Don Grigware - Page 2

Actor/singer Scott Dreier needs no introduction. His involvement with The Doris Day Project is amazing and next Sunday he will present The Merry Little Christmas Show for two performances only at the Colony Theatre. In the conversation that follows he talks in depth about both. Tell our readers about your Christmas show. Is this the first time you have done one at Christmas? SD: This is my first official Christmas show! Of course, as a singer, I have been hired many times over the past years to sing for different Christmas and holiday events. And I have always absolutely loved getting to sing these timeless, gorgeous songs. I have always wanted to create a holiday show. And the inspiration for it has been watching those classic Christmas specials of Perry Como, Andy Williams, The Carpenters, etc. No matter how many times I watch those specials during the holidays, it just feels like they are each effortlessly transporting me with them into the cozy comfort of their living rooms.a?? And I wanted to create a show that would honor that feeling that we all get and just help take people

Who can beat the prolific talent and indomitable spirit of Irving Berlin? His music is ageless. On film Holiday Inn in 1942 introduced the world to 'White Christmas' that became a great big movie hit as well but not for another 12 years. Many forget that White Christmas was a hit in 1954. Then White Christmas became a hit onstage in 2000 and Holiday Inn didn't come to Broadway until 2016. We're talking almost a hundred years, and people still crave Irving Berlin.

There is only one Levi Kreis. No one can compare! He has the voice of country, pop, jazz and r&b rolled into one and filled with a deep soulful yearning that is at once reocognizable yet clearly out of reach. He is bar none the most fascinating singer of our time. Saturday December 7, Kreis returned to the Renberg Theatre of the LGBT Center on McCadden in Hollywood for a unique Christmas concert with special guest star Jason Antone, a deliriously talented crossover classical singer who also happens to be his life partner. Backed by two musicians Josh on guitar and Garrett on drums, referred to throughout the 105 minute set as the Levi Kreis band, and two backup singers Danisha and Miss Pam, Kreis lit

Big screen megahit to stage megahit seems to be the norm today for a new Broadway musical especially if it starts as a Disney film. Following in the footsteps of The Lion King is Frozen, so popular with today's young and adult audiences that Frozen II is on the near horizon. Currently onstage at the Hollywood Pantages, Frozen the Musical does have its moments and is indeed a perfect show for the holidays and will be in town at the Hollywood Pantages until February 2. Visually stunning onstage is

In training for the acting profession yours truly studied ballet, and I was always the first to throw the line off. I could not dance...ballet or any other form. I know so little about dance, then how can I write about it? Well, when Matthew Bourne is involved, I am envelopped in magic. What a treat to attend a Matthew Bourne event! Yes, his ballet productions are events ...  filled with magical storytelling without a word of dialogue. Like singers or actors, the ensemble tell the story through movement, with Tchaikovsky's gorgeous music to back it up. It's breathtakingly beautiful. Anger, violence and at the opposite extreme,  sensual appeal, blatant or subdued, and love are the most readily reognized emotions in this art form. Bourne divides his production into four acts with an intermission between Ac

This interview is directed to playwright Phil Olson, so tremendously popular for his Don't Hug Me series of musicals. His new play A Twisted Christmas is about to open Upstairs at GrouRep on December 14. Tell our readers about your A Twisted Christmas Carol. When you say that it is the Dickens tale Texas style, what exactly do you mean? Is there a lot of the humor of Don't Hug Me and its characters in this piece? A Twisted Christmas Carol is a Texas spoof of Charles Dickens' classic story, a?oeA Christmas Carol.a??

BT McNicholl is the producing artistic director of La Mirada Theatre of the Performing Arts and occasionally directs a show. He is currently in rehearsal for the Lythgoe Panto Peter Pan and Tinker Bell A Pirate's Christmas to open this week at the Laguna Playhouse. In our conversation he talks in detail about the Panto. What do you like about the Panto productions? BTM: They're eminently accessible -- contemporary pop songs fused with plucky twists on well-known tales. Plus, these productions feature exceptional professional talents, so -- for children experiencing theatre for the first time -- it's an introduction at a very high level. Best of all, it's a family tradition that can be repeated annually, but without ever becoming stale -- the content keeps changing (one year it's PETER PAN, the next year it's SNOW WHITE, then ALADDIN, etc) -- but the theatrical experience remains vibrant and participatory.

D. Scott Eads brought his holiday show to Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal entitled Christmastime in the Key of Bing Sunday December 1 to a packed house of loving fans. The show came in at about 100 minutes and is ideally suited to a theatre stage. Not only were we treated to a fine carol selection and to a bevy of guest stars, but Eads featured story readings that in a larger space could be staged with more creative flair. But, as is, it was more than a fulfilling evening of holiday mirth.

Michael Mullen works onstage and behind the scenes. He is a superb costumer and an equally marvelous actor. In our conversation he talks about his 7 BWW Award nominations and overall about the joy of being in the theatre. How does it feel to be nominated four times for a BWW Award for costuming? MM: It feels really cool to be nominated for 4 BWW Awards for Costume Design. I loved working on all 4 of the shows. It was fun to delve into the 1930s with She Loves Me. I love the Victorian period which I got to do with The Importance Of Being Earnest. The Elizabethan period is one of my favorite time periods which we set The Merchant Of Venice in. And Roots was a series of 4 one-act shows that allowed me to create costumes from modern day to Peter The Great to Ayn Rand to a comedic cockroach.

