Connect, Written by Robert Lawrence Nelson
Directed by Ronnie Marmo

Connect is a play about loss and how people can ‘connect’ in ways that are very surprising for even more surprising reasons.

In this world premiere of Robert Lawrence Nelson’s drama, the dispirit worlds of the two lead characters Samantha, played beautifully by Julie Dolan, and Toby played with great depth and strength by Chad Addison, are both frozen in their lives but for very different reasons.

Samantha, the wife of a successful producer in L.A. hasn’t left her own home in months, and for reasons that unfold, loneliness, despair, fear, she decides to become a phone sex worker. Her mostly absent husband, played by the excellent Joe Dalo, has no idea of his wife’s activities and the marriage seems empty and drawn.

Toby, who has his own set of troubles, lives with his mother, played by the wonderfully terrible Perry Smith, a mother who certainly has a few troubles of her own. Their relationship teeters on the abusive, and as the play develops, we understand why.

Toby becomes a regular customer of Samantha’s and it is their unusual bond that is the center of the play.

This play is brave and a challenge to watch at times, but it certainly does not turn away from the difficult and the heartbreaking and the totally unprepared for chapters of our lives that define us.

I congratulate the writer Robert Lawrence Nelson on his ability to maintain a strong sense of reality and truth while pushing our emotional resolve to the limits. This terrific group of actors has the skill and depth to create a world where no one really touches physically, as if they are afraid that their emotional connection will evaporate if they do.

Chad Addison and Perry Smith

“Connect” is a play about disconnect…a play about our innate human ability to push those people away that we truly need to hold closer and how the truth of our lives is that we may never change unless we have no choice, and even then we still may not.

Sounds a bit of a downer? I can assure you it is not. There are some very funny moments and the humor is part of the truth of course. I won't spoil the revelations for you, suffice it to say that, just like real life, there are things about these characters, all four of them, that you would never ever expect to be true and how very life like and true that is.

Can we ever really know each other? Can we ever really share ourselves enough to truly connect?

Chad Addison and Julie Dolan

This play goes someway to explaining why we can and why we can’t.

I highly recommend “Connect” at The NoHo Arts Center, but fair warning, this is a very adult play, addressing very adult themes, so no kids!!

Connect runs at The NoHo Arts Centre from February 12th through March 13th on Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm.
www.theatre68.com 

Cast
Chad Addison, Perry Smith, Julie Dolan & Joe Dalo

Crew
Ronnie Marmo - Director
Isabel Wagner - Assistant Director
Brittany Rizzo - Assistant Director
Danny Cistone - Set Design
Matt Richter - Light Design
Jamison Jones - Stunt Coordinator
Thea Grabiec & Joe Capucini - Light & Sound
Sandra Kuker - Public Relations
Ray Cosico - Postcard Design
Sandra McHale - Playbill Design
Front of House - Hadas Nuriel & Elizabeth Izzo

Written by James Mellon, Directed by Kevin Bailey

“Sissyboy” is a one-man show based on the life of its writer, James Mellon. James also performs the piece and I can honestly say I've never seen a more exquisitely crafted memoire so hilariously and touchingly performed.

James’s journey from young boy to the man we see on stage before us is life so full and funny and bold and without apology. We witness the forming of a brave and beautiful human being in such a spectacular way, his life played out in a nuanced and characterful retrospective packed full of James’s precious memories fondly told and brilliantly performed.

James Mellon became a Broadway performer, he debuted as Riff in Jerome Robbins' revival of West Side Story and also starred in A Chorus Line, and 42nd Street. As a writer he adapted Oscar Wilde’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” into the musical “Dorian," and has written several other very successful adaptations. His original musical “An Unfinished Song” has been produced all over the world and he has received numerous awards for his work.

But although this play is about James, and we travel with him to New York and through rehearsals and professional relationships and turmoil, it is his ‘life’ rather than his ‘work’ that tellingly takes center stage in his own version of his life story.

His relationships, his search for place and love, and his tenderest and most heartfelt moments are what drives this story.

What James has created with all these moments is something that I wish we might all truly choose to see when each of us reminisces about our lives past. He has hand picked these moments of jubilation, self discovery, loss, love, triumph and the recognition of self in others. He has taken the time, his talent and the nerve to find himself in his own memory and to share that discovery with us.

And what a sweet honor it is to share, even just a little, his tremendous life with him in the theatre he built with his lovely husband Kevin. I felt as if I had been invited to an exclusive dinner party at their home and treated to the exquisite unfolding stories that can happen on very magical evenings when a little wine and a lot of love is present.

The stars align and the music flows and the tap shoes come out and we all sit around and watch, entranced, as old memories are shared and new ones made.

Expect to cry a little, along with James, and then laugh a lot, and, if you are so inclined, to shimmy in your seats. “Sissyboy” is an homage to all the ‘boys’ James had the privilege of knowing and all the life he had the luck to live… and of course it’s far from over yet!!

Perhaps a “Sissyboy 2” in a few more years?

A special mention to Kevin Bailey, James’s husband and the fantastic director of this show. What a gorgeous couple they make and what a talented family they must have!

I highly recommend “Sissyboy.” I have already emailed everyone I know that they would be fools not to rush out and get their tickets to this limited and wonderful production.

“Sissyboy” runs from February 5th to March 5th and the NoHo Arts Center, 11136 Magnolia Blvd, NoHo. (818) 508-7101

TICKETS>>

James Mellon - Writer
Kevin Bailey - Director
Ray Garcia - Choreographer
Luke Moyer - Lighting/set design
Ben Hawkins - Projection Design
Sandra Kuker - Publicist

This theatre season marks the 25th anniversary of The Road Theatre Company.

As part of their very well respected Summer Playwrights Festival a few years ago, the superb ‘Broken Fences’ now has its west coast premiere at the Road Theatre on Magnolia. And how very timely the themes of this brilliant play are.

Broken Fences is a play about home. Our search for one, each person’s unique definition of one and our unfailing human instinct to protect, defend and hold on to the bitter end to one.

Set in Chicago, the story revolves around one particular neighborhood in the city caught in the clutches of gentrification, its longtime residents happy to be safer, cleaner and better fed while also struggling with the rising costs of living in “the new hip neighborhood.”

One black family in particular, whose home, passed down through three generations, is now in very real danger of having to sell, with property taxes far beyond their paychecks. The engaged Hoody and D come face to face with the “the new hip” in the shape of a very white couple with a baby on the way looking for a way to walk their progressive, liberal walk by moving into the ‘hood’.

Of course as altruistic and idealistic as these new residentsApril and Czar are, their participation in the rejuvenation of the area contributes to the rising costs of living there for the already struggling original inhabitants, and will probably outpace their incomes too at some point. And here lies the dilemma, a dilemma we are faced with continuously in L.A. as the once dodgy neighborhoods are absorbed, retooled and exclusivized at a seemingly exponential rate.

When does urban renewal become a forced resettlement program?

And how can we make peace with progress if it destroys lives?

What this play brilliantly addresses is the human cost of a strengthening economy combined with the fairly typical, painfully under paid working class wage. What was once an achievable life, a home owned, a familiar rhythm met each day with honest work and the respect of our peers no longer exists. And those still struggling to keep up must face the prospect that they will never and can never, regardless of their strength of will, achieve the now impossible goal of owning a home on a working class income.

Combine this truth with a neighborhood not ready to give up its long-held identity and give in to the ‘Starbucks culture’ regardless of its deliciousness and you have all the drama and humor that is ‘Broken Fences.’

This play could easily have become a parody of itself, giving in to the caricatures and cultural stereotypes we are all so familiar with, and yet these splendidly defined and fully realized characters are anything but that. April and Czar and warm and funny and full of their own fears and well aware of the excruciating possibility of their own ridiculousness. They are genuinely concerned with their surroundings and the life their unborn child will be surrounded by. After repeatedly finding graffiti and needles around their home and a brick through their window, they, obviously fearful, face the prospect of giving up, but stand their ground, as stubborn as those that reject the change they themselves have brought.

Hoody and D must decide if the struggle to keep the house, after D gives up going to school in order to bring in some much needed money, is worth it. When does a life become all about paying bills and when should we change our perceptions of what we think we need and let it become a ‘life’?

James Holloway and Bruce A. Lemon, Jr.   PHOTO CREDIT: Michele Young

There are some hilarious other characters to help tell this wonderful tale. Hoody’s brother Marz, an upwardly mobile Starbucks employee and entrepreneur determined to sell their family house and move to L.A. A local kid, Esto, always in trouble, and two friends of April and Czar’s from the suburbs, Spence and Barb. Obviously appalled at their friends' dangerous choices, but wiling to ‘try on’ their alternative life as long as they can safely return to the ‘burbs’ after a few hours slumming it.

