Gil Kaan - Page 26

This one-man show would work just as amazingly live and onstage as it does viewed online with the incredible, incredible Rob Nagle as Richard Nixon. Shot and staged in a small office (as a stand-in for Steve McQueen's beach house), Bree Pavey deftly directs Nagle as Nixon on the evening after he announces his resignation. Nagle, with this Nixon vocal mannerisms down pat, seamlessly limns Sean Waldron's fictionalized drunken evening as Nixon.

As part of the official kick-off to West Hollywood's 'One City One Pride,' West Hollywood's Art Division (in collaboration with the Celebration Theatre) presents a free live-stream reading of Patricia Loughrey's DEAR HARVEY on Harvey Milk Day, May 22, 2020. Produced and directed by Celebration Theatre's artistic director Michael A. Shepperd, DEAR HARVEY recalls the too-short political career and the lasting impacting of the first openly gay elected politician, as told through the eyes of those who had the privilege of knowing him.

WOW! WOW! WOW! Just finished viewing master illusionist Helder Guimarães' THE PRESENT via Zoom. A.MA.ZING!!! Having actually seen and been wowed before by Helder Guimarães, up close and live, in person at the Geffen's Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre (back in May of 2019) in his INVISIBLE TANGO, I was most anxious to see Guimarães' latest show THE PRESENT, a Geffen Stayhouse world premiere. Apparently, Guimarães' fans shared my enthusiasm as his shows for his originally announced run though June 7th sold out in less than an hour. Fortunately, for all, THE PRESENT has been extended through July 5.

A most welcomed hour of laughs and guffaws during our current stay-at-home status, Kay Sedia premiered her A HOUSE PARTY OF JUAN streaming online at StageIt.com on, most appropriately, Cinco de Mayo. With only one techie Mike Pingel and her husband Daron to help her broadcast, the show fabulously went off the rails with a few 'testicle' difficulties. Kay Sedia just went with the flow, smoothly commenting on the unexpected interruptions with her trademark Latina zingers.

In these days of social distancing, producer Kenneth Hughes has captured footage of playwright Ken Roht's VAMPIRE BURT'S SERENADE (shot at the Bootleg Theater, a Los Angeles theatre and rock club); and edited and re-formatted for your virtual theatrical experience. In the style of the low-budget cult films made famous by Roger Corman, VAMPIRE BURT has something for everyone:

Here's the third installment of responses from various Los Angeles Theatre heads on how their individual theatre families are holding up in these crazy, safe-distancing times. As with the first two batches of responses, these are just as amazing in their acknowledged realism and uniform positivity:

Here's the second installment of responses from various Los Angeles Theatre heads on how their individual theatre families are holding up in these crazy, safe-distancing times. As with the first batch of responses, these are just as amazing in their uniform positivity.

In these crazy, safe-distancing times; I reached out earlier this week to various heads of Los Angeles theatres to see how they and their theatre families are holding up. The replies were amazing in their quickness, numbers and uniform positivity.

After 46 years of steady work in front of film and television cameras, C. Thomas Howell will be making his theatrical debut in the world premiere of D.M. Conte's WORST-CASE SCENARIO at the Hudson Comedy Central Backstage Theatre beginning (hopefully) April 2020. Since Thomas made his first screen appearance in Steven Spielberg 1982's phenomenon E.T, The Extra Terrestrial at the ripe young age of 15, Thomas has been working steadily, exhibiting his acting chops in over two hundred shows, including Francis Coppola's cult favorite The Outsider, and in numerous television series and films. Thomas managed to carve out some time to answer some of my inquisitive queries.

Marc Antolin and Carly Bawden reprise their lead roles as Jean-René and Angélique in the U.S. premiere of playwright/director Emma Rice's ROMANTICS ANONYMOUS beginning at The Wallis March 17, 2020 for a thirteen-day run. Based on the movie Les Emotifs Anonymes, two lonely souls make a sweet connection when Angélique takes a job at Jean-René's chocolate factory. Marc graciously freed up some of this time to answer a few of my ROMANTIC questions.

Andrew Leeds, a Groundlings main company member, follows in the long line of his talented Groundlings cohorts in landing an episodic gig. Andrew plays David, the brother of the titular Zoey in NBC's new Sunday night hit Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist. Actor/singer/writer Andrew agreed to parcel out some time from his multi-tasking to answer a few of my inquiring enquiries.           

