Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS – A Journey through the World of Cinema, their newest show and resident production created exclusively for the Kodak Theatre at the Hollywood & Highland Center, is a world of wonderment and blinding beauty in tribute to the Hollywood’s golden film era. IRIS, appropriately named, is certainly an eye opener and refers to both the light that passes through the camera lens and the colored part of the eye. Both for the Los Angeleno and the tourist, Cirque du Soleil IRIS is a must-see show.

From the beginning, this Cirque du Soliel show is aimed to break the fourth wall and engage the audience. The comedic characters roam the aisles pre-show to set the mood that IRIS wants to interact, unlike other Cirque du Soliel shows. Vaudevillian numbers intertwine with the fantastic human feats of the fearless acrobats and uber-flexible contortionists.

Cirque du Soleil’s IRIS takes spectators on a visual voyage through the history of cinema and its genres, taking them into the heart of the movie-making process. From illustration to animation, black and white to colour, silent films to talkies, fixed shots to swooping camera movements, it’s the perfect resident show for Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre.

Spending $100 million dollars to renovate the Kodak Theatre to accomadate perfomers appearing from below ground and over head, the only other show at the Kodak Theatre for the next ten years besides IRIS will be the Academy Awards.  IRIS was constructed to easily transform the Kodak to be used for the Oscars.

“We are thrilled to have found such a spectacular home in Los Angeles,” said President and CEO of Cirque du Soleil Daniel Lamarre. “The city is at the forefront not only of film, but music, architecture and art as well. It is our hope that IRIS will be a welcome addition to Hollywood as a destination for locals and visitors alike. This is also a kind of homecoming for us. Our international career started right here when we brought a show called “We Reinvent the Circus” to the LA Festival for opening night on September 3, 1987.”

IRIS, written and directed by director-choreographer Philippe Decouflé, opens with two muscular men flying over the audience seamlessly in a sort of flying ballet routine.  Other highlights of the show include a gangster-cop trampoline number, the alien-suited death-dying tumblers, a frame-by-frame show of live film and dance numbers, and the finale where all 72 performers come out on stage in dazzling costume and color.

In addition to the 72 performers, IRIS has 200 costumes, 8,300 square feet of floor surface, 174 loudspeakers, 603 lighting features, 20 video projectors, and 166,000 watts of sound.  IRIS joins the other Cirque du Soleil resident productions Mystère™, O™, Zumanity™, KÀ™, The Beatles LOVE™, CRISS ANGEL Believe™ and Viva ELVIS™ in Las Vegas, La Nouba™ at Walt Disney World Resort, ZED™ in Tokyo, and ZAIA™ in Macao, in scale, scope and size.

About Cirque du Soleil


From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major Quebec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,200 performing artists from close to 50 different countries.

Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in nearly 300 cities on five continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit www.cirquedusoleil.com.

About KODAK Theatre

Kodak Theatre is the crown jewel of the Hollywood & Highland Center retail, dining and entertainment complex located in the heart of historic Hollywood. The theatre opened in November 2001 and soon became known to more than one billion people across the globe as the first permanent home of the Academy Awards®. Kodak Theatre was designed by the internationally-renowned Rockwell Group to be as glamorous as its onstage artists and celebrity guests, yet capable of serving the enormous technical needs of a live worldwide television broadcast on Oscar® night.

For more information visit: http://www.kodaktheatre.com

IRIS Tickets information

Ticket prices range from $43 to $253.

Tickets are available at www.cirquedusoleil.com or by calling 1-877-943-IRIS.

For parties of 12 or more, contact Cirque du Soleil group sales by calling 877-504-7164.

For Preferred Seating and other American Express® Cardmember benefits, please visit www.cirquedusoleil.com/amex.

The Groundlings have catapulted the careers of such comic geniuses from film and television as Jennifer Coolidge, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Kathy Griffin, Cheryl Hines, Chris Kattan, Lisa Kudrow, Jon Lovitz, Michael McDonald, Paul Reubens, Maya Rudolph, Mindy Sterling and Kristen Wiig, among others. The Judd Apatow film, Bridesmaids, features Groundlings alumni Kristen Wiig, Annie Mumalo, Maya Rudolph, Melissa McCarthy, Michael Hitchcock and Wendi McLendon-Covey as well as current Groundlings Mitch Silpa, Jillian Bell, David Hoffman and Ariane Price. In addition to being comedy performers, Groundlings members and alumni hold writing positions on many of Hollywood’s top television and film projects.

LIVE NUDE GROUNDLINGS opens Friday, July 22nd at 8:00pm and runs through Saturday, October 1st. Previews are Fridays, June 17th and 24th and July 1st and 8th at 10:00pm and Friday and Saturday, July 15th and 16th at 8:00pm and 10:00pm.

The regular schedule is Friday’s at 8:00 p.m. and Saturday’s at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. Ticket prices are $18.00. VIP opening night ticket prices (on Friday, July 22nd only) are $50.00 and include local catering and complimentary cocktail hour.

Tickets are available at the box office or via phone at (323) 934-4747.  The Groundlings Theatre is located at 7307 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles.

For more information or to purchase tickets online, please visit www.Groundlings.com.

A unique combination of live theater and film, this production, adapted from J M Barrie’s tale of the boy who never grows up, gives audiences the best of both worlds.

High tech and low tech combine to immerse the audience in the show. The production is in a large custom tent adjacent to Segerstrom Hall and is the world’s first 360-degree CGI theater set. The massive projection screens surround the audience and stage, giving a “theater in the round” feel. There is no bad seat in the house.

This performance of Peter Pan is definitely a bit more gritty than the Disney version. Tinkerbell wears a worn pink tutu and sports an attitude. The pirates are rougher, more violent and use stronger language than kids are used to. All together, though, it works and is entertaining for both kids and adults.

The actors have their parts down and are convincing and energetic in their roles. They have also mastered the skill of flying above the stage on wires, making what takes a lot of physical strength and balance look simple. Hanging upside down for periods of time while delivering your lines can’t be that easy.

The projection screens that surround the tent provide a realistic backdrop to the production. Actors and film mesh seamlessly as the characters fly through the London night to Neverland, bobbing and weaving past sculptures and buildings. The audience flies with them as the landscape rushes past on all sides, letting them feel part of the action.

Melding live action theater with film can be a challenge. Dana Perreault, US Technical Director for the production, says the lighting is a very complex part of the production. “We have to be able to light the stage, yet not take away from the images projected on the screens”, says Perreault. “We have to get very creative with the lighting, and use mirrors to bounce the light.”

Opposing the high tech screens and flowing aerial work is the low tech use of puppets and real puppeteers to play the part of the Nana, the Darling family’s canine nanny, and other animals including the famed Captain Hook-hungry crocodile. It takes a moment to get used to a visible person on stage controlling the puppets, but their movements are so natural that you eventually forget they are there.

The deceptively simple set is timed and programmed to transform quickly and smoothly between scenes. It takes an incredible amount of coordination for all the pieces to come together. At one point in the production the performers are lowered down from the ceiling, slip into their beds, then slide though their mattresses and down under the stage, with the beds then disappearing and the center island popping up onto the stage. The precision with which this is done is no less than remarkable.

If you are looking for a grand-scale Broadway production then Peter Pan might not be for you. But if you want to suspend reality for awhile, enjoy a bit of magic with a great cast, stunning projected images, and a few laughs to boot, then head over to the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. Sometimes it’s important to just forget reality for awhile  – and not be a grown up.

For more information on Peter Pan now playing in Orange County through Jan.2, 2011.

For more info www.ocpac.org. To buy tickets, go here…

Helen M. Ryan is an entertainment and fitness writer. Follow her on Twitter or at about.me/helenmryan

In The Heights does a wonderful job of transporting the audience into the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City. Thanks to wonderful set design and a great musical Latin-infused musical score, the audience feels as if it is actually peering into a section of Washington Heights. The actors do a great job of mimicking the attitudes and mannerisms of many of the Latinos from that neighborhood. Thankfully, the play manages to poke fun without resorting to stereotypes.  While the re-creation of the atmosphere of Washington Heights onstage is impressive, what separates In The Heights from other musicals are these strong universal appeals.

In The Heights focuses on achieving the American dream: family and love apply as much to a farmer in Topeka as they do to the people in Washington Heights. In the play, we see many characters striving to achieve the American dream. For example, Kevin (Danny Bolero) and Camila Rosario (Natalie Toro) run their own car service, hoping to provide for their daughter Nina (Arielle Jacobs); yet, this is not a Pollyanna-ish story.  Nina has dropped out of Stanford, crushing the dreams of her parents.  This decision causes Nina’s parents great anguish, but in the end, they make a true sacrifice – they sell the car service to raise enough money to send Nina back to college.  Local bodega owner Usnavi (Lin-Manuel Miranda) also tries to fulfill the American dream.  Thwarted by vandalism, blackout, and bad luck, Usnavi cannot make his bodega successful. In a stroke of luck, his beloved grandmother Claudia (Elise Santora) wins the lottery. Sadly, she dies soon after. Believing he can turn luck into success, Usnavi closes down his bodega to move to the Dominican Republic. However, after a local graffiti artist paints a touching portrait of Abuela Claudia, Usnavi decides to stay. The American dream is not merely about financial success. It is about the struggle and the people you meet along the way. Usnavi realizes that Washington Heights is home, and he happily re-opens his bodega.