We spend enough time with all these dispirit people to know that they have very good reasons for their choices, they all have their own blind determination, their compelling arguments, but in the end what we learn, about them and of course about ourselves, is that all anyone ever wants is a little peace, as well as their own little ‘piece’ of the world.

We can hardly blame those moving in to a neighborhood once in tatters and now healing for driving up prices and driving out locals. If we want a balance, that can be achieved, but it’s something we all need to be involved in, to be aware of, because if left to their own devices, government and business will not protect us, not the neighborhoods, not the residents and their dreams and not the city…

Broken Fences is political, how could it not be, but at its heart it is a story about people, people who decide to be friends in spite of their backgrounds, their color and their situations. It’s a play about how similar we all are, how much in common we have with one another and how trust can be found in the unlikeliest of places if it is only given a chance to grow.

Every actor in the play is extraordinary, so I won't single any one of them out, there’s hardly any point when I would simply be repeating such words as “brilliant,” “sublime,” “riveting,” heartfelt,” “honest” and “true.”

But without the story, without the writer's words, even the best actor would be lost, and so the biggest praise must go to Steven Simoncic for this outstanding work.

The crew at The Road are always magnificent, the sets amazing and the technical aspects always handled with perfection, allowing the performances to be realized fully and the actors to do their best work safe in the knowledge that they are supported completely.

I highly recommend “Broken Fences,” another passionate, innovative and groundbreaking play from The Road Theatre on whom we can always rely for the best work on stage in L.A.

‘Broken Fences is playing at The Road on Magnolia at the NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd., North Hollywood, CA 91601

February 12th - April 3rd.

Fridays Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm

TICKETS>>

Cast

Bruce Lemon Jr
James Holloway
Donna Simone Johnson
Ben Theobold
Coronado Romeros
Mia Fraboni
Kris Frost
Ivy Khan

Designers

Set Design - John Lacovelli
Lighting Design - Derrick McDaniel
Sound Design - Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski
Costume Design - Michele Young
Props Master - Bettina Zacar

This is the story of a relationship between a man and a woman who meet at a coffee shop and spend the next 15 years together through love and marriage.

Welcome to a world, a very meandering path, where any of the specifics can change except for the ending.

A universe where tragedy meets us, the audience, at every nook, corner and cranny and the mechanics of a solid marriage, such as career, family and aspirations, are built on shifting sands not immovable boulders.

Bruggeman's haunting and deeply ethereal language makes us and keeps us aware of the fact that this shared journey is navigated on a winding road of memories designed to make us consider the fleeting nature of existence and love.

The University of Florida graduate and Los Angeles-based writer takes us on a trip through the light fantastic that does not disappoint.

The premise of this new play, first seen by company members at this past year's Hollywood Fringe Festival, is uniquely original and eye-opening in scope and scale.

The words here are as brutal and raw as they are tender and wise in nature. The subjects, syntax and syllables connect like a kinetic and electric violin string that is deftly and dogmatically strummed without a hint of shame or self-pity.

The imagination and possibility here are not only seen in the bonding and marriage of Whitney and Jake, but in the guides, a group of darkly-dressed characters who function as points of light for the past, present and future.

Eric Cire's direction allows the guides a very important role in this production, and helps point you to a fuller understanding of the nuts and bolts of love.

Cire understands the nature of love. In making sense of it himself, he aids us in realizing that though love might turn one's world upside down, it may be for the better.

Yet being the realist that he is, Cire also furthers the notion that true love is highly imperfect and does not, perhaps, conquer all.

In his directorial debut, Cire tells the story visually and verbally by letting the actors talk, twist and turn like manna from the sky.

This is a fine beginning, complete with a nimble eye and ear eager for more work on this sort of resplendent artistic pasture.

Cire assembles a top-notch cast that is rarely out-of-step with his unique vision.

The sole stand out is Margaret Glaccum (Guide, Pro Basketball Fan, Boss) who steals the show. Her inspired and illuminated turn proves to be one the play hinges on from beginning to end.

Whether a sincere, but wayward guide, a tough-talking and drinking NBA Dallas Mavericks fan or Whitney's no-holds barred boss at work, the Western Oregon University Acting BFA and independent film actress inhabits each character with great passion, intelligence and instinct. Her intuition, it seems, leads only to bolder and better choices.

This critic hopes to see Glaccum on more stages in North Hollywood or Los Angeles again soon.

"Only the Moon Howls," then, succeeds because of the courageous choices it makes, not despite them.

Moving bravely from then to now and now to then, the play, which lasts less than an hour without an intermission, proves that a work of art does not have to be linear or mathematical to succeed.

The play also makes it clear that the greatest disruption in life is what is left unsaid and undone to those we love at the end.

This it utters with glistening tongue, Herculean voice and commanding presence.

This play is a big, bold and beautiful gift from the drama gods that forces us to consider our humanity while laughing at the frailty and phobias of life's unspoken triumphs and tragedies.

Theatre Unleashed is that rarest of theatre companies that gazes ahead to the future while staying active in the present, and looks behind to the past while remaining creative in the now.

One can say the same about the play it currently produces.

When both company and work are in such perfect synchronicity, magic often follows.

Here it is magnified by oh, so much more than smoke and mirrors.

The dialogue, direction and dead-on characterization make it a truly rare and memorable theatrical experience on every level, seen and unseen, felt and not felt.

 Showtimes:

Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m.
Special Monday shows on Feb. 27th and March 7th.

Tickets:

General Admission: $15
TICKETS>>
Discounted tickets can be found on Goldstar.com.
Information and Admission: (818) 849-4039

Location:

The Belfry Stage
Upstairs at the Crown
11031 Camarillo Street
North Hollywood, CA 91602

So how do I review the greatest dramatic play ever written?

Well, of course I can’t…

But what I can do is to tell you just how magnificent this production of Hamlet, by The Archway Studio Theatre, truly is!

The Archway Theatre Company is a recent transplant from the Downtown Arts District, and this is a company of actors clearly in love with the strength and fierceness of Shakespeare. Every single actor in this play, without exception, is given the space and the time to bring a fullness and a very real presence to their role, a treat in a play of this length and with such an obvious lead character around which the play revolves. The director, Mr Sabel, integrates these individual performances to such a degree that every scene flows seamlessly, cinematically, and full of a compelling energy. The actors are electric on stage, their own secret stories barely contained within them, resulting in an incredibly dynamic and dramatic stage.

We feel the heart beat of this huge play, not heavy or slow, but intense and thrilling. And as the story plays out before us the rhythm of this heart quickens and quickens to its explosive conclusion.

Hamlet is a play about the despair, loss and the complex nature of a son’s relationship with his mother, the crushing carelessness of love and our minds' ability to justify its own end.

Is Hamlet mad, or is he merely manipulating us? Is Ophelia mad, or bereft and abandoned? Is Gertrude an adulterer and a party to the death of her husband, or does she dismiss Hamlet’s claim that her new husband Claudius murdered the King because she knows it simply isn’t true…and how does she know this?

There is an awful lot left unanswered in Hamlet, an awful lot left up to the audience to decide for themselves, which is really fascinating to watch, when done well, and this production is done really, really well.

It’s deceptively traditional in its brilliant costuming and simple set, and yet I was struck at how strangely modern the story of Hamlet really is, and the relationships between the characters seem so familiar.

This is, I believe, because these wonderful actors have a deep understanding of these people. They stand on stage, in their impeccable costumes, speaking these truly iconic words and yet it all seems to fresh, so utterly relatable.

The performances are really excellent. The direction so supportive and honest that you forget that this play is set 600 years ago, and you watch in awe as one terrible event after another unfold before you as if it were happening to you, to your friends, to your family, and with that intimacy comes the complete understanding.

Hamlet was destined to die, from the moment the curtain rises, he is a dead prince walking. Ophelia too, far too delicate to survive a world where slaughter is commonplace and betrayal routine. The big soliloquies, Hamlet’s way of reasoning with himself and us about his method of destruction are spoken with an ever spiraling madness driven by sadness and anger and even humor at the impossibility of his position. All of this was captured quite brilliantly by Christopher Karbo. A Hamlet charming, bold and nutty, but not without an anchoring of humanity. He plays a Prince used to being indulged by family and friends, all too happy to accept his already eccentric nature, allowing him to push his performance through madness and past anger and regret without us ever questioning the wild under-reaction of everyone else all around him.

It’s really a wonderful production.

The pace is perfect, everything moves seamlessly along, pauses and breaks covered by darkness and the moving music of Gary Jules' version of ‘Mad World’, so aptly reminding us of what we are here to witness, and a very clever way to link us now, to Hamlet then.

Everyone is really excellent, Mary Carrig a genuine and complex Gertrude, Kei’la Ryan a winsome and ethereally lost Ophelia and Eric Castro a slimy and far too gleeful Claudius.

