SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
September 2024
There seems to be no end to this heat, so why not slip into the comfort of one of our local live theaters where you can cool off for a while? It’s time to treat yourself to the magic of live theater by going to see a show!
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
“Spy for Spy” Sarah and Molly love each other – and that’s all they have in common. As the uptight lawyer and the free-spirited dreamer strive to make their improbable relationship work, we see them break up, meet their parents, vacation together and fall in love – all in a completely random order. Kieron Barry’s play is a romantic comedy with a difference; a drama performed like a playlist with the scenes shuffled into a random sequence by the audience each night. Is love enough to keep two people together? And do our lives make more sense in the wrong order? Written by Kieron Barry, and directed by Michael Massey, it runs September 5 through October 10 at the Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks. For tickets visit www.ticketleap.events/tickets/spyforspy/shermanoaks.
“3 Faces of Steve: Sondheim in Concert” Three world class singers, including Réaux, baritone Michael Sokol and bari-tenor Bernardo Bermudez, sing solos, duets and trios from 14 of Sondheim’s classic stage works. Not “just another” Sondheim song-to -song revue, 3 Faces of Steve places dazzling songs from shows like Follies, Company, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, A Little Night Music and Merrily We Roll Along alongside Réaux’s personal and professional remembrances of the master. Written by Stephen Sondheim, and directed by Angelina Réaux, it runs September 6 through September 29 at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.
“Thirds” In an alternate timeline of American history in which the Civil War was never fought, America stands divided into three separate countries: The Union, The Confederate, and The Pacific States of America. When an historic drought threatens the citizens of the Confederate States, Catherine Shepard, the world’s most powerful water tycoon and citizen of the Pacific States, must travel into the Confederacy to negotiate a secret deal with the government to provide their people with clean water before it’s too late. Written by Ben Edlin, and directed by Jessica Aquila Cymerman, it runs September 6 through September 29 at the Zephyr Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.thirdstheplay.com.
“Tick, Tick...Boom!” Before the revolutionary rock musical RENT, Jonathan Logan had another story to tell...his own. "tick, tick...Boom!" is a three-chapter pop rock musical about facing the crossroads in life and holding on to your dreams that was first produced off Broadway in 2001. It tells the story of young Jonathan, a promising young composer on the eve of his 30th birthday. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out of the city (tick); his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue (tick); and he's still waiting tables and trying to write the great American musical before time; and life, passes him by (Boom!). Written by Jonathan Logan, with music by Jonathan Logan, and directed by Lindsey Johnson, it runs September 6 through October 13 at the Theatre Palisades in Pacific Palisades. For tickets call 310-454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.
“Brooklyn’s Way” Set in New York, Brooklyn’s Way centers around Sam, a gifted and witty veteran writer, full of both emotion and depression. He is charismatic and gloomy at the same time. His own worst enemy. Brooklyn is a young writer’s assistant, full of ambition, clever yet vulnerable, charming and totally captivated by Sam’s talent and yet she is fearful of his self-destructing behavior. They each face their own difficult situations. Two people now aligned forever, yet separated by life and the circumstances they must navigate. Written by Sam Henry Kass, and directed by Ronnie Marmo, it runs September 7 through October 13 at the Theatre 68 Arts Complex (The Rosalie Theatre) in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.theatre68.com.
“Demolition” Doug, a blue-collar worker at a family owed construction company, is the self-proclaimed “best shovel man in southeast Michigan.” He is charged with training Paul, the boss’s gentle, secretive, college bound son, during the course of a summer renovation project. Doug is close to Paul’s family and feels that he’s needed to help to get the boy ready for life away from home. Their exchanges begin with Doug’s bawdy advice that is comically at odds with Paul’s shy nature. But soon it becomes apparent that Paul is struggling with something far beyond Doug’s purview and experience. This new play is about identity, truth, parenthood, and the courage it takes to break things apart in order to become your own kind of hero. Written by Matthew Letscher, and directed by Max Mayer, it runs September 7 through October 13 at the Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice. For tickets call 310-822-8392 or visit www.pacificresidenttheatre.org.
