2010 & 2011 THEATER SEASON IN L.A.

Theatre in L.A. NEWS

Theater in L.A.: PREMIERES   Theater in L.A.: CURRENTLY PLAYING  

Theatre in L.A.: UPCOMING PLAYS

Theatre in L.A. NEWS

CASTING IS COMPLETE FOR “THE GLASS MENAGERIE”

AT TAPER

Judith Ivey Is Joined By Patch Darragh, Keira Keeley and Ben McKenzie
In a Fresh Interpretation of Tennessee Williams Classic
 

Judith Ivey, who plays the iconic Amanda Wingfield, will be joined by Patch Darragh as Tom, Keira Keeley as Laura and Ben McKenzie as Jim O’Connor, the Gentleman Caller, in Center Theatre Group’s presentation of the Long Wharf Theatre production of “The Glass Menagerie.” Tennessee Williams’ haunting memory play begins previews on September 1 and opens September 12 with performances continuing through October 17, 2010, at the Mark Taper Forum.
Ivey, Darragh and Keeley return to the roles they played at the Long Wharf Theatre and in the subsequent Roundabout presentation; Ben McKenzie, who is best known for his roles on “Southland” and “The O.C.,” and in the films “Johnny Got His Gun” and “Junebug” joins the company for this CTG run.
Directed by Gordon Edelstein, artistic director of the Long Wharf Theatre where the critically acclaimed production opened in May 2009, this fresh interpretation of “The Glass Menagerie” is the compelling saga of the Wingfield family in the 1940s, struggling with illusion and reality.
The narrator is Tom, the son, who works in a shoe factory and is torn between his role as the family breadwinner and his desire to lead a life of his own. The story unfolds of his mother, Amanda, a former Southern belle and relentless romantic trying to maintain her dignity and her control in the gloom of their St. Louis tenement; of Laura, his frail sister who has retreated to an imaginary world caring for her collection of glass animals; and the visit of Jim, the Gentleman Caller, who changes the family forever.
Charles Isherwood of The New York Times said, “Directed with clarity and sensitivity by Gordon Edelstein, and featuring a benchmark performance by Judith Ivey as the embattled Southern matriarch Amanda Wingfield, the production is suffused with emotion from its first moments to its last, turbulent with the confusions of love and hope and regret and fear that fill any family living room in a time of crisis and stress.” Isherwood said Ivey “. . . imbues the role with a perfectly judged mixture of chiffon and steel.”
Erik Haagensen of Back Stage said, “The quicksilver Darragh is a revelation …[He] is giving the kind of performance that lingers in the mind for life.”
“…there’s subtle craft in Keeley’s take on Laura’s fragility, and her performance grows
weightier and more complex as the story culminates in a candle-lit kiss with her oblivious gentleman caller,” observed Jeff Labrecque from Entertainment Weekly.
Set design for “The Glass Menagerie” is by Michael Yeargan, costume design by Martin Pakledinaz, lighting by Jennifer Tipton, sound by David Budries and casting is by James Calleri, CSA, with additional casting by Erika Sellin, CSA and Carrie Gardner, CSA. The production stage manager is Robyn Henry.
Stage and screen star Judith Ivey has received two Tony Awards for performances in “Steaming” and “Hurlyburly,” and an Obie Award for “The Moonshot Tape,” among many other awards. She was recently honored with the Texas Medal of Arts for Theatre. She has starred in four television series including “Designing Women,” and has appeared in numerous films including “The Devil’s Advocate,” “Washington Square,” “Brighton Beach Memoirs” and “Compromising Positions.”
“The Glass Menagerie” was the first play to establish Tennessee Williams as a major playwright and a Broadway success. He received two Pulitzer Prizes for Drama, four Drama Critic Circle Awards, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom before his death in 1983. His classic works also include “The Rose Tattoo,” “The Night of the Iguana,” “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” and “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

Center Theatre Group, a non-profit organization, is one of the largest and most active theatre companies in the nation, programming seasons at the Mark Taper Forum and Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center of Los Angeles, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. In addition to providing theatre of the highest caliber to the rich, diverse communities of Southern California, CTG supports a significant number of arts education and play development initiatives.
Tickets for “The Glass Menagerie” are available by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772 or online at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or in person at the CTG box office located at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center.

