<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0">
	<channel>
	<title><![CDATA[Stage ]]></title>
	<copyright>Copyright 2010 Copyright © 2009  The Los Angles Independent.  All rights reserved.</copyright>
	<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage</link>
	 			<description><![CDATA[]]></description>
		<language>en-us</language>
	<pubDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:55:17 PDT</pubDate>
	<lastBuildDate>Fri, 10 Sep 2010 00:55:17 PDT</lastBuildDate>
			<generator>Broadcast Interactive Media</generator>




		
			
				
			
			
				
			
			
				
				
			
				
					
				
							
		
	
			
	
	
									
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[At home with the dark matter]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/At-home-with-the-dark-matter-99526899.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">99526899</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:04:46 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*250/Stoop+Stories+6-web.jpg" length="11956" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[To borrow from 'Star Wars'' most quotable Sith, Darth Vader, Dael Orlandersmith's new play gives audiences a chance to look into the real dark side.

As 'Bones' opens this weekend at the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City, Orlandersmith, who just closed her one-woman show 'Stoop Stories' there, isn't going to physically appear in the new production.

She is aware, however, that due to its graphic nature, audiences will either really take to the script, 'or they're really going to hate my guts.'

The press releases about 'Bones' do the show no justice — but that's for a reason, the playwright said this week in a telephone interview from New York. 'I want people to be surprised when they see it,' she said. 

After a detailed description of the show's premise, and the dark side of her characters' lives, secrets and anxieties, Orlandersmith spoke freely on what motivates her to explore such themes.

'It's always been that kind of work, I've always drawn to that kind of stuff, I like to call it dark beauty,' said Orlandersmith, who recently had another piece, 'HorseDreams,' rejected by another theater because of its subject matter.

'I've always liked that kind of edgier work opposed to the sun shiny pastel-colored stuff you see a lot of out there.'

For this reason, she said, she applauds the Center Theatre Group artistic director Michael Ritchie, because of his history of taking chances on new work.

'There aren't many [who] are taking a chance on new plays, it's all become about commerce, you either have an old play, a revival with a name director or a name actor, or you have a lot of escapisms — like the 'Addams Family' and 'Spider Man' in New York — that's way over budget if you ask me,' she said. 'It's all become about commerce, movies turning into plays, like 'Hairspray,' you have someone like Scarlett Johansson who wins a Tony. She's not a stage actor … you have people she was nominated with who have been on stage [for years]. I'm not saying she's bad, I've heard she's good. But the reason she's there is to draw money — it's about commerce.'

Her own work, which pushes envelopes of every size and shape, is meant for audiences that 'still want to be challenged,' said Orlandersmith.

Directed by Gordon Edelstein, the cast of 'Bones' features Khandi Alexander, Tessa Auberjonois and Tory Kittles. It tells the story of a mother and her grown children, a family unable to move forward from a damaged past. As graphic accusations come to light, the story treks between divergent memories of the children and their mother. It becomes so intense, said the playwright, that 'you can almost feel their angst in your bones.'

The story is about a dysfunctional family, but what may surprise audiences, is that Orlandersmith, who describes herself as a Black American of Caribbean descent, wrote with a diverse cast in mind.

'It's written in a way where any race can relate to it,' she said. 'If we are talking about universalism, you have to be honest. Here you have this Black woman who has one kid who is Black and another who is White, and — guess what? — it's biologically possible. … I did it this way, because if we are gong to move toward universalism, we need to put it into theater.'

Even the most perfect families harbor some form of dysfunction, she said. 'A lot of times when families are really screwed up, no one will cop to the truth,' she said. 'It's like a lot of times, during arguments … no one can agree because there is a disjunction … and because of the hurt and the dysfunction that is happening … and things can get so bad … it's far-fetched because no one can remember what the hell went wrong, because they're filled with so much pain and angst.'

Had she written 'Bones' with an all-Black cast, then people would assume that 'this only happens to Black families,' she said. 'But that's not the case at all, it happens to all of us. … Aside from the universalism, this reality has a dark side,' she added. 'This happens to a lot of families … this is the type of stuff that is real, that is universal.'

Orlandersmith also said that while she writes for all audiences, she takes care not to take away from anybody's 'authenticity, ethnicity or race.'

'I'm just looking at things that are universal, just human … because I am interested in the darker side of human nature. We can't go through life thinking there aren't two sides — a bright side and a dark side.'

Maybe 'Bones' isn't for young audiences, but in a lot of ways Orlandersmith does want to reach out to parents and ask them how they are raising their children. Are they raising them to be individuals as opposed to being extensions of their parents?

'You have to have sunshine and rain if you want plants to grow, you can't have one without the other,' she said. 'It's the same in human nature. I think a lot of times people [while growing up], are denied access to the dark side, people, parents shield them from it, and they want their kids to grow up knowing the reality they want for them. But it's not really reality.'

'Bones' opens July 31 at Center Theatre Group's Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, and runs through Aug. 8. (213) 628-2772]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Review: South Pacific]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/Review-South-Pacific-98140434.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">98140434</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 9 Jul 2010 15:01:08 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*243/SOUTH+PACIFICweb.jpg" length="44816" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[As demonstrated by opening night at the Ahmanson Theatre, the Lincoln Center Touring Company's reprise of Rodgers and Hammerstein's 'South Pacific' is delightful and entertaining musical that has not lost a step in its appeal to modern audiences.

This version of the 1949 classic won seven well-deserved Tony Awards, and it is easy to see why. The enthusiastic audience applauded after every song. Having seen the movie starring Mitzi Gaynor and Rozanno Brazi, I knew the plot and all of the wonderful songs; but here, I felt as if I were hearing them for the first time.

Adapted from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, the story takes place during World War II on two lush islands in the South Pacific. The story of the war provides the backdrop for the romance between Ensign Nellie Forbush (Carmen Cusack), the naïve, sweet, young woman from Little Rock, Ark., and Emile de Becque (Rod Gilfry), the older, debonair, wealthy French plantation owner. Nellie can accept the fact that he is in exile because he killed a bully in self defense; but as their love grows, she cannot accept that his deceased wife was of another color, and that Emile is the father of the two young Polynesian children. Prejudice rears its ugly head. There is a parallel romance with Lt. Cable (Anderson Davis), the handsome, proper young man from Philadelphia and Bloody Mary's delicate and lovely daughter, Liat (Sumie Maeda). This affair is also tainted.

These prejudices fit the time in which the musical was written, and there was a fleeting moment when I thought this could not possibly happen today. But Bartlett Sher's direction wisely maintains the integrity of Josh Logan's original book, infusing this incarnation with energetic staging and some fun elements in the production numbers that make it fresh and new. Christopher Gattelli's dynamic choreography also adds to make this an unforgettable production. Matthew Saldivar as Luther Billis stands out in 'There Is Nothin' Like a Dame.' Other standout production numbers are 'Bali Hai' and 'I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair.'

Each one of the songs in this musical is memorable. Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein created a show in which every song is significant and reaches out to touch our hearts. The music is marvelous and rich in emotional content. Musical director Ted Sperling and conductor Lawrence Goldberg bring the feelings out beautifully.

Audiences will be especially taken with the fresh faced, lovely Cusack, who reminded me a little of Mary Martin. Cusack has a lilting, clear voice and she is equally strong in both comedy and drama. A Houston native, her Southern accent is authentic. Her Nellie pulls you into her character and even though her world view is startling, I found myself still feeling for her and hoping she would see the light and overcome her prejudices. 

The entire show works well and each element enhances the powerful cast. The book, score, songs, staging, costumes, lights and sets all are in perfect balance. Michael Yeargan's sets are vivid and striking from Emile de Becque's slatted terrace plantation to the cool blue ocean and luminously haunting Bali Hai. I can't single out any one production number or song. You walk out humming them all. I was transported to another time and truly did not want to come back to reality. 

The romance may be schmaltzy, but our souls yearn for it. 'South Pacific' still enchants and whispers, 'Come to me, come to me.'

'South Pacific' plays at the Ahmanson, 135 N. Grand Ave. in Los Angeles, through July 17. For more information, call (213) 972-4400.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Cirque du Soleil to produce Michael Jackson show]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/91619579.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">91619579</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2010 11:43:56 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/Michael+Jackson6.jpg" length="69401" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Following in the footsteps of the Beatles and Elvis Presley, the music of the late Michael Jackson will be the basis of a Cirque du Soleil production that will begin with a national tour then have an extended run in Las Vegas, the singer's estate and Cirque officials announced Tuesday.

'Michael Jackson is the King of Pop and an all-time phenomenal artist, both timeless and contemporary,' said Guy Lalibert, founder of Cirque du Soleil. 'As a creative challenge, this project is the ultimate. Through the use of cutting-edge technology, we will produce a Cirque du Soleil experience not only worthy of Michael but unlike any other we have created before.'

The partnership between the Jackson estate and Cirque du Soleil will produce an arena show that is expected to debut with a national tour in fall 2011. The show will begin a run at an as-yet-undetermined location in Las Vegas in late 2012, thanks to a partnership with MGM Mirage, officials said.

The Las Vegas production could also be accompanied by the opening of a Jackson-themed nightclub, according to the estate and Cirque.

'This will not just be a tribute to Michael's musical genius, but a live entertainment experience that uses the most advanced technology to push every creative boundary as Michael always did,' said John Branca, co-executor of Jackson's estate. 'Having attended Cirque du Soleil performances with Michael, I know he was a huge fan. We are excited to be partners with Cirque du Soleil to give Michael's fans a truly unique way to hear, see and feel Michael's music.'

Jackson's estate and Cirque du Soleil will equally share ownership of each Jackson-themed project, splitting the development and creation costs — and the profits. The estate will also receive royalty payments on various intellectual property used in the projects, according to a statement issued by the parties.
]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Forging a new destiny, finding a comfort zone]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/90907619.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">90907619</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 21:55:28 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/MICHELLE+WILLIAMS.jpg" length="105421" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Michelle Williams is talking to the right people. And they're listening.

On a journey to move forward — but not completely detach — from the fame she earned as a member of Destiny's Child, the singer-actress is taking her Broadway career to new heights.

After wetting her feet with the title role in a 2003 production of 'Aida,' Williams went on to star as the brassy Shug Avery in a national tour of the smash musical adaptation of 'The Color Purple.' Now, it seems the forces behind a fresh production of the famed musical 'Chicago' were destined to reach out to Williams, despite her well-established sweet persona, for the role of Roxie Hart. Their decision made her the first African-American cast on Broadway as the femme fatale, who has been portrayed by actresses ranging from Ginger Rogers to Renée Zellweger and Brooke Shields. 

One of the character's signature lines — 'You're talking to the wrong people' — apparently doesn't apply to Williams when it comes to accepting challenging roles. In particular, she relishes parts that place her firmly outside the expectations of a public that has followed her career for more than a decade.
 
'To me … playing both [Shug and Roxie] has been liberating, because there are a lot of characteristics in each character that are nothing like me … so being able to get that out every night, living something who I'm not, is actually kind of cool,' Williams said in a telephone interview from New York, where she is wrapping up a run of 'Chicago' at the Ambassador Theatre. She will be in Hollywood on April 20 to begin a run at the Pantages Theatre now scheduled to run through May 9.

Asked if she recognizes any part of herself in the latest character, Williams laughs. She calls Roxie 'a bad girl,' and acknowledges that the role is 'like living something that I'm not.' In the well-known story, the chorus girl murders her lover, then engages in a rivalry with another killer.

'I don't know if folks are going to be walking out saying Roxie is their hero,' Williams said. 'But I do know that at the end, she and Velma put aside their differences and work together. … Throughout the show, they're always trying to one-up each other, but at the same time, there is some admiration for one another. They just don't show it until the end, when they [say], 'Look, we're both in bad situations, let's make the best out of it.''

She added' 'When Roxie [thinks] of something she does it. That's how we have to be with our lives and careers. … If not, somebody else will take your idea and run with it. … I think that's why a lot of people are so bitter, because they didn't do something that was in their heart to do.'

In first considering the part, Williams was not entirely unfamiliar with the era in which it is set. She has long admired a black-and-white photograph of her grandmother that was taken during the 1920s. In the photo, her grandmother is coolly smoking a long-stemmed cigarette and wearing a hat with netting over one eye. Not that she's endorsing smoking, she said, but she always thought the photo 'was pretty cool.' 

'We always see pictures of actors from that era … and they look so sophisticated and glamorous,' Williams said. 'But this was my grandmother, so when I had to draw for Roxie, I drew from that photo.'

The chance to let go of herself, Williams said, is a large part of why she has fallen in love with acting. Still, even she is a little surprised by how invested she has become in the process. 'I guess you never know until you try something,' she said. 'People always want to see you just for one thing, but I think I can do it all.'

Offstage, Williams' career as a recording artist is more unclear. After releasing two solo gospel LPs and an R&B album between 2002-2008, Williams announced in January that she was cutting ties with both her label, Music World Entertainment, and a management company headed by former bandmate Beyoncé Knowles' father.

