Jesse Vargas News

Rex Smith and Tomasina Abate recently teamed up for a cover of the Oscar-winning Best Original Song, Shallow, from the film A Star is Born.

Taking the film and its music to the next level, The Wallis and For The Record are presenting a holiday season encore of last year's LOVE, ACTUALLY LIVE world premiere in the Bram Stoker Theater at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills through December 29. The multimedia presentation, adapted and directed by Anderson Davis with musical supervision by Jesse Vargas, turns the theater into a giant, immersive, cinema in a three-dimensional world where the film and live action seamlessly intertwine throughout the London setting. Each scene is a festival of excellent characterizations, extraordinary lighting effects and costumes, brilliant and fast-paced direction and choreography, and the joy of great music that perfectly expresses the mood and themes of the movie and jukebox musical LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE. No doubt this suburb holiday musical will be making its return to The Wallis each December!

Casting has been announced for The Wallis and For The Record's production of LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert celebration of one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and the biggest, record-breaking hit in The Wallis' history, which is back by popular demand, now as a not-to-be-missed Los Angeles tradition with performances beginning the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and running through the weekend following Christmas (December 29). Returning from the 2018 production are Rex Smith (RIAA Gold® recording artist), Carrie Manolakos (Broadway's Mamma Mia!, Wicked), Doug Kreeger (Broadway's Les Misérables), Tomasina Abate (For The Record's Scorsese: American Crime Requiem, Tarantino), Carson Higgins (international tour of Green Day's American Idiot) and the multi-dimensional Emily Lopez. New this year to the lineup of outstanding performers are Rogelio Douglas Jr. (In the Heights and The Little Mermaid on Broadway), Declan Bennett (Once, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Taboo in the West End, American Idiot and Rent on Broadway), Jon Robert Hall (Fox's Grease: Live, “Glee”), Chris Mann (NBC's “The Voice,” The Phantom of the Opera 25th Anniversary Tour), James Byous (Scorsese: American Crime Requiem, Netflix's 'Westside'), Ruby Lewis (Cirque du Soleil's Paramour, Lights Out: Nat 'King' Cole), singer/songwriter/actress Aubrie Sellers (one of Rolling Stone's best country albums of the year), Gabriela Francesca Carrillo (American Mariachi, Netflix's Homecoming), Levi Smith (A Bronx Tale: The Musical, It's a Wonderful Life, Mary Poppins and The Music Man on Broadway), young singer/actress Nayah Damasen, John Battagliese and accomplished violinist Molly Rogers. 

The Wallis and For The Record present LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert celebration of one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and the biggest, record-breaking hit in The Wallis' history, which is back by popular demand, now as a not-to-be-missed Los Angeles tradition with performances beginning the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and running through the weekend following Christmas (December 29).

After a most successful run last December, For The Record's LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE encores at The Wallis beginning November 27, 2019. FTR pairs the actual screening of the 2003 perennial holiday hit film Love Actually with live singers and a 15-piece orchestra on stage complementing the movie's soundtrack. I got the chance to grab a few minutes and some behind-the-scenes with the prolific, ever busy, For The Record Live executive producer Shane Scheel.

Casting has been announced for The Wallis and For The Record's production of LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert celebration of one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and the biggest, record-breaking hit in The Wallis' history, which is back by popular demand, now as a not-to-be-missed Los Angeles tradition with performances beginning the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and running through the weekend following Christmas (December 29).

LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, the multimedia concert celebration of one of the most beloved holiday films of all time and the biggest, record-breaking hit in The Wallis' history, is back by popular demand, now as a not-to-be-missed Los Angeles tradition with performances beginning the day before Thanksgiving (November 27) and running through the weekend following Christmas (December 29). 

Bay Street Theater and Guild Hall, in association with Jamie Cesa and Bel Chiasso Entertainment present a free concert staged reading of The Romeo & Juliet Project, a new musical, featuring the music of Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo, with book by Bradley Bredeweg. This FREE community event will be held in Mashashimuet Park in Sag Harbor, NY on August 16 and 17 at 7 pm and is the latest installment of Bay Street's ongoing Under the Stars Community Outreach Program. The performance is directed by Scott Schwartz, Bay Street Theater's Artistic Director.

