MUSICAL NEWS
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The Falcon Theatre has announced its 2016-2017 season which includes another special Christmas treat from the Ovation Award-winning Troubies. Little Drummer Bowie (Nov. 30 – Jan 15, 2017) directed by Matt Walker & Joseph Leo Bwarie will be a mashup journey of Ziggy Stardust and The Little Drummer Boy featuring the songs of the legendary David Bowie. The tribute parody, last seen in LA in 2005, promises to be a touching and hilarious way to usher in the holidays. Also on the season: Parallel Lives (Aug 17 – Sept 18) written by Mo Gaffney & Kathy Najimy, directed by Jenny Sullivan; Buyer & Cellar (Oct 5 – Nov 6) by Jonathan Tolins, directed by Dimitri Toscas; For Piano and Harpo (Feb 1 – Mar 5, 2017) written by and starring Dan Castellaneta; and The Complete History of Comedy (abridged) by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, directed by Jerry Kernion. www.falcontheatre.com
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Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura presents Beverly & Kirby Ward in Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance, a toe-tapping, high-flying program of song and dance as part of its Janet and Mark L. Goldenson Broadway Musical Concert Series. The duo will perform tunes from the Great American Songbook, plus a few obscure numbers, each reimagined with a twist. Three performances: June 18 at 2pm & 8pm, and June 19 at 2pm. www.rubicontheatre.org
Casting for the Hollywood Bowl’s upcoming production of A Chorus Line has been announced and will feature Sabrina Bryan as Valerie Clark, Robert Fairchild as Mike Costa, Spencer Liff as Larry, Ross Lynch as Mark Anthony, Mara Davi as Maggie Winslow, Denis Lambert as Gregory Gardner, J. Elaine Marcos as Connie Wong, Jason Tam as Paul San Marco, and Leigh Zimmerman as Sheila Bryant. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The show is directed and choreographed by Baayork Lee, who appeared as Connie Wong in the original Broadway production and choreographed the Broadway revival in 2006. Lee will adapt and re-stage Michael Bennett’s original choreography. Conductor is Patrick Vaccariello. July 29, 30 & July 31. www.HollywoodBowl.com
It’s a Disaster: Live, an immersive theatrical show will run June 14 – 24 in Chloe’s at Golden Road Brewery in Glendale. In this world premiere adaption of Todd Berger’s film It’s a Disaster, a group of thirtysomething friends gather yet again for Open Mic Night at Pete and Emma’s bar. What starts as a typical evening turns into something very different when they learn that bombs have exploded downtown, and a cloud of VX gas is making its way across the city. Now they’re trapped inside the bar, trying to make sense of it all. Could it really be last call for good? All tickets include pre-show appetizers and an open bar throughout the entire immersive performance. www.itsadisasterlive.com
Sam Harris brings his critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production Ham: A Musical Memoir to the Pasadena Playhouse for three performances July 9 at 2pm & 8pm and July 10 at 2pm. Directed by Ken Sawyer and Billy Porter, the musical comedy follows Harris from his conflicted childhood in Bible-Belt Oklahoma to the dizzying roller coaster ride of a life in show business and the precarious balancing act of fatherhood. The production features musical direction by Todd Schroeder and is based on Harris’ book Ham: Slices of a Life. It originally opened Off-Broadway at Ars Nova in January 2015 and later played at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre in January 2016. www.pasadenaplayhouse.org
Sierra Madre Playhouse opens Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee July 8. The show is directed by Robert Marra, with musical direction by Joe Lawrence. Cast features Joey Acuna Jr., Gina D’Acciaro, Jaq Galliano, Cristina Gerla, Hannah Leventhal, Stanton Morales, Robert Parkison, Joy Regullano and Richard Van Slyke. John Sparks is the producer and Estelle Campbell and Christian Lebano are executive producers. Through August 21. www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
HOLLYWOOD FRINGE NEWS
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The new musical Psychosexual: A Love Story opens June 10 in the MET Theatre’s downstairs performing space. With book & lyrics by Samuel Warren Joseph and music by Jon Detherage, the show satirizes contemporary attitudes toward sex and celebrity. Brad and Sarah are sex and relationship experts on the way up. Best-selling authors, they’re about to be added as regulars to the highest-rated daytime TV talk show but own their relationship is secretly in trouble. Brad has developed a crush on an exotic dancer at a strip club, and that’s just the beginning. The company includes Kira Alvarez, Ellana Barksdale, Kelly Brighton, Alessia Bonacci, Travis Dixon, Shelby Graham, Jules Hartley, Damian Fabio Sandolo and Kim Yarbrough (some roles are double cast), directed by L. Flint Esquerra. Choreography is by Alessia Bonacci. Through June 26. Tickets: http://hff16.org/3997
