Gil Kaan - Page 8

Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man (a co-production of Center Theatre Group and The SpringHill Company) will open June 18, 2023, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Debbie Allen, in her CTG directorial debut, directs this account of the unlikely (but real life) friendship between the great Cassius Clay and the controversial Stepin Fetchit; with the cast of Ray Fisher, Edwin Lee Gibson, Wilkie Ferguson II, Alexis Floyd and Bruce Nozick. I managed to spar with Will over a few behind-the-scenes queries.

Immersive Disney Animation (from the combined creative minds of Lighthouse Immersive Studios and Walt Disney Animation Studios) makes its Los Angeles premiere June 23, 2023 at the Lighthouse ArtSpace Los Angeles (the former Amoeba Records building). This all-encompassing sensory feast of Disney animation – classics and new - will take you into the inner workings of these popular films. I had the opportunity to chat with two of Immersive Disney Animation’s creative team - Special Projects Producer Dorothy McKim who is spearheading the project for Disney Animation, and Lighthouse Immersive’s Global Creative Director David Korins who created the preshow lobby installations.

The world premiere of Greg Burdick’s Accommodation opens June 18, 2023 at the Odyssey Theatre (with previews beginning June 15th). Accommodation focuses on the most timely and relevant issue of teachers’ responsibilities. Brothers Brandon and Garrett Baer direct the cast of: Sandy Bainum, Sufe Bradshaw, Jacob Cherry, Sol Marina Crespo, Laura Niemi and Massi Pregoni. Greg carved out some time between rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Seth Rudetsky returns to The Wallis June 16, 2023, with his evening of insightful theatre trivia, ad libs and great songs this time featuring Tony Award- winner Jessie Mueller. I had the chance to throw out a few queries for the always working Jessie to answer.

Barry Brisco’s Love is a Battlefield returns to the Hollywood Fringe Festival after nine years opening June 10, 2023, at the Limbic Arthouse. Barry directs his based-on-real-life script with the cast of Roy Fowler, Ian James, Johnny Manibusan, Michael C. Morello, Navene Shata, Jamarr Tillman and Arielle Thomas.

The North American ‘Aragon’ tour of Six has made its Los Angeles stop, currently playing at the Pantages Theatre, with dates at Segerstrom following on June 13, 2023. Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage co-direct the cast of the Six queens: Khaila Wilcoxon, Storm Lever, Natalie Paris, Olivia Donalson, Courtney Mack and Gabriela Carrillo. I had the opportunity to throw out a few queries to Natalie, a veteran of many Six productions who fiercely portrays Henry VIII’s third wife Jane Seymour.

Playwright Eric Anderson’s Back Porch world premieres June 2, 2023, at The Victory Theatre Center. Kelie McIver directs Eric’s reimagining of the 1955 film shoot of Picnic with the cast of Jonathan Fishman, Isaac W. Jay, Cody Lemmon, Karl Maschek, Jordan Morgan and Eric Zak.

Norm Lewis heads the national touring cast of A Soldier’s Play directed by Kenny Leon and opening at the Ahmanson June 25, 2023. Los Angeles theatre aficionados will get a triple dose of Norm as he brings his cabaret show Moonlighting to the Catalina Bar & Grill on June 12th, one of his nights off as Captain Richard Davenport from A Soldier’s Play and performs the National Anthem at Dodgers Stadium as the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the Washington Nationals May 31st.

IAMA Theatre Company and the Los Angeles LGBT Center present the world premiere of Nicholas Pilapil’s The Bottoming Process opening May 18, 2023 (with previews already started) at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre. Rodney To directs the cast of George Salazar, Rick Cosnett, Anisha Adusumilli, Julia Cho and Ty Molbak. Rodney managed to find some time between his final rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Naomi Grossman, fan favorite ‘Pepper’ from Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story presents her new solo show American Whore Story at the Skylight Theatre beginning June 1, 2023. This irreverent love letter to AHS fans is directed by Richard Israel. Naomi made the most of her travel time flying to New York comfortably answering a few of my queries.

