Mary Jo Catlett News

When the night is dark and stormy, or the mist is rising on the moors under a full moon; when there are macabre stirrings in the tomb, or the unearthly howling of laughter from audience members - it must be the season for THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, Charles Ludlam's ribald sendup of gothic romance and horror that begins preview next Wednesday, October 12, opens October 15, and continues through November 6 at RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY.

When the night is dark and stormy, or the mist is rising on the moors under a full moon; when there are macabre stirrings in the tomb, or the unearthly howling of laughter from audience members - it must be the season for THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP, Charles Ludlam's ribald sendup of gothic romance and horror that begins preview next Wednesday, October 12, opens October 15, and continues through November 6 at RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY.

The new musical, JOLSON AT THE WINTER GARDEN starring Broadway veteran, MIKE BURSTYN as AL JOLSON, made it's Los Angeles debut to a prolonged standing ovation on Thursday evening, September 8, 2011 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, CA.

The new musical, JOLSON AT THE WINTER GARDEN starring Broadway veteran, MIKE BURSTYN as AL JOLSON, made it's Los Angeles debut to a prolonged standing ovation on Thursday evening, September 8, 2011 at the historic El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, CA.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. THE WEDDING SINGER previews July 8 and runs July 9 through July 24, 2011.

Buoyed by a charmingly droll book penned by Chad Beguelin and the film's original screenwriter Tim Herlihy, THE WEDDING SINGER--playing through July 24 at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach--isn't just a celebratory collection of 80's era sight gags, though it's chockfull of them. Rather, the musical is also quite an enjoyable, silly romp that's spiked with the kind of witty snarkiness and unexpected sweetness that fits snuggly alongside today's funniest sitcoms and rom-com movies. The fact that this wacky musical comedy is punctuated by some awesome singing and dancing is just pure, sugar-laced icing on a multi-tiered wedding cake. It's got plenty of laughs, and it easily earns every single one of them.

Musical Theatre West closes its 58th season with the final five performances of the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. THE WEDDING SINGER previewed July 8 and runs through July 24, 2011.

Fans of the 1998 film The Wedding Singer, which proved an unqualified hit for its stars Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore, will relish seeing the quirky story revisited on the big stage of the Carpenter Center in Long Beach. In 2006 The Wedding Singer was turned into a Broadway musical with the identical Ridgefield, New Jersey characters, but with some alterations in plotline. What counts most is the upbeat 80s humor, which the stage version retains in spades, as well as unlimited heart. MTW (Musical Theatre West)'s regional premiere does the show proud under Larry Raben's dynamite direction and sporting a rollicking cast.

Musical Theatre West presents the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. THE WEDDING SINGER runs through July 24, 2011.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce the cast for the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER directed by Larry Raben at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. THE WEDDING SINGER runs July 9 through July 24, 2011, with a low priced preview on July 8.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce the cast for the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER directed by Larry Raben at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.

Musical Theatre West is proud to announce the professional regional premiere of THE WEDDING SINGER at the beautiful 1,070-seat Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. THE WEDDING SINGER previews July 8 and runs July 9 through July 24, 2011.

ORIGINAL CAST 2, the 27th Annual musical presentation of the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.), took place for one night only on Saturday, April 2 at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex of California State University, raising money for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).

ORIGINAL CAST 2, the 27th Annual musical presentation of the Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.), took place for one night only on Saturday, April 2 at the Luckman Fine Arts Complex of California State University, raising money for AIDS Project Los Angeles (APLA).

The 27th Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event-S.T.A.G.E.-will be dedicated to the memory of musical-comedy star and long-time Event Co-Chair Betty Garrett who died Saturday at the age of 91. ORIGINAL CAST 2, a musical celebration showcasing artists from theatre, television and cabaret performing songs they originated in musical productions, will take place for one-night-only on Saturday, April 2. Garrett, who appeared in 22 previous S.T.A.G.E events, was preparing to perform a number in this year's show from 'Something for the Boys,' in which she appeared on Broadway in 1943 with Ethel Merman. A musical retrospective honoring Garrett is now being planned as part of this year's show.

Casting has been announced for The Laguna Playhouse's production of Noël Coward's celebrated comedy, Private Lives that runs March 15 - April 10, 2011. Directed by Andrew Barnicle, the cast for Private Lives features Julie Granata as Amanda, Joseph Fuqua as Elyot, Winslow Corbett as Sybil, and Matthew Floyd Miller as Victor.

Casting has been announced for The Laguna Playhouse's production of Noël Coward's celebrated comedy, Private Lives that runs March 15 - April 10, 2011. Directed by Andrew Barnicle, the cast for Private Lives features Julie Granata as Amanda, Joseph Fuqua as Elyot, Winslow Corbett as Sybil, and Matthew Floyd Miller as Victor.

The 27th Annual Southland Theatre Artists Goodwill Event-S.T.A.G.E.-has added Tony winner Tyne Daly to the lineup for this year's show entitled ORIGINAL CAST 2.

The Great White Way seems to be buzzing lately with rumors about potential recreations of iconic characters that include that of Streisand mounting Merman's GYPSY, LuPone channeling Channing's DOLLY, and the as yet to be announced contender for Lansbury's MAME. While other's are talking the talk about these legendary characters, Rita McKenzie is walking the walk as her highly promoted 'Pre-Broadway Engagement' of ETHEL MERMAN's BROADWAY opened this weekend in Los Angeles at the historic El Portal Theatre.

On January 16, 1964 theatergoers at the St. James Theatre first experienced what was to become perhaps the most memorable scene in musical comedy, when the curtains part atop the stairs of the Harmonia Gardens Restaurant and Dolly Levi appears in her red Freddy Wittop gown to begin her descent to 'rejoin the human race.' Forty-seven years (not to mention over 5,000 performances) later and 3,000 miles away, patrons of the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles were able to revisit a little bit of theatrical history as Jerry Herman's first Dolly, Ms. Carol Channing, again entered through parting red curtains and took the stage wearing her original 1964 gown in celebration of her 90th birthday.