Gil Kaan - Page 3

East West Players world premieres Philip W. Chung’s Unbroken Blossoms June 30, 2024 (with previews beginning June 27th). Jeff Liu directs the cast of: Gavin Kawin Lee, Ron Song, Arye Gross, Alexandra Hellquist, Conlan Ledwith, Paul Dateh, Ty Aldridge and Valerie Rose Lohman. Gavin took some time from rehearsal to answer a few of my queries.

Currently in previews, Mike Lew’s tiny father takes the mainstage of the Geffen Playhouse (with opening night June 20, 2024). Moritz von Stuelpnagel directs the cast of Tiffany Villarin and Maurice Williams.

HorseChart Theatre presents Charles Busch Campy Comedy Psycho Beach Party opening June 21, 2024 (with previews beginning June 19th) at The Matrix Theatre. Ryan Bergmann and Tom DeTrinis co-direct the cast of Adrián González, Chase Rosenberg, Daniel Montgomery, Daniele Gaither, Drew Droege, Harrison Meloeny, Karen Maruyama, Michael P. Mcdonald, Pete Zias, Sam Pancake, Thomas Hobson and Roz Hernandez. Ryan found some time from multi-tasking between his Mixed eMotion Theatrix shows and putting the finishing touches to Psycho Beach Party to answer a few of my queries.

Next up at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Tony Award-winning Jelly’s Last Jam opening June 2, 2024 (with previews starting May 29th). Kent Gash directs the cast led by John Clarence Stewart as Jelly Roll Morton, Cress Williams, Jasmine Amy Rogers; Wilkie Ferguson III, Karole Foreman, Eric B. Anthony, Doran Butler, Chante Carmel, Cyd Charisse Glover-Hill, Summer Nicole Greer, Janaya Jones, Grasan Kingsberry, Amber Liekhus, Davon Rashawn, Joe Aaron Reid, Naomi C. Walley and Hannah Yosef. I had the chance to chat with John Clarence while he was navigating Los Angeles traffic.

Michael R. Jackson’s 2020 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning A Strange Loop opens June 5, 2024; at the Ahmanson. A co-production of Center Theatrer Gtoup and American Conservatory Theatre, Stephen Brackett  directs the cast led by  Malachi McCaskil as Usher with Dave J. Abrams, Angela Alise, Jordan Barbour, J. Cameron Barnett, Carlis Shane Clark, Alvis Green Jr., Albert Hodge, Avionce Hoyles, Tarra Conner Jones, Jamari Johnson Williams and John-Andrew Morrison. I was able to chat Malachi after he finished his West Coast premiere at A.C.T.

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the original Reefer Madness, a new revised version Reefer Madness the Musical will open May 30, 2024 at The Whitney. I talked to director/choreographer Spencer Liff during the early days of rehearsals, so casting hadn’t been finalized. Members of the original creative team reuniting to produce are: actors Kristen Bell, Christian Campbell and Alan Cumming, creators Kevin Murphy and Dan Studney, Andy Fickman, who directed 2005's Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical, and America Olivo Campbell.

A co-production between Latino Theater Conpany and Playwrights’ Arena, the world premiere of Boni B. Alvarez’ Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of A German Jewish Boy opens May 18, 2024; at the Los Angeles Theatre Center.

Next up at A Noise Within, George Bernard Shaw’s Misalliance which opened May 12, 2024. Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of: Joshua Bitton, Dan Lin Josey Montana McCoy, Trisha Miller, Riley Shanahan, Erika Soto, Deborah Strang, Frederick Stuart and Peter Van Norden.

In a co-production with IAMA Theatre Company, Boston Court’s current production - Tira Palmquist’s The Body’s Midnight opened April 18, 2024. Boston Court’s artistic director Jessica Kubzansky directs this world premiere cast of Ryan W. Garcia, Jonathan Nichols-Navarro, Sonal Shah and Keliher Walsh. Midst her multiple responsibilities, Jessica found time to answer a few of my queries.

Broadway @ The Wallis concert series, this time featuring Seth Rudetsky and Norm Lewis, returns for its final curtain of the 2023/2024 Season May 2, 2024, at The Wallis. Expect an evening of loads of Broadway trivia from Seth coupled with the melodious vocals of Norm.  Amidst his busy schedule, Norm found some time to again answer a few of my queries.