In The Heights also examines the difficulties of love. We see these complexities when Nina falls for Benny (Rogelio Douglas Jr.), a dispatcher for her parents’ car service. First of all, there is the complication of different races. Benny is black while Nina is Latino. On top of this, Benny is the Rosarios’ right-hand man at the car service, and business issues creep into their relationship. We see this after Mr. Rosario sells the car service to raise money to send Nina back to school. Benny is furious. He feels betrayed. Mr. Rosario has cost him his job without any consideration. He anger soon turns to Nina, whose irresponsibility caused the situation in the first place. This leads to a nasty fight that leads to a breakup. However, in true Broadway fashion, their love conquers all and they get back together. In fact, Benny is inspired to chase his own American dream and start his own car service, while Nina agrees to go back to Stanford and chase her own dream. Usnavi also deals with his own issues with love, but unlike Benny and Nina, his challenges are not external; they are internal. Usnavi is shy when it comes to women. He loves local girl Vanessa (Sabrina Sloan), but he cannot express his feelings despite his cousin Sonny’s (Shaun Taylor-Corbett) best attempt to prod him to do so. When Usnavi plans to go to the Dominican Republic, this seems to doom any possibility of a relationship. After an epiphany, Usnavi decides to stay in Washington Heights and his love with Vanessa is allowed to grow. I believe this focus on universal themes such as the American dream, family, and love, combined with a unique Latin flavor, makes In The Heights a unique theatrical event worth watching.

Playing in Hollywood at the Pantages Theatre until July 25th,2010.

To buy tickets for In the Heights, click here: Pantages Theatre.

Curated by David Sefton, individual tickets for events go on sale on Aug. 9, while discounted series subscriptions are available now.

The series of events begins on Sept. 30 with the live show John Cale: When Past & Future Collide-Paris 1919. Cale, co-founder of the Velvet Underground, will perform his 1973 album Paris 1919 from start to finish with a backing band providing support. The second part of the event will feature the avant-garde artist’s modern works.

According to its website, http://www.uclalive.org, “UCLA Live presents world-class performing arts with a global perspective, enhancing the experience by engaging, cultivating and developing artists and audiences. Active, intrepid and ever-evolving, UCLA Live is powered by the work and imagination of today’s most extraordinary performers coupled with the energy and attitude of Los Angeles itself.”

For full information on all of this year’s lineup, visit the UCLA Live website. Below is a list of the upcoming performances organized by category.

The UCLA Live 2010-2011 Season:

Dance

Oct. 23, 2010: Helios Dance Theater: Beautiful Monsters

Feb. 25-26, 2011: Kidd Pivot Frankfurt RM:  Lost Action

March 11-12, 2011: Stephen Petronio Dance Company: I Drink the Air Before Me

April 15-16, 2011: Barak Marshall: Monger

May 6-7, 2011: Lucinda Childs: Dance

Classical

Nov. 4, 2010: Murray Perahia

Nov. 20, 2010: Menahem Pressler and Richard Stoltzman with the New York Chamber Soloists Orchestra

Feb. 11, 2011: Daniel Hope and Jeffrey Kahane

March 3, 2011: Scharoun Ensemble Berlin

April 3, 2011: Takács Quartet with Nobuyuki Tsujii

April 23, 2011: Royce Hall Organ Recital

Jazz

Nov. 3, 2010: Ornette Coleman

Dec. 1, 2010: John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension

Dec. 5, 2010: Alice Coltrane Tribute

March 5, 2011: Chick Corea & Gary Burton The Return of the Crystal Silence Duets

World

Oct. 2, 2010: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano featuring special guests. Viva Mexico! 50th Anniversary Celebration

Oct. 22, 2010: Taj Mahal plus special guest Vieux Farka Touré

Nov. 11, 2010: Gamelan Cudamani

Jan. 29, 2011: Karsh Kale

March 26, 2011: Acoustic Africa featuring Habib Koité, Oliver Mtukudzi & Afel Bocoum

April 21, 2011: Ghazal: Kayhan Kalhor, Shujaat Kahn and Sandeep Das

Roots

Nov. 5, 2010: Mavis Staples and Billy Bragg

Nov. 19, 2010: Richard Thompson’s Cabaret of Souls featuring Danny Thompson, Harry Shearer, Pete Zorn & special guests

April 8, 2011: Arlo Guthrie & Friends

May 12, 2011: Preservation Hall Jazz Band and the Del McCoury Band

Special Events

Sept. 30, 2010: John Cale: When Past & Future Collide-Paris 1919 live

Oct. 21, 2010: Laurie Anderson: Delusion

Spoken Word

Oct. 14, 2010: The Yes Men Live

Nov. 8, 2010: Stephen Sondheim

Jan. 22, 2011: Wallace Shawn: Real World, Fake World, Dream World

Feb. 10, 2011: The Onion Editors

Feb. 19, 2011: Maya Angelou

Feb. 23, 2011: John Waters: This Filthy World Goes Hollywood

April 14, 2011: Seamus Heaney

April 27, 2011: David Sedaris

Music & Film

Oct. 30, 2010: Royce Hall Organ & Silent Film: The Phantom of the Opera

Nov. 12, 2010: Dengue Fever: The Lost World

April 2, 2011: Bill Frisell Trio: Selected works of Buster Keaton, Jim Woodring and Bill Morrison

Family

March 19, 2011: Dan Zanes & Friends

April 2, 2011: Bill Frisell Trio: Selected Works of Buster Keaton

Lita and Cable

In a Lincoln Center Theater production, Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic, Tony award-winning Broadway musical “South Pacific” takes the stage June 2nd through July 17th at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles

Set on an island during World War II, “South Pacific” tells the story of two romances – one between US Navy Nurse Nellie Forbush and French plantation owner Emile de Becque, and another between Navy Airman Joe Cable and a young native girl named Liat. “South Pacific” explores the heavy tolls of prejudice and circumstance, weighed against happiness and love.

Previews will be staged Thursday, May 27th through Tuesday, June 1 at the following times:

Thursday 5/27: 2pm and 8pm
Friday 5/28: 8pm
Saturday 5/29: 2pm and 8pm
Sunday 5/30: 1pm and 6:30pm
Tuesday 6/1: 8pm

“South Pacific” opens on June 2nd at 8pm. Regular performances will continue thereafter until July 17th.

Tuesday – Friday: 8pm
Saturday: 2pm and 8pm
Sundays: 1pm and 6:30pm
Mondays: No performances

Exceptions: The June 12th evening performance will be at 8:30pm. Additional performances on Thursday, July 1 and Thursday, July 15 at 2pm, and Monday, July 12 at 8pm. No 6:30 performance on Sunday, July 4th.

For tickets, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or call 213-972-4400.

Brian Geraghty, Frances Conroy and Martin Sheen in "The Subject Was Roses".

“Martin and I had been talking for some time about doing ‘The Subject Was Roses,’ and when it appeared that the timing for the production was perfect for the opening slot in the new Taper season, I was pleased that we could move quickly,” said Michael Ritchie, Center Theater Group Artistic Director. “Set in 1946, following World War II, this is a timeless, important play with characters so rich and believable that your heart goes out to them, wishing they could break out of old family patterns. These are people we can all identify with.  It makes for compelling theatre.”

Martin Sheen and Francis Conroy.

In 1965, “The Subject Was Roses” received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the Outer Critics Circle Award and New York Drama Critics Circle Award. “The Subject Was Roses” is presented at the Mark Taper Forum in association with Estevez Sheen Productions as the opening of the 43rd season.

“Part of the beauty of this play is that the words that are unspoken are as important as the words that are spoken. This play is like a great river that looks calm on the surface, but underneath is where all the action is, where all the friction is, where all the tension is. …What is unique to the way that Frank Gilroy constructed The Subject Was Roses is that the audience can’t sit there and not be a part of it. Their imagination becomes part of the storytelling, it makes for compelling theatre”, explains Ritchie.

Martin Sheen Credits

Martin Sheen and Brian Geraghty.

Martin Sheen is perhaps best known for his performance as President Josiah Bartlett in the acclaimed NBC-TV series “The West Wing,” a role for which he won six Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor, and for the role of Captain Willard in the legendary film “Apocalypse Now.” He has worked for some of the most prominent directors including Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Richard Attenborough, Terrence Malick and Mike Nichols. His films include “Catch-22,” “That Certain Summer,” “Badlands,” “The Execution of Private Slovik,” “Gandhi,” “Wall Street,” “JFK,” “The American President,” “The Departed,” “Bobby” and “Catch Me If You Can,” among many others.

Frances Conroy Credits

Frances Conroy, whose role as the undertaker’s widow in the cult HBO series “Six Feet Under” brought her three Emmy Award nominations, is a veteran stage actress whose Broadway credits include Arthur Miller’s “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan” (Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award), Miller’s “The Last Yankee” (Obie Award), Edward Albee’s “The Lady From Dubuque” and “Three Tall Women,” and David Hare’s “The Secret Rapture” (Drama Desk nomination). For CTG, she has appeared in “The Dinner Party” at the Taper and “Pyrenees” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Her numerous films include “Manhattan,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “The Aviator,” “Scent of a Woman,” and the upcoming John Curran’s “Stone” playing Robert DeNiro’s wife and Shane Dax Taylor’s “Provinces of Night” playing Kris Kristofferson’s wife.

“The Subject Was Roses” Author

Frank D. Gilroy, after serving in World War II and receiving his education at Dartmouth and the Yale School of Drama, began writing for television for such programs as  “Playhouse 90,” “Studio One” and “The U.S. Steel Hour,” among others.  His first stage play, “Who’ll Save the Plowboy?” at New York’s Phoenix Theatre, received the Obie Award for the Best American Play off-Broadway. “The Subject Was Roses” was next, followed by his other Broadway plays – “That Summer – That Fall,” “The Only Game in Town,” “Last Licks” and “Any Given Day.” His films include “Desperate Characters,” “From Noon Till Three” and “Once in Paris,” among others.

“The Subject Was Roses” begins Feb 23rd-March 21st, Mark Taper Forum.
8 PM Tues-Sat, 2:30 Sat, 1 PM/6:30 PM Sun

Ticket Prices: $20 – $65.

