OPERA PROTEST IN THE OC…The well-traveled contemporary theater work, Jerry Springer: The Opera, which makes its Southern California debut at OC’s Chance Theatre on July 9, has generated controversy and protests at every production locale, since its 2003 London premiere, including New York, San Francisco and recently in Cleveland. Lambasted for its perceived “lewd and blasphemous content,” the opera has garnered Chance hundreds of condemning e-mails during the last week, leading up to its first preview on July 1. “Apparently most of the e-mails have come from out of the area,” says media rep Christopher Trela. “So far, the closest came form Northern or Central California. We’ll see what happens next.”   Conceived by Richard Thomas (music, book, lyrics) and Stewart Lee (book and lyrics), Jerry Springer: The Opera is the only show in history to earn “Best Musical” accolades from four major British “Best Production” Awards.  The Chance production is helmed by Trevor Biship, music direction by Mike Wilkins, choreographed by Kelly Todd…

Rick Burkhardt

WHAT YOU DO THIS SUMMER…Watts Village Theater Company in association with Watts/Century Latino Organization presents Meet Me @Metro II, a theatrical journey on LA’s Metro Rail featuring site-specific performances curated by WVTC Artistic Director Guillermo Avilés-Rodríguez and Associate Curator Rita Cofield. performed by Obie Award winner Rick Burkhardt, eight Long Beach and LA-based theater companies and a myriad of solo performers, July 2-10. The theatrical journey begins at the Watts Towers Arts Center and runs along the Blue Line, south to Long Beach and back….Lower Depth Theatre Ensemble is holding its 2011 Gala fundraiser, highlighted by a celebrity reading of Orson Welles’ 1936 Vodou Macbeth, an adaptation of Shakespeare‘s “Scottish Play,” set in Haiti.  Harry Lennix reads the title role, with Lorraine Toussaint as Lady Macbeth, helmed by Gregg T. Daniel, July 10 at Lost Studio Theatre on La Brea Ave…The city of West Hollywood, in association with the Classical Theatre Lab, is getting classically tuneful with a free-to-the-public presentation of As You Like It – The Musical, a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s play, adapted and helmed by Tony nominee Tony Tanner, musical direction by David Kole, opening July 9 in the Great Courtyard in Plummer Park…    Pacific Lyric Association is offering Musical Paella, a musical mix of duets, trios, quartets, quintets and ensembles from different operas, American musicals and Spanish zarzuelas, July 16 at Santa Monica First Presbyterian Church…Sound of Korea, offering the spectrum of Korea’s traditional music, dance and song in several vignettes, is presented by The Korean Classical Music Institute of America, July 29, under the stars at the Ford Amphitheatre, led by artistic director Paul Lee…Finally, The World is My Life, a one-person show on the life of Paul Robeson, written and performed by Stogie Kenyatta, is spending three nights at Santa Monica Playhouse, beginning July 24…

Yafit Josephson

EXTENSIONS… The Ovation-recommended premiere run of Caught, focusing on the swirling family dynamics surrounding a same-sex marriage, scripted by David L. Ray, helmed by Nick DeGruccio, is touted as the longest currently running play in LA, premiering Dec. 4, 2010, extending for the fifth time, until Aug. 7 at the Zephyr Theatre…Actually, that distinction goes to multi-award-winning Ovation recommended La Razon Blindada, scripted and helmed by Argentinian Aristides Vargas, which premiered (in Spanish with English subtitles) Sep. 18, 2010 at Downtown LA’s 24^th Street Theatre, now extended until July 30… And a case for longevity supremacy can be made for the one-hander New Eyes, scripted by Yafit Josephson and Suzanne Bressler, helmed by Sammie Wayne, which made its debut at the Santa Monica Playhouse (July 8 to Dec. 12, 2010), before moving to the Whitefire in Sherman Oaks (Jan. 8 to June 26). It is now moving to the Odyssey Theatre in West LA (July 10 to Aug. 14). New Eyes chronicles former Israeli soldier Josephson’s quest to establish herself as an actress in Hollywood only to find herself typecast as Middle Eastern villains…The lauded premiere run of Firehouse, based on true events, scripted by Pedro Antonio Garcia, helmed by Bryan Rasmussen has been extended at Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, Fridays only until July 22…Also based on actual events, the premiere of South of Delancey, created and directed by Karen Sommers, is stretching out at South Pasadena-based Fremont Centre Theatre until July 31. Developed and workshopped in NYC, the production is based on the true story of a Jewish arbitration court and the people who sought out its counsel…The revival of A.R. Gurney’s 1995 canine-friendly Sylvia, helmed by Gary Imhoff, starring Tanna Frederick as the title pooch, extends at Edgemar Center in Santa Monica through Aug. 14… And based on its overflowing, turn-them-away attendance numbers, Steve Allen Theater in Hollywood might as well turn over the keys to that gorily transcended tuner, Re-Animator – The Musical, wrought by Dennis Paoli, Stuart Gordon, William J. Norris and Mark Nutter, helmed by Peter Adams, based on the film, H.P. Lovecraft’s Re-Animator, now reaching out until Aug. 14…

