Heather Lundstedt News

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its lineup for August 7-August 13, featuring John Pizzarelli, Tony DeSare, Laila Biali, and more. Scroll down for details!

Birdland Jazz Club has announced its August 2017 lineup, featuring The Birdland Big Band, John Pizzarelli, Borislav Strulev, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Benny Green Trio, Michelle Lordi, Charlie Parker Birthday Celebration, Jim Caruso's Cast Party, and more. Scroll down for details!

Old School Square announces the 2017-18 Season of performances, lectures, exhibits, classes and workshops.

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2016 which I did not cover. This list is based only on what I saw and reviewed. (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories) No set, costume, technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.

Join celebrated Southern California Musical Theatre star Heather Lundstedt O'Neill as she pays homage to the work of one of America's most accomplished composer/lyricists in 'Loesser Known: The Stories and Songs of Frank Loesser'.

What IS 'Swungheim'?! Well, it's easy! It's Sondheim...SWUNG!

Clap your hands if you can believe it, the Tony Award-winning musical production 'Peter Pan' soars back to Moonlight Amphitheatre from July 20, 2016 to Aug. 6, 2016 at 8 p.m. The classic, family favorite production hit the Broadway stage in 1954 and has since been adapted for the movie screen several times for more than 60 years. The original Broadway production and revivals received nine Tony Award nominations with the most recent in 1999 for Best Revival of a Musical. The Moonlight production features the sets and costumes of the famous Cathy Rigby production, including spectacular flying effects. Tickets are $10 to $55 and general admission lawn is $8 to $20 and includes lawn chair provided at entry. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 760-724- 2110 or visit moonlightstage.com. 

Clap your hands if you can believe it, the Tony Award-winning musical production 'Peter Pan' soars back to Moonlight Amphitheatre from July 20, 2016 to Aug. 6, 2016 at 8 p.m. The classic, family favorite production hit the Broadway stage in 1954 and has since been adapted for the movie screen several times for more than 60 years. The original Broadway production and revivals received nine Tony Award nominations with the most recent in 1999 for Best Revival of a Musical. The Moonlight production features the sets and costumes of the famous Cathy Rigby production, including spectacular flying effects. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!

Clap your hands if you can believe it, the Tony Award-winning musical production 'Peter Pan' soars back to Moonlight Amphitheatre from July 20, 2016 to Aug. 6, 2016 at 8 p.m. The classic, family favorite production hit the Broadway stage in 1954 and has since been adapted for the movie screen several times for more than 60 years. The original Broadway production and revivals received nine Tony Award nominations with the most recent in 1999 for Best Revival of a Musical. The Moonlight production features the sets and costumes of the famous Cathy Rigby production, including spectacular flying effects. Scroll down for a sneak peek at the cast!

What IS 'Swungheim'?! Well, it's easy! It's Sondheim...SWUNG!

Loesser Known: The Stories and Songs of Frank Loesser premiered at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal Sunday May 22 with lovely singer Heather Lundstedt O'Neill doing the honors. Lundstedt O'Neill has a beautiful, classically trained soprano voice that she utilizes supremely, lending her an awesome range. She also possesses a wonderfully delicious sense of humor that added so very much to this, her first LA cabaret appearance. She sang lesser known as well as hit songs from the Frank Loesser Songbook and told brief stories about his family and career....but concentrated more on the singing. Joining her were The Beverly Belles, friends Tiffany and Leah for one song and also guest star Jonathan Hawkins who performed one duet with Lundstedt. Sensational musical director John Boswell was at the piano and Randy Landas on bass throughout the 75 minute set. 

Join celebrated Southern California Musical Theatre star Heather Lundstedt O'Neill as she pays homage to the work of one of America's most accomplished composer/lyricists in 'Loesser Known: The Stories and Songs of Frank Loesser'.

