Don Grigware - Page 3

Actor Burt Grinstead gained recognition in Los Angeles for his terrific performance in Deathtrap at LGBTQ and later in The Rope at Actors Co-op. He formed his own production company and produced and co-starred in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which he also adapted with his partner Anna Stromberg. They won top prize at the Hollywood Fringe Festival in 2018. Grinstead is currently preparing to open as Richard the Lionheart in The Lion in Winter at Laguna Playhouse this Sunday November 10. In our conversation he talks about the play in depth and lays bare his passion for the acting profession.

SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical/book by Colman Domingo, Robert Cary & Des McAnuff/songs by Donna Summer, Giorgio Moroder, Paul Jabara and others/directed by Des McAnuff/choreography by Sergio Trujillo/music supervision by Ron Melrose/Hollywood Pantages Theatre/through November 24 The national tour of SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musical currently onstage at the Hollyqwood Pantages, is a feast for the eyes and ears for every Donna Summer fan. Born in 1948 LaDonna Adrian Gaines who eventually became the Queen of Disco used to skip high school classes in Boston Massachusetts and take the bus to New York to audition. She landed her first professional gig in the rock musical Hair and performed it in Munich where she created a sensation. Her hit song 'I Feel Love' brought her back to the US...and the rest is history.

On Sunday November 3, Terron Brooks presented a concert and CD release party for his new album The Soul of Broadway - Impossible Dreams at the Montalban in Hollywood. In my book, the sold out evening proved to be a highlight of the 2019 season. Brooks, known for playing Eddie Kendricks in the Emmy-winning NBC miniseries The Temptations in 1998, has a spectacular singing voice, and as a life coach and inspirational speaker infused the concert with joy and optimism for his audience... which goes far beyond a regular concert event. Like many entertainers, Brooks rocketed to the top as an actor an

Armina LaManna is writer, director and also co-founder and artistic director of Imagine Project, L.A.'s only equity theatre company dedicated exclusively to young audiences. Its inaugural production opens on Nov. 7. Imagine Project presents its inaugural production, the World Premiere of The Tale of Turandot, a modern theatrical puppetry experience for elementary schoola?'aged children. Inspired by the centuries-old story, Armina LaManna wrote and will direct this family friendly production, which is geared toward children between the ages of four and twelve years old.  In our conversation LaManna talks in detail about the theatre company and the inaugural production. As a fan of children's theatre, I was amazed that there has not been am Equity company exclusively devoted to it. I grew up loving puppets and as a language teacher have used them in theatrical skits to tell my stories to students and teachers alike.

Joseph Leo Bwarie is one of the artistic directors of the nonprofit Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank, California. He is a Sherman Oaks native and a recording artist popular on Siriusly Sinatra on SiriusXM Radio. JLB is widely known for his record-breaking turn as Frankie Valli in the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys (over 2,000 performances - Las Vegas, 1st National Tour and Broadway). Bwarie's career began at age nine, appearing in the television series Highway to Heaven and Mama's Family. He is a longtime member of Troubadour Theater Company (recent: co-director and 'Ziggy' in Little Drummer Bowie and 'Octavius' in Julius Weezer). A directorial highlight was serving as associate director alongside Garry Marshall for the world premiere of Billy & Ray and its New York premiere at the Vineyard Theatre. GMT directorial: A Funny Thing Happened a?? Forum starring Paul C. Vogt and Joey McIntyre, and The Root Beer Bandits: A Rootin' Tootin' Wild West Musicale - an original family musical he co-created with Lori Marshall and Rachael Lawrence. Bwarie is getting ready to open a live radio play at Actors Co-op Friday November 1. In our conversation, he talks in depth about this new production of Miracle on 34th Street.

Listening to Sylvia Brooks' album The Arrangement is a thrilling experience. Attending her live performance onstage is even more so. On Saturday October 26, Brooks brought her fascinating jazz/pop/Latin sounds to Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's for a sold out concert. What a pleasure to see this lovely woman dressed to the nines in an evening dress rarely worn by performers in today's circle and singing passionately with a 7 piece orchestra. Brooks poured her heart out and really had a grand time...meaning her enjoyment reached over the footlights and pulled her audience in, held on to them and never let go for 90 minutes. That in my book is a truly great performer, who leaves you begging for more.

