SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
While you decide which treats to hand out to all the kids this Halloween, don't neglect the dozens of new treats in entertainment offerings at our local theaters, such as:
“Valentino Valentina” Valentino and Valentina are sister and brother who are involved in a car crash that kills Valentino while crossing the border. To find work, Valentina becomes Valentino and goes to work for (and falls for) Ernesto, who is profoundly in love with the beautiful entrepreneur Olivia who is soon besotted with Valentino (who is actually Valentina), while Olivia’s assistant Rodrigue, seeking to gain an advantage with her, is tricked by others into making a play for her, in their idea of a practical joke. Written by Carlo Allen and directed by Odalys Nanin, it runs through October 17 at the Macha Theatre in West Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7712 or visit www.Plays411.com/valentino.
"Dying is Easy… Comedy is Hard" With songs, slides and irrepressible wit, writer/actor/comedian Nick Ullett takes the audience on a roller coaster ride through existence. The show that started out as an autobiographical account of Nick's arrival in America as one-half of an English comedy team during the swinging '60s morphed into something else entirely when fate stepped in, altering his life with a diagnosis of Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Nick incorporated his fight against cancer into the show, never shying away from the reality of the battle - but always mining the humor that kept him going. The result is stimulating, funny, and thought provoking. Written and Performed by Nick Ullett and directed by Lisa James, it runs through October 25 at The Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-852-1445 or visit
www.MatrixTheatre.com.
"Barefoot In the Park" a romantic comedy about newlyweds who, true to the times, don't really know each other yet — and argue about their differences. We witness the young couple as they begin their married life in their tiny fifth floor walk-up apartment in Manhattan. He is an uptight, straight-laced lawyer and she is a spontaneous free spirit, so after a glorious honeymoon, when their real life begins, they discover that adjusting to married life isn’t so easy. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Stan Mazin, it runs through October 31 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-700-4878 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.
“Dancing With Crazies” a young girl never feels at home while she is being raised by her single mother because life is always so transient. She manages to get an education, becomes a dancer, and a world traveler whose adventures take her to London, Jamaica, Spain and finally Ghana, where she becomes the first person ever to teach tap dance in that country. An adoring brother died when she was very young, so she tracks down her long-absent father and his new family, most attempt to make her feel welcome, some even turn into romances. Written and performed by Amy Milano and directed by Debra De Liso, it runs through November 4 at The Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7785 or visit www.Plays411.com/dancingwithcrazies.
"Yard Sale Signs" A comedy about mothers, daughters, and other things that imply some sort of responsibility. A shopping trip where characters find themselves examining much more than their fashion choices. With an absurdist edge, this sometimes ruthless journey throws light on the stuff that we accumulate as we move through life and the rather circuitous paths we follow to convince ourselves we're rid of it. Written by Jennie Webb and directed by Elina de Santos, it runs through November 14 at ROGUE MACHINE in Theatre Theater in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-4424 or visitwww.roguemachinetheatre.com.
"Peter Pan" the story of a magical boy visits the London nursery of three children, teaches them to fly and leads them to the magical Neverland, "second to the right and straight on till morning", where they live with Tinker Bell, the Lost Boys and meet the notorious Captain Hook. This groundbreaking production is the first ever to be an immersive, multimedia theatre experience in a state-of-the-art theater pavilion, with stunning puppets, epic music, dazzling flying sequences and the world’s first 360-degree CGI theater set projected around the entire audience on a continuous screenthree times the height of Imax movie screens. Written by J M Barrie, adapted by Tanya Ronder and directed by Ben Harrison, it runs through December 5 at the Threesixty Theatre at the Orange County Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-556-2787 or visit www.OCPAC.org.