I highly recommend ‘Hamlet’ at The Archway Studio Theatre, North Hollywood. If you have a love for Shakespeare you will not be disappointed…

‘Hamlet’ runs from February 19th through March 26th, 8pm Fridays and Saturdays and 2pm Sundays.

10509 Burbank Blvd, North Hollywood (818) 980 - PLAY
www.archwayla.com 

Cast
Christopher Karbo, Eric Castro, Mary Carrig, Charles Howell IV, Kei’la Ryan, Laura Zenoni, Ryan Fisher, Taylor Marr, Michael Hanna, David Bannick, Effie Antigone, Gabriel Boyle, John Eddings, Kate Hart, Will Holbrook, Faith Kearns, Austin Brown, Kevin Roland, Jeremiah Benjamin

Production Staff
Producing Artistic Director - Steven Sabel
Stage Manager - Will Kleist
Scenic Design - Steven Sabel
Costumes - Sarah Morris, Sara Davenport
Players Pre-Show Creation - Kate Hart, Faith Kearns
Musical Coordinator - Steven Sabel
Resident Photographer - Elias McCabe
Graphic Designer - Michael Hanna
House Manager - Annie Freeman

Written and Directed by Dan Frischman
Produced by Allen Levin and Ariel Cohen

Two Roads Theatre is a lovely theatre space on Tujunga, between Moorpark and Ventura, nestled amongst some whimsical antique shops and cafes. It’s a bit of a magical spot, and the theatre is a cozy and comfortable place, and always has something special on.

The current ‘special’ is Sex, Faith, and Jason Wexler, a comical, romantic romp through the frustrating world of bi-religious dating. Jason, played brilliantly by Justin Truesdale, is a 20-something, bored investment banker in search of love. He spots Faith, played by the sublime Alexandra Bayless, through his Uber window. Faith is hosting an art opening and Jason takes a chance, crashes the party and sparks fly.

Alexandra Bayless and Justin Truesdale

After a few weeks of phone dating they finally meet for dinner. They are clearly falling for each other, and end up at his place, but at the last minute Faith drops the ‘I’m a Catholic and I’m saving myself for marriage’ bomb…

The rest of the play is the two of them trying to figure out if a Jew and a Catholic in love can be anything other than a punchline.

Faith, Sex and Jason Wexler is a really funny play. All the characters are superb and brilliantly written and remind us to absolutely never listen to anyone but ourselves when it comes to love. Jason’s best friend Randy, a cross between Jack Black and Rosie O’Donnell, is played with hilarious reality by Tony Nunes, we all have a friend like him! And as Jason stumbles through the minefield of dating a devout catholic woman, and his own Jewish faith suddenly becoming more important than ever, we cannot help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the obstacles that we ourselves create everyday to make it impossible to achieve happiness.

There is a lot of sex in this play, even though Jason and Faith cannot actually ‘do it’, like teenagers, they do everything but ‘it’, on stage, and with most of their clothes on. So don’t take the kids, or your maiden aunt, unless you have unusual relationships with both.

Dan Frischman, writer and director, has created a very believable situation with very believable characters and very believable consequences, which is why it succeeds so well. The sexual situations are handled with honesty and care for the squirming audience, and it all works out rather well. This level of intimacy is a tough thing to attempt, and I’ve seen some awkward results, but this play certainly wasn’t one of them.

There are some lovely comic turns by Curtis Webster as Faith’s father and church Deacon, subjecting Jason to the expected level of familial pressure and Sharon Spence as Jason’s Rabbi, who really rakes him over the semitic coals, all guilt and pessimism.

Justin Truesdale (l.), Tony Nunes, Dan Frischman

Even Dan Frischman pops up, taking on the role of a wise old married golfer, who sets Jason back on the right path just when it all seems too much for him, a really wonderful moment in the play.

Jason and Faith are really great characters and have terrific chemistry, which really pulls the whole story together. In the end we, the audience, are genuinely falling for them ourselves, hoping they can work it out, seeing a little of our own crazy couplings in their love story.

I highly recommend Sex, Faith, and Jason Wexler, another great original play from the team at Two Roads Theatre. It’s an interesting way to spend an evening in the Valley that’s for sure!

The play runs from February 26th through April 3rd 2016. Friday & Saturday nights at 8pm and Sunday nights at 7pm.

www.SexFaithPlay.com 
818 569-5640

Cast
Jason Wexler - Justin Truesdale
Faith Morgan - Alexandra Bayless
Bob Morgan - Curtis Webster
Randy - Tony Nunes
Rabbis Meyers - Sharon Spence
Golf Gary - Dan Frischman

Voice overs - Barbara Goodson & David Miller

Crew
Stage Manager & Program Design - Steve Brock
Set Design - Case Williams
Lighting Design - Marissa Vaughan
Booth - Joe Fillipone
Illustration - Nicole Wolfinger

On the road, it tours the globe, opening minds to the otherly world. 

I was sitting in a cafe in the NoHo theatre district, when I got the tweet that Cirque du Soleil was coming to town. Like a kid making a birthday wish, I wished I could go see it. My wish came true! I got to see one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows I’ve ever seen; Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities at the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, 11 miles from Noho.

Inside the iconic blue and yellow striped Cirque du Soleil big top, time moved ever so mystically. The stage clock frozen in time at 11:11. As my guest and I arrived thru door number one, quietly we sit in anticipation, then realizing the show has actually, subtly already begun, the story unfolds. As the sound of a steam engine seemed to get closer, a procession of cast members forming a locomotive, travels through the audience. It pulls into the train station and lets off a motley group of passengers straight from the19th century: eccentrics, acrobats, a juggler, percussionists and dancers in their Sunday best. In a fusion of acrobatics, percussion and choreographies, they create inside the cabinet of curiosities a festive ambience that radiates freedom and charm.In his larger-than-life curio cabinet, the Seeker is convinced that there exists a hidden, invisible world – a place where the craziest ideas and the grandest dreams await.

The mission of Cirque du Soleil is to invoke the imagination, provoke the senses and evoke the emotions of people around the world. Well, mission accomplished! That is exactly what Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities masterfully did. With an amazing cast of 46 artists under the artistic guidance of Guy Laliberté and Jean-François Bouchard, Kurios inspires you and transports you to another realm of theatrical possibilities.The music in the show, is a show in by itself, creating a perfect theatrical score that penetrates one’s core. Masterfully light, Kurios Cabinet of Curiosity truly felt as if you've stepped into a real live lucid dream.

It took 65 trucks to transport close to 2,000 tons of equipment to build the grand illusion of a breathtaking Steampunk Victorian world. There are 426 super cool props in the show, the most of any production in Cirque du Soleil’s history. The mechanical hand that walked on its own fingers would have made Jules Verne and H.G. Wells dance with joy, and envy! It weighs 750 pounds and measures 15 feet by 6.8 feet. Traveling on top of it is a fast-paced and fluid contortion act in which four deep-sea creatures that embody electric eels inside the Seeker’s cabinet come to life.

The amazing talent was beyond super human. They had the ability of being able effortlessly fly, twist into amazing shapes, defy human strength and on top of it all, make you laugh. With some of the best ensemble work I’ve seen on a live stage, the amount of training, focus, dedication, discipline and craft it must take for the cast to bring us this experience is worthy of a standing ovation and a memory you will never forget.

Musical magic astounds with every step the acrobats bound. A juggler impossibly juggles his gravity defying balls while suspended in the air. An acrobat jumps on her acrobatic bicycle also suspended in mid air, upside down performing stunts. An oddball ringmaster directs a miniature circus with invisible artists. BANQUINE, a group of 13 artists perform spectacular sequences of perfectly synchronized acrobatics and human pyramids that showcase the amazing agility of the human body. All the acts, ROLA BOLA, YO-YOS, ACRO NET, AERIAL STRAPS, the SIAMESE TWINS, the RUSSIAN CRADLE DUO, KLARA THE TELEGRAPH OF THE INVISIBLE all were fun and mind boggling spectacular. THEATER OF HANDS was done with only fingers to tell a story that is filmed and projected in real time on a hot-air balloon that serves as a screen. UPSIDE DOWN WORLD totally twisted my mind. An original chair-balancing act, in which dinner guests realize that their exact double exists in a parallel universe right above them where the same scene is unfolding... but upside down!

Amongst my favorites in the collection of otherworldly characters was the very charming and energetic Mini Lili. She represents Mr. Microcosmos’ unconscious and lives inside her host’s overcoat. Through the door in his belly, you can catch a glimpse of the furnished interiors of the little lady’s abode, complete with armchair and other necessities of the Victorian home. Mini Lili is played by Antanina Satsura a 3.2 feet tall performer that only weighs 39 pounds and is one of the 10 smallest people in the world. Then there was Nico The Accordion Man who’s costume allows him to bend very low or stand straight up so he can be at eye level with absolutely everyone. After a little bit over two hours of marvel, the story comes to an end. We don't want to go home,we are part of the show. We notice it no longer is 11.11 but 11.12 as if we were in a twilight zone and all we just saw took place in only one minute

Over 155 million people in 40 countries have had the treat of witnessing Cirque du Soleil shows and I hope you are one of them or will be one of them soon. If you happen to be going to Atlanta, Boston, Washington D.C. or New York; or if you have friends and relatives living there, text them, twitter them,facebook them, let them know that Kurios is coming to their town to unlock the door to a world of wonders.

