SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
January 2024
It’s a new year, and our local theaters have lots of new offerings to partake of. It’s time to treat yourself to the magic of live theater by going to a local production!
Covid protocols continue to be dictated by each individual venue, so bring a face mask to wear during the show in case the venue requires it. It’s a good idea to check with the theater before you attend a show to find out what their current policy is.
The information presented in this column is the latest available at the time of printing; however you should verify it with the theater to confirm it before making definite plans. Here are the shows that have announced opening dates for this month, or are already running:
OPENING
“An Evening with Groucho” The two-act comedy consists of the best Groucho one-liners, anecdotes and songs including “Hooray for Captain Spalding,” and “Lydia, the Tattooed Lady.” The audience literally becomes part of the show as Ferrante ad-libs his way throughout the performance in grand Groucho style. Accompanied by his onstage pianist, Ferrante portrays the young Groucho of stage and film and reacquaints us with the likes of brothers Harpo, Chico, Zeppo and Gummo, Charlie Chaplin, W.C. Fields and Marx foil Margaret Dumont. A show perfect for all ages! Written and directed by Frank Ferrante, it runs January 4 through January 7 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
“Beau Jest” Sarah Goldman is worried that her Jewish parents will not be accepting of her WASP boyfriend, so she hires an actor to pose as a Jewish doctor she's dating. However, he turns out not to be Jewish either, but is so convincing in a role that he could just win over her parents...and quite possibly Sarah as well. Written by James Sherman, and directed by Jonathan Fahn, it runs January 12 through February 18 at the Theatre Palisades Playhouse in Pacific Palisades. For tickets call 310-454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.
“Mercury” Three stories cross outside of Portland, OR in a pitch-black comedy with an illicit affair, a couple hanging on by a thread, bears at the window, the deadliest curiosity shop on the west coast, and a missing dog named Mr. Bundles. No one's happy, people stop being nice, and blood spills. This mash up of myth, missing empathy, and "good neighbors" explores what happens when the mercury rises. Written by Steve Yockey, and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, it runs January 12 through February 18 at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-761-8838 or visit www.RoadTheatre.org.
“Pretty Woman the Musical” centers on the relationship that develops between Vivian Ward, a free-spirited Hollywood prostitute, and Edward Lewis, a wealthy businessman who hires her for a week to be his escort for several business and social functions. Before long, the two learn that their connection goes beyond a simple transaction. Written by Garry Marshall, with music by Bryan Adams and Jim Vallance, and directed by Jerry Mitchell, it runs January 12 through January 14 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks. For tickets visit www.BroadwayInThousandOaks.com.
“Sukkot” is the hilarious and heartwarming story of the Sullivan family, a half-Jewish-half-Irish-Catholic family attempting to rejoice by celebrating an obscure Jewish holiday that no one has ever heard of. One year after losing his wife to cancer, Patrick Sullivan is still unable to overcome his overwhelming grief, until a rabbi introduces him to the little-known Jewish holiday of Sukkot - the only holiday where God directly commands us to rejoice! Suddenly energized by the holiday, Patrick builds a sukkah (a Jewish hut) in their yard and forces his three grown children to celebrate with him as they gather at the family house to attend their mother’s unveiling ceremony. Written by Matthew Leavitt, and directed by Joel Zwick, it runs January 13 through February 4 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.the6thact.ludus.com.
“Kate” In her widely celebrated one-woman show, revered comedian Kate Berlant explores the events of her life that have brought her to this moment. Embodying many characters in this tour de force performance, she expertly morphs before our eyes and exposes a truth she has, until now, kept hidden. Written by Kate Berlant, and directed by Bo Burnham, it runs January 17 through February 11 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.
“The Manor- Murder and Madness at Greystone” The show is a roman a clef, a fictionalization based on real events with the actual historical characters given new names. To lend authenticity to the presentation, the show is presented in the grand and glorious architectural landmark in which the events of 95 years ago actually took place. Audience members are led from room to room in the lovingly restored marvelous Greystone Mansion as different scenes of the narrative are portrayed, leading up to a shocking and apparent murder and suicide. The Manor- Murder and Madness at Greystone depicts momentous changes in the fortunes of the fabulously wealthy MacAlister Family (fictional surrogates of the oil-rich Doheny Family). Family patriarch and mining tycoon Charles makes an illegal if well-intentioned loan to Senator Alfred Winston (a stand-in for Secretary of the Interior Albert Fall). Both men face imminent disgrace and worse in the oncoming Teapot Dome bribery scandal, which will engulf the Warren Harding administration. A scion of the MacAlister family faces violent death. Written by Kathrine Bates, and directed by Martin Thompson, it runs January 18 through February 3 at the Greystone Mansion, in Greystone Park in Beverly Hills. For tickets call 310-364-3606 or visit www.theatre40.org.
“Strangers on a Train” Two young men meet on a train: one an ambitious architect, the other a playboy with a taste for danger. As the train takes them to their destination, the two travelers speculate on what it would be like to commit the perfect murder. With a Private Investigator on their case, little do they know that their lives will soon become fatally linked forever. Written by Craig Warner, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith, and directed by Jules Aaron, it runs January 18 through February 18 at the Theatre Forty, in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tickets call 310-364-0535 or visit www.theatre40.org.
