Don Grigware - Page 54

Actor Michael Weston, known to TV audiences for his roles on House, Scrubs and an amazing guest star turn as 'Jake' in Six Feet Under, co-stars with Robert Foxworth, Jeannie Berlin, JoBeth Williams and Robin Weigert in Jon Robin Baitz' Other Desert Cities now previewing and opening at the Mark Taper Forum December 9. Weston, who replaced initially cast Justin Long, recently took a break from rehearsals to sit down and talk about the play and his theatrical interests. Weston is the son of Tony winner John Rubinstein.

Coney Island Christmas/by Donald Margulies/based on the short story The Loudest Voice by Grace Paley/directed by Bart DeLorenzo/Geffen Playhouse/through December 30 Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies triumphs with nostalgia, tradition and simplistic storytelling in his stage adaptation of Grace Paley's The Loudest Voice re-envisioned Coney Island Christmas, a world premiere one-act now center stage at the Geffen through December 30. In present day Los Angeles a grandmother (Angela Paton) tries to motivate her granddaughter Clara (Grace Kaufman) by telling her a story about her youth in Depresion era 1935 Brooklyn/Coney Island. Clara is avoiding the school play by feigning illness and grandma's rich tale of how she first went on stage and found true joy proves an inspiration not only to Clara but to anyone at any age who refuses to stop dreaming.

Anything Goes/original book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and/Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse/new book by Timothy Crouse & John Weidman/music & lyrics by Cole Porter/directed & choreographed by Kathleen Marshall/Ahmanson Theatre/through January 6, 2013

This, my third viewing of the smash Tony Award winning musical superhit Avenue Q, was by far the most joyous and rewarding of all. This little show, like a Sesame Street for adults, plays out like life - only bigger - with off-the-wall grotesquely funny situations, hilarious one-liners and tantalizing music, each and every tune a winner. The show leaves you craving more, but unfortunately you only have through December 16 to see DOMA's splendid production at the Met Theatre in Hollywood. It's one thing to see this show on the huge Ahmanson or Pantages stages and quite another to see it on the smaller more intimate stage at the Met. This close-up intimacy enhances the enjoyment of the show 150%.

Based on the actual atrocities committed circa 2004 onward at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, Bad Apples is another bold undertaking by Circle X, one that is scathingly real and at the same time exhilarating theatre. Two soldiers Specialist Charles Graner - named Chuck Shepard (James Black) in the play and his fiance Lynndie England - here named Pvt. Lyndsay Skinner (Kate Morgan Chadwick) were convicted in courts martial, imprisoned and dishonorably discharged for torture, abuse, and sexual crimes including rape of Iraqi prisoners.

Two-character plays for the most part take flight - no pun intended - if the plot and dialogue are terribly funny, as in Bernard Slade's Same Time, Next Year or if it's a musical, like I Do! I Do! The writing and players must have that extra special something to engage the audience consistently for two hours. World premiere One November Yankee, by its premise alone, is intriguing. Its art imitating life theme brings two pairs of siblings to life and juxtaposes them with the brother and sister of the main plot, making Joshua Ravetch's play an overall curiously positive experience...and it's not without several sprinklings of genuine humor. On top of that, it has two exceedingly appealing stars, ageless Harry Hamlin and Loretta Swit, who have the chance to create three roles each. One November Yankee, now onstage at NoHo Arts, may not be the greatest play ever written, but certainly manages to entertain as well as provoke.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Donald Margulies' Coney Island Christmas started previews at the Geffen November 20 with a scheduled opening set for November 28. This work, commissioned by the Geffen, will honor past artistic director Gilbert Cates, who passed away last year, and promises to be very special. Margulies, who is renowned also for Dinner with Friends, Time Stands Still, Collected Stories, Sight Unseen and Brooklyn Boy among other plays, recently sat down to chat about the play, playwriting and the writers who have influenced his work. Margulies most definitely agrees that with the recent devastation to Coney Island by hurricane Sandy, audiences will look at his new play from a slightly different angle.

Call Me Madam/music & lyrics by Irving Berlin/book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse/directed by John Bowab/Alex Theatre, Glendale, November 19/ 7:30pm/ Thousand Oaks Plaza, November 25/ 2 pm matinee

Laura Van Wormer, my first editor at Doubleday, who published by second Streisand book "The Woman and the Legend," started an eBook publishing company and approached me about turning my backlist biographies into eBooks. "Streisand Her Life" was the best choice because it's a full, text-only biography rather than photo-driven books like the first two. (Although "Her Life" does have two lengthy picture inserts.)

Peter Mac's New Lost Episode of TV's Golden Girls live onstage offers a wild and fresh take on our golden gal pals, but is still delightfully faithful to the original series in every way. It offers the style and flavor of the great writing and four very indelible characterizations played by four superb performers: Peter Mac as Sophia, John Schaefer as Dorothy, Paul Jacek as Rose and Sissy Debut as Blanche. This new parody plays at Mac's new venue Oil Can Harry's Loft Cabaret Thursdays & Fridays at 8 pm and Sundays at 2 pm.

Few are the performers described as a force of nature. A force of nature is dynamic, electric and totally unpredictable, in a positive way. Actor/singer Raul Esparza is a true force of nature, based solely on his unforgettable performance at Valley Performing Arts Center, Northridge Saturday November 17. Commanding the stage every second, talking fast with intense reflection, moving like a bolt of lightning from stage left to right, jumping on and off the piano, and singing masterfully, Esparza essayed a personal journey through the music of Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim said to him after an audition once, 'You're fuckin' brilliant, kid!' I agree. I am so glad I was there to witness his brilliance once again.

On Friday November 16, renowned film, stage and TV actress/singer Janis Paige brought her acclaimed autobiographical one-woman show to Upstairs at Vitello's. Having turned 90 in September, Miss Paige is unbelievably beautiful and puts some women half her age to shame. She came onstage with assistance due to an injured leg. She said the day before in order to avoid colliding with her little Jack Russell terrier, she darted over him and accidentally crashed into a piece of furniture. She humorously referred to the incident as a pas de deux. In spite of a painful bump on her leg, which caused her to remain seated throughout the 80-minute set, she claimed she was happy to be there. So, with stunning musical director Bill Schneider at the piano, she was off and running like her hero, the 30s/40s thoroughbred racehorse Seabiscuit. Paige is such a vibrant presence that even sitting she proceeded to dazzle her audience with a mesmerizing series of brilliant anecdotes and songs.

Neile Adams show Wasn't It Good! Wasn't It Fine! at Tom Rolla's Gardenia in West Hollywood was nothing short of 'AMAZING'. The choice of her material was absolutely delicious, as you will soon find out.

t's Christmastime all over the world, as the song says, and what better way to celebrate the holidays than partying with the Rat Pack? Now onstage through New Year's Eve at Welk Resorts, Escondido, Dino, Sammy and the Chairman of the Board once again bring their joyous revelry into our lives.

Pulitzer-prize winning playwright Lynn Nottage takes great pride in the survival of black women through the ages. In her Pulitzer winner Ruined, it's how Congolese women have survived civil war, in her newest By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, it's blacks' struggles in the acting profession, and in Intimate Apparel, her most widely known play, it's a black seamstress who must fight for recognition and love at the turn of the 20th century. Now onstage in a handsome revival at the Pasadena Playhouse, Intimate Apparel has taut direction from Sheldon Epps and a stellar cast led by luminous Vanessa Williams as Esther.

Seaglass Theatre Co is full of the Dickens this holiday season. They are not doling out A Christmas Carol or Oliver Twist but A Christmas Twist, a 1991 sendup by Doug Armstrong, Keith Cooper and Maureen Marley that contains plot elements of both classics shuffled together to much comic effect. This is no great work of literature to be sure, but a laugh fest? Guaranteed. Now at the Big Victory Theatre through December 16, Paul Stroili has smoothly directed a delightfully delectable cast for your enjoyment.

Handsome singer Henry Prego, who is revered internationally for his tribute to Frank Sinatra, has brought his 'Live from the Sands' nostalgic show to the Encore Dinner Theatre through December 1. It is wrong to label Prego an impersonator. First of all, he is not an artist in drag, but a male singer singing in his own great voice and he is not doing a parody of the iconic Sinatra. He is rather, as he calls himself, an ambassador of the Chairman of the Board's music. Blue-eyed, with big ears and with the stance and mannerisms Sinatra is best remembered for, Prego, particularly when he looks up or down, does resemble 'ole blue eyes. Sinatra was cool and smooth, so is Prego. He had a quiet but pal friendly manner with the band, so does Prego. Let's stop the comparisons. Prego is a fine singer period who immortalizes the Sinatra Songbook.

And what 'A Grand Night for Singing' it turned out to be! Not opening on the usual note, Bruce Kimmel presented a video of his YouTube web series Outside the Box, Season 2, episode 1 guest starring Hal Linden, who was present in the audience. Hilarity is at the core here as Linden gets a phone call asking him to appear as Father Marren in The Exorcist the Musical, a true horror - no, not horrible - horror musical. The second scene is the actual shooting of his scene with Regan spewing green vomit to the music of one ridiculously funny original tune. Fun stuff which may be viewed on YouTube!

On November 1 the annual Palm Springs Follies opened their 22nd spectacular season with an all new show entitled Dance to the Music featuring special guest star Lorna Luft. Slick, scintillating, sophisticated, sassy - the ladies are dressed...or should I say undressed more provocatively than ever - the show runneth over with ageless appeal. And what is more vitally expressive than dance? Move, move, move to musical styles that cover the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s! After that, they are quick to point out, real music stopped.