SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK LIVE
Sunday, December 23rd, 2007For the past 35 years, Schoolhouse Rock (a Saturday morning cartoon series that
teaches history, grammar, math, science and politics through clever, tuneful
songs) has been entertaining and educating kids of all ages. More recently, the
stage version, Schoolhouse Rock Live!, has become a favorite production of
middle and high school drama departments. Now, Los Angeles is being treated to
its first professional production of Schoolhouse Rock Live!
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BOB’S HOLIDAY OFFICE PARTY
Thursday, December 13th, 2007RECOMMENDED
Bob’s Holiday Office Party is an outrageously fun and funny 80 minutes of very non-
conventional Christmas hijinks, though probably not for everyone’s tastes. For the
uninitiated, the following paragraphs will serve as a preview of Bob’s R-rated
humor. But beware. Spoilers abound!
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HERO
Sunday, December 9th, 2007RECOMMENDED
Luis Alfaro’s Hero, directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, is an intelligent and funny
comedy about a returned Iraq war vet and his L.A. based family. (Hero is both
the title of the play and our the name of one of the protagonists, though both
are used ironically.)
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A TUNA CHRISTMAS
Friday, December 7th, 2007
Earlier this year, Jaston Williams and Joe Sears brought the two dozen or so Tuna,
Texas denizens they created to La Mirada, in a big theater production of
Greater Tuna, which scored both of them Ovation Best Actor nominations.
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THE FULL MONTY
Saturday, December 1st, 2007
I’ve seen five (count’em) five productions of The Full Monty, and I have to tell you,
this is a show I just keep liking more and more. My love affair with TFM (well, it was
just a “like affair” at first) began with the first national tour and continued a couple
years later with a fine non-Equity tour. Then came two large-theater regional
productions, including this year’s superb Musical Theater West version, and finally,
yesterday, my first 99-seat TFM, a production which marks a hugely successful
debut for the just formed Theatre7.
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DAWN’S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASHI
Wednesday, November 7th, 2007
It’s rare that all elements of a production (writing / acting / directing / design)
come together as perfectly as they do in East West Players’ world premiere
production of Jeanne Sakata’s Dawn’s Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi.
That this production not only engrosses, entertains, and moves an audience but
also educates and informs them as well makes it a must-see.
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EXPLOIT THIS
Friday, November 2nd, 2007RECOMMENDED
Fans of sketch comedy will find much to enjoy in Exploit This!, presented by the
Easily Distracted Sketch Comedy troupe, and now playing at the Space Theater
late night Fridays. Written and performed by a young, attractive, and funny
quintet of comic actors and directed at a fast pace by Rick Ferguson, Exploit
This! is 60 minutes of frenetic fun.
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ANON
Sunday, October 21st, 2007
Kate Robin’s provocative new play Anon begins as a light romantic comedy
and soon develops into something a good deal more weighty. Trip (Blayne
Weaver) and Allison (Kit Pongetti) meet cute when animal psychologist Allison
makes a house call at Trip’s apartment because his cat (named Cat) has
been peeing in all the wrong places. She advises him to talk to Cat, confide in
her, buy her more toys, keep her litter box tidy (with a metal scooper), and by
all means give her a less generic name. Her $200 fee paid, Allison accepts Trip’
s impulsive invitation to dine with him (Chinese take-out) and the evening
ends with a bout of passionate lovemaking.
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