“Confessions of a Prairie B*tch” Arngrim offers a riotous evening of anecdotes, stand-up comedy, and multimedia content about life as the scorned yet beloved devious pre-teen, complete with frilly petticoats and curls. The one-woman stage show made its debut in New York City in 2002 and has since become a global sensation, drawing packed houses in the U.S. and abroad. Written and directed by Alison Arngrim, it runs January 19 through January 28 at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre. For tickets call 626-355-4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
“(Im)migrants of the State” An unflinching, emotional, thought-provoking evening of theater, weaving together self-reflection and humor, through authentic voices on their journey toward redemption and healing. An original new work, created and performed by an ensemble of Prison Project alumni with over 240 years of combined incarceration, telling powerful, inspirational stories that speak to anyone who has ever lost hope, or lived their life in fear and regret. Written by Jeremie Loncka, Richard Loya and members of The Actors’ Gang Alumni Advocacy Project, and directed by Jeremie Loncka and Richard Loya, it runs January 19 through January 28 at the Actors’ Gang Theater in Culver City. For tickets call 310-838-4264 or visit www.theactorsgang.com.
“La Cocina” La Cocina looks at the back of house of a modern-day NYC restaurant kitchen as cooks and waitstaff juggle orders, dishes, and their own dreams of a better life. Written by Tony Menéses, and directed by Adam Chambers, it runs January 19 through February 11 at the Loft Ensemble in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-452-3153 or visit www.loftensemble.org.
“Private Lives” centers around Amanda and Elyot, a divorced couple who, while honeymooning with their new spouses Victor and Sibyl, discover that they are staying in adjacent rooms at the same hotel. Despite a perpetually stormy relationship, Amanda and Elyot realize they still have feelings for each other - and it soon becomes clear they cannot live with each other, but also cannot live without each other! Written by Noël Coward, and directed by Richard Perloff, it runs January 19 through February 10 at the Westchester Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-645-5156 or visit www.kentwoodplayers.org.
“Mystic Pizza” A new musical you’ll love at first slice! Based on the classic 1988 Julia Roberts rom-com, MYSTIC PIZZA is a new musical about three working-class girls who navigate the complexities of life, love, and family in a small-town pizza joint. The infectious score features mega-hits of the ’80s and ’90s, from “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” and “Addicted to Love,” to “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now,” “Take My Breath Away,” and many, many more! Written by Sandy Rustin, with music by Carmel Dean, and directed by Casey Hushion, it runs January 20 through February 11 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets call 562-944-9801 or visit www.LaMiradaTheatre.com.
“POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive” A derogatory comment, a summit gone awry, an anal abscess—it’s a bad day at the White House. When the President unwittingly spins a PR nightmare into a global crisis, it inevitably falls on the seven women he relies on most to clean up the mess. Take a raucous romp through the halls of the West Wing in a riotous and irreverent farce about the men who hold the power vs. the women who get the job done. Written by Selina Fillinger, and directed by Jennifer Chambers, it runs January 25 through February 18 at the Gil Cates Theater at Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-208-2028 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.
“Twelve Angry Jurors” Following the closing arguments of a murder trial, the twelve members of the jury must deliberate, with a guilty verdict meaning death for the accused, an inner-city teen. Still amazingly relevant today. The democratic jury system is meant to be impersonal, but it ultimately becomes personal, revealing and passionate, as anger rears its dramatic head. Written by Sherman L. Sergel, based on the television movie by Reginald Rose, and directed by Tom Lazarus, it runs January 26 through March 3 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre – Main Stage in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-763-5990 or www.thegrouprep.com.
“Brushstroke” The Lower East Side, 1956. Marvin (Malcom Barrett), a young art patron with a secret, meets Ted (James Urbaniak), a middle-aged painter with a secret. Enter a world of espionage, abstract expressionism and egg creams. Written by John Ross Bowie, and directed by Casey Stangl, it runs January 27 through March 3 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.odysseytheatre.com/tickets/?eid=111850.
Our local theme parks are operating at full capacity. Most require advance reservations online, as well as advance ticket, and possibly food, purchases. You will need an app in some to be able to take full advantage of all attractions and restaurants. Please check their websites for details, restrictions, and availability before planning a visit:
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Disneyland Resort Disney’s California Adventure |
https://disneyland.disney.go.com/
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Knott’s Berry Farm
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Legoland California |
https://www.legoland.com/california/
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SeaWorld San Diego |
https://seaworld.com/san-diego/
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Six Flags Magic Mountain |
https://www.sixflags.com/magicmountain/
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Universal Studios Hollywood |
https://www.universalstudioshollywood.com/
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Some theaters still provide online offerings in addition to or in lieu of live performances, with many events you can experience on a virtual basis. A few of these online events are only available on a one-time basis, while others are ongoing and can be viewed on-demand anytime. Visit each of the web sites below to see what they are currently offering. You will find free content as well as pay-per-view to choose from. Here are the links to web sites with online offerings:
Please help keep our theaters open by supporting live theater whenever you can. On behalf of the publisher Steve Zall, and the co-publisher& editor Sid Fish, we want to send our heartfelt thanks to the publicists who supply us with this content, the editors and publishers who deliver it to you, and most of all, to our readers who enjoy our columns. We wish everyone good health, prosperity, and joyful times throughout the New Year!
Sincerely,
Steve Zall, Publisher
Sid Fish, Co-Publisher and Editor
