Don Grigware - Page 33

years ago. I understand the set is different. How? Does it bring the audience into the action more? The Off Broadway production was the impetus for a renewal of interest in the show. Although it closed early, that chamber production, which was performed on a standard proscenium stage, proved that the brand still had widespread audience appeal.

One faces an undeniably horrendous situation that will only get worse before it gets better...and the clincher?... it is fueled by love. That's the trap created by Frawley Becker in his play Tiger by the Tail now playing at Group rep in Noho through April 19. The tender theme is made sweeter by smooth direction and a terribly appealing cast. For those who are not afraid to follow their feelings of romance and take the plunge into the realm of the unknown, Tiger by the Tail is most worthwhile.

FRAWLEY BECKER is a published book and short story author and a published and three-time prize-winning playwright. A man of many talents, he was a State Department Entertainment Director for military bases outside Paris during the Cold War, founded the first African-American theatre company within the U.S. military in 1959, formed Paris Playhouse in 1963 and was the first to professionally produce Edward Albee plays in France. For the next ten years he worked as a bilingual dialogue coach in films while living in Paris, coaching Audrey Hepburn, Peter O'Toole, Rex Harrison, Omar Sharif, Jacqueline Bisset, Ann-Margret, Samantha Eggar, Robert Ryan, Gene Wilder and all the Oompa-Loompas of the original Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Back in the U.S., Becker worked as a location manager for features including Jerry Maguire, Steel Magnolias, and the original Footloose, and TV movies for Oprah Winfrey Presents; and was a production executive at The Disney Studios. His award-winning, searing drama 'Tiger by the Tail' has its west coast premiere March 6 through April 19 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in the NoHo Arts District of North Hollywood, CA. For more information about the play please visit http://www.thegrouprep.com

Remember when you were a child and hated to think? Or were you like JoJo with excessively brilliant thinks? No matter! Put yourself into a Dr. Seuss...ical mode and get on down to the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center from Friday March 6 to Sunday March 8 only for the final weekend of performances of 3-D Theatricals' exhilarating Seussical the Musical. David Engel, an original member of the Broadway cast, directs with panache and Cathy Rigby leads a delightful cast in a show for youngsters young and old.

Inside Out/book by Doug Haverty/music by Adryan Russ/lyrics by Haverty & Russ/directed by Bruce Kimmel/The Grove Theater Center, Burbank/through March 22 Celebrating its 20th anniversary the little musical Inside Out by Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ throws a boldly bright spotlight on the positive loving effects of group therapy. Based on the actual accounts of women who joined a group in the early 90s, Inside Out shares their stories...and the music is not only part of the plot, as pop singer Dena (Leslie Stevens) agonizes over the challenges of making a comeback, but more urgently becomes the almost guaranteed therapeutic force of nature for the entire piece. Six outstanding singers/actresses under the uber skilled direction of Bruce Kimmel dispense advice and sing and move with electrifying verve. Now onstage at the Grove Theater Center in Burbank, Inside Out may very well prove to be a better tonic than a gospel revival. In fact, it's assuredly the most effervescent all-girl group in town!

Actress/singer Cathy Rigby is finishing her run with one more weekend as the Cat in the Hat in 3-D Theatricals' production of Seussical The Musical at Redondo Performing Arts Center March 6-8. Rigby talks about her love of this role and other theatrical delights. Why is the Cat in the Hat a favorite role of yours? I saw you play it at your theatre many years ago. Although the Cat seems to create chaos… His main objective in this play is to help 'Jojo' understand that his imagination and creativity are wonderful!!! As well as valuable, and practical! In this story, Jojo's 'Thinks' help him to save 'Whoville' and all the people who live there.

When I first heard that Peter Quilter's End of the Rainbow, the story of the demise of Judy Garland during her gig in December, 1968 at Talk of the Town, London, was going to be produced at ICT, Long Beach, I remember thinking 'They'd better get a super dynamic actress. Not everyone can play Judy Garland!' Whether you believe that the events that happen onstage really did occur seems irrelevant in ICT's production; what is all wrong is the casting. Unfortunately, Gigi Bermingham, a fine actress/singer, just does not make the cut. Within five minutes of her first entrance, I saw a woman playing an actress/singer with emotional problems, but that woman might as well be herself; it is not Judy Garland.

On Sunday July 24, actress/singer Kristin Towers-Rowles debuted her one-woman cabaret A Lovely Lineage at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's to resounding success. The amazing singer, who is the grand daughter of legendary MGM musical star Katharine Grayson and Broadway veteran Johnnie Johnston, saluted them both as well as her musical comedy performing parents Patty and Robert Towers. Although the young descendant of American show business royalty has a stupendous background, her life has not been that rosy. Playing a role onstage in a show called Veggie Tales, Towers-Rowles popped a disc in her back from wearing a 50-pound costume and was told she would never appear on stage again. She made a near complete recovery and although she still is in pain, exclaims, 'If I have to hurt, I might as well hurt on stage.' It is this unsinkable brave spirit that is present in her beautiful singing voice, in her glowing personality and overall captivating aura. She has an infectious sense of humor as well.

Like The King and I, Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific is a heartbreaking, yet uplifting story told across racial borders ... with an elegant score. The look in its rich set design with an incredible, dreamlike Bali Ha'i in the background, setting the romantic tone for the entire show, adds lovely detail to the current production at MTW, Long Beach. This production is marvelous with great direction and a sensational cast.