PHOTO: Judith Ivey (as Amanda Wingfield) and Patch Darragh (as Tom) in the Long Wharf Theatre production of “The Glass Menagerie”. Photo credit: Joan Marcus

JANE FONDA

TO STAR IN “33 VARIATIONS” AT CTG/AHMANSON THEATRE

Moisés Kaufman’s New Broadway Drama to Be Presented in January-March 2011
Five-Time Tony Award-Nominated Play is Part of Mark Taper Forum’s 2011 Season
 

Two-time Academy Award-winner Jane Fonda will star in “33 Variations,” the compelling new play written and directed by Moisés Kaufman, at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre, January 30 through March 6, 2011. Opening is set for February 9.
The legendary film and stage actress will reprise the role she created for the 2009 Broadway run of “33 Variations” and for which she received a Tony Award nomination.
The play, which was nominated for a total of five Tony Awards, will be part of the Mark Taper Forum’s 2011 season, and will be offered as a bonus option to Ahmanson Theatre season ticket holders.
Jane Fonda will head a cast of eight in the play created by Kaufman, who received Tony Award nominations for “33 Variations” (Best Play 2009) and for “I Am My Own Wife” (Best Director 2004), and most recently directed the acclaimed “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” at the Mark Taper Forum and earlier at the Kirk Douglas Theatre.
In “33 Variations,” the audience is transported back and forth from present-day New York to 19th century Austria, when a musicologist (Fonda) is determined to solve the musical mystery of why Beethoven spent his last years feverishly writing 33 variations of what appeared to be a mediocre waltz created by his publisher.
Even though she has been diagnosed with a serious disease, the scholar dismisses her daughter’s concerns and flies to Europe to study Beethoven’s original papers. It is here that a heartfelt and moving story unfolds of how two remarkable individuals separated by 200 years defy mortality for a short, precious time and revel in their respective passions.
Praising Fonda's “robust and confident performance,” Joe Dziemianowicz of the New York Daily News said, “The Oscar winner brings everything to this role that’s made her an iconic film star: Pure enthusiasm, toughness tempered by vulnerability, and that distinctive voice which makes every line fascinating.” John Simon of Bloomberg News wrote: “Fonda gives a sterling performance, never milking the pathos.” Ben Brantley of The New York Times said, “Her elegantly restrained rendering of a struggle between fierce human consciousness and mortal decay comes close to matching ‘the notes ascending – a rising promise’ that [the character] says she hears in Beethoven’s music.” Stephanie Zacharek of New York magazine said, “Fonda meets the challenge like a warrior queen. She may be playing an academic, but the physicality of her performance is what sticks with you. She uses her trim, sturdy frame to suggest the myriad ways in which our bodies – one way or another – can ultimately betray our minds.”
Jane Fonda’s work on stage and screen has earned numerous nominations and awards, including Academy Awards (Best Actress in 1971 for “Klute” and in 1978 for “Coming Home”) and an Emmy Award for her performance in “The Dollmaker.” Along with starring roles in dozens of highly acclaimed productions, Fonda also took on responsibilities as a film and television producer, including “Coming Home,” “The China Syndrome” “Nine to Five,” “Rollover,” “On Golden Pond,” “The Morning After” and “The Dollmaker.”
She revolutionized the fitness industry with the release of “Jane Fonda’s Workout” in 1982, which remains the top grossing home video of all time, and followed with the production of 23 home exercise videos, 13 audio recordings and five books – selling 16 million copies all together.
She published her memoirs, “My Life So Far,” in May 2005 and it immediately went to #1 on The New York Times Best Sellers list. That same spring “Monster-in-Law,” her first film in 15 years, also became the #1 box office hit making Fonda the first person to simultaneously have a #1 book and #1 movie. She is currently writing the follow up to “My Life So Far,” which will focus on aging and the “third act” of life. Her most recent film, “Georgia Rule,” opened in spring 2007. Fonda returned to Broadway in March 2009 to create her role in “33 Variations.” Upcoming film projects include a starring role in the French comedy, “Et si on vivait tous ensemble,” and also “Peace, Love & Misunderstanding,” along with Catherine Keener.
Fonda has long been known for activism and advocacy on environmental issues, human rights, and the empowerment of women and girls. She founded the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (G-CAPP) in 1995, and chairs this statewide effort to reduce the high rates of adolescent pregnancy in Georgia through community, youth and family development, training of professionals who work with adolescents, and legislative advocacy. In 2000, Fonda traveled to Nigeria and produced a film, in collaboration with the International Women's Health Coalition, entitled “Generation 2000: Changing Girls’ Realities.”
Fonda is a member of the Women & Foreign Policy Advisory Committee of the Council on Foreign Relations; the board of Women’s Media Center, which she co-founded in 2004; and she sits on the board of V-Day: Until The Violence Stops, a global effort to stop violence against women begun in 1998 by Eve Ensler, author of “The Vagina Monologues.” In 1994, Fonda was named Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Population Fund.
In addition to Tony Award nominations for Best Play and Best Actress, “33 Variations” was nominated for Featured Actor, Scenic Design and Lighting Design.
Further casting for “33 Variations” will be announced at a later date.
The complete 2011 Mark Taper Forum season will be announced this summer, and as part of the season package, “33 Variations” will go on sale to Taper season ticket holders. Ahmanson season ticket holders will be able purchase the play as a bonus option to their Ahmanson subscription. In late October, “33 Variations” will be on sale to the general public. For information and to charge season tickets by phone, call the Exclusive Season Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. To purchase subscriptions on-line, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. For information regarding Project D.A.T.E. (sign language interpreted, open caption and audio described performances) call TDD (213) 680-4017 or voice (213) 972-4444.

