Don Grigware - Page 26

After a series of breakthrough plays such as Stoneface and Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, which went on to larger venues and are still waiting in the wings for Broadway, the  brilliantly innovative Sacred Fools Theatre has moved into the remodeled Lillian Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard. With the opening of this brand new space comes the world premiere of Padraic Duffy's Past Time, a wildly funny comedy about finding happiness and the beauty missing in one's life. The five-character ensemble are a marvel to watch under Jeremy Aldridge's smooth direction through March 26.

I cannot remember when a play has touched me as strongly as the West Coast premiere of Barcelona by Bess Wohl, currently onstage at the Geffen through March 5. From the moment I entered the Gil Cates Theater and looked onstage at the attic apartment in Barcelona, with its dark, haunting, discombobulated appearance, I was thrillingly manipulated to examine it more fully... and I couldn't wait for the action of the play to begin. When it did, on the darkly lit set, two people (Carlos Leal, Betty Gilpin) entered the room fumbling to get each

Autobiographical one-man shows are out there in abundance; audience interest and overall success of each depends totally on the appeal of the individual performer. When you have a super talented man like James Mellon, who with his partner of 25 years Kevin Bailey has brilliantly run the NoHo Arts Center since 2004 and has also been a successful minister with the Global Truth Center, how can you come up any less than a winner? SissyBoy now playing at the NoHo Arts Center starts with Jim at age 7 and takes him all the way through his life to his current age, a youthful 61. It is simultaneously a coming.of.age story and at the end a celebration of surviving incredible odds and...embracing one' true identity.

Only one more night tonight Monday February 15 to catch celebrated stars of stage, screen and television Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss in Dearest Friend, a reading of the actual love letters of second U.S. President John Adams and his First Lady, Abigail Adams. These powerful and moving letters, written as our nation was being formed, by one of America's founders and his wife are extraordinary, moving and deeply insightful into their love for each other and for our great country.

Ask musical actors/actresses what is their favorite Broadway musical of all time and they most often concur, West Side Story. Why? It has phenomenal music by Leonard Bernstein, with concise poetic lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a tight and gripping book by Arthur Laurents, and brilliant choreography established in 1957 by Jerome Robbins. It is one of the most powerful love stories ever, next to Romeo and Juliet. With all these elements complementing one another, from the first downbeat of the orchestra and the appearance of the Jets creeping in one by one on a half-lit stage, the show pulls you in and doesn't let go of you for its two and a half hours ... and its message and images of love linger long after the curtain falls.

Years ago, comedian extraordinaire George Burns inhabited God on film; when he spoke, we listened. The world was in love with Burns, so who presently has the charisma, that same unmistakable appeal? Why, Sean Hayes, of course! Everybody loved him as rambunctious but likable Jack McFarland in TV's Will & Grace. He's the man. Even the voice of God admits up front in An Act of God, currently onstage at the Ahmanson Theatre through March 13, that if he is going to come down and meet the people, there are certain things that He lacks, which Hayes possesses. 'He acts, he sings, he dances, not exceedingly well; he just does them, but in the end we find ourselves rooting for him, don't we? The funny thing is, he has no idea he's here. My depthless profundities will be aided by his offbeat charm.'

On Monday, February 8 LA's Next Great Stage Star 2016 Presented by Princess Cruises came to an exciting conclusion on the mainstage of the NoHo Arts Center. After an amazing 90-minute program in which the 20 contestants gave 150% to their uptempo songs from Broadway shows, fifteen contestants were eliminated and the top five finalists selected during the first intermision. It was decided, like last year from the consensus of the judges, to add a sixth contestant. But when judges' votes were tabulated, there emerged a three-way tie between contestants James Padilla, Bethany Baderdeen and Edward Anderson. Each of these three presented a song and Edward Anderson was announced as the sixth finalist. Then each of the six proceeded to perform a second number after which the distinguished panel of 15 judges made the final decision during the second intermission. Musical director par excellence James Lent accompanied at the piano throughout the three hour show.

In Jack & Jill, playwright Jane Martin introduces us to a fictitious contemporary couple, both from previous failed marriages, who meet, have a reluctant affair, replete with doubts and insecurities, and eventually tackle marriage. At the very top they are skeptical about love and commitment - at least she is - so like a modern day George Bernard Shaw, Martin predicts unhappiness, a great deal of it. What makes this two-character comedy work especially well is the finite chemistry between its two stars Tanna Frederick and Robert Standley, two dynamite actors who are a joy to watch, under the expert direction of Jack Heller at the Santa Monica Playhouse through March 27.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum/book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart/ music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/Cabrillo Music Theatre, Thousand Oaks/directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld/choreographed by John Charron/through February 14 A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum is silliness personified from its zany characters and inane plot contrivances to its corny yet witty dialogue. It is clever farce set to music. Mistaken identities, zippity fast exits and entrances...it has no rhyme or reason but is terribly, terribly funny with belly laughs about every two seconds. Cabrillo's current revival is astonishingly good with a delicious cast and superlative direction from Lewis Wilkenfeld. It's a practically flawless production.

Veteran actor/producer Rudy Ramos shares with us his reasons for giving life to the Apache leader Geronimo who has been portrayed as a savage in the court of public opinion; that 'savage' image of the man that is often  reflected in literature, film, and TV.  The more Rudy Ramos looked into the life of the man and the warrior - - Geronimo's humanity took center stage.  In this play, we witness his resiliency, humor and genius as he cleverly evolves from a POW into a celebrity and entrepreneur.  The well-received solo show GERONIMO Life on the Reservation written by Janelle Meraz Hooper, directed by award-winning actor/director Steve Railsback, has toured the U.S. and now enjoys encore performances through February 20th at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks.   