Filipino/American actress Ashley Argota is known for her roles on television, such as Lulu on the Nickelodeon sitcom True Jackson, VP,[2] and Kelly Peckinpaugh on the Nickelodeon sitcom Bucket & Skinner's Epic Adventures. She is no stranger to the stage either, creating diverse characters over the years in the Lythgoe Family Pantos. In our talk, Argota talks about playing Tinkerbell in this year's Panto at Laguna Playhouse entitled Peter Pan and Tinker Bell, A Pirate's Christmas, playing December 4 through the 29th.

Actor/director/author Bruce Kimmel is best known to audiences for his tremendous work with Kritzerland, his own company that produces updated albums of classic musicals as well as recordings of new ones like his A Carol Christmas, produced last year at Group Rep and currently nominated for several BroadwayWorld Awards. Kimmel is about to open The Man Who Came to Dinner at Group Rep on December 6. In our convesation he talks about his fondness for the play and gives us his vision for a successful production of it. How do you envision The Man Who Came to Dinner onstage? BK: Fast. Funny. I love the play, have played Banjo twice, so it's really fun to come back to it as a director. The comedy is as funny as it's always been and it's also great to be able to bring whatever we can bring to it. But, for me, pace is key - the play can run long, but I'm making sure that doesn't happen here. Why do you think it has endured all these years even though it's a period piece with the mention of many, many names people today do not recognize? BK: The central situation is so relatable - someone takes over your house and your life, and disrupts everything, but, in the end, ends up being helpful to people. Add to that, the assortment of crazies who populate Sheridan Whiteside's wo

Actress Beth Kennedy is a staple performer with the Troubadour Theatre Company, being one of its founders. The company is about to open A Christmas Carole King for previews on December 7 at the El Portal in NoHo. In our conversation Kennedy talks about how this revival show fits perfectly into the Troubies mission statement. Describe the music of A Christmas Carole King and how it fits into the Troubies irreverant style

Singer D Scott Eads was just nominated for a BroadwayWorld Award for his phenomenal show Shake the House presented at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in September. In our conversation he talks about his nomination and his upcoming show Christmastime in the Key of Bing this coming Sunday December 1, once again at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. How does it feel to be nominated for a BWW Award? It's very validating and gratifying to be recognized in this nomination, so it feels great! I have had a very busy year crafting and launching three different shows from three different eras and categories of music - with great audience response for each - and it's helped me grow in many ways. Without being cliche, it has been quite a journey. I really challenged myself on many levels and was also dealt some unexpected challenges but all-in-all, everything I've been through has been a growth

When I heard that actor/singer Adam Jacobs, who originated the role of Aladdin on Broadway, would be doing a cabaret on Friday November 22 at Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's, I changed other plans and quickly made press reservations. I saw the affable performer when he opened Aladdin at the Hollywood Pantages in January 2018. I wrote the following in my review of the evening: LA audiences are exceedingly lucky to have the original Aladdin Adam Jacobs playing the role for a couple of weeks. Handsome with a sensational vocal instrument, this young lad is top notch. There is a sincerity within that makes Aladdin a winning personality. Not only can he fly the magic carpet, but in Jacobs' hands, he finds his truth and lives it.

Lee Blessing's latest play For the Loyal receives its West Coast premiere at Sixry-six Theatre Co. With a cast of five stellar actors and directed ingeniously by artistic director Paul Rush, For the Loyal is set in a midwest University town where the football coach comes under scrutiny for molesting a young boy. The play is intelligent, immensely thought provoking and should be a big draw for audience who love gritty, humanely penetrating theatre.

Donaco Smyth is a Los Angeles based actor and writer. He is a founding member of Neo Ensemble Theatre and has acted in plays and musicals on both coasts. His play Capsized Flotsam has been produced in L.A., NYC and in Melbourne, Florida. Another full length play, Annoyed by Life is currently published by Heuer Publishing. In 2013, his short film, a?oeWay of Seeinga??, played in five film festivals around the country.  Professionally, Donaco's performed the roles of King Henry II in Lion in Winter, Falstaff in a?oeMerry Wives of Windsor, Daddy Warbucks in a?oeAnniea??, a sullen criminal on a?oeLaw & Ordera?? and tons of original roles by various writers at Neo Ensemble Theatre in Los Angeles. How did you get involved in creating Animal Watch?

Paul Rush is the artistic director of Sixty-six Theater Co. located inside the Strasberg Institute in Hollywood. In our second conversation Rush talks about his excitement for the company getting the rights to produce Lee Blessing's new play For the Loyal. The West Coast premiere opens November 21 at Sixty-Six. Tell our readers about your next production. Why are you so excited about getting the rights to this play?

Actress/dancer/singer Sandy Bainum proved once again on Sunday November 10 that she can do it all. It was the premiere of her new cabaret show Ever Blondeward at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. In the show she payed tribute to great celebrity blondes like Peggy Lee, Doris Day, Mitzi Gaynor, Marilyn Monroe and Betty Hutton, among others, who left their mark on the world as great entertainers. The sold out house were enchanted by Bainum, who is not only beautiful but a glorious singer and raconteur.

On Saturday November 9, iconic actress/singer Rita Moreno brought her one-woman show An Evening with Rita Moreno to the Broad stage in Santa Monica for one evening only. The sold out event was very exciting considering Moreno is 87 and still performing, with tremendous passion I might add. The voice is obviously not what it once was, but whose is. What is appealing to watch is how her body sways so gracefully to the rhythms, as she lovingly raises her arms and lets them move fluidly to convey the story.

Highways Performance Space & Gallery presents Film Maudit 2.0, its inaugural film festival dedicated to outré films, inspired by the legendary artist Jean Cocteau's 1949 Festival Du Film Maudit, which celebrated a group of films that were criminally overlooked and neglected at the time. The event will be held Thursday, November 14 - Sunday, November 17 at Highways Performance Space & Gallery at 1651 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404 http://www.filmmaudit.org