For tickets, call (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office or on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

Martin Sheen

In 1964, the play brought Sheen a Tony Award nomination and this time around he joins Frances Conroy and Brian Geraghty. The news was announced by Center Theatre Group Artistic Director Michael Ritchie.

Replacing the previously announced “Speed-the-Plow” by David Mamet as the first production in the Taper’s 2010 season at the Los Angeles Music Center, February 10 through March 21, 2010, “The Subject Was Roses” is set to open February 21.

“The Subject Was Roses” is presented at the Taper in association with Estevez Sheen Productions.

Michael Ritchie said, “Martin and I had been talking for some time about doing ‘The Subject Was Roses,’ and when it appeared that the timing for the production was perfect for the opening slot in the new Taper season, I was pleased that we could move quickly.” He continued with, “set in 1946 during World War II, this is a timeless, important play with characters so rich and believable that your heart goes out to them, wishing they could break out of old family patterns. These are people we can all identify with. It makes for compelling theatre.”

Designing the sets for the play will be Walt Spangler. The costumes will be designed by Laura Bauer and lighting by Rui Rita. Obadiah Eaves is the composer and Cricket S. Myers is the sound designer. Serving as the production stage manager is David S. Franklin.

The Subject Was Roses

The play tells a heartfelt and honest story of a father, mother, and son whose complex and strained family dynamic becomes sadly clear after the son returns from a three-year stint in the army.

In 1965, “The Subject Was Roses” received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Tony Award for Best Play, as well as the Outer Critics Circle Award and New York Drama Critics Circle Award.

Martin Sheen portrayed the son in the original Broadway production and he also appeared in the 1968 film version. In this Taper production, he will play the father, with Frances Conroy playing the mother and Brian Geraghty playing the son. Directing this production of the play is Neil Pepe.

Martin Sheen

Martin Sheen is perhaps best known for his performance as President Josiah Bartlett in the acclaimed NBC-TV series “The West Wing.” The role has brought Sheen six Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor. Also for his role as Captain Willard in the legendary film “Apocalypse Now.”

Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Oliver Stone, Richard Attenborough, Terrence Malick and Mike Nichols are just a few of the most prominent directors Martin Sheen has worked for. Among many others, his films include “Catch-22,” “That Certain Summer,” “Badlands,” “The Execution of Private Slovik,” “Gandhi,” “Wall Street,” “JFK,” “The American President,” “The Departed,” “Bobby” and “Catch Me If You Can.”

Frances Conroy

As the undertaker’s widow in the cult HBO series “Six Feet Under,” Frances Conroy recieved three Emmy Award nominations. She is a veteran stage actress whose Broadway credits include Arthur Miller’s “The Ride Down Mr. Morgan” (Tony Award nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award), Miller’s “The Last Yankee” (Obie Award), Edward Albee’s “The Lady From Dubuque” and “Three Tall Women,” and David Hare’s “The Secret Rapture” (Drama Desk nomination).

For Center Theatre Group, she has appeared in “The Dinner Party” at the Taper and “Pyrenees” at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. Her numerous films include “Manhattan,” “Crimes and Misdemeanors,” “The Aviator,” and “Scent of a Woman.” She is scheduled to appear in the upcoming “Stone” by John Curran, playing Robert DeNiro’s wife and Shane Dax Taylor’s “Provinces of Night” playing Kris Kristofferson’s wife.

Brian Geraghty

Brian Geraghty starred in the critically-acclaimed film “The Hurt Locker” and also has had roles in “Love Lies Bleeding,” “We Are Marshall,” “The Guardian,” “Bobby” and “When a Stranger Calls,” and more. Geraghty is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse of Theatre in New York. He has also appeared on television in HBO’s “The Last of the Ninth” and “The Sopranos,” and on “Ed” and “Law & Order.”

Frank D. Gilroy

After serving in World War II and receiving his education at Dartmouth and the Yale School of Drama, playwright, Frank D. Gilroy began writing for television for such programs as  “Playhouse 90,” “Studio One” and “The U.S. Steel Hour,” among others. Awarded the Obie Award for the Best American Play off-Broadway, “Who’ll Save the Plowboy?” at New York’s Phoenix Theatre was Gilroy’s first stage play. “The Subject Was Roses” was next, followed by his other Broadway plays: “That Summer – That Fall,” “The Only Game in Town,” “Last Licks” and “Any Given Day.” His films include “Desperate Characters,” “From Noon Till Three” and “Once in Paris,” among others.

Neil Pepe

Neil Pepe is known to Center Theatre Group audiences for his direction of David Mamet’s “Romance” (Taper), “Keep Your Pantheon,” and “The Duck Variations” (Kirk Douglas Theatre). He is the Artistic Director of the Atlantic Theater Company, where he directed Ethan Coen’s “Almost an Evening,” David Mamet’s “American Buffalo” starring William H. Macy (also Donmar Warehouse, London), Harold Pinter’s “Celebration and The Room,” “Milos” by John Guare,” Tom Donaghy’s “The Beginning of August” (also South Coast Repertory), and Howard Korder’s “Sea of Tranquility,” among many others. He made his Broadway debut last season with the hit revival of Mamet’s “Speed-the-Plow.”

Play Information

Tickets for “The Subject Was Roses” are on sale January 5, 2010, and can be purchased by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or in person at the CTG box office located at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center.

Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s co-production of the “Mary Poppins” musical is just what the doctor ordered in these times of economic worry and stress as the message of family before material wealth is magically conveyed by the original 2006 Broadway cast.  Perfect for a holiday gift or a way to entertain visiting guests, Mary Poppins runs through February 7th, 2010.

Mary Poppins: Practically Perfect

“Mary Poppins,” a co-production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh, opened on Broadway on November 16, 2006.  Based on P.L. Travers’ cherished stories and the classic 1964 Walt Disney film, “Mary Poppins” the stage play features the Academy Award®-winning music and lyrics of Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.  The stage production has been created, in collaboration with Cameron Mackintosh, by Academy Award®-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes, who has written the book, and the Olivier Award-winning team of George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, who have composed new songs and additional music and lyrics.

Award Winning Creative Team

Olivier Award-winning director Richard Eyre leads the award-winning creative team, with co-direction and choreography by Tony® and Olivier Award winner Matthew Bourne. “Mary Poppins” features eye-popping set and costume design by Tony Award winner Bob Crowley, co-choreography by Olivier Award winner Stephen Mear, lighting design by Howard Harrison, orchestrations by William David Brohn, and music supervision by David Caddick. The tour’s creative team includes Tour Director Anthony Lyn, Associate Choreographer Geoffrey Garrett, and Music Director James Dodgson.

Everybody Loves Mary

Consistently among the top-grossing shows on Broadway, “Mary Poppins” continues in its 3rd smash year at the New Amsterdam Theatre and recently celebrated its 1000th performance – a milestone reached by only a rare few number of shows in Broadway history. The Broadway production has grossed over $152 million to date and been seen by over 1.8 million theatregoers.

Simultaneously, the show’s popularity grows around the globe. Following a successful three year run (December 2004 – January 2008) at the Prince Edward Theatre on London’s West End, a UK tour of “Mary Poppins” commenced in summer 2008 and concluded its acclaimed run in Cardiff in April 2009. The Australian production of “Mary Poppins” will premiere in July 2010 at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne.

Mary Poppins Debuts in Holland

An open-ended run of “Mary Poppins” will take residence at the Circus Theatre in Scheveningen, Holland, outside of Amsterdam. The show will open in April 2010 at the Circus Theatre following “Tarzan’s” record setting run there. “Mary Poppins” will be produced in Holland by Stage Entertainment in association with Disney and Cameron Mackintosh.

Original Broadway Cast in LA

The Los Angeles engagement of “Mary Poppins” is by arrangement with Center Theatre Group and is part of CTG’s 2009-2010 season at the Ahmanson Theatre, located at the Los Angeles Music Center. The entire creative team has reunited to bring this magical story of the world’s most famous nanny to audiences across North America. Original Broadway stars, Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee, reprise their roles as Mary Poppins and Bert, respectively. Joining Brown and Lee will be Karl Kenzler as George Banks, Megan Osterhaus as Winifred Banks, Valerie Boyle as Mrs. Brill, Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Robertson Ay, Ellen Harvey as Miss Andrew, Mary VanArsdel as The Bird Woman, and Mike O’Carroll as Admiral Boom. Performances in the role of Jane Banks will be alternated between Katie Balen and Bailey Grey. Performances in the role of Michael Banks will be alternated between Bryce Baldwin and Carter Thomas.

Mary Poppins Tickets

Ticket prices for “Mary Poppins” range from $20 to $102.  VIP/Premium Ticket Packages are also available at select performances for $135 and $150, and include premium seating and a complimentary souvenir program. Hot-Tix, priced at $20, are available and can be purchased in advance, or subject to availability, on the day of performance at the CTG box office (no checks). For the deaf community, call TDD (213) 680-4017 for tickets and information. Orders for groups of 15 or more may be placed by calling (213) 972-7231.

Tickets for “Mary Poppins” are available by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office located the Ahmanson Theatre or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.

For more information, please visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or www.MaryPoppinsTour.com.

What’s in a Name?

The name was based on a conversation held between the American playwright Sam Shepard and director Jacques Levy in which Shepard was in doubt of his abilities to produce a certain scene. Jacques suggested that if Shepard wanted an elephant to appear on stage, he simply needed to add it to his script. The company would ultimately capture an audience that would soon grow to immense capacities, thus creating a love for theater at its finest.