On this day in 2008, Glory Days had its opening night on Broadway!

Lively McCabe Entertainment Co-President Michael Barra proudly announces a slate of three new stage musicals in partnership with licensing agency Theatrical Rights Worldwide (TRW) and music powerhouse BMG. These initial three projects, all which will have premiere productions in 2020 (TBA), will feature select music from the BMG catalog, as part of their previously announced partnership with Lively McCabe.

The award-winning "For The Record" series returns to Los Angeles with For the Record: The Brat Pack, where classic 80's movie soundtracks come to life in an immersive, theatrical rock n roll experience. Audiences will travel back in time when they enter Break Room 86 inside The LINE Hotel in the heart of Koreatown. For The Record and Breakroom 86 will take patrons on a totally excellent adventure where they are surrounded by classic video arcade games, high-school lockers, old-school vending machines, vintage band posters, retro furniture, boomboxes, and cassettes. The 360-degree new wave cabaret, features a hit setlist including 'Rebel Yell,' 'Try A Little Tenderness,' and 'Don't You Forget About Me,' from favorite 1980's teen flicks 'Sixteen Candles,' 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High,' 'The Breakfast Club,' 'St. Elmos Fire,' 'Pretty In Pink,' "Valley Girl," 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off,' 'Some Kind Of Wonderful' and 'Say Anything.' Be kind and rewind into the 80's teenage dream, beginning March 15 every Thursday - Sunday through June 9.

The award-winning "For The Record" series returns to Los Angeles with For the Record: The Brat Pack, where classic 80's movie soundtracks come to life in an immersive, theatrical rock n roll experience. Audiences will travel back in time when they enter Break Room 86 inside The LINE Hotel in the heart of Koreatown.

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neilland inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including 'Christmas Is All Around,' 'The Trouble with Love Is,' and 'Both Sides Now.'

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neill and inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including 'Christmas Is All Around,' 'The Trouble with Love Is,' and 'Both Sides Now.'

Broadway and concert star Daniel Reichard returned to his 52nd Street roots, where he originated the role of Bob Gaudio at the August Wilson Theatre in the Original Broadway Cast of JERSEY BOYS, with his eleventh New York City holiday show.

The countdown to Christmas begins and ends with an all-out love blitz this year in For the Record's latest world premiere, LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE, a hybrid entertainment that blends scenes from Richard Curtis' 2003 film Love Actually with live performances of the movie's soundtrack. Co-produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, it is a celebration of love in all its messy, complicated, wonderful glory in a Las Vegas-style vision designed to impress.

For The Record returns to The Wallis with their holiday show LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE December 4th through 31st. Headliners for this multi-media concert (backed by a 15-piece orchestra) include Rumer Willis, Steve Kazee, Kelley Jakle, Rex Smith and B. Slade. LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE's music supervisor and arranger Jesse Vargas offered up some of his infrequent down time to most graciously share his history with FTR, as well as, his encompassing musical expertise with me.

Love Actually Live, a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time from the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning For The Record series, is featured this holiday season at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts from Tuesday, December 4, through Monday, December 31, 2018. Co-Produced by the Wallis Annenberg Center for Performing Arts, Shane Scheel and Siobhan O'Neill and inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, transforms The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production, a one-of-a-kind presentation is performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, includes songs from the hit film, including "Christmas Is All Around," "The Trouble with Love Is," and "Both Sides Now.'

As previously announced, this holiday season, the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning "For The Record" series returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time, Love Actually. Inspired by the Universal Pictures/Working Title motion picture written by Richard Curtis, this world-premiere production of Love Actually Live, presented by special arrangement with Universal Theatrical Group, will transform The Wallis' Bram Goldsmith Theater into a giant, immersive, cinema for the modern day. The production will include songs from the hit film, including "Christmas Is All Around," "The Trouble with Love Is," and "Both Sides Now."

This holiday season, the team behind Los Angeles' award-winning "For The Record" series returns to the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts with a multimedia-concert celebration of the soundtrack to one of the most beloved holiday movies of all time, Love Actually.