City of Angels - 2006 - Los Angeles Articles Page 8

This Spotlight focuses on Phil Brickey, an actor, director, rock musician and Elementary School Theatre teacher who was one of the first directors for whom I produced a 2006 show for Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse. That show was George Washington Slept Here which required a double level set to be constructed as the home being renovated had to look totally dilapidated in Act 1 and beautifully restored in Act II. Quite a feat of stagecraft thanks to set designer Grant Francis.

BWW Reviewer Peter Nason chooses the best film musicals since the sound era began; see if your favorites made the list!

Tickets were sold out in mere minutes after going on sale, for the 11-show run of Brothers Of A Feather - a moniker that The Black Crowes, Chris and Rich Robinson, have adopted for acoustic sets. Fans who were lucky enough to gobble up these tickets will witness stripped down versions from the band's illustrious catalogue. The intimate outing kicks off in London, UK tonight at the Omeara, and the final show of the run will take place at The Chapel in San Francisco on March 6.

The more things change - the more they stay the same. L.A.'s Latino Theater Company explores the political and cultural climate in 2020 with an eclectic season of productions that looks back at our history and ahead to our future: revivals that reflect the company's past work and the tumultuous fight for Chicano civil rights; contemporary work that explores today's issues; and unique offerings by two guest artists from Spain. In addition, the company will present two free film series, the company's annual free play reading series, and, in December, for the 18th consecutive year, the beloved site-specific holiday pageant La Virgen de Guadalupe, Dios Inantzin at L.A.'s Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. All performances and screenings, except La Virgen, take place at The Los Angeles Theatre Center, a five-theater complex located in a landmark building in Downtown's Historic Core.

In what has become an annual ritual, a total of 40 established and emerging composers, lyricists, and librettists will converge on the Goodspeed campus from mid-January through mid-February 2020 to participate in the Johnny Mercer Foundation Writers Colony at Goodspeed Musicals. The writing teams, representing 15 new musicals, will populate the campus, creating a truly exciting environment for discovery and inspiration.

New Ohio Theatre's annual New York Indie Theatre Film Festival (NYITFF) a?" a unique presentation of film works by New York theatre makers a?" returns in 2020 with a stellar lineup, including a special screening of a feature directed by downtown legend Charles Busch, with a talkback with the artist, and a reading of a new screenplay written and directed by playwright, filmmaker, and author Brooke Berman (Hunting and Gathering). The festival events, including screenings, panel discussions, and social gatherings, will be held at New Ohio Theatre (154 Christopher Street) in NYC's West Village from February 6 to 9, 2020. Tickets (reading, $5; any single screening, $10; Friday pass, $15; Saturday pass, $20; all-event pass, $30) can be purchased online at https://web.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/1004347 or by calling 866-811-4111.

Galerie XII Los Angeles (www.galeriexii.com) is celebrating its first anniversary with the solo exhibition of world-renowned, Milan-based photographer Paolo Ventura. The exhibition of Ventura's magical photographic works, 'An Invented World' spans six series over the last decade and will provide the most comprehensive overview of the celebrated Italian artist's oeuvre on the West Coast to date, including the debut of new works.The exhibition runs from January 18 to March 14, 2020 with a public opening reception with the artist on Saturday, January 18 from 4 - 7 pm. Galerie XII is located near LA's famed Museum Row on Miracle Mile (6150 Wilshire Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048).

The acclaimed play, The Inheritance, officially opens at Broadway's Ethel Barrymore Theater today, November 17, 2019. It begins with a gathering of young, gay New Yorkers. Each has a story aching to come out...

Goodspeed Musicals has announced this year's cast of A Connecticut Christmas Carol - the musical treat infused with Connecticut flavor by LJ Fecho and Michael O'Flaherty. Perfect for the holidays, A Connecticut Christmas Carol, the family-friendly take on the Dickens classic, will return to The Terris Theatre December 4 - 28, 2019. This production is supported in part by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Masonicare at Chester Village and GKN Aerospace Services Structures Corporation.

Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Megan Mullally and Sean Hayes are reprising their celebrated roles as Will, Grace, Karen and Jack for one last time in the farewell season of beloved NBC sitcom.

Partial Comfort Productions presents the World Premiere of NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY by Chad Beckim. Directed by Shelley Butler, previews begin October 1 at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres.

As BroadwayWorld sadly reported yesterday, stage star Phyllis Newman passed away yesterday, September 15, at the age of 86. Newman got her start in show business at 4 years old imitating Carmen Miranda in theatres and clubs. Her portrayal of Martha Vail in the Jule Styne/Comden and Green musical Subways Are For Sleeping - costumed only in a bath towel - earned her a Tony Award. Her other Broadway credits include Bells Are Ringing, The Apple Tree, On the Town, The Prisoner of Second Avenue, Awake and Sing, Wish You Were Here, First Impressions, and her one-woman musical The Madwoman of Central Park West, which she co-authored with Arthur Laurents. She garnered a Tony Award nomination for her highly-acclaimed performance in Neil Simon's Broadway Bound.