Playwright Anna Moench's MAN OF GOD begins previews March 3, 2020, with opening night March 12, 2020 at the Geffen Playhouse. MAN OF GOD charts an eye-opening missionary trip to Bangkok of four teenage Korean girls under the chaperone of their revered pastor. When the girls realize their pastor has violated their trust (no spoiler here), they each envision their individual methods of payback. Maggie Burrows directs the cast of Shirley Chen, Camryn Kim, Natasha Liu, Albert Park and Jenapher Zheng. A very expectant Anna managed to squeeze some time out of her multi-tasking to answer a few of my probing queries.

The national tour of THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL lands at the Dolby Theatre for its Los Angeles premiere March 24, 2020. This 50+-city tour brings the fun, colorful, inspirational tale of SpongeBob Squarepants and his fellow townsfolk of Bikini Bottom. The effervescent Méami Maszewski, who performs the role of Pearl Krabs, graciously made time to chat with me during her couple of days off between performances in San Francisco and Idaho Fall.  

The national tour of THE BOOK OF MORMON makes its latest missionary stop at the Ahmanson Theatre, opening February 18, 2020. Birthed from the comically fertile minds of South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker, THE BOOK OF MORMON follows the misadventures of newbie missionaries travelling globally to convert the world. I managed to persuade Alyah Chanelle Scott (who plays possible convertee Nabulungi) to convert my surveying queries into her most informative answers.

Have you ever experienced a house constructed right in front of your eyes during the course of a couple hours? In addition to this phenomenon, residents of this structure, past, present and future, will interact in a combined house party involving the audience. That's what HOME creator Geoff Sobelle will be presenting on The Broad Stage with his Southern California premiere for six performances beginning March 4, 2020. I had the chance to nail Geoff with some pointed questions on his HOME.            

Morgan-Wixson's latest mainstage production THE WILD PARTY, beginning March 13, 2020, has incorporated the not usually seen, but much needed intimacy coordinator to their offstage team of creatives/technicians. I had the wonderful opportunity to delve into the importance of having such a professional onsite to navigate comfortable boundaries in sex scenes in my interview with Mia Schachter, a certified IC and member of the Intimacy Professional Association.

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Four Larks have teamed up to present their world premiere of Four Lark's adaptation of Mary Shelley's classic FRANKENSTEIN, beginning February 12, 2020. In conjunction with the novel's 200th anniversary, the collaborative creative forces of Four Larks, headed by its co-founders Mat Sweeney and Sebastian Peters-Lazaro, re-imagine Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN to question the moral responsibility of each new generation. Mat managed to squeeze a few spare moments between rehearsals and being honored with his latest award to respond to my quizzical questions.

The Groundlings' latest Friday/Saturday night show GROUNDLINGS BAR FIGHT opens Valentine's February 14, 2020. Deanna Oliver, will be oh, so lovingly corralling and directing a talented troupe of eleven Groundlings as they tickle our funny bones with their fresh and funny BAR FIGHT sketches. A Groundlings alumni of 40+ years, Deanna managed to take some time out from rehearsals and teaching at The Groundlings School to answer a few of my quizzical queries.

IAMA Theatre Company's latest production FOUND will be opening Thursday February 20, 2020 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Helmed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, this new musical based on Davy Rothbart's popular Found Magazine, features an array of familiar Los Angeles stage talents including: Jordan Kai Burnett, Sheila Carrasco, Parvesh Cheena, Desi Dennis-Dylan, Tom DeTrinis, Zehra Fazal, Ryan W. Garcia, Mike Millan, Karla Mosley and Jonah Platt. I had the opportunity to toss a few questions to Jonah.

An enduring member of the Marvel universe (both cinematic and TV) as Agent Phil Coulson, Clark Gregg will be making his Los Angeles stage acting debut in his long-time friend David Mamet's new play THE CHRISTOPHER BOY'S COMMUNION. Slated for an eleven-performance run at the Odyssey beginning February 13, 2020; this cast includes: Fionnula Flanagan, Dominic Hoffman, William H. Macy, David Paymer, Rebecca Pidgeon and John Pirrucello. I managed to catch Clark for a quick phoner.