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JonBenét Ramsey: The Musical takes you back to the mid-90’s and reopens the case that rocked America, June 18 – 26 at Asylum @ McCadden Theatre. On Christmas Day1996, JonBenét Ramsey, the six-year-old pageant queen, was brutally murdered, leaving the nation in shock. The show says it will “explain what we think really happened and tell a tale of how a staged kidnapping followed by a botched investigation led to the unsolved murder mystery that is still very relevant today.” Written and directed by Hannah Rowston and Austen Fletcher, featuring music by Reff Rivera. http://hff16.org/3765
CONCERT/CABARET
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The Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Lily Tomlin/Jane Wagner Cultural Arts Center has announced a one night only appearance of The Kinsey Sicks with their hit show Electile Dysfunction at the Renberg Theatre on Sunday, July 17 at 7pm. In the show, Rachel (Ben Schatz), Trampolina (Spencer Brown), Trixie (Jeff Manabat), and Winnie (Nathan Marken) campaign to become the first drag quartet to be elected President of the United States - on the Republican ticket! The gals take (a)back America by out-pandering, out-conspiracy theorizing, and out-outlandishing even the most cynical of the current crop of Presidential candidates through sharp-witted original songs and biting parodies in glorious four-part harmony. www.lalgbtcenter.org/
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Will Geer’s Theatricum Botanicum will put on an Old-fashioned Family Barn Dance and Barbeque on the 4th of July from 11am - 5pm. Activities include live music, a barn dance, pie-eating contest, watermelon seed-spitting contest, cake walk, horseshoes, relay races, dunk bucket, family games and more. Barbeque and fixin’s, beer and wine available for purchase. 1419 N. Topanga Canyon Blvd. in Topanga CA 90290. (midway between Pacific Coast Highway and the Ventura Freeway).www.theatricum.com
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Casting for the Hollywood Bowl’s upcoming production of A Chorus Line has been announced and will feature Sabrina Bryan as Valerie Clark, Robert Fairchild as Mike Costa, Spencer Liff as Larry, Ross Lynch as Mark Anthony, Mara Davi as Maggie Winslow, Denis Lambert as Gregory Gardner, J. Elaine Marcos as Connie Wong, Jason Tam as Paul San Marco, and Leigh Zimmerman as Sheila Bryant. Additional casting will be announced at a later date. The show is directed and choreographed by Baayork Lee, who appeared as Connie Wong in the original Broadway production and choreographed the Broadway revival in 2006. Lee will adapt and re-stage Michael Bennett’s original choreography. Conductor is Patrick Vaccariello. July 29, 30 & July 31. www.HollywoodBowl.com
It’s a Disaster: Live, an immersive theatrical show will run June 14 – 24 in Chloe’s at Golden Road Brewery in Glendale. In this world premiere adaption of Todd Berger’s film It’s a Disaster, a group of thirtysomething friends gather yet again for Open Mic Night at Pete and Emma’s bar. What starts as a typical evening turns into something very different when they learn that bombs have exploded downtown, and a cloud of VX gas is making its way across the city. Now they’re trapped inside the bar, trying to make sense of it all. Could it really be last call for good? All tickets include pre-show appetizers and an open bar throughout the entire immersive performance. www.itsadisasterlive.com
Sam Harris brings his critically acclaimed Off-Broadway production Ham: A Musical Memoir to the Pasadena Playhouse for three performances July 9 at 2pm & 8pm and July 10 at 2pm. Directed by Ken Sawyer and Billy Porter, the musical comedy follows Harris from his conflicted childhood in Bible-Belt Oklahoma to the dizzying roller coaster ride of a life in show business and the precarious balancing act of fatherhood. The production features musical direction by Todd Schroeder and is based on Harris’ book Ham: Slices of a Life. It originally opened Off-Broadway at Ars Nova in January 2015 and later played at the Los Angeles LGBT Center’s Renberg Theatre in January 2016. www.pasadenaplayhouse.org
Sierra Madre Playhouse opens Rachel Sheinkin and William Finn’s The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee July 8. The show is directed by Robert Marra, with musical direction by Joe Lawrence. Cast features Joey Acuna Jr., Gina D’Acciaro, Jaq Galliano, Cristina Gerla, Hannah Leventhal, Stanton Morales, Robert Parkison, Joy Regullano and Richard Van Slyke. John Sparks is the producer and Estelle Campbell and Christian Lebano are executive producers. Through August 21. www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
HOLLYWOOD FRINGE NEWS
CONCERT/CABARET
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