Gil Kaan - Page 31

Playwright Grace McLeod's first professionally produced play HERLAND will have its last third of its three-part Rolling World Premiere at the Greenway Court (beginning yesterday May 30, 2019). We had the chance to ask Grace about the incredible year-long ride she's taken with HERLAND to arrive at the Los Angeles culmination.

The always working French Stewart, a most recognizable face from television, will next be seen on the theatrical boards of the Laguna Playhouse, co-starring with his wife Vanessa Claire Stewart in Mary Chase's Pulitzer Prize-winning HARVEY, opening June 2, 2019. French plays the pivotal role of Elwood P. Dowd who befriends the titular Harvey, a six-foot-and-a-half tall rabbit. French graciously made some time available to answer a few of my inquiring queries.

The Wallis Studio Ensemble's latest production THE HITCH-HIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY will open at The Wallis June 6, 2019. Established in 2016 by theatre director and choreographer Madeleine Dahm, WSE (in partnership with GRoW @ The Wallis) strives to share the arts with audiences of all ages. One of WSE's four original company members Alexander Sheldon will be performing multiple roles onstage and off in HITCH-HIKER. Alexander made some time available to answer my queries between his never-ending multi-tasking for WSE.

A vocally-gifted, all-star cast accompanied by a gorgeous, live orchestra breathed added dimensions to Disney's animated Little Mermaid. The screening of this 30-year-old Disney classic received the IMMERSIVE LIVE-TO-FILM CONCERT EXPERIENCE treatment. Lea Michele as the titular Ariel NAILED her 'Part of Your World' with her soaring vocals and two ethereal blue gowns.

Samuel Beckett's masterpiece HAPPY DAYS has already begun previews May 15, 2019 at the Mark Taper Forum, with Dianne Wiest taking center stage as Winnie, partially buried in the sand. Providing a foil for her non-stop, almost-soliloquy, Michael Rudko portrays Willie, Winnie's mostly unseen husband. Michael found some time to answer a few of my inquisitive queries.

East West Players' Producing Artistic Director Snehal Desai sharply directs his en pointe cast in a crowd-rousing production of non-stop Abba hits, the most joyous MAMMA MIA! Choreographer Preston Mui has created intricate, very FUN dance routines, deftly executed by all. Joan Almedilla as Donna Sheridan and Grace Yoo as her daughter Sophie - take this production to another celestial level.

Skylight Theatre Company's first world premiere musical, BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL, will be helmed by director Hunter Bird. Based on the 1980 Warner Bros. film Bronco Billy starring Clint Eastwood, this rousing MUSICAL centering on a travelling Wild West show, circa 1979, has already begun previews. Hunter managed to rest his cowboy booted feet up for a few to answer my inquiring questions.

The world premiere of world-renown magician Helder Guimarães' INVISIBLE TANGO has already begun previews at the Geffen Playhouse. A World Champion of Magic (among other titles), Helder has enlisted the directing talents of Frank Marshall and the musicality of Moby for his TANGO of storytelling and sleight-of-hand. Helder agreed to reveal some secrets of his magic success. (No, he didn't, but I was just hoping he would!)

Musician extraordinaire Hershey Felder will be presenting HERSHEY FELDER: A PARIS LOVE STORY at the Wallis Annenberg beginning May 24, 2019. A PARIS LOVE STORY will focus on Impressionist composer Claude Debussy, known for his masterpieces La Mer, Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un faune, of course, Claire de lune. I had the wonderful opportunity ask Hershey a few inquiries in the midst of his world premiering in Mountain View.

The Grammy Museum will be hosting NOTES ON LIVING: ALL-STAR JAZZ WITH TALES BY BRIAN DOYLE May 14, 2019 as a joint benefit for WordTheatre in the Schools (WITS) and the Grammy Museum. WordTheatre's artistic director Cedering Fox will be producing and directing this evening of selected stories by award-winning author Brian Doyle, read by a star-studded cast, and accompanied by an all-star jazz band led by Starr Parodi. Cedering opened up some of her early evening time to speak to me.

