Don Grigware - Page 53

Actress Cathy Rigby was the highest-scoring American gymnast at the 1968 Olympics and became a favorite with American television audiences. She was U.S. National Gymnastic Champion in 1970 and 1972. Her greatest accomplishment was to become the first American woman to win a silver medal for the balance beam at the 1970 World Championships. In 1974, retired from gymnastics, she was offered the role of Peter Pan, which she has gloriously played for over 40 years, including Broadway with a Tony Award nomination as Best Actress in a Musical in 1990. She is about to open Peter Pan once more at the Pantages on January 15, having done it here in 2004. In our chat she talks about how she keeps the role fresh and why it has remained a favorite all these years.

LA's Next Great Stage Star 2013, the only musical theatre competition of its kind on the West Coast, kicked off on January 6th and runs through February 10. Meet this year's contestants below!

The Only Musical Theatre Competition of its Kind on the West Coast. Don' t miss your chance to cast your vote along with a panel of LA's most elite, Creative MusicalTheatre Forces as 20 Contestants compete for the Title of LA's Next Great Stage Star 2013, an Award of $1000 cash, a Professional Theatre Career, and their own Headlining Concert Engagement at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal during 2013.

Watching two wonderful actors play out the conflicting rhythms of life to Holtzman's uplifting strains is a valued and most enjoyable experience.

Tony Award-winning Idina Menzel is in a class of performers who simply defy description. She has an extraordinary quality that must be experienced up close and personal, for it's not only the tremendously dynamic voice that impresses but a wildly disarming charisma that holds you spellbound. On New Year's Eve her 7:00 pm show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall lasted about 90 minutes, but seemed to fly by in a flash.

The choices I have made are based solely on the plays and performances that I actually saw. I cannot see all the great talent that is out there in LA; it is physically impossible, as there exist far too many theatre/cabaret performances for one person to cover. So if a choice of yours is not on my list, chances are, I did not see that play or performance...or, it just did not make the final cut. I also do not separate Equity from Equity waiver; I consider all the productions/performances I select to be of top-of-the-line quality/professionalism.

On Sunday December 16 at Oil Can Harry's in Studio City Peter Mac received the Lifetime Achievement Golden Halo Award from the Southern California Motion Picture Council for his outstanding recreation of Judy Garland onstage. Presenting him the honor was Council President Randal Malone and MGM stars Margaret O'Brien and Mickey Rooney.

Good original musicals tend to be one based on the familiar, that sing out with universal values. Now through December 31 on the stage of Encore Dinner Theatre, Erik Przytulski's A Song for Christmas is enjoying a lovingly directed production wrapped up in true community spirit.

It's indeed a pleasure to see some fresh, gifted writing as in Guy Picot's The Christmas Present, in which he takes a familiar theme, that of loneliness/bitterness at holiday time, and puts it in a new unexpected context. Colin (Troy Blendell) may be your average UK divorced businessman, but his daydreams are hardly normal, bordering on the psychotic/demonic side.

No finer Christmas present will come your way than Christmas My Way now onstage at the El Portal in NoHo through December 31. Written by David Grapes and Todd Olson who gave us My Way - A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra, the show is a delicious combo of Christmas and nonholiday standards made famous by Ol' Blue Eyes.

For its 7th consecutive year Chris Isaacson presents brought Upright Cabaret's popular A Broadway Christmas to the Catalina Jazz Club for two performances on Tuesday December 11. Featuring an all-star cast of prolific singers, dancers and musicians A Broadway Christmas celebrates the talent of Broadway with the music of the holiday season. Tony and Emmy Award winner Lillias White was the special guest along with American Idol's David Hernandez serving as co-host with producer Isaacson. With colorful holiday projections, designed by Tim Hicks, playing continuously on two video screens to the left and right of the stage and a terrific four-piece orchestra: Matt Lucich on drums, Alex Balderston on bass, Wesley Smith on sax/flute and musical director Jamieson Trotter at the piano, the sights and sounds of Christmas rang out fervently for a dynamite two-hour set.

Actor/singer Cortes Alexander debuted his delightful Swell Party at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal on Monday August 13, and as I wrote then 'What a uniquely fun evening of anecdote and song!' Alexander worked with Liza Minnelli in Liza at the Palace, but she met him years before when his group The Tonics had a regular gig in NYC. Alexander sings many of his own compositions and has a fine, smooth, easy-going style that pulls you in the minute he opens his mouth. On Monday December 10, Alexander came back to the Federal for the Christmas version of his show called Have a Swell Holiday. His Swell girls were also on hand Melissa Bailey and this time Julie Garnye with musical director John Boswell at piano, Norman Ludwin on bass, Terry Schoenig on percussion, and Paul Landry on guitar. The total effect of these stellar musicians made for a jazzy, swinging evening of musical mirth.