Next up at the Center Theatre Group/Mark Taper Forum, the world premiere of A Transparent Musical opening May 31, 2023 (with previews beginning May 20th). Tina Landau directs this new musical based on the hit Amazon Prime original TV show by Joey Soloway. I got the chance to chat with Peppermint who plays Davina, the Alexandra Billings’ role on the TV show Transparent.

Law & Order: Organized Crime’s Danielle Moné Truitt brings her one-woman show 3: Black Girl Blues to the Hudson Theatre for a 3-weekend run beginning May 19, 2023. The very busy Danielle found some time to answer a few of my queries between shooting her TV gig, her stage rehearsals, her community activism work and her parental duties.

Up next for the Rogue Machine, NNPN’s rolling premiere of francisca da Silveira’s can i touch it? opening May 6, 2023 at the Matrix. Gregg T. Daniels directs the cast of Safiya Fredericks, Suzen Baraka, Iesha Daniels and Scott Victor Nelson. francisca massaged some non-rehearsal time availability to answer a few of my queries on her touch and her process.

Producer Entertainment Group (PEG) will be presenting their telethon Drag Isn’t Dangerous May 7, 2023 broadcasting live at moment.co/dangerous. An endless list of some of the biggest names in drag and film will be participating. PEG’s co-founder Jacob Slane was most gracious to share some of the behind-the-scenes of Drag Isn’t Dangerous, the biggest fundraising effort to combat recent anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation to date.

Next up at East West Players, the world premiere of On This Side of the World co-produced with FilAm ARTS and opening May 14, 2023 (with previews beginning May 11th). Noam Shapiro directs the cast of Steven-Adam Agdeppa, Zandi De Jesus, Michael C. Palma, Cassie Simone, Andrea Somera and Shaun Tuazon, with understudies Melvin Biteng and Justine Rafael. East West Players alumni Michael took some time from his rehearsals and photography to answer a few of my queries.

The Wallis presents Stephanie J. Block With Seth Rudetsky, its second installment of its internationally acclaimed Broadway @ The Wallis concert series, May 4, 2023. The Tony Award-winning actress/ podcaster/ mother/ wife carved out some time from her multiple commitments to give me some insights to her collaboration with Seth, as well as her upcoming Into the Woods stint at the Ahmanson.

Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT) will begin their 15th anniversary season with the Tony Award winning Ain’t Misbehavin’ opening May 4, 2023.  ERT’s producing artistic director Wren T. Brown directs the cast of Yvette Cason, Wilkie Ferguson III, Connie Jackson, Marty Austin Lamar and Natalie Wachen. Wren found some time from his many ERT duties to answer a few of my queries.

The second mainstage production of Pasadena Playhouse’s six-month-long Sondheim celebration A Little Night Music opens April 30, 2023 (with previews beginning April 25th). David Lee directs this 50th anniversary production of A Little Night Music with a cast of 19, accompanied by a full-sized orchestra.  Jodi Long, who plays Madame Armfeldt, took some time to answer a few of my queries.

Next up for the Celebration Theatre, in association with the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a new look at William Finn and James Lapine’s A New Brain opening May 6, 2023 (with previews beginning April 29th) at the Davidson/Valentini Theatre. With both William Finn and James Lapine’s approval, this production has been cast with gender-expansive casting. Khanisha Foster directs the cast of Yassi Noubahar, Richardson Cisneros-Jones, Gina Torrecilla, Ryan O’Connor, Whitney Avalon, Sadé Ayodele, Mitchell Johnson, Jason Ryan, Gabi Van Horn, and Amanda Kruger as the musical’s protagonist Gordon Schwinn; with choreography by Alli Miller-Fisher and musical direction by Gregory Nabours. Khanisha found some time to answer a few of my queries with Amanda also jumping in to offer their input.

The new North American tour of Tony Award-winning Hairspray lands in Southern California, first at Segerstrom in Costa Mesa April 18th though April 30th, and then at the Dolby in Hollywood May 5th through May 21st. This cast, headed by Andrew Levitt (aka Nina West) as Edna Turnblad and Niki Metcalf as Tracy Turnblad, is helmed by Hairspray’s original director Jack O’Brien and original choreographer Jerry Mitchell. Playing the Turnblads’ nemesis Velma Von Tussle is the delicious Addison Garner, whom I got a chance to pose some queries to.