Allegiance - 2018 - Los Angeles Articles Page 7

The Miracle of Valley Youth Theatre Comes From Within. "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" is beautifully helmed by Carolyn Marie Wright. Congratulation to VYT, Dwayne Hartford and Bobb Cooper for continuing to be progressive leaders in youth theatre and for refusing to shy away from difficult or mature topics. The magic of Valley Youth Theatre comes from its brave staff and the irrefutable love and respect they have for their audience.

A young Classics professor puts her career-and her love life-in peril, and calls on the gods of Ancient Greece to save her. Things don't go according to plan when the gods who show up are The Gods of Comedy!

Three-time Tony Award nominee Carolee Carmello will make a rare concert appearance and her long-awaited Bay Area concert debut at the historic Orinda Theatre as part of the Live At the Orinda concert series.

Celebrating the centennial of Alan Jay Lerner. The York Theatre Company continues the 25th Anniversary of its acclaimed Musicals in Mufti series celebrating the work of the legendary librettist and lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, whose hundredth birthday was August 31, 2018.

We are pleased to announce the winners for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and voted on by you - the local theatergoers!

East West Players (EWP), the nation's longest-running professional theater of color and the largest producing organization of Asian American artistic work, is pleased to announce its nominations for the 29th Annual Ovation Awards, which will be held on Monday, January 28, at The Theatre at Ace Hotel. The annual Ovation Awards "are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, created to recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production, and design in the Greater Los Angeles area," according to LA STAGE Alliance, which administers the awards.

On Thursday evening (December 20, 2018), the Phoenix Park Hotel, in the shadow of the nation's capital, hosted a spectacular holiday soiree to celebrate the season and highlight non-profits such as the Warrior Canine Connection, a charitable organization which offers a unique service to disabled military veterans.

As with each passing season, 2018 proved to be another exceptional year for theater not only in Souther California in general but also in Orange County---my home base. This year, the OC finally welcomed the debut of what has become this century's most awarded and most renowned stage musical ever about the Founding Father etched regally on the 10 dollar bill. Meanwhile, So. Cal. enjoyed a powerful surge of new stage works that explored Asian-American experiences, a positive step forward in the presentation of diverse voices we seldom hear from on the stage. A pair of touring musicals---both opening in the O.C. in early 2019---made such an impact in their Los Angeles engagements for me personally that I had to include them in my list, even though I have not 'officially' reviewed the productions for print. With that said, here is my 'Best of 2018' from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby---a mixture of outstanding shows and brilliant performances that made a lasting, memorable imprint in my theatergoing experience this year.

It's the last week to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

The Cabaret is celebrating its 10th Anniversary season with some of the most highly acclaimed acts in the nation. The line-up for Winter/Spring 2019 includes a Grammy Award winner, the voice of two beloved Disney princesses and four Tony Award winners.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There's just two weeks left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

There have been many announcements in the last few weeks about upcoming stage to screen adaptations. WEST SIDE STORY announced a casting call for Maria, the first official teaser for THE LION KING was released, and RENT LIVE released the first cast photoshoot.

Perhaps not “all politics is personal,” but for Mexican born and raised drummer and composer Antonio Sánchez, who became a naturalized American citizen in 2016, the criminalizing of immigrants and the breathtakingly casual cruelty in the enforcement of border policies by the Trump Administration do feel personal, deeply personal.

The 2018 Inaugural NAAP (National Asian Artists Project) Gala took place on December 2nd celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Rodgers & Hammerstein's groundbreaking musical 'Flower Drum Song'. Cast members from numerous productions including the original 1958 Broadway company, tours, the 1961 film and the 2002 Broadway revival took over the Golden Unicorn Restaurant in the heart of Chinatown for a magical evening that included a spectacular eight course Chinese banquet and a sensational show.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

Live At the Orinda concert series, currently in its debut season of presenting world-renowned musical artists at the beautiful art-deco Orinda Theatre, announces the first half of their 2019 Season. This will also mark their One Year Anniversary Season. The season kicks off on Saturday, January 19, 2019 with legendary actor/singer Rita Moreno in her first Bay Area concert in many years, followed by a matinee performance on Sunday, January 20, 2019. The opening weekend performances will also serve as a fundraiser for the historic Orinda Movie Theatre to purchase permanent concert lighting for the venue to enhance the live music experience even further.

There's just one month left to vote for the 2018 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards, brought to you by BroadwayHD! Nominations were reader-submitted and now our readers are already setting records as they vote for their favorites. Regional productions, touring shows, and more are all included in the awards, honoring productions which opened between October 1, 2017 through September 30, 2018. Our local editors set the categories, our readers submitted their nominees, and now you get to vote for your favorites! Voting will continue through December 31st, 2018.

In a new video feature titled 'CNN Philippines Presents: Lea Salonga,' which premiered on November 24, 2018, the closest people to Lea--friends, family, and co-workers-tell all about Lea's 40 admirable years in show business.

The Old Globe in association with Yonge Street Theatricals will present a by-invitation-only industry reading of the new musical Life After on Thursday, December 6 at 2:00 p.m. and Friday, December 7 at Noon at Ripley Grier Studios in New York City. The reading will help the creative team prepare for the musical's upcoming American premiere this winter at The Old Globe in San Diego, where it will run from March 22 to April 28, 2019. 

What good is sitting alone in your room this week? If you don't already have plans to see a Broadway show, come out to see your favorite Broadway stars in a cabaret act instead. Highlights this week include:

There have been many announcements in the last few weeks about upcoming stage to screen adaptations. The first official teaser for ALADDIN was released, a BE MORE CHILL movie was announced, and more casting for the upcoming CATS film was announced, including Dame Judi Dench as Old Deuteronomy and Idris Elba as Macavity.

Broadway producers and entrepreneurs Mike Karns and Greg Nobile have acquired the website DidHeLikeIt.com from producer Ken Davenport in a deal that closed in early October 2018.