She denied reports that she is working on a fourth album between performances of 'Chicago,' particularly a widely-circulated rumor that she is in the studio with hip-hop producer Timbaland. 'I mean, I love his beats, and I might approach him to work on one of my projects — but I haven't officially started working on a record,' she said. 'Acting is what I'm invested in right now.'

All told, Williams said she still marvels at the 'amazing journey' that is her professional career.

'I've been on this journey all by myself and on my own, and I'm learning so much,' she said. 'I'm glad I was able to start off my journey with two other great ladies whom I love and miss very much … but I'm a woman now, and I'm excited about what I've been discovering.']]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Stage Review: 'Through the Night, A Soul Aria']]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/89715757.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">89715757</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 1 Apr 2010 13:12:11 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*215/Daniel3.jpg" length="6709" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

Daniel Beaty&rsquo;s &ldquo;Through the Night, A Soul Aria&rdquo; playing through April 4 at the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre at the Geffen Playhouse, traces the incredible journey of  Black men&rsquo;s psyches as they struggle to overcome life&rsquo;s hardships and expectations. Beaty&rsquo;s immense dedication and energy are matched by his extraordinary talent as a writer, poet, actor and singer/composer. He won the NAACP Theatre Awards including Best Actor in 2009 and his ensemble play, &ldquo;Resurrection&rdquo; won the Edgerton Foundation&rsquo;s New Play Award in 2008.

Beaty, together with director Charles Randolph-Wright, gives this solo experience his, all and presents to us a heart-wrenchingly real and dynamic story of African-American sons who are trying to achieve more than their fathers &mdash; and give more to their own sons. His story transcends race, and anyone who is a son or a father will be able to relate to this drama. Beaty&rsquo;s talent shines as he climbs into the skins of his diverse characters.

The play opens with 10-year-old, Eric, the &ldquo;transformer&rdquo; who feels the burden to take responsibility for his father&rsquo;s happiness. Mr. Rodgers who did not have a father, is struggling to support his family with his health food store.

Isaac, a successful yuppie PR executive in the recording industry, has difficulty living up to his father&rsquo;s expectations. Dre is an expectant father who has been a heroin addict. Bishop Saunders, Isaac&rsquo;s father, a diabetic with a food addiction, is not as forgiving or tolerant of his son off the pulpit, Twon is a dyslexic high school graduate who dreams of going to Morehouse College and making something of himself. And Allan is Isaac&rsquo;s gay friend.

Beaty also adroitly gives voice to the women behind the men. The issues are societal issues African American men face, but in &ldquo;Through the Night,&rdquo; Beaty dives into issues of self-esteem that are universal and transcend culture.

Beaty last gave us his &ldquo;Emergency,&rdquo; which won an Obie in 2007 and was soldiout during its entire seven week run at the Geffen. I was blown away by his talent as a storyteller/actor and did not think he could do better. But, in &ldquo;Through the Night&rdquo; he does. I was so moved by the depth of his portrayals and the level of commitment to his characters. Beaty uses his body, his face, and his soul to achieve these many different character portraits. He has a chameleon-like ability to totally embrace these different characters. And, he succeeds in painting each one distinctly. He literally morphs&rdquo; into them at lightning speed.

The writing is tight as is the pacing. As a writer, Beaty moves his gripping story along and crafts the relationships so that all the characters overlap into each others lives. Isaac, the successful PR mogul, is Bishop Sanders&rsquo; son and he also is the mentor to Tuan. Dre, the former heroin addict works at Mr. Rodgers health food store. He got the job after he made a desperate call to Bishop Sanders when he could not make it &ldquo;through the night.&rdquo;

The transitions are so smooth and seamless. One character ends a line and the next character picks up on the same words but in his life context. Brilliant crafting.

Beaty never falters, and amazingly, never drops a gesture or voice inflection. His ability to stay in character is uncanny. He also gives the women their due. Mr. Rodgers says, &ldquo;So much of what I am is due to women&rsquo;s work.&rdquo; His wife Sara thinks he is &ldquo;my king &hellip; the kind of man I want our son to be.&rdquo; As Ellen, Bishop Sanders&rsquo; wife of 39 years, Beaty gives a touching portrayal of love in the golden years.
Through his characters, Beaty shows us we &ldquo;define our destiny and define ourselves.&rdquo; Life throws curves but, ultimately, as his character says, &ldquo;I decide who I choose to be.&rdquo; This powerful solo performance by Daniel Beaty is a not to be missed. He truly is a Renaissance man.

&ldquo;Through the Night&rdquo; at the Audrey Skirball Kenis Theatre at the Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte, Westwood, runs through April 4 . Tickets are $64-$69. For tickets, call (310) 208-5454.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Stage Review: 'Dreamgirls' sparkles at the Ahmanson]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/89715237.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">89715237</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 1 Apr 2010 13:08:52 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*214/Dreamgirls21.jpg" length="17899" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

The current incarnation of Tom Eyen and Henry Krieger&rsquo;s&rdquo; Dreamgirls&rdquo; is not to be compared to the 1981 original or to the 2006 movie.
Robert Longbottom&rsquo;s electrifying, exciting production totally stands on its own. It is exactly the upbeat dazzling musical we need now to shake those blues away and dare to dream.

The production values are colorful and splashy with Robin Wagner&rsquo;s incredible set of moving panels, with projected images by Howard Werner. I felt as if I were traveling to Vegas and Paris with the &ldquo;Dreamettes.&rdquo;

William Ivey Long&rsquo;s costumes tell the story as the girls go from drab to glitz and glam. The costumes are spectacular, and there are many quick changes, literally, as the girls walk off and come back on in a minute in different diva gowns. In one scene, Effie (Moya Angela) is in a rather plain top and pants as she auditions. Ken Billington&rsquo;s sometimes blinding lighting, settles as a spot on her face as she sings. In an instant, the lighting pulls back, and Effie is suddenly transformed into a diva in a magnificent glittering gown. Wow!

Angela isn&rsquo;t standing in anyone&rsquo;s shadow either. Her rich, full, and emotionally penetrating voice establishes her in a league of her own. There was Jennifer Holliday and Jennifer Hudson. Now, there is Moya Angela. Her Effie sings her soul out in her big numbers, &ldquo;And I Am Telling You I&rsquo;m Not Going&rdquo; and &ldquo;I Am Changing&rdquo; and &ldquo;One Night Only.&rdquo; She gets the volume, and the emotions. I felt her heart wrenching despair in &ldquo;Not Going&rdquo; and then her courage and absolute determination in &ldquo;I Am Changing&rdquo; as she belts her way back to the top. What a set of pipes!

Longbottom and Shane Sparks choreography adds to the mix and the audience&rsquo; heads were bobbing and feet tapping along to the lavish production numbers. The music and lyrics are as timely and dynamic as in 1981. The Supremes&rsquo; rise to stardom provided the inspiration for the book. The three &ldquo;Dreamettes&rdquo; enter a contest and are in the right place at the right time. They don&rsquo;t win the amateur contest, but they get a manager in the Berry Gordy type character of Curtis Taylor Jr. This smooth, slick car salesman becomes the man behind the &ldquo;Dreamettes&rdquo; success into sophisticated &ldquo;Dreamgirls.&rdquo; Chaz Lamar Shepherd does slick and smooth convincingly as he creates &ldquo;The Dreamgirls&rdquo; and seduces Effie and then Deena Jones, the slim backup he replaces the plump Effie with. He thinks &ldquo;Effie has the voice; but Deena has the looks.&rdquo; The role of Deena is patterned after Diana Ross and Syesha Mercado, &ldquo;American Idol&rdquo; finalist, does an admirable job of bringing this character to life.

Lorrell Robinson, (Adrienne Warren) is the third Dreamgirl who falls deeply for the married James &ldquo;Thunder&rdquo; Early (Chester Gregory). Gregory, in the James Brown role, has some superbly sexy moves with swiveling hips and a dynamic voice. However, he is not convincing as the sexual lothario. He isn&rsquo;t an oily or bad enough dude. His sweetness seeps through. My mind did go back to Eddie Murphy&rsquo;s James Brown character. But, Gregory, while not quite inhabiting the role, gives his all and his vocal instrument is excellent. The cast is rounded out with Trevon Davis as C.C. White, who plays Effie&rsquo;s songwriter/brother with sensitivity; Margaret Hoffman, who plays Michelle Morris, Effie&rsquo;s replacement; and Milton Craig Nealy, who plays Marty, James &ldquo;Thunder&rdquo; Early&rsquo;s manager. Nealy was in the original production and also in the 1987 revival. He tells Effie that &ldquo;the best survive&rdquo; and after ups and downs, Effie proves him right.

The talent shines in this spectacular production. The ensemble chorus dancers add in the big production numbers. The sets with the projected images and lighting become another entity and stand out, at times, in competition with the fine talent. There are few quiet moments and I relished the stark stage when a humble Effie, wiser by years and tears, has to audition again. She is insecure and alone. This one scene is in contrast to the very splashy scenes and in its very contrast stands out. The music was a little overpowering. I got chills watching Effie build into the confident diva as she sang, &ldquo;I Am Changing.&rdquo; Moya Angela definitely has the pipes, and she has that special &ldquo;it&rdquo; quality that stars are made of.

This is one musical you will want to see. It is a visual extravaganza with stellar talent from the opening at The Apollo Theatre to the closing number at The Apollo Theatre. My eyes were riveted to the stage. There are few lulls, and that is my only criticism. I would have liked some more subtle scenes rather than many &ldquo;full out&rdquo; scenes. But, overall, it is a grand evening of musical theater. I walked out on a high as did the rest of the audience. I was caught up in the rags to riches tale. Sacrifices had to be made to get Black talent their due.

The artists had to leave gospel behind to embrace R&amp;B. &ldquo;Get out of soul and cross over into pop.&rdquo; This musical chronicles that story and the personal stories of those artists involved. It is quite a journey. Dare to dream because, yes, dreams do come true in this incarnation of &ldquo;Dreamgirls.&rdquo;

&ldquo;Dreamgirls&rdquo; plays at the Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles, through April 4. (213) 972-4400.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[On a morality merry-go-round]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/83519817.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">83519817</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 3 Feb 2010 23:14:41 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/240*240/CAROUSEL-Lee+Martino.jpg" length="14302" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Reprise Theatre Company ended 2009 celebrating the father of the American musical, Richard Rodgers. This week, it kicked off an ongoing celebration with a revised, re-imagined version of his and Oscar Hammerstein's 'Carousel.'

Hailed by Time Magazine as 'the best musical of the 20th century … that set the standards for the 20th century musical,' 'Carousel' first opened on Broadway in 1945. Based on a story by Ferenc Molnar, 'Carousel' takes place between 1873 and 1888 in a small New England fishing village and revolves around the star-crossed love affair between Billy Bigelow, a traveling carnival carousel barker, and Julie Jordan, a mill worker.

Directed by Michael Michetti and choreographed by Lee Martino, this contemporary take on 'Carousel' — considered to be Rodgers' and Hammerstein's' personal favorite — is brought into the 21st century, but still holds true to the original story.

As resident choreographer for Reprise, Martino has choreographed several tributes to Rodgers and Hammerstein in the theater company's 2009-10 season, and said in a recent interview that she has loved them all. 'Carousel' has been among the most thrilling, she said, not only because from rehearsal to opening night 'things were happening really fast,' but because everything in the piece is new.

But why breathe new life into a classic from the 1940s? And why Rodgers and Hammerstein, when there are others to choose from?

'Because these are the classics that lay the foundation for what we have today,' Martino said about musicals. 'Rodgers and Hammerstein, they are the people who inspired the writers and the creators of today. They are the fathers of musical theater — the true American art form. … If not for Rodgers and Hammerstein, musical theater wouldn't be what it is today.'

Martino, who has choreographed other productions of 'Carousel' in her career but has never danced in one, said that Rodgers and Hammerstein are to musical theater what William Shakespeare is to writers.

'It doesn't matter how old you are or what part of the world you're from, [Rodgers and Hammerstein] have influenced every kind of artist. I don't think artists today would have the texture and the richness they have without Rodgers' and Hammerstein's' work. They're like Shakespeare, they are the foundation.'

In Reprise's 'Carousel,' Alexandra Silber makes her American stage debut as Julie,  beautifully yet courageously, along with Robert Patteri as the sly Billy. It's a love at first sight that goes downhill through the end. While the production is filled with up-tempo musical scenes that are uplifting and merry — the dark side of 'Carousel' inevitably seeps through starting with the duet, 'If I Loved You.' 

As contemporary as this production might be, the plot is true to Molnar's classic. 'It's a beautiful, sad story,' said Martino, adding that the script allows for the words to flow through the dancers' movement. 'The final number is one of the most beautiful numbers, through dance, you tell the story of the main character's daughter, that because of his actions, her life turned out not well. You see her despair in the ballet, you see her get involved with the wrong kind of man … then life ends tragically for her, too because of her father's actions. … It's all very dramatic, and it's all done through movement.'

And just as it sounds, audiences will be drawn into another time, Martino said, yet the storyline is as relevant in the '40s as it is today.

''Carousel' is going to transport you back in time into these people's lives, to see the struggles that these people struggled with … to see that they are the same struggles people today are still dealing with.'