Elephant Size Success

Within the first two years, the company proudly presented 9 productions, including LA weekly recommended Holding Cell (Fall 1996) and Drama Logue Critic’s Pick Princess and the Peon (Summer 1997). As audience turnout escalated and production needs increased, the Elephant’s founding members came to a decision to expand, thus relocating to Hollywood, California during the summer of 1997.  Three of its original  members elected to move on to engage in new endeavors while David Fofi and Don Cesario continued to expand, enlisting additional members and constructing new stages: Lillian Theater (99 seats), Elephant Lab (70 seats),  and Elephant Space (99 seats). In its continuous effort to produce award winning independent theater throughout Los Angeles, The Elephant later opened the Elephant Asylum Theater (2003). Not only does the Asylum allow for the creation of notable playwright production, but generates opportunity for all things creative including artistic exhibits and recitals. It also provides a space to train aspiring artists, allowing them to learn via a hands on experience, as well as provide otherwise successful artists with a chance to enhance their abilities. The company also allows individuals the opportunity to co- produce productions within the Elephant company. Elephant crew members are also given the opportunity to assist outside companies as well. Those interested in such a position are urged to contact Elephant Stageworks (handles all business matters regarding the company) via email or telephone.

Fall 2009 Productions

Over a decade later, the Elephant continues to present Los Angeles with distinguished productions. It humbly boasts over its creation of more than 40 successful productions. Within the next two months, the Elephant will present five productions: Jitney (October 5- November 19), 24 Hour Rush (October15 and October 22), 7 Redneck Cheerleaders (August 4-October 21), Tape (October 27-November 19), and Eric Larue (October 20- November 19).

Nothing like an Elephant

Dr. Lyall Watson, writer and producer of Ethology themed works, wrote “If elephants didn’t exist you couldn’t invent one…there is nothing quite like an elephant.” The continued success of a play production company that stemmed from the minds of four men and grew too large for a 45 seat theater proves that an elephant can in fact be invented. A true original in it’s is own form, there is definitely nothing quite like The Elephant.

http://www.elephantstageworks.com
elephantstageworks@msn.com
Telephone (323) 962-0046

Written by Henry Jaglom. Directed by Gary Imhoff. Stars Tanna Frederick; also starring Julie Davis, David Garver, Jack Heller, David Proval, Diane Louise Salinger, and Harriet Schock. Produced by Alexandra Guarnieri.
                 
The Isaacs are a mostly Jewish extended family (there’s a little Irish, Italian and some Chickasaw thrown into the mix) of actors. George Isaacs (AKA Grisha), the patriarch, had been a third-generation star of the Yiddish theatre in his youth, before “crossing over” into English-speaking theatre as he grew up. His wife, Vivien Cooper, had also been a successful stage actress, but now mostly stays at home and looks after George. Vivien’s brother, Larry Cooper, is in a nearby dinner-theatre production of “Guys and Dolls” and therefore staying at the Isaacs’ house as well. Times are tough and theatre jobs are few, so they’ve also taken in a boarder, Sally Brooks, a fading character actress.
                 
George and Vivien have two grown daughters. Pandora (Panda), the younger, is happy she was born in a trunk and has gotten to live the actor’s life. But she has moved back into her parents’ crumbling home, just 45 minutes from Broadway, after a long-term romance collapses, the latest of several failed love affairs. Betsy hates showbiz and is uncomfortable with its inhabitants, and moved away to become successful as a “civilian”. She brings home her fiancé, Jimmy Halkin, to meet the family. Also a successful businessman (“mostly in real estate”), Jimmy is as seemingly normal as her family members are “weird”. That’s how Betsy sees them. She’s in for a surprise.
                 
They are all in for surprises. Betsy has been making plans that will affect all their lives, and not with their consent. Jimmy is not who he seems to be. He is surprised to find himself drawn to Panda’s genuineness and her determination to live life on her own terms. She’s also a ravishingly beautiful redhead. Uh oh!

Playwright Henry Jaglom’s other plays include the award-winning “Room 322″, “A Safe Place” — his debut theatre piece first written for the Actors’ Studio, later made into a film with Jack Nicholson, Tuesday Weld and Orson Welles—and “Always…But Not Forever,” his adaptation of his 1985 film of the same name (which premiered last year at the Edgemar). He is most known as a celebrated auteur of films that put women front and center (bucking the Hollywood trend) and that contain many scenes of people engaging in intelligent conversation (also defying Hollywood fashion). His movies as a writer and director include the current “Irene in Time,” “Hollywood Dreams,” “Deja Vu,” “Last Summer in the Hamptons,” “Someone to Love,” “Venice/Venice,” “Festival in Cannes,” and “Eating.”

Tanna Frederick stars as Panda. She is also the star of two Jaglom films, “Hollywood Dreams” and “Irene in Time” for which she has won rave reviews. She recently completed principal photography on Jaglom’s “Queen of the Lot” opposite Noah Wyle and Chris Rydell, which will be released next year.

Her stage credits include roles in “Always… But Not Forever” (last year at the Edgemar Center for the Arts), “A Safe Place” N. Richard Nash’s “Echoes,” “Toussaint: For The Love Of Freedom,” “Why We Have A Body,” “The Maids,” and more. Tanna was awarded the 2009 Maverick Award by the Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival. Also engaged in philanthropic pursuits, she is co-founder of “Project Save Our Surf” and founder of the Iowa Independent Film Festival.

Co-starring with Ms. Frederick in “Just 45 Minutes From Broadway” are an extraordinary roster of theatre artists: Julie Davis, David Garver, Jack Heller, David Proval, Diane Salinger and Harriet Schock, each boasting extraordinary credits of his or her own.

Gary Imhoff directs the new play. His other directing credits include the plays “Always….But Not Forever,” “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and  “The Dearly Departed,” as well as the upcoming films “Break,” “Scottish Dreams,” and “Wildflower.”

Also an actor, he portrayed Charlie Brown in the original production of “Snoopy!,” starred in “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” (L.A. and N.Y.), “Assassins” (West Coast Premiere), often appeared in films and frequently in television episodes of “Falcon Crest” and “Eight Is Enough.”

Edgemar Center For the Arts, on the Main Stage, 2437 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90405. Parking is available (fee charged) in an onsite structure, and metered parking is available in nearby Lot 11, across the street from Peet’s Coffee.

Dates and Times

Show times:  Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 5 p.m.

Dark Thanksgiving Weekend, November 26 – 29.

Closes Sunday, December 20.

Admission: $25.
Reservations: (310) 392-7327.
Online ticketing: www.edgemarcenter.org

Patti LuPone and Mandy Patikin sing musical theater classics

You’ll be laughing, clapping and singing along with two of Broadway’s greatest performers, Mandy Patinkin and Patti LaPone, as they bring to life over thirty songs from different musicals in the show, “An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin” at the Ahmanson Theater of the Center Theatre Group in Downtown Los Angeles.  The two play out a romantic comedy story line by expertly stringing songs together from Sondheim to Rogders and Hammerstein to Irving Berlin and many other musical theater favorites.

LaPone and Patinkin make you feel like you’re watching them in their living room as they are completely comfortable, relaxed and playful during the performance.  Since this show originally debuted in 2007, practice makes perfectly unperturbed singers. Before that, LaPone and Patinkin co-starred with one another in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Evita, where in 1980, Patinkin won a Tony award for his role as Che.

The pair work synergistically to create a harmonious performance, both sharing the limelight of the almost bare stage except for a few stylistic lamp stands of Thomas Edison light bulbs and a pianist and upright bass player. Dressed in all black with simple lighting and only a scarf and chairs for props, the night was solely dedicated to celebrating the classics songs of musical theater.

LuPone and Patinkin are perfect choices to give a tribute to American musical theater as they have more than sixty years combined career accomplishments that are as long as the Statue of Liberty is tall. Last season, LuPone won the Tony, Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Awards for Best Actress in a Musical and the Drama League Award for Outstanding Performance of the Season for performance as Madame Rose in the critically acclaimed Broadway production of Gypsy.  Patinkin recently celebrated the 20th Anniversary of performing his critically renowned solo concerts, Dress Casual, Celebrating Sondheim and Mamaloshen, in rep with a two-week run at New York’s Public Theater, the very space he began his concert career 20 years ago.

Some of the audience’s favorite songs of the night were, Stephen Sondheim’s “Getting Married Today” from Company, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” from Evita, Jule Styne’s and Stephen Sondheim’s “Everything is Coming up Roses” from Gypsy, and Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “If I Loved You” from Carousel.

To get tickets for the musical theater lover in you, go online to: www.centertheatregroup.org.

Performance Days and Times:
Through Friday June 26th: 8pm
Sat June 27th: 2pm, 8pm
Sun June 28th: 3pm
Mon June 29th: 8 pm

Tickets: $20 – $90

Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA
213.628.2772

BritWeek2009 Events at a Glance

Thursday, April 16 The Race for Green held in the margins of the Long Beach Grand Prix

Tuesday, April 21 Formal start of BritWeek. Tony Blair Gala Dinner Benefiting Malaria No More

April 21-22 Jeff Beck Live at the El Rey Theatre

Thursday, April 23 The Organic Pharmacy / Smythson celebration in Beverly Hills

Thursday, April 23 Red-carpet Champagne Launch Reception hosted by the British Consul
General

Thursday, April 23 Joss Stone Live at Club Nokia

Thursday, April 23 UB40 Live at the House of Blues, Sunset Strip

April 23 – 30 UK Features at the Newport Beach Film Festival

Friday, April 24 Filmmaker’s Forum: Over There 

Saturday, April 25 Karen Millen In-store Event

Saturday, April 25 Music Industry Reception

Sunday, April 26 Sunday Roast at Palihouse

April 26-29 MUSEXPO 2009 Conference

Monday, April 27 British Astrophysicists Lecture at Griffith Observatory

Monday, April 27 Book signing by Oscar-winning film producer Michael Deeley

Tuesday, April 28 Poetry is in the Streets: Stunning wall art from around the world

April 28 & 30 Pub Darts Tournaments

April 29 – May 13 Alan Aldridge Opening Reception and Exhibition

Thursday, April 30 Sweet Live at the House of Blues

Friday, May 1 Emma Ferreira Gallery Artist’s Reception

Saturday, May 2 BritNight with the LA Galaxy Celebrity Soccer: Britain vs. the Rest of the World 

Saturday, May 2 Genlux Magazine Event

Sunday, May 3 British American Business Council, Orange County Garden Party

Sunday, May 3 Katie Melua Live at Hotel Cafe

Wednesday, May 6 Cool Britannia: From Classic to Contemporary, the BABC LA/BritWeek Party
at the Petersen Automotive Museum

Thursday, May 7 BABC OC Golf Tournament at Tustin Ranch Golf Club 

Thursday, May 7 Keith Emerson Live at the House of Blues

Friday, May 8 BAFTA/LA British Comedy Festival

Saturday, May 9 Cricket: Britain vs. Australia 

May 14-16 Classical Mystery Tour / Music of the Beatles

“Annie” is the story of  the eternally optimistic orphan who searches for a family to love. The production will feature the instantly recognizable musical numbers, “It’s the Hard-Knock Life”, “Easy Street”, “N.Y.C.” and “Tomorrow”.

