Katharine McDonough News

The 20th performance of An Evening of Classic Broadway will take place on Monday, July 31st at 8PM (doors open at 6:30) at LA's live music venue Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Feliz.

Contempo Productions presents THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, book by Nan Knighton and score by Knighton and Frank Wildhorn, as you've never seen it before!

Musical Theatre West brings a "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center July 7-23.  Due to an overwhelming demand, MTW has added an additional and final performance on Sunday, July 23, 6:00 pm.  Practically perfect in every way, it's a high flying fun filled adventure for the young and young at heart.  Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Walt Disney film, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's production features the delectable Sherman Brothers score, including 'A Spoonful of Sugar,' 'Jolly Holiday,' 'Let's Go Fly a Kite,' 'Step in Time,' and 'Chim Chim Cher-ee," as well as new musical additions, by the Olivier winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.   Tickets for the added performance go on sale Wednesday, June 21, 10am at www. musical.org, at the MTW Ticket Office, or by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4.  Best seats are available for this performance.  Tickets start at $20.

Musical Theatre West brings a "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's Mary Poppins to the Carpenter Performing Arts Center July 7-23.  Practically perfect in every way, it's a high flying fun filled adventure for the young and young at heart. 

Contempo Productions presents THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, book by Nan Knighton and score by Knighton and Frank Wildhorn, as you've never seen it before!

Palos Verdes Performing Arts concludes its 34th season with a new production of Meredith Willson's musical comedy 'The Music Man' to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the critically acclaimed Broadway classic. The production will run for 11 performances, April 21-May 7 at the 450-seat Norris Theatre.

L.A.'s live music venue, Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Feliz, continues its ongoing line-up show, An Evening of Classic Broadway, today, January 24th at 8PM.

L.A.'s live music venue, Rockwell Table and Stage in Los Feliz, continues its ongoing line-up show, An Evening of Classic Broadway, on Tuesday, January 24th at 8PM.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series presents the Rodgers & Hart's classic The Boys from Syracuse Sunday, November 13, 2016 at 7:00pm at its new home, the Beverly O'Neill Theater, located at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.  Tickets are now on Tickets are now on sale online at www.musical.org, by visiting the MTW West Ticket Office, or by calling (562) 856-1999, ext. 4.  Advance general admission tickets for each performance are $27 (or $32 on the day of the performance).  You can also purchase a subscription for the final two 2016 Reiner Staged Reading performances (She Loves Me will be performed Saturday, December 3, 7pm) for $50.  Seating is general admission, with season subscribers receiving early access to the theatre via a special subscriber door.

From Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the creators of Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, and The Secret Life of Pets, comes BUBBLE BOY: THE MUSICAL, a quirky, fun, family-friendly show about stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing the world with an open heart.

From Cinco Paul and Ken Daurio, the creators of Despicable Me, Despicable Me 2, and The Secret Life of Pets, comes BUBBLE BOY: THE MUSICAL, a quirky, fun, family-friendly show about stepping outside your comfort zone and embracing the world with an open heart.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT opened the first show of its 2016-2017 season, the Los Angeles premiere production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, book by Peter Parnell, musical direction by Dennis Castellano, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Glenn Casale.  THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME is running through Sunday, October 9, 2016 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.   BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the opening night celebration below!

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & McCOY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT presents the fifth and final show of its 2015-2016 season, THE LITTLE MERMAID, music by Alan Menkcn, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater, book by Doug Wright, musical direction by Colin R. Freeman, choreography by John MacInnis and directed by Glenn Casale.  THE LITTLE MERMAID will run through Sunday, June 26, 2016 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.   BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at the opening night curtain call and press celebration below!

The pre-Broadway engagement of EMPIRE opened at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, with book, music & lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, musical direction by Sariva Goetz, and directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Ragtime). EMPIRE runs through Sunday, February 14, 2016.

It's no surprise that a palpable, uproarious reception greeted the opening night performance of EMPIRE - THE MUSICAL, a brand new stage show featuring book, music, and lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull---currently having its 'out-of-town' premiere at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through February 14, 2016. Directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Marcia Milgrom Dodge (RAGTIME), this ambitious new original musical---advertised with declared aspirations for an eventual engagement on Broadway---fashions an early 20th Century era, multi-character narrative about the construction of one of the world's most iconic skyscrapers: the Empire State Building in New York City. The good news? It's exceedingly entertaining. The not-so-good news? It's a show with lots of potential but needs a lot more tinkering and refining.

EMPIRE THE MUSICAL has been knocking around in the wings ever since Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull began writing it in 1999. Its first fully-staged production took place at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood in 2003 and it has had periodic readings through the years in both Los Angeles and New York. Now the story of how the Empire State Building came to be is enjoying a lavish pre-Broadway run at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, produced in partnership with McCoy Rigby Entertainment, Sue Vaccaro, Ricky Stevens and The Rivet Gang. 

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT (2014 Ovation Award Nominee for Best Season!), in association with Sue Vaccaro, Ricky Stevens & The Rivet Gang announce the third show of their 2015-2016 season, the pre-Broadway engagement of EMPIRE, book, music & lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, musical direction by Sariva Goetz, and directed and choreographed by Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Ragtime).  EMPIRE will preview on Friday, January 22, 2016 (with a press opening on Saturday, January 23) and run through Sunday, February 14, 2016 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.  BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at curtain call and press night below!

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & MC Coy Rigby Entertainment presents their third show of their 2015-2016 season, the pre-Broadway engagement of EMPIRE, book, music & lyrics by Caroline Sherman and Robert Hull, musical direction by Sariva Goetz, and directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominated Marcia Milgrom Dodge (Ragtime). BroadwayWorld has a first look at the show, below!

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2015 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, or technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.