Through dance, of course, she wants audience members to be inspired and exhilarated. At the same time, she said, people will learn that it doesn't matter who you are, 'everything we do affects everybody else … that nobody stands alone' in the world.

The story is also about love and hope and how both can overcome anything, Martino said. 

'People who come to the theater come to get away from their own lives for a little while, but they will still be able to connect to the story. … They will see how the story and the struggles are very relevant to our times and that [one] is accountable for how one affects someone else's life … even in death.'

'Carousel' runs through Feb. 7 at UCLA's Freud Playhouse, 405 Hilgard Ave., Westwood. (310) 825-2101]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Stage Review: Unexpected diversity  lifts cultural resonance in ‘Riverdance’ finale ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/82227902.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">82227902</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 23:17:50 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*196/Picture+9-USE.png" length="105101" type="image/png" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Those who have never seen 'Riverdance' in the 11 years it has been performed on American stages have missed more than a tribute to a specific brand of folk dancing.

But now, as they say on the Emerald Isle, the jig is up for the foreseeable future in Los Angeles. Now at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, the show closes in L.A. this weekend, on what organizers say is a farewell North American tour for the thunderous celebration of Irish music, song and dance.

The ubiquitous television commercials advertising the production — which counts as the extent to which most have been exposed to 'Riverdance' — do not do justice to a show that is about much more than tracing the changing face of Irish dance. 

In between performances by Irish dance troupes, singers and drummers and the Moscow Folk Ballet Company, 'Riverdance' unexpectedly throws some Spanish flair into the mix with flamenco artist Rocio Montoya. 

With two solos in the show — 'Firedance' and 'Andalucia' — Montoya sets the stage ablaze with her Flamenco-infused tap solos that showcases the breadth of Ireland's cultural prism.

The 'Trading Taps' scene shared by dancers Jason E. Bernard and Kelly Isaac is another unexpected treat — sprinkled with comedy and a little bit of Sammy Davis Jr. inspiration. To set the scene, two African-American tap dancers standing under a street lamp are challenged by a group of Irish steppers, to a battle of tap at its finest and fastest. 

With a hint of krump in their steps, the Americans show the quick Irish steppers that they can do whatever the  challengers can — and with their eyes closed. It is a fun and fast-paced feast for the eyes; and while the astonishing diversity does not endure for the entire show, the scene-ending high-fives and collaborative steps demonstrate that these forms of expressions are indeed colorless.

In Act II's 'The Harbour of the New World, the show's creators manifest the music and dance that has forged a sense of identity throughout the world. Ultimately, in the blending and fusion that follows, we see how emigrants discover the totality of the human experience and realize that expression is greater than the sum of Ireland's many diverse parts. 

The bridge between old dreams and new realities, and new musical influences meet halfway in Act II, where baritone soloist Michael Samuels' golden voice calls out to the Lord in search of freedom in 'Heal Their Hearts.'

Standing tall, with a voice as deep as the lyrics, he sings, 'In the deep night, from a dark space, I hear voices calling out in heartache, they are wounded, they are broken, but their spirit rises when awaken … When will our hope begin, when will it come …' 

Those who love it may be saddened to see 'Riverdance' leave the stage, but it is uplifting to see how the show can still confound preconceived notions about culture. It is a welcome reminder of the universality of the human spirit, which can always be expressed in familiar ways no matter what part of the world we're from.



FB.init("f242888787131e168bcafef81f859145");Los Angeles Wave on Facebook]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Back in the glare]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/87310067.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">87310067</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:36:54 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*198/Dreamgirls+web-USE.jpg" length="12661" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Syesha Mercado is catching her dream. 

With a debut album on the way, the onetime 'American Idol' finalist is keeping herself in the spotlight, in the glamorous role of Deena Jones in a production of 'Dreamgirls.' It has been nearly two years since she was dismissed from 'Idol,' an experience Mercado said prepared her well for the show business career she is now enjoying, as part of a touring company of the Broadway classic.

After a short run at the legendary Apollo Theatre in Harlem, the rags-to-riches musical opened this month at the CTG/Ahmanson Theatre, and has been playing to full houses every night. With music by Academy Award nominee Henry Krieger, it follows the story of an up-and-coming 1960s girl group, The Dreams, chronicling the triumphs and tribulations that come with their quick rise to fame.

In a telephone interview conducted prior to the show's March 2 opening, Mercado was in the process of moving into a temporary apartment in the Hollywood area. She will only be in town through the show's L.A. run, then it's off to another city — then another, and another. The travel may be taxing, but she's looking forward to sharing Deena's story with audiences across the U.S. Perhaps that is because although she once dreamed of taking on the emotionally challenging role of Effie (which earned Jennifer Hudson an Academy Award), it is actually Deena's trajectory with which Mercado identifies closely.

'Deena has her eyes on fame and making it in the music industry, and that's been my goal, too,' said Mercado. 'That's the goal of these three sisters who want to be superstars. So I can relate. And Deena … she's ambitious. I see myself like that, and [at] the same time, when I was younger I was very gullible — and at times I still am.'

While some performers might relish the seeming ease of taking on a character with whom they share so many similarities (a situation Mercado called 'life imitating art'), she said it wasn't necessarily easy to embrace the part. In her words, that's because 'when one shares a lot of similarities with a character, it's harder to play the role, because the vulnerability is there. Playing Deena every night reminds me that one has to live life in the moment.'

Without question, Mercado has felt the pressure and uncertainty that comes with the fast track to prominence in the entertainment industry. 'You find out who is on your side, who is there for you, very quickly,' she said. 'Sometimes people think that [with fame] you're changing, but they don't understand that it's just your life situation and circumstances that are changing, it's not you. …You learn real quick who your real friends are, because people start treating you different. … So you have to sort of detach yourself from that sort of negative energy.'

For a young woman  — she turned 23 in January — it might surprise some to learn that the glamour of 'Dreamgirls' is not Mercado's prime motivator on the road. There's much more, she said. 'These sisters' stories show us the struggle that African-Americans had to [endure] to get their music to a larger audiences,' she said. ''Dreamgirls' deals with a lot of important themes that are still very relevant today, that people in the '60s had to deal with … that still need to be resolved.'

Since she will be in L.A. for a while, Mercado is taking advantage of her surroundings — and the limited down time — to work on her own music. With her own work, Mercado said she doesn't want to be packaged into one particular genre.

'Genres put people in boxes,' she said. 'If I could, I would title my music 'universal,' because there are so many sides to me and there are so many different elements that I love about music,' she said. 'But don't get me wrong, I love pop, and R&B, and the Beatles, I grew up in a musical family, I grew up exposed to different genres. But with my album, I want it to symbolize what speaks from my heart — so it will be a mixture of everything.'

'Dreamgirls' runs through April 4 at the Center Theatre Groups' Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. (213) 972-4400]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Still at play]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/81572202.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">81572202</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:30:05 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*241/Pee+Wee+Herman-web.jpg" length="15924" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[There's something to be said for a man who can make a roomful of adults take notice simply by repeating the childish taunt, 'Made you look!'

Nearly 20 years after changing tastes and personal controversy pushed him from the spotlight, Paul Reubens — best known as his alter ego, Pee Wee Herman — is rebuilding his playhouse for the digital age. This time the forum is not a Saturday morning show for kids, but a brand new Broadway-quality stage show based on the 1980s cult classic 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse,' which ran on CBS for five seasons.

The comeback show, originally slated to premiere late last year at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood, was pushed back and moved downtown due to issues with the set. But it worked out perfectly, according to director Alex Timbers, who describes the show as 'lots of motion, a magic screen rolling, a window animating … the script is technically audacious … it's going to feel very kinetic.'

In full character, Reubens and his brand new crew — which includes some of the original writers and cast members of the original 'Pee Wee's Playhouse' television show, including members of the Groundlings Theatre Company, where Reubens first tested the character — gathered last month at Club Nokia to discuss the new 90-minute theatrical extravaganza.

Reubens will be joined on stage by 11 actors, 20 puppets and seven puppeteers. Based on the television show's five seasons, the new show, fast-forwarded to 2010, follows Pee-Wee's quest to fulfill his lifelong dream of flying. But he is torn when he has to choose to have his wish granted or better the lives of his friends, including the classic characters Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis, Chairry the talking chair, Pterri the pterodactyl, Conky the robot, Magic Screen, Randy, and some new friends.

Speaking to reporters at the media roundtable, Reubens — who adapted the show with assists by Bill Steinkellner and John Paragon — calls the new production 'technically dazzling.' Although he reached out to several original cast members to gauge interest in reprising their roles (most notably, Oscar-nominated actor Laurence Fishburne, who played Cowboy Curtis) none of the more familiar names were available to return.

Still, Pee Wee — with gray suit, white-tasseled loafers and unmistakably crisp red bow tie all intact — and his slyly adult sense of humor remains the central focus, in what producer Scott Sanders calls 'a feast for the eyes' with multi-generational appeal. 'The show is part comedy, part play … with original songs, with a rock-and-roll sensibility to it,' Sanders said. 'It's hip, it's smart, it's subversive, it's for all ages. And it has something for people who know Pee-Wee, and something for those who don't.'

As true as Reubens wanted to remain to the original show, Pee-Wee himself might appear to be a little less childlike than he used to be. 'There's a subtle awareness that time has passed,' said Timbers. 'Still the Playhouse is timeless.'

While excited about introducing his character to an entirely new generation of kids, Reubens is also targeting another, more specific demographic. He is hoping that a studio executive or a decision-maker sitting in one of the VIP seats some time during the show's run thinks to himself, 'OMG, this would make a great movie or TV show!'

The Pee-Wee Herman Show runs through Feb. 17 at Club Nokia @ L.A. Live, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles. For tickets, call (800) 745-3000.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Man arrested in killing of theater director]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/80758087.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">80758087</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 5 Jan 2010 19:40:09 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/benbradley-thumb-160x240-1850_THUMB.jpg" length="28680" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[A 25-year-old Mexican national was behind bars Tuesday for allegedly killing a longtime East Hollywood theater director with whom he had a romantic relationship.    

Jose Fructoso was arrested late Monday for allegedly killing Bennett Bradley, 59, who was found dead at 5'50 p.m. Saturday inside his apartment in the 100 block of South New Hampshire Avenue, near the Vermont/Beverly Red Line station. Bradley had been stabbed multiple times and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Capt. Matt Blake, commanding officer of the Olympic area police station, said Bradley -- a director/producer at Fountain Theatre in East Hollywood -- was likely killed around 5 p.m. Friday.    

He said detectives found evidence, which he did not discuss, that led them to Fructoso's residence about a block away from Bradley's apartment around 10 p.m. Monday.    

"We did a surveillance of the residence and we found him walking around near his residence,'' Blake said. "He was taken into custody and has been booked here. Since then a search warrant has been conducted at the residence of the suspect. Evidence has been found that has linked him to the murder, and later on as he was interviewed, [he] confessed to the crime.''    

Blake said Bradley and Fructoso had a "romantic relationship,'' but he would not provide details on a possible motive for the killing.    

"We're coming up with the motive,'' he said. "We believe there's a clear motive but at this point the case is still pending. It has not been filed with the District Attorney's Office yet so we want to keep that.''    

He said a bloody knife was found in Bradley's apartment, and the weapon was being analyzed.    

The Fountain Theatre in East Hollywood is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and Bradley was directing "The Ballad of Emmett Till,'' which is scheduled to open in February. The show is based on the real-life story of a black teenager whose murder helped spark the civil rights movement.    

The body was discovered by a stage manager who went to the apartment to check on Bradley because he did not show up for rehearsals.    

Simon Levy, a producing director at the theater, told the Los Angeles Times that the theater staff met for four hours Sunday and decided to go forward with the show "to honor'' Bradley.    

"We've all been together for such a long time,'' Levy told the Los Angeles Times. "We're just all in shock. We're baffled.... There is hardly anybody in this theater community who does not know Ben in one way or another. He was just this big, loving personality.''    

Funeral services for Bradley were still pending, and the Fountain Theatre established a memorial fund to help offset costs and to help fund the development of new plays in his honor. Details are available online at www.fountaintheatre.com/BenBradleyMemorialPage.htm.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Martin Sheen returns to the stage in 'The Subject Was Roses']]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/79941027.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">79941027</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 22 Dec 2009 16:29:09 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*276/Martin+Sheen+web.jpg" length="16584" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Martin Sheen will star in the Center Theatre Group's upcoming production of 'The Subject Was Roses' at the Mark Taper Forum, 46 years after receiving a Tony Award nomination during its Broadway run.

Sheen played son Timmy Cleary on both Broadway and in the 1968 movie version of 'The Subject Was Roses,' but will play father John Cleary in this production, artistic director Michael Ritchie announced Tuesday.

'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,' Ritchie said.

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,' Ritchie said. 'It makes for compelling theater.'

Frances Conroy, best known for her role as the undertaker's widow in the HBO series 'Six Feet Under,' will play the mother, Nettie Cleary.

