Kimberly Hessler News

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment announce their first-ever World Premiere musical and the fourth show of their 2014-2015 season, the runaway hit of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Musical, with music, lyrics and book by Lindsay Warren Baker & Amanda Jacobs, based on the novel 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen, with music direction by Timothy Splain, choreography by Jeffry Denman, and directed by Igor Goldin. JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Musical will preview on Friday, April 17, 2015 (with a press opening on Saturday, April 18) and run through Sunday, May 10, 2015 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.

Kritzerland At Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal followed its successful formula of monthly themed cabarets with The Birthday Boys: The Songs of Stephen Sondheim & Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents 'THE BIRTHDAY BOYS: THE SONGS OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM & ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER' on Sunday, March 8, 2015 at 7:00 PM.

On February 2, the 54th version of Kritzerland At Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal delighted its packed house with songs (some memorable, some lesser known) of American Songbook composer Jerome Kern. Hosted, as always, by the personable and very knowledgeable Bruce Kimmel; each song had elaborate intros of fun facts with recognizable celebs in sometimes unusual contexts. Kimmel's a gem of an emcee!

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE - THE SONGS OF JEROME KER on MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2015 - 8:00 PM.

On Sunday September 7, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, due to an advance sell-out crowd for the 7 pm show, an additional matinee show was performed for the Fourth Anniversary of Kritzerland. Needless to say, both matinee and evening performances were sold out, making the monthly Kritzerland tributes the most popular shows at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. The anniversary party was entitled They're Playing Our Song: The Songs That Got Away III and along with special guests Kerry O'Malley and Bruce Vilanch, the big cast also included Robert Yacko, Evan Harris, Madison Claire Parks, Sami Staitman, Jenna Lea Rosen, and also little Hadley Miller, and in chorus numbers of What If?: Kimberly Hessler, Travis Leland, Bruce Merkle, and Adrienne Visnic, all under the baton of super musical director John Boswell. This marked the 49th Kritzerland show since its inception at the Gardenia in 2010, and its host Bruce Kimmel, founder of Kritzerland Records, was in rare form, doling out trivia-worthy anecdotes about every number presented, as well as singing a song himself, due to the absence of Guy Haines.

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents its fourth anniversary show -- THE SONGS THAT GOT AWAY III -- on Sunday, September 7, 2014 at 2 p.m. AND 7 p.m. Doors open at 1 p.m. before the JUST ADDED matinee for brunch/lunch.

Les Miserables/music by Claude-Michel Schonberg; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer/original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel/directed by Brian Kite/La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts/through June 22

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth and final production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with the Los Angeles regional theatre premiere of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Tony award-winning, LES MISERABLES. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth and final production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with the Los Angeles regional theatre premiere of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Tony award-winning, LES MISERABLES, music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, lyrics byHerbert Kretzmer, with musical direction byJohn Glaudini, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Brian Kite. Check out a first look at the production below!

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment presented the fifth and final production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with the Los Angeles regional theatre premiere of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Tony award-winning, LES MISERABLES. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the fifth and final production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with the Los Angeles regional theatre premiere of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Tony award-winning, LES MISERABLES, music by Claude-Michel Schonberg, book by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, with musical direction by John Glaudini, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Brian Kite.

Jennifer Kranz, a senior at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles majoring in Theatre and minoring in Musical Theatre, emerged victorious Sunday, February 16th as LA's Next Great Stage Star® 2014 produced and presented by Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal, the most critically acclaimed concert supper club in the greater Los Angeles area.

Jennifer Kranz, a senior at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles majoring in Theatre and minoring in Musical Theatre, emerged victorious Sunday, February 16th as LA's Next Great Stage Star® 2014 produced and presented by Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal, the most critically acclaimed concert supper club in the greater Los Angeles area.

And the winner of the 8th annual LA'S NEXT GREAT STAGE STAR talent competition is Jennifer Kranz, a senior at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles majoring in Theatre and minoring in Musical Theatre. On Sunday, Feb 16th, Ms. Kranz and 19 other talented young professionals sang their hearts out for the coveted prize. As winner, Ms. Kranz awarded a cash prize of $1000; an upcoming paid headlining concert engagement at Sterling's Upstairs; a vocal demo recording session from Tom Griep's Audition Trax; a photo session with Isaac James Creative; and is already in the process of scheduling meetings to be signed and represented by one of the lucrative competition's Equity Agent/Judges as the first step toward a professional career in musical theatre, television and film. Scroll down for photos from the competition!

On Sunday, February 16 LA's Next Great Stage Star 2014 came to an exciting conclusion at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. After an amazing two-hour program in which the 20 contestants gave 150% to their uptempo songs from Broadway shows, fourteen contestants were eliminated and the top six* finalists selected. After a brief intermission, each of the six then proceeded to perform a second number after which the distinguished panel of 18 judges made the final decision. Musical director par excellence James Lent accompanied at the piano throughout the three hour show.

Talk about quirkiness and how it can be used to its best advantage in a musical! The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is terribly funny in a smart, slick, offbeat manner with prize worthy characterizations of lively eclectic people.It may be a tad long like the actual spelling out of words (that are not to be believed!)yet the exaggeration and contestants' varied reactions give rise to some great comic moments...and I love the audience involvement! Some of the contestants are picked from the audience and their ad-libs lend one.of.a.kind hilarity. The unpredictability in denouement is another big plus in the overall enjoyment of the show. It's like a real contest.

Contestants in LA's Next Great Stage Star competition had an exciting second week on Sunday, January 12th. The theme for this round was Breaking New Ground - A Little New Music, and featured songs from some of today's most up and coming musical theatre writers.

The 2014 season continues this weekend after its launch last Sunday, January 5th, in North Hollywood, CA. at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal.

Kelrik Productions will present THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE playing February 14 - March 1 at the Monroe Forum Theatre, bringing children's programming to the historic El Portal Theatre, 5269 Lankershim Blvd. in the heart of the NoHo Arts District.