Jim Holdridge News

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) announced that full casting is complete for the premiere production of the new musical SOUTH STREET by Richard Addrisi (music and lyrics; co-writer of 'Never My Love' BMI #2-ranked Song of the Century) and Craig Carlisle (book; Bob Funk, Best New Play Ovation Award-nominee).

Acclaimed filmmaker Baz Luhrmann stopped by Show at Barre's production of FOR THE RECORD: Baz Luhrmann to catch a performance of the sold out critically acclaimed concert that celebrates his Red Curtain Trilogy (Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, Strictly Ballroom). Following the performance, Mr. Luhrmann took the microphone and congratulated the cast. 'Bravo! Absolutely bravo! I had an out of body experience tonight.'

Musical Theatre West presents the world premiere of Roger Bean's groovy new musical SUMMER OF LOVE at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. SUMMER OF LOVE runs April 2 through April 17, 2011. The show's creator and writer, Roger Bean directs.

The Blank Theatre Company's third production of its 20th anniversary season, Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock, will close on March 20. The production is Directed by The Blank's Founding Artistic Director Daniel Henning, and features musical direction by David O.

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for The Blank Theatre Company's third production of its 20th anniversary season, Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock.

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for The Blank Theatre Company's third production of its 20th anniversary season, Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock.

Casting is complete and rehearsals have begun for The Blank Theatre Company's third production of its 20th anniversary season, Marc Blitzstein's The Cradle Will Rock.

It's safe to say that Roger Bean-the mind behind The Andrews Brothers, The Marvelous Wonderettes and its yuletide sequel Winter Wonderettes-has certainly become the most consistently successful purveyor of full-scale theatrical musicals that weave a simple story around a string of early to mid-20th Century pop hits. His latest of such offerings is LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, the crowd-pleasing jukebox musical that debuted last year at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood and is now performing an eight-week engagement at the Laguna Playhouse through August 29. The original production garnered the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award and Backstage's 2010 Garland Award for Best Production.

Life Could Be a Dream @ the Laguna Playhouse, which opened Saturday July 10 with its original cast in tact and the very same creative dream team, is even stronger on a bigger stage. Opening it up for the Moulton Theatre in Laguna has not diminished one grain of its vibrant electricity. In fact, it's readier than ever for the lights of New York! Doug Carpenter, Daniel Tatar, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Jim Holdridge and Ryan Castellino are simply sensational with Roger Bean's stellar direction and Lee Martino's brilliant choreography that make it rock. One song 'The Great Pretender' has been cut and instead of 'Unchained Melody' reprised at the finale, it's now 'Life Could Be a Dream', which, as the show's title, makes much more sense! Bravo! Brava!

The Laguna Playhouse gets a dream cast for its production of Life Could Be a Dream that runs July 6 through August 29-the five original Los Angeles cast members have signed on for the eight-week Laguna Playhouse run!

Many talented performers from the worlds of stage and screen are coming together to perform on Monday evening, June 7, in support of their friend and colleague Ana Adame, who has been fighting late-stage lymphoma since February of this year. The curtain will rise at 8pm at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, with doors opening at 7:00 for a silent auction. Angels 4 Ana is a visiting presentation at Boston Court Performing Arts Center.

Many talented performers from the worlds of stage and screen are coming together to perform on Monday evening, June 7, in support of their friend and colleague Ana Adame, who has been fighting late-stage lymphoma since February of this year. The curtain will rise at 8pm at Boston Court Performing Arts Center in Pasadena, with doors opening at 7:00 for a silent auction. Angels 4 Ana is a visiting presentation at Boston Court Performing Arts Center.

A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS will close Sunday, May 2nd. Locally produced exclusively for Southern California audiences, performances take place at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS takes root on Friday, April 23rd, 2010, and blossoms until Sunday, May 2nd. Locally produced exclusively for Southern California audiences, performances take place at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS takes root on Friday, April 23rd, 2010, and blossoms until Sunday, May 2nd. Locally produced exclusively for Southern California audiences, performances take place at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS takes root on Friday, April 23rd, 2010, and blossoms until Sunday, May 2nd. Locally produced exclusively for Southern California audiences, performances take place at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

A tuneful, funny musical score meets a giant man-eating plant when Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS devours the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza. One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time, with a hit movie and a Broadway revival to its credit, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS takes root on Friday, April 23rd, 2010, and blossoms until Sunday, May 2nd. Locally produced exclusively for Southern California audiences, performances take place at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

MUSICAL THEATRE WEST's production of Sweeney Todd will close on February 14, 2010.

MUSICAL THEATRE WEST kicks off the new year with the Stephen Sondheim masterpiece, Sweeney Todd. Sweeney Todd opened January 30 and runs through February 14 at the spectacular Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by Hugh Wheeler, is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond.

Hard to believe, but Sweeney Todd first bowed on Broadway in late 1979 and I was in New York to witness the brilliant achievement of Sondheim, Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou and the entire creative team. MTW is presenting the masterwork for the first time and to celebrate its 30th anniversary. They may rightfully be exceedingly proud of this production, as it replicates everything that the original achieved.