Gil Kaan - Page 7

Next up at the Pasadena Playhouse, the Los Angeles premiere of Adam Rapp’s Pulitzer Prize finalist The Sound Inside opens September 10, 2023 (with previews starting September 6th). Cameron Watson directs the cast of Amy Brenneman and Anders Keith, as Bella Lee Baird a Yale professor and her student Christopher, respectively. Amy graciously found time between final rehearsals to answer a few of my inquiries.

I had the incredible pleasure of talking to Marilu Henner on her upcoming show at the Write-Off Room Music and Memories on September 23, 2023. She completely wowed me with her uncanny detailed memory of her illustrious career. Marilu is only one of twelve people in the world who has hyperthymesia, or in laymen’s terms: total recall memory. Accompanying Marilu on her one-nighter will be musical director Michael Orland on piano.

The world premiere of Howard Skora’s Freud on Cocaine opens September 8, 2023, at the Whitefire Theatre. Howard also directs this comedy based on Freud’s Cocaine Papers with the cast of Jonathan Slavin, Barry Brisco, Kim Hopkins, Aaron LaPlante, Sara Maraffino, Sigute Miller and Amy Smallman-Winston. Jonathan graciously carved out some time from his rehearsals as the titular character Freud to answer a few of my analyzing queries.

Next up for The Group Rep, John Murray and Allen Boretz’ zany comedy Room Service opening September 8, 2023, at their Lonny Chapman Theatre. Mareli Mitchel-Shields directs the large cast of Fox Carney, Joe Clabby, Joseph Eastburn, Tommy Jacobs, Jessica Kent, Sam Logan, Will Maizel, Matthew McLaughlin, Jackie Shearn, Bonnie Snyder, Axel Truitt, Sal Valletta, Grant Velarde, Timothy Willard and Chris Winfield. Chris graciously put down his hammer to answer a few of my queries.

The Los Angeles premiere of actor/writer Les Kurkendaal-Barrett’s The Real Black Swann: Confessions of America’s First Black Drag Queen begins August 31, 2023, at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Davidson/Valentini Theatre.

The first of playwright Lisa Sanaye Dring’s simultaneous world premieres in southern California Hungry Ghost opens August 26, 2023, at the Skylight Theatre, with the second SUMO starting September 26, 2023, at La Jolla Playhouse. The much-in-demand Lisa graciously made some time between pre-production meetings for Hungry Ghost and prepping her numerous upcoming projects to answer a few of my queries.

Next up at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, Center Theatre Group (in association with IAMA Theatre Company) present Alexis Scheer’s Our Dear Dead Drug Lord opening August 27, 2023 (already in previews). CTG’s associate artistic director directs the cast of Ashley Brooke, Aliyah Camacho, Samantha Wynette Miller, Coral Peña, Lilian Rebelo and Juan Francisco Villa. The very busy Samantha squeezed some time from her preview rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Rogue Machine Southern California Premiere of Will Arbery’s Heroes of the Fourth Turning just opened August 19, 2023, at the Rogue Machine at the Matrix. Rogue Machine Theatre’s artistic director Guillermo Cienfuegos directs the cast of Roxanne Hart, Evangeline Edwards, Samuel Garnett, Stephen Tyler Howell and Emily James. Will found time between his moving in and rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Next up for the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the world premiere of OTE’s Artistic Director Ron Sossi’s Elephant Shavings opening August 19, 2023 (with previews beginning August 16th). Ron directs his script with the cast of: Denise Blasor, Diana Cignoni, Jack Geren, Jeff LeBeau, Cameron Meyer and Giovanna Neilan. Ron took some time from his Odyssey multi-tasking to answer a few of my queries.

HRS Productions and Orgasmico’s Exorcistic: The Unauthorized Rock Musical Parody of The Exorcist has taken up residence at Three Clubs in Hollywood playing Fridays and Saturdays through September 22, 2023. This original rock musical co-directed by Chadd McMillan and Alli Miller-Fisher, features book, lyrics and music by Michael Shaw Fisher. Camal Pugh choreographed the triple-threat cast of: Nick Bredosky, Brian Logan Dales, Kim Dalton, Frankie Grande, Emma Hunton, Mitchell Gerrard Johnson, Janaya Mahealani Jones, Jesse Merlin, Michael Shaw Fisher, Leigh Wullf and Gabby Sanalitro. Rotating Diva guests include: Carly Jibson, Garret Clayton, Jeff Sumner, Marissa Jaret Winokur, Elle Deran, Matt Shively and Brendan Hunt. Camal took some time between his teaching and creating to answer a few of my queries.

