Michael Paternostro News

Funny Girl is rarely mounted anywhere. Seeing the show - somewhat flawed: could have a stronger book - but one that I adore - in Sacramento this week, it dawned on me why. You must have one singularly incredible star performer - one who can act and sing greater than most (the greatest star - please forgive, Mr. Merrill!), and let's face it, there are many talented ladies available, but just not that good, at least not up to the unforgettable Barbra Streisand who originated the part.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, JULY 25 which will mark its ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

It's safe to say that Roger Bean-the mind behind The Andrews Brothers, The Marvelous Wonderettes and its yuletide sequel Winter Wonderettes-has certainly become the most consistently successful purveyor of full-scale theatrical musicals that weave a simple story around a string of early to mid-20th Century pop hits. His latest of such offerings is LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, the crowd-pleasing jukebox musical that debuted last year at the Hudson Theatre in Hollywood and is now performing an eight-week engagement at the Laguna Playhouse through August 29. The original production garnered the L.A. Drama Critics Circle Award and Backstage's 2010 Garland Award for Best Production.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

Life Could Be a Dream @ the Laguna Playhouse, which opened Saturday July 10 with its original cast in tact and the very same creative dream team, is even stronger on a bigger stage. Opening it up for the Moulton Theatre in Laguna has not diminished one grain of its vibrant electricity. In fact, it's readier than ever for the lights of New York! Doug Carpenter, Daniel Tatar, Jessica Keenan Wynn, Jim Holdridge and Ryan Castellino are simply sensational with Roger Bean's stellar direction and Lee Martino's brilliant choreography that make it rock. One song 'The Great Pretender' has been cut and instead of 'Unchained Melody' reprised at the finale, it's now 'Life Could Be a Dream', which, as the show's title, makes much more sense! Bravo! Brava!

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, JUNE 20 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, JULY 25 which will mark its ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Casting for the 60th Music Circus season is nearing completion. After auditioning performers in New York, Los Angeles and Sacramento, California Musical Theatre Artistic Director Glenn Casale is finalizing the acting company for the seven-show season at the Wells Fargo Pavilion. The company is expected to include Broadway veterans, including Tony Award nominees, television comedians, up-and-coming young actors and plenty of returning Music Circus favorites. Complete cast lists are available online at www.SacramentoMusicCircus.com and are subject to change.

Sacramento Music Circus has announced the casting for its sixtieth summer season. The seven-show season will include the Music Circus premieres of 'Spamalot,' 'Dirty Rotten Scoundrels' and 'The Marvelous Wonderettes' and new stagings of 'Oklahoma!,' 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,' '42nd Street' and 'Funny Girl,' the latter returning to Music Circus after an 18-year absence.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, MAY 30 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, JUNE 20 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are will close their Ovation and LADCC nominated, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) on Sunday, April 25 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

David Elzer, Peter Schneider and Crooning Crabcakes, LLC are thrilled to announce that their LADCC (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction), LA WEEKLY (Best Musical) and BACKSTAGE GARLAND (Best Production, Best Ensemble, Best Musical Direction) award-winning, critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK, LA WEEKLY GO!) smash-hit world premiere production of LIFE COULD BE A DREAM, written and directed by Roger Bean (The Marvelous Wonderettes) with choreography by Lee Martino (Reprise On Your Toes, On The Town) and musical direction by Michael Paternostro (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Thrill Me) is EXTENDING AGAIN through SUNDAY, MAY 30 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.

Winner of the 2008/09 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award for its critically-acclaimed production of Kiss of the Spider Woman (Best Musical - Intimate Theatre), Havok Theatre Company will close its first production of 2010, the critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK), Los Angeles Premiere of the Broadway musical THE STORY OF MY LIFE on April 18th. The show features music and lyrics by Neil Bartram, book by Brian Hill, musical direction by Michael Paternostro and directed by Havok's Artistic Director and Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio and starring Robert J. Townsend and Chad Borden.

Winner of the 2008/09 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Award for its critically-acclaimed production of Kiss of the Spider Woman (Best Musical - Intimate Theatre), Havok Theatre Company is thrilled to announce that its first production of 2010, the critically-acclaimed (LA Times CRITICS' CHOICE, Backstage CRITIC'S PICK), Los Angeles Premiere of the Broadway musical THE STORY OF MY LIFE with music and lyrics by Neil Bartram, book by Brian Hill, musical direction by Michael Paternostro and directed by Havok's Artistic Director and Ovation Award-winner Nick DeGruccio and starring Robert J. Townsend and Chad Borden; is EXTENDING through Sunday, April 18 at the Lillian Theatre, 6322 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood.