Don Grigware - Page 56

The Circle by W. Somerset Maugham is a comedy of manners… a story with 2 triangles, one an elderly couple, and the second, youthful. In the first, the woman, Lady Kitty (played rightfully 'over the top' by a very funny but full of heart Rhonda Lord) has left her first husband, Clive Champion-Cheney (beautifully and truthfully played, but with a dash of humor, by the brilliant Lloyd Pedersen) when she falls in love with the then dashing Lord (Huey) Porteus (very well played by David Hunt Stafford). In the youthful triangle, Elizabeth (elegantly acted by the beautiful Shelby Kocee) is married to Arnold (largely playing an actor as well as a wonderful violinist by the name of Scott Facher), when she realizes that she has fallen in love, and vice versa, with a man of little means, Teddie (handsomely acted by Ross Alden). Now to get things relatively straight, Arnold is the son of Lady Kitty and Clive Champion-Cheney. So it seems that the daughter-in-law, Elizabeth, may be following in the footsteps of her mother-in-law. This all occurs in the beautiful upscale house in Dorset, England in the 1930s, brought to life in the beautiful set design by Jeff G. Rack, great costuming by Michele Young (I was particularly taken by a simple but gorgeous Kelly green period gown that Shelby wore), and good light design by Ric Zimmerman.

Simply to recite a list of the recently deceased Marvin Hamlisch's awards--three Oscars in 1973 for The Way We Were and The Sting; a Tony and Pulitzer Prize for A Chorus Line; three Emmys, two Golden Globes, four ASCAP awards, and a Grammy is enough the inspire awe. But as host Bruce Kimmel reminds us during the fabulous 26th Kritzerland Show at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal in NoHo on October 7, he had his share of flops too like The Goodbye Girl, or Jean Seberg. But even a flop show can have some beautiful songs in it, and Kimmel includes a number of these among the twenty selections offered.

Christopher Knopf's world premiere The Red Room , clearly reminiscent of Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, has modern day repercussions in spite of its period time and place. Although appearing affluent on the surface, all members of this family dynasty are suffering. A failing business; for some, no job or money and hasty, psychological escapism. Though not a salesman, Edwin's (Brad Blaisdell) failures are compared to those of Willy Loman, more than once, and the entire structure/content of the play echo the tragic themes of Salesman with its domineering father, loyal-to-a-fault mother and struggling-to-be accepted sons. One might also recall O'Neill's Long Day's Journey into Night where parental weaknesses segue directly to the next generation like the plague. This is a very heavy-handed dramatic work containing gripping dialogue and incisive confrontations that require an outstanding director and cast to put them over with any degree of success. Fortunately, the NoHo Ace Ensemble is attuned to these challenges.

On Sunday September 30 beautiful theatre star Juliana Hansen debuted her one-woman cabaret at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Directed by dynamic Bruce Kimmel and with sleek musical direction from A.J. Robb, Hansen literally had her audience eating out of her palm from the very top of the 70-minute gig. Ultra confident and never missing a beat, Hansen segued from song to story to song seemlessly. Her voice is as pure and fragile as porcelain - it is so beautiful, like that of Julie Andrews or Kristen Chenoweth, that she is a recording artist's dream, a true singer's singer. In her young career, she has been requested by Academy Award winning composer Richard B. Sherman to sing internationally for Disney in Concert and to premiere songs cut from Mary Poppins.

Marsha Moode aptly describes Crazy For You as a great tonic to help us cope with today's news cycle.The great Gershwin musical score, the corny jokes, thin plot, loony mix-ups... and true 'dreamy' romance all add up to an evening of sheer bliss. DCLO's current production of the Tony winning Best Musical is without question one of their very best and worth the ride to Downey through October 14 only.

Dangerous Corner, an intriguing play about relationships written by J.B. Priestley in 1932 has a fresh, new look at Crown City Theatre. Director Gary Lamb's vision brings the play into the 60s and puts the spirit of a deceased character on stage, singing, playing the piano, lounging imperiously and fluttering about as he controls the heated discussion of his supposed suicide. When it becomes clear that there are two divergent directions that the plot could take, this new charade seems entirely appropriate and, in fact, greatly enhances Priestley's perspective on disclosing truth versus half-truths. Now at Crown through November 4, Dangerous Corner has a captivating cast.

Toward the end of the second act of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Lynn Nottage's By The Way, Meet Vera Stark, a character shouts, "It's not what's said, it's what's not said!" This could be a tagline to describe the show, which is light and funny in its first act, and far more serious in the second, when film is utilized to tell more of the life of Vera Stark and dark questions are raised and not always answered.

On Sunday, September 23 Chelsea Emma Franko, LA's Next Great Stage Star 2012, debuted her cabaret evening The Girl from Apple Valley to a warmly enthusiastic SRO crowd at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Like most young performers, who present their life. so. far in a 60 minute set - Chelsea amazingly did it in 50 - Franko's was one of the very best I've seen. She's beautiful with a truly great vocal instrument and knows how to rivet her audience with just the right amount of pleasurable banter. She doesn't prolong the unnecessary nor is she excessive in any way. Super talented James Lent served as musical director at the piano, except when Chelsea's uncle Craig A. Meyer accompanied her as she sang his delightful piece 'Fly'.