Back in the early 70s I was enthralled by the majestic overture of Jesus Christ Superstar and by the gripping power of the lyrics.This is operetta at its best, where the entire story must come to fruition through the singing. When done well, these Bibilical characters come off the pages as real human beings with raw emotions; because of this musical endeavor, we more clearly understand the motivations of Christ, the adoration of his disciples and Mary Magdalene, the bewilderment of Pontius Pilate and Herod and try to see how one friend may betray another. I was so moved that as a Catechism teacher, I played the Webber/Rice score for my classes to stimulate their critical thinking. Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson and Yvonne Elliman provided sterling vocal interpretations that made the whole process so richly rewarding. But, religious or not, audiences across the board are deeply moved by the elegant score, and DOMA's re-envisioned production now onstage at the MET is splendiferous with a terrific cast that can all really sing and move.

As my eyes panned across the Geffen Playhouse stage before the opening of Conor McPherson's The Night Alive, I could not help but notice the large poster of the film The Great Escape on the wall of Takeshi Kata's set of the dingy Edwardian house in Phoenix Park, Dublin that is the home of Maurice, nephew Tommy and sometimes business partner Doc. Would it tell something about the characters' plight or condition? After all, this is contemporary Dublin, Ireland. There's poverty, isolation and about as much unhappiness as one would find anywhere else in the world in this day and age, maybe more.

Enter Laughing - The Musical/book by Joseph Stein/music & lyrics by Stan Daniels/directed by Stuart Ross/Lovelace Studio Theater of the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills/through March 1

Whereas contemporary parents struggle to keep their children away from drugs and alcohol, Kelly Carlin spent her girlhood trying to keep her parents clean and sober, Growing up with George Carlin and his wife Brenda was not the easiest task, as young Kelly figuratively spent many useless years on a street corner trying to find herself, who she truly was and what she wanted to do with her life. In a one-woman odyssey of self-discovery Carlin manages to get us to truly like her and still keep alive and in the center spotlight the sheer genius of her dad, comic icon George Carlin. My only qualm is that the show now onstage at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank could be trimmed down a tad, but overall it is engaging entertainment. A Carlin Home Companion will soon be a book published by St. Martin's Press and you can catch Kelly and her family portrait onstage through March 1.

Remember when English-born pop singer Engelbert Humperdinck (born Arnold George Dorsey) became a huge international sensation in the 60s after his number one hit 'Release Me' followed by 'There Goes My Everything'? His handsome looks and laid-back style made him ever so popular with female fans. Well, he's still singing with a new album of duets called ENGELBERT CALLING, and he will be appearing for one night only at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills February 20. With so many duet albums on the market today, why did you decide to do one as well?

On Sunday, February 8 LA's Next Great Stage Star 2015 came to an exciting conclusion at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. After an amazing 90-minute program in which the 20 contestants gave 150% to their uptempo songs from Broadway shows, fourteen contestants were eliminated and the top six* finalists selected. After a brief intermission, the announcement was made and each of the six then proceeded to perform a second number after which the distinguished panel of 15 judges made the final decision. Musical director par excellence James Lent accompanied at the piano throughout the three hour show.

It all started simply enough when Dick Cavett invited author/critic Mary McCarthy on his PBS talk show on January 25, 1980. What resulted from a completely unplanned remark was one of the biggest literary feuds in history. McCarthy, when asked by Cavett to mention questionable authors at the time, is quoted as responding about the dishonesty of Lillian Hellman 'Every word she writes is a lie, including 'and' and 'the'. Hellman just happened to be watching the TV program and proceeded to sue McCarthy, Cavett and the network for over a million dollars.

The Ahmanson Theatre welcomes back Dame Edna for the third time with Dame Edna's Glorious Goodbye The Farewell Tour. Things will never be quite the same thanks to Barry Humphries. He's Edna's manager and has exploited the lady's mind, body and spirit so much through the years that they are practically joined at the hip. Humphries makes an appearance at the end of the show, so with both personalities onstage, it's well worth your time to drop in for a visit. Edna spreads her good will abundantly and American audiences adore her, at least the majority, who also just happen to share a fondness for her son Kenny.

Author/actor/TV talk show host Dick Cavett will star at Theatre 40 in the controversial play Hellman v. McCarthy beginning February 6. Cavett is best known for his TV talk shows from the 70s to present time on CBS, ABC, PBS, USA Network and currently on TCM hosting reruns of his classic 70s interviews. He is known for his laid-back conversational style with such celebrities as Groucho Marx, Bette Davis, Katharine Hepburn, Jack Benny and Mel Brooks among many others. He is a three-time Emmy Award winner. He also currently writes a blog published by the New York Times.

A friend referred to The King and I as a war horse, an old chestnut, for it has surely surpassed time as an enduring musical classic, but upon seeing it again, one realizes just how potent, vibrant and topical a piece it truly is. Musicals of such depth and perspective with a keen eye to the future seem to be a thing of the past. Yes, it's a love story at the core, an unlikely one, but with many, many more levels. It entails issues of race, slavery, the urgency for a king of a tiny uncivilized kingdom to change his primitive, barbaric ways, and for his children to receive a truthful education as he embarks on assimilating 19th century Siam to western culture and civilization...and to repeat, it's a bigger-than-life love story that has become eternally revered not only for its music but for its intolerance of bigotry of any type. At Welk Resort, Escondido, Joshua Carr has staged generously yet simply, the result of which is a truly stellar production of the story of Anna and The King performed through April 5