Interview: Aasif Mandvi’s Ready to Tackle His Character in WAITING FOR GODOTNovember 13, 2024Up next at The Geffen Playhouse Nobel Prize winner Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot opening November 13, 2024 (with previews already begun). Judy Hegarty Lovett directs the cast of: Lincoln Bonilla, Conor Lovett, Aasif Mandvi, Jack McSherry, Adam Stein and Rainn Wilson. Got Aasif to whittle off some answers to my queries.
Interview: The Ageless Gedde Watanabe Returns to PACIFIC OVERTURES After 48 YearsNovember 11, 2024Stephen Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures has just opened at the East West Players. Former EWP Artistic director Tim Dang returns to direct the cast led by Jon Jon Briones and Gedde Watanabe with Scott Keiji Takeda, Brian Kim McCormick, Adam Kaokept, Kerry K. Carnahan, Ashley En-Fu Matthews, Kavin Panmeechao, Kurt Kanazawa, Sittichai Chaiyahat, Nina Kasuya, Aric Martin, Gemma, Kit Dezolt and Norge Yi. Gedde found time after the opening to answer a few of my queries.
Interview: Good Guy Cheyenne Jackson Gets to Kiss in LA CAGE AUX FOLLESNovember 11, 2024Next up at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Tony Award-winning musical La Cage Aux Folles opening November 17, 2024 (with previews beginning November 12th). Sam Pinkleton directs the cast headlined by Cheyenne Jackson and Kevin Cahoon as Georges and Albin with Ryan J. Haddad, Shannon Purser, George Salazar, Michael McDonald, Nicole Parker, El Beh, and Shea Diamond.
Interview: Cartreze Tucker’s So Enthusiastic About Being in BACK TO THE FUTURE - THE MUSICALNovember 4, 2024Back to the Future – The Musical makes its Los Angeles premiere at The Pantages Theatre November 6, 2024, and returns to southern California at Segerstrom Center for the Arts December 26th. John Rando directs the cast of: Don Stephenson as Doc Brown and Caden Brauch as Marty McFly with Burke Swanson, Zan Berube, Cartreze Tucker, Ethan Rogers, Kiara Lee, and Luke Antony Neville, Joshua Blackswan Abbott, Emily Applebaum, Tade Biesinger, Ina Black, Brittany Bohn, Luther Brooks IV, Alyssa Carol, Jenny Dalrymple, Lucas Hallauer, Laura Sky Herman, Dan Horn, Will Jewett, Dwayne P. Mitchell, Zoe Brooke Reed, Fisher Lane Stewart, and Ross Thompson. Got a chance to grab Cartreze before the November 5th preview to answer a few of my queries.
Interview: Michael Mullen’s Detecting & Costuming AGATHA CHRISTIE’S THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYDNovember 4, 2024Next up for Theatre 40, the west coast premiere of Agatha Christie’s The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd opening November 14, 2024. Jules Aaron directs the cast of Michael Mullen (as Christie’s master detective Hercule Poirot), Matt Landig, Todd Andrew Ball, Michael Robb, Joe Clabby, David Hunt Stafford, Rebecca Del Sesto, Anica Petrovic, Michele Schultz, Caroline Westheimer, Diane Linder and Riley Introcaso. Pierot’s alter-ego and costumer found time between his multi-tasking of detecting and costuming to answer a few of my queries.
Interview: Kimberley Rossi's A HUMAN 2.0 With CIRCA
& BeyondOctober 13, 2024Next up for The Wallis October 18th and 19th, the Australian group Circa’s latest chapter of their Human project, the internationally acclaimed Humans 2.0. Circa’s creator Yaron Lifschitz directs and choreographs a group of ten multi-skilled circus artists/acrobats/dancers. I got the opportunity to get a few Human 2.0 insights from one of the talented ten - Kimberley Rossi.
