Gil Kaan

Broadway leading man Hugh Panaro celebrates the release of his new CD Man Without a Mask with a one-nighter December 5, 2024, at the Catalina Bar & Grill. Songs from the CD recorded over two nights at 54 Below will be featured amongst some other favorites of Hugh.

Read our interview with Adrian Kohler of the LIFE & TIMES OF MICHAEL K from The Tony Award-winning Handspring Puppet Company and the Baxter Theatre Centre.

Comedian Adam Sank Los Angeles premieres his acclaimed one-man show, Bad Dates: A One Man Show About Many Men, at the Broadwater Main Stage for one-night-only on December 6, 2024.  Adam actually came out of retirement to share his bad, but hilarious dating experiences.

Bob Baker’s perennial holiday favorite Bob Baker’s Nutcracker opens November 30, 2024, at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. Bob Baker Marionette Theater’s production manager Daisy Hernandez managed to find some time out of her very busy puppet responsibilities to answer a few of my queries

Up 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.

To make a theatre evening go smoother, the Hollywood partnership has launched a new program “Park, Dine, and Enjoy the Show!” with select local restaurants. Theatre goers can now leave their cars at the restaurant valet or self-parking parking lot for both their dinner and their show at the nearby Pantages, Dolby, Montalban or the Hollywood Bowl.

Stephen 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.

Next 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.

Back 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.

Next 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.

BenDeLaCreme & Jinkx Monsoon bring the 7th edition of their internationally acclaimed The Jinkx & DeLa Holiday Show to the Dolby Theatre December 16, 2024, as part of their 33-city U.S. and Canadian tour running from November 7th - December 29th in major theaters. Got to Zoom with both of these drag icons before they started their touring.

Mason McCulley world premieres his Carole Cook Died For My Sins October 24, 2024 at the Skylight Theatre (with previews beginning October 20th). Cameron Watson directs the three-week engagement of this one-man show.

Next 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.

The 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.

Next 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.

Dan 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.

Next 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.

A 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.

Celebrating the 20th anniversary of HAIRSPRAY, the original Tracy, Penny, and Amber - Marissa Jaret Winokur, Kerry Butler and Laura Bell Bundy - reunite for Mama I’m a Big Girl Now at The Wallis September 26, 2024. Got a chance to ask a few queries of Laura.

Sugar 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.