John Battagliese News

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).

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).

Season One of Queen's English, an award-winning web comedy, is now available for streaming. 

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, (Adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson), additional orchestrations by Phil Reno, choreography by Michele Lynch, musical direction by Benet Braun and direction by Matt Lenz. GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, September 20, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 21 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 13, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  

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Cast Members John Battagliese, Neil Starkenberg and April Nixon take you backstage during rehearsals of the West Coast Premiere of TV legend & Tony winner Hal Linden, the beloved Cathy Rigby and Broadway's Ken Page starring in GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL! Check out their third vlog featuring Cathy Rigby!

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT are thrilled to present the West Coast Premiere of GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, (Adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson), additional orchestrations by Phil Reno, choreography by Michele Lynch, musical direction by Benet Braun and direction by Matt Lenz. GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL will preview on Friday, September 20, 2019 (with a press opening on Saturday, September 21 at 8pm) and runs through Sunday, October 13, 2018 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Cast Members John Battagliese, Neil Starkenberg and April Nixon take you backstage during rehearsals of the West Coast Premiere of TV legend & Tony winner Hal Linden, the beloved Cathy Rigby and Broadway's Ken Page starring in GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL! Go inside rehearsals in their second vlog in this new video!

Today's top stories: The Devil Wears Prada sets its pre-Broadway engagement, Kristin Chenoweth will return to Broadway with her solo show, and more!

Cast Members John Battagliese, Neil Starkenberg and April Nixon take you backstage during rehearsals of the West Coast Premiere of TV legend & Tony winner Hal Linden, the beloved Cathy Rigby and Broadway's Ken Page starring in GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL!  They even found time to chat with Ken Page for this first rehearsal VLOG post!  Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a grumpy ride!

La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts & Mccoy Rigby Entertainment present the West Coast Premiere of GRUMPY OLD MEN: THE MUSICAL, book by Dan Remmes, music by Neil Berg, lyrics by Nick Meglin, (Adapted from the Warner Bros. motion picture written by Mark Steven Johnson), additional orchestrations by Phil Reno, choreography by Michele Lynch, musical direction by Benet Braun and direction by Matt Lenz.

Welcome to Rydell High, where star-crossed Danny and Sandy try to find a place for their forbidden love. Grease will have you hand jivin' and beboppin' all the way down the aisles!

With its electrifying mix of sexual intrigue, tongue-in-cheek humor, and a song list better than that of any senior prom's, CRUEL INTENTIONS gleefully throws audiences back into the chaos of high school while reminding them just how far we've come from the age of Nokia cellphones and AOL.

We definitely want it this way! Nicole Medoro from the national tour of Cruel Intentions is taking over the BroadwayWorld Instagram Story tomorrow, April 6th! Make sure to tune in to get a look behind-the-scenes during a two-show day of the 90s-filled musical as it plays Chicago's Broadway Playhouse. Happy hunting!

In conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the release of cult classic film, casting has just been announced for Cruel Intentions: The '90s Musical, coming to The Hanover Theatre and Conservatory for the Performing Arts on May 4 for one performance only at 8 pm.

In celebration of the 20th anniversary of the cult classic film Cruel Intentions, producers have announced the casting for the North American tour of the Off-Broadway smash hit Cruel Intentions: The 90s Musical.  Following sold-out runs in Los Angeles and a critically acclaimed, sold-out run in New York City, the new musical - a stage adaptation of Roger Kumble's 1999 cult-hit film, created by Jordan Ross, Lindsey Rosin & Roger Kumble - will launch its first national tour at Proctors in Schenectady, NY on March 29, 2019.