Michael Alexander News

CaltechLive! presents the film adaptation of Herbert Siguenza's solo show A Weekend with Pablo Picasso for on-demand viewing beginning March 6 through March 21. Written and performed by Siguenza, the one-man show on which this film is based has played to sold-out crowds across the nation. It was produced by San Diego Repertory Theatre.

Follow your curiosity with Science Journeys, a new on-demand video lecture series produced by Caltech's Public Programming department. In each Science Journey, a current graduate student discusses their personal path to Caltech, presents the key scientific concepts that underlie their research, and puts their work in the context of global issues.

Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Perla Batalla returns to CaltechLive! Sunday, October 18, at 3:30 p.m. as part of the 2020a?"2021 CaltechLive! Performance series. Michael Alexander, Batalla's longtime colleague and director of public programming at Caltech, hosts the informal conversation.

On Wednesday, October 7, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time, Caltech Professor of Political and Computational Science, R. Michael Alvarez, will launch the 2020-2021 Watson Lectures season by asking, 'Can America Have a Safe and Secure Presidential Election?'

Giraffes strut, birds swoop, gazelles leap - the entire Serengeti comes to life on stage each night in The Lion King. The Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of Disney's much-loved film transports audiences to a dazzling world of glorious colors, stunning effects and enchanting music to tell the story of Simba and his epic journey from wide-eyed cub to his destined role as King of the Pridelands.

Gartner Platz Theater audiences will be 'living in a material world' as Priscilla - Queen of the Desert has its season premiere July 15.

Dear Readers, it has been one crazy year with some amazing theater. You know it's true. We've had dead teens riding a roller coaster, demonic puppets, and an ageless guy with a picture of himself in his attic. And, of course, a hip-hop founding father sweeping through town. But let's not talk about the juggernaut when we have such amazing things right here that blew us all away. At least they blew me away. So, let's talk about what blew me away this past year and what I have chosen to give my BWW 2018 Seattle Critic's Choice Awards (Jay's Picks) to (not to mention all those honorable mentions since often I can't limit myself to just one).

Dear Readers, we're about to enter the realm of my favorite show of all time, that of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken's musical masterpiece "Little Shop of Horrors". I tell you this in advance so you'll understand the gravitas of my critique of anyone attempting this particular show and I've seen many. I've seen touring productions, local productions both large and small, and even one production set in an actual skid row. I even managed to see a certain Encores production with a certain movie star and the original Audrey (sigh). And now comes Reboot Theatre Company with their affinity for non-traditional casting/staging/etc. Add into that the fact that they're performing this at the Slate theater where the stage is about the size of the full-grown plant and this could be a recipe for disaster. And while I may have had a technical qualm or two, what I also saw was a company that understands the show and a production that has more heart in one tentacle than some productions have in their whole plant.

Last night at the Minskoff Theatre, The Lion King celebrated a huge milestone- 20 years on Broadway. Creative team members Julie Taymor, Tim Rice, Garth Fagan, Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Roger Allers, and Irene Mecchi joined hundreds of alumni and others for a special performance of the show, culminating in a surprise performance by The Lion King's Tony-nominated composer Elton John.

WAM Theatre's fall Mainstage production of The Last Wife by Kate Hennig opened this past weekend to full houses and standing ovations at Shakespeare & Company's Elayne P. Bernstein Theatre. The run continues weekends through November 5 with an exciting series of post-show conversations planned. Here's a peek at what the press are saying:

Long known for its inclusive and cultural events, Grand Performances announces a vibrant slate of showcases that will ignite the bustling downtown LA area this summer with free entertainment. From World Music to Opera to an entire Family Series and Latin Grammy Award Winners, Grand Performances is giving Angelenos a reason to skip the weekend getaways and enjoy a roster filled with music, theatre, spoken word and film.