"Copenhagen" tells the story of renowned physicist, Warner Heisenberg, who made a strange trip to Copenhagen in 1941 to see his old colleague and friend, Niels Bohr, and his wife, Margrethe. The meeting was fraught with danger and embarrassment, and ended in disaster. Written by Michael Frayn and directed by Lewis Hauser, it runs October 1 through October 30 at the Attic Theatre & Film Center in Culver City. For tickets call 323-960-4420 or visitwww.plays411.com/copenhagen.
"Miss Julie" In a dark, cramped kitchen just off the servants' quarters of a nobleman's vast estate, a war has broken out between a servant and a mistress, a criminal and a victim, a man and a woman, and, as in all wars, blood will be spilled before the sun has risen. Written by August Strindberg, translated by Carl Mueller and directed by Brian Robert Harris, it runs October 1 through October 31 at The Raven Playhouse in
North Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7721 or visit www.plays411.com/missjulie.
"Skeleton Stories" On Dia de los Muertos, when the veil between this life and the afterlife is at its thinnest, a girl named Maya travels through the underworld in search of her dead mother. Along the way, she meets a variety of gods and spirits, as well as the deceased, who tell her their stories. Written by Delondra Williams and directed by Bill Voorhees, it runs October 1 through November 6 at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-856-8611 or visitwww.theatreofnote.com.
“Campaign” a pompous, arrogant jerk who can’t keep his zipper shut while extolling Family Values is running for governor while having an affair with his campaign manager, but touts sensible ideas for making his state run better, while his wealthy opponent self-financed his campaign and is 15 points ahead, has ideas that are not so lofty, but two campaign managers stir things up and save the day. Book by Samuel Warren Joseph, music and lyrics by Samuel Warren Joseph and Jon Detherage, and directed by TJ Castronovo, it runs October 1 through November 7 at The MET Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7612 or visit www.Plays411.com/campaign
“Via Dolorosa” an autobiographical piece, based on the author's journey through Israel, Gaza and the West Bank, where he encountered a range of people, Jews and Arabs, Israelis and Palestinians, from the ordinary to the exceptional: Arab and Jewish leaders, Palestinian intellectuals, West Bank Jewish settlers, Israeli leftists, and discovered that beneath the thin layers of political dogma are human beings who, despite dissimilar backgrounds, have similar aspirations. Written by David Hare and directed by Patricia Willson, it runs October 1 through November 7 at the Missing Piece Theater in Burbank. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.
“La Victima” a story that spans four decades, telling the tale of two families, the Villas and the Mendozas, as family members come to the U.S.A. to relieve the suffering of chronic poverty, to find employment, to work hard, to become educated, to fall in love, to get married, to build new homes and better lives for their loved ones. Most devastating to both of the families is the inconsistently applied, inhumane immigration policy, particularly after one of their number becomes a U.S. government immigration enforcement agent. Written by El Teatro De La Esperanza and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, it runs October 2 through October 31 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www.thelatc.org.
“Head: ‘The Brain That Wouldn’t Die’ Musical” A scientist and his fiancée suffer a car crash which decapitates her. Unable to cope with her loss, he keeps her severed head alive hoping to find her a new body and hook them up, but can't find a suitable donor among the nymphomaniacs, exotic dancers, and models he knows. How will he ever decide with only 48 hours left? Book, music and lyrics by Ivo Shandor and directed by L. Flint Esquerra, it runs October 2 through November 6 at The MET Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-5770 or visitwww.Plays411.com/headthebrain.
"Circle Dance" A "perfect" family discovers they are not so perfect after all, when the son who is pro-football bound discovers a truth about his dad and, by extension, his mother, which cracks the dam and brings the family crashing down around them all from an agent who came to town to court him. Written by Dep Kirkland and directed by Rick Andosca, it runs October 2 through November 7 at Skylight Theatre Mainstage in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7776 or visit www.plays411.com/circledance.
