Zachary Ford News

Cabrillo Music Theatre brings its yearly Holiday Show for the troops to the Civic Arts Plaza for the first time, with CABRILLO'S 2014 HOLIDAY FAMILY CELEBRATION! For years, Cabrillo has been putting on a specially-prepared variety show exclusively for the troops and their families, at the Naval Base Ventura County. This year, Cabrillo will transfer this memorable performance to the Scherr Forum tonight, December 13th, the evening following the show for the troops.

Cabrillo Music Theatre brings its yearly Holiday Show for the troops to the Civic Arts Plaza for the first time, with CABRILLO'S 2014 HOLIDAY FAMILY CELEBRATION! For years, Cabrillo has been putting on a specially-prepared variety show exclusively for the troops and their families, at the Naval Base Ventura County. This year, Cabrillo will transfer this memorable performance to the Scherr Forum on December 13th, the evening following the show for the troops.

Broadway's loss is definitely Long Beach's gain now that the big, bright, and buoyant new musical BIG FISH is making a splash as the season opener for Musical Theatre West's 62nd season. Filled to the brim with heart, emotional heft, and colorful storytelling, this slightly flawed but charmingly imaginative new musical wraps up its final remaining West Coast premiere performances at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through November 16. My immediate recommendation? Definitely experience this while you can.

Based on Daniel Wallace's 1998 novel and Tim Burton's 2003 film of the same name, Big Fish, with a few minor changes in plot, becomes quite an imaginative musical...with Andrew Lippa composer of some of the best songs written for a Broadway show in a long time. So, it is hard to imagine why its Broadway run ended after a mere three months. Now in its West Coast premiere, Big Fish comes to MTW with a glorious cast directed by Larry Carpenter and choreographed by Peggy Hickey with vibrant sets and costumes from the original New York production. It's a real charmer and another big win for MTW.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) opens its 2014-2015 season, reeling in the West Coast premiere of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Big Fish, a new musical, tonight, October 31 through November 16.

Musical Theatre West (MTW) opens its 2014-2015 season, reeling in the West Coast premiere of the critically acclaimed Broadway musical Big Fish, a new musical, October 31 through November 16.

Musical Theatre Guild, the winner of the Los Angeles Drama Critic's Circle Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in the theatre, will open their 2014-2015 season with the multiple Tony Award nominated musical SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS. The one-night-only concert will take place at the Moss Theatre at New Roads School in Santa Monica on Sunday, September 14, 2014 at 7:00 pm.

Why should the Cabrillo Broadway Alumni have all the fun? Los Angeles talent responds with a fundraiser concert to support Cabrillo Music Theatre, and to help secure Cabrillo's future as a nurturer of young talent. REACHING FOR THE STARS: A CABRILLO CABARET will take place on Monday, August 25th, 8:00PM at the Lyric Theatre, 520 N La Brea Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90036.

Before Beatle-Mania, before Bieber Fever, there was the first, the original...Conrad Birdie! America's rock 'n' roll heart-throb drives the teen girls bonkers as Cabrillo Music Theatre brings back the nostalgic, Tony-winning family-friendly Broadway Musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE. BYE BYE BIRDIE opens today, July 18th, 2014, playing until Sunday, July 27th, and features an added mid-week matinee on July 23rd, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. BYE BYE BIRDIE takes us on a trip to the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, where the nation's most popular rock-and-roll singer, Conrad Birdie, arrives to give his biggest fan one last kiss to the Fan Club's President, Kim MacAfee, before going into the army - and on the Ed Sullivan Show, of course! At the same time, his manager, Albert Peterson, must deal with his frustrated secretary/girlfriend, Rose Alvarez, while handling his overbearing mother. Meanwhile, Mr. MacAfee fumes while Conrad Birdie takes over his bed, his house, his daughter, and his life! A town full of colorful characters, including crazed teenagers, a jealous boyfriend, a squeaky secretary, and a banquet-room-full of wild-eyed Shriners make for a rollicking, irreverent good time that the entire family will enjoy. BYE BYE BIRDIE features classic songs like 'Put On A Happy Face,' 'The Telephone Hour,' 'Kids,' and 'A Lot of Livin' To Do,' plus dances to rival the best of Broadway.