Prolific TV writers Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser turn their talents to the stage with Under My Skin, an amusing fantasy with sexual role reversal. The male spirit gets trapped in a female body and the female in a male's, creating laughs aplenty, quirky romance and even manages to take a stand on a very important topical issue. The issues never reach the level of full dramatic conflict, though, as a sitcom-like comedy style takes control, and it's utter bliss for all concerned, now at the Pasadena Playhouse through October 7.

One is accustomed to the overwhelming cult following of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, where fans at midnight screenings dress in character and talk back to the screen. But who would have thought that an Academy Award-winning film like The Silence of the Lambs, whose overall tone is intensely serious and realistically creepy, would hold up equally well in the form of a spoof? And to which audiences would respond in howl-a-minute frankness and style? Well, it has surely happened with the award-winning Silence! The Musical, now in its Los Angeles debut at the Hayworth Theatre. But a few words of warning: really know the movie The Silence of the Lambs inside out, and if you haven't seen it in a while, rent it and watch it right before the stage show!

Very few new shows, especially musicals, have that extra special spark, that je ne sais quoi that makes them a surefire success. For starters, there must be a good book - with a story that's credible...and funny - and a pleasant score that keeps your fingers and toes tapping, at least while you are in your seats. Justin Love, based on a story by David Elzer and Bret Calder, is one such musical, that , in spite of its excess, is guaranteed to make you laugh nonstop and with a cast and crew to die for.

Hard to believe, but Sweeney Todd first bowed on Broadway in late 1979 and I was in New York to witness the brilliant achievement of Sondheim, Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou and the entire creative team. It is difficult to find just the right words to express how very much this show affected me when I first saw it. Unlike some, who were abhorred by the subject content, I was mesmerized by much more than the twisted tale of revenge, which did indeed appeal to my dark side. It was the unbelievable staging and brilliant score, which to this day, I believe to be Stephen Sondheim's finest work, which grabbed hold of me and blew me away. It is opera in its most grotesque hour, an overwhelming and overpowering experience. Moonlight Amphitheatre is presenting the masterwork now onstage in Vista through October 6. And there's something to be said for seeing this musical outdoors in the night air, it's even more eerie and chilling: especially if it's a spectacular endeavor, which it truly proves to be with new artistic director Steven Glaudini's clockwork staging, and the exceedingly brilliant work from every member of the top-notch ensemble.

In this chat, actor Cortes Alexander talks about the challenges of doing this play, Dangerous Corner at Crown City Theatre, and his musical work, including how his group The Tonics skyrocketed to fame.

Now at Doma Theatre, the current production of Xanadu is not quite up to their Jekyll & Hyde, but satisfying nonetheless, and certainly with enough colorfully entertaining qualities to make it worth your while as a respite from the end of summer heat.

Suave, charming, ego maniac Aristotle Onassis comes to vivid life through the brilliantly modulated, cautiously executed and intensely focused performance of Anthony Skordi on the stage of the Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood. With a sharp eye to his every move, director Bruce Katzman stages the world premiere of Onassis with impeccable detail, now through October 21.

On Sunday, September 16, actor/singer/composer Brett Ryback brought his immense talent to Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. His new show The Kid with the Keys, premiering here, not only alludes to his dexterity on the keyboard but goes out on a limb to express his feelings about the theme of his show. Promising an elegant evening of troublemaking with songs from young contemporary composers like himself: Joe Iconis, Ryan Scott Oliver and Daniel Mate, Ryback presented many of his own compositions, which concern growing up in an ultra messy world. The keys? Well, maybe he has the answers to the problems.

With a stellar touring cast and astounding direction from Broadway directors Casey Nicholaw, who has also choreographed brilliantly, and Trey Parker, who also wrote the book, music and lyrics with partners Matt Stone and Robert Lopez, Book of Mormon is irresistible heaven at the Pantages through November 25, but buy your tickets now to avoid disappointment.

On Saturday September 8, Kritzerland live performance concerts turned two years old and Bruce Kimmel celebrated the event with a potpourri of The Songs That Got Away at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal, Kritzerland's newest monthly home base. Assisting Kimmel were regulars Dennis Kyle, Juliana Hansen, Jane Noseworthy, Lisa Livesay, joined this time by Kevin Symons, 13 year-old Jenna Rosen and sisters Sami and Sarah Staitman. There was not one guest star, not two, not three... but five, yes five and all exceptional talents: Back to the Future's favorite mom and TV's favorite Caroline in the City Lea Thompson, showboy Jason Graae and representing Ruthless, LA's 1993 runaway musical hit: Joan Ryan, Rita McKenzie and Lindsay Ridgeway.

With a career encompassing Broadway, TV and film, veteran comic actress Jane Kean is best known for playing Trixie Norton in the hour-long color, musical version of the Honeymooners series (1966-70). Kean presented her one-woman show onstage at the Colony Saturday September 8.