Readers can enter the giveaway at https://www.evyjourney.com/hello-agnieszka-giveaway-amazon-gift-card/ or https://m.facebook.com/A-Thoughtful-Womans-Romance-Novels-382436745126631/ In Hello Agnieszka, young Agnieszka is immersed in the values and rituals of a Polish culture different from mainstream American culture. In Hello My Love, Agnieszka's daughter Elise confronts and reconciles the often conflicting worlds of a consuming self-oriented career and the other-oriented demands of a relationship and a family. The two worlds is most obvious in Book 3, Welcome Reluctant Stranger in which the heroine, Leilani, crosses lands and two quite different cultures. Praise for Welcome, Hello, My Love (ISBN: 978-0996247412, published: December 2013): 'The unexpected surprises and emotional encounters of this novel keep the reader enthralled until the very last page... - an excellent read for one who doubts the power of love at first sight.' -GoodbooksToday.com 'It's a tale as old as time, but some of (the lovers') particular trials are pretty unusual and make for an entertaining read.' -San Francisco Book Review '.... unlike anything I expected...three-dimensional characters....struggles are very real....I enjoyed the writing style. It was new, different and refreshing to have a literary spin on the romance genre.' -Bookaholic Ramblings '....the book could've been ripped straight out of everyday life. It tells a love story the way it might have really happened, not overly flowerish or overly feel-good like you may expect from romance novels. I actually liked that the most about this book.' -Cassidy Crimson's Blog Praise for Welcome, Hello, Agnieszka! ISBN: 978-0996247429, published in 2014): '...a beautiful narrative ...an intricate, heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about family and love.' -GoodbooksToday Reviews '...character descriptions written to perfection with a unique POV that places you deep in her thoughts and feelings.' -5 Stars, Michael Alexander Beas for Readers' Favorite '...interesting, enlightening and, in some respects, heartbreaking. ... All families struggle with issues, this one more than most.' -4 Stars, Kathryn Bennett for Readers' Favorite Praise for Welcome, Reluctant Stranger (ISBN: 978-0996247436, published in 2015): 'Welcome, Reluctant Stranger spans across many genres, though it does so impressively, without losing the sense of the plot and characters. A brilliant love story, also so much else ... Expertly crafted with intricately woven layers ... ' 5 stars GoodbooksToday.com Reviews' 'A touching story about a woman who must confront her family's past. The carefully constructed story helps the reader connect to the characters on many different levels. Welcome, Reluctant Stranger is an engaging novel with layers of love, intrigue, twists and turns, and family secrets.' -5 stars - Self-Publishing Review ' ... a captivating story ... crisply written and plot driven. Journey knows how to create characters readers will love and a plot that makes them turn pages with anticipation.' -5 stars Reader's Favorite All three books are available in both print and ebook formats. About The Author: Evy Journey is a flâneuse (a female observer-wanderer) who writes about, and illustrates (oils, pastels, digital) what she sees that intrigues her. In a past life, with a now-dormant Ph.D., (University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana), and the primacy of her left brain, she researched, evaluated and developed mental health programs. But writing was her first love. Contact Information: Evy Journey Email: eholychair@gmail.com Website: http://www.evyjourney.com Twitter: http://twitter.com/eholychair Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Thoughtful-Woman

Grand Performances announces its 28th annual season with a line-up full of fan favorites, new musical obsessions, and events at the gorgeous California Plaza under the spectacular Downtown Los Angeles skyline. Starting Friday, June 13, 2014 and running through Saturday, September 13, 2014, the Grand Performances 2014 Summer Concert Series brings artists and audiences together for an array of music, dance, film, and spoken word featuring performers from around the globe and the streets of Los Angeles. Every show is free; no advanced reservations are required. Grand Performances at California Plaza is located at 350 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90071 (213-687-2159). For a complete overview of Grand Performances' upcoming season, hailed as the "best free outdoor summer concert series" by Los Angeles Magazine, please see the schedule here http://www.grandperformances.org/calendar/2014-season-overview.

First-time author Michael Alexander Beas debuts with a brand new fantasy fiction, titled 'Strump: A World of Shadows'. While 'The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug' is ruling the box office, Beas is taking humble steps in creating the next breathtaking saga that could take fantasy fiction lovers by storm and carve for himself a place among legendary authors like J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling.

Stars and casts from the current Broadway line-up have been busy in the studio, recording for the 2013 Broadway's Carols for a Cure, Volume 15. Singing traditional and original holiday songs, this annual holiday music CD benefits Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS (BC/EFA), one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. Below, BroadwayWorld brings you exclusive photos from The Lion King's recording session for 'The First Noel' with castmembers Derrick Davis, Michael Alexander Henry, Lawrence Alexander, Jaysin McCollum, Christopher Freeman, Gabriel Croom, Alan Wiggins, Mduduzi Madela and Jason Michael Webb.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, has extended the run of CHESS, now through June 23rd, 2013. All performances are staged at the David Henry Hwang Theater at the Union Center for the Arts at 120 Judge John Aiso St., Los Angeles, CA 90012. Performances are Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at2pm.

East West Players (EWP), the nation's largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work and the longest-running professional theatre of color in the country, concludes its 47th Anniversary Season, themed Spirited Away, with the musical CHESS, book by Richard Nelson, lyrics by Sir Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Aida), and composed by Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (ABBA, Mamma Mia!). CHESS will be directed by Tim Dang, musical direction by Marc Macalintal and choreographed by Marc Oka.

The 2007 Los Angeles Stage Alliance Ovation Awards ceremony was held November 12 at downtown's The Orpheum Theatre. The nights big winners included Sleeping Beauty Wakes (World Premiere Musical), Film Chinois (World Premiere Play) and Jersey Boys (Touring Production)...