Drag icon Varla Jean Merman brings her latest one-woman show Stand By Your Drag to the Catalina Jazz Club for one night only April 23, 2024. Varla Jean found time after her Palm Springs engagement to answer a few of my queries. 

The world premiere of John Strysik’s Power and Light is currently running in rep at Theatre 40. Jeff G. Rack directs this story of Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla in the beginnings of electricity with the cast of David Hunt Stafford, Eric Keitel, Warren Davis, John Combs, Richard Large, Bailey Castle, Mandy Fason and Kurtis Bedford. Jeff graciously made time out of his multi-tasking weekend to answer a few of my queries.

The west coast premiere of James Ijames’ 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama-winning Fat Ham opened April 4, 2024, at the Geffen Playhouse. Sideeq Heard directs the talented cast of Nikki Crawford, Chris Herbie Holland, Billy Eugene Jones, Adrianna Mitchell, Marcel Spears, Benja Kay Thomas and Matthew Elijah Webb. Sideeq found time after his successful opening weekend to answer a few of my queries.

Currently at Rogue Machine, the Los Angeles Premiere of Christian St. Croix’ Monsters of the American Cinema, which just opened April 6, 2024, at the Matrix Theatre. Rogue Machine’s producing artistic director John Perrin Flynn directs the cast of Kevin Daniels and Logan Leonardo Arditty. John took some time out of his very busy schedule to answer a few of my queries.

Katierose Donohue Enriquez's multi-award-winning Queen of Fishtown returns to Los Angeles for three nights at The Groundlings beginning April 12, 2024. Corey Podell directs Katierose in her love letter to Philly.

Gloria Calderón Kellett’s One of the Good Ones is nearing the end of its world premiere run at the Pasadena Playhouse, closing April 7, 2024. Kimberly Senior directs the cast led by Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez and featuring Isabella Gomez, Nico Greetham and Santino Jimenez. Finally got to pin down Carlos to answer a few of my queries.

Broadway legend Patti LuPone performs her first solo show A Life in Notes with the LA Opera April 20, 2024, at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Patti’s long-time musical director Joseph Thalken took some time between their second and third tour stops (respectively, Morristown, New Jersey’s Mayo Performing Arts Center and Houston, Texas’ Hobby Center for the Performing Arts) to answer a few of my queries.

Donald Margulies’ 2000 Pulitzer Prize-winning play Dinner With Friends opens April 5, 2024 at the Zephyr for a limited engagement (with a preview April 4th).  Peter Allas directs the cast of: Jack Esformes, Marieh Delfino, Leith Burke, Amy Motta, Chala Savino and Rick Segall. Leith found time amidst rehearsals to discuss some behind the scenes of his Dinner prep.

Next up for East West Players, Lisa Sanaye Dring’s Kairos opening April 7, 2024 (with previews beginning April 4th). Jesca Prudencio directs the cast of Sylvia Kwan (as Gina), Gerard Joseph (as David) with Ren Hanami, William L. Warren, Julie Zhan and Zachary Bones. Amidst her rehearsals, Sylvia found time to answer a few of my queries.

The North American tour of Funny Girl lands in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson April 2, 2024, and later at Segerstrom May 28. 2024. Tony Award winner Michael Mayer directs the cast of Melissa Manchester, Katerina McCrimmon, Stephen Mark Lukas, Izaiah Montaque Harris, Walter Coppage. Leah Platt, Cindy Chang, Eileen T’Kaye, David Foley Jr., Vinny Andaloro, Lamont Brown, Kate E. Cook, Julia Grondin, Jackson Grove, Alex Hartman, Dot Kelly, Ryan Lambert, Kathy Liu, Meghan Manning, Bryan Charles Moore, Sami Murphy, Emily Anne Nester, Hannah Shankman, Jordon Taylor, Rodney Thompson, Sean Thompson and Annaliese Wilbur. I had the chance to chat with Stephen (Nick Arnstein to Katerina’s Fanny Brice) over the phone during his stint at the Connor Palace Playhouse Square in Cleveland.