Multi-faceted, creative hyphenate Charles Busch will be appearing in his latest reincarnation of his 1999 classic cult-fav DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! for four performances May 17 through May 19, 2019 for L.A. Theatre Works. Dazzlingly filling out the crazy cast of characters of DIE, MOMMIE, DIE! - Mark Capri, Willie Garson, Ellis Greer, Jeffrey Self and Ruth Williamson. I had the wonderful chance to revisit Charles' gracious wit after almost two decades previous.

The Fountain Theatre's Southern California premiere of DANIEL'S HUSBAND has brought together a not-oft-enough, ideal convergence of uniformly talent of talents - with witty, realistic, heart-rendering dialogue by playwright Michael McKeever; sturdy, even-paced directing by Simon Levy; first-rate technical elements; and a pitch, pitch-perfect cast of five actors, each at the top of their individual games.

The Groundlings have topped themselves Ahhh-gain with their latest Friday and Saturday night show NEW YORK FASHION GROUNDLINGS. The collective comic genius of this cast of seven zip through a program of fourteen hilariously entertaining skits, sharply directed by Kevin Kirkpatrick at a brisk, breakneck pace with almost insufficient time to finish laughing before another hysterical bit immediately follows.

The Actors' Gang's latest production VIOLENCE: THE MISADVENTURES OF SPIKE SPANGLE FARMER has just opened this week. This revival of their original 1986 piece, co-written by Actors' Gang Artistic Director Tim Robbins and frequent collaborator Adam Simon, seems, unfortunately, timely as ever. Adam shared with me his history with Actors' Gang, Tim and Roger Corman.

With flashes of ROCKY HORROR and RENT, Michael Shaw Fisher's DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES gives the audience more than an eyeful of enthusiastic and energetic nubile women and men in a fast-paced burlesque romp, inventively choreographed to every inch of the Lex's tiny stage.

Los Angeles Theatre Community staple, director Jon Lawrence Rivera will be previewing his latest directorial Open Fist project ANNA IN THE TROPICS April 26, 2019 at the Atwater Village Theatre, even before his previous directorial Playwrights Arena's SOUTHERNMOST closes (also at the Atwater Village Theatre). Jon managed to squeeze some time for me between his masterful juggling of his two productions.

The adaptation of Dostoyevsky's classic novel Crime and Punishment receives a three-actor, ninety-minute theatrical mounting at the Edgemar Center for the Arts beginning April 27, 2019. I managed to fly a few questions pass a very in-demand Michael Trevino, who plays CRIME AND PUNISHMENT's central character Raskolnikov in this adaptation by Marilyn Campbell and Curt Columbus, and directed by Peter Richards.

Theatrical hyphenate Michael Shaw Fisher brings his latest creation DR. NYMPHO VS. THE SEX ZOMBIES - A ROCK MUSICAL to the Celebration Theatre @ the Lex beginning April 26, 2019. I had the very fun opportunity to probe actor/writer/producer Michael's brain for his birthing of Dr. NYMPHO.

Playwright Cicely Hamilton's first productions of her DIANA OF DOBSON'S in 1908 must have been quite controversial with a, then unheard of, strong, outspoken woman Diana Massingberd as the lead character. Abigail Marks more than fills the shoes of Diana with her relentless command of the stage. Director Casey Stangl deftly guides her talented cast in a fast-talking, fast-paced journey of Diana's adventures.

In this world premiere of THE THINGS WE DO, playwright Grant Woods has created an interesting take on an affair of the loins, acted out by a most committed cast. The two adulterers, wanting to continue their illicit trysts, plot to introduce their respective spouses to each other with the purpose of them taking a liking to each other. As scripted by Woods and directed by Elina de Santos, the actors playing the cuckolded spouses have a variety of human qualities to act on, allowing them to convey sympathetic three-dimensionality.