Kay Cole News

How can Kritzerland make a Christmas show unusual and different? Well, you can either be exceedingly solemn and point the show in the 'Silent Night' direction, or pull out all the stops and run with the comedy. Kritzerland shows have one thing in common: they are never a drag. Bruce Kimmel sees to that whether Guy Haines is a guest or not. Solemn music? No, not in Kritzerland's nature! Fun, yes, always, as Kimmel's personality and anecdotes are full of the demon and amusingly interesting trivia about Broadway show tunes and Hollywood movie music. On Sunday December 2, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Kimmel and his fine singers: Dan Callaway, Damon Kirsche, Emma Degerstedt, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy, and Jenna Rosen with very special guest star Bill Hayes, a 40 year veteran of Days of Our Lives, were on hand to present and celebrate Broadway, film and rock/pop holiday cheer. Lloyd Cooper served as musical director/accompanist extraordinaire throughout the 90-minute set that made up Kritzerland Records' Christmas with a Little Bit of Hannukah and a Lot of Cheer.

The combination of music (mostly Broadway and Great American Songbook fare) and California gourmet cuisine at this North Hollywood, NoHo Arts District hot spot, registers cool chic as Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal which - by its very mission - engages thoughtful sensibilities and the good taste of its namesake and producer Michael Sterling. In other words, Sterling's offering of a west coast supper club with an east coast mentality translates to New York style cabaret planted smack dab in the middle of movie town, USA. And to seal the deal, talent like Lainie Kazan, Tony Award winners Faith Prince and Daisy Eagan; Tony nominee Euan Morton; Broadway's Kim Huber, Beth Malone, Jason Graae, Melody Hollis, Kay Cole, Ilene Graff, Cortes Alexander, Nikka Graff Lanzarone, Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland Records monthly salutes, and a host of other musical theatre A-listers from one side of the county to the have appeared on the stage at Sterling's. But they're not the only performers who illuminate Sterling's Upstairs (formerly housed at Vitello's Restaurant in Studio City, CA) now in its 6th year of operation, and 6th month at The Federal.

Simply to recite a list of the recently deceased Marvin Hamlisch's awards--three Oscars in 1973 for The Way We Were and The Sting; a Tony and Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line; three Emmys, two Golden Globes, four ASCAP awards, and a Grammy is enough the inspire awe. But as host Bruce Kimmel reminds us during the fabulous 26th Kritzerland Show at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in NoHo on October 7, he had his share of flops too like The Goodbye Girl, or Jean Seberg. But even a flop show can have some beautiful songs in it, and Kimmel includes a number of these among the twenty selections offered.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents 'The Songs of Marvin Hamlisch, A Tribute to the Man and His Music' tonight, October 7, 2012, at 7:00 pm.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents 'The Songs of Marvin Hamlisch, A Tribute to the Man and His Music' on Sunday, October 7, 2012, at 7:00 pm.

Directors Lab West Steering Committee previously announced the dates for the 13th annual Directors Lab West. The 2012 Lab takes place May 19-26 in residence at Pasadena Playhouse. The Lab continues its tradition of bringing together dedicated theatre directors, choreographers and master artists for a week of intense discussions and exploration of the art form.

Just as the 2012 presidential race heats up,International City Theatre (ICT) presents the West Coast premiere of a hard-boiled, darkly comic, Olivier Award-nominated rock musical about the American political machine. With book and lyrics by John Dempsey and music by Dana P. Rowe, The Fix begins a four-week run on April 27 at International City Theatre in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Randy Brenner is at the helm, with musical direction by Darryl Archibald, choreography by Heather Castillo, and Sal Mistretta reprising his Helen Hayes Award-winning role as Uncle Grahame. Low-priced previews take place on April 24, 25 and 26.

HUNGER: IN BED WITH ROY COHN is a world premiere fantasy play by Joan Beber about Roy Cohn, the attorney whose hunger for power and prominence ultimately destroyed him.

