Shari Barrett - Page 17

FEFU AND HER FRIENDS, a surreal dramedy by Maria Irene Fornés, known as an early feminist giant of the avant-garde, challenges modern audiences in that the play is plotless except for the fact eight women with very different agendas, personalities, and sexual orientations have gathered in the country home of their eccentric friend, Fefu, to plan an event for their do-gooding educational work. As multiple conflicts unfold between the old friends, they struggle to define who they are and what it means to be a woman in a male-dominated world.

This universally appealing play is bound to be a hit thanks to the sure-fire comedic direction by Howard Storm, an A-List comedian early in his career who subsequently became one of the busiest directors of television comedy, on a single a?oehome during renovationsa?? set by Jeff G. Rack which represents the homes of all 3 couples, often simultaneously without a bit of confusion as to who is where with whom. It's an amazing feat of direction, performed to perfection by a talented cast.

Christian Rodrigo first professional theater project was as an Assistant Director of John Malkovich in 2003 and 2004 when he directed the play Hysteria in Barcelona and Madrid. The Spanish actor, producer, director and member of The Actors' Gang credits include Snatch (Season 2), No Way Out, Wings and Stevie. Perhaps his most noteworthy artistic creation is The BRISK FESTIVAL, which he created in Los Angeles in 2018 as an international theater Festival that features short plays up to 10 min long, giving all involved the opportunity to experience what makes live theater so special, namely the human interaction between the players on stage and between actors and audience members.

Emmy nominated and Drama Desk award winning writer Eugene Pack, who is also the creator of the hit show 'Celebrity Autobiography' which made its Broadway debut last year, is generating tons of fun and laughter on Tuesday nights at theaters around Los Angeles with THE PACK, his monthly reading series of his own original short comedies which he also directs. The series has been building a huge following and is attracting outstanding talent in LA along with Special Celebrity Guests.

When Billie Holiday died in 1959, she left this world a true Jazz icon, revered for her ability to create stage magic as she expressed deep personal, emotional hurt which governed her entire existence and in turn, spoke to millions worldwide. Known as perhaps the first female vocalist to use her voice in the style of jazz improvisation, it takes a special woman to effectively share Holiday's brutally tragic life story as well as her amazing vocal talents. Such is the combination of skills on display by Sybil D. Jatta as BILLIE HOLIDAY: FRONT AND CENTER now onstage at the WACO Theatre Center in NoHo through Sunday, August 18, directed with heart and soul by B'Anca.

First recorded in 1969, JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT with music and lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, finally opened Off-Broadway in November 1981 and then moved to The Great White Way in January 1982 where the production received six Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Book and Score. This ever-popular musical based on the a?oeCoat of Many Colorsa?? story from the Bible's Book of Genesis failed to win even one Tony, but has gone on to be one of the most popular, family-friendly stories with actors of all ages involved in the big-scale production performed around the world. Now being presented as the 40th production by The Aerospace Players, directed by John Woodcock and Angela Asch (who also choreographed the show), the dedicated (and all volunteer) cast features stand-out performances by many in the leading roles who make the story as fun to watch as it is entertaining.

Even if, like me, you have never seen an episode of the TV series, no doubt the fame of the real-life actors on the show, each of whom celebrate their fame in song during "The One Where We Make a Million Dollars an Episode," makes this show an exceedingly fun time thanks to the skill of the talented, triple-threat cast.

The opening prologue of SCRAPS, masterfully performed by Tyrin Niles as Jean-Baptiste Delacroix sitting on the front stoop of his Brooklyn brownstone, captured my attention and took me inside his close-knit neighborhood three months after the fatal shooting of black teenager by a white police officer. The ramifications of that event, told through a provocative mash up of poetry, realism and expressionism, reverberated among his friends, lover, and most importantly, his young son, the real focus of the West Coast premiere of this daring new play, written by Geraldine Inoa and directed with attention-grabbing flair by 2019 Obie Award winner Stevie Walker-Webb.

Odyssey Theatre Ensemble kicks off its 'Circa '69' season of significant and adventurous plays that premiered around the time of the Odyssey's 1969 inception with Joe Orton's darkly comic masterpiece LOOT, which asks us to wipe the fluff from our eyes and see society the way he sees it. And as a gay man during a time when British society forced artists into the closet, his farce comically examines a sort of rigged system that benefits bullies and oppressors and controls anyone stupid enough to go along with the lies. As directed by Bart DeLorenzo, this tale of corrosive wit, dizzying intrigue and classic farce suggests that the only acceptable alternative is to become a criminal, with Orton supplying laughs at everyone's expense along the way.

I have visited Laguna Beach for several consecutive summers, enjoying the vibrant arts scene by spending a full day wandering through THE SAWDUST FESTIVAL, THE LAGUNA ART A-FAIR, FESTIVAL OF ARTS and PAGEANT OF THE MASTERS, with all sites, including the Laguna Playhouse, within walking distance of each on the main street into the city. The beautiful coastal city has so much to offer in the way of fine dining, art galleries, shopping, theatre, beach activities, all accessible via a free shuttle service, it would easily make for a wonderful week-long family vacation site or a jam-packed day of celebrating the arts.