At the core of Jon Robin Baitz' engrossing Other Desert Cities is the intense love between two siblings, so strong that the sister is willing to destroy the respect and trust of her parents in order to be faithful to her brother's memory. Brooke Wyeth (Robin Weigert) has written a book about how her right wing conservative family dealt with the suicide of her brother Henry, whom we never see. Henry was a drug-addict and anti-war protester accused of subversive activity. Now onstage at the Mark Taper Forum, Robert Egan directs a superlative cast in this deeply penetrating, unpredictable play full of secrets and lies.

White Christmas , always a treat on film (1954), creates a unique and refreshing glow on stage. The touring and original Broadway productions, which played Los Angeles only once at the Pantages, in 2005 were gloriously directed by Walter Bobbie and choreographed by Randy Skinner, who turned the second act opener 'I Love a Piano' into one of the most inventive & lively tap sequences ever. Now on stage at the Norris Theatre in Palos Verdes the local company has created a fresh sparkling production with even direction from Randy Brenner and zestful tap choreography from Kami Seymour. The sturdy acting company makes this production a pleasantly frothy confection playing through December 16 only - sadly, you only have one more weekend to catch it, so get your tickets immediately!

There is quite frankly no other theatre company in LA like the Troubadour Theater Company or as they like to be nicknamed the Troubies. Therefore, any comparisons are invalid. They compose and perform to the tune of their own drummer to such a high degree of professionalism that their reputation precedes them. Their runs are always sold out in advance. They are that good, indeed! And like most unique groups, they do not rest on their laurels. They aim to do better. Now onstage at the Falcon Theatre through January 13, 2013, the Troubies are slaying the legend of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer to the music of the Doors in the aptly titled Rudolph the Red-Nosed ReinDOORS, and with their true sense of cockeyed unison and never say die, the message of Christmas rings out loud and clear once more.

The following list of CDs and books has been compiled to give readers-especially interested in showbiz folks and theatre- an idea of some of the best out there, in time for Holiday gift-giving:

It's no wonder that Donny & Marie Osmond's Vegas show won the Best in Vegas 2012, having premiered there in 2008. It's a big, splashy, hi-tech evening with all kinds of fun, popular music. They are finally recreating it at the Pantages, with the inclusion of several segments of Christmas music. There are eight terrifically flashy dancers, a live orchestra - and of course, Donny & Marie, who for the past 50 years - impossible to believe - have been part of our television family. Where would our all-American musical heritage be without Andy Williams and the Osmonds? It was the early 60s when five year-old Donny, his seven brothers and little three year-old Marie bowed on The Andy Williams Show. With that in mind, concerning all those people we hold near and dear, we may have increasingly grander expectations, but ... Donny & Marie surely do not disappoint in this, their very first show together in Los Angeles aptly titled Donnie & Marie Christmas in Los Angeles. In fact, they give it everything they've got...and that's a whole lot more than most entertainers in their 50s really give.

John Waters (Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, A Dirty Shame) will perform an unforgettable night of holiday mischief with his critically acclaimed one man show, A John Waters Christmas on December 6th at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre. Waters pokes fun at the holiday season with adult-appropriate humor, effectively "putting the X in Xmas," developing a show for the open minded and slightly left-of-center audience.

How can Kritzerland make a Christmas show unusual and different? Well, you can either be exceedingly solemn and point the show in the 'Silent Night' direction, or pull out all the stops and run with the comedy. Kritzerland shows have one thing in common: they are never a drag. Bruce Kimmel sees to that whether Guy Haines is a guest or not. Solemn music? No, not in Kritzerland's nature! Fun, yes, always, as Kimmel's personality and anecdotes are full of the demon and amusingly interesting trivia about Broadway show tunes and Hollywood movie music. On Sunday December 2, at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Kimmel and his fine singers: Dan Callaway, Damon Kirsche, Emma Degerstedt, Lisa Livesay, Jane Noseworthy, and Jenna Rosen with very special guest star Bill Hayes, a 40 year veteran of Days of Our Lives, were on hand to present and celebrate Broadway, film and rock/pop holiday cheer. Lloyd Cooper served as musical director/accompanist extraordinaire throughout the 90-minute set that made up Kritzerland Records' Christmas with a Little Bit of Hannukah and a Lot of Cheer.