Stan Mazin News

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Voting is now underway for Los Angeles! We have a record number of votes in already, but if you haven't voted yet, click here to vote! If you have voted already, tell your friends.

Upon exiting Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal on Sunday October 20, I overheard someone say 'There are no cabaret shows like this anymore.' Sad, but true! Dominic Morra, at 80 years young, proves that he is vocally every bit as good as he was some 50 years ago. With a face like Anthony Quinn and a voice like John Raitt, Morra has a vocal instrument akin to a silver flute. On Broadway in Call Me Madam and having crossed country on many National tours of such shows as Camelot, Morra spent most of the 70-minute set of Keep the Music Playing reminiscing about his career through some of the greatest music of all time. With an unassuming style, he is a true gentleman and doesn't need a big outgoing approach to reach his audience. His friendly manner and great voice say it all. With fine musical direction from Paul Cady at the piano, Morra presented a cabaret, which one can only hope is a new beginning for him.

On Sunday September 29 at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Los Angeles theatre actor/singer Will Collyer presented Will Collyer in Concert directed by Mandy Kaplan and with musical direction by Brett Ryback. The 75-minute set featured guest appearances from Kaplan and Melissa Lyons. Collyer is an exceedingly affable 34 year-old openly gay actor who looks more like 19. Cute, drole and consistently mobile, Collyer did a retrospective of his life so far, which included his birth - very amusing segment on the music his mother was listening to in hospital when she gave birth to him - boyhood background, college days, his first kiss with another boy, local musical theatre, and a tribute to his life partner of 14 years... a mixture of banter and songs that he grew up with, some of which he actually performed in shows.

Awake and Sing!/by Clifford Odets/directed by Larry Eisenberg/Group rep/through November 3

On Sunday August 4 Kritzerland presented its monthly tribute this time in honor of composers Meredith Willson (right) and Gene de Paul. On hand were regulars host Bruce Kimmel, musical director par excellence Tom Griep and terrific singers Jane Noseworthy, Chelsea Emma Franko, Robert Yacko, and newcomers to Kritzerland: Charlotte Mary Wen, this year's winner of LA's Next Great Stage Star 2013, Allen Everman, Justin Jones, Bruce Merkle and David Zack. Special guest star was the beautiful Sue Raney who had a record contract at Capitol Records at the age of 17.

On Sunday June 30 I went to Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal to see Polly Seale do her one woman show, Cougar Mama!, The Sensual Evolution Revolution. Before I get to Ms. Seale, I would like to say that I 'discovered' a new appetizer (or side) to their tasty hamburgers, and that treat is the grilled brussel sprouts, with bacon, feta, and lots of other spices... a delightful taste treat that I never had before. And now for another taste treat!

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.

I can't help but borrow from the genius of Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse when I affirm it was The Roar of Kritzerland, The Smell of the burgers at the Federal on Sunday May 5 - Cinco de Mayo, no less - as Kritzerland presented its 33rd show in its current home at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, entitled Once in a Lifetime: The Songs of Anthony Newley & Leslie Bricusse. And it was a lollapalooza of an evening!

How do you stage the performance of an amateur tap class believably? Should the big contest production number be like the finale of A Chorus Line, the way I have seen it done on the Equity stage, or should it be shown less professional, somewhat flawed, in a more play it as it comes fashion? The thing to remember about the script of Stepping Out is that it's not a musical, but a play with music and it's about a community tap class for adults - which means that most are amateurs who will learn to tap but not so well that they will go on to have a dance career! Director Stan Mazin has wisely chosen the more realistic approach, keeping his actors focused on the play and on characterization in Group rep's current production of Stepping Out onstage through March 24. For all its worth, great tapping is always fun to watch - and it's not bad here when you stop and consider that most of the actors have never tapped before their prep for this show. Urgent to keep in mind: in Stepping Out, the play's the thing, about problematic people and how they support one another. It's an ode to friendship, to community living, warts and all, and to the joy a little once-a-week evening class can bring into people's lives. Group rep's production certainly gives us all of this, while displaying miles of heart.

The Group Rep presents Richard Harris' Stepping Out directed by Stan Mazin, produced by Linda Alznauer, tonight, February 8 - March 24, 2013.