Brian Geraghty, whose credits include the critically acclaimed Iraq War film 'The Hurt Locker,' has been cast as Timmy in the Pulitzer Prize-winning depiction 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.

'The Subject Was Roses' will replace the previously announced 'Speed-
the-Plow' by David Mamet as the first production in the Taper's 2010 season at the Music Center and will run from Feb. 10 through March 21. Its official opening will be on Feb. 21.

Tickets will go on sale Jan. 5 and can be purchased by calling (213) 628-2772, online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org, or at the Center Theatre Group box office at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, located at 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown Los Angeles.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Shining her light]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/79472067.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">79472067</guid>		
			<pubDate>Wed, 16 Dec 2009 22:31:47 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*256/Soniah+Spence.jpg" length="26035" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[When Soniah Spence first auditioned for Disney on Ice two years ago, she had her eye on a principal role in their 'High School Musical on Ice' show. 

But when producers called to say they liked her for another role in their Worlds of Fantasy show, chances were the callback wasn't for a leading part.

'There were no Black princesses, so what role could they offer me?' Spence said this week. 'But I accepted it, thinking I'd love any role they would offer and that just being a part of the traveling show would be an honor.'

Little did Spence know that the entertainment giant was adapting its new 'Tinker Bell' movies into an ice-skating show, and that her new role would be as Iridessa the Light Fairy, the first Black fairy in the history of Disney. While the part may not be as high-profile as the much-heralded Tiana in 'The Princess and The Frog,' to generations of African-American girls who until recently had not seen themselves reflected in Disney's popular animated characters, the opportunity represents an important milestone. 

'It's a huge deal, that I didn't have when I was a little girl,' said Spence, whose favorite Disney princess was Jasmine. 'When you're a kid, you don't think about that stuff, you just want to play dress up and wear your favorite Disney princess dress for Halloween — but you really couldn't, because you don't look like any of them. But when you're a kid you don't worry about that, it's when you get older that you realize, 'Wow, there are no princesses that look like me.''

Honored to be a part of a new era, Spence hopes that more principal roles for performers of color will be added to Disney's repertoire. 'Jasmine is still one of my favorites, but I have to say that I've loved seeing little girls dress up like Iridessa,' she said. 'Now I can't wait to see them in Princess Tiana's dress.'

First released in 2008, the new series of straight-to-DVD 'Tinker Bell' movies follow the life of the sparkly pixie and her friends in the time before she met Peter Pan. While identifying with one's own character is important to any entertainer, Spence said her approach to performing is more in line with the struggles — and eventual triumph — of the title character. Tinker Bell's trajectory, she said, is one that 'we all can relate to.'  

'She shows us how to accept our own talent and not try to be somebody else,' Spence said. 'In the story, Tinker Bell is unhappy because her talent is not as glamorous as those possessed by her pals Iridessa and Rosetta. While she's just a tinker, the rest of the fairies get to play with water and light and everything is sparkly. … The story is about her trying to find her talent and when she does, she's really proud of it and realizes that she's just as good as anybody else.']]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Supervisors approve $14 million bond issue for LA Opera]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/78810327.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">78810327</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 8 Dec 2009 15:14:13 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*213/lrg-574-elx_3168_12.JPG" length="34605" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a $14 million private bond offering Tuesday, secured by a lease of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, to support the Los Angeles Opera.    

The unusual and apparently last-minute request for the board's support was required for the LA Opera to meet its debts and maintain a letter of credit, which would otherwise expire next Tuesday, according to opera Chief Operating Officer Steve Rountree.    

The nonprofit organization has raised $30 million to retire its debts, but those pledges by private donors will be paid out over the next three years, leaving the opera unable to meet its immediate obligations.    

"This loan will be repaid. There's no question about that,'' Rountree said.    

Rountree, who is also president of the Music Center, said the opera is breaking even on its operations, having cut administrative costs 22 percent and operating costs 20 percent.    

But prior operating deficits and outstanding debts put the organization at risk. The nonprofit's auditor, KPMG, was holding its opinion of the opera's financial viability, pending the result of the board's vote, according to Rountree.    

Though county Chief Executive Officer William Fujioka said his staff had been working with LA Opera personnel for months to find a solution to its near-term needs, the supervisors were apparently left out of the discussions about bridge financing.    

The proposal for a private placement was adopted as a "last resort,'' Fujioka said. 

Supervisor Michael Antonovich characterized the proposed offering of lease-revenue bonds as a deal struck "behind closed doors, without full participation'' by the board.    

The private placement to support a private, non-county agency represented a "policy change,'' according to both Antonovich and Supervisor Don Knabe.    

The county's help in financing Walt Disney Concert Hall is the only precedent for assistance of this kind, according to Jan Takata of the chief executive's office.    

But Antonovich disagreed, saying Disney offered a poor analogy. He said approving the bond offering would be "opening Pandora's box,'' given the many nonprofit organizations in need.    

"I'm not happy about this,'' said Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, but "taking the long view ... this is the right thing to do,'' given the "very minimal'' risk to the county.    

The assistance to the LA Opera also impacts the Music Center, as the opera pays more than $1.4 million in rent and fees to the center annually.    

Antonovich used the opportunity to raise the issue of next year's $32 million production of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle by the LA Opera, which he has previously criticized because of Wagner's anti-Semitism.    

"Is the county going to be underwriting the Ring Cycle?'' he asked, saying he had spoken with opera staffers who believed the production would lose money.    

Rountree said the bonds would support retirement of the nonprofit's debt, not the opera's operations or the Ring Cycle production. But he added that he expected the production to break even and generate $20 million in ticket sales alone.    

The bonds are expected to be sold with an interest rate of 5.5 percent or less. Interest payments will be made by the county in the form of rent on the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, but repaid by the LA Opera through a separate note.    

The $14 million principal is anticipated to repaid in 2013 through the pledges to the opera by private donors. Many of the individual pledges range from $500,000 to $5 million, according to documentation provided to the board.    

The opera was forced to schedule pledges over a three-year time horizon due to the losses suffered by even its wealthy donors during the financial crisis and current recession.    

The board voted 4-1 in support of the offering, with Antonovich opposed.    

Bank of America Leasing and Capital will manage the offering.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Pee-Wee Herman eyes comeback]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/78798412.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">78798412</guid>		
			<pubDate>Tue, 8 Dec 2009 13:14:15 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/Pee+Wee+Herman-0007.jpg" length="51020" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[ Pee-Wee Herman's ready for a comeback — and he's starting with a stage play.

 'I'm opening a big show in January — the Pee-Wee Herman Show — based on my original stage production, but completely new and rewritten,' Herman, played by creator Paul Reubens, said.

The play could lead to a national tour and maybe another Pee-Wee Herman movie, show producer Scott Sanders told CNN.

'I'm crossing all my fingers and toes that after Los Angeles, I'll get Pee-Wee to say yes, that he'll go and do this elsewhere,' Sanders said.

The stage show will include all the characters from 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' — his CBS television series — including Chairry, Genie, Conky, Magic Screen, Miss Yvonne and Cowboy Curtis, Herman said.

'People are going to see a brand new show, full of incredible, incredible puppets, characters, live action, costumes, a plot, music, Club Nokia,' he said.

Club Nokia is the downtown Los Angeles venue where the show will run for four weeks, starting Jan. 12.

Reubens has rarely appeared in his child-like Pee-Wee persona since 1991, when he was arrested on an indecent exposure charge in a Florida theater.

The character, initially created for an adult alternative comedy audience in 1980, became a big hit with kids because of two movies and a Saturday-morning CBS show that ran for six years. It was canceled after his arrest.

Director Alex Timbers, who grew up watching Pee-Wee Herman, thinks the new show will appeal to all ages.

He's the impulsive character who will do what you're feeling inside,' Timbers said.

Sanders suggested parents could safely bring children 10 and older to see Pee-Wee. 'It would be rated PG if it were a movie,' he said.

'Pee-Wee's got a lot of mischief in him and he's subversive, but he's also kind and warm and loving,' Sanders said.

All of the original actors from the TV show will reprise their roles for the stage play, except for Laurence Fishburne, who played Cowboy Curtis.

Fishburne, who has won Emmys and was nominated for an Oscar since his 'Pee-Wee's Playhouse' days, is busy portraying Dr. Raymond Langston in the 'CSI' TV series, Sanders said. But Herman did call Fishburne to get his approval to hire another actor for the part, he said.

'Just before he hung up, Laurence said to Pee Wee, 'But listen, if you decide you're going to do another movie, I'll get that Jheri curl out and I'll be there for Cowboy Curtis,' Sanders said.

In fact, a new movie has been rumored, but Pee Wee Herman was coy when asked about it.

'A movie could be in the cards,' Herman said. 'Do you know something I don't know?'

But there is no question he has high expectations for his show.

'I hope the whole world, and people on the moon, and Mars and all over the universe get to see me, not just the people on Earth,' Herman said. 'I don't want to be limited to just Earth.'
]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Branching out]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/78555102.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">78555102</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 4 Dec 2009 15:36:25 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*276/Tree2-USEweb.jpg" length="497791" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Sloan Robinson has the features of a Greek goddess, which may explain, in part, why she has been able to credibly portray such legendary beauties Dorothy Dandridge and Josephine Baker. 

Defined by her extraordinarily high cheek bones, smooth bronze skin and model-tall figure — not to mention a wit sharper than Zeus' thunderbolts — Robinson has recently found herself deeply immersed in a completely different world. Her latest role' an aging mother suffering from dementia, an illness the actress says has been ignored for far too long.

Taking on the role of Jessalyn Price in the Ensemble Studio Theatre's moving and poetic production of 'Tree,' by Julie Hebert, was no easy task for Robinson. It was a role she was called upon to audition for by the troupe's acting producing director Isabel Storey, who told Robinson she'd be great for the role.

Robinson had been performing her one-woman show, 'Bananas! A Day in the Life of Josephine Baker,' for two consecutive years. Accepting the new part would mean temporarily closing a show that had been paying some bills and doing another that was an equity waiver production — meaning bills would not be paid as easily. 

But after much thought and after reading just a few pages of the script, Robinson decided 'Tree' would be worth it. The play details her character's struggle with dementia, and illustrates the degree to which aging parents come to rely on their adult children.

'After reading those pages, I knew I wanted the role, it was a role I was willing to fight for,' she said. 'So I went in and I gave the best audition I could.'

Through her one-woman shows, Robinson has often relayed the struggles and the achievements of Black women in the arts. She also tells her own story in the autobiographical 'It's A Good Thing I Knew How to Dance.' The new role is nothing short of a departure, and portraying Jessalyn's battle with dementia has been a learning experience for Robinson.

'This role has any actor's dream written all over it because of the issues that are being dealt with,' Robinson said. 'My character suffers from the beginning stages of dementia, something that is so prevalent in our society right now, and very much misunderstood because people think dementia is Alzheimer's, but it is very different from Alzheimer's or any other disease related dementia, it's like, it's a sense of being lost and uninhibited. With Alzheimer's, a person loses all thought, with dementia it's in and out, caused by the degeneration of brain cells so the brain function gradually deteriorates, and it results in progressive loss of memory, mental abilities and really noticeable personality changes.'

While working with an ensemble cast makes every day exciting — another aspect of this play that differentiates from working solo for so many years —  it is still not easy for Robinson to get into character for each show. As it turns out, getting into Jessalyn is nothing like putting on a costume, Robinson said. 

'It's a mindset,' she said. 'Jessalyn is in the beginning phases of dementia, so she suffers from short term memory, she's aware of what's happening, but gets confused a lot. She has great lucidity of past memories, it's the short term memory that is really, really difficult, and it results in the breakdown of the personality so much that I switch between apathy and aggression, go through severe mood swings, and the memory of the present can just be fleeting. … I don't think we take this disorder serious enough.'

A family's struggle when its matriarch suffers from dementia is only one of the many powerful thematic layers studied by Hebert in 'Tree.' The play also takes on race relations, interracial relationships from the days of slavery to today, and the exploration of family trees.

There is so much that one can take away from watching this play, Robinson said recently, aside from an enriched theatrical experience.

'It's not only about dementia … there's just so much more … that's why I fell in love with this play … but the importance of caregiving, of children growing up and having to put their lives on hold now to care for their parents, it's something that's so important for us to look at and prioritize. There's so much that I love about this play … but its overall language, it's beautifully poetic. … I'm blessed to have received this part over so many other wonderful actresses who auditioned for it, too.'

Robinson has always believed in doing only work in which she can take pride. 'Doing quality work is more important than anything else in this world,' she said. 'I love doing 'Bananas,' because her [Josephine Baker's] life was just so outstanding. What she did for racial relations and what she did for the entertainment business is so important, that unless something else like ['Tree'] comes along, I'm going to keep going back to sharing Josephine's life with people.'

When the lights go out at the theater and the curtain goes down, what does she hope people take home with them? 

'I want them to go home and talk about this show, about the importance of taking care of your parents when they get older, when they are sick, about how life was for people who lived in the Jim Crow era and about researching their family tree … because it's very true what they say, you can't know who you are until you know where you came from.'

