BWW Review: Cabrillo Presents the Quintessential FORUM
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum/book by Burt Shevelove & Larry Gelbart/ music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/Cabrillo Music Theatre, Thousand Oaks/directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld/choreographed by John Charron/through February 14
A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum is silliness personified from its zany characters and inane plot contrivances to its corny yet witty dialogue. It is clever farce set to music. Mistaken identities, zippity fast exits and entrances...it has no rhyme or reason but is terribly, terribly funny with belly laughs about every two seconds. Cabrillo's current revival is astonishingly good with a delicious cast and superlative direction from Lewis Wilkenfeld. It's a practically flawless production.
BWW Reviews: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Cabrillo Music Theatre
Laurel and Hardy must be smiling in the comedy Valhalla. Cabrillo Music Theatre's near-perfect production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, which opened last night at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Scherr Forum, brings back the classic, broad humor from vaudeville, performed by an inspired cast of crazies who not only aren't afraid of anything going wrong, but are probably HOPING for mishaps that would destroy any other show. This is, of course, because Forum is one of those shows where spontaneity and the unexpected is almost as obligatory as Burt Shevelove and Larry Gelbart's uproarious script and Stephen Sondheim's witty lyrics.
Cabrillo Music Theatre to Present A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
It might just be the funniest musical ever written! A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM makes its Civic Arts Plaza debut! This hilarious mixture of slapstick, farce, mistaken identity, music and dance has to be seen live to be believed! The winner of six Tony Awards, including Best Musical, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED... has enjoyed two successful Broadway revivals, and has showcased generations of comic actors from Zero Mostel and Phil Silvers to Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg. Cabrillo Music Theatre's brand-new production opens on Friday, January 29th, 2016 playing until Sunday, February 14th, at the 396-seat Scherr Forum at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Cabrillo Music Theatre's OKLAHOMA! Begins at TOPAC Today
OKLAHOMA! opens tonight, Friday, July 17th , 2015, playing until Sunday, July 26th, and features an added mid-week matinee on July 22nd, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Cabrillo Music Theatre's OKLAHOMA! Coming to TOPAC This July
OKLAHOMA! opens on Friday, July 17th , 2015, playing until Sunday, July 26th , and features an added mid-week matinee on July 22nd , at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
Cruise Ship Entertainment Company STILETTO Celebrates 20th Anniversary
STILETTO Entertainment celebrates its 20th anniversary of providing first-class entertainment on cruise ships. From Could It Be Magic on Holland America Line's Statendam to the recent openings of award-winning Theatre At Sea shows, STILETTO has produced over 100 shows from concept to curtain-up for cruise ship guests. From intimate song and dance revues to multi-media cirque-style spectacles at sea, STILETTO has done it all!
Theatre @ Boston Court, the Geffen and La Mirada Lead 2014 Ovation Award Nominations; Full List!
Nominees for the 2014 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 22 at Native Voices at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by past Ovation Award recipients Gigi Bermingham, Brighid Fleming, Parmer Fuller, Jennifer Haley, Brian Kite, Glynn Turman, and John Zalewski, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.
BWW Interviews: Michael McArthur - NJ Native in Paper Mill's CAN-CAN
'Can-Can' will open at Paper Mill Playhouse on October 1st and run until October 26th. New Jersey native, Michael McArthur will be in the ensemble of this exciting show. Michael returns to Paper Mill after being in their 'Newsies' cast. He was also a recipient of the playhouse's prestigious 'Rising Star Award' when he was in high school.
BWW Reviews: Cabrillo Brings Back BYE BYE BIRDIE
Ah, the rhythms of the 50s/60s! Got 'A Lot of Livin' to Do'! Lee Adams and Charles Strouse wrote the music and lyrics of Bye Bye Birdie to honor a generation of fans who swooned and literally gave themselves over to the rock and roll of Elvis Presley. Conrad Birdie (Austin MacPhee) is an obvious play on Conway Twitty, a rock star of that era who later became a superstar in the world of country. When Elvis went into the army, he became a national hero. Female teens adored him and would give up their own boyfriends just to be near him. This is Bye Bye Birdie in a nutshell now in a rollicking revival at Cabrillo Music Theatre through July 27.