Share your personal Cirque du Soleil experience@ #officialnoho https://twitter.com/officialnoho/status/630423903417057280

TOUR DATES
If you missed Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosities, you can catch it in the following cities.

Atlanta, GA, United States
Opens on March 3 2016

Boston, MA, United States
Opens on May 26 2016

Washington, DC, United States
Opens on July 21 2016

New York, NY, United States
Opens on September 29 2016

View video trailer of Kurios-Cabinet of Curiosity-
https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/kurios

Brothel is a play set in a house of ill repute, but it is about far more than the title may suggest.

It is 1929, as the Great Depression looms and the stock market crashes all about them. The play examines the life of a group of women living and working in a New York City brothel.  These women are from backgrounds as varied as can be imagined and the play stays with them as they bravely cope with the hand dealt them.  Drugs, gambling, betrayal, religion and redemption, the play touches on all the most human of vices.

The cast are strong and courageous, each actress unafraid of the revealing wardrobe and even more revealing dialogue.  The men in the play are outlandish and colorful, flawed and revile-able, and portrayed with wonderfully realism by the ample skills of the actors. The play pays no mind to the morality of the Brothel, which is brilliant, it exists, as it always has existed, the theme of the play is really not about that at all.  If anything it empowers the women who chose to live that life in that time. These women have chosen this life, if only as a means to an end.  They have taken control of what they can in a time where they have almost no power in any other avenue open to them.

But the real star of this play is the story.  It’s a long play, over two hours in all and yet I felt no sense of time while I watched the sometimes tragic and sometimes heartwarming tale unfold before me.  The wonderfully detailed set gives a terrific sense of place, along with the stirring period music, costume, makeup and wardrobe.  It is the attention to detail that makes all the difference in period plays and it really shines in this one.

The playwright, director and producer, Thomas Prossner, clearly has a love for the dramatic. As an ex-merchant seaman, he is in an excellent position to write about the lead male character, Windy Finn, a rum runner and sailor, and the love of the lead female character and the owner of the brothel, Madame Tremaine.  These are the two central characters around which the other characters’ stories twist and turn.

This is a story about how even though we cannot always choose our beginnings or the course life takes us on, or ever have control over the changing world around us, hope, decency and love will always guide us through the deadliest of storms.

Brothel is a play about an era I have never before seen adapted to stage, and it’s a treat to witness it so fully realized and with such great talent.

I highly recommend ‘Brothel’ by Thomas Prossner at the Eclectic Company Theatre, 5312 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood, 91607

www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org 

Fridays & Saturdays at 8pm

Sundays at 2pm

And two Thursday performances: March 3 & March 31 at 2pm

There is no show on Easter Sunday: March 27th

Cast

Madame Tremaine - Genia Michaela

Albert Paul - Philip Sokoloff

Holland Williams - Mark Del Castillo-Morante

Fanny Sweet - Terry Finn

Duchess - Brittney Levine

Grace Lackey - Lindsey Waguespack

Cindy St. James - Nora Yessayan (Feb. 26 & 28; Mar. 5, 11, 13, 19, 25, & 27; Apr. 2) and Michelle Danyn (Feb. 27; Mar. 4, 6, 12, 18, 20, & 26; Apr. 1 & 3)

Windy Finn - Dennis Delsing Kid Twist - Scott Pretty (Feb. 26-March 13) and Michael Dougher

ty (March 18-April 3)

Birdie Goldbird - Thomas Prosser

Blackie Shannon - Rick Barreras

Crew

Rick Barreras - Production Stage Manager & Lighting Design & Set Design

Steve Green - Set Design

Thomas Foxx - Music

Michelle Danyn - Production Assistant & Program Design

MZ Runyan - Poster & Postcard Design

Nora Yessayan - Prop Mistress

Written by Will Arbery
Directed by Michael Thomas-Visgar

I feel I should preface this review by telling you that The Road Theatre Company is one of the reasons I love going to the theatre in LA. I have never, ever seen a play produced by them that is anything less than brilliant.

That being said, and knowing I was in for a treat long before I sat myself down in my usual spot at The Road Theatre on Magnolia, this particular play far and away exceeded my already high expectations.

The Mongoose is a play about family, about loss and about how we all deal with both in wildly different ways.

It also reminds us how we can be born into the same family, with the same parents and turn out so completely different from our siblings that we may as well have been ordered online and recently delivered to the wrong address.

(from left to right) Arielle Fodor, Hannah Mae Sturges, Kevin Shipp and Dirk Etchison star in the World Premiere ROAD THEATRE COMPANY production of "THE MONGOOSE", written by Will Arbery and directed by Michael Thomas-Visgar and now playing at the ROAD THEATRE on Magnolia.  PHOTO CREDIT: Michele Young

This particular family live in Texas, in a house, with an absent mother and a father who seems to be falling in love with a man. A son who is violent, abusive and lost, and two daughters, one of whom seems perfectly normal and the other childlike and obsessive. Into this chaotic home, brimming with people in crises, comes a savior, a mongoose.

Now the mongoose lives in the kitchen wall, a disembodied voice that speaks, at least at first, to only Maddy, the childlike older sister played wonderfully by Hannah Mae Sturges. At first the rest of the family indulge what they consider to be some kind of ‘acting out’ or ‘coping' mechanism of Maddy’s. The mother, Leanne, is permanently away on business, and Joe, the brother, played menacingly and with great depth by Kevin Shipp, appears to have melt downs on an hourly basis, and the father, Cole, portrayed with brilliant quiet despair by Dirk Etchison, has moved his boyfriend into the house…it’s a lot to deal with, and Maddy isn’t able to deal with growing up, or very much at all, it seems.

Cole’s boyfriend Dave is played by Michael Dempsey, who brilliantly mixes Dave’s need to fix everything with his valiant attempt at giving everyone their space. Love bursts out of him in every direction, he’s a wonderful character.

Leanne, the mom, is played by Blaire Chandler. Since Leanne is away, the conversations she has are only by phone, and this is heartbreakingly presented to us onstage with Leanne actually present, but not interacting with anyone else physically. She’s almost like a ghost in the house, which is such a clever and interesting way to show the audience how the family miss her, and she them. Blaire conveys Leanne’s heartbreak with a truth that brought me to tears, I have to say.

I could tell you more about the mongoose, and how on earth it exists, or if it even does, but I think it’s best to let that mystical element of the play connect with you as you connect with the story.

Suffice it to say you won't be disappointed with the playwright's weaving of magical realism, with crises and faith and a sprinkling of horror.

There are moments in this play that will leave you breathless, slightly baffled and beyond words, which is what I think the point of it. The Mongoose it not formulaic, it is not easily defined, and it certainly doesn’t have any answers to any big questions. But that is what I liked the most about the play. It is what it is, like each of us, like family and ultimately like our lives.

(from left to right)Hannah Mae Sturges and Dirk Etchison star in the World Premiere ROAD THEATRE COMPANY production of "THE MONGOOSE", written by Will Arbery and directed by Michael Thomas-Visgar and now playing at the ROAD THEATRE on Magnolia. PHOTO CREDIT: Michele Young

It is poetic and profound, but not at all in a contrived way, and the actors' performances belay their absolute delight in the story and in these strange and flawed people living tightly together in this house.

I highly recommend ‘The Mongoose’ at The Road on Magnolia, If you, like me, appreciate a tale well told of people beautifully falling apart, then please get your tickets quickly, these shows always sell well at The Road.

The show runs through April 17th. Thursday at 8pm, Saturday at 3pm and Sunday at 7pm

The Road on Magnolia
Inside the NoHo Senior Arts Colony, 10747 Magnolia Blvd.

http://www.roadtheatre.org/the-mongoose-at-the-road-on-magnolia/ 

CAST
Blaire Chandler
Michael Dempsey
Dirk Etchison
Arielle Fodor
Kevin Shipp
Hannah Mae Sturges

DESIGNERS
Set Design – Chad Dellinger
Lighting Design – Derrick McDaniel
Sound Design – Joseph “Sloe” Slawinski
Costume Design – Michele Young

Sketches & Writings by John Santo
Additional Writings by Sebastian Munoz & Entire Cast

This is my first time at Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre, and I must admit to being a little trepidatious. I have heard so much about the risque performances, the nudity and the sexual content that I had no idea of what to expect, other than, in my extreme Englishness, to be a bit embarrassed.