PHOTO: Two-time Academy Award-winner Jane Fonda will star in "33 Variations". Photo credit: Andrew Eccles

Theater in L.A.: PREMIERES

FULL CAST ANNOUNCED FOR “LEAP OF FAITH”

World Premiere of New Musical Begins at the CTG/Ahmanson Theatre in September
 

The full cast is set for the world premiere of the new musical “Leap of Faith,” which will begin performances at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre on September 11, 2010 and continue through October 24. The opening is scheduled for October 3. [Please note that these dates have changed from those originally announced.]
Starring four-time Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe Award-nominee Brooke Shields (both of whom were previously announced), the cast features Nicholas Barasch, Jarrod Emick, Kendra Kassebaum, Kecia Lewis-Evans and Leslie Odom, Jr. as well as Brad Anderson, Bradley Benjamin, Tom Berklund, Christopher Bones, Krystal Joy Brown, Ta'Rea Campbell, Eric L. Christian, Michelle Duffy, Harvey Evans, Ashley Blair Fitzgerald, Jennie Ford, Bob Gaynor, Angela Grovey, Shannon Lewis, Michael X. Martin, Maurice Murphy, Anise E. Ritchie, Darcie Roberts, Bryce Ryness, Ariel Shepley, C.E. Smith, Alex Michael Stoll, Dennis Stowe, Katherine Tokarz, Brandon Wardell, Karl Warden, Natalie Willes and Charlie Williams.

Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford is the director and choreographer of “Leap of Faith,” which will feature set design by Robin Wagner, costume design by William Ivey Long, lighting design by Donald Holder and sound design by John Shivers.
“Leap of Faith” is based on the Steve Martin movie and features a score by eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken, book by Janus Cercone with Glenn Slater, and lyrics by Glenn Slater.

