Gary Grossman News

Here's the second installment of responses from various Los Angeles Theatre heads on how their individual theatre families are holding up in these crazy, safe-distancing times. As with the first batch of responses, these are just as amazing in their uniform positivity.

There is much to offer in this unusual take on the musical, but just as many questionable choices. 

A creative staple of the Los Angeles Theatre community, director/actor Michael A. Shepperd will next be exhibiting his directorial talents in the world premiere of playwright Penelope Lowder's WEST ADAMS, opening February 1, 2020 at the Skylight Theatre. This dark comedy on race, class, and a bouncy house in the West Adams neighborhood features Andrés M. Bagg, Allison Blaize, Clayton Farris and Jenny Soo. Michael managed to find a spare moment between his multi-tasking to answer a few of my inquisitive queries.

A new, dark, comedy about race and class. With a hostile takeover of a neighborhood block party and bouncy houses, Penelope Lowder's newest play set in historic West Adams takes an uncomfortable look at altruistic gentrification gone wrong. Perhaps reshaping a newly adopted neighborhood in your image isn't as lofty as one might think. Opening February 1, 2020.

Skylight Theatre Company, recognized for their unwavering commitment to developing new works, has confirmed a 2020 lineup of three plays, and a fourth TBA. All plays are new to Los Angeles.

The professional resident playwrights of Skylight Theatre Company present eleven new plays in the sixth LAb Works Festival. Since 2011 when Skylight created PlayLAb, a laboratory for LA based professional playwrights, its LA Based members have created more than 60 original new works.  The LAb Works Festival is the culmination of the most recent year's work shared as concert-style staged readings and workshop presentations.

I cannot offer enough superlative-laden adjectives to describe the brilliance of the cast, beginning with Eric B. Anthony as Bronco Billy, who channels one of the most famous African American cowboys, Nathan 'Deadwood Dick' Lane, with his effervescent personality making me believe he could easily be one of the great, rodeo-winning cowboy's descendants! His partnership onstage with Amanda Leigh Jerry as Antoinette/Miss Lilly, is beautifully realistic and dreamlike at the same time as they tear up the stage singing catchy tunes while executing athletic choreography to perfection.

Skylight Theatre Company's first world premiere musical, BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL, will be helmed by director Hunter Bird. Based on the 1980 Warner Bros. film Bronco Billy starring Clint Eastwood, this rousing MUSICAL centering on a travelling Wild West show, circa 1979, has already begun previews. Hunter managed to rest his cowboy booted feet up for a few to answer my inquiring questions.

Skylight Theatre Company (Producing Artistic Director, Gary Grossman and Co-Artistic Director Tony Abatemarco) announced today the world premiere of BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL, It marks the organization's first world premiere musical production. The new musical, based on the Warner Bros. film Bronco Billy, features a book by Dennis Hackin, lyrics and music by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, with additional lyrics by Michele Brourman. Hunter Bird will direct. Preview performances begin on May 10, with the official press opening on Saturday, May 18, 2019. The limited engagement plays through June 30 at the Skylight Theatre, located at 1816 ½ North Vermont in Los Feliz, Ca. Tickets are now on sale now at http://www.SkylightTix.com.

Skylight Theatre Company's production of 'Rotterdam,' opened this weekend at Center Theatre Group at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Written by Jon Brittain and directed by Michael A. Shepperd, 'Rotterdam' will close April 7.

Playwrights' Arena, the first and oldest theater dedicated to discovering, nurturing, and producing original works written exclusively by Los Angeles playwrights, is presenting its inaugural Henry Ong Award to Skylight Theatre Artistic Director, Gary Grossman.

Skylight Theatre Company Presents the World Premiere of "AMERICA ADJACENT" by Boni B. Alvarez Opening February 16, 2019    

Center Theatre Group has selected three local productions for the third annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre at the Kirk Douglas Theatre from March 7 through April 28, 2019. Block Party 2019 will remount Theatre of NOTE's "For The Love Of (or, the roller derby play)," Skylight Theatre Company's "Rotterdam" and Antaeus Theatre Company's "Native Son." Each production will have a two-week run with 12 performances. The three visiting companies will receive the full support of Center Theatre Group and its staff in order to fund, stage and market each production.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

The 2018 Stage Raw Theater Awards celebrate excellence on the Los Angeles stages in venues of 99-seats or under. This fourth annual edition includes productions that opened between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018.

The world premiere of playwright Michelle Kholos Brooks' HOSTAGE receives an absolutely stunning mounting by the Skylight Theatre Company. Tracie Lockwood gives a tour de force performance as Barbara, normally an inconspicuous, yet outspoken, mother like most in the Oak Creek, Wisconsin neighborhood; but a real pit bull when matters concern her hostaged son.

A Classic Broadway Mother's Day, special Mother's Day performance of the ongoing concert series An Evening of Classic Broadway, now in its 5th year, takes place on Sunday, May 13th at Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Angeles. Doors open at 4:30 for the 6PM show. Music Director/Master of Ceremonies Brad Ellis and Presenter Fraser Entertainment Group showcase a new cast with each performance, this one consisting of parents and their offspring.

Extended three times, and closing Sunday, January 28th, Skylight Theatre Company's 'Rotterdam' by Jon Brittain, has just received FIVE Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle award nominations for excellence in the categories of Production, Writing, Ensemble, and 2 nominations for Lead Performance.

Skylight Theatre Company Stages West Coast Premiere of ROTTERDAM by Jon Brittain and Directed by Ovation Award Winner Michael A. Shepperd