Boy was I unprepared for ‘Sex & Love in the Modern Age’…

This play, really more of a sketch show, is so much more than shocking…it is, at least for me, revelatory, challenging and ultimately one of the most completely honest representations of what it is like to be a sexually active and an actively loving human being in this world.

These open and fearless actors do something quite remarkable with the material they are given. They transform simple words into riveting performances and unforgettable moments of deep connectivity that defy explanation.

I found myself laughing one moment and then weeping the next. The emotional commitment from everyone on stage demanded that every member of the audience give as much energy as we were receiving. And that exchange of trust and truth is what made the show a success.

It’s easy enough to be rude, to be vulgar or even provocative, but it’s very, very difficult to be all of those things and to also have grace, compassion and a wild kind of gentleness. These actors absolutely have all of these qualities. And the sketches, about everything from online hookups to BSDM to giving the ‘safe sex’ talk to your gay teenage boy are equally matched to their phenomenal abilities.

The show is only an hour in length, with no intermission, and the atmosphere is charged enough with only that amount of time, I can hardly imagine what would happen if it were a minute longer. Spontaneous audience combustion perhaps???

All joking aside this a really excellent show, full of surprise and elegance along with the bawdy and the profane.

I absolutely loved it!!

I congratulate both the writers and the performers on managing to move me so much in such hugely creative and inspiring ways. Some of these sketches were poetic, some almost performance art, and some bloody shakespearean in raunch and heart.

I thoroughly and highly recommend ‘Sex & Love in the Modern Age’. Go and support these brave and truly gifted performers and have an experience you will never forget. I actually thanked the writer after the show…it is that good.

Sex & Love in the Modern Age, at Zombie Joe’s Underground Theatre runs form March 4th to March 26th on Fridays & Saturdays at 8:30 pm

4050 Lankershim Blvd, North Hollywood.
818 - 202- 4120
www.zombiejoes.com 

Featuring
Nicole A Craig
Jennifer Novak Chun
David Wyn Harris
Ian Heath
Lee Quarrie
John Santo
Jacquie Waldman
Roger K Weiss
Callie Williams
Julian Zambrano

Assistant Director - Angelia Weitzman
ZJU Webmaster & PR manager Randy “Kernel” Long
Director & Tech Guru - Sebastian Munoz
Produced by Zombie Joe

This is the story of seven actors who inhabit at least two roles a piece in what amounts to a role call of mixed up and mismatched gender, age, race and familial bonding and breaking set in two completely different times and places.

The wonderfully clever and biting satire is a tour-de-force of everyday needs, desires and ideals set to a beautifully written soundtrack of the human soul.

Churchill infuses each character with enough depth and wisdom to make the relationships real and the dialogue unforced.

Whether in the wilds of 19th century colonial Africa or London in 1979, this dramatically unstructured sexual and carnal romp shows humanity at its worst and best, while balancing theology, philosophy and sociology in a thoughtful yet provocative manner.

This is play writing at not only its most hilarious and outrageous, but unique, eye-opening and thought-provoking.

We, the audience, do not know when and where each character begins and ends or who they are.

This dichotomy between our private and public selves is a key entree in this smorgasbord of mistaken, manipulated and malevolent identities drawn to each other through their own strengths and weaknesses.

The Obie award-winning play boasts an extraordinarily courageous, imaginative and strong playwright in Churchill.

This play is nothing less than a reflection of a raw, ribald, raucous and often romantic sense of humor and point of view that few writers ever develop or possess.

Abigail Marks as Lin, Liza de Weerd as Victoria, Bo Foxworth as Cathy, Deborah Puette as Betty Photo by Geoffrey Wade Photography

Casey Stangl's direction is effortless and wildly effective. It allows the actors to reach the stars while caressing the sea. It also lets the importance of each moment shine like a beacon on the hill.

This is direction at its most electric, vibrant and captivating. It comprehends the fingers while nurturing the thumbs.

The veteran Antaeus director ("Peace in Our Time," "The Curse of Oedipus" and "The Liar") spends as much time here contemplating the substance as the language, the purpose and meaning as the style.

The Minnesota Artist of the Year assembles an incredibly talented and traditional double or partner cast which takes no prisoners and understands the playwright's deeds and words gracefully and effortlessly.

On the first Saturday evening that this critic saw the play, the Blighters cast took the stage.

Stand outs include:

Chad Borden (Joshua/Gerry) simply shines in both roles. The boldness, backbone and bravery the Northwestern University graduate exemplifies in portraying both characters is not only breathtaking, but rare.

Liza De Weerd (Maud/Victoria) gives a convincing double turn rich in sensitivity, intensity and clarity. The veteran classical actress rises to the occasion with two pitch perfect characterizations.

Bill Brochtrup (Betty/Edward) nearly runs away with the show with a sincere and thoughtful double portrayal. The veteran Antaeus actor and "NYPD Blue" star contrasts his two characters beautifully. His work in Act One, especially, is unique, touching and not contrived in its power and tenderness. Brochtrup gives both characters an inner life that is authentic in glow, glamour and gold. This is an accomplishment not to be missed.

Bo Foxworth (Clive/Cathy/Soldier) steals the show, however, with an intelligent, insightful and indignant performance. The longtime Antaeus member and actor is nothing less than side-splitting and hilarious in both acts.

The seamless transition, however, exhibits a gift for the joyous and meticulous. The UCLA graduate also displays a motivation both parts muscle and memory. His love and preparation of and for the craft or art of acting are inspiring, illuminating and educational.

This is a triumphant return to glory for Foxworth, who has acted in six previous Antaeus productions. Miss it at your own peril.

This critic hopes to see the Yale School of Drama graduate on the stages of North Hollywood and Los Angeles again soon.

Furthering the message of the play are Stephanie Kerley Schwartz' scenic design, Leigh Allen's lighting design, Peter Bayne's composing, sound design and musical direction and A. Jeffrey Schoenberg's costume design.

All in all, "Cloud 9," then, succeeds because of its convoluted dramatic structure, not despite it.

The upside/down nature of the play, which lasts two-and-a-half hours with an intermission, only contributes to its dazzling grasp of human experience and existence in a way that opens hearts and tickles funny bones.

The often unique relationships here only further galvanize the play and its playwright as creatures of their own wondrous and magical realms.

It is indeed not often when one laughs and cries in the same moment while watching a play. Here it is a given.

Antaeus proves once and for all that all is well on Lankershim Boulevard in this its second-to-last production in North Hollywood before moving to a new space in Glendale.

It is a special and giddy time for a company which understands classics such as this play in an innovative, distinct and authentic manner as well or better than many local, regional or national theatre companies.

Antaeus is a gem that will be sorely missed upon its exit from the No Ho Arts District.

But instead of bemoaning the loss, we, the fortunate audience members throughout the years, must applaud this company for its flawless record.

So, as is the case with every play this critic has reviewed here, this production will have you under its spell from A to Z and then some.

Perhaps it is time this company gets the credit and attention it deserves. Not so much for quality or quantity, but both.

Showtimes:
Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Fridays at 8 p.m.
Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Sundays at 2 p.m.

Ticket Prices:
Thursdays and Fridays: $30
Saturdays and Sundays: $34

Where:
Antaeus Theatre Company
5112 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(One-and-a-half blocks off Magnolia)

Parking:
$8 in the lot at 5125 Lankershim Blvd. (West side of the street), just South of Magnolia.

“ANNABELLA”runs through April 10, 2015 at Big Oak Theatre, Chatsworth

The Los Angeles Daily News has referred to The Big Oak Theatre in Chatsworth  as “A Little Back Road Broadway”. This small out of the way theatre set beneath a giant Oak tree has sold out every performance it has presented since its conception 8 years ago and it has struck GOLD again!

“ANNABELLA”  takes place in 16^th century Renaissance Italy “ and I was delightfully  entertained  every minute of the production.  Directed by Patrick Dennis Hart with the welcomed assistance of Sam Johnides and Tony Gonzalez (the writers/composers)  has mounted an absolutely wonderful production.    Annabella, is an intriguing story of  a  young,  beautiful  “witch of the woods” who has magical healing owers (played by gifted actor and songstress, Katie Moya) .  She and travelling puppeteer , Lorenzo (Tony Gonzalez, who gives a stellar performance), fall in love and face many trials during their courtship to test their relationship.  It is consistently challenged by the antagonist , seductive temptress, Valentina ( stand out talent -Branda Lock) who wishes to keep Annabella  isolated from outsiders to supply her with beauty and youth potions.   The  “live” marionettes (Amanda Rae Troisi, Amanda Hootman and TR Krupa) are wonderfully engaging  performers.   The entire cast give credible and interesting performances including the thieves (Henry Kaiser and Chris Bramante (alternate is Graydon Schlichter)), Arno (Erik Neilsen), Caltralta (Shar Wilson), Carmina ( Madelyn Adams) , and dancer Natalie Swanner.   The choreographer, Danielle Janco weaves very intricate and exciting movement that adds measurably to the production.   The small set and creative lighting adds another nice dimension. Sam Johnides at the piano enhances every musical number with his ability to paint the emotion through music.   At a Q &  A held after the production it was obvious that the music and story transported the audience with its joyful and heartbreaking moments

Two young local writers  have collaborated on the book and the score, Sam Johnides  and Tony Gonzalez They have a  definite winner in “ANNABELLA” and a brilliant  future ahead.  This show is a 4 star MUST SEE.