When his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, part-time reverend and full-time con artist Jonas Nightingale (Raúl Esparza) quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. The sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas’ real challenge arises when he meets Marva (Brooke Shields), a pretty waitress with a young son. Her love forces the ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith.
The new musical is based on the motion picture “Leap of Faith” produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and written by Janus Cercone.
“Leap of Faith” is the first production in Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre’s 2010-2011 season at the Los Angeles County Music Center.

Tickets for “Leap of Faith” are available by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office or on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Hot Tix at $20 each can be purchased in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information & charge, TDD (213) 680-4017.

Photo: Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe Award-nominee Brooke Shields in rehearsal for the world premiere of "Leap of Faith". Photo credit: Craig Schwartz

Back to top

2010 & 2011 THEATER SEASON IN L.A.

L.A. Theatres' Repertoire Announcements:

2010-2011 Ahmanson Season
 

2010 - 2011 Season at Kirk Douglas Theatre

NEW: 2011 Season at The Mark Taper Forum

Large Theatres in L.A.   

Smaller Theatres in L.A.

Large Theatres in L.A.

coming soon

Back to top

Smaller Theatres in L.A.

THE CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED

"WAR CYCLE"

RETURNS TO THE POWERHOUSE THEATRE
through SEPTEMBER 11
For the first time ever, the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble will
produce all three plays from their epic, original undertaking,
back to back to back.

The Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble takes on the ambitious task of presenting three original plays that each introduce new perspectives on the wars in Iraq and
Afghanistan. For the first time ever, the Ensemble presents Wounded, Nation of Two, and the workshop production of Gospel According to First Squad back to back to back at the Powerhouse Theatre. Acknowledging and embracing that war is more than shock and awe and the strategy on the battlefield, The War Cycle views war’s effects on the American people on the most intimate of levels.
Beginning with interviews with men and women wounded in battle, widows, and soldiers, the Ensemble has compiled years of research and development into a weekend of theatre that tells relevant, important, and emotional stories covering all aspects of war and its often messy aftermath. From politics to religion, from love to grief, from Afghanistan to the home front, this collection of plays poses difficult, divisive questions that are critical to the American experience of modern war. The War Cycle tells stories that affect its audiences in a way that should not be missed. The War Cycle opens August 19th at the Powerhouse Theatre and runs through
September 11th.
"The urgent timeliness of Wounded is unmistakable…Recommended!." - LA Times
Collaboratively conceived and written by Tom Burmester and the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble and directed by Tom Burmester and Yael Itzkowitz, Wounded is based on true accounts of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Set in the Fisher House rehabilitation home at the Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington DC, the main point of re-entry for wounded soldiers, sailors, and Marines, Wounded follows four young veterans and their families on their quest to readjust to life back home and get on with lives newly transformed by disability. With their time in the war behind them, these men and women discover that their real battle is about to begin.

“GO! Nation of Two displays unusual skill at articulating a family's shaky façade of
icy normalcy, as it gives way to rage and despair.” - LA Weekly

Collaboratively conceived by the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble, written by Artistic Director Tom Burmester, and directed by Danika Sudik and Tom Burmester, Nation of Two is inspired by true accounts of the families of soldiers fallen in the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars. Nation of Two follows the lives of the Harper family as they prepare to scatter the ashes of 24 year old Lt. Michael Harper on the anniversary of his combat-related death in the Iraq War. A surprise visit from a soldier who served with Michael at the time of his death ignites a powder keg of emotion and throws the family into crisis as they strive to preserve their memories of Michael while learning to let go.