'Tree' runs through Dec. 13 at [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. For more information and tickets, call (323) 461-3673.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[‘It’s a form of art that pushes the possibilities of human beings’]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/65810302.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">65810302</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:25:48 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/Ste-Croix-expweb.jpg" length="40800" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

Like The Innocent in Cirque du Soleil&rsquo;s latest production of KOOZA, in the 1970s Gilles Ste-Croix was also in search of his place in the world.

His entrance into show business came in a most unusual and unpredictable way. Ste-Croix, today senior vice president of creative content for Cirque du Soleil, was working as an apple-picker in Victoriaville, Quebec. Speaking with his co-workers, he once mused that the job would be much easier if he could just attach the ladder to his legs &mdash; then proceeded to create his own custom-made stilts.

Little did Ste-Croix know that those stilts were going to lead him to something so grand.

Setting up their trademark blue and yellow Grand Chapiteau (Big Top) at the Santa Monica Pier through December, the company is celebrating its silver anniversary since making its North American debut in Santa Monica 20 years ago.

With KOOZA, Cirque du Soleil &mdash; which is now operating 20 touring shows across the world, simultaneously &mdash; hearkens back to its roots of combining two circus traditions' acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.

Situated at a posh beachfront hotel and wearing a simple T-shirt and faded jeans, Ste-Croix recently spoke to the Independent about KOOZA, why Cirque du Soleil creates outside the box and how exactly a company 4,000 strong manages to stay afloat in a sinking economy.

Why Santa Monica?
The first time we performed in this region was in 1988. In celebrating our 25th anniversary, we realized it was important for us to connect with our past. That first production was a very important moment in Cirque history. It was the first time we played in North America outside of Canada and we were a small company with a 1,700 seat big top. No matter how far we&rsquo;ve traveled or where we&rsquo;ve performed, it was Santa Monica and Los Angeles who made a success out of us, those audiences back then, they created this company today &hellip; and now we are playing all over the world.

I&rsquo;ve heard that opening night is going to benefit two of the area&rsquo;s largest environmental organizations &mdash; The OneDrop Foundation and Heal the Bay. Is KOOZA a green circus?
We try to be as green as we possibly can, with all of our shows. But with the size of our tours, it is very difficult to provide electricity without using fuel. Changing that would require some very, very large solar panels. Of course, we could do smaller shows, but people expect us to give them mega productions. Still, we are very supportive of our environment. OneDrop strives to be an agent of change and influence in making water accessible to everyone, all over the world.

You&rsquo;ve been with Cirque du Soleil since its inception. When you were handed the title of senior vice president of creative content, what was the first thing you wanted to do with in the show?
I&rsquo;ve always been a creator, the title simply changed recently. Every show builds on the previous one. In the year 2000, the company was already big and it was obvious that the company became the platform where different creators could come and really bring the art of circus to other levels, to someplace else. The styles that we use at Cirque du Soleil are really tools for the creators to bring the circus out in different ways. &hellip; My role is coordinating all of the creative processes of the different shows to make sure they evolve.

The definition of KOOZA is a circus in a box, yet Cirque du Soleil has always thought outside of the box. 
People are not used to expecting the unexpected, but with KOOZA, they know they have to. KOOZA begins with a box, where out of this box comes a Trickster. This Trickster carries you through an unexpected world, where fear is present, where humor brings you to the edge, a place that you do not know what the next gag is going to be &hellip; all of that is part of what KOOZA is all about, a box of tricks, and it keeps the audience on the edge.

How big is Cirque du Soleil now, compared to its size of 70 employees back in 1984?
When we first started, it was a temporary show, for the summer only. Now we&rsquo;re year around, with [20] shows we have 4,000 employees, 1,200 of those are artists. KOOZA has 125 people on tour, 52 are artists and it&rsquo;s a major production. We have 25 trucks that carry all of the materials to do this, an entire kitchen, and we have a school on tour because some of our artists have children. Plus, we have young artists who still go to school. Some of our artists were born while on tour, they went to school while on tour, they were child performers with their parents, they graduated from high school while on tour, and now some of them are adult performers in our shows.

Four-thousand employees &mdash; that&rsquo;s a big number. How do children benefit from going to school while being a part of Cirque du Soleil shows?
We have one performer who grew up on the show, and she graduated from high school while on the show, and now she is a solo performer in KOOZA. The great [part] of it all, is that she knows many different languages, not just one or two. People here grow up accepting of other cultures and of knowing other cultures, because they grow up with other cultures. There are at least 20 different origins together on stage with every show. Our shows are a communal effort to entertain the public every night, so if there are differences, they are left outside. In here, we&rsquo;re working and living together. Basically, it&rsquo;s a great lesson how the world can be. If it is possible inside a circus ring, it should be very possible everywhere else. Living and working together is not that hard.

What should audiences expect from KOOZA?
This show is renewed with one great thing about circus art &mdash; tradition. When you come to the circus, you come to see the unexpected, you come to see human beings perform to a limit, what you don&rsquo;t expect is the push of the human possibility. There are acts in the show that push that limit, that push the human possibility. One example of that is Salto del Morte. As a spectator, I believe for a moment that maybe death doesn&rsquo;t exist because he pushed the limit of defying death and survived. That&rsquo;s the only part of the show that pushes the limit like that because we don&rsquo;t risk people&rsquo;s lives, but it&rsquo;s a form of art that pushes the possibilities of human beings.

In thinking outside the box and pushing envelopes, what do you expect from your performers?
Any performer who is dedicated to his art and says I can and I will, that&rsquo;s the only thing that drives artists. I cannot impose on an artist to be a wire walker if he doesn&rsquo;t have it inside of him to say I want to go on that wire, I want to do that. I come from that type of approach, that as a teenager I wanted to do theater, although my parents didn&rsquo;t want me to. So in the &lsquo;80s when I wanted to perform on the street, I thought if I don&rsquo;t do it I will want my children to do it, so I did it and I kept doing it. So today, I am happy to say that there are now 4,000 families who live off the saying' &lsquo;I can do it, I want to do it.&rsquo;

How, in this economy, does Cirque du Soleil stay afloat? 
In today&rsquo;s world, and even in today&rsquo;s economy, people still want to be entertained, people still want something to forget about their worries. Some people go see movies, some people see theater. Families will calculate their funds, but they won&rsquo;t give up on themselves. People say to themselves, we won&rsquo;t forget about this economy, rather we will choose very carefully.

Cirque isn&rsquo;t just fighting against a sinking economy, but it&rsquo;s also being challenged by the digital world. CD sales have dropped because people can download music off the Internet. The same goes for movies, books, etc. How is the circus surviving?
The fact is that you can&rsquo;t do that with live theater, or with the circus and we&rsquo;re holding onto that. When television first came, people thought the movie business would be over. And when [Blockbuster Video] appeared, people thought that theater was going to be over. I think this digital medium will never eliminate the fact that human beings want to experience something live. Plus, people don&rsquo;t like to go anywhere alone, we like to experience shows like this with others; it&rsquo;s a communal effort. It&rsquo;s a human trait in us to experience something live. I think that dates back to the time when people sat around fires and told stories. &hellip; If you have a choice to listen to Pink Floyd album in the privacy of your own home, or listen to them live with 12,000 people around you, you&rsquo;re going to choose the live version. It&rsquo;s a different experience. All of this social media is great, it&rsquo;s a great way to network and keep in touch, but it won&rsquo;t take away the need for humans to see one another eye to eye.
]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			


						
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[CBS Video: Hugh Jackman discusses cell phone incident ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/63697202.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">63697202</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 8 Oct 2009 00:22:20 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	


																																						<description><![CDATA[Hugh Jackman explains to Katie Couric about breaking the fourth wall during a recent performance on Broadway in A Steady Rain when a patron's mobile phone rings twice during an important scene.






]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Taking soul possession of American standards]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/63559277.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">63559277</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 5 Oct 2009 14:55:19 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*214/Billy+Porter.jpg" length="10679" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Like Chaka Khan's era-bending 1995 rendition of Rodgers and Hart's 'My Funny Valentine,' selections from classic songbooks virtually cry out for re-interpretation by contemporary artists. It is in that spirit that Billy Porter pursues his latest artistic endeavor, rethinking the songwriting half of the duo's entire repertoire, by infusing elements of every Black music genre — jazz, blues, soul, R&B, hip-hop and gospel — into works that have become part of the Americana canon.

Just don't suggest that the veteran Broadway performer, who teamed with the Ebony Repertory Theatre to present the fruit of his labor to L.A. audiences this weekend, is trying to breathe new life into material, with a new project that hones in on Richard Rodgers' lyrical flexibility. 

'That's not even possible,' he said on a telephone call from Pittsburgh, where he was headlining the opening of the new August Wilson Center. 'Rodgers' songs are standard, everybody knows them. So to sort of reach back, we're bringing a different kind of life to the songs — not new life — but a different kind of life that speaks to a new generation in the language that the new generation is familiar with.'

He added' 'Oftentimes you don't understand something until you see it or hear it in a language that you're familiar with, and I don't know if people know that that was a Rodgers and Hart song, but when Chaka Khan redid it in 1995, it sounded like a song that was written that day.'

Called 'The Soul of Rodgers,' the revue, which also features performances by Broadway mainstay Shoshana Bean and rising R&B star Ledisi, has dual purposes' demonstrating the timelessness of the source material, and forcing audiences to acknowledge the razor-thin divides, too often drawn along racial lines, that exist in cultural values. 

In the show, Porter himself performs two selections' a hip-hop and gospel-inflected version of 'The Lady is a Tramp,' as well as 'You'll Never Walk Alone.' As for the latter, he's keeping the genre twist as a surprise for opening night.

'The … Rodgers songbook is so recognizable and the melodies are so transcendent that it's quite remarkable, that songs that were written so long ago are still so beautiful,' said Porter, who performed a similar reworking of the Stephen Sondheim songbook in a show called 'Being Alive,' which was performed in East Coast cities. 'That's a testament to really good songwriting. Music is the universal language. So when you have good melodies, they transcend any time periods and they cross cultures — and that's exciting.'

In all, more than 30 Rodgers songs — including 'My Favorite Things,' 'Falling in Love with Love' and 'Some Enchanted Evening' — will be performed. The event doubles as a kickoff to a monthlong, citywide celebration of all things Rodgers that includes a series of concerts, symposiums, staged readings, screenings and cabarets saluting his work.

As the Ebony Repertory winds down its inaugural season, artistic director Wren Brown dispelled any notion that the communities served by his company are not familiar enough with Rodgers' work to fully appreciate what Porter has accomplished. 'Those are some of the great fallacies that still exist out there about our communities,' he said. 'We are very much aware … The idea of introducing new generations to authentic standards is wonderful. I think that's what Natalie Cole did when she performed 'Mona Lisa' with her father, Nat King Cole, many years later through technology.'

In conversation, Brown singles out Porter's abilities for high praise.

'Richard Rodgers is one of the greatest voices that ever produced for American theater, so to be included in celebrating this legacy of this brilliant, brilliant man,  … it is such an extraordinary honor,' Brown said. 'To re-imagine a lot of that work that is so known to so many is exciting, and then to have Billy Porter and his particular brand of genius direct the show, be the writer and arranger and among the performers, is genius.'

The Soul of Rodgers was performed Oct. 2-3 at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, 4718 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles. For other performances celebrating Richard Rodgers, please call (323) 964-9766.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[TMZ Video: Jackman & Craig: Can you hear us now?]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/62514032.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">62514032</guid>		
			<pubDate>Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:14:41 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*191/jackman_craig_tmz.jpg" length="97131" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA["Wolverine and James Bond are not to be messed with, especially when they're doing the whole acting thing."

Read it at TMZ







]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Questions & Answers: Charles Randolph-Wright]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/61322202.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">61322202</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:47:22 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*239/CRWbodycolorweb-Exp.jpg" length="7284" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[

Charles Randolph-Wright is, quite literally, all over the place.

The acclaimed playwright and performer, who got his start in the original Broadway cast of &ldquo;Dreamgirls,&rdquo; will not be able to watch this weekend as his play, &ldquo;The Night is a Child,&rdquo; wraps up a well-received run at the Pasadena Playhouse. He is now on the East Coast, preparing for two openings' his sophomore screen directorial debut, &ldquo;Mama I Want To Sing,&rdquo; starring Hill Harper and pop star Ciara; and a new play entitled &ldquo;Through the Night.&rdquo;

In an interview this week, he discussed the inspiration for &ldquo;The Night is a Child,&rdquo; which is set in Brazil &mdash; a place he says &ldquo;has become [his] second home&rdquo; &mdash; and studies how one family survives great tragedy. He also spoke candidly about the state of the Black arts, and why a lack of diversity has resulted in theater that is &ldquo;not reflective of today&rsquo;s world.&rdquo;

What was the inspiration behind &ldquo;The Night is a Child&rdquo;?
I was in Brazil on an anniversary of Columbine and turned on CNN. I saw the parents of the two students [who committed the killings] running from the press. I immediately thought, &ldquo;What happens when your child does something unforgivable?&rdquo;

Why did you choose Brazil as the setting for your play?
Brazil has become my second home. It is where I go to breathe. I wanted to write about how literally being in a different world forces one to change and see things from a completely different perspective. In this play, the main character travels to a place that is opposite from her Boston home.

