Michael Donovan News

Filled with colorful criminals, biting social satire and a brilliant score, The Threepenny Opera opens International City Theatre's 2009 Season at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Jules Aaron directs Michael Feingold's translation of the trailblazing musical by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill that became one of the most influential plays of the 20th Century. Darryl Archibald is musical director and Kay Cole choreographs the five-week run February 20 through March 22; low-priced previews begin February 17. First performed in 1928, Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera was a revolutionary musical theater masterpiece that mocked the bourgeois political movement of pre-Hitler Germany. Brecht's brittle, sardonic tale of beggars, thieves and prostitutes, adapted from the 1728 play The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, was a fierce social and political critique, and Weill's innovative score that fused American jazz with German cabaret captured the ironic tone of the lyrics. Part acid social criticism, part bittersweet romance, the now eighty-year old saga of 'Mack the Knife' and his entourage of criminals and whores has never lost its theatrical punch. 'It's a satire on capitalism and corruption told from the viewpoint of the 'little people',' notes Aaron. 'If there was ever time to revive this show, it's now. Michael [Feingold]'s translation is earthy, gritty and very funny. I think it's going to strike a chord with audiences.'

Rick Culbertson, in association with Lynn Marks, presents Divorice! The Musical at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.) The producers announced the full casting of this world premiere featuring music, lyrics and book by 2008 Frederick Loewe Award-winner Erin Kamler (Runway 69 at New Dramatists). Multi award-winning director Rick Sparks (They Shoot Horses, Don?t They?) will direct and musical stage this comedy about one couple?s hellish journey to un-tie the knot. Divorice! The Musical features musical direction and arrangements by Ovation Award-winner David O (Ubu Roi and Jason Robert Brown?s 13). Preview performances begin February 5, 2009 with the official press opening on February 14, 2009.

Upon the January 27th Finale of six, sold-out nights of competition among 18 contestants at Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA, the vivacious Theresa Anne Swain was named LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009. The annual talent search has become the most high profile stage competition in Los Angeles since its inception in 2006. Ms. Swain was awarded a $1000 cash prize, an equally lucrative, paid headlining engagement at Sterling's Upstairs. As the event's Gold Sponsor, the Sheraton Universal Hotel, located adjacent to Universal Studios, will provide the talented redhead with dinner for two at the hotel's noted 'California's Restaurant,' and an overnight stay in a beautifully appointed suite to coincide with her return to Sterling's on a date to be announced prior to May, 2009.

Filled with colorful criminals, biting social satire and a brilliant score, The Threepenny Opera opens International City Theatre's 2009 Season at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Jules Aaron directs Michael Feingold's translation of the trailblazing musical by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill that became one of the most influential plays of the 20th Century. Darryl Archibald is musical director and Kay Cole choreographs the five-week run February 20 through March 22; low-priced previews begin February 17. First performed in 1928, Brecht and Weill's The Threepenny Opera was a revolutionary musical theater masterpiece that mocked the bourgeois political movement of pre-Hitler Germany. Brecht's brittle, sardonic tale of beggars, thieves and prostitutes, adapted from the 1728 play The Beggar's Opera by John Gay, was a fierce social and political critique, and Weill's innovative score that fused American jazz with German cabaret captured the ironic tone of the lyrics. Part acid social criticism, part bittersweet romance, the now eighty-year old saga of 'Mack the Knife' and his entourage of criminals and whores has never lost its theatrical punch. 'It's a satire on capitalism and corruption told from the viewpoint of the 'little people',' notes Aaron. 'If there was ever time to revive this show, it's now. Michael [Feingold]'s translation is earthy, gritty and very funny. I think it's going to strike a chord with audiences.'

Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's, LA?s most critically acclaimed supper club dedicated to presenting the best of Broadway stars, Musical Theatre performers and Nightclub artists on a weekly basis, is seeking 18 amateur and/or professional 'legit' singers between 16 and 35 years of age to compete for the title of LA's Next Great Stage Star 2009.

The nominees of the 2008 Casting Society of America Artios Awards have been announced. The awards will be presented nationwide on November 11th, 2008. The New York area awards will take place at Caroline's on Broadway. PDF Print E-mail What is CSA? The Casting Society of America is the premier organization of theatrical Casting Directors in film, television, and theatre. Although it is not a union, its members are a united professional society that consistently set the level of professionalism in casting on which the entertainment industry has come to rely. It's more than 350 members are represented not only in the United States, but also in Canada, England, Australia and Italy.

Two people who meet by chance discover they were meant to be together in Terence McNally's bittersweet comedy, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Two people who meet by chance discover they were meant to be together in Terence McNally's bittersweet comedy, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune.

Critically acclaimed as LA's premier supper-club, Sterling's Upstairs located at the legendary Vitello's Restaurant in Studio City, CA, officially enters its third year of operation this month.

By George Productions presents the Los Angeles Premiere of the 1937 Broadway musical comedy hit, 'I'd Rather Be Right', opening at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre

Joseph Ruskin and Jacqueline Schultz star in Israel Horovitz's humorous and poignant pas-de-deux, Park Your Car in Harvard Yard, at International City Theatre. Hope Alexander directs the four-week run at ICT's home in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, May 2 through May 25. Low-priced previews begin April 29.

This February, International City Theatre is transformed into Berlin's infamous Kit Kat Club, where anything goes and fantasies come to life. Jules Aaron directs the classic musical, Cabaret, February 8 through March 9, opening ICT's 2008 season at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center. Low-priced previews begin February 5.

BroadwayWorld's own James Sims was on hand for L.A.'s Next Great Stage Star II final night of competition, speaking with the panel of industry judges and following each of the top five performers as they prepared to sing one last time...

Sterling's Upstairs at Vitello's in Studio City, CA - which presented its first talent search entitled LA's Next Great Stage Star November 20 through December 12, 2006 - is pleased to announce that after over a hundred submissions and auditions to become one of 17 contestants in what will become an annual talent competition, Merissa Haddad was voted LA's Next Great Stage Star

The Pasadena Playhouse has announced that Sister Act the Musical's tickets sales have set a theatre record, surpassing their last record set by August Wilson's Fences, which starred Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett...

The Pasadena Playhouse presents the world premiere of Sister Act the Musical, by a Tony, Emmy and Academy Award-winning team...

'American Idol' star LaToya London is featured in the retro musical Beehive, which began at the El Portal Theatre in Los Angeles from on September 24th and plays through October 8th

Banned Plays, presented in Hollywood from January 27th through March 4th, will feature scenes from ten plays that have been banned for obscenity

The casting directors of Spamalot, The Pillowman and Doubt received Artios Awards on November 1st, while director Joe Mantello walked away with a special Apple Award