"I Loved Lucy" offers a front row center look at a very different Lucy, a woman who was so much like and unlike her TV alter ego. See what is was like to be her friend, the way she truly was and the way she chose to live. Learn the stories and the shenanigans she shares with us in Beverly Hills, New York, Washington DC, and Colorado. This is Lucy as you’ve never known her before. Written by Lee Tannen and directed by Todd Weeks, it runs October 5 through October 31 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets call 949-497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.
"Heiress, ‘69" follows Manson murder victim Abigail Folger as she returns to the present day to speak at a parole hearing for her killers. By telling her story she hopes to redeem the identity she had while alive and shed her present one of victim. She also hopes to understand why her killers did what they did. Written by Venessa Verdugo and directed by Elizabeth Romaine Rolnick, it runs October 8 to October 23 at the Elephant Stages - Studio Stage Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7744 or visit www.plays411.com/heiress69.
“Two Small Bodies” A little boy and a little girl are missing. Foul play is suspected. The prime suspect in their disappearance is Eileen Maloney, their mother. An attractive, sexually liberated young woman, she works as a cocktail waitress. Could she have murdered her own children? Assigned to investigate her is one tough detective, Lieutenant Brann. Married himself, and the father of two boys, his investigation is made complicated by the fact of his own attraction to the alluring Eileen. The sexual tension between Eileen and Brann is undeniably present. Did she or did she not commit the crime, and if she did, will he be able to arrest her? Written by Neal Bell and directed by Ben Campbell, it runs October 8 through October 23 in Ruby Theater at The Complex in Hollywood. For tickets visitwww.Plays411.com/twosmallbodies.
“Anna in the Tropics” A young Cuban-American girl who works in a cigar factory meets a young, handsome, new co-worker who reads to all of the workers Tolstoy’s “Anna Karenina.” The Russian classic novel about a passionate romance and a married woman succumbing to illicit desires, which leads the workers to dissatisfaction with their jobs and a lust for other things. Written by Nilo Cruz and directed by Corky Dominguez, it runs October 8 through November 13 at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre. For tickets call 626-355-4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.
“FDR” starring Ed Asner explores the life of one of America’s best-loved presidents and the events and decisions that shaped a nation. This powerful play follows the iconic president as he reflects on his years in office, from inauguration to the trials of World War II. Based on Dore Schary’s Broadway hit Sunrise at Campobello, it runs October 12 through November 7 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.Pasadenaplayhouse.org.
"Sort of A Love Story" Renée Taylor and Joe Bologna star in this story about a career criminal and a street-smart con woman find each other in spite of all the odds against them. The dramatic surprise that is revealed in their meeting turns into a strikingly powerful and unexpectedly hilarious look at how our need to love and be loved can make miracles happen. Written by Joe Bologna and Richard Krevolin and directed by Joe Bologna, it runs October 14 through October 24 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-508-4200 or visit www.elportaltheatre.com.
"When Garbo Talks!" Seventeen year-old Swedish acting student Greta Gustafsson is discovered by Sweden's genius film director, Mauritz Stiller, who uses her talent to angle his way into Hollywood, until they realize that Louis B. Mayer has a plan of his own. Hearts break and careers plummet as Garbo challenges the studio system to become MGM's highest paid actress and biggest international star. Written by Buddy Kaye and Richard D. Kaye and directed by Jules Aaron, it runs October 15 through November 14 at INTERNATIONAL CITY THEATRE in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. For tickets call 562-436-4610 or visit www.ictlongbeach.org.
“Hoboken to Hollywood: A Journey through the Great American Songbook” is a behind-the-scenes look at the taping of a television special, possibly in 1964 or soon thereafter. There’s That Famous Crooner from Hoboken, the orchestra, the sublime songs. There are even commercials. There’s all the fun and excitement of a great live performance, one that is being recorded for the later enjoyment of millions. There’s one great song after another. There’s a reason they call this material The Great American Songbook. During the course of the television taping, a second assistant director named Andy experiences a professional coming of age when he is suddenly called upon to assume responsibilities beyond his limited experience. At first, he’s a mass of foibles and failings. Ultimately, he is inspired to greatness by the subject of his camera’s lens, That Famous Crooner from Hoboken. We take a journey back in time and across the country, from Andy’s humble beginnings to his promotion amongst the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown. Written by Luca Ellis, Paul Litteral and Jeremy Aldridge and directed by Jeremy Aldridge, it runs October 15 through December 12 at the Edgemar Center for the Arts in Santa Monica. For tickets call 310-392-7327 or visit www.edgemarcenter.org.
