Gina Torrecilla News

As Celebration Theatre's thoughtfully gender-expansive production of A NEW BRAIN enters its final performance weeks, in association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, the production's Assistant Director Nico Pang (they/them) sat down with musical director Gregory Nabours (he/him) to look back on how he and the creative team approached the opportunity to reimagine the story in this powerful way.

Join Gregory Nabours and a 'MOTHER lode' of talent this Wednesday, May 10th for a MOTHER of a cabaret! Whether they're good moms, bad moms, or red hot mamas, from Mama Rose to Mama Morton, we're playing musical mothers in May!

Celebration Theatre presents a brand new look at the William Finn musical, A NEW BRAIN,  music and lyrics by William Finn, book by William Finn & James Lapine, choreography by Alli Miller-Fisher, musical direction by Gregory Nabours, and directed by Khanisha Foster. Check out photos below!

Next up for the Celebration Theatre, in association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a new look at William Finn and James Lapine’s A New Brain opening May 6, 2023 (with previews beginning April 29th) at the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. With both William Finn and James Lapine’s approval, this production has been cast with gender-expansive casting. Khanisha Foster directs the cast of Yassi Noubahar, Richardson Cisneros-Jones, Gina Torrecilla, Ryan O’Connor, Whitney Avalon, Sadé Ayodele, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Ryan, Gabi Van Horn, and Amanda Kruger as the musical’s protagonist Gordon Schwinn; with choreography by Alli Miller-Fisher and musical direction by Gregory Nabours. Khanisha found some time to answer a few of my queries with Amanda also jumping in to offer their input.

Celebration Theatre, in association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, will present a brand new look at the William Finn musical, A NEW BRAIN,  music and lyrics by William Finn.

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!

From the brilliant comedic mind of television writer Justin Sayre comes a camp-horror-soap-opera play, RAVENSWOOD MANOR. With flavors of cult classic a?oeDark Shadowsa?? sprinkled in, this episodic play will bring audiences along for a ride through the gothic and hilarious goings-on of a small New England town during the spring of 1976.

Menander Productions and Jamie Pierce have gathered a talented cast and crew to populate their world premiere of playwright Gina Torrecilla's ATTACK OF THE SECOND BANANAS, now at the Zephyr Theatre. Ryan Bergmann sharply directs his six-person ensemble in a slick, quick pace of much laughs and hilarity. Taylor Stephenson's underscoring of mock suspense music aptly heightens this involving, who-done-it mystery.

Menander Productions and Jamie Pierce have announced a limited engagement of the world premiere comedy Attack of the Second Bananas by Gina Torrecilla at the Zephyr Theatre in West Hollywood. Directed by Ryan Bergmann, opening is set for Friday, March 1, at 8pm and the limited run will play through March 31.

In 1968, a movie star was born when Barbra Streisand made her film debut with her Oscar-winning performance in Funny Girl. To celebrate 50 years of Babs on the big screen, we are rewatching, reviewing, and reflecting on the compete Streisand filmography. Each week host Jamie Pierce invites a special guest on the show to discuss and dissect one of Barbra's movies.

DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! is a campy noir classic that follows the devious actions of fading Hollywood star Angela Arden, played to the hilt by Drew Droege in drag. Think of Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard" and throw in a bit of Joan Crawford's attitude and you get the idea of who Angela Arden is. And let me tell you, Droege is a wonder running across the stage in high heels, always dressed to feminine perfection by costumer Allison Dillard. But Angela is trapped in an unhappy marriage and plots to kill her husband, Hollywood producer Sol Sussman (Pat Towne) in order to be with her young, and very well-hung lover Tony Parker (Andrew Carter). His endowment is a running gag throughout the play, aimed at almost every other character at some point, a bit too suggestive and sexy for young audiences.

The Celebration Theatre production of "Die, Mommie, Die!," which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre, will open Saturday, May 12 at 8 p.m. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, "Die, Mommie, Die!" is currently in previews and will close May 20.

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of 'Die, Mommie, Die!' which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, 'Die, Mommie, Die!' will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of 'Die, Mommie, Die!' which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, 'Die, Mommie, Die!' will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

Casting is set for the Celebration Theatre production of 'Die, Mommie, Die!' which Center Theatre Group is remounting at the Kirk Douglas Theatre as part of the second annual Block Party: Celebrating Los Angeles Theatre. Written by Charles Busch and directed by Ryan Bergmann, 'Die, Mommie, Die!' will begin previews May 10, open May 12 and close May 20.

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, and in association with Ryan Allen, Andrew Carlberg and Amy Miller Gross is thrilled to announce that the fastest selling show in its history and the second show in its 2017-2018 season, its critically acclaimed (LA Times CRITIC'S CHOICE, Stage Raw RECOMMENDED), Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical, book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, MAY 6 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

'The mega-popular 1994 film The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert delivered miles and miles of heart. Priscilla Queen of the Desert the musical remains loyal to the movie  and is delightfully extravagant and colorful with perhaps the most dazzling array of costumes, amazing sets and brilliant lighting design in theatrical history. Over the last few years it has become almost as popular as the film with touring companies in the UK, Ireland, Italy, Sweden as well as in the US'. This was my opening quote when the tour bowed at the Pantages in 2012. Now onstage at the small Celebration Theatre in Hollywood, the show is much scaled down but with an incredible cast of 11, under the amazing direction of Jessica Hanna, it is more bright and alive than ever. Audiences will fall in love with this brand new Priscilla... and come away exhilarated...and wanting more.

Celebration, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, has announced that the fastest selling show in its history and the second show in its 2017-2018 season, the Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical, book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, APRIL 15 at Celebration Theatre @ the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Celebration presents under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the second show in its 2017-2018 season, the Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical,book by Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott, based on the Latent Image/Specific Films Motion Picture Distributed by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc., presented in special arrangement with Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) with choreography by Roman Pantoja, musical direction by Jennifer Lin, directed by Jessica Hanna and produced by Stephen Soucy and Jay Marcus.

CELEBRATION THEATRE presents a special evening dedicated to honoring playwright Patricia Loughrey's dedication to bringing light and awareness to the LGBTQ community through her works.  Featuring performances from her various plays, Celebration Theatre is pleased to honor Patricia Loughrey with The Chuck Rowland Pioneer Award on Tuesday, June 20 at the West Hollywood City Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente in West Hollywood. Curtain is at 7:30 pm.