Guys and Dolls/music & lyrics by Frank Loesser/book by Joe Swerling and Abe Burrows/based on stories by Damon Runyon/directed by John LaLonde/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through February 27

In his early days circa 1984, when he won 13 consecutive weeks on TV's Star Search, Sam Harris was flatly denied work on TV and in film because he was labeled 'too theatrical'. This quality - and I say quality - is what makes a performer exceptional; it sets him apart from the crowd, separating the men from the boys, so to speak. But casting people and agents frankly did not know what to do with him; his enormous talent defied categorization. He can sing, he can dance, he can act the bejesus out of a piece, injecting so much raw energy and passion into it that its substance literally leaps off the stage, directly into our hearts. Well, times did change. He has worked on television and on Broadway to great acclaim, and now he is back onstage once more with his autobiographical show HAM: A Musical Memoir for a limited run at the Renberg Theatre of LGBT, Hollywood through February 7 only.

Playwright A.R. Gurney, best known for Love Letters and The Cocktail Hour, has written some very topical plays, among them the lesser known 1988 Another Antigone, on the surface a dispute between a college professor of the classics and a creative student, but on a far greater level, exposing the repercussions of anti-semitism and the behind the scenes manipulation of courses and staff by a typical college administration in today's world of education. Produced in the new black box theatre upstairs at Group rep, Antigone is evenly directed by Linda Aznauer and extremely well acted by its ensemble of four, currently through February 7, only. When Senior Judy Miller (Natalia Santamaria) turns in a paper to Profesor Harper (Doug Haverty) in her Greek

Broadway had one of its greatest commercial hits and the longest running comedy-thriller with Ira Levin's Deathtrap in 1978, and it was later on film in 1982 with Michael Caine and Christopher Reeve. Like Sleuth  before it, Deathtrap makes a game out of murder with plot twists too numerable to mention, and adds just a small amount of comedy to make it all palatable. It's a play within a play, making it doubly intriguing to watch. Now on stage at Sierra Madre Playhouse, this new production of the classic is solid with fine direction from Christian Lebano and a resilient cast.

On Friday January15 internationally renowned jazz vocalist Lyn Stanley brought her CD release party for her latest hit album Interludes to the beautiful Art Deco La Cicada Club in downtown Los Angeles. It was a lush evening of jazz with a fabulous onstage orchestra of seasoned musicians and some delightful singing and dancing guest stars.

The Headlong, Nottingham Playhouse, and Almeida Theatre Production of/1984/by George Orwell/in a new adaptation by Robert Icke and Duncan Macmillan/directed by Icke and Macmillan/The Broad Stage, Santa Monica/through February 6

As Helen Sinclair (Emma Stratton) holds her hand over playwright David Shayne's (Michael Williams) mouth (picture above), fans of the 1994 film Bullets Over Broadway are bound to chuckle as they remember the famously unforgettable line spoken by the movie's Helen Sinclair Oscar winner Dianne Weist, 'Don't speak!' Weist, Jennifer Tilly as Olive and Chaz Palminteri as Cheech stole the brilliant film, so when I heard a couple of years ago that they were rehashing this for a Broadway musical, my reaction was 'Sacrilege! Why? Don't tamper with perfection!' Well, they didn't listen to me, obviously, as the musical went forward, and for some sketchy reasons, was a flop on Broadway. Let me tell you, as reluctant as I was to see the musical now onstage at the Pantages through January 24, I am glad I did, for it is actually quite good, with mostly sparkling performances, ingenious choreography recreated from Susan Stroman's original, fabulous costumes by William Ivey Long...and it's faithful to the film. No one dared to touch Woody Allen's uncannily sharp plot, dialogue and laugh lines. Yes, it could have an original score, but what is accomplished with the old standards aiding in moving the story forward, kind of like in Mamma Mia, works damn well. It's fun, ear and eye-filling entertainment!

Loosely patterned after 'an audition process', this 10th annual fully produced event is geared to discovering new talent between the ages of 18 and 32 for the musical theatre stage. This year the contest is generously sponsored/presented by Princess Cruises.

What can one say about pop/rock living legend Gladys Knight? A 7-time Grammy winner for gospel as well as R&B/pop hits, this lady at 71 years young, still rocks. She looks and sounds amazing! On New Year's Eve, Knight made an appearance at the Walt Disney Concert Hall for two concerts, one at 7 pm and the second at 10: 30 pm. I attended the 7 pm show, which was a near to full house of genuine fans, those who have followed her career since the 60s when she appeared as Gladys Knight and the Pips. A great five-piece band backed her: musical director Leon Turner; Darryle Woolfork on drums; James Davis on guitar; Joseph Green on bass; and Yuko Tamura on keyboard...and four terrific backup singers: Alexus Hoover, Brandon Smith, Porcha Clay, and JaVonte Pollard, all of whom got into the act a little bit later in the 90-minute set.

Actor/singer John Lloyd Young, best known for his Tony-winning portrayal of Frankie Valli in the original Broadway musical Jersey Boys and for his performance in the 2014 film, has performed eight record-breaking sell-out headlining engagements at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal since October 2014. His December 29th performance was once again sold out, with people waiting in line outside in the bitter cold for hours, and was attended by fans from all over the world, including a small Asian contingent from Japan and Germany. It is absolutely amazing to see how enthusiastically the fans respond to his first entrance onstage, and how they scream and stand up after many of the show's songs. He is revered and idolized almost as much as yesteryear's Elvis or Michael Jackson.