Tickets can be purchased at www.ticketmaster.com, and by entering the code, SANDY, you will receive $15.00 off each ticket for performances on Tuesday – Thursday and Sunday evenings on all levels except Pit, Orchestra and Mezzanine 3.

For more information on “Annie”, go to www.kodaktheatre.com.

Among the pieces debuting at UCLA Live is Barrie Kosky’s, “The Tell-Tale Heart”, adapted from the powerful story by Edgar Allen Poe. Additionally, the Druid Theatre of Ireland will make its debut in Los Angeles with the Tony-Award winning bill of John Millington Synge’s, “Playboy of the Western World” and “The Shadow of the Glen”.  Additionally, in the company’s second-ever visit to the U.S., director Dimiter Gotscheff will present “Ivanov”, Anton Chekhov’s very first play.

This year, UCLA Live co-commissioned two works from artists returning to the festival, Canadian director, Robert Lepage with his company Ex Machina and the American premiere of “The Blue Dragon”, brought to us by the British director/performer Andrew Dawson. A highlight includes the Moroccan-Flemish choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s new work, “Myth”.

This international theatre extravaganza is brought to us by UCLA Live’s, David Sefton, Executive and Artistic Director.  Hailed as one of our nation’s most daring and influential presenters, Sefton’s programming is given credit for “the region’s most multicultural arts institution”, with programming recognized as, “a dynamic and eclectic collection of events” by the Financial Times. “We love the eclectic lineup at UCLA Live,” raved National Geographic Traveler. “The performing arts series based at the University’s Royce Hall presents a global mix of traditional and cutting-edge attractions.”

See below for the details on each performance!

Barrie Kosky’s “The Tell Tale Heart” – October 1 – 5
Opening with the U.S. debut of Australian writer-director Barrie Kosky’s, this haunting adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart,” is sure to have audience members coming back for more. Featuring the original live music by Kosky and a riveting solo performance by actor-singer, Martin Niedermair, Kosky is recognized as one of the most exciting and controversial directors of his generation. With a career that spans the fields of opera, theater and contemporary music theater, Kosky brings his uniquely dark and penetrating perspective to the gothic world of 19th century horror-inventor, Edgar Allen Poe. Considered by many to be a visionary of his time, Kosky transforms Poe’s macabre tale into a haunting experience. Stark lighting, a simple set, and eerily angelic music come together to create an exploration into the unforgettable dark recesses of the human soul. “The Tell Tale Heart” will perform at UCLA Freud Playhouse Macgowan Hall 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East Los Angeles 90095 on October 1 – 4 at 8:00 pm and October 5 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $46.00.

Druid Theatre Company’s “The Playboy of the Western World”, and “The Shadow of the Glen” October 14 – 18
Led by founder-director Garry Hynes, Ireland’s distinguished Druid Theatre Company debuts in the U.S. debut with two, one-act dramas by John Millington Synge, “The Playboy of the Western World” and “The Shadow of the Glen”. Acclaimed internationally, the Druid Theatre Company took the 2005 Edinburgh Theatre Festival by storm with a rare presentation of the complete works of Irish playwright J. M. Synge. Created by Druid co-founder Garry Hynes, the Tony Award-winning director of Martin McDonagh’s “The Beauty Queen of Leenane”, the “DruidSynge” became the must-see event of theater festivals around the world. Now, the “brilliant ensemble” (The Daily Telegraph) brings two of Synge’s greatest comedies to the UCLA Live stage. The savagely funny “Playboy of the Western World” and the short piece, “The Shadow of the Glen”, portray raw depictions of peasant life in rural Ireland at the turn of the century. The two one-act dramas transcend time with their universal themes of mortality, loss, betrayal and the transformative power of the imagination. “Synge’s genius whirls like a spinning sun in the theatrical heaven” [Sunday Independent]. “Playboy of the Western World” and “The Shadow of the Glen” will perform at UCLA Freud Playhouse Macgowan Hall 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East Los Angeles 90095 on October 14 – 18 at 8:00 pm. Tickets are $36.00 and $50.00.

Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui/Toneelhuis “Myth” – October 17 – 18
Exclusively performed in the U.S. at the UCLA Live Theatre Festival, this piece choreographed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, blurs the line between dance, theater, music and art in a mix of Pina Bausch and Hieronymus Bosch. Renowned for creating dazzling and emotionally challenging stories in motion, the Moroccan-Flemish choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui does it once again with “Myth”, rich in evocative symbolism and vivid archetypal characters. In a waiting room filled with shelves of old books and skulls, the characters of “Myth” move across the stage in a purgatory of uncertainty, stalked by dancers in black, representing their shadows. All the while, above them, singer Patrizia Bovi and the Micrologus ensemble perform a blend of ethereal medieval polyphony, serving as a striking counterpoint to the earthly struggles below. A set of large double doors hints at what lies beyond. “Myth” will perform at Royce Hall on the UCLA Campus on October 17 – 18. Tickets are $28.00, $34.00 and $48.00.

Debuting on November 12 and running through November 22, Robert Lepage’s “The Blue Dragon”
Bringing to the stage the performers of the company, Ex Machina, this piece follows the ongoing story of Pierre Lamontagne and depicts the central figure of “The Dragons’ Trilogy” – a masterpiece first introduced by Lepage in 1985. One of the true visionaries of modern theater, Québécois director, actor and storyteller Robert Lepage creates emotionally vivid and visually enthralling works that ponder the mystery and wonder of life. Ex Machina returns with another extraordinary work of hi-tech wizardry and storytelling magic, featuring a rare performance by Lepage. Bearing all the hallmarks of Lepage’s brilliant and intensely original style, “The Blue Dragon” follows the lives of three characters in modern China, including the ambitious young artist Pierre Lamontagne, The resulting intersection of their lives and the underlying collision of Eastern and Western, modern and ancient, and establishment and subversive values brings about fundamental changes for each. “The Blue Dragon” will perform at UCLA Freud Playhouse Macgowan Hall 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East Los Angeles 90095 on November 12 – 15 and 18-21 at 8:00 pm, November 16 at 7:00 pm. and November 22 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Tickets are $40.00 and $60.00.

Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz “Ivanov” by Anton Chekhov December 3-7
Berlin’s Volksbühne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz returns in the U.S. exclusive of Anton Chekhov’s first play, “Ivanov”. With Bulgarian-born director Dimiter Gotscheff, in collaboration with the Goethe-Institute Los Angeles, the play will be performed in German with English supertitles. Berlin’s Volksbühne has been among the most prominent and revolutionary theater establishments since 1914. Playing host to some of the most influential directors, writers, actors and set designers of its day including Max Reinhardt, Erich Engel, Bertolt Brecht, Heiner Müller and Emil Jannings the company’s renegade German theater director Frank Castorf, x Volksbühne has a tradition for presenting provocative, controversial theater. Tearing down classical conventions, while also confirming them in a reflective way, Volksbühne treads a fine line between broad comedy and tragic melodrama. Chekhov’s prescient first play anticipates the explosive revolutionary atmosphere of Russia at the turn of the century. Director Dimiter Gotscheff’s bold interpretation eliminates all traces of naturalism, resulting in a stripped stage shrouded with mist, a stage that reflects the existential despair and spiritual stagnation of modern society. “Ivanov” will perform at UCLA Freud Playhouse Macgowan Hall 245 Charles E. Young Dr. East Los Angeles 90095 on December 3 – 6 at 8:00 pm and December 7 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $40.00 and $60.00. Performance includes smoke.

Two Original Works by Dawson, “Space Panorama” and “Quatre Mains” December 17 – 21
The New York Times wrote that Dawson’s “Absence and Presence” was an “astonishing, almost unbearably moving” elegy to his father, the acclaimed English director and performer returns with two exclusive debuts of acclaimed original works: “Space Panorama,” a recreation of the Apollo 11 moon landing; and “Quatre Mains,” a wordless, intimate dance for four hands, co-commissioned by UCLA Live with Fabrik, Potsdam. Both extraordinary works of dazzling low-tech wizardry with only a black-draped table for a stage, the performances are wonderful narratives told simply through the dexterity of the human hands. The evening begins with “Quatre Mains,” a wordless, intimate dance for four hands, set against a diverse soundtrack ranging from Britten to The Jazz Passengers. From abstract geometric figures to moving personal encounters across a café table, “Quatre Mains” is an evocative visual poem of finely tuned movement and gesture. Come down to explore not only what hands are, but also what hands can evoke. The piece celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing (in July, 2009). Accompanied by Shostakovich’s illustrious 10th Symphony, Dawson spans from Houston to the moon and returns us safely to earth, conveying the colossal distances and the risks involved simply through the skilled movement of his hands. “Quatre Mains” and “Space Panorama” will perform at Macgowan Little Theatre on the UCLA Campus on December 17 – 19 at 8:00 pm and December 20 – 21 at 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Tickets are $36.00.