Audiences are invited to take part in the development of the newest play in The War Cycle by joining the Ensemble after each performance to share their feedback. This workshop production, Gospel According to First Squad, is the newest play in The War Cycle and the first to take place in the Theatre of War. On the brink of civilization in Eastern Afghanistan, deep in the deadly Korengal Valley, First Squad walks the tightrope between boredom and terror everyday. In a valley lit by firestorms of chaos, courage can be proved by a casual walk to the porta-shitter. As First Squad navigates the human terrain, winning hearts and minds from the Taliban, a new addition to their team threatens their mission, the populace, and their dreams of home. Gospel
According to First Squad will take you on a tour of duty -- as Americans -- that will shine a light on our mission, our morals, and what we do -- or don't do -- to keep our freedom.
Tom Burmester, founder and Producing Artistic Director of the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble and Managing Artistic Director of the Powerhouse Theatre, has produced many productions for the stage including Wounded and Survived by Tom Burmester, Kindred by Daniel Keleher, I Gelosi and The Heretic Mysteries by David Bridel, Monkey Madness by Daisuke Tsuji, Quixotic and Adeline’s Play by Kit Steinkellner and The Water Engine by David Mamet. Tom earned his MFA in Directing from the University of California, Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble is dedicated to staging theater works of high artistic integrity while endeavoring to remain broadly accessible and genuinely entertaining. The ensemble holds fast in its commitment to strike a balance between providing a venue for emerging artists and veteran artists; between the works of new playwrights, and revisiting timely and important classics.
The Powerhouse Theatre is housed, appropriately enough, in the Powerhouse, a historical building originally erected in 1910 for the Southern California Edison Electrical Plant for the city of Santa Monica. Committed to nurturing innovative new work, the Powerhouse has introduced Los Angeles audiences to critically-acclaimed world premieres such as the multiple award-winning The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World; the scathingly funny The Family Room by Aron Coleite; Golden Prospects: A Los Angeles Melodrama by Colin Campbell; and A Series of Comedic Lectures with John Lehr.
Tickets for Wounded and Nation of Two are $20.00. Tickets for Gospel According to First Squad are $5. Tickets for the special performances on September 11th are $11. To purchase tickets, visit www.latensemble.com.
The Powerhouse Theatre is located at 3116 2nd Street in south Santa Monica, just off Main Street between Rose and Marine. Guests in wheelchairs should call in advance to make arrangements. For information, the public should visit www.latensemble.com
WHAT: The Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble proudly presents, for the first time, all three plays in The War Cycle, back to back to back.
 

WHO:

Wounded
Written by Tom Burmester with the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble
Directed by Tom Burmester and Yael Itzkowitz
Featuring Trevor Algatt†, Eric Anderson, John Brooks, Charleene Closshey, Jaquelyn
Johnson, Chase McKenna*, AJ Meijer*†, Danika Sudik†, and Paige White*†
 

Nation of Two
Written by Tom Burmester
Directed by Danika Sudik and Tom Burmester
Associate Direction by Yael Itzkowitz
Featuring Eric Anderson, Melissa Collins†, Andrew Crabtree, Bethany Esfandiari, Mike Kindle*†, AJ Meijer*†, Michael Pappas*, Jonathan Redding†, Dee Amerio Sudik*†, and James W Sudik*†

Gospel According to First Squad
Written by Tom Burmester
Directed by Danika Sudik and Tom Burmester
Associate Direction by Yael Itzkowitz
Featuring Trevor Algatt†, Eric Anderson, Blake Bowen, Andrew Crabtree, Michael Hanson, Matt Harbert, Joe Mahon, AJ Meijer*†, Michael Pappas*†, and Jonathan Redding†
*Member of Actors’ Equity †Ensemble Corps Artist
Artistic Director Tom Burmester
Associate Producer Corwin Evans
Sound Design by Corwin Evans
Lighting Design by Jenna Pletcher
Costume Design by Regine Linhares
Presented by the Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble at The Powerhouse Theatre

