Gil Kaan - Page 9

Next up at the Geffen Playhouse, the U.S. premiere of Ava: The Secret Conversations opening April 13, 2023 (with previews already begun). Elizabeth McGovern stars as Ava Gardner in this new play that she wrote. Moritz von Stuelpnagel directs Elizabeth and her co-stars Aaron Costa Ganis and Ryan W. Garcia. Moritz made some time between rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Next up at Theatre 40 will be the stage reading of Andrew Davies’s Prin April 28th and 29th. Jules Aaron directs Juliet Mills (as the titular Prin), Maxwell Caulfield, Ivy Khan, Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, Joe Clabby and David Hunt Stafford. Juliet was most gracious to chat with me on her day off from filming Grey’s Anatomy.

Next up for Rogue Machine, the world premiere of June Carryl’s Blue opening April 7, 2023 at The Matrix Theatre. Michael Matthews directs the cast of John Colella and Julanne Chidi Hill. John managed to find some time after returning from working out of the country to answer a few of my queries.

Merrily We Roll Along is currently running at the Whitefire Theatre through April 30, 2023. I got the chance to pepper Conchita Belisle Newman, the creative force behind The Fable Theatre, with some queries on her company and Merrily.

The Center Theatre Group presents the Los Angeles premiere of the Tony Award-winning 1776 opening April 12, 2023 at the Ahmanson (with a preview April 11th). Diane Paulus and Jeffrey L. Page co-direct the cast of 27.

Next up at L.A. Theatre Works, The Confession of Henry Jekyll, M.D., David Rambo’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic horror novel, “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” playing April 14th through April 16th. Anna Lyse Erikson directs Seamus Dever in the titular role. David managed to squeeze out some time between his many, many producing/ writing gigs to answer a few of my queries.

Originally premiering at last year’s Hollywood Fringe, The School of Night reprises their award-winning production of Battlesong of Boudica April 9, 2023 at The Hudson Backstage. Co-founder and writer Christopher William Johnson directs the cast of Jen Albert, Daniel Adomian, Tom Block, Colin A Borden, Payton Cella, Sara Gorsky, Brad C. Light, Chloe Madriaga, Christopher Neiman, Tristan Rewald, Lacey  Rosewall, Lucy  Schmidt, Allegra  Rodriguez Shivers, Jack TenBarge, Jesse James Thomas, Frank Tirimacco and Dan Wingard. I got to throw out some questions to Jen, who’s playing the titular role of Boudica. And she punched back her answers directly on target.

Next up at A Noise Within, Manuel Puig’s Kiss of the Spider Woman beginning April 1, 2023 (with previews starting March 26th). Michael Michetti directs this classic two-hander with Adrián González and Ed F. Martin. Ed, a familiar face on the Los Angeles stages, managed to squeeze out some time between rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.  

Cherry Poppins latest show Clue-lesque has taken up residence at Tranny Tramp Granny’s through April 26, 2023. This burlesque musical parody of the cult-favorite ‘80s Clue is powered by the cast of Lauren Avon, Heath Butler, E.K. Dagenfield, Kim Dalton, Shanera Denae’, Kristyn Evelyn, Everjohn Feliciano, Bianca Gisselle, Brin Hamblin, Emma Hunton, Carly Jibson, Janaya Mahealani Jones, Meredith Lim, Alli Miller-Fisher, Matthew Scott Montgomery, Camel Pugh, Cory Robison, Michael Shaw Fisher and Sarah Wines. The very busy performer/ director/ writer/ choreographer/ producer Alli managed to take a breather to answer a few of my queries.

A.R. Gurney’s classic Love Letters plays for one weekend at the Theatre 68 Arts Complex beginning March 31, 2023. Wendy-Marie Martin directs this two-hander with Courtney R. Hall and April Stewart.  The multitasking April managed to find some time between her voiceover gig, raising her daughter and volunteering for NAMI to answer a few of my queries.

Up next for Theatre 40’s current season, Terrence McNally’s It’s Only a Play opening March 23, 2023. Larry Eisenberg directs the cast of Todd Andrew Ball, Peter Bussian, Fox Carney, Joe Clabby, Cheryl David, Mouchette van Helsdingen and Jeffrey Winner. Larry was most gracious in carving out time to give serious thoughts to answering my queries.

Boston Court world premieres Rosie Narasaki’s Unrivaled beginning March 16, 2023. Boston Court Associate Artistic Director Margaret Shigeko Starbuck directs this co-production with Playwrights’ Arena featuring: David Huynh, Katie Kitani, Cindy Nguyen and Chelsea Yakura-Kurtz. Rosie was most gracious in answering a few of my queries.

The revival of the Tony Award-winning The Secret Garden - The Musical has just opened at the Ahmanson. Sierra Boggess heads the large cast directed and choreographed by Warren Caryle. I had the chance to chat with John-Michael Lyles who plays Dixon, a most pivotal influence on the central character Mary Lennox.

Read BroadwayWorld's interview with Dan Redfeld on Little Women, and more!

Yamato: The Drummers of Japan will play Southern California at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts March 3rd and the Soraya Center at CSUN March 4th with their latest show Hinotori -The Wings of Phoenix. This North American tour marks Yamato’s 30th anniversary season. Masa Ogawa, the founder and artistic director of this globally-renown Japanese Taiko drumming group, shared a few behind-the-scenes facts on Yamato.

The west coast premiere of playwright Anna Deavere Smith’s expanded solo show Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992 opens March 15, 2023, at the Mark Taper Forum (with previews beginning March 8th). Gregg T. Daniel directs the cast of Hugo Armstrong, Lovensky Jean-Baptiste, Lisa Reneé Pitts, Jeanne Sakata and Sabina Zúñiga Varela performing the 30-40 characters of the play that Anna originally performed all on her own. Gregg was most gracious to carve out time from rehearsals to answer a few of my queries.

Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1985 Pulitzer Prize winning Sunday in the Park with George has just opened at the Pasadena Playhouse as part of their six-month celebration of everything Sondheim. Sarna Lapine (James’ niece) directs the cast of twenty-two, lead by Graham Phillips as George Seurat/George and Krystina Alabado as Dot/Marie. Andy Einhorn conducts a full orchestra of sixteen musicians. After a howling boot camp of rehearsals and a very successful opening night, Graham finally took a breather to answer a few of my queries.

Next up at Antaeus Theatre Company, Caryl Churchill’s Love and Information opening March 3, 2023 (with previews beginning February 26th). Emily Chase directs the eight-member cast of: — John Apicella, Anne Gee Byrd, Darius De L Cruz, Kwana Martinez, Kevin Matsumoto, Erin Pineda, Lloyd Roberson II and Zoe Yale. Emily was most gracious to give me some behind-the-scenes of Love and Information and some of the rational driving her creative decisions.

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo lands at the Microsoft Theatre March 23, 2023. Corteo, usually a somber procession (translated from ‘cortege’ in Italian) receives a colorful, joyous make-over as only Cirque de Soleil can do, with an international cast of clowns, acrobats, contortionists and musicians. I got the chance to get some behind-the-scenes tidbits from Corteo’s vocalist Sofia Montano.

Barry Wyner’s Calvin Berger opens at the Colony Theatre February 16, 2023. Richard Israel directs the cast of Corinne Miller, Jordan Quisno, Jasmine Sharma and Frankie A. Rodriguez as the titular Calvin in a revamping of Cyrano de Bergerac in a high school setting. I got a chance to throw out a few inquiries of Frankie amidst his final rehearsals.