We are so lucky to have UCLA Live bringing hundreds of outstanding and provocative artists to Los Angeles each year. From the ancient to the modern, the local to the global, and the underground to the world-renowned, UCLA Live is committed to supporting the development of new and existing work by both major and emerging artists.  The International Theater Festival is one of their best events, demonstrating the range, talent and cutting-edge artists they encourage us to consider from all over the globe.

You can purchase tickets online at www.uclalive.org or by calling                      310-825-2101          . Also, visit UCLA’s Central Ticket Office in the southwest corner of the James West Alumni Center or any visit Ticketmaster location.

One of LA’s secret charms is letting the local parks and domains play host to the best in live events for the community.  A bare stage, minimal lighting and dab of the starry night are all it takes to move picnic and performance from the ho-hum and into the realm of really magical.

And so it was in Barnsdall Park last weekend as the Independent Shakespeare Company (ISC), brought the Bard into the hearts and minds of the five hundred gathered on its hilltop and strewn across the grassy lawn before the open platform stage. This was just one program of three offered in association with the Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Los Angeles over a three-week period.

ISC was founded in 1998 as an actor-managed touring ensemble with the mission of illuminating the Bard’s greatest works for modern audiences. Great acting and a true understanding of the text in play bring a reverence to a production that is otherwise a blissfully casual and unaffected affair.

Evoking a sense of the Elizabethan, the company’s use of props, masks and costuming is delightful, adding the whimsy and entertainment factor that made Shakespeare a hit with its first intended public long before it became a staple fare for the aristocracy.

Co-directors Sanford Robbins and Melissa Chalsma allow the actors to rule, while we get to sit back and take sip of language from a time when it stirred our passions about life and love whilst savoring its every sound.

ISC is supported by donations and in part by The National Endowment for the Arts. 

2008 Free Shakespeare in the Park: Twelfth Night or What You Will, Dr. Faustus, King Henry The Fourth

Barnsdall Park, 4800 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood CA 90027 between Edgemont and Vermont
Shows run June 26-August 24, Thursday-Sunday at 7:30pm.

Reservations are free and strongly recommended as the space is limited. Reservation holders will be seated first. Free parking in park grounds, some seating available or bring your own blanket for the lawn. It gets cold after dark, so dress accordingly.

Special curtain-raiser shows begin at 6:30pm on Saturday August 16 & Wednesday August 20. As prelude to the play performance, Invertigo Dance Theater, known for their innovative and witty style, present ”Revelries and Reveries” choreographed around the themes of Twelfth Night. For more information and reservations contact the Independent Shakespeare Company at 323.836.0288
boxoffice@independentshakespeare.com

Shakespeare’s only domestic comedy is a cheerful delight. Story centers on Sir John Falstaff (Joe Hulser), a mischievous gentleman. Recently arrived in Windsor, he is inspired to woo a wealthy woman away from her stiff husband. Quickly enough he realizes, why only seduce one when two would be twice as fun. And so he begins seducing local women while padding his own pocket from their fortunes at the same time.

Unfortunately for Falstaff, the two women, Mistress Ford (Elyse Ashton) and Mistress Page (Victoria Hoffman), eventually compare love letters and realize they share the same lecherous love interest. Together, they scheme to teach Sir Falstaff a lesson in humility.

The wives’s respective husbands begin to suspect trickery, but react differently. Frank Ford (Stuart W. Howard), the jealous one, is concerned and plots to fool Falstaff into revealing his plans. George Page (Greg Baglia) on the other hand, trusts his wife.

In a Nutshell

As per the classic Shakespeare tradition, true love wins out.  But not before plenty of grief, shocks, gasps and a finale mix-up in the fairy garden of Windsor Forest.
Troy Dunn steals the opening moments. He has a Dick Van Dyke-quality that keeps him consistently appealing. His presence opens the show and warms the crowd.

Joe Hulser uses a blustering aggression to win over your heart. His movements begin with lumbering mobility, which makes his agile toe-tapping finesses by the end a true evolution.

Jean Gilpin has a Joan Allen-essence.  Her eyes dazzle and she’s delightfully passionate. Stephanie Kane delivers a strong and bubbly energy making her presence a joy.

Whipping it Up

Carey Upton’s direction is very ambitious and sometimes touch-and-go, but Upton’s stylized Windsor, with strong influence of Norman Rockwell’s Americana is memorable and brave. A very smart and dazzling choice.

Costumes are a direct result of this. Bright colors, pastel hues. It can’t help but put you in a giddy, celebratory mood. Designer Erin Tanaka overwhelms your senses. A visual delight.

Producer Annunziata Gianzero and stage manager Todd Silver have their work cut out for them, staging in a cobble stone and brick courtyard within a public park. Chances of distraction are expectedly high, but luckily there was next to nothing. No loud nearby noise and only one overhead plane in nearly 90 minutes. It seems the sky appreciates good Shakespeare as well.

Make it Happen

So here’s my suggestion: find a girl, find a friend and show off.  Let them see that you know even the hidden gems of this great city.  As the courtyard reveals itself halfway through the park, you’re gonna look “in the know” (“I didn’t know that was there”).

With free admission it’s an inexpensive date, a reason to get out of the house and you can even fake it and appear cultured.

Two last ideas. You’re outside. The sun’s gonna be in your eyes. Sunglasses aren’t enough. Throw on a fun hat. Second. It’s gonna get chilly. Bring two jackets. She’ll appreciate you all the more.

Show runs through August 3rd at Plummer Park.  Starting time is 5 pm.
Plummer Park’s Great Hall (7377 Santa Monica Blvd / Martel). It then continues August 9- 24 at West Hollywood Park, (647 N. San Vicente Blvd./opposite Pacific Design Center). Saturdays and Sundays at 5:00 PM
Again, the show is free, but the company accepts donations.
For more information or to reserve seating call                      323 960-5691           www.classicaltheatrelab.org

Shamefully, I’ve never seen “The Vagina Monologues”, but I really hope those shows are at least as good as this. Yes, there’s outrageous behavior. Yes, there’s plenty of adult content (no nudity). Yes, there’s profanity. But all the red flags disappear within minutes.  Why? Attribute it to the star.

The show is a one-woman tour de force performance by Susanna Brisk. A brave, candid, sexy redhead who looks like Gwyneth Paltrow’s more attractive sister. She steals every moment of your time and by the end you’re asking for her to take more.

The biographical story centers on a 30-something woman whose life gets turned upside-down by her young children. She fights the good fight while battling cartoons, infantile tantrums and just about everything you might imagine….and what’s better, all the things you’ve never realized unless you are a mother, or married to one.

And that brings up one of the other topics of the show. Married life after kids. We’ll never see her “husband”, but gleaning the show’s special thanks notes, he does in fact exist. He’s a lucky man to be sure. But frankly, we don’t want to know more that what she shares. It’s her barbeque and she’s a fine cook all by herself.

Brisk is a delightful party host. She makes the audience so comfortable, we feel like part of her family. Or maybe more appropriately, like a friend with benefits. After all she shares some of her most private and intimate moments with us.

Perfect night, Perfect crowd

The audience that night was a perfect crowd. A blend of early thirties up to forty-something. Seated nearby, however, was a twenty-something double date. The girls giggled first, but as the sex talk heated up, both guys swooped in to join the celebration.  Too many knowing laughs and well-picked snickers revealed the audience’s dirty little secrets. A handful of gasps throughout kept the audience on their toes. What will we hear next!

Between one-third and two-thirds in, there’s a number of sound effects added. Now, yes, there’s effective sound effects throughout, but for this thirty-minute period, it feels almost like a rock concert and Brisk is our rock star. Perfectly timed, she struts, saunters and shimmies from corner to corner in-sync with each lighting cue. Producer Alexandra Guarnieri has earned her wings.

Michelle Danner’s direction is superb. She shows you exactly how good a little show can be. The colors, sounds and actions are near pitch-perfect.

While not knowing how much or how long the adaptation took, Dramaturg Will Pellegrini deserves kudos for the finished process.

Encore! Encore!

Local theater, take note: this is low budget, but high quality. The audience was so pleased afterwards, had the production passed around a tip jar, they may have been able to self-finance a sequel. Speaking of, let’s keep our fingers crossed. As her children grow hopefully’ll they only provide more inspiration. I’ll be first in line for “Mamafied 2”.

"Mamafied" runs through July 27 at the Edgemar Center for the Arts
2437 Main St., Santa Monica, CA. 90405
Tickets are $25
For more information or to buy tickets
visit: www.edgemarcenter.org
(310) 392-7327

Story follows late-night radio host, “Barry Champlain” at an Ohio-based station. He wrestles with callers debating race, sex, drugs, politics and every other red-button issue a character mentions. Tonight, Champlain’s evening begins when he’s offered a syndication deal. He juggles the usual callers with extra pressure from his potential new bosses. The raging talker slowly unravels as the night continues. By sunrise, he may just be a changed man – for better or worse.

In 1988 Oliver Stone brought the play to celluloid where Eric Bogosian carried over into the lead role. Bogosian was as dynamic in the film as he was on stage, delivering a show-stopping performance.

In 2007, Liev Schreiber delighted Broadway audiences with his rave performance as “Champlain”. His work, combined with Bogosian’s, shows us that in the right hands, the project is a tour de force performance. 

The Met’s “Talk Radio” is a mixed bag. Adam T. Rosencrance leads the show as the radio host. He leaves much to be desired. His appearance lends more to a Tom Leykis vibe, yet his voice and delivery is far from the love-to-hate Leykis.

With Rosencrance there’s no dynamo, no seduction over the airwaves. He’s given a lisp that makes you question the reality — what station would hire a talk show host with a lisp?  He mumbles leaving the audience straining to hear. His lips contort and twist trying to keep up with the fast-paced dialogue. He’s like a musician who simply can’t hit the notes, and so listening to him for a ninety-minute concert is less than appealing.

