Ellen Dostal - Page 17

Girls' night out just got a whole lot sassier now that 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL has arrived in LA for a month's run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and women are coming out in droves to see what a group of comedy writers have done with their not-so-secret obsession. I'll say this - it's got balls alright.

It is one of the most wondrous moments in all of Shakespeare's plays; the moment near the end of The Winter's Tale when the statue of Hermione comes to life. Whether it is magic, divine intervention, or merely the resolution of a well-concealed plot, it doesn't matter. It never fails to leave me with a catch in my throat and a feeling of awe at the ability of theatre to engender so affecting a response.

If 'all the youth of England are on fire,' as the first speech of HENRY V's Act II declares, then all the Porters of Hellsgate have carried the torch forward with guns blazing. Without a doubt, this is the Porters' finest stage work to date and a testament to the kind of theatre magic that can be created out of thin air by the willing and able.

It's coming. Yes, it's really coming. 50 Shades! The Musical is about to open in Los Angeles on February 25th and audiences have never been crazier over a show than this one.

Inner Circle Theatre Company explores the essence of love in its debut production, R+J EQUAL LOVE, directed by Casey Kringlen and adapted by Kringlen and Liz Nolan. In two acts, each slightly less than an hour, they tell the love story of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet twice, with two women in the title roles in the first act and two men in the roles in the second.

If life really is about not taking anything too seriously, as Mel Brooks would have us believe, then do yourself a favor and see 3DT's production of The Producers. It may be politically incorrect but it's the funniest version of this musical I've ever seen and it will push you to have a good time in spite of yourself. Yes, it's another one of my must-see musicals of 2014.

An hour and a half east of L.A. in Rancho Cucamonga, The MainStreet Theatre Company puts on a Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) season at Lewis Family Playhouse. Of that season, one of the shows is specifically chosen for the very youngest audience members and this year it's The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley.

Four guys who know there's nothing better than being inside a good tight chord are working their extraordinary vocal magic in Stuart Ross' Forever Plaid at Cabrillo Music Theatre. With incredible musicianship and a flawless blend, these clean-cut dapper lads are a dream for the roughly 90-minutes they cover some of the greatest hits of the 1950's.

International City Theatre opened its 29th season this past weekend with the California premiere of LET'S MISBEHAVE: The Music and Lyrics of Cole Porter. The relatively new musical by Karin Bowersock (book) and Patrick Young (musical arrangements) weaves together more than thirty Cole Porter standards in a story that could easily have been created from one of the composer's own lyrics.

When a show moves me like this one did, it's worth raving about. Minus the bombardment of glitz and flash so often shoe-horned into modern day musicals, the remount of Open Fist Theatre Company's James Joyce's THE DEAD is instead that rare production that breathes life into our hearts with its singular connection to our humanity.

Contestants in LA's Next Great Stage Star competition had an exciting second week on Sunday, January 12th. The theme for this round was Breaking New Ground - A Little New Music, and featured songs from some of today's most up and coming musical theatre writers.

Jukebox musicals come in all shapes and sizes. Some find a way to integrate the songs of a particular group or singer in such a way that the end result is more than satisfying as an evening of theatre.

Make way everybody, we've got some new kids in town and they're out to take over musical theatre one song at a time. Of course, I'm referring to Kritzerland's latest cabaret show at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. On Sunday, January 5th, Bruce Kimmel's New Kids in Town! featured nine terrific up-and-coming young people ranging in age from 9 to 18.

It's Shakespeare for the masses in 2014 as we celebrate the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare's birth! In Southern California you'll find more productions and events than ever so mark your calendar now for a big year ahead.

A Steam-Punk chorus of cadaverous ghouls, zombified and singing Christmas carols in twitching harmony is about as far from traditional as you can get, and quite possibly the most satisfying prologue for A CHRISTMAS CAROL I've ever seen.

The Troubies' traditional holiday mashups are some of the company's most anticipated shows of the year. Past hits like A Christmas Westside Story (A Christmas Story with the music of West Side Story), Rudolph the Red Nosed ReinDOORS (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Doors), and The First Jo-el (the Nativity story via Billy Joel songs) have been unforgettable treasure troves of comedy fun.

Four Clowns Jr.'s foursome packs a lot of punch into its 45-minute original family show about one clown's journey to a planet 'somewhere like earth.' This is pure interactive fun - the kind you can have while sitting in your seat without worrying you'll be dragged up onstage to suffer some horrifying humiliation at the hands of clowns.

Looking for a way to get into the holiday spirit? Check out this list of options to help you have a festive month and bookmark this page for handy reference! (To be updated with new shows as announced).

In California Shakespeare Ensemble's latest production, director Brian Elerding has adapted the text from three of Shakespeare's plays and crafted an episodic production starring three of his more complicated villains: Macbeth (Russ Bain), Shylock (Jeremy Radin), and Tybalt (Shahaub Roudbari).

A big, splashy Mel Brooks musical has arrived in Long Beach and Musical Theatre West has created a monster of a good time to go with it. It's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, and this luscious regional premiere stars a terrifically talented cast, featuring Susan Stroman's original direction and choreography recreated by Lauren Kadel.