Is the idea of hope something new that we&rsquo;re seeing being written into plays, or is it something that&rsquo;s always been a part of theater, we just hadn&rsquo;t seen it before?
I believe that hope is a part of many theatrical journeys. We see it now because we need it, and we are looking for it.

What&rsquo;s the common thread audiences will see interwoven into every one of your plays? Is that something you&rsquo;ve chosen to include in your pieces of work, or does it just come naturally?
I guess that my work always involves someone taking a journey, some type of transformation or change.

What do you like the most about &ldquo;The Night is a Child?&rdquo; Has it inspired another project, or do you prefer to create projects independently from themselves?
I love collisions of worlds. In this play, there is Boston to Brazil, Candomble to Catholicism, darkness to light. I&rsquo;ve had many people e-mail me and talk to me about how this play moved and changed them. I am honored that they received that from something I wrote. Even a priest wrote a sermon about it, which truly moved me. I guess each play leads to the next, but it is not necessarily a direct link.

Being a part of the Pasadena Playhouse&rsquo;s rebirth, how do you see the rebirth of theater in L.A. in general? Can you also comment on how far you think Black theater in general, has come on both coasts in the last 20 years?
That is a difficult question because I believe Black theater is in a precarious position right now. There are fewer theaters that exist, so consequently, fewer new artists of color are being nurtured. I am grateful to Sheldon Epps and Pasadena Playhouse because of their unwavering commitment to diversity.

People usually say &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve come a long way, but we still have a ways to go&rdquo; when asked about theater gaining mainstream recognition over the years? Do you agree, or disagree? And why do you think people still say that?
I don&rsquo;t feel that today&rsquo;s theater is reflective of today&rsquo;s world. The theater does not allow diverse audiences to see themselves. People, especially young people, flock immediately to the Internet. How do we get them to leave the computer for a few hours and experience live theater?

Do you watch a lot of movies, and television? What do you feel is missing? If you were handed the reins to your very own network or studio, what would be the first thing you would do to make sure diversity was a priority?
Hire people of color &mdash; and not just on camera!! I have rarely been hired by someone who looks like me. Therein lies a huge problem.

Do you believe that if not for playwrights of color, then our stories and our history, would never be told?
I believe that all kinds of people can tell all kinds of stories. There are stories that are unique to certain experiences, and no matter the experience, the authenticity is important to the storytelling. My hope is that writers of color are afforded equal opportunities &mdash; sounds like we&rsquo;re back in the &lsquo;60s!

The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena. &ldquo;The Night is a Child&rdquo; closes on Sept. 27. For more information, call (626) 356-7529.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[At awards ceremony, Black theater seen as mounting a comeback]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/56980802.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">56980802</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 3 Sep 2009 12:18:16 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/Tichina+Arnold.jpg" length="59467" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[In its 19-year history, the NAACP Theatre Awards have always exalted stories that embody the evolution of African-American portrayals on stage. During ceremonies held Monday night at the Directors Guild of America, a wealth of Black talent returned the favor by honoring a host organization that is celebrating its centennial.

'The NAACP is historic in itself, so when you're honored for a piece about … history — the story of the Tuskegee Airmen — it gives it an extra punch,' said actor Thom Scott, after he and the cast of 'Black Angels Over Tuskegee' took home the award for Best Ensemble Cast' Local. 'The NAACP paved the way for so many of us, just as the Tuskegee Airmen did. … They stood up for all of us long before we had an African-American president. So does this award have more significance because it's 2009? Yes, it does.'

Hosted by Loretta Devine and Terry Crews, the awards show stage, and audience, overflowed with household names known around the world. Among those participating in the ceremony or simply enjoying the festivities were Eric Benet, Hattie Winston, James Avery, Debbie Allen, Ben Guillory, Louis Gossett Jr., Wendy Raquel Robinson, Henry Simmons, Tamala Jones, Jimmy Jean Louis, Niecy Nash, Elise Neal, Karimah Westbrook and Camille Winbush. 

In the realm of public service, Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks was honored with the 2009 President's Award for his support of the NAACP and the arts.

Actress Audra McDonald, who received the 2009 Trailblazer Award, said she took pride in being among so many inspiring people — each of whom she considered a trailblazer in their own right. 

'It's because of other trailblazers that I am here,' she said in an interview following the awards show. 'It's because of the NAACP, and a lot of other trailblazers, who are responsible for me to be able to do what I do. They opened the doors for me, so to be considered a trailblazer in an honor. … This award says to me, that I'm not done.'

Tichina Arnold, recipient of the 2009 Spirit Award, was introduced by Allen as a performer whose 'heart never leaves the stage,' despite the fame she has achieved for her work on the television sitcoms 'Martin' and 'Everybody Hates Chris.' 

After singing her acceptance speech ('I sang my speech because I've been doing theater all my life — it felt right,' she explained later), Arnold told The Wave that the NAACP Theatre Awards 'represent the reality that there is a lot of theater in L.A. People just don't know about it. … I love it because it represents recognition, humility and hard work.' 

Meanwhile, backstage, actor Hal Williams said he had never before seen such deep enthusiasm for Black theater in L.A. 

'I just came back from the National Black Theatre Festival in North Carolina, and I have to say that I've never seen people more enthused about coming to L.A. for this event,' he said. 'It's an amazing night that proves that Black theater is on the rise, that there is tremendous support here. … I've been around for long enough to know that there has always been an abundance of talent in this town, just no place to display it. That's changed.'

On receiving the 2009 Community Service Award, Pasadena Playhouse Artistic Director Sheldon Epps agreed that growing enthusiasm for theater arts is important, because 'the making of theater — good theater — takes a village. … I've made it my mission to return the community to the theater.'

A full list of the night's winners can be found online at www.bhwdnaacptheatreawards.com. But for Felicia Edwards, who purchased tickets to the event for herself and her daughter, it was important to witness the festivities firsthand.

'I brought my daughter,' a student at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, 'because I thought it was the right time for her to be exposed, from an African-American perspective, to what's going on with theater in L.A.,' Edwards said. 'My job as a parent is to support her if she wants to be an actress, so I figured this would be a peek into the world of theater up close, something she doesn't always see on TV or film. It's so inspirational to see that I was right.'

Those fortunate enough to be in the house were reminded that even as they make strides all the way to the White House, African-Americans must remain vigilant in the sharing of their history. 'If we don't write our stories, then who is going to write them?' asked Nilaja Sun, who took home trophies for Best Playwright and Best Lead Female' Equity for the one-woman show 'No Child …'

'We must,' Sun insisted. 'If we don't, we can't blame others for not doing it. They don't know our stories. … We have to remember, that if no one writes it, others won't know it. … That's what [the late playwright] August Wilson believed. He didn't just see reality, he saw beautiful stories. It was our history.'
]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[He found his own dance community]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/53842682.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">53842682</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:27:51 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*213/USE10.jpg" length="13019" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[When Bradley Rapier, co-creator of the theater production 'Groovaloos,' left his native Canada and his pursuit of a career in medicine more than 10 years ago, he knew it would be a tough but hopefully rewarding road.

His goal was to come to Los Angeles in hopes of living out his dream as a professional dancer.

'On my journey, I came to L.A. to chase my dreams and sort of get established in that,' Rapier said. 'I was drawn to the more street dance culture of popping and locking styles but as I started to do things here I noticed that there wasn't the community of dancers that I thought would be here. There wasn't this [dance] community happening, at least from my perspective and I was missing that.'

There were numerous dancers, he said, but because of the city's sheer size there was not a united dance community. As a result, Rapier began to hold weekly roof-top events at his then small Hollywood apartment, where he would invite people that he either had been working with, had done some choreography for or just met in passing and enjoyed their style of dance.

During the time, Rapier had been trying to solidify himself as a regularly called-upon choreographer, gaining campaigns from the likes of Skechers, iPod, McDonald's and the Gap. But the weekly gatherings cemented the real poppers, lockers, break-dancers and hip-hoppers he would later associate himself with on a full, long-term basis.

They became the Groovaloos. 'The idea of the Groovaloos was a homage to Electric Boogaloos who were my mentors and who I learned from as well. They were a famous popping group,' Rapier said. 'My wife came up with the idea that we like to groove and it wasn't necessarily just popping, it was as long as you were jamming and on rhythm you were grooving, so we came up with Groovaloos.'

By 1999, when he was asked by legendary dancer Joe Tremaine to develop a finale piece for National Dance Day, they were 11 members strong. 'We did the show in April 1999 for Debbie Allen, who hosted Joe Tremaine's National Dance Day [and] everyone went crazy,' Rapier said. 

Unlike many showcases at the time that only displayed one dance style, 'We would do different styles [such as] popping, locking, breaking and we put them within one show. ... It would be pure popping, then the music would change and I would find a way for the lockers to come over the top and they would rock and then the breakers would fly through the middle and I kept finding ways to weave it into this one massive mix. And the girls would come in with their freestyle hip-hop and the other element besides mixing the styles together was finding a way for individuals to be put out there.'

Dancers, he noted, are often taught to carry out steps but do so in the background without ever really having a chance to come to the forefront. But for Rapier, it is their characters and expressions while dancing that electrify him the most. And that is what seemingly electrified the audience that day.

After going on to win the America Street Dance Championships as well as other accolades, Rapier started a series of how-to hip-hop DVDs called 'Grooving with the Groovaloos.' Looking to insert some bonus footage, 'I said 'hey let me ask the Groovaloos why do you dance [and] why are you in the Groovaloos?'' he said.

'I had known these people now for three or four years but the answers they gave me were eye opening. It turned out that none of us were [originally] from L.A. Every one of us was like an orphan in a sense because we came to L.A. trying to figure it out and were struggling. We were so diversified. ... When they gave me their answers it came down to 'if I didn't dance I basically wouldn't exist. If I wasn't with the Groovaloos I'd probably quit [or] I danced to escape my father's abuse.' It was heartfelt, powerful and honest.'

He then scratched the idea of adding bonus footage and instead blended their dance moves with their personal testimonies, making it one cohesive story. With the help of Danny Cistone, director and Groovaloos member, they launched their first theater-like performance, 'Evening with the Groovaloos,' in April 2003 at the Carnival in North Hollywood.

Later that year, they rented out the El Portal Theatre — where the Groovaloos are scheduled to perform again this year from Friday through Aug. 30 — for a week. 

'We went to work on tweaking the show and making the story stronger,' he said. 

But just weeks before they were set to go on, tragedy hit. 'One of our major members, an original member named Steven Stanton, got shot. … I was about to stop and just say forget it. I saw him in the hospital, he wasn't supposed to be able to walk again. He got shot in the spine and had a spinal cord injury. They said he would never walk again let alone dance. [But] he said to me 'you're not going to not do this show, figure out a way to do it.'' 

And so Rapier did. In 2005, they went on to perform at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank, Cal State Los Angeles in 2007, the Orange County Performing Arts Center in 2008 and this year at the El Portal Theatre. 

'The initial inception of the show has very similar roots of the show now but was not as developed,' Rapier said. Today, with 14 members — seven of whom are originals — 'we continue to develop the story line and go deeper and deeper and press in on the individual stories. They're true stories. Each of us is telling our own story' and is reflected by voice overs and spoken word.  

Stanton's injury has become a big part of the show, he said, largely because it makes people question what they would do if they could not live out their profession. And it serves as a symbol of hope for those who, like one member,  have suffered from abuse. 

'Dance is a metaphor for life for us,' Rapier said. 'It's not just a show for dancers.']]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Going with the flow]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/53179372.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">53179372</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:00:27 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																														
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/Spamalot+Tourweb-Web.jpg" length="157843" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[After a decade of taking on dramatic roles in some of the most demanding productions in theater — including the lead in 'Aida' on Broadway — Merle Dandridge might look today like she is burdened by the 10-pound wig and 50-pound costume required in her current role. 

But actually, Dandridge's part as The Lady of the Lake in a touring production of 'Spamalot' has given the performer a rare opportunity to relax.

Currently starring alongside John O'Hurley and Ben Davis in the popular musical based on the 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail' screenplay, Dandridge — no relation to the legendary Dorothy Dandridge — has gotten to know her role better than she ever imagined she would after being cast in the Broadway production two years ago.

Dandridge joined the national tour about a week after her stint on the Broadway production ended. While she's been able to capture audiences through her more dramatic roles before 'Spamalot,' her role as The Lady of the Lake is flooring contemporaries she's worked with for the last decade, who have known her only as a dramatic actress. As for her friends and others close to her — those well aware of Dandridge's zany side — they see the role as a perfect fit for her natural silliness.

'They love it, they tell me this is exactly the kind of show I should be doing,' Dandridge said, laughing. 'I think they say that because they'd much rather I take my silliness out on stage than on them.'

