THE BIZ REPORT: West Coast Ensemble celebrates its 27th anniversary with a benefit evening of Greatest Hits hosted by special guest Sam Harris. Songs and performances from their hit musicals of the past 5-10 years will be presented at the Colony Theatre on Monday, March 23. Following a light reception and vodka tasting, the evening features several of the Ensemble’s talented performers recreating songs from their most popular musicals…Pasadena Playhouse‘ awesome production of Stormy Weather starring the mesmerizing Leslie Uggams has broken all box office records, which is especially difficult to do during this national economic downturn. Ticket sales have surpassed both Ray Charles Live and Sister Act the Musical despite the average ticket price of $50 for Stormy Weather and $70 for the other productions. However, Interim Managing Director Ken Novice reminds patrons, “While we are thrilled with box office receipts, we cannot exist on ticket sales alone. We must also reach a goal of raising $1 million in donated revenue in the first quarter.” This summer, in an effort to weather the downtown, they are co-producing Crowns with the Ebony Repertory Theatre as one of their 2009 subscription offerings. Crowns received four Washington D.C. Helen Hayes Awards, including Best Regional Musical…
THE BOOK NOOK: Stefan Kanfer has written an unsentimental biography of the actor whose name is continually “mumbled” in reverence by members of the theatrical community. Somebody, The Reckless Life and Remarkable Career of Marlon Brando published by Knopf depicts Brando’s journey from Nebraska where he was born in 1924, to a stunning Broadway debut (Streetcar Named Desire), Hollywood fame, personal tragedies and his passing in 2004 at age 80 suffering from obesity, pulmonary fibrosis, diabetes, cardiac failure and an enlarged liver indicating the presence of cancer. This enigmatic, iconic symbol to actors (and many directors) chose a path of self-destruction yet his work continues to be studied and emulated…The late Milton Katselas, another iconic presence to many actors, wrote Acting Class, Take a Seat before his passing last year. While the list of “how to” books by acting teachers and directors are often reminiscent of the last one read, Katselas adds an interesting component to the mix. Along with a breakdown of his acting technique, two thirds of this book is devoted to the elements of “Attitude and Administration.” While Katselas emphasizes the primary importance of developing yourself as a person along with your acting technique he believes, “More artists have screwed themselves up by lack of administration than by lack of talent. Unlike composers, writers and painters, the actor cannot be discovered after he dies.” Take a seat with Katselas’ Phoenix Books publication and enjoy his sharp perspective.
CD CORNER: If you saw The Marvelous Wonderettes’ original stage production at the El Portal, this delightful Off-Broadway cast recording will conjure up images of a fun-filled evening. If you didn’t see it but want to be transported to “girl music” of the ’50s and ’60s, add this CD to your collection. Act I brings back images of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand of the ’50s (even if you’re too young to have seen the original telecasts) with such golden oldies as “Mr. Sandman,” “Stupid Cupid” and “Dream Lover.” Act II is a nod to the fabulous girl groups of the ’60s and includes such songs as “Heat Wave,” “You Don’t Own Me,” “Son of a Preacher Man” and “Rescue Me.” Beautifully produced by Jeffrey Lesser, with executive producers Peter Schneider, David Elzer and Roger Bean, it features the “marvelous” talents of Farah Alvin, Beth Malone, Bets Malone and Victoria Matlock.
CHIT CHAT: The prolific Joe Stern is back on the scene at the Matrix Theatre producing the West Coast premiere of Stick Fly by Lydia R. Diamond. This tale of prejudice, hypocrisy and family secrets directed by award-winning director Shirley Jo Finney, runs March 26-May 31…The West Coast premiere of Stitching by Scottish playwright Anthony Neilson is at the Lillian Theatre until April 5. Directed by Timothy Haskell, it stars Meital Dohan (Weeds) and John Ventimiglia (The Sopranos)…Jon Lawrence Rivera directs Oliver Mayer’s Laws of Sympathy at the Playwrights’ Arena through March 29. It is a play about this country as seen through the eyes of one of its newest refugees, the Somali Bantu… The Fountain Theatre presents Anna Ziegler’s award-winning play Photograph 5, directed by Simon Levy. This human drama asks compelling questions as it deals with the discovery of DNA and depicts a woman’s life in a man’s world. Performances run March 14-May 3. The Fountain also reprises its hit production of Bernard Weinraub’s The Accomplices, directed by Deborah LaVine. Its limited run will be at The Odyssey April 25-June 14…Touted as savagely funny, terrifying and sexy, the world premiere of Doomsday Kiss, a multi-media collaboration between artists, performers and musicians is at the Bootleg Theatre April 17-May 10. Written by Eva Anderson, Clay Hazelwood, Wesley Walker and Sharon Yablon, it is a riff on the theme of doomsday and the relationships between people facing extinction… The Actors’ Gang presents Thornton Wilder’s classic Our Town, directed by Justin Zsebe at the Ivy Substation April 9-May 23.
Connie Danese