Several seasons ago, Children's Theatre Group of Southern California presented "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," the first of the two musicals derived from the popular comic strip "Peanuts." Now, we're presenting the follow-up, "Snoopy." Charlie Brown's dog, Snoopy, is featured more prominently here. In addition to Charlie Brown and Snoopy, you'll see characters Linus, Lucy, Sally, Peppermint Patty and Woodstock.

Playwright Joan Beber's concept of Roy Cohn in her intriguingly nightmarish Hunger: In Bed with Roy Cohn, now onstage at the Odyssey Theatre, comes off a self-indulgent, spoiled, gluttonous, untrusting child monster, which certainly does not add up to a positive view of his humanity. In Angels in America, as I was too young to know the real Cohn in the McCarthy era, I saw Al Pacino's hard-edged, evil-to-the-core interpretation of the man. Barry Pearl's in Hunger, yes is more childlike, whimpering, whining, but if Beber truly wants us to witness a good side to bad, she has not succeeded. I despise the lying, bigoted, hateful man just as much as I did before, reality or fantasy. On the positive side, director Jules Aaron has ingeniously staged the over-the-top entertainment with a marvelous cast. Hunger will run through March 11.

HUNGER: IN BED WITH ROY COHN is a world premiere fantasy play by Joan Beber about Roy Cohn, the attorney whose hunger for power and prominence ultimately destroyed him.

Directors Lab West Steering Committee has announced the dates for the 13th annual Directors Lab West.

Several seasons ago, Children's Theatre Group of Southern California presented "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown," the first of the two musicals derived from the popular comic strip "Peanuts." Now, we're presenting the follow-up, "Snoopy." Charlie Brown's dog, Snoopy, is featured more prominently here. In addition to Charlie Brown and Snoopy, you'll see characters Linus, Lucy, Sally, Peppermint Patty and Woodstock.

HUNGER: IN BED WITH ROY COHN is a world premiere fantasy play by Joan Beber about Roy Cohn, the attorney whose hunger for power and prominence ultimately destroyed him.

Every season from 2002 - 2004, a unique collaboration between Celebration Theatre and Playwrights 6 resulted in 'Christmastime is Queer,' a highly successful and critically acclaimed series of holiday-themed one-acts built around two criteria: each play had to have a holiday theme and GLBT content.

Boomermania Productions is thrilled to announce that the West Coast Premiere of its smash-hit, brand new musical, BOOMERMANIA - The Musical about the Baby Boomers!, written and directed by Debbie Kasper & Pat Sierchio, with choreography by Edward Carignan, musical direction by Mary Ekler and produced by Michael Anthony Gremo just keeps on "BOOM-ING" and is EXTENDING again and will now play through Sunday, July 24 at the El Portal Forum Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

Boomermania Productions is thrilled to announce that the West Coast Premiere of its smash-hit, brand new musical, BOOMERMANIA - The Musical about the Baby Boomers!, written and directed by Debbie Kasper & Pat Sierchio, with choreography by Edward Carignan, musical direction by Mary Ekler and produced by Michael Anthony Gremo is 'boomin' & movin' ' - just down the block - to the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd. in North Hollywood!

The Off-Broadway comedy Desperate Writers will play its final performance at the Union Square Theatre (100 East 17th Street at Park Avenue South) on Saturday, June 25 at 8pm.

Boomermania Productions is thrilled to announce that the West Coast Premiere of its smash-hit, brand new musical, BOOMERMANIA - The Musical about the Baby Boomers!, written and directed by Debbie Kasper & Pat Sierchio, with choreography by Edward Carignan, musical direction by Mary Ekler and produced by Michael Anthony Gremo just keeps on "BOOM-ING" and is EXTENDING again and will now play through Sunday, July 24 at the El Portal Forum Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in North Hollywood.

The official opening for Desperate Writers was Monday, June 6. For tickets, please visit www.Ticketmaster.com, or call (800) 982-2787 or visit the Union Square Theater box office at 110 East 17th Street, at Park Avenue South, off Union Square. Check out the latest installment of Jim Stanek's backstage videos below!