Performances are on Saturdays and Sundays at 2 PM.  If you go, the show has been extended to April 10. Tickets at Big Oak Theatre 818 998 0185 or bigoaktheatre.com  or avenueact1@att.net. 22200 Chatsworth St, Chatsworth.   $26 Gen, $24 senior , $20 student. 

The Defiance Theater Company has another success on hand with the production of Rumors.

This show offers gags, giggles, and belly laughs galore. The wonderful ensemble cast has mastered the timing and rhythm that Mr. Simon had hoped for when he wrote this play in the 1990’s. It is a fun filled time at the Whitmore-Lindley Theater Center on Magnolia in NoHo.

When friends are invited to a colleague’s home for a 10th wedding anniversary party the mayhem begins. Where are Charlie and his lovely wife Mayra? Why is the help not preparing another delicious spread? What’s happening? The audience comes to find out that Deputy Mayor Charlie accidentally shot himself in the earlobe and is hiding upstairs. The first arriving couple, his lawyer Ken and wife Claire, try desperately to conceal the truth from the other invited guests. It must be kept secret; no rumors about such an important man can ever get out. It has to be hushed. Despite their efforts what unfolds for the next two hours are characters in a well-timed chaos of ridiculousness with snappy lines and over the top accusations.

As rumors fly around the room and other couples start arriving, the story heightens regarding the missing hosts.

Enter Lenny and his lovely wife Claire. Lenny is the nervous type. He is loud, animated and upset about his new BMW getting into an accident on the way to the party. Claire seems disinterested in anything about Lenny except for the rumors she hears from her gossipy girl pals. When the rest of the couples finally make their debut, it is sophisticated slapstick. Between burnt fingers, to suspicious police at the door, everyone is suspect and everyone is hiding something. This play is timeless despite the references to the yellow pages and usage of a landline to make phone calls. Just because it was written a few decades ago the ability to thoroughly enjoy this show is not hindered.

The cast is almost flawless in its delivery of this farce.

It is rewarding to see actors sharing in dual delight with the audience. The comical verbal jabs become elevated when they eventually all become part of the game that hides the truth about the shooting. The direction of Paul Storiale proves that to effectively accomplish over the top mayhem while telling a story is a special talent. Although many characters vie for attention within a relatively small space, it doesn’t feel confined. The staging is perfect and probably close to the original intention of Mr. Simon. Several actors are squeezed into a living room where movement and gestures camouflage the small size of the stage. Each seasoned performer works seamlessly to enhance movements and language to make the characters come alive. Every performer in this ensemble are pros. Stephanie Jones (Chris) and Paul Thomas Arnold have worked together before with the director and it shows how well matched they are with each other as well. Brian Allman (Lenny) might have had the most difficult role here. He has long monologues, big gestures and many boisterous statements. He does this well. Stefanie Jones (Chris) is not a dumb blonde and has a real flair for comedy. She also has worked with Mr. Storiale several times before and shares in the hilarity and enthusiasm that makes Rumors work.

Rumors is now showing through April 2nd at the Whitmore-Lindley Theater Center, 11006 Magnolia Blvd. North Hollywood 91601.

For tickets call: 818 761-0704, whitemorelindleytheatercenter.com

Book & Lyrics by Lloyd J. Schwartz
Directed by David P. Johnson
Produced by Barbara Mallory
Music Composed by Michael Paul.

So March 20th was ‘World Theatre for Young People Day,’ in case you were unaware, and on the Saturday before it I took my lovely granddaughter Faith to see the Storybook Theatre Company’s production of ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at Theatre West.

It was her first play ever, and she was of course excited and a bit nervous and shy, not sure what the difference even was between a movie and a play. But as the play began, with it’s simple but colorful set, and the vibrant, open and talented actors began telling their own unique version of this classic story, I could see Faith blossom. Her face shining with excitement and she even went up onstage to assist in the play, in fact every other child in the audience was invited to do so and I’m happy to say almost all of them did.

Kathy Garrick Credit: David P. Johnson

The cast managed to beautifully blend the audience participation with the story, interweaving effortlessly the suggestions from the children, encouraging them and engaging them completely. It was so lovely to watch their little faces all a glow, to hear them calling out and gasping and giggling…the children that is, not the actors…although they were lovely too.

So many skills can be learned and so much confidence can be gained by a child from seeing live performances and participating in theatre. They can learn empathy and understanding, they can practice listening, paying attention, sitting still, being patient and courteous, and they can build their own sense of compassion and fairness as well as learning wonder and power of storytelling.

Magical things can happen in a theatre for a child, it’s where they learn to love art and truly understand the power it can have to change the way we all connect to each other in such a positive way.

The story of Sleeping Beauty is a classic of course, but the numerous original musical numbers written by the brilliant Lloyd J. Schwartz bring a lovely playfulness to the actually pretty gruesome tale. Storybook Theatre’s production is a very PG version thankfully, as there were some very young kids there and I am still pretty scared of Disney’s Maleficent myself if I’m honest.

The actors are all excellent and give their absolute utmost to the roles, which is vital. Children can see through a half-baked performance a mile off, but there’s none of that here! I was so engaged and entertained myself I really couldn’t keep my goofy smile off my face! You could tell every one of the actors were thoroughly enjoying themselves, and the kids ate it up!

This is a wonderful way to spend some time with your kids, it’s not too long, there are complimentary cookies and juice at the intermission in the lobby, and, at the end of the performance, the entire cast can be found outside, sitting patiently for photos, autographs and cuddles. How adorable!

We should take our children to the theatre, all the time, but unfortunately there are too few plays that are kid friendly in LA. That really should change. We have so much on offer in this city, thank goodness for Storybook Theatre at Theatre West!

I thoroughly recommend ‘Sleeping Beauty’ at Theatre West. 3333 Cahuenga Blvd, LA 90068

The play runs form March 19th through July 9th on Saturdays at 1pm.
www.theatrewest.org 

Cast
Morbid - Bonnie Kalisher
King - Lukas Bailey & Charlie Mount
Queen - Laura Wolf & Julie McCray
Sleeping Beauty - Kira Brannlund & Emily Rose McCleod
Handsome Prince - David P Johnson & James Patrick Cronin

Crew
Lisa Freed - Stage Manager

BACH AT LEIPZIG

Written by Itamar Moses
Directed by Calvin Remsberg

Funny, smart and fantastic!!! The Group Rep brings us another hit, BACH AT LEIPZIG, intelligently written by Itamar Moses, and gloriously directed by Calvin Remsberg.

It’s 1722, Leipzig, Germany, and the infamous organist, Johann Kuhnau of the Thomaskirche has died suddenly. With knickers, buckle shoes, lace, brocade, long wigs and lace hankies hanging from their wrists, 7 musicians are invited to audition for this coveted position, among them a young Johann Sebastian Bach. And there is nothing these musicians won’t do to win this most desired post, resorting to wit, shrewdness, cunning, and sword fights. Its fun and shenanigans running rampant.

Larry Eisenberg TroyWhitaker

Farce, slapstick, and silliness, combined with blackmail and betrayal, and artful direction by Calvin Remsberg, bring together skillful performances by Todd Andrew Ball as Graupner, Larry Eisenberg as Schott, Mikel Parraga-Wills as Steindorff, Lloyd Pedersen as Kaufmann, Troy Whitaker as Lenck, Chris Winfield as Fasch, and Steve Terrell as The Greatest Organist in Germany. All this wonderfulness, and a 6-person fugue that will blow your mind. Each performance is full, lively and complete.

Fabulous costumes by the always spectacular A. Jeffrey Schoenberg. They truly are incredible. Amazing set and lighting (J. Kent Inasy), sound (Steve Shaw), Stage Manager (Steve Terrell), Fight Choreographer (Adam Conn), and glorious Wigs (Wig Rescue), round out a brilliant play.

BACH AT LEIPZIG is a MUST SEE. There is nothing stuffy about this play. It is fun, dazzling and just all around terrific.

The Group Rep is having an amazing season, and one that is not to be missed. Have fun and enjoy.

Enjoy!!!!!!!!!