WHEN:
Wounded
August 19th and 27th, September 3rd and 9th at 8PM
Special performance on September 11th at 1PM
Nation of Two
August 20th and 26th, September 4th and 10th at 8PM
Special performance on September 11th at 4:30PM
Gospel According to First Squad
August 21st and 28th, September 2nd at 8PM
Special performance on September 11th at 8PM
WHERE:
The Powerhouse Theatre
3116 2nd Street
Santa Monica CA 90405
(one block east of Main, between Rose & Marine)
HOW:
Visit www.latensemble.com
TICKETS: Reserved Seating: For Wounded and Nation of Two are $20; for Gospel According to First Squag are $5. Tickets for the special performances on September 11th are $11.
EVENTS: Immediately following each of the opening night performances on August 19th, 20th, and 21st, the audience is invited to join the company for the Opening Night Reception on the deck of the Powerhouse.
Following each performance of Gospel According to First Squad, there will be a reception and talk-back. Talk-backs are scheduled August 21st and 28th, September 2nd and 11th.
On Saturday, September 11th, the entire War Cycle will be presented together, beginning with Wounded at 1PM, Nation of Two at 4:30PM, and Gospel According to First Squad at 8PM.
Tickets for all three shows on this day are only $33 per person

Back to top

Large Theatres in L.A. 

Smaller Theatres in L.A.

Large Theatres in L.A.

RAÚL ESPARZA & BROOKE SHIELDS TO STAR IN

“LEAP OF FAITH”

World Premiere of New Musical Begins at the CTG/Ahmanson Theatre in September

Four-time Tony Award-nominee Raúl Esparza and Golden Globe Award-nominee Brooke Shields will star in the world premiere of the new musical “Leap of Faith,” which begins performances at the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre in September.

Based on the Steve Martin movie and featuring a score by eight-time Academy Award-winner Alan Menken, book by Janus Cercone with Glenn Slater, and lyrics by Glenn Slater, “Leap of Faith” will star Raúl Esparza as Reverend Jonas Nightengale, the consummate flim-flam man, and Brooke Shields as Marva, the beautiful small-town woman and single mother who challenges everything Jonas believes in.

Tony Award-winner Rob Ashford is the director and choreographer.

“Leap of Faith” will be presented September 11 through October 24, 2010, with the opening scheduled for October 3. [Please note that these dates have changed slightly from those originally announced.]

When his traveling ministry breaks down in a small Kansas town, part-time reverend and full-time con artist (Esparza) quickly pitches a tent and invites the locals to a revival. The sheriff is determined to stop Jonas from separating the townspeople from their money, but Jonas’ real challenge arises when he meets a pretty waitress (Shields) and her son, whose love forces an ultimate cynic to take a real leap of faith.

The new musical is based on the motion picture “Leap of Faith” produced by Paramount Pictures Corporation and written by Janus Cercone.

Raúl Esparza received Tony Award nominations for “Speed the Plow” (Actor – Play, 2009), “The Homecoming” (Actor, Featured Role – Play, 2008), “Company” (Actor – Musical, 2007) and “Taboo” (Actor, Featured Role – Musical, 2004). He is only the second actor to have received Tony nominations in all four acting categories. Other Broadway credits include “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang,” “Cabaret,” “The Rocky Horror Show” (his Broadway debut) and the recent lauded Encores! presentation of “Anyone Can Whistle.” Off-Broadway he appeared in “The Normal Heart,” “Comedians” and “tick, tick . . . BOOM!” (for which he won an Obie Award). He made his film debut in Sidney Lumet’s “Find Me Guilty,” and will appear in Wes Craven’s “My Soul to Take,” which opens later this year. He just recently finished the indie film “GWB.” Television credits include “Law & Order,” “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and “Pushing Daisies” (a recurring role).

An accomplished television, film and theatre actress, New York Times best-selling author, and model, Brooke Shields began her film career at nine and went on to star in such films as Louis Malle’s “Pretty Baby,” Franco Zeffirelli’s “Endless Love” and James Toback’s “Black and White.” She made her Broadway debut in “Grease” for which she won the Theatre Award for Outstanding Broadway Debut.  Moving to television, she earned a nomination for Funniest Female Guest Appearance in a Television Series for her turn in the hit show “Friends” and was nominated for a Golden Globe for her own hit comedy series “Suddenly Susan.”  She is the recipient of Five People’s Choice Awards.  Her off-Broadway credits include “Love Letters,” “Vagina Monologues,” “Love, Loss, and What I Wore” (winner of a Drama Desk Award), to name a few.  After receiving a degree in French Literature and graduating with honors from Princeton University, she went on to star in “Cabaret,” “Wonderful Town” and “Chicago” on Broadway.
 

