The musical Side Show played Broadway in 1997 for 91 performances and was Tony nominated but never got the recognition it deserved. A revamped version went to Broadway in 2014, but it, too, closed early. Like Jason Robert Brown's Parade, another noteworthy Broadway miss, it's worth the attention, but its dark grotesque presentation of carnival freak shows is not the most appealing fare for commercial theatre audiences. Many are repelled by the sight of a man with three legs, a bearded lady, a half-man, half-woman or in the case of Daisy and Violet Hilton, by the appearance of twins who are conjoined. The girls hated the term Siamese twins, for they were not Siamese, and also if people asked them if they wanted to be normal. What is normal? Now in a revival production of the original - not the 2013 revamped production, which played La Jolla and the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. before Broadway - by 3-D Theatricals at Plummer Auditorium, Fullerton, Side Show comes out as winning and memorable as when it first appeared.
LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS & MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT present the World Premiere musical and the fourth show of their 2014-2015 season, the runaway hit of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Musical, music, lyrics and book by Lindsay Warren Baker & Amanda Jacobs, based on the novel "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen, with music direction by Timothy Splain, choreography by Jeffry Denman, and directed by Igor Goldin. JANE AUSTEN'S PRIDE AND PREJUDICE A Musical will run through Sunday, May 10, 2015 at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada.
A noticeably long, drawn-out silence opens Cabrillo Music Theatre's production of COMPANY as 35-year old Robert (Alxander Jon) comes home to his empty New York bachelor pad. It is the final moment of solitude before the coordinated cacophony of voices begins in Nick DeGruccio's sleekly directed revival of Stephen Sondheim (music & lyrics) and George Furth's (book) 1970 classic.
Cabrillo Music Theatre takes audiences to the island of Manhattan for the Civic Arts Plaza Professional Premiere of COMPANY. The first-ever "concept" musical is by turns funny, pointed and hopeful. Stephen Sondheim's score is packed with some of his best-known tunes. And the honest and witty look at love and relationships is as contemporary as ever. Plus, the intimacy of the Scherr Forum provides the perfect locale, bringing the audience into the action, and creating a theatre experience that unique… and uniquely Cabrillo. Cabrillo Music Theatre's brand-new production of COMPANY opens on Friday, January 23rd, 2015, playing until Sunday, February 8th, at the 396-seat Scherr Forum at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Nominees for the 2014 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 22 at Native Voices at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by past Ovation Award recipients Gigi Bermingham, Brighid Fleming, Parmer Fuller, Jennifer Haley, Brian Kite, Glynn Turman, and John Zalewski, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.
Nominees for the 2014 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 22 at Native Voices at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by past Ovation Award recipients Gigi Bermingham, Brighid Fleming, Parmer Fuller, Jennifer Haley, Brian Kite, Glynn Turman, and John Zalewski, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.
It used to be, in days gone by, that hit Broadway shows would be made into movies; now, it's the reverse. With a dearth of ideas for Broadway musicals, the trend lately has been to turn to the big screen and revamp a popular film for the stage, adding song and dance. Such was the case with 9 to 5 and later Legally Blonde engendering quite a bit of success. Those two had female stars at the core, so it's high time a male got some attention. Voila! Catch Me If You Can has a quirky real-life story about an anti-hero Frank Abagnale Jr. (Jacob Haren) who in the 60s was called the Johnny Appleseed of fraud. The outstanding creative team of book writer Terrence McNally and musical wizards Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman took an old idea and created an entertainingly fresh showcase around it. The resultant Catch Me If You Can which received several Tony Award nominations in 2012 - one win for Norbert Leo Butz as Best Featured Actor playing Agent Carl Hanratty - is now playing in its West Coast regional premiere in Vista at the Moonlight Amphitheatre with Josh Adamson essaying Hanratty.
Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season comes to a triumphant close with the Southern California Regional Premiere of the Tony Award-nominated musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, based on the hit film of the same name that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Performances are September 10 to 27.
Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season comes to a triumphant close with the Southern California Regional Premiere of the Tony Award-nominated musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, based on the hit film of the same name that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Performances are tonight, September 10 to 27.
Moonlight Stage Productions' 34th summer season comes to a triumphant close with the Southern California Regional Premiere of the Tony Award-nominated musical CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, based on the hit film of the same name that starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. Performances are September 10 to 27.
Music Theatre Wichita's 43 summer season finishes this weekend with the closing of "42nd Street," but plans are already underway for next summer, as the 2015 titles have just been announced.
Music Theatre Wichita's 43 summer season comes to a conclusion with "42nd Street," directed and choreographed by original cast member Jon Engstrom, and featuring Damon Kirsche as Julian Marsh, Tracy Lore as Dorothy Brock, Tessa Grady as Peggy Sawyer, and Shonn Wiley as Billy Lawlor. Patty Reeder appears as Maggie Jones, partnered by Robert Ariza as Bert Barry, with Timothy W. Robu as Abner Dillon and Ryan Vasquez as Pat Denning. Tapping their way into several major numbers are Amy Baker Schwiethale as "Anytime" Annie, Jacob Chancellor as dance director Andy Lee, Katie Wesler as Phyllis, Becca Petersen as Lorraine, and Emily Pirtleas Diane.
Continuing the 43rd season for Music Theatre Wichita, the fourth of this summer's five large-scale productions is the Kansas premiere of "Catch Me If You Can," at Century II Concert Hall in downtown Wichita, KS.
Music Theatre Wichita opened its 43rd summer season this week with the first of its five large-scale productions, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. Check out a video of the cast and crew backstage below!
Music Theatre Wichita opened its 43rd summer season this week with the first of its five large-scale productions, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. Check out highlights below!
Music Theatre Wichita opened its 43rd summer season this week with the first of its five large-scale productions, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific.
Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will conclude their 2013-2014 season with the multiple award-winning musical CITY OF ANGELS. The one-night-only concert will take place at the Moss Theatre at New Roads School in Santa Monica on Sunday, June 15, 2014 at 7:00 pm.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE offers audiences a toe-tapping trip back to the golden age of musicals, and took Broadway by storm, winning five Tony Awards. It spoofs musical-comedy fanatics and the genre itself, as well as the extravagant musicals of the 1920s. Critics have called 'The Drowsy Chaperone' one of the wittiest, craziest shows ever to hit Broadway. It's all fluff and fun!
The Norris Center for the Performing Arts presents the madcap musical comedy, 'The Drowsy Chaperone' today, April 25 - May 11. Winner of five Tony Awards, the toe-tapping trip back to the golden age of musicals is one of the funniest and most original shows in Broadway history.