“Pascal & Julien” the story of a closed, isolated middle-aged man whose true self is able to emerge through his friendship with a child. Pascal is a regular at the local café, spending his days huddled over a cup of coffee and a crossword. Thirteen-year-old Julien is on the hunt for a new father to replace his own, who is distant and remote. Julien’s been keeping his binoculars trained on Pascal. Could this awkward, graceless adult be the right one? Audiences both young and old will be enthralled by this bittersweet story of heartache and connection. (Not appropriate for children under eight.) To increase audience accessibility, all performances will feature Spanish supertitles. Written by Daniel Keene, with music by Bradley Brough, and directed by Debbie Devine, it runs September 7 through October 27 at the 24th Street Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 213-745-6516 or visit www.24thstreet.org.
“The Skin of Our Teeth” Various cataclysmic events serve as a backdrop for a hilarious and thought-provoking exploration of human resilience. After 5,000 years of marriage, George and Maggie Antrobus and their children have faced ice ages, floods and war, but the family perseveres with humor, ingenuity… and a pet dinosaur. This iconic play is a riveting testament to the indomitable spirit of humanity. Written by Thornton Wilder, and directed by Julia Rodriguez-Elliott and Geoff Elliott, it runs September 7 through September 29 at the A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-3100 or visit www.anoisewithin.org.
“Don't Dress for Dinner” This outrageous farce has all the right ingredients for a delicious night of laughter. There’s a married couple with sexy secrets, a cook mistaken for a mistress, a mistress who can’t cook, and enough mistaken identities and confused alibis to have audiences in stitches! Written by Marc Camoletti, adapted by Robin Hawdon, and directed by Christopher M. Williams, it runs September 8 through September 22 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
“The Mostly True Story of a Common Scold” Anne Royall, America’s first female journalist, alarmed by speeches from evangelical leaders declaring their intent to reshape America into a Christian nation, starts printing a newspaper from her Washington, D.C., kitchen to sound the alarm. She nearly pays with her life. Written by Mike Teverbaugh, and directed by Natalia Lazarus, it runs September 8 through October 13 at the Promenade Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.laproductions.org.
“Bright Blue Sky” offers a poignant and uplifting portrayal of hope, loss, and the enduring human spirit. Through a series of deeply heartfelt and charming episodes, the musical explores the lives of individuals working on the 104th floor of the World Trade Center as they confront the unimaginable. Written and directed by Vincent Aniceto, with music by Tim Nelson, lyrics by Vincent Aniceto, it runs September 11 through September 12 at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster. For tickets visit www.rosecentertheater.com.
“God of Carnage” Hoping to resolve the situation amicably, two married couples meet to discuss a violent altercation between their young sons. But as conflicting personalities and parenting styles collide, the polite facades unravel, revealing marital tensions and opposing life philosophies. Written by Yasmina Reza, and directed by Kim Quinn, it runs September 13 through October 13 at the 905 Cole Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.carnage.brownpapertickets.com.
“Misery” follows successful romance novelist Paul Sheldon, who is rescued from a car crash by Annie Wilkes, his ‘number one fan,’ and then wakes up captive in her secluded home. While Paul is convalescing, Annie reads his latest book and becomes enraged when she discovers the author has killed off her favorite character, Misery Chastain. Annie forces Paul to write a new Misery novel, and he quickly realizes Annie has no intention of letting him go anywhere. The irate Annie has Paul writing as if his life depends on it, and it does. Written by William Goldman, based on the novel by Stephen King, and directed by Kathy Dershimer, it runs September 13 through October 5 at the Westchester Playhouse in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-645-5156 or visit www.kentwoodplayers.org.
“The Polycule: A Comedy of Manners” Fern attends a dinner party to meet her new boyfriend's family — which consists of his wife and the other members of their polyamorous household. An outsider to their world of consensual non-monogamy and its unfamiliar rules and norms, Fern struggles to keep up and to fit in. Written by Jillian Blevins, and directed by Sean Alan Mazur, it runs September 13 through October 6 at the Loft Ensemble in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-452-3153 or visit www.loftensemble.org.