Cabrillo Music Theatre Welcomes Jim J. Bullock in BYE BYE BIRDIE, Now thru 7/27
Before Beatle-Mania, before Bieber Fever, there was the first, the original...Conrad Birdie! America's rock 'n' roll heart-throb drives the teen girls bonkers as Cabrillo Music Theatre brings back the nostalgic, Tony-winning family-friendly Broadway Musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE. BYE BYE BIRDIE opens today, July 18th, 2014, playing until Sunday, July 27th, and features an added mid-week matinee on July 23rd, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
BYE BYE BIRDIE takes us on a trip to the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, where the nation's most popular rock-and-roll singer, Conrad Birdie, arrives to give his biggest fan one last kiss to the Fan Club's President, Kim MacAfee, before going into the army - and on the Ed Sullivan Show, of course! At the same time, his manager, Albert Peterson, must deal with his frustrated secretary/girlfriend, Rose Alvarez, while handling his overbearing mother. Meanwhile, Mr. MacAfee fumes while Conrad Birdie takes over his bed, his house, his daughter, and his life! A town full of colorful characters, including crazed teenagers, a jealous boyfriend, a squeaky secretary, and a banquet-room-full of wild-eyed Shriners make for a rollicking, irreverent good time that the entire family will enjoy. BYE BYE BIRDIE features classic songs like 'Put On A Happy Face,' 'The Telephone Hour,' 'Kids,' and 'A Lot of Livin' To Do,' plus dances to rival the best of Broadway.
Cabrillo Music Theatre to Welcome Jim J. Bullock in BYE BYE BIRDIE, 7/18-27
Before Beatle-Mania, before Bieber Fever, there was the first, the original…Conrad Birdie! America's rock 'n' roll heart-throb drives the teen girls bonkers as Cabrillo Music Theatre brings back the nostalgic, Tony-winning family-friendly Broadway Musical, BYE BYE BIRDIE. BYE BYE BIRDIE opens on Friday, July 18th, 2014, playing until Sunday, July 27th, and features an added mid-week matinee on July 23rd, at the 1,800-seat Kavli Theatre at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, located at 2100 Thousand Oaks Boulevard in Thousand Oaks.
BYE BYE BIRDIE takes us on a trip to the small town of Sweet Apple, Ohio, where the nation's most popular rock-and-roll singer, Conrad Birdie, arrives to give his biggest fan one last kiss to the Fan Club's President, Kim MacAfee, before going into the army - and on the Ed Sullivan Show, of course! At the same time, his manager, Albert Peterson, must deal with his frustrated secretary/girlfriend, Rose Alvarez, while handling his overbearing mother. Meanwhile, Mr. MacAfee fumes while Conrad Birdie takes over his bed, his house, his daughter, and his life! A town full of colorful characters, including crazed teenagers, a jealous boyfriend, a squeaky secretary, and a banquet-room-full of wild-eyed Shriners make for a rollicking, irreverent good time that the entire family will enjoy. BYE BYE BIRDIE features classic songs like "Put On A Happy Face," "The Telephone Hour," "Kids," and "A Lot of Livin' To Do," plus dances to rival the best of Broadway.
BWW Los Angeles Awards Update 12/28 - Voting Ends 12/31!
It's almost over! There's just THREE days of voting remaining for the 2011 Los Angeles Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award? There is no time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday December 26, 2011. Voting ends at midnight on 12/31 so time is running out.
BWW Los Angeles Awards Update 12/21 - TWO Weeks Left!
There's just TWO short weeks left to go in voting for the 2011 Los Angeles Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award? There is no time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday December 19, 2011. Voting ends at midnight on 12/31 so time is running out.
BWW Los Angeles Awards Update 11/29 - Have You Voted?
There's just 4 weeks left to go in voting for the 2011 Los Angeles Awards and here is the latest update! Have you voted yet, and helped to spread the word to support your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award? There is no time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Tuesday November 29, 2011.
BWW Los Angeles Awards Update 11/22 - Vote Now!
Voting is now well underway for the 2011 Los Angeles Awards and here is the latest update! Now, it's time for you to get out and vote for your favorites in the hopes that they will be the recipients of a 2011 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Award. No time to waste, click on the voting link and make your opinion count! Below are the stats so far as of Monday November 21, 2011.
Cabrillo Mounts Happy Days
When Happy Days premiered in 2006 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank it had the subtitle A Family Musical; now it's changed to A New Musical. For obvious reasons, I liked the original version better. We grew to love the Cunninghams on TV as a family and the Falcon depicted their home; in this new production at Cabrillo, the only part of the home on display is the kitchen. This is not to say that the production is not worth seeing, though, for it has a great cast - and the music and dancing and corny comic setups are terribly enjoyable backed by Susan Morgenstern's consistently even pacing as director.