The show will open June 3 – 24, 2023.
Thaddeus Nagey, in his debut as an Equity Musical Theatre Producer and Union Playwright, is pulling out all the stops for his world premiere of BECAUSE IT'S SUNNY IN L.A. (Especially On Skid Row). The show is set to open June 3rd at The Hudson Backstage Theatre.
This project was created from years of personal experiences with homelessness and Nagey is determined to truly make a positive difference in the world and create safe places for marginalized people to have a powerful voice in our communities.
A landmark musical play that culturally addresses the systemic homelessness humanitarian crisis in L.A..
The three-act immersive dark comedy musical, is a play designed to culturally inspire change and the way people think and feel about homelessness. Thousands a year die from issues of homelessness. This play is about the severe nature of homelessness in L.A. Following five homeless characters and their stories living on Skid Row in Los Angeles.
THE TEAM
Directed by Karesa McElheny
Playwright, Composed and Executive Produced by Thaddeus Nagey
Composer and Sound Design by Tim Poulin
Musical Direction by Garth Herberg
Poster Art and Graphic Design by AwildOun
Sound Design by Tim Poulin
Lighting & Visual Design and Set & Costume Design by Thaddeus Nagey
THE REASON WHY I WROTE AND PRODUCED THIS PLAY
"I first started writing this playbook in 2018, (not actually knowing I would write a full length play) as a long poem describing the experience of what it was like to process & honor human remains (and the humanity that comes with it) in the Air Force during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. I had just come out of homelessness & hospitalization in 2016 & went through bridge & section 8 housing, leading up to and during graduate theatre school. While attending, I learned that a staggering 53,000 enrolled CSU students were homeless. Subsequently, I got involved as an acting coach, stage manager, & writer, helping skid row artists in downtown L.A. as a volunteer and intern. I became attuned to the issues of homelessness through personal experience, academic studies, & hands on working with artists that were suffering from poverty and homelessness. Without a lot of support, I started writing poetry, scenes and music and submitted them to the Kennedy Center College Theatre Festival in 2019 & was personally invited to the festival, subsequently winning a BEST PLAY award at the Festival. Ultimately, I wrote this play because I wanted people to learn about the issues of homelessness in a compassionate way through theatre, a form of community engagement, where people drop their guards, listen, & open up their hearts & minds."
VENUE / PERFORMANCES / TICKETS
The Hudson Backstage Theatre - 6539 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 90038.
The show will open June 3 - 24, 2023.
Performances will be Sat. Jun 3 @5PM | Fri. Jun 9 @8:30PM | Sat. Jun 10 @3:30PM |
Sat. Jun 17 @5PM | Sun. Jun 18 @6:30PM | Fri. Jun 23 @8:30PM | Sat. Jun 24 @5:30PM
$35 for V.I.P. Premium Seating with a special program (Front rows, first three rows seating).
$30 General Admission | $25 for Seniors/Students/Veterans with ID at box office, one hour prior to showing.
Tickets: http://www.onstage411.com/SunnyLA
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