David Melville as Hamlet for Independent Shakespeare Company

THE THING IS…“Our move to Griffith Park last year, from our outgrown home at Barnsdall Art Park in Hollywood, has elevated our work and expanded our audience in ways that make me, a founder of the company, believe even more in our mission to bring the great works of classical theater to Los Angeles, and to make it free for all who want to attend. Looking out to audiences of 700-800 people, of all ages, backgrounds and theatrical experience proves to us as a company that the tradition and ritual of theater is still alive, and we are part of perpetuating it in Los Angeles; and it’s that — not just the coyotes howling at Othello’s cries, and our actors playfully rummaging through patrons’ picnics during scenes — that fills us with emotion and excitement night after night. We are creating new audiences for the arts, and we will continue to expand in our breadth and reach even through this summer’s season.  Our three plays, running in rep, are as different and eclectic as the audience we serve. Year after year, followers of our company have returned to see their favorite and familiar actors portray favorite and familiar roles, and again this summer, we bring back Danny Campbell as Sir John Falstaff, Bernadette Sullivan as Mistress Page, and myself in the title role of one of our favorite productions to share.” – David Melville is managing director of Independent Shakespeare Company, performing Merry Wives of Windsor (opening June 30), Hamlet (opening July 14, Melville in the title role) and Love’s Labour’s Lost (opening Aug. 4) in repertory at Griffith Park Free Shakespeare Festival (through Aug. 28). Warm clothing is advised…

Gilmor Brown

INSIDE LA STAGE HISTORY…The Pasadena Playhouse, which was founded in 1917, grows to such a level of prestige and acclaim by the late 20s, its founder Gilmor Brown decides it is appropriate to add a school of theater arts to the facility, which becomes an accredited college by 1937, offering Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.  Future stars who train at the facility include Raymond Burr, Victor Mature, Ernest Borgnine, Eleanor Parker, Charles Bronson, Mako Iwamatsu, Jamie Farr, Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, Sally Struthers, JoAnne Worley and many others. During the school years, the Playhouse is very active, having as many as five independent stages in operation at any given time. The varied staging capabilities offered by its multiple venues leads the playhouse school to experiment with new theatrical forms such as theater-in-the-round and intimate black box stagings. The playhouse also builds and operates one of the first television stations in Southern California. In addition to training the Air Force to use television and radio equipment during WWII, the playhouse supplies the majority of Southern California’s early TV stations with the first trained technicians in the business.  It is ironic that television, the industry that the playhouse nurtures in the ’40s, plays a major part in its demise, beginning in the early ’50s. By 1957, the Playhouse has lost a huge portion of its subscription base to stay-at-home TV complacency. That spring, this writer is immersed in senior year high school English Four class, which is dedicated to English literature. One school morning, our teacher, Mr. Kalman Rabkin, declares, “The Pasadena Playhouse, as a fundraiser, is presenting Romeo and Juliet, with film stars Margaret

Theatre Students studying in library in 1946

O’Brien and John Barrymore Jr in the title roles. We cannot lose this vital cultural institution.” The whole class attends a Wednesday matinee. It is beyond awful. The next day, Mr. Rabkin solemnly stares at us in class. “I am not sure the Pasadena Playhouse will survive.” It does struggle on, despite the passing of Gilmor Brown in 1960. But by 1969, due to changes in Actors Equity Association bylaws, and the proliferation of drama departments in many universities, the School of Theatre Arts shuts down. Later that year, the Playhouse itself ceases operation. The City of Pasadena buys the building in 1975 and later transfers it to real estate developer David Houk. After 17 years of dormancy, Houk re-launches the theater in 1986 but not the school.  The succeeding history of the Pasadena Playhouse has been well documented. Next edition of INSIDER  concludes its three-part focus on the Pasadena Playhouse with a spotlight on one of its most accomplished resident artist/director/instructors…

The Julio Martinez-hosted ARTS IN REVIEW, broadcast Fridays  (2 to 2:30 pm) on KPFK (90.7FM), spotlights the best in live theater and cabaret in the Greater LA area. Upcoming on July 1, a spotlight session with actor/director/teacher Michelle Danner…