IN THE WINGS - MARCH 2010 - THEATER

NOW FOR SOME LIVE ENTERTAINMENT: LOTS GOING ON ON THE STAGES IN L.A. Our new, young, extremely talented Venezuelan, our own LA Philharmonic music director, Gustavo Dudamel, will conduct a few more concerts at Disney Hall before heading out on a whirlwind European tour with the L.A. Phil orchestra. Our fair-haired former conductor laureate, Esa-Pekka Salonen, returns to give us a few concert appearances in November . Congrats! Our Hollywood Bowl was named the best outdoor concert venue for the sixth year in a row.
THE CIVIC CENTER GROUP has a couple of winners: Frank Gilroy’s Prize-winning THE SUBJECT WAS ROSES starring Martin Sheen (who played the son decades ago on Broadway), Frances Conroy and THE HURT LOCKER’s Brian Geraghty at the Mark Taper. DREAMGIRLS, the sensational musical, is at the Ahmanson.
WE ALL HOPE that the beautiful and historic Pasadena Playhouse will re-open again and soon.

HOLLYWOOD’S PANTAGES THEATER has a most outstanding array of Broadway hits coming up in 2010 and 2011. Following THE COLOR PURPLE, the Broadway hit CATS comes in. Who can forget the beautiful song “Memories” without shedding a tear? CHICAGO arrives in April for only three weeks (tickets are on sale now), 101 DALMATIONS in June with Sara Gettelfinger (NINE and PIPPIN) starring as Cruella De Vil: IN THE HEIGHTS, PHANTOM of the OPERA, WEST SIDE STORY and a host more.Wow!
THE GEFFEN in Westwood has the amazing actress Annette Bening starring in THE FEMALE OF THE SPECIES, only until March 14. NIGHTMARE ALLEY, a dark musical about traveling carnivals dominating the dustbowl era, arrives in
April with Broadway star James Barbour heading a colorful cast of characters. Gilbert Cates directs. Should be interesting. In their smaller space, the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre, Ed Harris concludes his successful run of Neil LaBute’s solo monologue play WRECKS on the 7th. Daniel Beaty follows with his new one-man show THROUGH THE NIGHT on March 16. He deals with family, community and the power of possibility.
THE COLONY THEATRE IN BURBANK always presents exciting productions such as the current CELADINE, about. a playwright with a case of writer’s block.
March is a month of madness at the lovely LA MIRADA THEATRE: Four Lads doing Abbey Road Classic Albums (12th), The Young Dubliners celebrating St. Patrick’s Day on the 13th, Ed Asner as FDR based on “Sunrise at Campobello (20th), Debbie Reynolds on the 27th. For info call (714) 994-6310. THE FALCON THEATRE in Burbank has THE PSYCHIC, a comedy, where a down-on-his-luck writer hangs a sign in his window “Readings $25.00" to make his rent payments.
OUR SMALLER STAGES have some great productions: GREENWAY COURT on Fairfax brings back a new SALAM SHALOM with a plea for universal respect and understanding; it’s a love story. A NOISE WITHIN offers The Bard’s MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING with J.D. Cullum heading the cast. THE PACIFIC RESIDENT THEATRE in Venice has two great shows in two theatres: Terrence Rattigan’s masterpiece, THE BROWNING VERSION, keeps extending its run, by popular demand, and the excellent LOYALTIES where people’s deepest loyalties are questioned..
A SONG AT TWILIGHT by Noel Coward is brilliantly acted by three real pros, Orson Bean, Alley Mills and Laurie O’Brien at the ODDYSSEY THEATRE on Sepulveda. David Rogge, featured, is also excellent. Also, AN ACT OF REPARATION is a true story of how one man defied the Nazis in World War II. THE RUSKIN GROUP always has good productions. Presently they have writer/actor Cris D’Annunzio doing his one-man story-telling of DIGGING UP DAD. He got fabulous reviews: “Powerful, mesmerizing, incredibly funny.” Ruskin Group at the Santa Monica Airport.
THEATRE FORTY AT Reuben Cordova Theatre on the Beverly Hills High School campus has an interesting award-winning Canadian classic, THE DRAWER BOY, about a city actor who uncovers a long-buried family secret while on a research project. Opens the 31st. Their recent fundraiser events were hugely successful. One starred Salome Jens and Mitchell Ryan; the other had Ed Asner, Joe Estevez and David Hunt Stafford in a staged reading of URANIUM & PEACHES.
THE FOUNTAIN THEATRE, in honor of Black History Month, presents THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL, the 1955 story of a murdered 14-year-old that helped spark the civil rights movement. Beautifully done. WIREHEAD is worth seeing at Echo Theatre Company, Stage 52 at 5299 Washington Blvd.
TWO wonderful plays in the valley. The VICTORY THEATER in Burbank has a provocative drama, OLD GLORY; while not directly political, it will make you think and feel about the price of war. On a lighter note, the hilarious musical comedy DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS is at the Interact in the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood. I saw this on Broadway but this production mounted on a small stage is superb. The two con men are so good. See this before the end of March.
LA has a new theatre company (even in these trying times) called THE STELLA ADLER LOS ANGELES THEATRE COLLECTIVE headed by Artistic Director John Jack Rodgers. The inaugural season begins the 19th with THE CHARM OF MAKING. An amazing array of talent comprises the membership. Plays take place at Hollywood’s Stella Adler Theatre. Good luck.
That’s a lot of good theatre in Los Angeles. Can you top this?
Back soon with more.
Until then, xoxo. Harriette