the Roundabout Theatre Company will present the eleventh annual Fred Ebb Award for aspiring musical theatre songwriters to Stacey Luftig and Phillip Palmer.  The award, named in honor of the late award-winning lyricist Fred Ebb, will be presented by Karen Ziemba on Monday, November 30th from 6-8pm at a by-invitation-only ceremony in the Penthouse Lounge of The American Airlines Theater.

A brand new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic THE SOUND OF MUSIC launched its national tour at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre on September 30. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, the production closes in Los Angeles on October 31, 2015, and will then tour North America for multiple seasons, playing multi-week and week-long engagements. Click below to watch stars Kerstin Anderson and Ashley Brown perform 'My Favorite Things' on Good Day LA!

French and Vanessa Claire Stewart have been set to host the 2015 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 9 at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center. Red carpet arrivals begin at 6pm and the curtain will rise at 7:30pm.

The full cast is set for the first national tour of THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, opening at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on December 10, 2015, and playing through January 17, 2016. (Previews on December 8 and 9.)

KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY, with music and lyrics by Todd Almond, featuring Almond and rock icon Courtney Love, began performances with three previews Thursday, October 15, 2015, through Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m., and opened last night Sunday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. Check out photos below!

B Street is pleased to present the regional premiere of HANDLE WITH CARE as the Mainstage offering for the 2015 holiday season.

KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY, with music and lyrics by Todd Almond, featuring Almond and rock icon Courtney Love, begins performances with three previews tonight, October 15, 2015, through Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m., and opens Sunday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. The show, which is a special DouglasPlus event, will run through November 8. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show from this year's PROTOTYPE Festival in NYC!

Center Theatre Group is seeking a diverse group of singers from across the greater Los Angeles community to perform as members of the church choir in the West Coast premiere of THE CHRISTIANS, written by Lucas Hnath and directed by Les Waters, presented by CTG and Playwrights Horizons at the Mark Taper Forum, December 2, 2015, through January 10, 2016.

KANSAS CITY CHOIR BOY, with music and lyrics by Todd Almond, featuring Almond and rock icon Courtney Love, begins performances with three previews Thursday, October 15, 2015, through Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m., and opens Sunday, October 18 at 6:30 p.m. The show, which is a special DouglasPlus event, will run through November 8. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the show from this year's PROTOTYPE Festival in NYC!

Three finalists have been selected for Center Theatre Group's 2016 Richard E. Sherwood Award: Miwa Matreyek, Dr. Chantal Rodriguez and Kevin Williamson. Center Theatre Group recognizes and celebrates this year's finalists for their exceptional contributions to the Los Angeles theatre landscape and their potential as innovative and adventurous artists.

With the continued growth of its celebrated Glorya Kaufman Presents Dance at The Music Center series, and the success of its highly popular participatory dance experiences, The Music Center has become an important hub for dance in Los Angeles. Its 2015-2016 dance season is a prime example of the commitment of The Music Center to present distinctive dance experiences to Southern California audiences, especially by internationally renowned artists in classical ballet and contemporary expression.

Good morning, BroadwayWorld! Because we know all our readers eat, sleep and breathe Broadway, what could be better than waking up to it? Today's big news: It's MATILDA composer/lyricist Tim Minchin's 40th birthday! Tweet him your best wishes @timminchin!

Watching ELSIE FEST videos on a loop? Still trying to win the #Ham4Ham lottery? Didn't have time to check in on your favorite Broadway stars? Well don't worry BroadwayWorld has rounded up some of the biggest stories from this week from Broadway and beyond with BroadwayWorld's 'This Week in Pictures.'

Independent Shakespeare Co. (ISC), presenters of the Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival and recipients of the 2015 Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, announce a new work, STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY, directed by Independent Shakespeare Co.'s Joseph Culliton.  STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY will begin previews on Thursday, October 22, will open on Saturday, October 24 at 7:30pm and will perform through Sunday, November 22 at Independent Studio in the Atwater Crossing Arts + Innovation Complex, 3191 Casitas Ave., #168 in Atwater Village.

A brand new production of Rodgers & Hammerstein's classic THE SOUND OF MUSIC launched its national tour at the Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre last night, September 30 at 8 p.m. Directed by three-time Tony Award winner Jack O'Brien, the production closes in Los Angeles on October 31, 2015, and will then tour North America for multiple seasons, playing multi-week and week-long engagements. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night curtain call and festivities below!

Abingdon Theatre Company has appointed Tony Speciale as its next Artistic Director. Mr. Speciale, currently represented Off-Broadway as director of The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey, succeeds Jan Buttram, who leaves her post after 22 years. Mr. Speciale begins October 1.