Norman Large News

1993's rarely produced Sunset Boulevard is a somewhat flawed musical play that satisfies best with the casting of an actress of great star quality as Norma Desmond, one whose face could have convincingly lit up a silent film screen. Moonlight Amphitheatre has its star in Valerie Perri, and under Larry Raben's resourcefully skilled staging, Sunset Boulevard is a hit.

Moonlight Stage Productions presents the San Diego Regional Premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's 'Sunset Boulevard' from August 16 through September 2, 2017. Performances are at the Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Drive, Vista (northern San Diego County).

Moonlight Stage Productions continues its 37th season with the San Diego Regional Premiere of Andrew Lloyd Webber's masterful homage to the golden age of Hollywood, Sunset Boulevard, Aug. 16 - Sept. 2, at the Moonlight Amphitheatre. Capturing Tony Awards for Best Musical, Best Original Score, and Best Book of a Musical, the show is based on Billy Wilder's classic 1950 film noir which featured such highly quoted lines as "I am big. It's the pictures that got small" and "I'm ready for my close up." Tickets range from $23 to $55 for all reserved seating and $17 to $22 for general admission lawn seating. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 760-724-2110 or visit moonlightstage.com.

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature LE CAGE AUX FOLLES in Singapore, LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS in Birmingham, IN THE HEIGHTS in Connecticut and More!

Pioneer Theatre Company's production of the rarely revived THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES is full of glitz; glamor; and simple, homespun fun.

Pioneer Theatre Company presents The Will Rogers Follies: A Life in Revue, running May 5 - 20, 2017. The musical was the toast of Broadway when it premiered in 1991, winning the 1991 Tony Award for best musical.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series (RRS) presents the romantic romp She Loves Me, Today, December 3, at 7:00pm at its new home, the Beverly O'Neill Theater, located at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

Musical Theatre West's (MTW) Reiner Staged Reading Series (RRS) presents the romantic romp She Loves Me, Saturday, December 3, at 7:00pm at its new home, the Beverly O'Neill Theater, located at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center.

What a remarkable age this is! The five-time Tony Award-winning 'TitanicThe Musical' sets sail for the Moonlight Amphitheatre from Aug. 17, 2016 to Sept. 3, 2016 at 8 p.m. The production made port on the Broadway stage in March 1997 and won five Tony Awards that same year, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score, Best Scenic Design and Best Orchestrations. The musical 'Titanic' is a factual story, a far cry from James Cameron's film, that examines the causes, conditions and characters involved in this ever-fascinating drama, and honors the lives lost on the fateful journey. Tickets are $10 to $55 and general lawn admission is $8 to $20 and includes a lawn chair provided at entry. To purchase tickets or for more information, call 760-724-2110 or visit moonlightstage.com.

Despite boasting one of the most gloriously majestic musical scores ever written for a Broadway stage by Maury Yeston in 1997, Titanic the Musical was, no pun intended, a disaster with lukewarm reception from both audience and critics. Come to think of it, how entertaining can a musical be about the sinking of the Titanic? 

What a remarkable age this is! The five-time Tony Award-winning "Titanic The Musical" sets sail for the Moonlight Amphitheatre from Aug. 17, 2016 to Sept. 3, 2016 at 8 p.m.

Stars of stage and screen will illuminate the night sky when the Pasadena Symphony and POPS presents its annual free Music Under the Stars concert tonight, May 14 at Pasadena City Hall's Centennial Square.

Stars of stage and screen will illuminate the night sky when the Pasadena Symphony and POPS presents its annual free Music Under the Stars concert on Saturday, May 14 at Pasadena City Hall's Centennial Square.

With the angst over the immediate future of Cabrillo Music Theatre finally receding into the background, it's time to focus once again on what is happening on the Cabrillo stage. Its current production of Children of Eden, which made its debut last night at the Fred Kavli Theatre, proves how indispensable Cabrillo continues to be to the arts in this community. The high production values, sensitive direction, superlative casting, and, yes, insistence on live musicians in the pit, have made Cabrillo a consistently professional theater company in Ventura County for more than two decades, a streak that, thanks to some Frank Merriwell heroics by anonymous donors, will continue on for the time being.

