Michael Lopez News

The Best in LA Theatre for 2013

Singer Henry Prego wanted to produce a staged Christmas show that is reminiscent of the nostalgic 60s TV specials at the Hollywood Palace with himself as host singing Frank Sinatra holiday favorites and introducing some talented guest star acts. Well, that he has achieved with A Sinatra Christmas currently onstage at Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin through December 29 only. It's an overall fun entertainment replete with dancers and kids - what's Christmas without kids! It may be missing a beat or two here and there, but fun just the same.

Miami Dade College (MDC), home of the CINTAS Fellows Collection, and the CINTAS Foundation have announced this year's visual arts finalists for the annual CINTAS Foundation Fellowship competition. The competition awards a $10,000 fellowship for each winner in three categories: visual arts, music and creative writing.

Now onstage at Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin, Fiddler is a beautiful reminder of the true meaning of family and making one's way through life's shaky journey. This production, directed by Michael Lopez, is lovingly conceived from top to bottom.

What better place for an assortment of controversial characters to gossip and frolic than at a dinner party? The participants are famous within their own local realm as community politicians and their narrow-minded friends. It's a small town in New York state and mayor Charlie and his wife Myra are throwing a 10th wedding anniversary party. But we never see Charlie or Myra. At the very top, their friends Ken and Chris (Dan Acor and Tiffany Berg), the first arrivals, discover that some mischief's been going on : Charlie has been shot, with Myra nowhere to be found. What follows are the arrivals of three more couples and the police, and in between? A frenzied jumbo of crazy freak occurrences and spoken innuendos that liven up the party more than food or music ever could. It's a series of one fabrication after another. The only truth in Neil Simon's Rumors is its sheer sense of fun. It takes a super-skilled cast to pull it off. The play's a farce, so it's all in the timing. Without perfect timing, it dies. Michael Lopez has directed his 10 actors with the utmost nurturing and care, and the result is a nonstop absurd treat, richer than the 1000 Chocolate Chip dessert cake, at Encore Dinner Theatre in Tustin, now onstage through June 30 only. This is the first play they have produced in a while, as the offerings have consisted of mainly singers, a magician and other night club acts. Well, let me tell you, Rumors is a great dinner theatre choice, and this production should put the theatre once again on the SoCal map.

New York Shakespeare Exchange (Ross Williams, Artistic Director) is thrilled the announce the 12 sonnets that will launch the year-long interactive SONNET PROJECT on May 20, with an invitation only launch event happening from 7 - 9 PM at The Museum of the Moving Image (36-01 35 Avenue in Astoria). For more information, visit www.ShakespeareExchange.org.

Meg Chamberlain and Brent Ries tackle Durrenmatt's tragicomedy at Thurber Theatre

I have to say that I did not expect to like this show as much as I did, but it was simply a delight to watch about a topic that I never thought I would ever see on this award-winning stage!

The 5th Avenue Theatre brings the wide open plains to Seattle with a reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is bringing the wide open plains to Seattle this February with a reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!

The 5th Avenue Theatre is bringing the wide open plains to Seattle this February with a reimagining of Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!

Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon (CGTO), the only professional Greek Theatre Festival in the United States, presents OEDIPUS, THE KING in Season 1 of 'It's All Greek To Me' September Festival celebrating the influence of Greek themes in the Arts -- running September 10-26, 2010.

Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon (CGTO), the only professional Greek Theatre Festival in the United States, presents OEDIPUS, THE KING in Season 1 of 'It's All Greek To Me' September Festival celebrating the influence of Greek themes in the Arts -- running September 10-26, 2010.

Classic Greek Theatre of Oregon (CGTO), the only professional Greek Theatre Festival in the United States, presents OEDIPUS, THE KING in Season 1 of 'It's All Greek To Me' September Festival celebrating the influence of Greek themes in the Arts -- running September 10-26, 2010.

Urban Culture Project presents COMMUNITY & LONELINESS Paragraph / 23 East 12th Street KCMO 64105

Urban Culture Project presents COMMUNITY & LONELINESS Paragraph / 23 East 12th Street KCMO 64105

Urban Culture Project presents COMMUNITY & LONELINESS Paragraph / 23 East 12th Street KCMO 64105

Making Porn, a comedy by Ronnie Larsen, chronicles the life of Jack Hawk, a straight, out-of-work actor hired by a gay porn producer to star in his upcoming movie. Joining Jack in the filming are a jaded porn star and an industry newcomer. Complications arise when Jack's wife finds out about her husband's new career. The original production ran Off-Broadway for over 500 performances and has toured throughout the United States.

Making Porn, a comedy by Ronnie Larsen, chronicles the life of Jack Hawk, a straight, out-of-work actor hired by a gay porn producer to star in his upcoming movie. Joining Jack in the filming are a jaded porn star and an industry newcomer. Complications arise when Jack's wife finds out about her husband's new career. The original production ran Off-Broadway for over 500 performances and has toured throughout the United States.

Making Porn, a comedy by Ronnie Larsen, chronicles the life of Jack Hawk, a straight, out-of-work actor hired by a gay porn producer to star in his upcoming movie. Joining Jack in the filming are a jaded porn star and an industry newcomer. Complications arise when Jack's wife finds out about her husband's new career. The original production ran Off-Broadway for over 500 performances and has toured throughout the United States.