However, director Mattsson, who helmed the Morgan's sold-out hit production of Mary Poppins last season, certainly should have known about the theater's sound system problems and addressed them in advance of the opening. For as entertaining as this big rock musical should have been, unfortunately it suffers from the worst of all problems in staging such a musical extravaganza - a sound system which cannot handle the volume needed to successfully present such an undertaking. Consequently, even the music track was played too softly to achieve the necessary effect, with the singers often barely audible over it. Perhaps the biggest saving grace in the production is the entertaining choreography which fills the stage with clever, comical, and attention-grabbing costumes and wigs which honor the 'big' outrageous mid-80s fashion trends.

Theatre Royale has been touring Southern California presenting a Broadway-quality production of Disney's NEWSIES starting at the Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, CA on June 22 and ending in Fresno with two performances on July 13, 2019 at 2pm and 8pm. I can tell you after seeing the show at the Soraya at CSUN last weekend, I now understand why this high energy musical has been so popular with audiences since its 2012 Broadway opening where it was nominated for 8 Tony Awards and won two for Best Choreography and Best Original Score. There is something in it for everyone, with the kind of magnificently energetic dancing that ranges from ballet leaps to tap and every form of movement in between.

Triple-threat entertainer Ben Vereen's legendary performances transcend time and are woven into the fabric of this country's artistic legacy with his on stage, screen and television appearances continuing to inspire and influence artists of all ages. Vereen is currently continuing to tour the world with his one-man show STEPPIN' OUT WITH BEN VEREEN which has received rave reviews internationally. On July 19th and 20th, he is bringing the show to the Catalina Jazz Club and shared with me how much he is looking forward to entertaining his loyal fans in the Entertainment Capital of the World once again.

Kentwood Players, the community theater group based at the Westchester Playhouse, was founded in December 1949 by Jan and Arky Marcom, for whom the group's annual Marcom Masque Awards are named. The first Marcom Masque Awards were presented for the 1957-1958 season with Cat on a Hot Tin Roof winning the award for Best Play. The 2018-2019 season included the following six productions: Match, Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?, Dangerous Obsession, Disney's The Little Mermaid, Our Town, and Sunday in the Park with George. Awards are determined by all Kentwood Players members who voted by secret ballot in several artistic categories after seeing each show, Season Subscribers, and production teams for all shows.

As performed by the 'pretty and witty' Melanie Johnson, who manages to deliver writerdirector Ryan J-W Smith's iambic pentameter monologue as if it was the most natural way for her to speak, I learned how this girl from the wrong side of the tracks, born as common as they come, made her way into court and flourished. Dressed a laced-up wench of the time, first selling oranges to those in the audience, Johnson went on to present wonderful character portrayals with a wide variety of accents as she shared Nell's amazing life journey.

In 1936, producer David O. Selznick began a 2-year search to find an unknown to play Scarlett O'Hara in his soon-to-be film masterpiece Gone with the Wind. At this year's Hollywood Fringe Festival, Kick Boom Theater Company is re-telling the (mostly true) story in its inaugural production of the innovative and totally entertaining SCARLETT FEVER, created and directedchoreographed by John Wuchte, with original music by John Wuchte and award-winning composer Michael Teoli which adds percussive accompaniment as a perfect complement to Wuchte's signature Tribal Acting style.

From the moment Jenelle Lynn Randall appeared at the top of the Studio C staircase, there was magic in the air as she descended with great style and bravado to share the life, music, and oversized personality of Eartha Kitt. As the writer, creator and executive producer of the Fringe 2019 show, it's easy to realize you are watching an incredibly talented artist perform her dream role from start to finish!

Fresh off showcasing at the prestigious ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop, acclaimed composer Michael Gordon Shapiro's captivating, award-winning musical THE BULLY PROBLEM is thrilling Fringe audiences with its sweet, poignant, and action-packed musical about bullying, standing up for yourself…and robots. Performed by an ensemble of actors who know how to truly support each other and work together from moment-to-moment, there is no doubt in my mind the production will be one of the biggest Fringe hits this month.

INDECENT now onstage at Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in a co-production with Huntington Theatre Company, magnificently directed by Rebecca Taichman, is as close to a Broadway-quality production as you will ever see in the City of Angels, with incredibly entertaining, stylized movement performed by triple-threat performers, guaranteed to draw you into not only the story but the necessity of its truth being brought to the stage now.

Presented through July 8 at part of the Whitefire Theatre Musical Mondays, the updated and unrated SHAME OF THRONES: The Musical, directed by Rachel Stein, produced by Steven Christopher Parker, Steven Brandon, Erin Stegeman, and Ace Marrero is a riotous romp through not only the beginning of the series where all of the major characters were introduced, but also manages to throw in plenty of groan-worthy jabs at every character and situation during its entire run.