BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS

posted on February 19th, 2010 at 6:47 PM by Steven Stanley

RECOMMENDED
Screen legend Ginger Rogers takes to the floor again in Lynnette Barkley and Christopher McGovern’s lightweight musical biography Backwards In High Heels, now getting its first big-cast production by Fullerton’s FCLO Musical Theatre. Though not as dance-heavy as 42nd Street or Crazy For You or as meaty as Gypsy, Backwards (subtitled The Ginger Rogers Story) nonetheless provides two hours of fancy footwork, classic 1920s and 30s songs, and Broadway/Hollywood nostalgia.
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posted in Musical, Orange County, Recommended

TWICE UPON A TIME

posted on February 19th, 2010 at 12:21 AM by Steven Stanley

RECOMMENDED
Civic Light Operas owe their livelihood to revivals of Broadway classics and
more recent hits.  Rarely if ever do they attempt something brand new. Thus,
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities is taking quite a bold step in presenting a
world premiere musical, Twice Upon A Time, with book and direction by Ray
Cooney. Though the results are somewhat mixed, James A. Blackman III and
company deserve major props for venturing into unknown territory.
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posted in Musical, Recommended, South Bay

CAVE QUEST

posted on February 17th, 2010 at 7:06 PM by Steven Stanley

RECOMMENDED
Did you ever see that Coca Cola commercial from 1970s, the one that had a couple thousand peace-seeking grownups and kids warbling “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony”? Well, that’s basically Justin Yi’s motivation in climbing to the top of the Himalayas in Les Thomas’ new play Cave Quest.  To be more specific, the young Asian American wants to teach the world to “find inner peace” by means of a $49.99 video game. The key to Justin’s achieving this goal is a “legendary” Buddhist nun named Padma—who just happens to have started out a small-town Fresno girl named Ruby Riyono.
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posted in Comedy, Los Angeles, Recommended

THE MUSIC OF ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER

posted on February 16th, 2010 at 7:08 PM by Steven Stanley


For Andrew Lloyd Webber fans, there’s no better place to be this week than at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.  A sextet of Broadway stars and a full onstage symphony orchestra join forces to perform thirty of Sir Andrew’s most famous compositions, making for a spectacular two hours of song.
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posted in Musical Revue, National Tour, Orange County, WOW!

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG

posted on February 14th, 2010 at 7:40 PM by Steven Stanley


Some productions belong to the actors, some to the writer, some even to the designers. Then there are Sondheim shows directed by Oanh Nguyen. These productions belong to the director, and the latest Sondheim/Nguyen collaboration, the composer’s 1981 Merrily We Roll Along, is no exception. That’s not to say that Nguyen’s cast aren’t delivering fine performances.  They are. That’s not to say that his design team haven’t produced some brilliant work here. They have. But what sets this Merrily apart from others is Nguyen’s vision.  You may have seen Merrily We Roll Along before, but you haven’t seen this Merrily We Roll Along.
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posted in Musical, Orange County, WOW!

CELADINE

posted on February 13th, 2010 at 7:45 PM by Steven Stanley


The titular leading lady of Charles Evered’s Celadine runs a London coffee house, writes plays, occasionally does a bit of spying, and still looks fabulous well into her forties. Assisting her at the coffee house are Mary, a former hooker, and Jeffrey, a young hunk with a penchant for cross-dressing and for crawling under his boss’s skirt. Completing Celadine’s entourage in the play’s West Coast premiere at the Colony Theatre are Elliot and Rowley, the former a handsome young actor, the latter an ex-lover.  If Celadine’s young daughter Marie were still alive, the lady would seem to have it made—the very picture of a modern 21st Century woman, right?
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posted in Burbank/Glendale, Comedy, WOW!

BARK! THE MUSICAL

posted on February 13th, 2010 at 7:43 PM by Steven Stanley


You’re my man, I’m your pet.  We’re as close as two can get.  You love me to the end. That’s why you are dog’s best friend,” sings Rocks, the Jack Russell pup in  Bark! The Musical, the smash hit returning to the L.A. area for the first time in nearly four years in a supersized staging by Civic Light Opera Of South Bay Cities that merits five barks out of five.
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posted in Musical, South Bay, WOW!

DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS

posted on February 12th, 2010 at 7:48 PM by Steven Stanley


Take a 1964 Marlon Brando-David Niven-Shirley Jones comedy (Bedtime Story), remake it in 1988 with a new title (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and an even funnier trio of leads (Steve Martin, Michael Caine, Glenne Headley), turn it into a 2005 Broadway musical starring John Lithgow, Norman Leo Butz, and Sheri Rene Scott which scored eleven Tony nominations and one big win for Best Actor Butz, then assign director extraordinaire Richard Israel to downscale it to 99-seat dimensions and you’ve got Interact Theatre Company’s sensational L.A. Intimate Theater Premiere of the hit musical Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, just opened at the NoHo Arts Center.
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posted in Musical, North Hollywood, WOW!

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