On to the better

And yes, there is better. The real stars of the show are the silent performances in the background depicted by Tara Price and Adam Briggs. Most of the show they live through seemingly improv’ed mimicry. They flirt, they play, they work.  More often than not, they steal the show.

Around forty-five minutes in, Brigg’s “Stu” character comes forefront and delivers a monologue about meeting Champlain’s character years ago. Briggs is swift, gentle, nuanced and appealing. You quickly realize he may have been a better-suited “Champlain”. Give him some funky facial hair and a wig and you have a wiry host who’s compelling and stirs the audience into a fever pitch.

Too much time later, Price’s “Linda” comes to the forefront for her monologue about Champlain. She brings many positive things to her character, but the biggest flaw is her wardrobe. Yes, she’s dressed accurately for the time period (late 1980’s). But the bright red coat contrasts too sharply from her skin tone causing a major distraction. What she does perfectly is perform. Her gentleness and sensitivity reveals a new side of Champlain for the audience. As she explains their first night together, she does the impossible. She shows the slobbering beast as a likable gent.

Appreciating Barry

After the two monologues, you appreciate the Barry Champlain character, but not Rosencrance’s performance of Champlain. And that is the fatal flaw. While the production’s dialogue and story arc are dynamic, the lead performance leaves us dry and unaffected. There’s nothing the juicy supporting cast can do. Frankly, their efforts are what kept it from sinking further.

Supporting cast includes Mark Ian Sklar, Derrick Cole, Scot Shamblin, Valerie Finkel, the always reliable Parisa Fahkri, and Patrick Censoplano. Most have only a handful of words to deliver, but each does fine work.

A second saving grace is the direction, supplied by Ben Kusler. Kusler is an independent theater veteran who has refined his skills in small houses. He understands the stage and orchestrates his players well. It’s time for him to graduate to bigger venues, growing budgets and a larger audience.

Jacob Kile’s lighting is unevenly timed. The dimming, while certainly not original, works to create the needed claustrophobia. Dion Jackson’s sound was seemingly unsupervised.  At times the radio voices were distorted, others were acceptable. All of these things can be easily fixed with practice. Marc Ian Sklar’s costuming was noted earlier, he clearly had fun with the period work. At times, less is more.

The Met’s “Talk Radio” is a must-see for theater and film students. Truly. Experience how one weak element handicaps an otherwise fine production. The best education is learning from one’s mistakes. In your mind, imagine Briggs as Champlain. Or allow fellow Met alumni Eric Hailey to set the stage on fire with Champlain’s dynamite dialogue. Both alternate casting choices might have solidified the production into a stronger existence.

“Talk Radio” plays until July 27.
Thurs-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 7pm
Admission $20
Reservations (323)960-4429
Online ticketing: www.plays411.com/talkradio
For more information visit: www.TheMetTheatre.com

Check out Matthew Landon starring in an original play, “Doll,” by Timothy Pape at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse Second Story Theatre.

Running for 8 weeks, the show starts at 7:30 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the door or pre-ordered at www.lastescapeproductions.com.

This show contains adult language.

Bob Pierce, British Consul General in Los Angeles, says "The Brits are such a large part of the development of Los Angeles – and have been for well over fifty years. From William Mulholland who established the city’s water supply in the early 20th century and Colonel Griffith J. Griffith who built two of Los Angeles’ treasures: The Griffith Observatory and Griffith Park to those that entertain Americans in film, television, music, fashion, and sports. We have been more than visitors, we are a part of the fabric of Los Angeles."

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa states:“I am delighted to welcome the launch of BritWeek 2008, celebrating the rich relationship between Britain and the City of Los Angeles. We are proud of our close ties with the United Kingdom, in trade, business, culture and tourism, and it is my goal that we strengthen these links even further.”

The full BritWeek 2008 schedule of events include*:

Thursday, April 24: Champagne Launch of BritWeek at the Residence 50th Anniversary (Invite Only)

Saturday, April 26: Official 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Consulate Residence (Invite Only)

Thursday, May 1:  BAFTA/LA British Comedy Festival Presented by British Airways at the Four Seasons; For more detailed info on the festival read here…                      
Friday, May 2:  David Lean 100th Birthday Film Retrospective at the Egyptian Theatre hosted by David Thomson

Saturday, May 3: The British in Hollywood from Chaplin to present day (1910 to 2008) hosted by Michael York

Sunday, May 4:  Duran Duran Concert at the Nokia Theatre

Saturday, May 10:  British Celebrity Soccer Match Hosted by Los Angeles Galaxy at the Home Depot Center

* Between April 4, 2008 – April 26, 2008, the Festival of British Directors will be at LACMA in honor of BritWeek 2008. In addition, from May 7, 2008 – May 15, 2008, there will be a David Lean Festival at the Aero. Also taking place will be a “Brit Walk,” which will bring together British luxury goods and fashion retailers.

For more information on these screenings or on the various events taking place during BritWeek, visit www.britweek.org.

For more details on the screenings, please visit www.britweek.org

Bob Pierce and Nigel Lythgoe will be the steering committee for BritWeek 2008.
BritWeek 2008’s sponsors are 19 Entertainment, Virgin Megastore, Virgin Atlantic, British American Business Council, British Airways, UK Trade & Investment, Diageo, BAFTA/LA, Rolls Royce/MINIUSA, BBC, HBO, Air New Zealand, UK Film Council US, The Body Shop, and The Douris Corporation.

About Nigel Lythgoe

Lythgoe was only 10 years old when he began his show business career as a dancer. From there, he went on to choreograph over 500 shows world-wide before becoming known as a powerful and influential producer. He initially became known to the public as a judge and executive producer on T.V. series Pop Stars in the United Kingdom, before moving on to produce the predecessor for American Idol, Pop Idol. Currently, Lythgoe serves as President of 19 Entertainment, executive producer of American Idol and Next Great American Band, as well as an executive producer and judge on So You Think You Can Dance.

About BAFTA/LA

Serves as the bridge between the American and British entertainment communities, BAFTA/LA is a professional non-profit organization founded in California in 1987 to promote and advance original work in film, television and interactive media.

BAFTA/LA’s outreach programs benefit members and other professionals working within the entertainment industry, as well as the Los Angeles community at large.

BAFTA/LA provides exclusive access to screenings, Q&A’s with talent and filmmakers, conversations with leading UK-based film and television executives, and the Heritage Archive, featuring broadcast-quality interviews with distinguished British members of the film and television industries.

Inner City Cinema – Since June 2005, BAFTA/LA, in association with CURE, LA Department of Parks & Recreation and Hollywood Outdoor Movies, has been screening films with inspiring stories and positive messages each month in South Los Angeles’ Helen Keller Park.  Most recently we screened The Great Debaters with a Q&A with Nate Parker, Jurnee Smollett, Denzel Whitaker and screenwriter Robert Eisele, Gridiron Gang with an introduction by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Hairspray with a Q&A with Elijah Kelley.

Newcomers Program – Mentors UK citizens who have recently relocated to Los Angeles and are either full-time film or television students, or are working in the entertainment industry or related fields.   Also, allows access to BAFTA/LA events and the chance to network with members, with the ultimate goal of promoting successful careers in the entertainment industry for Brits.

Additional educational outreach programs include seminars in association with local universities and festivals, scholarships for post-graduate programs, and recognizing professional and student talent with awards at film festivals throughout the U.S.

Social Networking Events – The following events help maintain and celebrate a long tradition of recognizing the finest filmmaking and television talent – Annual BAFTA/LA Cunard Britannia Awards, the BAFTA Film Awards Brunch, the Annual Garden Party, the Awards Season Film & Television Tea Parties in January and September.

BAFTA/LA is affiliated with BAFTA in London, and members vote annually for the prestigious BAFTA Film Awards.

For more information on BAFTA/LA, visit www.baftala.org.

Haste still pays haste, and leisure answers leisure;
Like doth quit like, and MEASURE still FOR MEASURE. – Duke Vicentio

Shakespeare’s play “Measure for Measure” is one of those hysterical comedies that does not get enough recognition. Perhaps the reason is because it has the stigma attached of being dubbed a “problem play",

meaning many tribulations surface making it challenging to eradicate. It doesn’t help that no one is who he or she claims, making finding solutions difficult.

“Measure” has all the elements that the more successful productions, like “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Much Ado about Nothing” possess – perfect comedic timing, clever wit and vivid characters with no shame in speaking their mind. The one overt distinction is the women do not have freedom. This is true on all of Shakespeare’s other works. But, here, it seems the women’s fates are sealed before their first breath. It sounds more of tragedy pitting issues of pride, justice and truth against one another with any of them budging from their position. They are divided into three categories: prostitutes, nuns, or deserted lovers. How endearing.

My favorite character is the brothel owner Mistress Overdone played by Rebecca Lane. Her character’s name says it all. Another admirable and perplexing character is the virtuous Isabella (played wonderfully by Laura Lee Bahr). She learns that her brother Claudio (Brad Wilcox) will die because he impregnated his lover Juliet (Janel Miley). The only way to save her player brother is to have sex with the conniving Lord Angelo who sentenced Claudio to death. Isabella, god bless her virtuous heart, gruffly tells her beloved brother that she will not give up the goods to save him. Her life, yes but not her virginity. Claudio weeps at this news and, like a child wanting his undeserved treat; he wraps his arms around her legs while convincing to change her mind. No such luck. Angelo (David Bardeen) doesn’t give up and viciously dangles Claudio’s life in front of Isabella if she still refuses.

Meanwhile, the hunt is on for Angelo’s jilted lover Mariana (Tiffany Cole). He backed out of marrying her because a ship carrying her brother and dowry was wrecked in the sea. The girl lost her brother and her value. The Duke (Oded Gross) disguises himself as a friar in order to find out what really is going on. He comes up with an ingenious plan of having Isabella agree to have sex with Angelo but at the last minute Mariana steps in. By law, Angelo will have to marry her. But this is a comedy, and nothing goes according to plan, as expected.