“Leap of Faith” is the first production in Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre’s 2010-2011 season at the Los Angeles County Music Center.

Tickets for the Ahmanson Theatre’s 2010-2011 season are currently available by subscription only. For information and to charge season tickets by phone, call the Exclusive Season Ticket Hotline at (213) 972-4444. To purchase subscriptions on-line, visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org/Ahmanson. For information regarding Project D.A.T.E. (sign language interpreted, open caption and audio described performances) call TDD (213) 680-4017 or voice (213) 972-4444. For further information on “Leap of Faith,” visit www.CenterTheatreGroup.org/Leap.

Photos: RAÚL ESPARZA & BROOKE SHIELDS

The Long Wharf Theatre Production of

“The Glass Menagerie”

by Tennessee Williams; Directed by Gordon Edelstein
 

A fresh new interpretation of classic “The Glass Menagerie,” Tennessee Williams’ compelling saga of the Wingfield family in the 1940s and their struggle with illusion and reality. Tom, the son, is torn between his role as the family breadwinner and his desire to lead a life of his own; his mother, Amanda (played by Tony Award-winning Judith Ivey), is a former Southern belle trying to maintain her dignity and her control in the gloom of their St. Louis tenement; and Laura, his frail sister, has retreated to an imaginary world caring for her collection of glass animals. Into their lives comes Jim, the Gentleman Caller, who changes the family forever.

DATES/TIMES: Previews begin September 1. Opens September 12th at 7 p.m.
Continues through October 17.
Previews (September 1-11):
Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday, September 5 at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, September 11 at 2:30 p.m.
No Performances on Monday and Tuesday, September 6 and 7.
Regular Performances (Beginning September 14):
Tuesdays through Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2:30 and 8 p.m.;
Sundays at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. No performance on Mondays.
Exceptions: No general public performances October 5-8.

TICKET INFO: Ticket Prices: $20 - $65
Tickets are available by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office or on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Hot Tix: $20 each can be purchased in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information & charge, TDD (213) 680-4017.

LOCATION: Center Theatre Group / Mark Taper Forum
At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A.

Photo: Judith Ivey in “The Glass Menagerie”. Photo credit © T. Charles Erickson

“Venice” A New Musical
 

Book by Eric Rosen
Music by Matt Sax
Lyrics by Matt Sax and Eric Rosen
Additional Music by Curtis Moore
Directed by Eric Rosen
World Premiere Production Co-produced with Kansas City Repertory Theatre

A rich story of war, love, betrayal and the quest for peace, “Venice,” boasts a powerful score that fuses elements of hip-hop, R&B and opera. “Venice” is set in a not-too-distant future where two brothers clash over how to save their city in the aftermath of a 20-year war. One brother seeks a new era of peace and restoration while the other tries to seize power by keeping the city mired in violence and by derailing his brother’s upcoming marriage to a woman whose father had been the city’s president in happier days. “Venice” was commissioned by Center Theatre Group.

DATES/TIMES: Previews Begin October 7, 2010; Opens October 17; Through November 14. Previews (October 7-16):
Tuesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.; Sunday at 6:30 p.m. No Performance on Monday.
Opens Sunday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m.
Regular Performances (Beginning October 19):
Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. No performance on Mondays.
Exceptions: No public performances November 2, 3, 9 and 10 (student performances).
TICKET PRICES: Ticket Prices: $20-$45
Tickets may be purchased by calling CTG Audience Services at (213) 628-2772, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles), on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org or at the Kirk Douglas Theatre box office two hours prior to performances. Hot Tix: $20 each may be purchased in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: information & charge, TDD (213) 680-4017.
LOCATION: KIRK DOUGLAS THEATRE; 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232.
Ample free parking and restaurants adjacent.