The show's current run at the Ahmanson Theater marks the first time the international hit musical comedy has been presented in Los Angeles. 'Spamalot' is a highly irreverent parody of the Arthurian legend, but is quite different from the 1975 film on which it is based. The stage production recounts the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table and their quest for the Holy Grail, but features a chorus line of dancing divas and knights, flatulent Frenchmen, killer rabbits, an armless and legless knight, and most importantly for Dandridge, a woman who emerges from a lake. The character, a fairy myth parody that is exclusive to the musical, is nowhere to be found in the film version of the story.

'The Lady of the Lake is the prize in this show,' said Dandridge in an interview this week. 'If you've never seen this show, you're not expecting The Lady of the Lake — she just comes out of the blue, and just when you think you know who she is and what her role is going to be, because of the beautiful, sparkling costume and the hair and the seaweed, then Bam!, she does stand-up and she completely turns the role on its head … and I love that.'

In 'Aida,' Dandridge performed 11 songs. The performer found it liberating to go from such a precise and vocally demanding role to one that actually allows for improvisation. 'This is such a wonderful and free-spirited show. You just let your hair down and laugh,' she said. 'In person, out of costume, I can be a silly person, so it's funny, because my contemporaries have never seen me use my chops on stage like this. So to be able to do this and in the presence of comedic geniuses like the Monty Python creators, it's been an amazing experience just to see these comedic geniuses take their gifts to task.'

Dandridge was fully acquainted with The Lady of the Lake role when she first auditioned, because she had seen actress Sara Ramirez originate it on Broadway. 'Sara was an incredible Lady of the Lake,' Dandridge said. 'She is so unbelievably talented … she is a force and she's beautiful, and that voice is just insane. … So to get the opportunity to step into a role that she created … it is quite an honor. … It's so great to do something you love so much, and have so much fun with it. I love it.'

In New York, The Lady of the Lake was elevated out of the water by an onstage lift. While that doesn't happen in the L.A. production, the weighty costume, big hair piece, flowing seaweed and sparkles that fill the theater upon Dandridge's first appearance on stage transports audiences to the Arthurian period. And while most characters from that period are usually taken seriously, in 'Spamalot,' it's hard to take much of anything serious at all.

'And you'll want to take them serious when the characters first come out, and especially when The Lady of the Lake steps on the stage, but almost immediately, you learn that you can't take her seriously for too long,' said Dandridge. 'She comes on stage with all this glitz and glamour and beauty, like a demanding presence, then all of the sudden she pokes fun at herself and what she's wearing.'

While the comic portrayal hasn't changed her love for drama, Dandridge said it has pivoted her career in a new direction, one that she's looking forward to pursuing.

'Fortunately for me, it's an easy fit,' Dandridge said. 'There are times when you worry as an actress if you're going to get to come back the next day, and all you do is try to keep up with the role. But with this one, I can go out there and just be as silly as possible. And for me, that's the easy fit.'

'Monty Python's Spamalot' runs through Sept. 6 at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. For more information, tickets or times, interested persons may call (213) 972-4400.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Theater Review: Audiences asked to ‘Stand’ up for clever live improv]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/53177972.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">53177972</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:36:14 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*171/One+Night+Standuse.jpg" length="14050" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Marc Platt, the producer who brought Los Angeles audiences the Broadway hit 'Wicked,' brings audiences a delightful and inventive musical experience with 'One Night Stand,' where everything — music, lyrics, characters, choreography, plot and dialogue — is improvised.  

This is the fourth L.A. run from critically acclaimed improv/musical theater veterans coming straight from selling out at the 2008 Edinburgh Fringe Festival. 

These seven young performers, all under 25 years of age, spontaneously create a totally different musical improv show every performance. I enjoyed every minute and it was exciting to experience this creative process happening, literally moment to moment.

One of the cast members asks for a made-up title of a musical that has not been produced. He asks for a location and a made up name of a song. It is magical to watch these six young, multi-talented performers and classical pianist/musical director Andrew Resnick create something out of nothing more than three audience suggestions. 
 
The impressive cast includes Quinn Beswick, Kobi Libii, Josh Margolin, Samantha Martin, Jonah Platt (co-producer, director and performer), and Mollie Taxe. They all have 'quick silver' minds and I'd like to bottle their energy.  

The title our audience suggested was 'Pockets With Holes In Them.' Our song title was 'Drama In a Car Wash.' And, the best for last, our location was 'The Grand Old Opre in Tennessee.' Turn these three suggestions into a clever musical with a believable plot and a series of plot twists with interesting characters. Sure.
 
I have seen actors attempting to do this fall flat on their faces. Not so for this motley crew. They seemed to relish and delight in the inane suggestions. The more challenging the better. And, the fun they had in creating our improvised musical was infectious. I found myself laughing so much my sides hurt. I am in awe of their tremendous talent.

I can tell you our story, but the one you see will be just as unique. We have the group opening number at the Grand Ol' Opry with Little June and her Little Junes singing 'Life's Been Kind For Me.' Marie Curie, an over the hill singer sings 'If You Have One Shot At Life Just Live.' The promoter, (Jonah Platt) wants to push his son Ben into being a singing star. Ben wants no part of stardom and just wants to clean up after people. He bursts into 'Made For Sweeping.' His dream is to go to Hollywood and clean big houses of the rich and famous. And his mother, Isabella supports him in fulfilling his dream. 

Meanwhile, aging singing star Marie Curie sings in her hotel room, 'Hit The Road' as her old crotchety manager tells the new maid, Alberta Einstein, how to keep Marie happy. Ben finds himself with two bums who quickly become a gay homeless couple. I could see surprise on their faces as they gave in to the process to create two of the funniest characters in the musical. They sing 'Movin Up' to Ben and encourage him to pursue his dreams. Alberta discovers her place in life, her 'pea box' is on the stage. She doesn't belong in hotel rooms cleaning for stars like Marie. She belongs on the stage as a star.  

Next is a 'girl guy' duet with — you guessed it — Ben and Alberta. She is his perfect girl, and she has his dream job. 'Go With Your Gut; Follow Your Dream.'  How to get these two together? Hey, we have to get in the Hollywood car wash because it was an audience suggestion. So, Ben gets a job at … the Hollywood Car Wash and brings in the gay, homeless couple. 'Hold To Your Values Bennie' becomes a hysterical song. 

Ultimately, Alberta gets her chance to be a star, Ben gets to clean for her and gets the girl, and the song title 'Drama At The Car Wash'  becomes a production number. Ben's folks come to Hollywood and father and son reconcile their differences. Then dad, the promoter can get Alberta on stage at the Grand Ol' Opry. 'Pow, Pow, Drama At The Car Wash' ends this spontaneous, delightfully witty show. Amazingly, they got all three audience suggestions and created a funny, original improvised musical. All shows will be completely different and audiences will enjoy being part of the creative process.

'One Night Stand' runs through Aug. 22 at the Hudson Theatre Guild, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood. For tickets and show times call (323) 960-7779.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Review: 'Guys and Dolls']]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/52693092.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">52693092</guid>		
			<pubDate>Fri, 7 Aug 2009 15:49:48 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*280/bielweb.jpg" length="13091" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[I cannot think of a better place to be on a muggy summer night than at the Hollywood Bowl in a box seat watching Frank Loesser's ever memorable production of 'Guys and Dolls.' 
 
This was a full-scale production with 35 cast members. Choreographer, Donna McKechnie used the narrow, circular path around the orchestra pit effectively and her dance numbers were exciting. Director, Richard Jay-Alexander's direction was swift and dynamic. Evan A. Bartoletti's sets were colorful and integral to the Bowl's stage and a stand out was the lighting design by Tom Ruzika which set the moods through his usage of bold color.  

I loved the costumes by Thomas G. Marquez. His costumes for the Havana dance scene and 'A Bushel and a Peck' were whimsical and striking as were the gangster 'zoot' suits for the men.

Adelaide (the ever delightful Ellen Greene) had a knock-out leopard one shoulder skin-tight sheath paired with spike heels in a different leopard print and a cream fur stole.

The stellar cast included Tony Award winner, Brian Stokes Mitchell, touted as 'The last leading man' by the New York Times. He was well cast in the Marlon Brando role as the irresistible smooth, gambler, Sky Masterson. His performance was sexy and exciting in the song, 'Luck Be A Lady Tonight' and thoughtful and sentimental in 'My Time of Day' and 'I've Never Been In Love Before.' Brian has the looks, the moves, an incredible vocal instrument and a long, long list of formidable Broadway credits. Greene, ('Little Shop of Horrors' fame) was an outstandingly ditzy Adelaide.  There was a little Lucille Ball, a little Judy Holliday and a lot of Ellen Greene in the show stopping, 'Adelaide's Lament' and 'Take Back Your Mink.' Ever handsome, Scott Bakula known mostly for his film and television roles was perfect as the ner-do-well gambler, Nathan Detroit. Versatile Jason Graae was Benny Southstreet, Jody Ashworth was Lt. Brannigan, Beau Bridges was Arvide Abernathy, and Ken Page was Nicely-Nicely Johnson. He got an ovation with his soul rousing rendition of 'Sit Down, You're Rockin the Boat.' I last saw Ken Page in Reprise's 'Damn Yankees' and he just gets better and better. Ruth Williamson gave a marvelous comedic performance as the straight-laced Gen. Mathilde Cartwright.  

The surprise for me was Jessica Biel as Sarah. Could this model-turned-actress sing? Yes! Jessica Biel has a lovely soprano voice. It was clear as a bell in 'I'll Know,' 'If I Were A Bell,' and her duet with Sky, 'I've Never Been in Love Before.' This gal can sing and she certainly has comedic talents as well. She was adorable in the Havana scene. Sky plies her with Dolce de Leche, (Bacardi) and after downing several of the very potent alcoholic drinks, Sarah lets her hair down and lets loose. The stiff, proper Salvation Army Sergeant is forgotten as she transforms into a flirty, funny and slightly drunken doll who also can dance and well!  

Were there hitches? Yes, the sound system for Gen. Cartwright did not work and gave static and was off in her first number. Jessica Biel forgot a cue and actually broke character and said to Arvide Abernathy, 'Beau I missed my cue.' Beau Bridges took it in stride and laughingly commented, 'You must be more tired than I am' and continued after missing a beat. While Bridges is not a singer per se, he did a good job acting his song, 'More I Cannot Wish You.'

I have seen Loesser's 'Guys and Dolls' before in a smaller venue and at the large scale Hollywood Bowl, the intimacy would have been lost without the use of the big screens. I don't know how well the musical played to those way back. From the vantage point of my box seat, it was fine. It must have been okay for those patrons way back because there was thunderous applause after Act 1 and a standing ovation at the end.  

Loesser's 'Guys and Dolls,' A Musical Fable of Broadway opened on Broadway in 1950 and ran for 1, 200 performances. It won five Tony's in 1951 and still wows us today. The 1955 film version directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz starred Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, Jean Simmons and Vivian Blaine. It is based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon. 

It is the age-old story of 'opposites attract' as Sarah Brown, (Jessica Biel) the repressed anti-gambling, anti-drinking girl who is out to save sinners falls for a smooth talking, gambler, Sky Masterson (Brian Stokes Mitchell). He has made a bet with Nathan Detroit (Scott Bakula) a small time hood who has been engaged to Miss Adelaide (Ellen Greene) for 14 years. The bet is that Sky cannot get a doll, namely Sarah to go to Havana for dinner with him. Sky has given a marker to Sarah and will guarantee that he will bring a dozen sinners to her mission. In Havana, Sky gets Sarah drunk on 'milk,' Dulce de Leche and she professes her love to him in the delightful 'If I Were A Bell.'  

The other love story is between Adelaide and Nathan Detroit (Scott Bakula).  Adelaide is a singer-dancer at the Hot Box. For years, she has been lying to her mother. The fabrication is that she married Nathan who is an assistant manager at an A and P and they have five children with a sixth on the way. In reality, Nathan keeps 'stalling and stalling the wedding trip.'  He sings 'Sue Me' to Adelaide as he breaks the date for the marriage again. The dolls meet on the street and do the soul sister number, 'Marry the Man Today' as they commiserate. Sky delivers the dozen sinners and saves Sarah's mission and both he and Nathan Detroit transform into the men their women would have them be.
 
Ah, the healing and transformational power of love. Adelaide appears in a wedding gown and Nathan who now runs a newsstand comes out in a tux and Arvide Abernathy marries them. He had already joined Sky, who uses his real name, Obadiah and Sarah in holy matrimony and Sky, reformed gambler, marches to a 'different drummer.'  He is the Bass Drum player in the Salvation Army Band. The conflicts are resolved and 'all's well that ends well.']]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Taking Center: Stage]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/51515347.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">51515347</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jul 2009 14:21:14 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*240/USE8.jpg" length="12925" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Three of television's brightest actors were tapped to unveil nominees for the 19th Annual NAACP Theatre Awards on Tuesday in downtown L.A., but it was the words of an unexpected guest that struck a chord in a full house gathered in downtown Los Angeles.

'If you don't have a strong foundation, then you have nothing,' Rohan Marley, an event sponsor and son of reggae legend Bob Marley, told the audience of thespians at the New LATC. 'I am happy to be a part of the NAACP Theatre Awards especially as the NAACP celebrates its 100 years of existence. … I know my father would have loved to be right here where I am right now.'

