Jane Wagner News

Here's the second installment of responses from various Los Angeles Theatre heads on how their individual theatre families are holding up in these crazy, safe-distancing times. As with the first batch of responses, these are just as amazing in their uniform positivity.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center's production of the iconic musical Hair, previously scheduled to open March 27, has been postponed. New dates will be announced in the near future.

Casting has been announced for the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center's production of the iconic musical Hair. Under the direction of Kate Sullivan with musical direction by Jared Stein, there will be two preview performances on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, March 27, at 8pm in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through April 26.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced a brand-new production of the iconic musical Hair. Under the direction of Kate Sullivan with musical direction by Jared Stein, there will be two preview performances on Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26, at 8pm. Opening is set for Friday, March 27, at 8pm in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. The regular performance schedule will be Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through April 26.

Producers Harriet Newman Leve, Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi, Lily Tomlin and Jane Wagner have announced a 2020 Broadway bound production of Last Summer at Bluefish Cove.

'THE FOLKS AT THE CHAIN THEATRE ARE AMONG THE GREAT UNSUNG HEROES OF CULTURAL NEW YORK.' Richard Price, Clockers, HBO's The Night Of, The Wire. The Chain Theatre in Midtown Manhattan is now accepting submissions for their 2020 Chain Playwriting Lab. Chain Theatre Playwriting Lab continues its commitment to developing new plays by diverse artists and underrepresented voices in the American Theatre. This is a highly collaborative process with a personal, intensive focus on the playwright, your story, and your words.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center announces Big Queer Convo: 50 Years of Queer Theatre, one in a series of Big Queer Convos devoted to documenting the impact of LGBT people on the entertainment and news media over the last half-century. Part of a year-long celebration of the Center's 50th Anniversary, this event is set for Monday, November 11, at 7pm at the Los Angeles LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre. Big Queer Convo is special event series dedicated to providing a community forum for the LGBTQ community to have those difficult conversations on topics that are sensitive and/or controversial in nature.

Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Andrea Meyerson Productions (AMP) have announced a special, one-night-only screening of More Beautiful for Having Been Broken, the new feature drama from award-winning filmmaker Nicole Conn. Cast and crew members will be on hand for a post-screening Q&A. The event has been set for Saturday, November 9, at 7pm at the LGBT Center's Renberg Theatre. VIP pre-reception begins at 6pm.

Magic Theatre kicks off its 2019-20 season with Lloyd Suh's intriguing a?oeThe Chinese Lady.a?? Suh's point of departure is one of those fascinating a?oetruth is stranger than fictiona?? tales that are so compelling it's hard to believe they aren't more widely known. His play tells the story of Afong Moy, the first Chinese female to set foot on American soil in 1834. Moy was brought to New York at the tender age of 14 by a pair of businessmen in their effort to sell affordable Chinese furniture to America's growing middle class. They created an exhibition wherein patrons could pay to view a real Chinese lady in her supposedly authentic surrounds. This exhibition proved so popular to the public it went on tour throughout the Eastern U.S., and Moy was taken to the White House to meet President Andrew Jackson. Unfortunately, we have no historical record in Moy's own words, and virtually all of the story of her latter life is lost to history. Thus, playwright Suh describes this work as a conjuring of who he imagines Moy might have been.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced Levi Kreis: Home for the Holidays, a special one-night-only concert at the Center's Renberg Theatre on Saturday, December 7, at 8pm. When the Tony Award-winning singer/songwriter/actor last appeared at the Renberg, he was hailed as having, a?oeA voice to make angels weep and audiences scream a?? those lucky enough to hold tickets can count themselves fortunate indeed.a?? Kreis's Home for the Holidays infuses gospel, country, rockabilly, and jazz into an exuberant and spirit-lifting collection of Christmas classics and holiday favorites.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced the LA premiere of a new solo show, To T, or not To T?, written and performed by D'Lo, the acclaimed queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor/writer/comedian. Directed by award-winning director/author/actress Adelina Anthony, opening is set for Friday, October 4, at 8pm. The run will continue through October 27 in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

The Paradox Players present Saints, Sinners & Thieves running Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 3pm, September 27, 28 & 29, and October 4, 5, and 6. Saints, Sinners and Thieves is an evening of three one act plays, Soldier of the Cross and A Fool and His Money written by Sally Seitz, and I Am Not the Person You Have Made Me Out to Be written by Marianne Serene, both playwrights achieving honors at Hype Park Theatre's and ScriptWork's short fringe festival, FronteraFest.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced a one-night only live return of the new home party game You Don't Know My Life! The game was created by Dennis Hensley and Jeb Havens. Hensley is the creator of the Center's long-running cult comedy hit The MisMatch Game. You Don't Know My Life! will be played live at the Center's Renberg Theatre on Saturday, September 28, at 8pm.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced the LA premiere of a new solo show, To T, or not To T, written and performed by D'Lo, the acclaimed queer/transgender Tamil-Sri Lankan-American actor/writer/comedian. Directed by award-winning director/author/actress Adelina Anthony, there will be one preview performance on Thursday, October 3, at 8pm and opening is set for Friday, October 4, at 8pm. The run will continue through October 27 in the Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center and Andrea Meyerson Productions (AMP) will present a special, one-night-only appearance by the celebrated comedian Vickie Shaw at the Center's Renberg Theatre on Saturday, August 10, at 8pm. Hilariously addressing the triumphs and trials of being a woman, a mother, and gay in America, Shaw's charming Southern style belies her sharp-edged wit and hilarity. She says things no one else can because she says them so nicely!

Donelle Dadigan, Founder and President of The Hollywood Museum in partnership with Los Angeles City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell (CD13), proudly unveiled the 2019 salute to the LGBT community's contributions to the entertainment industry last night to launched Los Angeles' Gay Pride weekend festivities.

Lily Tomlin, upon accepting her award, remarked 'My partner Jane and I are honored and want to thank you for this award. It is amazing to see this whole outpouring for the LGBT community. Jane, couldnt be here tonight, but asked that I share her remarks 'We love the thought of being called Trail-Blazers. It makes us feel current and something out of Marvel Comics.'  Neither of us has a good sense of direction, so we thought being called trail-blazers implies that we somehow new where we were going. So thank you for thinking of us as trail-blazers, rather than as museum pieces.  Of course, there were times, Im afraid, we got lost on that trail and were more bewildered than blazing.  We are still blazing, but we have had to cool down a bit. After all, we need to take care not to add to global warming.'

Geffen Playhouse will honor legendary singer, songwriter, actor and activist Harry Belafonte and groundbreaking performer, comedienne and activist Lily Tomlin during its 17th annual Backstage at the Geffen fundraiser, it was announced today.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced the return of the legendary Miss Coco Peru in her latest solo show, Have You Heard? The Will & Grace star will play three performances only at the Renberg Theatre on Friday and Saturday, April 26 & 27, at 8pm and Sunday, April 28, at 7pm.