Actor/singer/songwriter Terron Brooks is best known for his portrayal of Eddie Kendricks in the1998 NBC Emmy winning miniseries The Temptations. On Broadway he played Simba in The Lion King and Seaweed in Hairspray. Brooks is about to release a solo album entitled The Soul of Broadway - Impossible Dreams. I have heard some of the mastered tracks and his range and delivery are nothing short of amazing. The voice is pure velvet. On Sunday November 3, he will perform in concert at the Montalban in Hollywood, where the new CD will be available. In our conversation he talks passionately about the CD and the concert.

What do the 1950s have in common with 1912? Both were ages of innocence. When Meredith Willson wrote his story with Franklin Lacey about a con artist bamboozling an Iowa town in 1912, which formed the substance of his musical The Music Man (1957), the effect became like that of N. Richard Nash's The Rainmaker. People were jubilant, ecstatic and welcomed Professor Harold Hill, as they craved a good old-fashioned love story coated with ironic excitement. He was a charmer, and they saw way past his bad side. Now in a spectacular new production at 5-Star Theatricals, this company headed by Tony nominee Adam Pascal, keeps the show fantastically rousing and musically. almost perfect yet grounding the love story within the realm of  kitchen.sink believability. With splendid director Larry Raben, divine choreographer Peggy Hickey and fab musical director Brad Ellis at the helm, a marvlous 40 member cast takes the The Music Man and offers a much needed take on the way life should be, whether it's 1912, 1955 or 2019.

Disney/Newsies/The Broadway Musical/book by Harvey Fierstein/music y Alan Menken/lyrics by Jack Feldman/directed & choreographed by Janet Renslow/Candlelight Pavilion, Claremont/through November 23 Based on fact, in 1899 droves of newsboys from every borough of New York City banned together and went on strike against Joseph Pulitzer, William Randolph Hearst and other wealthy newspaper owners, in a crusade to save children from menial wages and physical abuse. This was a first, where uneducated street kids stood up to the big suits and won. In 1992 Disney created the movie Newsies that went on to become a popular hit. In 2012 Harvey Fierstein, Alan Menken and Jack Feldman came to Broadway with a musical show they created based on the film. Newsies is currently onstage at Candlelight Pavilion. This is a huge undertaking for Candlelight, and as with Titanic and other big shows of the past year, they have surpassed expectations to the A+ level. From the top the 28

Michael Ventre studied at the University of Southern California both in Journalism and at the graduate school of Cinema. He also studied acting at the Stella Adler Conservatory in Los Angeles. As s journalist, he has contributied to such publications as MSNBC.com, Variety, American Way (American Airlines) magazine, Los Angeles Confidential magazine, Los Angeles Times magazine, Produced by (Producers Guild) magazine and many others. Ventre has been working for a few years on a new musical with arresting political references called Letters to Benito. In our conversation he

Filipe Valle Costa is the founder and co-artistic director of the Saudade Theatre, the first and only Portuguese theatre in Los Angeles to translate Portuguese playwrights into English. The company will soon open My Favorite Suicide on October 18. Filipe, tell our readers about Saudade Theatre. Most importantly, as the first and only Portuguese theatre in the US, how has it made a difference for the Portuguese and our American culture? FVC: Well, that is the key right there. Saudade Theatre is the first and only Portuguese theatre company in the US, and as such, it's our mission to develop original and thought-provoking work grounded in the Portuguese experience. I never wanted Saudade to be a 'museum' theatre company. In other words, it is not our goal to grow a company that merely presents an American audience with a Portuguese story, or our history straight from the history books. As Portuguese immigrants having

Knot Free Productions Presents/In Trousers/book, music & lyrics by William Finn/directed by Ryan O'Connor/Lounge Theatre, Hollywood/musical director: Jake Anthony/through November 3 When I saw Stephen Sondheim's Company on Broadway in the early 1970s, I was overwhelmed by the speed at which the ensemble said their lines, sang their songs and just moved across the stage. I knew I was in the presence of genius, but I had to really listen and focus in order to keep up with them and understand what was happening. William Finn's In Trousers, composed in 1979 and revised in 1985 for off-Broadway and... so rarely produced, is akin to Company in this way. It moves with the speed of light, and the four actors never let down for a second. Later Finn composed March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland, put together as Falsettos. These two along with In Trousers have often been referred t

Singer/actress/songwriter/author/teacher Harriet Schock has had an incredible career in composing for TV and film. She still performs in live concerts around the globe, gives master classes in songwriting and is lauded for her great skill and humanity in writing songs that resonate with the human spirit. 'Ain't No Way to Treat a Lady' and 'First Time on a Ferris Wheel' are but two of her magnificent hit pop songs. In our conversation she really digs deep to help us understand and feel the songwriting process.