Clearview Energy, the leader in the green energy industry, is proud to announce its partnership with the New York Yankees. As part of the partnership, Clearview Energy will be giving away thousands of tickets to foster children in the New York tri-state area to attend Yankees games against the Los Angeles Angels on September 17-19 and the Toronto Blue Jays from September 20-22.

Partial Comfort Productions (Samuel D. Hunter's A Bright New Boise, Robert O'Hara's Booty Candy, Thomas Bradshaw's The Bereaved) will present the World Premiere of NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY by Chad Beckim (pictured above). Directed by Shelley Butler, previews begin October 1 at the Jeffrey and Paula Gural Theatre at The A.R.T./New York Theatres. Opening night is slated for October 8.

Due to popular demand, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley will extend the riotous comedy The 39 Steps, adding three additional performancesa?"2pm and 8pm Saturday, September 21, and 2pm Sunday, September 22.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley continues its 50th Anniversary Season with the Olivier Award-winning comedy The 39 Steps. This hilarious, high-speed spoof of Alfred Hitchcock's silver-screen classic hurtles a notorious fugitive and a breathtaking blonde from a London music hall to Scotland's most remote highlands crawling with devious spies. With a mysteriously murdered agent, a wicked plot to destroy England, and a race against the clock to stop it, this brilliantly funny show is a tribute to the master's greatest films. Directed by Leslie Martinson, The 39 Steps features four fearless actors playing 139 roles, stretching the boundaries of theatrical invention.

THE ROAD THEATRE COMPANY remains committed to its meaningful mission to produce and develop New Work for the Stage. They have announced their upcoming 28th season, the tenth annual Summer Playwrights Festival.

Today, the Artistic Director Antonio Monda, in agreement with Laura Delli Colli, head of Fondazione Cinema per Roma, and Francesca Via, General Manager, announced several sneak previews of the fourteenth Rome Film Fest, which will take place from October 17th to 27th 2019 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, and will extend, as usual, to several other locations and cultural entities in the Italian capital.

 Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts presents the award-winning hit comedy show Celebrity Autobiography starring Susan Lucci, Rachel Dratch, Ralph Macchio, Julia Macchio, Eugene Pack and Dayle Reyfel on Sunday, July 14 at 7pm. Ticket prices range between $29 - $59, plus applicable fees. Purchase online, by phone or at the box office. For more information, visit PatchogueTheatre.org, call the Patchogue Theatre Box Office at 631-207-1313, or stop by 71 East Main Street, Patchogue, NY.

The 72nd Annual Tony Awards are this Sunday June 10th at 8/9c hosted by Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles. It's the biggest award show of the Broadway season and it closes out a long awards season for Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays. We can't help but wonder what chances this year's Best Musical and Best Play nominees have of taking home the ultimate prize...

Cleveland, Ohio indie rock band The Sidekicks return with a brand new song “People's Court” which is accompanied by a video. Steve Ciolek (vocals, guitar) explains, “'Peoples Court' takes place at a combination laundromat/bar in a quiet moment shared between a couple.  Sometimes it's unnerving how well two people can know each other.” You can listen to “People's Court” at Spotify now or watch Steve Ciolek perform the song on Live from The Rainbow Couch.

Tom Lowe is a pop singer/composer who recently released a short video entitled 'Polanco'. It's enchanting to watch this little miraculous film about a small Mexican city and what goes on in one of its popular bars. The story is based on a real life incident in which Lowe was robbed in the back of a taxi in Mexico City. His disgust of the people eventually turned to respect and love when many came forward, helped him to survive and to produce his video. The full story is at the next to last link at the bottom of our interview and is an exciting and humanely worthwhile read. Lowe, born in England and with a multi-cultural background both here and abroad, discusses 'Polanco'and also his fascinating career thus far as an international pop singer and musical theatre actor.

The Actors' Gang presents One Act Festival, featuring two contrasting programs performed in repertory. Show one, entitled The Classic, begins performances March 14th (press opening March 23) and features two classic one-act plays -- Jean-Paul Sartre's No Exit, directed by Brian T. Finney, and Samuel Beckett's Krapps's Last Tape, directed by Cynthia Ettinger. Show two, entitled The Original, begins performances March 16 (Press Opening March 29) and features three new one-act plays written, directed, and acted by The Actors Gang ensemble:  Tradition, written by James Edward Bane and directed by Tess Vidal, A Perfect World, written by Lynde Houck and directed by Danielle Powell, and Clean Slate, written by Bob Turton and directed by Zoe Hall. Both programs will run Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, through April 20th.  

The Broadway production of Pulitzer Prize finalist and MacArthur Fellow Taylor Mac's new comedy Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus will begin previews this evening, 8 p.m., at Broadway's Booth Theatre. Get to know the cast below as they begin Broadway performances!

FEINSTEIN'S/54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, presents Marya Grandyin Marya Grandy: Live from Feinstein's/54 Below.