Gil Kaan - Page 34

The Groundlings, directly segueing from their sold-out GROUNDLINGS HOLIDAY SHOW, will be working hard this New Year's Eve providing a special night of complete improvisations with GROUNDLINGS NEW YEAR'S EVE SPECTACULAR! SPECTACULAR!'s director David Jahn, a Groundlings alumnus, took a few moments out of his busy holiday schedule to answer my inquisitive questions.

Rockwell Table & Stage currently houses The Fuse Project's stunning, STUNNING production of SCISSORHANDS - A MUSICAL. Co-written by Kate Pazakis and Bradley Bredeweg (who also directs), the 1990 hit film Edward Scissorhands receives the Pazakis/Bredeweg Midas touch, updating the movie with gender-bending, social issues consciousness, and, as they both are known for including - incredible vocals.

Having just started in Denver, Colorado; the national tour of DISNEY ON ICE PRESENTS DARE TO DREAM will land in southern California for dates at the STAPLES Center beginning December 13, 2018; with more cities through April 2019. Performance Director Phoebe Flynn was most gracious to take some time from her multitude of show duties to answer a few edgy questions I flipped to her.

Already a few cities into their 27-city national circuit, the touring company of COME FROM AWAY has landed in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson. Helmed by its Tony Award-winning director Christopher Ashley, COME FROM AWAY runs through January 6, 2019. Still fresh and reeling from the audience's passionate responses to this tale of a major true event in the aftermath of 9/11, Christine Toy Johnson (who's playing multiple roles in this feel-very-good musical) took a few moments to respond to my inquisitive queries.

Playwright Neil Koenigsberg, a founder/partner of PMK PR, must have experienced some pretty outrageous incidents in his tenure at PMK, as well as, in his stints as talent manager and film producer. Koenigsberg has taken probably one of his most far-fetched scenarios to base WINK on. Andrik Ochoa, totally at ease and comfortable on stage, plays the non-binary Wink as a total innocent with no bad attributes whatsoever.

Paul Rush sure-handedly directs his talented Sixty-six Theater Co. cast at a languid, very laid-back pacing, most appropriate for the Wisconsin town that playwright Rebecca Gilman set BLUE SURGE in. Eddie Alfano charismatically and most effectively heads the ensemble as Curt the constantly, down-on-himself cop trying to make lieutenant.

The always in-demand Cameron Watson, a stalwart of the Los Angeles theatre community, will next be helming the holiday production of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY at the Pasadena Playhouse for a brief run December 12 to 23. Cameron managed to find some time between his many creative responsibilities to answer a few of my inquisitive inquiries.

Experiencing a preview of MWM Immersive's latest virtual reality project CHAINED - A VICTORIAN NIGHTMARE left me in an amazed daze. I was WOWed with the vivid visuals and imagery of creator/director Justin Denton's interpretation of the three ghosts of A CHRISTMAS CAROL. I then got the chance to sit down (in a real couch), with MWM Immersive's executive producer Ethan Stearns in GreatCo's outer gallery to discuss what I had just witnessed.

Writer/comedienne/best-selling author Sandra Tsing Loh will be reviving her expanded version of her once one-woman show SUGAR PLUM FAIRY at the Skylight Theatre beginning November 24, 2018; with opening night set for December 1st. I grabbed the chance to delve into Sandra's most witty psyche on her creative processes leading up to her now three-person FAIRY.

The writing team of Kurt Koehler and Oscar Quintero have hilariously expanded their Chico's Angels' episode CHICO'S ANGELS 5-O WAIKIKI CHICAS from its usual cabaret form into a full-stage production. Koehler smoothly directs these three spot-on Latina drag performers inhabiting the three Chico's Angels - the 'all about me' Kay Sedia, the not-so-smart, double-entendre spouting Frieda Laye and the fake eye-lashing batting, lip-quivering Chita Parol. Their comic timing and smooth, effortless interplay's quite evident from their fifteen years of performing together.