Based on the 1997 animated film 'Anastasia', Anastasia the New Broadway Musical, bowing on broadway in 2017, is an entertaining whirlwind of sight and sound. It will make you laugh and cry. You will undoubtedly leave the theatre with a lasting impression of grande theatricality and how it weaves its magic into our humdrum lives. Plus, it is based on fact. Currently onstage at the Hollywood Pantages until October 27 only, this Anastasia has the makings of a great big hit.

Renowned magician Siegfried Tieber, who was a sensation on television with Penn and Teller, is about to perform a new show Red Thread in downtown Los Angeles Oct. 3 a?' Nov. 10. The interesting part is that there are only 6 shows per week for 6 weeks and ... only 34 guests will make up the audience for each show. In our conversation he explains the show and why it must be performed in an intimate space. Tell our readers about your fascinating background. Your father came from Austria and your mother from Colombia. You grew up in Ecuador. How did magic become a part of your childhood? When did it become more important to you than anything else?

Actress/Producer Tal Fox is about to open in the rarely produced In Trousers at The Lounge. In our conversation she tells us about this and her other theatrical chestnuts. TAL FOX  - Tal is an LA-based actress, singer and theater educator. Theater credits include: Max & Ruby (National Tour), The Christians (Center Theatre Group), Star Is Born 3, Unauthorized Musical Parody of Mean Gurlz (The Rockwell), Kiss Me, Kate, Urinetown, Sunday in the Park with George, Zorba, Hello Again, The Spitfire Grill, Ragtime... Tal holds a BFA in Musical Theater and BA in Communications from Pace University, and is also a producer, writer, and casting director. Producing credits include: Star is Born 3 (The Rockwell) and Dreamgirls (5-Star Theatricals). Casting work includes: Good Grief (Center Theater Group), Collective Rage (Theatre @ Boston Court), 5-Star Theatrical's productions of Shrek, Matilda, West Side Story, and The Music Man. Follow her on Instagram: @talmorningdew ~Tal  

Jazz artist Sylvia Brooks has quite a fascinating background to share with us. In her live concert at Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's on October 26 she will sing from her three albums with an eclectic mix of songs. Talk about your album The Arrangement and how it became a breakout in forwarding your career. SB: Before I started to make this album, I was in a bit of a quandary. I knew that I wanted to explore a variety of styles- and really didn't want to only stick with one idea in order to make the album cohesive. I love Latin music, Classic Jazz, Blues and certain pop songs that I have always wanted to record, like the Beatles 'Eleanor Rigby' and Hank Willi

Actress/singer Pamela Clay has been performing a show she wrote about Edith Piaf entitled Forever Piaf for quite some time to great acclaim! She will perform it locally at Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's on October 16. In our conversation she talks about growing up in a musical family and how Piaf's outlook became the cornerstone of her life. Tell us about your background. As a child, how did you become interested in music? When did you know that it would be your career? PC: One of the first things I remember was hearing classical music. Both my parents were blessed with beautiful voices, played piano, and my father also played trumpet. Daddy was a child prodigy who played classical piano live on the radio at age five,

Singer D. Scott Eads returned to Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal for the third time Sunday September 29. and his latest show Shake the House proved indeed that the third time's the charm. It pulled together rock 'n roll chart toppers of the 50s and 60s covering Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison all the way up to Elvis and the Beatles. This is obviously Eads' kind of show The material suits his voice and musical style to perfection. He really got into the music, moving his body in rythym and stretching his vocal instrument to the max with power and passion. Owning the show, he captured our total  involvement in the process. 

Drina Durazo and Gus Krieger are about to open an adaptation of Night of the Living Dead at Group Rep on October 4. In our conversation they talk about the excitement of presenting this Halloween treat. Gus Krieger (Writer): Original stage plays include Deity Clutch, Sherlock, Through The Looking-Glass, The Armadillo Necktie, and Breaking Bard. Awards include the Spirit of the Fringe Award for Best Writing, Scenie Awards for Best World Premiere Play and Outstanding Production, and the Valley Theatre Award for Best Play. Krieger's first produced feature screenplay a?oeThe Killing Rooma?? premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. As writer-director-producer, Krieger's films include the philosophical thriller 'The Binding,' and the award-winning hip-hop drama 'My Name Is Myeisha.' Additionally, Krieger is the Associate Artistic Director of The Porters of Hellsgate, which will become the first Los Angeles theatre company to produce the complete works of William Shakespeare.