Cast: Todd Andrew Ball, Larry Eisenberg, Mikel Parraga-Wills, Lloyd Pedersen, Steve Terrell, Troy Whitaker, Chris Winfield
Director: Calvin Remsberg
Producer For the Group Rep: Suzy London
Assistant to the Director: Michele Bernath
Scenic and Lighting Design: J. Kent Inasy
Costume Design: A. Jeffrey Schoenberg
Sound Design: Steve Shaw
Fight Choreographer: Adam Conn
Wigs: Wig Rescue
Stage Manager: Steve Terrell
Public Relations: Nora Feldman
Graphic Design: Doug Haverty + Art & Soul Design
Program: Drina Durazo

The Lonny Chapman Theatre
10900 Burbank Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Buy Tickets/Information: www.thegrouprep.com  or (818) 763-5990

Plays: March 18 – May 1, 2016
Friday and Saturday Evenings at 8:00 PM
Sunday Matinees at 2:00 PM
Talk-Back Q & A after Sunday matinees: April 3 and April 17

General Admission: $25. Students/Seniors with ID: $20. Groups at 10+: $15.

Appropriate for Ages 10+
Running Rime is approximately 120 minutes with one intermission
Free street parking on Burbank Blvd and on Cleon Ave.
Please allow at least 15 minutes to park.
Mainstage Theatre wheelchair accessible

“Down on Your Knees and Up to The Moon”, an original jukebox musical, rocketed onto the T.U. Studio Stage, presented by Jamaica Moon Production.

Set against the backdrop of both the 1939 and 1964 New York World’s Fair at the glamourous Grand Court Hotel, this cutting edge acapella musical features, finger snapping, foot tapping and tear jerking melodic musical memories.

The opening begins, the day before the the first New York World Fair, dazzling chorus girls singing “Goody Goody”. The excitement in the air is palpable with the promise of new technology and riches (cello-wrap, the dishwasher, and TV were introduced at this fair!). Where there are riches - there is mayhem! Thieves have imbedded themselves within the hotel searching for easy marks and a chance to steal inventions then register them as their own.

Keturah Hamilton and Chad Doreck Photo credit: Mathew Caine- Digitrope Studios.

Act one, 1939 introduces us to: Ruby, a gangsters moll (played by standout Kelly Musslewhite), who is trying to make it good as a showgirl, Fritz, a harried hotel manager, (played to the hilt by Christian Maltez) and an extremely accurate Fortune Teller, Dolores (played by the entertaining Nakta Pahlevan). Ruby runs into one of her old crew who talks her into spying on a wide-eyed inventor who has become smitten with her. Ruby is faced with a conflict, prey upon the innocent inventor or do save the inventor and his invention of the television. Along the way we are introduced to a host of zany characters not the least of which is a criminal master mind, Lucky (played charmingly by Chad Doreck) his girl Rita, and the detectives who want to take Lucky down.

Act two, 1965 takes place twenty five years later. We learn the more things change the more they stay the same. Fritz, now older, anticipates the business he will garner from the World Fair, and Dolores continues to predict futures. A new group wealthy guests, inventors, crooks, cops and hookers (showgirls had become passé) descend on the Grand Court. Couples fall in love, jewel thieves prey on the wealthy. Once in a blue moon happenstance reoccurs with the song stylings of “Blue Moon”. (Performed in Act one and Act two)

Noteworthy are the standout performances of Christian Maltez as the harried hotel manager, Fritz; and the entertaining Nakta Pahlevan as Dolores the fortune teller who against Fritz’s wishes accurately foretells the future of guests and hotel staff.

Dylan George and Kelly Musslewhite Photo credit: Mathew Caine- Digitrope Studios.

Unique to this production is its use of an all acapella jukebox musical format as well as the collaboration of writers; Gloria Gifford, Lucy Walsh, Jade Warner, Lauren Plaxco, Chad Doreck, Billy Budinch and Danny Siegel who explored story telling through song. Set designer Jeffrey Casciano hotel décor pays homage to the popularity of Asian influence of the time. Under the direction of Gloria Gifford, the large musical cast delivered a fresh take on days gone by.

For an evening of nostalgic gangster melodrama and musical nostalgia, “Down on Your Knees and Up to the Moon” is on a skyrocketing trajectory you won’t want to miss.

Waiting for Johnny Depp

Book and Lyrics by Janet Cole Valdez and Deedee O’Malley

Music by Deedee O’Malley, Janet Cole Valdez and Bettie Ross

Directed by Holly Friedman

A one woman musical about an actress’s hilariously real struggle with the excruciating auditioning process is not something I would ever have expected to exist…but thankfully and quite gloriously it does.

Waiting for Johnny Depp encompasses a few weeks in the life of Rita Donatella, an Italian American actress living in New York, hustling, the way only a NY actress of a certain age can hustle, with her eye very firmly on the prize, a co-staring role in a movie with Johnny Depp.

We meet Rita at her apartment, her audition over, a call from her agent saying she’s a shoe-in and to wait by the phone…

Then the fun begins…

Deedee O’Malley, the co-creator of this fabulous and brutally honest portrayal, manages, through her outrageous talent and charisma, to fully and beautifully communicate all the agonies and the ecstasies of waiting to hear if your life is about to be changed by one phone call.

The songs are brilliant.  Witty, poignant, one even made me cry a little…I am a sap it’s true, but tearing up as an actress sings about her dreams is a little ridiculous, even for me….so I blame it on the wonderful songs!

The show plays around with the concepts of love, survival, self doubt, family pressures, loss and determination in a fresh and inspiring way.  We are focused on one woman, one life in the midst of so many others in this huge city, overflowing with stress and urgency and a desperate need for validation.  But in this one crazy, broad, who’s talent we have only her own assurances to believe in, we see the humanity of what most of the time is the most inhumane of universes, show business.

While we wait, we see her tortured by self doubt, a doubting mother, a ‘user’ boyfriend and saved by a brother who loves her.  In this simple story, all our journeys are mirrored.  You don’t have to be an actress to have experienced rejection, humiliation and being flat broke after all.

But it is Rita’s undying belief in the ‘dream’ that keeps us rooting for her, and in the end this story truly revolves around that belief, that faith we must have in ourselves to survive anything and everything that life throws at us.

This talented team of women, writers, performers, musicians, directors have poured themselves, and their stories into this one women who represents them all, and what a woman!

In her desperation, or is it her determination to get the role, Rita loses 20 lbs, her NY accent, her dignity as she sells her belongings and tries several ridiculous sales jobs to stay afloat and even cuts off all her hair.  This is of course both tragic and funny, but it is also real and true and genuine.  Waiting for Johnny Depp is a one woman musical extravaganza, but it is also totally believable and has great depth and very real pathos without being overly sentimental, which is why it works so well.

The brilliant songs are as varied as ‘Kiss my Ass’ - an angry release, ‘Craigslist’ - a terrific overture to exchanging belongings for cash, and ‘Anything for my Craft’ - which is self explanatory really, but very clever and funny too.  You will go home humming, I guarantee…

I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this show, it had its world premier just last year in Huston to rave reviews after being developed in LA the year before.  But I am honestly thrilled to say that I was more than entertained by these true life stories tenderly fashioned into Rita Donatella’s fascinating life.  I connected with her experience, I empathized with her dilemmas and I came away from the evening with a big smile on my face and song or two in my head.

I highly recommend ‘Waiting for Johnny Depp’ and The Whitefire Theatre. 

This show is part of a new kind of weekly line up, a different play on every night Thursday through Sunday, which is a wonderful way to see more plays and give a great space to some fantastic works.

Baby Oh Baby

Written by Phil Scarpaci and T.L. Shannon
Directed by Phil Scarpaci
Produced by Pattie Kelly

Well this is definitely the first time I have reviewed a play in LA, set in England, with actual English people…I’m English…I would have remembered.

Baby Oh Baby is a fabulously funny homage to the great British sitcom…with a bit of a twist…

Two half sisters, Bella and Angie, played respectively by the wonderful and talented Amy Tolsky and Felicity Wren, live together in a flat somewhere on the outskirts of London. They appear to be polar opposites at first, Bella, the older of the two, a bit shy and resigned to her singledom, and Angie, clawing at the remaining vestiges of her youth and determined to remain ‘hot’. And yet, as the play unfolds, we learn how truly connected they are to each other, how committed, and, even when a little rivalry kicks in, how much they deeply love each other.

This is a comedy and it is romantic, but it’s not a romantic comedy in the traditional sense.

The ‘romance’ or more accurately, the ‘love story’ is between these two glorious and beautifully written women.

And here’s something surprising about the ‘writing’ of these two characters, the playwrights are both men…so well done there! I felt that I could have known these women, been friends with them, and I probably do have friends just like them in fact, and as slightly neurotic as they both are certain stages of the play and for very different reasons, they are not cliches, far from it.
These women are both very real and very relatable and very, very funny.

