BWW Reviews: ON THE RAZZLE Cast Dives into Stoppard's Farcical Hilarity Full Force
ON THE RAZZLE is an older British term for what we in the colonies would translate as 'partying down.' Playwright Tom Stoppard has stated that his 'primary concern is to make the tale as comic an entertainment as possible.' Stoppard's farce consists of two hours of slapstick shenanigans, mistaken identities, misdirected orders, malapropisms, double entendres, and romantic complications. There is no great earthshaking social message here, just impossible situations, incredible physicality, and loads of laughs.
Beau Bridges to Receive Theatre West's Betty Garrett Lifetime Achievement Award, 9/13
Emmy, Grammy and Golden Globe winning actor Beau Bridges will be honored with the inaugural Betty Garrett Lifetime Achievement Award at the 50th Anniversary Gala of Theatre West, September 13th at the Taglyan Cultural Complex in Hollywood. Founded in 1962, Theatre West, an internationally acclaimed non-profit arts organization, is home to the oldest continuously running theater company in Los Angeles. Dedicated to supporting artists and enriching the community, Theatre West provides world class theater presentations for adults, a professional children's theatre and much needed arts education programs in underserved city schools. Norman and Lyn Lear, Susan and Jeff Bridges, Linda Pace and Abbott Alexander, Chazz Palminteri and Garrett and Andrew Parks co-chair.
BWW Reviews: Theatre West Mounts Winning GOODBYE, LOUIE...HELLO!
Allan Manings' world premiere play about two aging stand up comedians starts off with a couple of jokes from Louis Berns (Alan Freeman) and Benjy Gordon (Steve Franken) but the tired old jokes turn sour when a deep dark secret is revealed in Goodbye, Louie ... Hello! now onstage @ Theatre West. With an outstanding cast, very detailed writing and sharp direction ...Louie becomes an engrossing winner.
TCG Kicks Off 50th Anniversary Celebration At National Conference, 6/16-6/18
Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, will kick off its 50th Anniversary at its National Conference in Los Angeles, June 16-18, 2011. The TCG National Conference offers the largest forum for the national theatre community to assemble and engage in artistic and intellectual exchange. Not-for-profit professional theatres in the U.S. employ 130,000 people annually, have more than 30 million attendees and contribute nearly $2 billion directly to the U.S. economy.
BWW Interviews: Kres Mersky Talks About Her Einstein Creation
Actress/playwright Kres Mersky's solo plays include Isadora Duncan: A Unique Recital (currently touring the West Coast and Canada) and At The Codfish Ball. Her full-length, full-cast plays include Algerian Romance and Flag Day. She has also written numerous one acts. She has appeared extensively on stage, screen and television, and is a member of the prestigious stage company Theatre West. Mersky's newly revised solo play The Life and Times of A. Einstein will open at Theatre West on April 10. In our talk, she discusses the play and what drew her to Einstein among other theatrical interests.
Hollywood Arts Council Raises $75,000 At 24th Annual Charlie Awards
The Hollywood Arts Council presented their 24th Annual Charlie Awards in the historic newly refurbished Blossom Room of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, home of the first Academy Awards ceremony, at a Sold Out luncheon on Friday, March 19, 2010. Nyla Arslanian, President of the Hollywood Arts Council said: 'We raised $75,000 at the event which will benefit the Council's arts programs for underserved children in the community. This is a challenging year economically, but our kids' art programs must continue; Hollywood's at-risk children can't wait for times to get better. We are very grateful to our 250 event attendees and sponsors for their generous support.'
Sally Spectre The Musical - A Myth in the Making
Every once in awhile a new musical comes along that feels truly original. Theatre West is mounting what looks to be just such a show this month with Sally Spectre The Musical, A Children's Horror Story for Adults.