"The Train Driver" A traumatized train driver is tormented by a nightmare that has shattered his life - until he is awakened by an extraordinary stranger who takes him on a mesmerizing, transforming and deeply personal journey into the human soul. Written by Athol Fugard and directed by Stephen Sachs, it runs October 16 through December 12 at The Fountain Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-663-1525 or visit www.FountainTheatre.com.
"A Murder is Announced" A strange notice appears in the morning paper of a perfectly ordinary small English village, Chipping Cleghorn: "A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks, at 6:30 p.m. Friends accept this, the only intimation." This apparently comes as a great surprise to Letitia Blacklock, the owner of Little Paddocks, as she has no idea what the notice means; she didn't place it and none of her companions knows more than she. Miss Blacklock decides to take it in her stride and prepares herself to have guests that evening. What follows is a classic Agatha Christie mystery of mixed motives and concealed identities, with Miss Marple herself on hand to provide the dramatic solution! The show runs October 21 through November 20 at the Glendale Centre Theatre in Glendale. For tickets call 818-244-8481 or visit www.glendalecentretheatre.com.
"Fairies With Children: The Yes On Hate Episode" A gay musical parody of the show "Married with Children," with two guys from a group of gay activists pose as Al and Peg Bundy to infiltrate the conservative suburbs of Los Angeles to change the hearts and minds of these ignorant people. The show includes seven songs from contemporary musicals including “Hairspray”, “Guys and Dolls”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, “Dreamgirls” and “Annie”. Directed by Christopher Michael Graham, it runs October 22 through November 28 at the Meta Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 424-298-0100 or visit www.plays411.com/fairies.
"Sugar Daddy" Wickedly funny, incisive and hip, Fielding Edlow's comedy chronicles one woman's epic battle with frosty cupcakes (not vegan), breaking up with Daddy, and learning to stand the sound of her own heartbeat. Written byFielding Edlow and directed by Paul Stein, it runs October 22 through November 20 at the Lounge 2 Theatre inHollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7792 or visit www.plays411.com/sugardaddy.
"Tea at Five" stars Stephanie Zimbalist (Remington Steele) as legendary actress Katharine Hepburn, an uncontested icon of live theater and cinematic art who transformed herself from the key actress of a generation into thespian royalty. The story shows her life from 1938, after being branded "box office poison," she anxiously awaits to hear if she will play ‘Scarlett O'Hara' in Gone With The Wind, to 1983, when her voice is shaky and she clutches at her cane for support yet the same grace, style and poise is still evident in her every word and coy smile. Join Kate as she beckons us into her Connecticut home for a cozy chat and an intimate look at the Hollywood legend, and the woman based behind the legend. Written by Matthew Lombardo and directed by Jenny Sullivan, it runs October 22 through November 14 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. For tickets call 818-955-8101 or visit www.FalconTheatre.com.
“Lucia Mad” Lucia Joyce, daughter of famed author James Joyce, is madly in love with her father's young secretary, Samuel Beckett, who has no interest at all in her, and she is sent to the famous Dr. Carl Jung for a cure. Written by Don Nigro and directed by Steve Jarrard, it runs October 22 through November 14 at The Sherry Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 323-860-6569 or visit www.Plays411.com/luciamad.
The eensy weensy spider went up the water spout, go get the family and take everyone out - out to a new show you'll all have so much fun, and have a happy Halloween, won't you everyone?