“Next to Normal”

West Coast Premiere

Music by Tom Kitt; Book and Lyrics by Brian Yorkey; Directed by Michael Greif

DESCRIPTION:        With a thrilling contemporary score, “Next to Normal” is an emotional powerhouse of a musical about a family trying to take care of themselves and each other. The Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning musical features original Broadway star Alice Ripley, who won the Tony for her performance.

DATES/TIMES:         Previews Begin November 23, 2010. Opens November 28. Through January 2, 2011.

Previews (November 23 - 27):

Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Opens Sunday, November 28 at 7 p.m.

Regular Performances (November 30, 2010 - January 2, 2011):

Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m.; Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sunday at

1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.; No Monday performances. Exceptions: Holiday schedule: Additional 8 p.m. performances on Mondays, December 20 and 27; Additional 2 p.m. performances on Thursdays, December 23 and 30; One performance only on Friday, December 24 at 2 p.m.; One performance only on Friday, December 31 at 6:30 p.m.; No performances on Saturday, December 25 and Saturday, January 1.

TICKET INFO:          Ticket Prices: $20 - $95

Tickets are available by calling Center Theatre Group Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, in person at the Center Theatre Group box office or on-line at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org.  Hot Tix: $20 each can be purchased in advance or, subject to availability, on the day of performance at the box office (no checks). Groups: (213) 972-7231. Deaf community: Information & charge, TDD (213) 680-4017.

Center Theatre Group / Ahmanson Theatre At the Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012.

WORLD PREMIERE OF RANDY NEWMAN’S

“HARPS AND ANGELS”

AT MARK TAPER FORUM IN NOVEMBER 2010
Grand Finale of 2010 Season to Feature Music and Lyrics of Beloved Songwriter

The infectious music and lyrics of one of America’s most beloved songwriters will be featured as the grand finale of the Taper’s 2010 season, it was announced today by Michael Ritchie. The world premiere of Randy Newman’s “Harps and Angels” will be presented through December 19, 2010.
“Harps and Angels,” which has music and lyrics by Randy Newman, is conceived by Jack Viertel. A director will be announced soon.
Randy Newman’s witty, complex, bittersweet and often satirical songbook is at the heart of this new work, in which the personal and the socio-political entwine creating a compelling, honest and humorous commentary on what it is like to be born, grow up, fall in love, and live and die in America.
Some of the Newman songs that will be featured include “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today,” “Sail Away,” “Marie,” “Rednecks,” “My Country,” “Louisiana 1927,” “Feels Like Home,” “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and of course, “I Love L.A.,” among many others.
Over his remarkable career, Newman has received 17 Academy Award nominations, five Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards, and he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002. In addition to his 13 albums from 1968 to the present, his film scores include, among others, “Ragtime,” “Awakenings,” “The Natural,” “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life” and “Monsters, Inc.” (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Song).
Newsweek said, “[Randy Newman] will make you laugh, break your heart and scare you to death, usually all in the same song, sometimes in the same verse.” NPR said, “Singer and composer Randy Newman’s wry and sometimes raw musical commentary has become a big part of the American cultural landscape.”
The announcement of Randy Newman’s “Harps and Angels” completes the 2010 Taper season, which opens in February 2010 with “Speed-the-Plow,” and continues with “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo,” “The Lieutenant of Inishmore” and “The Glass Menagerie.”
For information regarding audio description and sign language interpreted performances, call TDD/Voice (213) 680-4017.

Back to top

Smaller Theatres in L.A.

coming soon

The information provided above was accurate when it was published, it can however change without notice. Please confirm it with the establishment you're planning to visit PRIOR to making the trip.

(for a new quotation refresh the page)

Back to top

About Cultural Events in LA   Privacy Policy   Terms of Use   Help  Link to Us  

 Cultural Events in Los Angeles, a Division of CEILA Company;

Copyright © 2004 All Rights Reserved