Interview: Landen Gonzales and Brady Fritz Portray the Two-Sides of an AMERICAN IDIOTOctober 13, 2024The Mark Taper Forum re-opened with Green Day’s rock opera American Idiot October 9, 2024 (with previews beginning October 2nd). CTG Artistic Director Snehal Desai will be making his CTG directorial debut working with Deaf West Artistic Director DJ Kurs directing an ensemble of both Deaf and hearing actors, performing simultaneously in American Sign Language and Spoken English. The large cast includes: Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Will Branner, Jerusha Cavazos, Lark Detweiler, Daniel Durant, Kaia T. Fitzgerald, Brady Fritz, Landen Gonzales, Otis Jones IV, Milo Manheim, Josué Martinez, Giovanni Maucere, James Olivas, Patrick Ortiz, Mason Alexander Park, Monika Peña, Mars Storm Rucker, Mia Sempertegui, Angel Theory and Ali Fumiko Whitney. Had a chance to ask Landen and Brady, who both play Tunny, a few questions.
Interview: Emily Koch's Excited KIMBERLY AKIMBO's Playing at Her Hometown's PantagesOctober 10, 2024Next up at the Pantages, the Tony Award-winning KIMBERLY AKIMBO opening October 15, 2024. Jessica Stone directs the cast of: Carolee Carmello, Miguel Gil, Jim Hogan, Emily Koch, Dana Steingold, Grace Capeless, Skye Alyssa Friedman, Darron Hayes, Pierce Wheeler; with Sarah Lynn Marion, Regene Seven Odon, Marcus Phillips, Bailey Ryon, Brandon Springman and Valerie Wright.
Got a chance to pepper Emily with some behind-the-scenes queries.
Interview: Gregory Harrison's Ready to Relax After TESLA: A RADIO PLAY FOR THE STAGESeptember 26, 2024Dan Duling’s Tesla: A Radio Play for the Stage opens October 4, 2024, for five performances only as part of the Getty-led PST ART: Art & Science Collide Festival. Michael Arabian directs the stellar cast of: Gregory Harrison, Dan Lauria, Hal Linden, Charles Shaughnessy, French Stewart and Vanessa Claire Stewart at the Ramo Auditorium on the Caltech campus.
Interview: Keyanna Khatiblou's Throwing Another A GOING AWAY PARTY PLAYSeptember 24, 2024Next up at Boston Court, Keyanna Khatiblou’s A Going Away Party Play world premieres September 28, 2024 (with previews already started September 19th). James Fowler directs the cast of Mehrnaz Mohammadi, Kodi Jackman, Nathan Mohebbi, Giovanny Camarena and Cindy Nguyen.
Interview: Carey Sharpe Goes Dark in her BLOOD/LOVESeptember 23, 2024A new popera, Carey Sharpe and Dru DeCaro's Blood/Love opens October 2, 2024 ( with previews beginning September 26th) at The Crimson. Daniel LeClaire directs the cast which includes: Dru, Carey, and doing double duty as choreographers Jonathan Platero and Oksano Platero.
Interview: Stephen Brackett Really Connected With This SUGAR DADDYSeptember 15, 2024Sugar Daddy, a new production by comedian/actor Sam Morrison opens September 29, 2024 (with previews beginning September 20th) at The Wallis before going to Broadway in 2025. Tony Award winner Stephen Brackett directs this new production written and starring Sam. Stephen found time to answer a few of my queries amidst his rehearsals with Sam.
Interview: Meghan Ripchik's All Encompassing For BAT BOY: THE MUSICALSeptember 15, 2024Next up for Morgan-Wixson, straight from the tabloids, Bat Boy: The Musical opens September 28, 2024. Meghan Ripchik directs and choreographs the cast of: Ashton Bianchi, Diana Cabell, Cassandra Caruso, Jack Colyer, Aaron Ellis, Nico Fisher, Connor Tyler Gray, Lauren Josephs, Kalani Lopez, Lorne, Tommi Jo Mongold, Johnathan O’Neal, Carter Santos, Norman Thatch, Abigail Torrence, Roni Renee Williams and Javon Willis. Meghan found time in between all her various duties to answer a few of my queries.