Presented by The Barn Stage Company, in association with Temecula Presents, this gorgeous production of Rodger's and Hammerstein's CAROUSEL IN CONCERT take the Old Town Temecula stage for three nights only! A collaboration with the Temecula Valley Symphony puts a beautiful 32-piece orchestra directly on stage for all to enjoy. The show runs one weekend, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in Old Town Temecula. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast onstage below!

Presented by The Barn Stage Company, in association with Temecula Presents, this gorgeous production of Rodger's and Hammerstein's Carousel in Concert take the Old Town Temecula stage for 3 nights only! A collaboration with the Temecula Valley Symphony puts a beautiful 32 piece orchestra directly on stage for all to enjoy! The show runs one weekend, March 3, 5 & 6, Today, Saturday and Sunday at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in Old Town Temecula. Glorious songs, a postcard New England seaside setting and a spiritually uplifting story of love and redemption have kept Carousel among the most beloved American musicals ever created. Carousel will be directed by J. Scott Lapp, with Musical Direction by John Mario Di Costanzo and choreography by Gary Iversen.

Presented by The Barn Stage Company, in association with Temecula Presents, this gorgeous production of Rodger's and Hammerstein's Carousel in Concert take the Old Town Temecula stage for 3 nights only! A collaboration with the Temecula Valley Symphony puts a beautiful 32 piece orchestra directly on stage for all to enjoy! The show runs one weekend, March 3, 5 & 6, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater in Old Town Temecula. Glorious songs, a postcard New England seaside setting and a spiritually uplifting story of love and redemption have kept Carousel among the most beloved American musicals ever created. Carousel will be directed by J. Scott Lapp, with Musical Direction by John Mario Di Costanzo and choreography by Gary Iversen.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series (RRS) returns this season with an outstanding lineup of classic and forgotten Broadway gems, beginning with Pal Joey on Sunday, January 24, 7pm at the University Theatre at California State University, Long Beach (off 7th Street between East and West Campus Drive, Parking Lot 7).

My first association with musical composer Frank Loesser was as an actor in the 70s in a revue of his music. I played Sky Masterson of Guys and Dolls and sang a duet of 'I've Never Been In Love Before'. I came to realize quite rapidly how lovely his music is and how well he manages to capture the moment of genuine emotion within a song. Upon seeing Guys and Dolls several times since, I have been awestruck as well by Abe Burrows and Joe Swerling's ability to take Damon Runyon's New York Broadway characters from the 20s and blow them up into something overwhelmingly moving and appealing. The two worlds of sin and redemption have never been connected so naturally, cleverly and colorfully nor with such style and panache. Now at GCT, the cast give their all to Loesser's Runyonesque romp and it comes up a surefire hit.

Executive producer Tim Dietlein and the Glendale Centre Theatre continue their exciting 68th season with the Broadway classic, GUYS AND DOLLS. Performances are August 28th - October 10th.

It used to be, in days gone by, that hit Broadway shows would be made into movies; now, it's the reverse. With a dearth of ideas for Broadway musicals, the trend lately has been to turn to the big screen and revamp a popular film for the stage, adding song and dance. Such was the case with 9 to 5 and later Legally Blonde engendering quite a bit of success. Those two had female stars at the core, so it's high time a male got some attention. Voila! Catch Me If You Can has a quirky real-life story about an anti-hero Frank Abagnale Jr. (Jacob Haren) who in the 60s was called the Johnny Appleseed of fraud. The outstanding creative team of book writer Terrence McNally and musical wizards Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman took an old idea and created an entertainingly fresh showcase around it. The resultant Catch Me If You Can which received several Tony Award nominations in 2012 - one win for Norbert Leo Butz as Best Featured Actor playing Agent Carl Hanratty - is now playing in its West Coast regional premiere in Vista at the Moonlight Amphitheatre with Josh Adamson essaying Hanratty.

Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season comes to a triumphant close with the Southern California Regional Premiere of the Tony Award-nominated musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, based on the hit film of the same name that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Performances are September 10 to 27.