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater, as well as, it's first move from its historical address, BOB BAKER'S NUTCRACKER will play at the Pasadena Playhouse's Carrie Hamilton Theatre from November 24 through December 30, 2018. Who better to learn about the Bob Baker Marionette Theater than from its current director, the late Bob Baker's right-hand man Alex Evans? I got the chance to pull some interesting facts of the Theater from Alex.

Performance artist extraordinaire John Fleck owns the Odyssey Theatre stage with his one-man Gothic horror piece BLACKTOP HIGHWAY. Framed as a screenplay being shot through the camera lens of a movie director, Fleck makes maximum and inventive use of his talent for animal mimicry, pre-recorded vignettes and real-time videos paired with miniature props and puppetry. Randee Trabitz ably directs Fleck through his high-energy, fast-talking dialogue between Fleck and Fleck himself, in a multitude of characters.

Already in previews at the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater of the Geffen Playhouse, HUGHIE & KRAPP'S LAST TAPE (by Eugene O'Neill & Samuel Beckett, respectively), a double bill starring Brian Dennehy, will open November 14, 2018. I had the chance to chat with director Steven Robman, a frequent collaborator of Brian, as he was driving to a mid-day appointment.

For The Record returns to The Wallis with their holiday show LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE December 4th through 31st. Headliners for this multi-media concert (backed by a 15-piece orchestra) include Rumer Willis, Steve Kazee, Kelley Jakle, Rex Smith and B. Slade. LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE's music supervisor and arranger Jesse Vargas offered up some of his infrequent down time to most graciously share his history with FTR, as well as, his encompassing musical expertise with me.

Chico's Angels, Los Angeles cult favorite Latina drag queens, will be celebrating their Quinceanera with their Hawaiian episode CHICO'S ANGELS 5: WAIKIKI CHICAS at The Colony Theater November 15 through 18, 2018. Angels Kay Sedia, Frieda Laye, Chita Parol will be escorted and protected by their ever-present Bossman. We had the opportunity to chat with Bossman a.k.a Alejandro Patino between his CHICO's rehearsals and his film festival hopping for his indie film Papa Chulo.

Tony Award-winner Jefferson Mays (and his many characters) will grace the Gil Cates Theatre stage of the Geffen Playhouse for his one-man adaptation of Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL, already in previews, with opening night set for November 7, 2018. I had the chance to pick Jefferson's witty mind for some very fun answers to my semi-serious inquiries.

Southern California's Verdi Chorus will cap off their 35th anniversary season with their Fall 2018 concert PASSIONE! OPERA! The two performances at the First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica on November 10 and 11 will feature four guest artists: soprano Julie Makerov, mezzo soprano Janelle DeStefano, tenor Todd Wilander and baritone Gabriel Manro. I had the chance to quiz two-time Grammy Award-winning baritone Gabriel Manro on his love for singing, the technical aspects of singing opera vs. musical theatre and his recent onstage proposal.

Luis Valdez' VALLEY OF THE HEART, currently at the Mark Taper Forum, vividly depicts the tale of two immigrant families (the Yamaguchis and the Montaños), both caught up in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor in the 1940s. Friends before the war, their oldest children, Teruko "Thelma" Yamaguchi and Ben Montaños, had secretly fallen in love. I had the chance to question Melanie Arii Mah (who's playing Teruko) on her history with HEART, as well as, her personal family accounts during this tragic historical time.

With drumming chops more lethal than most drummers one-third of his age, Greg Kanaga holds court with his bandmates Matthew Loren Cohen and Larry Treadwell making kick-ass music for The Groundlings Friday/Saturday night shows (Next Friday/Saturday night show GROUNDLINGS MIX TAPE opens November 2, 2018). It was only a matter of time before I caught up with Greg to pick his musical brain, as I had already interviewed Matthew and Larry earlier.

Zoo Company's artistic director, writer/performer Daniel Sugimoto will world premiere his latest creative endeavor MY DATE WITH DEATH - A MUSICAL ROMANCE for a limited run beginning November 10, 2018 at the Miles Memorial Playhouse. We had the chance to delve deep into Daniel's creative mind to learn of some of his creative processes.