The Group Rep presents Richard Harris' Stepping Out directed by Stan Mazin, produced by Linda Alznauer, February 8 - March 24, 2013.

How can Kritzerland make a Christmas show unusual and different? Well, you can either be exceedingly solemn and point the show in the 'Silent Night' direction, or pull out all the stops and run with the comedy. Kritzerland shows have one thing in common: they are never a drag. Bruce Kimmel sees to that whether Guy Haines is a guest or not. Solemn music? No, not in Kritzerland's nature! Fun, yes, always, as Kimmel's personality and anecdotes are full of the demon and amusingly interesting trivia about Broadway show tunes and Hollywood movie music. On Sunday December 2, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Kimmel and his fine singers: Dan Callaway, Damon Kirsche, Emma Degerstedt, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy, and Jenna Rosen with very special guest star Bill Hayes, a 40 year veteran of Days of Our Lives, were on hand to present and celebrate Broadway, film and rock/pop holiday cheer. Lloyd Cooper served as musical director/accompanist extraordinaire throughout the 90-minute set that made up Kritzerland Records' Christmas with a Little Bit of Hannukah and a Lot of Cheer.

Neile Adams show Wasn't It Good! Wasn't It Fine! at Tom Rolla's Gardenia in West Hollywood was nothing short of 'AMAZING'. The choice of her material was absolutely delicious, as you will soon find out.

And what 'A Grand Night for Singing' it turned out to be! Not opening on the usual note, Bruce Kimmel presented a video of his YouTube web series Outside the Box, Season 2, episode 1 guest starring Hal Linden, who was present in the audience. Hilarity is at the core here as Linden gets a phone call asking him to appear as Father Marren in The Exorcist the Musical, a true horror - no, not horrible - horror musical. The second scene is the actual shooting of his scene with Regan spewing green vomit to the music of one ridiculously funny original tune. Fun stuff which may be viewed on YouTube!

The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham is a comedy of manners… a story with 2 triangles, one an elderly couple, and the second, youthful. In the first, the woman, Lady Kitty (played rightfully 'over the top' by a very funny but full of heart Rhonda Lord) has left her first husband, Clive Champion-Cheney (beautifully and truthfully played, but with a dash of humor, by the brilliant Lloyd Pedersen) when she falls in love with the then dashing Lord (Huey) Porteus (very well played by David Hunt Stafford). In the youthful triangle, Elizabeth (elegantly acted by the beautiful Shelby Kocee) is married to Arnold (largely playing an actor as well as a wonderful violinist by the name of Scott Facher), when she realizes that she has fallen in love, and vice versa, with a man of little means, Teddie (handsomely acted by Ross Alden). Now to get things relatively straight, Arnold is the son of Lady Kitty and Clive Champion-Cheney. So it seems that the daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, may be following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law. This all occurs in the beautiful upscale house in Dorset, England in the 1930s, brought to life in the beautiful set design by Jeff G. Rack, great costuming by Michele Young (I was particularly taken by a simple but gorgeous Kelly green period gown that Shelby wore), and good light design by Ric Zimmerman.

With a career encompassing Broadway, TV and film, veteran comic actress Jane Kean is best known for playing Trixie Norton in the hour-long color, musical version of the Honeymooners series (1966-70). Kean presented her one-woman show onstage at the Colony Saturday September 8.

70s pop icon Helen Reddy made a much anticipated return to singing with two concerts, one at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano Friday August 10 and then Saturday August 11 at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills. I covered the event on Saturday at the Canyon Club, and depsite hours of traffic congestion on the 101, the house was packed with overly enthusiastic fans and friends.

Once you enter the world according to Phil Olson, there's no turning back. Be prepared to have a good time, or bust! Their fourth Don't Hug Me musical in a row, Don't Hug Me, I'm Pregnant - they referring to the Olson brothers Phil and Paul - is as usual obscenely silly and over-the-top, but a definite charmer, no matter how tired the pregnant jokes become. Now at the Secret Rose Theatre the show is guaranteed to please and has big bit written all over it. Ya, sure, you betcha!