The West Coast premiere of Mischief Theatre Ltd.’s Peter Pan Goes Wrong opens August 11, 2023, at the Ahmanson (with previews beginning August 8th). Adam Meggido directs the zany cast of Bartley Booz, Matthew Cavendish, Bianca Horn, Harry Kershaw, Chris Leask, Henry Lewis, Ellie Morris, Charlie Russell, Jonathan Sayer, Henry Shields, Greg Tannahill, and Nancy Zamit. The company is completed by Ryan Vincent Anderson, Stephen James Anthony, Fred Gray, and Brenann Stacker. Matthew was most gracious to answer a few of my queries.

The U.S. tour of Tony Award-winning musical phenomenon, Les Misérables lands in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre beginning August 1, 2023.James Powell and Laurene Connor co-direct a cast of 40+ triple threats. Le Miz veteran Steve Czarnecki returns this time in the roles of Factory Foreman and Brujon.

Jiggs Jurgess’ The Red Suitcase world premieres August 12, 2023, at the Broadwater Theatre Main Stage. Del Shores directs this co-production of P3 Theatre Company, the Del Shores Foundation and Beard Collins Shores Productions with the cast of Emerson Collins, Kristen McCullough, Bruce Melena, Charlotte Louise White, Mat Hayes, Pam Trotter and Tiago Santos. Emerson was most gracious in finding time to answer a few of my queries.

A stellar cast of Broadway babies and leading men will gather for one-night only this Sunday evening July 30, 2023, to honor the late, great Stephen Sondheim in Everybody Rise! A Sondheim Celebration. Curated by Robert Longbottom and Kevin Stites, Kevin conducts the most talented cast of Patti LuPone, Sierra Boggess, Sutton Foster, Skylar Astin, Norm Lewis and Brian Stokes Mitchell. I had the chance to chat with Skylar before he began rehearsals for Everybody Rise!

Krysta Rodriguez reprises her role of Cinderella for the remainder of the Broadway production of Into the Woods at the Ahmanson through July 30, 2023.

Just opened at the Pasadena Playhouse, recently crowned recipient of the 2023 Regional Tony Award, the Los Angeles premiere of Pulitzer Prize-finalist Zora Howard’s Stew. Tyler Thomas directs the cast of LisaGay Hamilton, Roslyn Ruff, Jasmine Ashanti and Samantha Miller. LisaGay graciously found some time after the opening to answer a few of my queries.

Nakisa Aschtiani’s Bismillah, or In the Name of God will be one of the five plays featured in this year’s SheLA Art’s Summer Theatre Festival, performed live July 12th and 15th at the Zephyr Theatre (and available to stream later in the month).

The Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Tony Award winning Into the Woods has just landed at the Ahmanson Theatre through the end of July. Reprising their Broadway Roles will be Montego Glover, Stephanie J. Block, Sebastian Arcelus and Gavin Creel. New to this Into the Woods company, but not to the role of Cinderella, Diane Phelan was the first Filipino-American Cinderella in a major production of Into the Woods.

Tina: The Tina Turner Musical has been igniting and exciting Pantages audiences since June 13, 2023, with Segerstrom Center the next stop July 11th through July 23rd. Part of this all-around amazing cast, Carla R. Stewart revels in her role of Gran Georganna. Carla managed to find some time between her high energy shows to answer a few of my queries.

Ramiz Monsef’s The Ants world premieres June 29, 2023 at the Geffen Playhouse (with previews already started). Pirrone Yousefzadeh directs this horror play with the cast of Hugo Armstrong, Nicky Boulos, Megan Hill, Jeremy Radin and Ryan Shrime. Ramiz graciously agreed to answer a few of my queries.