“Clarkston” Welcome to Clarkston, Washington, where Jake and Chris meet working the night shift at Costco. Jake, a middle-class, educated new hire who’s a distant relative of explorer William Clark, has fled his privileged life in Connecticut after being diagnosed with a serious illness. Chris, a would-be writer with a meth-addicted mom, is stuck in what he fears is a dead-end life in a dead-end town. Their tentative attraction develops into something much deeper and more complicated in this delicate, intimate and hopeful new play. Written by Samuel D. Hunter, and directed by Chris Fields, it runs September 14 through October 21 at the Echo Theater Company - Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets call 747-350-8066 or visit www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.
“Kill Move Paradise” Four Black men, torn from the world without warning, find themselves stuck in a cosmic waiting room in the afterlife. As they attempt to make sense of their new paradise, Isa, Daz, Grif and Tiny play, sing, tease and uplift one another, even as they’re forced to confront how they arrived in this unearthly place. Inspired by the ever-growing list of slain Black men and women and the fear and threat of death they continue to face daily, Kill Move Paradise is an electrifying reminder of our collective humanity. Written by James Ijames, and directed by Gregg T. Daniel, it runs September 14 through November 3 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 Ext. 2 or visit www.OdysseyTheatre.com.
“Whittier Boulevard” It’s Los Angeles in 2042, and years of fires, torrential rain, anarchy and bloodshed have led to a totalitarian city-state where the elderly disappear, their stories forgotten. When authorities make a surprise visit to the home of faded Chicana starlet Veronica Del Rio on the eve of her 75th birthday, she enlists the help of her loudmouth nurse, a kindhearted policeman-fan, and a down-on-his-luck poet. Will Veronica disappear and be forgotten before she finds true love? Written by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez and José Luis Valenzuela, and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, it runs September 14 through October 20 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles. For tickets call 213-489-0994 or visit www.latinotheaterco.org.
“Completeness” The play follows graduate students Elliot and Molly, a computer scientist and a molecular biologist, who harshly disentangle themselves from their situationships and attempt to orient toward each other instead. Elliot is working on the Traveling Salesman Problem, a famous computer science problem that tackles the most effective way to find the shortest possible distance between any number of points before returning home. Molly is working on protein-protein interactions to discover how and why cells heal – or stop healing. After Elliot and Molly leave a nerdy meet-cute in a computer lab with a plan to see each other again, Elliot goes to work writing Molly a useful program that helps her interpret her scientific data better. When they meet, the disguise of education melts away and they fall for each other. But as the relationship grows more serious, Elliot’s struggle with commitment and Molly’s pain from past heartache brings their relationship into question. Written by Itamar Moses, and directed by Angela Bruning, it runs September 20 through September 28 at the Eastwood Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. For tickets visit www.eastwoodpac.stagey.net/projects/11116?tab=tickets.
“In the Unlikely Event of an Actual Emergency” This show was suggested by true events. The playwright based his narrative on his own actual experience as the survivor of a plane crash. Arturo is a passenger on an airliner. He is traveling alone. He observes a handsome stranger and wonders if the man could possibly be a romantic prospect. Before Arturo can find out, the plane crashes! Not everyone survives. Who will live and who will die? How will events impact the lives of those who don’t die in the incident? What will the future hold for them? Written by John Mullican, and directed by Rickie Peete, it runs September 20 through October 26 at the Hudson Guild Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.onstage411.com/newsite/boxoffice/cart.asp?show_id=6436&orgin=guest.
“Jane Austen in 89 Minutes” is a comedy in which a cast of madcap ladies and gents bring all six of Jane Austen’s beloved novels to comic life and includes modern day zingers about Jane Austen’s fame, fandom, movies, and TV series. The play takes place in a wrinkle in time, the present day intermingled with England’s Regency Era, 1811-1816. At several points, Jane Austen has to rein in her characters when they run amok and try to take over the show. Written and directed by Syrie James, it runs September 20 through October 13 at the Theatre Forty in the Mary Levin Cutler Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tickets call 310-364-0535 or visit www.theatre40.org.
