Gil Kaan - Page 46

Playwright Jason Odell Williams' latest theatrical project CHURCH & STATE opens July 2 at the Skylight Theatre as the first part of its National New Play Network Rolling World Premiere. Later to also open at JCC CenterStage (Rochester, NY) and New Jersey Rep (Long Branch, NJ) in their 2016-17 seasons.

This showbiz phenom has been making music and telling stories since he burst into the public's consciousness as the winner of the first season of Star Search in 1983. A multi-platinum recording artist, Broadway staple and frequent TV actor; Sam Harris has now added book author to his growing occupational categories of credits.

Tony Award-winning actor Paul Sand took time out of his Sunday afternoon off to talk with BWW. He is currently putting on his third-ish re-incarnation of KURT WEILL AT THE CUTTLEFISH HOTEL at the Miles Memorial Playhouse. Inspiration for CUTTLEFISH initially hit Paul as he was walking on the Santa Monica Pier. 'Wouldn't Kurt Weill's nasty songs about murder and revenge and broken hearts be terrific down here?'

In MUSICAL COMEDY WHORE, actor David Pevsner has written a most revealing musical autobiography that he performs himself, backed by the able musical accompaniment (and very funny, injecting vocal choruses) of Gerald Sternbach. Randy Brenner smartly directs Pevsner at a smooth, fast clip in this hour-and-a-half one-act.

A mesmerizing second half more than compensates for a curious first in Sam Shepard's FOOL FOR LOVE, the Los Angeles LGBT Center's entry into the 2016 Hollywood Fringe Festival. With the four characters' relationships peeling open like layers of an onion, the last half explodes with the actors' intensity and their quite evident acting talents. Both Burt Grinstead and  Charlotte Gulezian seamlessly inhabit their roles as the past lovers.

A ridiculously talented troupe of singer/comedians totally revel and entertain in THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY OF THE BIG LEBOWSKI. Staged, not only on the mainstage, but in various nooks and on available bar stools of the Rockwell; director Tye Blue smoothly whips his energy-infectious cast through the non-stop, laugh-a-minute spoof, covering unrelated popular songs that cleverly advance the loose plot.  

On June 7, the Rockwell Table & Stage featured the stunning vocals of Michael Longoria. Smartly written by Longoria and his director Taylor James, Broadway standards received re-imagined, re-purposed raison-d'etre in advancing Longoria's fascinating narrative. His verbal accounts (serving as song intros) gave fresh, innovative meanings to his show tune classics selections.

The Australian Theatre Company's stunning quartet of talented actors elevates playwright Andrew Bovell's very clever SPEAKING IN TONGUES into an entertaining puzzlement. Jeneffa Soldatic firmly directs her gifted cast in their multiple intersecting roles that asks the audience to really, really pay attention to details.

Steven Robman's strong hand at brisky directing his very talented ensemble at a snappy pace makes this updated 19th century classic whizz by in its two-hour-and-twenty-minute length. Who knew Hedda Gabler was such a BITCH! As beautifully limmed by Jaimi Paige, her Hedda's the original Mean Girl.

In their inaugural collaboration with Clifton's Cafeteria, Creating Arts Studios has produced THE CLIFTON'S CANTEEN, a fitting and entertaining tribute to and for our servicemen and servicewomen during Memorial Weekend. Patterned after a USO show, each member of the troupe played a famous celebrity of the 1940s (save for the vocally gifted Lee Marshall and Jason Cichon as Army Guy Lee and Army Guy Jason).

Clifton's Cafeteria, originally opened in 1935, has been an integral part of Downtown Los Angeles history feeding the masses, open to all whether they could afford it or not. Entrepreneur Andrew Meieran, 80 years later, has re-vamped this architectural relic and transformed it into an ultimate destination for an ideal Dinner & Show combo. Meiran bought the property in 2010 and had its grand re-opening in late 2015.

Rajiv Joseph's very tricky to pull off GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES lands at the Hudson Backstage as a stunning success! Considering the main conceit of GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES requires two actors playing a 30-year age range from 8 to 38; in less capable hands, this seventy-minute one-act would have been so ripe for missteps.  

Clever workshop presentation of the world premiere of playwrights Victor Bardack & Edward Michael Bell's HILLARY & MONICA. Though HILLARY & MONICA contains lots of witty elements still to be tweaked and fleshed out, the winning and steady component that needs no changing or improving's the central, charismatic performance of Barry Pearl as playwright Ben Rose. 

The East West Players' latest, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, most successfully communicates the heart and humor of Tony Award-winners Harvey Fierstein & Jerry Herman, injecting an Asian flavor as only East West can do. E/W's outgoing Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang deftly directs his very talented cast at a neck-breaking pace allowing just enough time for the laughter to subside and the heartstrings to stop tugging.

The Southern California premiere of playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig's THE GOLDEN DRAGON  benefits from the sturdy, first-rate technical production values The Theatre @ Boston Court has earned their deserved reputation for. Kudos to GOLDEN DRAGON's color-blind, gender-blind, ageist-blind casting. But with all this color/gender/ageist-blind casting comes the pitfall of equal opportunity offending.

For delicious pastas and pizza in a no-frills, friendly neighborhood-vibed establishment; check out Avanti Cafe a few blocks away from The Boston Court Performing Arts Center for a wonderful evening of Dinner & Show.  With the wood fire pizza oven and the kitchen in the same room as customers, the smells of tomato, basil, parmesan, and garlic froth through the air making you hungrier than when you first walked in.

The Celebration Theatre's production of THE BOY FROM OZ has just opened to glowing reviews; raves and compliments Celebration's co-artistic director Michael A. Shepperd has gotten used to. (Look at their looong list of award-winning productions!) We had a chance to chat with both the prolifically talented (directing and acting) Shepperd and the charismatic, triple-threat Andrew Bongiorno who plays the titular BOY Peter Allen.

Kristin Idaszak's SECOND SKIN receives a strong and novel mounting on the sands of the Santa Monica Beach. Fueled by the powerful performances of Sarah Halford, Claire Kaplan and Susannah Rea-Dowling, Idaszak weaves the mythical bedtime stories and real life tales of a daughter and her estranged mother dying of ALS.

Four Clowns' world premiere of playwright David Bridel's LUNATICS & ACTORS wonderfully succeeds as a loving spoof of the acting process. It's to the credit of all involved that what could have been a five-minute Saturday Night Live skit has evolved into 70 minutes of enthralling wit and engaging artistry. Bad acting's truly an art; and to make the bad acting funny, genius!

Strong vocals, sharp comedic timing and stunning visuals mark Dutches Theatre's world premiere of THE STORY OF ALICE. Michael Cormier has updated the classic Alice in Wonderland book. Cormier's most clever lyrics appear in 'Keep Your Temper' sung by the charismatic Santino Tomasetti as Admiral Pillar and 'Name Me Names' oh-so-sassily delivered by Emily King Brown as the Queen of Hearts.