There are some wonderfully colorful male characters as well. Weena, the sister’s landlord and frequent drop in guest is an hilarious and heartfelt, flamboyantly gay man brilliantly and fondly played by the lovely Douglas Scott Sorenson. We also have the delightful Kaelan Strouse who plays, how can I put this delicately, the ‘donor’. It’s another brazen and seriously funny performance by an actor who is clearly enjoying every minute. Thirdly, but by no means lastly, we are introduced to the very attractive and sweet, if not a ever so slightly clueless Rory, Angie’s hapless love interest, played by the adorable Andrew Katers.

Everyone bravely attempts an English accent, Felicity Wren is English anyway and Amy Tolksy spent many years there, so they have no worries, but the boys had a huge mountain to climb to be honest, and it’s clear that they threw themselves enthusiastically into it and more than pulled it off in my opinion, and I should know!

But what exactly is this play about I hear you ask. Well, without giving the entire plot away, a pet peeve of mine when reading reviews, this play is about women of a certain age grappling with the idea that they may not have a child…or that they may indeed have to take fate by the throat and just go it alone, maternally speaking. It’s about that fear of being alone, not just without a partner, but without a family, at least a traditional one. Just because it seems easier these days to meet people, online or otherwise, doesn’t at all increase your odds of meeting the right one…a fact of which many of us are all to painfully aware.

But Baby Oh Baby is far from glum about the whole thing, in fact I rather felt uplifted and hopeful and altogether proud of these courageous and very human characters. And, in a very typically English way, they all use slightly self-depreciating humor as their weapon of choice, which I adore and which the entire audience responded to so completely it was rather touching.

Baby Oh Baby is a funny, slightly neurotic, very honest and hopeful take on life beyond the traditional, after reality sets in and we are well into the faze when fleece PJ’s permanently replace the lacy lingerie.

If you enjoy laughing at the ridiculousness of a ‘life plan’, then ‘Baby Oh Baby’ is the perfect play for you!

I thoroughly recommend Baby Oh Baby at The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd, Sherman Oaks.

The play runs from March 19th through June 4th every Saturday night at 8pm.
https://www.facebook.com/Baby-Oh-Baby-139596616380784/ 

Starring

Amy Tolsky, Felicity Wren, Douglas Scott Sorenson, Kaelan Strouse, Andrew Katers

Scenic Deisgner - Emmy Weldon
Costume Designer - Ellen Greenberg
Tech Director/Stage Manager - David Svengalis
Lighting Designer - Derrick McDaniel
Assistant Stage Manger/Prop Master - Daniel Hoisch
Publisist - Nora Feldman

Written by Andy Rooster Bloch
Directed by Bryan Rasmussen
Produced by Scott Disharoon

When people reach a certain age and are single, for one reason or another, these days it’s the norm to turn to the internet to help guide, divine and attach us. Wether these techniques are any better than simply running into each other at the launderette, or being set up by some misguided friends with a penchant for other peoples business is a matter for debate, needless to say it makes for some powerful drama and serious comedy.

Stella’s Last J Date is a play born of this terrifying, obtuse and all too frequented online solution to singledom, with just a little too much raw honestly thrown in for good measure.

Stella, played with extraordinary and anxiety ridden delight by Amy Smallman-Winston, is a forty something dog trainer with seemingly too numerous to list neurotic tendencies who never the less dreams of love and companionship and bravely ventures out of her small, fragile world to meet a stranger… at Chili’s.

That stranger is Isaac, an alcoholic school teacher, who is clearly taken with Stella at the outset, why else would he brazenly dismiss her erratic entrance. Isaac is played with wonderfully subtle compassion, and dry humor, by the lovely Barry Livingston, with such a brilliant counter balance to Stella’s dizzying enthusiasm.

The plot is simple, they meet, they collide a bit and we struggle with wether or not they should even finish their drink, let alone the rest of their lives together. The fly in the ointment, as if their own ‘baggage’ isn’t enough, is the only other character in the play, Don, played with startling menace by Elvis Nolasco. A rather odd and 70’s ‘pimplike’ and imposing man who drops in from time to time, conveniently when Stella is either in the bathroom, refreshing her drink at the bar or awol from the date altogether…

Don is a bit of an enigma. Is he some past boyfriend, someone sent by the website to test Isaacs authenticity or resolve, or is he a figment of both their imaginations. A specter of heartbreaks past, putting the pressure on, cutting through whatever is left of the facade of this first date, after Isaac and Stella have done their best to shatter it. Either way Don is certainly a twist in the tale of these two disparate souls…and his stress filled and tortuous interactions with Isaac are darkly humorous.

This is a very, very funny play. At times I actually laughed out loud, which I rarely do…I’m English, we titter at best. But there are some truly brilliant lines in this play, and so well delivered, it was just perfect. Part Woody Allen, part Coen Brothers, Stella is all scattered honesty and Isaac her sublime, heroic support. A match made in writers heaven I think.

It put me in mind a little of ‘Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune’. Two people, lonely and a bit lost, aching to be loved and seeing a glimmer of possibility in each other, while still relentlessly trying to avoiding it. The audience watches with a mixture of fascination and horror, like driving by a car crash, or finding a picture of themselves in the eighties.

All three actors have created people that we can recognize, people that we have more than likely known in our lives, yes, even Don. They are vivid and powerful and memorable, fully formed and complete, even in the short time we spend with them. And although the actors are beyond impressive, I think we have the writing to thank for the not small amount of insight into their motives and minds. We are left to wonder if any of us is any less imperfect than Stella and Isaac, their hearts so open and frail.

The direction too allowed us to sit and observe, as if we were at the table next to them, such was the awkward intimacy. Nothing is more impressive than a play where actors are given the freedom to try to connect with the audience on their own terms and the language to achieve it.

I highly and thoroughly recommend Stella’s Last J Date, it’s a really clever, funny and heartfelt play beautifully performed.

Stella’s Last J Date is part of the Whitefire Theatre’s new season of plays, and as such it is running on Thursdays only from March 31st through May 5th at 8pm.

The Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, 91423.
http://www.whitefiretheatre.com 

The play features the talents of Barry Livingston (“My Three Sons”, “Argo”), Elvis Nolasco (“American Crime”) and Groundlings alumnus Amy Smallman-Winston.

The design team includes Bryan Rasmussen (Set Design), Derrick McDaniel (Lighting Design), Morgan DeGroff (Costume Designer), Laura Tiefer (Assistant Costume Designer), and David Svengalis (Sound Design/Video Design).

The Real Housewives of Toluca Lake
THE MUSICAL

Book, Music & Lyrics by Molly Bell
Directed by Roger Bean
Additional Music, Arrangements & Orchestrations
By Dolores Duran-Cefalu

A new musical is in town. The Real Housewives of Toluca Lake – The Musical, has arrived. It’s loud, bawdy, fun and everything you think the Real Housewives should be. These girls vacation together, go to the same salon, the same plastic surgeons, and run around in their inner circle. There is hair tossing, affairs, and loads of secrets within this group of well-kept women. Oh, there is the fighting that all “Real Housewives” must do, but in the end, they have each other’s backs when all is said and done.

Sensationally directed by Roger Bean, this ensemble cast with Anita Barone, Jenna Coker-Jones, Cynthia Ferrer, Meredith Patterson and Adrienne Visnic as the Housewives, and the “AMAZING” Marc Ginsburg who plays various rolls as “the Man” are all terrific and talented. Music, voices, dancing, all thoroughly wonderful. Great Set, lighting, costumes, sound, all contribute to this delightful production.

The Falcon Theatre has given us a new Musical with gumption. Light, breezy and fun . A great evening out in Toluca Lake, and one not to be missed. The Real Housewives of Toluca Lake – The Musical is here. Enjoy yourselves.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Cast: Anita Barone, Jenna Coker-Jones, Cynthia Ferrer, Marc Ginsburg, Meredith Patterson, and Adrienne Visnic. Understudies: Aly French, Melissa Jobe, Jeffrey Landman & Anne Montavon
Director: Roger Bean
Music Director: Kyle de Tarnowsky
Choreographer: Roger Castellano
Scenic Designer: Stephen Gifford
Lighting Designer: Jean-Yves Tessier
Costume Designer: David Kay Mickelsen
Sound Designer: Robert A. Ramirez
Technical Director: Mike Jespersen
Props Designer: John McElveney
Casting Director: Sandi Logan, CSA
Stage Manager: Dale Alan Cooke

Falcon Theatre
4252 Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA 91505

Tickets: (818) 955-8101 or FalconTheatre.com

When: March 23rd through April 24th, 2016
Wed – Sat at 8pm; Sun at 4pm
No Show Easter Sunday, March 27th;
Added show: Saturday, April 2nd at 4pm

Prices: Previews: $31.50 - $34.00
Opening Night: $54.00 - $59.00
Weekdays (Wed/Thurs): $36.50 - $39.00
Weekends (Fri/Sat/Sun):$41.50 - $44.00
Student Rate (valid ID): $29.00