Sterling's Upstairs - housed at popular LA hot spot The Federal in North Hollywood's NoHo Arts District - has not only been described by the Los Angeles Times as "LA's cabaret destination;" but was just cited by LA Weekly as one of Los Angeles's top five supper clubs, With an arsenal of similar accolades from LA based media, Sterling's Upstairs celebrates its eight-year anniversary this month with Broadway performers Maura Hanlon Smith (June 9), Sandy Bainum (June 22) and Bernard Dotson (June 29-June 30). Kritzerland Records' Nobody Does it Better... The songs of Dorothy Fields kicked off the month-long celebration on June 1st featuring Tara Browne, Cynthia Ferrer, Zachary Ford, Kim Huber, Jenna Lea Rosen, Sami Staitman, Sarah Staitman, Robert Yacko and Special Guest... Broadway's Kerry O'Malley.

The 46th Kritzerland show on Sunday, June 1 featured one of the most influential female lyricists of all time, the great Dorothy Fields. In a time when Tin Pan Alley was almost exclusively a male-dominated club, Dorothy Fields rose to the top, first writing hit after hit with Jimmy McHugh, and later becoming one of the first female lyricists on Broadway and in film. Fields created some of the cleverest and most beautiful lyrics ever written, and was a master of the craft who forged the way for so many other talented female lyricists. There was no one like Dorothy Fields.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment presented the fifth and final production in its 2013-1014 season of shows with the Los Angeles regional theatre premiere of one of the most beloved musicals of all time, based on the novel by Victor Hugo, the Tony award-winning, LES MISERABLES. BroadwayWorld has photos from the opening night festivities below!

Kritzerland at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal presents NOBODY DOES IT LIKE ME -THE SONGS OF DOROTHY FIELDS on Sunday, June 1, 2014 - 7:00 PM.

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.

Before Beatle-Mania, before Bieber Fever, there was the first, the original…Conrad Birdie! America's rock 'n' roll heart-throb drives the teen girls bonkers as Cabrillo Music Theatre brings back the nostalgic, Tony-winning family-friendly Broadway Musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE. BYE BYE BIRDIE opens on Friday, July 18th, 2014, playing until Sunday, July 27th, and features an added mid-week matinee on July 23rd, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks. BYE BYE BIRDIE takes us on a trip to the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, where the nation's most popular rock-and-roll singer, Conrad Birdie, arrives to give his biggest fan one last kiss to the Fan Club's President, Kim MacAfee, before going into the army - and on the Ed Sullivan Show, of course! At the same time, his manager, Albert Peterson, must deal with his frustrated secretary/girlfriend, Rose Alvarez, while handling his overbearing mother. Meanwhile, Mr. MacAfee fumes while Conrad Birdie takes over his bed, his house, his daughter, and his life! A town full of colorful characters, including crazed teenagers, a jealous boyfriend, a squeaky secretary, and a banquet-room-full of wild-eyed Shriners make for a rollicking, irreverent good time that the entire family will enjoy. BYE BYE BIRDIE features classic songs like "Put On A Happy Face," "The Telephone Hour," "Kids," and "A Lot of Livin' To Do," plus dances to rival the best of Broadway.

On April 22, 2014, the Broadway stars of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon came together and joined an amazing line-up for Ryan Black's 88's THE SONGS OF BOUBLIL & SHONBERG, LES MIS SAIGON.

On the first Sunday of each month, Bruce Kimmel's Kritzerland Records' presents a supper club musical cabaret at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in NoHo. Sunday, April 6, 2014, the group celebrated its two-year anniversary with THESE APRIL FOOLISH THINGS with not only foolish songs but ones having to do with Spring or the month of April in general.

For our 44th Kritzerland show we celebrate the most foolish day and month of the year - April Fools Day. Yes, it's all things April and all things foolish, as well as some things that aren't so foolish. And not only are we celebrating the April Fools, we're celebrating the second anniversary of Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal - in April of 2012 we were the first show in Michael Sterling's new home at The Federal, and we've been there every month since. We have a potpourri of fun planned for our April 6th show, including lots of comedy, some beautiful April-themed songs, and an amazing cast. You'll hear songs you know and songs you don't know, including the world premiere of a brand new Richard M. Sherman song, written with Kritzerland's Bruce Kimmel. And playing it will be Richard M. Sherman, our very special guest star - and as if that and our great cast wasn't enough, we have another guest star, too, the beautiful and superlative Andrea Marcovicci. So, don't be too foolish and wait too long to make your reservations - our last seven shows have been early sellouts. Come and join us to celebrate all the wonderful foolish things we've got planned and to wish Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal a happy anniversary as the best cabaret room in the city enters its third year.

The Best in LA Theatre for 2013