Scheduled for Aug. 31 and again preceded by a two-day Theatre Festival (Aug. 29-30), the awards celebrate the theatrical achievements of people of color over the past year.

With 30 categories ranging from Best Choreography to Best Set Design, topping this year's nominees are 'Two Trains Running,' 'Emergency' and 'Of Equal Measure' — each earning seven nods. Six nominations apiece went to 'Ragtime,' 'Gem of the Ocean' and 'Once On This Island.' Sloan Robinson's one-woman show, 'Bananas!,' tied 'Atlanta' with four nominations.

Executive producer Tia Boyd said this year's quality of work is exceptional, adding that with each passing year — 2009 marks her fourth at the helm of the awards show — the bar is raised. 'I didn't get a chance to see of a lot of the work nominated this year, but what I did see was excellent,' she said. 'There are truly amazing, talented people out there.'

For Black Gents of Hollywood player Layon Gray, up for an acting award for his role in 'Black Angels Over Tuskegee,' 'it's just an honor to be nominated against such great talent.' 

Having seen some of his competitors' work — he singled out Yves Lola St. Vil's thrice-nominated 'The Bones of a Lesser Man,' which he called an 'excellent play' — Gray considers the annual awards a linchpin for the Black arts scene. 'It's more like a family reunion,' he said in a post-press conference interview. 'I know a lot of people here, and each and every one of them is a great talent. … So for me, it's wonderful to be nominated. If there was any award that I would just love to be nominated for, it would be an NAACP Theatre Award.'

Actor Hosea Sanchez, who joined Brian White and actress Elise Neal to unveil the nominations, joked with the audience that the NAACP Theatre Awards were '[the] Oscars' for African-Americans working on stage.

'Being nominated for this award has an extra special meaning for me because of the long history of the NAACP and what it has done for the African-American community and for the world,' said Thom Scott, a founding member of Black Gents of Hollywood. 'So yes, this is our Oscar as far as theater is concerned … that's why it has a sentimental value to be nominated.'

Four-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald and NAACP Image Award winner Tichina Arnold will receive this year's Trailblazer Award and Spirit awards, respectively. 'Audra McDonald is amazing,' Boyd said, 'and Tichina Arnold is a huge talent — her recognition is long overdue.'

Wren T. Brown, founder of the Ebony Repertory Theatre Company — whose 'Two Trains Running' is a leading nominee — tipped his hat to the success of L.A.'s Black theater community. 'I have seen a lot of the work that was nominated here today,' he said, 'and I have to say that I am very proud of [how] theater is developing in Los Angeles … it's growing in a wonderful way, and I'm very proud to be a part of that.'

Calling theater 'the heartbeat of the human condition,' festival director Clarence Williams III said the slate of nominees embodies 'what the media is calling the resurgence of theater in Los Angeles.'

'The work nominated here today represents just that,' he said. 'The variety in the writing and the artistry that we see here today has raised the bar. Theatre is the real training ground for talent. There's a brand new excitement to know that studios have recognized that. What is wonderful about the NAACP Theatre Festival and Awards show is that we can show the world that … we can take an idea, a thought, and create magic with it. That's the real artistry here. That's what I believe the NAACP Theatre Awards honor.'

The NAACP Theatre Awards take place Aug. 31 at the Directors Guild of America in Hollywood. The Theatre Festival takes place Aug. 29-30 at The New LATC, 514 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. For information, call (323) 464-7616.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[L.A. approves $30 million loan for Cirque du Soleil ]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/52622392.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">52622392</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 6 Aug 2009 18:06:09 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*228/Cirqueweb.png" length="132857" type="image/png" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[The City Council approved a plan Tuesday to lend the owner of the Hollywood & Highland complex $30 million in federal funds to retrofit the Kodak Theatre so it can house Cirque du Soleil performances for a decade.

The proposal still requires the signature of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

CIM Group, which owns the Hollywood & Highland complex and leases the Kodak Theatre, intends to spend the money to build a rehearsal center and a sub-stage 45 feet below the existing stage.

It hopes to hold the first Cirque du Soleil show there in 2011.

City Council President Eric Garcetti, whose district includes Hollywood, strongly endorsed the loan of federal funds.

'This is no city money — this is about middle-class jobs, construction jobs, hospitality jobs and stagehands and theater-related jobs in the long term,' he said. 'Let's be business friendly, and make this loan.'

Local officials estimated that Cirque du Soleil shows at the Kodak Theatre could bring 1.2 million visitors to the city every year, many of them tourists. Cirque du Soleil plans to base the shows on the history of movies.

The $30 million loan will be funded with federal money set aside for economic development purposes under the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Section 108 program.

Garcetti said he was confident the loan will be repaid in full since the show would only need to sell 60 to 65 percent of tickets every night to break even, and Cirque du Soleil shows in Las Vegas routinely sell at least 85 percent of their tickets.

CIM will kick in $20 million on top of the $30 million federal loan, which will be secured with the Hollywood & Highland complex. Cirque du Soleil will invest $50 million into the project.

The federal loan requires that at least one full-time job be created or retained for every $35,000 spent. CIM and its partners have pledged to create 858 jobs, but Garcetti said that number is expected to go up significantly, given the complexity of Cirque du Soleil's circus acts.

Many of the jobs will go to Angelenos, since Cirque du Soleil has promised to use the city's Worksource Centers to look for applicants.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA['Doll' parts]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/52116527.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">52116527</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:32:51 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*213/newguys200.jpg" length="36402" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[When the Hollywood Bowl is transformed into 1950s New York this weekend for a revival of 'Guys and Dolls,' it will be the culmination of a rapid-fire two weeks of preparation by all-star cast that includes Jessica Biel, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Scott Bakula, Ellen Green and Beau Bridges. 

Also in the ensemble, having crammed months' worth of rehearsal time into just a few days, will be two Los Angeles-based dancers, both 22-year-old Puerto Rico natives, who remain floored at the opportunity that the production has provided them with so early in their careers.

'I have to tell you that I am having the time of my life doing this show,' said Oskar Rodriguez in an interview early this week, during a break from rehearsals at the Bowl. 'I wasn't sure I was what they were looking for in the audition, I almost walked out because I thought I was too young, but I'm so glad that I stayed.'

Born in San Juan, Rodriguez has been performing since he was 16, and already counts the likes of Ednita Nazario, Manny Manuel and Thalía among his recent collaborators. An L.A. transplant via New York City, his film credits include 'Dirty Dancing' Havana Nights' and 2007s 'Cougar Club.' The finishing touches are now being put on his latest project, a film with Mexican director Emilio Vega that will debut later this year as part of a groundbreaking Latino Film Festival in Lynwood.

Rodriguez, who acknowledges that he had to learn English in a very short period of time, sees clear parallels between the character he plays in 'Guys and Dolls' and his own journey to America from his native island. He isn't just playing a young kid arriving in New York, looking up at the big lights and being wowed' 'That was me at one point,' Rodriguez said. 'That doesn't happen to a lot of young kids from Puerto Rico.'

Working with cast members he's only heard about or read about or watched on the big screen, Rodriguez said he's very impressed with how humble and dedicated people are on the set.

'It's been so a wonderful experience, just to meet some of these people, to see how they are just regular people like you and me, and then watch them work,' said Rodriguez. 'It's amazing to know that here I am on stage with people that I've admired since I was a little kid, and I'm coming from this little town in Puerto Rico, and I'm being given the opportunity to perform alongside them. It's overwhelming.'

Alongside Rodriguez, also portraying a dancer in a pivotal scene set inside a Havana nightclub, is Angelo Rivera. A longtime admirer of 'Guys and Dolls' — which premiered in 1950, ran for 1,200 performances, and won 15 Tony awards — he is especially excited about the creative energy that his director is bringing to the production.

'This show set the stage, literally, for musicals,' said Rivera, who also portrays a craps shooter in the show, and has appeared on Broadway in 'The Lion King,' among other credits. ''Guys and Dolls' has always been an all-time Broadway favorite. This is my first time doing this show, but I can see why performers love doing this show over and over again. But I will tell you something — Richard Jay Alexander has brought something special to this version.'

Watching the all-star cast meld together for the show has also been an awe-inspiring experience for Rivera. 'It's been both challenging and wonderful at the same time,' said Rivera, referring to the short-time frame the entire cast was given to rehears before the show's July 31 opening. 'Still, there are some phenomenal people working on this show, and everyone works together. It's amazing to watch it all come together in such a short period of time, so that's why it's exciting … seeing the caliber of talent involved with the show, then watching everyone come together and work their magic, it's beyond words.'

'Are you kidding me? Right now, I feel like I'm ready for anything,' he said. 'Watching this show come together and watching all of these people, has inspired me … so right now, well maybe not this weekend, I feel like anything at this point can be thrown at me and I'll be ready for it.'

'Guys and Dolls' in Concert opens July 31 with a show at 8 p.m. There is a second show Aug. 1 at 8'30 p.m. and a third show on Aug. 2, at 7'30 p.m. The Hollywood Bowl is located at 2301 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood. For more information or for tickets, call (323) 850-2050.]]></description>
										</item>
																
																					
				
						


	

			

	
																	
						
		
		


	

							
															
								
				
		
											
									
				
											<item>
			<title><![CDATA[Cash-poor but still comedy-rich]]></title>
															<link>http://www.laindependent.com/entertainment/stage/52102797.html</link>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">52102797</guid>		
			<pubDate>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 14:28:12 PDT</pubDate>
			<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>																	

	
											
																															
													



															<enclosure url="http://media.laindependent.com/images/320*291/Tomuse.jpg" length="106959" type="image/jpeg" />
																																																			<description><![CDATA[Bernie Madoff stands at the entrance to the transitional gates of heaven and hell. Noticing a friendly face checking in the celestial line, he opts for the former. 'Have you been good a good man asks the doorkeeper?' No, replies Madoff. 'I stole $50 billion from my clients and spent the money on wine, women and New York penthouses.'

'Well, we all makes mistakes,' says the doorkeeper, who waves him right in. 'Thanks Ken, the check's in the post,' nods Bernie.

The recession is no laughing matter and especially to people who have been wiped out by the crooked Madoffs and Kenneth Lays of this world, but sometimes levity is the only way to get through it. As Monty Python wittily refrained, 'Always look on the bright side of life.'

Here in Los Angeles, The Laugh Factory has been doing its bit for the cause with a twice weekly economic cheer up show, 'Laughing with the Stars,' playing every Wednesday and Thursday at 10 and eight p.m. respectively (The Laugh Factory Long Beach also hosts a show at 8 p.m. on Thursday's).

There's free admission to the shows to anyone who can show proof of their unemployment. Meanwhile, the L.A. Thursday shows are hosted by comedian Tom Arnold, no stranger to the ups and downs of this wonderful life.

In fact, it's the first time in over 20 years that the thrice-married, former addict and sports show host has taken to the boards. 

'I volunteered to MC the show,' explained Arnold, 51, in an interview with The Independent before a set last Thursday.

'Jamie [Laugh Factory owner Jamie Masada] does a lot of stuff for charity, so we worked out this night. For people down on their luck they hear about my life and go, 'You know things ain't that bad.''

As a proud, blue collar, working class liberal native of Ottumwa, Iowa, Arnold holds a sanguine perspective  on life's hard knocks.

'I say enjoy it now because you will be working again,' said Arnold. 'That's what I learned from the Redneck nation, not like white trash redneck, but Middle America. I'm from Ottumwa, Iowa, they work hard and when they're not working they play hard because they know they'll be working again. A lot of people live like that forever. 

They're close to their families, friends, the church and hold on to one another. In L.A. and New York it freaks people out when they lose their jobs.'

He added' 'When you've never been rich, you seem to be happier. I've traveled all around the world and the happiest people don't have much, but they have their families and friends.'

Ironically, this avowed liberal is also very much in the camp of his friend and former 'True Lies' co-star, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

'He's got 14 months and then he can play Harry [Harry Trasker, Schwarzenegger's 'True Lies' character] again and I'm really looking forward to it,' quipped Arnold.

'On the whole knife thing, I told him not to Twitter without my say-so, but I think he's doing a job. First of all, he wants to tax marijuana, which is our biggest cash crop. He worked out a deal with the Indian reservations and he wants to legalize gay marriage. That will bring in another $1.3 billion to the state.

'I thought it was interesting that the day of the special election when he knew his initiatives were gonna fail, he went to see Barack Obama and came back with $7 billion, the amount he would have made [on those ballots]. He's one step ahead. I believe in the guy, he's doing the job for free and I admire what he's given up and does.'

Arnold is also spreading the love to the younger standup fraternity, some of whom are cutting their teeth writing for network and cable shows, inviting them to perform on his economic cheer nights. 

'The night Michael Jackson [and Farrah Fawcett] died I came on and said 'I feel terribly, I can't get over the fact that John Salley didn't win 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here.'. Then a young female African-American comic said 'Yeah, what a sad day it is for America when two of our greatest white icons have passed.' That's great thing about comedy, it brings people together.']]></description>
										</item>
										</channel>
	</rss>
 