Laura Lee Bahr, who doubles as Isabella and the producer, is absolute perfection as the virtuous heroine. Bahr conveys Isabella’s pain between saving her wretched brother Claudio and saving her purity. She goes back and forth like an intense tennis match trying to figure out what she can do without compromising herself. Bardeem drips with comical villainy as the treacherous Angelo by effortlessly combining terror and arrogance to create an even more sinister individual.

The play carries so much animosity, sadness and distrust it should be re-termed as a dark comedy. Under the careful direction by Morgan K. Nichols, these nuisances virtually disappear and the result is a polished execution without disturbing the humor Shakespeare intended. Angelo sentences Claudio to death for the same desires he feels for Isabella. Somehow he overlooks that. With the exception of a few souls, no one is truthful. Mariana takes Isabella’s place in Angelo’s bed. The Duke disguises himself to find out what’s going on. Marianna gladly steps into Isabella’s place. He and the provost substitute a pirate’s head as proof of Claudio’s death. The secret agent nonsense and manipulation would put daytime drama to shame. I love it!!

May 2nd to the 18th

Friday and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m.

Tickets available by calling (818) 508-3003 or in person at The Eclectic Company Theatre box office or on-line at www.eclecticcompanytheatre.org Tickets are $18.

Written by William Shakespeare. Directed by Morgan K. Nichols. Produced by Laura Lee Bahr and Kerr Seth Lordygan.

Photos were taken by Elizabeth Dement.

With the remarkable history this project has, you might think success would be an easy task. However, several hurdles must be overcome before the production can be the brilliance that it needs to be. But more on that later.

Eliza Doolittle played by Lisa O’Hare is an enchanting woman with a lower-class twist.  A very tasty cocktail to be sure. O’Hare is a dazzling young woman gifted with vocal pizzaz and the presence to win over  any audience.

Christopher Cazenove’s Henry Higgins has the challenge of massaging his role from brute teacher to organic love interest. Difficult indeed.  Walter Charles offers perfect support to Cazenove as "Colonel Pickering". But Eliza’s booze-soaked dad, played with great ease by Tim Jerome steals every scene he’s in. The only supporting player who comes near Jerome is Marni Nixon playing Higgin’s mother.  The audience feels her and just instinctively applauds her arrival.

Lights up

From the opening number, O’Hare wins over the audience with her delicate ways and sassy, yet careful demeanor. Cazenove’s introduction seems too easy, but works. On first take, their chemistry as strangers on a city street is what comes off as most believable.  Walter Charles’ Col. Pickering is discovered and soon enough the trio retires to Higgin’s home for the evening.

Once the bait is set and Higgins’ work with Doolittle is outlined, he begins brutish behavior that carries on throughout the rest of the evening. Makes it difficult for the audience to enjoy him, and may also send a message to the select over-perceiving males in the audience. This behavior can’t fly.

At the first strums of Eliza’s breakthrough "I could’ve danced all night…" the magic unlocks for her. The audience feels it, but Higgins doesn’t seem to have a clue. Now or later.

When they arrive at the ball, it’s a dazzling sea of visual jewels. Lights, costume and choreography come together for a feast in decadence. Where the classic story brings in romance, however, our leads show little appeal for one another. Higgins seems far more well-matched with Pickering. In many ways, this is good news for the audience as it means we get to fall in love with Eliza without the friction of competition.

Luckily, Jerome interjects glee with an unforgettable rendition of "Get Me To The Church on Time". It wakes the audience up and brings them back to where we need to be for the hopeful ending.

However the flower garden scene, which should make us want Higgins and Doolittle to fall hopelessly in love, instead shows us that some relationships are better left as friends.  A sour anti-climax.

Does our "My Fair Lady" need help? Certainly. But several afflictions have sensible cures. The humor is there. The supporting players are drawn and well-acted. What we need is romance from our leads.  Send them on a few dates and allow the rough edges to be ironed out.

Behind the curtains

While his work may not answer all of our questions, director Trevor Nunn’s work certainly has visually dazzling moments. He combines light, deftness and movements in ways that bring this production to the viewer in bite-size morsels.

Designer Anthony Ward takes us through a dimensional fog to tour English tenements, pubs and gardens. The seamless moves continue through Higgins’ stiff and dry home and his mother’s garden room.

Choreographer Matthew Bourne brings dynamite to the floors. The "STOMP"-esque explosive handling of "With a Little Bit of Luck", led by Jerome, lends percussive fireworks with thunderous trash-can lids.

The production is fun and exciting. It languishes where other revivals have been more prone to success, but ultimately delivers a romantic night out. As said earlier, musical lovers love a good musical. And in those respects, it succeeds.

And Starring 

“Glengarry” is particularly known as an actor’s play. The dialogue is sharp, the tension thick, the scenes are a true test of your talent. And every actor wants to nail it. Thursday night starred several TV veterans: William Russ, David Lascher, Ian Gomez, film and tv star Anson Mount with Michael Monks and Kevin Benton. Not only does David Lipper have a starring role, but as one of the producers he was in charge of putting this heavyweight production together. Kudos to him.

The tone was tuned to dark comedy. From the moment the lights faded up, the air was filled with a thick texture. The setting begins at a neighborhood lounge. Just some words over coffee or drinks, right? No. These actors love Mamet and ran with the chance to capture his roar on stage. Gomez’s convincingly vulnerable eyes. Russ’ crinkly, battle-weary smile. Lipper hop-scotches the dialogue with classic rat-a-tat finesse. Mount’s towering presence carries an energy that doesn’t get fully explored until much further down the page. Lascher’s pretty boy looks contradict his character’s stern introspection.

As these four men play together in delight, working and scheming, their energy is contagious. So much so, that as intermission is called, the audience rumbles not wanting the break. Several viewers stand in the lobby, anxiously awaiting the second half. We already know the story, but we want to get back to these performances.

The second act takes place back at the office, the morning after. Mount’s “Richard Roma” gets to build up steam. But the character to watch is Russ’ “Shelly Levine”, truly an education by itself. Watching the actor up close as a twist slowly unfolds in the last few minutes is an experience every aspiring actor should have. 

For a Good Cause

After the stage call and applause, Lipper returns with a wide smile that his character never portrayed. He’s beaming; beyond proud as he calls USC Shoah Foundation , Executive Director of Development, Steven Klappholz to the stage. Tonight they raised $12,000 for USC Shoah Foundation. 

Klappholz proudly shook hands. His eyes looked down at the audience. In the front sits Daisy Miller, another worker at USC Shoah, but also a Holocaust survivor. They both understand how much this support means. 

Years in the Making

“Almost fifteen years ago we were in acting class together”, actor/producer Lipper says, standing next to the director Seth Howard. “We have always been trying to find a project to do together. This one worked out. We are lucky to work together and lucky to get our friends to come work with us”. Howard is all smiles, overcome by emotion and has little to say. They both stand at the party’s entrance thanking and congratulating everyone as they walk in.

Christine Lynne, who produced with Lipper, is just as happy. She has the tired smile of a producer with big, beaming eyes, so proud of the opening night’s show. 

Hugo’s Has the Party

The classy eatery has dimmed its lights for an evening of cocktails, appetizers and conversation. Congrats to all. Crowds form and soon enough laughter and good times.

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Nia Vardalos, next seen in “My Life in Ruins” sits with Ian Gomez, “I’m here to support Ian and the rest of the cast. They did a wonderful job”. 

Another acclaimed writer is in the room. Creator of HBO mega-hit “Entourage” Doug Ellin says, “David Mamet is a masterful storyteller. I’d see anything he did. Take that with my friends being in a production, inviting me out for a good cause. I’m glad to be here. Glad to be invited”.

The USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, has archives of nearly 52,000 videotaped testimonies from Holocaust survivors and other witnesses, and is part of the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences at the University of Southern California.

The USC Shoah Foundation Institute works with a global network of partners to provide an array of valuable educational services that reach educators, students, and the general public around the world. For more information on the Shoah Foundation please visit: www.usc.edu/vhi
 

“Keep Your Pantheon” is set in ancient Rome where an impoverished acting company on the edge of eviction is offered a lucrative engagement and life is finally on the upswing. But through a series of riotous mishaps, the troupe finds its problems have actually multiplied, and that they are about to learn a new meaning for the term “dying on stage”.

 "The Duck Variations”, a sly meditation on the meaning of life written in the early 1970s, depicts conversations between two elderly men who are sitting on a park bench and watching ducks. Their observations about the ducks, whether factual or incorrect, create a beautiful fugue on the human condition – on family and friendship, the possibility of happiness and on death.Rehearsals have already begun for both productions.

Mamet’s delicious dialogue has been historic for delivering strong performances and this cast, including many recognizable faces and names, has stepped up to the plate.

“The Duck Variations” will feature (in alphabetical order) Harold Gould and Michael Lerner. “Keep Your Pantheon” will feature Jeffrey Addiss, Michael Cassidy, Steven Goldstein, Vincent Guastaferro, Dominic Hoffman, J.J. Johnston, Rod McLachlan, Ed O’Neill, David Paymer, Jonathan Rossetti and Jack Wallace.

Previews begin May 11.

Opens May 18 and runs through June 8, 2008.

Both plays are directed by Neil Pepe with set design by Takeshi Kata, costume design by Ilona Somogyi, lighting design by Christopher Akerlind and sound design by Cricket S. Myers.

Tickets are on sale now and are available by calling                      (213) 628-2772          , online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre or two hours prior to performances at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office. 

Hot Tix may be purchased at $20 each in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office.

The Kirk Douglas Theatre is located at 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.

                     (213) 628-2772