Before his retelling of the Witches of Oz in WICKED, composer Stephen Schwartz took on a contemporary retelling of some of the most popular Biblical tales known to Man. CHILDREN OF EDEN uses these stories and characters to strike a universal chord in all of us. Beautiful music, story, humor, and imagery remind us of Spring, filled with new life bursting all around. CHILDREN OF EDEN opened on Friday, April 8th, 2016, playing until Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. 

Last night's opening of Cabrillo Music Theatre's Children of Eden was every bit as enchanting and magical as anticipated. After the debacle of Theater League's Ragtime, in which two synthesizer players were hidden back stage, out of sight of the audience, it was a pleasure to hear a sumptuous orchestra of musicians playing real instruments in the Kavli orchestra pit once again. My review of the show will be in this coming Thursday's Acorn, but today, we conclude our visit with Natalia Vivino, who plays the role of Yonah, and Ryan Driscoll, who plays Cain and Act I and Japheth in Act II. Natalia, Ryan, and the rest of the cast of Children of Eden had to conduct rehearsals for the show while Cabrillo was going through the turmoil of deciding its own future. The stress and emotional levels were high during this process, but there was a tremendous sigh of relief when the recent news that Cabrillo had once again been saved was announced to the cast. Opening night was an artistic triumph for Cabrillo, with the roller coaster of emotions regarding its viability hopefully receding into the past for the time being. As our interview continues, Natalia and Ryan talked about their characters and the motivations behind them.

Before his retelling of the Witches of Oz in WICKED, composer Stephen Schwartz took on a contemporary retelling of some of the most popular Biblical tales known to Man. CHILDREN OF EDEN uses these stories and characters to strike a universal chord in all of us. Beautiful music, story, humor, and imagery remind us of Spring, filled with new life bursting all around. CHILDREN OF EDEN opens today, April 8th, 2016, playing until Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

'Tale as old as time' nails the complex simplicity of Beauty and the Beast the quintessential story of true love, the most difficult to obtain and sustain.  Disney's adaptation of the fairy tale with its sweepingly imaginative spectacle won over even the hardest of hearts. The animated film was such a tremendous hit in 1991 that it was adapted for the stage in 1994 with new songs by Tim Rice added to the Academy Award-winning movie score by deceased Howard Ashman. It ran worldwide until 2007 and proves undoubtedly that fairy tales retain a popularity that never dies... and that the story  translates beautifully to the stage with vibrant actors recreating all the animated figures.. This new production by 3-D Theatricals of Beauty and the Beast, which closed Sunday at the Redondo Performing Arts Center, was every bit as joyful and elegant as the original. I cannot say enough about T. J. Dawson's fabulous direction and casting and Mela Hoyt-Heydon's spectacular costumes that were built completely from scratch by 3-D Theatricals.

Before his retelling of the Witches of Oz in WICKED, composer Stephen Schwartz took on a contemporary retelling of some of the most popular Biblical tales known to Man. CHILDREN OF EDEN uses these stories and characters to strike a universal chord in all of us. Beautiful music, story, humor, and imagery remind us of Spring, filled with new life bursting all around. CHILDREN OF EDEN opens on Friday, April 8th, 2016, playing until Sunday, April 17th, 2016 at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.

Tale as old as time, true as it can be. Disney's Beauty and the Beast, the smash hit Broadway musical, opened at the Los Angeles Ovation Award- winning 3-D Theatricals Co. of Orange County, CA. Performances will be presented at both Fullerton's historic Plummer Auditorium, Feb 5 - 21; and the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center February 26 - 28, 2016. Official "press" openings in Fullerton and Redondo Beach will be Saturday, February 6 and Saturday, February 27 respectively. The production is directed by 3DT Executive Producer and Artistic Director T.J. Dawson, with Choreography by Billy Sprague, Jr. Julie Lamoureux serves as Musical Director and Conductor.  Check out the photos from opening night below!