44, EL OTRO OZ & More Set for Spring 2025 CTG:FWD Programming

Spring 2025 CTG:FWD programming has been revealed, featuring theatrical and musical programs. Two productions are at the Kirk Douglas Theatre: the first is the new musical comedy 44, which began with a sold-out engagement at LA’s The Bourbon Room, followed by performances in New York City and Philadelphia and then to Chicago at the time of the 2024 Democratic National Convention. It takes a satirical look at the rise and presidency of Barack Obama, as well as the eccentric political characters he met along the way.  

44 will be performed at the Kirk Douglas Theatre from February 23 to March 23 (opening Thursday, February 27). It is written, composed, and directed by Eli Bauman, and is produced by Monica Saunders-Weinberg (Hana Black Productions), along with Bauman. Tickets on sale to the general public beginning Monday, January 27, 2025.

Obama's election changed history. And as we can clearly see, it also ended racism forever! But 44 is the story of the Obama you won't read about in history books ... because history books are now banned in most states. But also because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it ... as a Musical!

Bauman said, “As we survived the totally normal and stress-free 2024 election and Inauguration Day, we hope you’ll join us for a look back at the 44th Presidency of the United States—when the White House was full of hope, when the President didn’t endorse a violent attack on his own Vice President, and the President’s largest scandal was wearing a tan suit.”

44 is followed by a return engagement of TheaterWorksUSA’s New York Times Critic’s Pick El Otro Oz to the Kirk Douglas Theatre from March 29 to April 13.  Click your heels together tres veces and take a transformative journey with this salsa, merengue, and Mexican folk-infused musical inspired by The Wizard of Oz.

This bilingual musical by Mando Alvarado, Tommy Newman, and Jaime Lozano tells the story of Dora. As her fifteenth birthday approaches, Dora, a contemporary Latiné teenager, struggles with her family’s ideas about tradition and dreads her impending quinceañera. But, when Dora gets swept away to a strange new land, she learns how to celebrate her unique rhythm and embrace her cultural identity. 

The newly announced CTG:FWD attractions are completed by two new concerts from MUSE/IQUE in the Mark Taper Forum from March 21 to 23 and August 8 to 10. MUSE/IQUE is a member-supported, nonprofit performing arts organization making radically engaging live music experiences accessible for all. Built on a tradition of community and collaboration, they create events that feature an eclectic mix of artists and artistic disciplines that take place at a variety of our city’s historic locales and cultural institutions.

In March, MUSE/IQUE pays tribute to Ray Charles with the story of how his diverse musical genres, influences, and collaborators all culminated in his landmark recording of “America the Beautiful” in 1972. In August, MUSE/IQUE explores the bustling music scene where salsa, boogaloo, mambo and more converged in New York in the neighborhood known as “Spanish Harlem” during the postwar World War II era. More details about these performances will be announced next week.

MUSE/IQUE creates immersive musical adventures and illuminates the music that shapes our lives. By reimagining the traditional format of the live classical orchestral experience, Artistic Director Rachael Worby seamlessly blends musical performances with researched curation. Their mission is to build empathy and awaken curiosity through live events and strong partnerships with fellow nonprofit organizations in Pasadena and the greater Los Angeles area.

Upcoming Spring 2025 CTG:FWD programming at the Mark Taper Forum is made possible through the generous support of the S. Mark Taper Foundation. Additional funding is provided by gifts to the Artistic Director Discretionary Fund. Tickets and information are available at centertheatregroup.org.

These events are a continuation of an initiative created by Artistic Director Snehal Desai beginning in 2023. Desai said, “CTG:FWD continues to expand the variety of programming and experiences we are able to bring to Center Theatre Group audiences. TheaterWorksUSA has brought us musicals based on Dav Pilkey’s enormously popular characters with Dog Man: The Musical and Cat Kid Comic Club: The Musical. Now, they bring us this critically acclaimed reimagining of Oz, with a lasting identification with the heroism and courage among characters that have become among the most enduring of the past hundred years, no matter the version.” 

Desai continued, “In an entirely different vein, 44 brings us a hilarious revisiting of the recent past, even as it feels distant now—but more importantly, allows us to support a new musical born right here in Los Angeles. Finally, I could not be more thrilled to continue our partnership with MUSE/IQUE, led by the incomparable Rachael Worby, as they kick off their season under the roof of the historic Mark Taper Forum.”

Center Theatre Group will also be rolling out more special events and opportunities under the CTG:FWD banner throughout the coming year.

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