“Waitress” Meet Jenna, a waitress and expert pie-maker who dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage. Pouring her heart into her pies, she crafts desserts which mirror her topsy-turvy life, such as “The Key (Lime) to Happiness Pie” and “Betrayed by My Eggs Pie.” When a baking contest in a nearby county -- and a satisfying run-in with someone new -- show Jenna a chance at a fresh start, she must find the courage to seize it. Change is on the menu, as long as Jenna can write her own perfectly personal recipe for happiness. Featuring music and lyrics by GRAMMY® Award winner, Sara Bareilles (“Love Song,” “Brave”), this hit musical is a little slice of Broadway heaven! Written by Jessie Nelson, with music by Sara Bareilles, and directed by Abbey O’Brien, it runs September 21 through October 13 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets call 562-944-9801 or visit www.LaMiradaTheatre.com.
CONTINUING
“Broadway and Beyond: Hits & Misses” celebrates the Biggest Hits and the Box Office Busts of Broadway, film and Off-Broadway mixed in with little known musical theater gems. This fun Broadway music revue will feature selections from some of your favorite shows - The Music Man, Beauty and the Beast, Gypsy, Wicked, The Sound of Music and much more! You'll also discover catchy tunes from lesser-known shows such as The Frogs, Side Show, Carrie the Musical, The Bakers Wife, Wildcat and other hidden gems! As always, along with the songs will be fun bits of Broadway trivia including a section about Tony Award Winners and surprising Tony Award Losers! Seating is "Cabaret Style" at tables so that you can enjoy tasty desserts or a beverage of your choice during the show! So, make plans now to join us at the DownStage Cabaret Theater at SVCAC! Written by Fred Helsel, Philip McBride and Mazie Rudolph, and directed by Fred Helsel, it runs through September 22 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center - DownStage Theater in Simi Valley. For tickets www.simi-arts.org.
“Medea Comes to Our Town” Two worlds collide when Medea, the mother of all tragedies, crashes the mundanity of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town. One particular citizen of this land, the Doctor’s Wife, dawdles aimlessly in her everyday life as dictated by her drama's first act. She plays her part, but something deep within her yearns for more. A strange barbarian woman from ancient Greece descends upon the stage, halting the normal course of life, marriage and death. Medea, fresh from her own play’s denouement, seeks refuge from all the carnage made by her lustful vengeance. Her deed is done: Children murdered, and a husband destroyed. With her story now concluded, Medea sets out to create her own tale for the ages and lays claim to the epithet of playwright. A chance meeting between these two women from opposite genres shifts the theatrical course from a linear to a non-linear narrative. The Doctor’s Wife now finds herself questioning the meaning of her existence as Euripides’ immortal character throws their worlds into a tailspin. Perhaps the simple charms of Our Town might in turn soothe Medea’s savage soul. One thing’s for sure: Nothing will ever be the same for these women as the very nature of theater gets torn asunder. Written by Tony Foster, and directed by Jaime Robledo, it runs through September 22 at the McCadden Place Theater in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.lightningrodtheater.ludus.com.
“Reefer Madness the Musical” Inspired by the original 1936 film of the same name, this raucous musical comedy takes a look at the mass hysteria caused when two clean-cut kids, Jimmy and Mary, fall prey to the frightful toll of the new drug menace currently destroying the youth of America in alarmingly increasing numbers, the insidious and murderous lure of our real public enemy number one, MARIJUANA! It tragically (and hysterically) leads them both into a downward spiral filled with wild jazz, chaos and mayhem, lurid sex and uncontrollable violence. Written by Kevin Murphy & Dan Studney, with music by Dan Studney, lyrics by Kevin Murphy, and directed by Spencer Liff, it runs through October 27 at the Whitley Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets visit www.reefermadness.com.
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 our 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 importantly, to you, our readers – who enjoy reading our columns. We wish everyone health, prosperity, and joy throughout the year!
Sincerely,
Steve Zall, Publisher
Sid Fish, Co-Publisher and Editor
