SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
We're all still drying off from the unseasonably wet weather we have been having lately, but don't put away those umbrellas just yet, because out local theatres are about to unleash a deluge of new shows, such as:
"Annie" is the musical story of a spunky Depression-era orphan determined to find the parents who abandoned her on the doorstep of a New York City orphanage. In adventure after fun-filled adventure, Annie, along with Sandy, her trusty canine companion, foils Miss Hannigan’s cruel machinations, befriends President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and finds a new family in the home of billionaire Oliver Warbucks. Written by Thomas Meehan and directed by Steven Glaudini, it runs through November 14 at the Long Beach Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach. For tickets call 562-856-1999 or visit www.musical.org.
"Diving Normal" edgy and explosive comedic drama that explores friendship and love between three twenty-somethings as they swim from stability to recklessness, and back again, in a time ruled by temptation and indifference. Their dark histories of abandonment, accident, and sexual deviation surface as they struggle toward the comforting uniformity of traditional relationships. Written by Ashlin Halfnight and directed by Neil H. Weiss, it runs through November 14 at SFS Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-5521 or visit www.plays411.com/divingnormal.
"Night of January 16" is a gripping courtroom drama loosely based on the career (and death) of Ivan Kreuger, the Swedish “Match King” who made and lost a fortune in business. It leaves the answers of the mystery up to the jury chosen each night from the audience who selects the ending of the play. Written by Ayn Rand and directed by Charles Picerni, it runs through November 14 at the Odyssey Theatre in West Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 or visitwww.odysseytheatre.com.
"Becky Shaw" A newly married couple finds their own relationship on the rocks after they set up their friends on a date from where Becky, a needy, down-on-her-luck college dropout whose one date with mean-spirited Max sets off shockwaves in the lives of her colleague Andrew and his bride, Suzanna. Further complicating matters is Suzanna’s say-anything mother, Susan, who may be dating a con artist. Written by Gina Gionfriddo and directed by Pam MacKinnon, it runs through November 21 at the South Coast Repertory in the Folino Theater Center in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.
"Pippin" young prince Pippin longs to discover the secret of true happiness and fulfillment, seeking it in the glories of the battlefield, the temptations of the flesh and the intrigues of political power, after disposing of his father, King Charlemagne the Great. Based on two real-life individuals of the early Middle Ages, this musical is surreal and disturbing, sinister and modern, and invites you to take part in a voyage that is the dark side of your mind and self-awareness. Music and Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and directed by Hallie Baran, it runs through November 21 at the Hudson Backstage Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-5773 or visit www.plays411.com/pippin.
"The Ohio 4th" an up and coming theater company has relocated to Marion, Ohio to produce a play celebrating the life and legacy of hometown hero and 29th U.S. President Warren G. Harding. Despite romantic tensions among the cast, opening night is shaping up to an unexpected success, that is, until the company members find themselves with an unwieldy dilemma and discover the first problem of the night is by no means the last. Written by Daniel Shoenmann and directed by Annie McVey, it runs through November 21 at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-7714 or visit www.plays411.com/ohio4th.
"The Autumn Garden" in a guest house on the Gulf, a hundred miles from New Orleans, old friends gather in a summer home to rediscover connections, rekindle lost relationships, and find peace - only to find that they can't rewrite the stories of their past. Written by Lillian Hellman and directed by Larry Biederman, it runs through December 19 at The Antaeus Company at Deaf West Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-506-1983 or visit www.Antaeus.org
"Bloody Red Heart" Real L.A. teens explode the puffy pink heart stereotype in a stage adaptation of the bestselling book of essays, "RED: Teenage Girls in America Write on What Fires up Their Lives Today" with additional personal stories from L.A. public high school students. Every word is written by real teenagers: the girls in the book, ages 13 to 19, and local students. Based on the book "RED: Teenage Girls in America Write On What Fires Up Their Lives Today" by Amy Goldwasser, adapted for the stage by Tom Bryant and Amy Goldwasser, and directed by Leslie Ferreira, it runs November 4 through November 21 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-477-2055 or visitwww.OdysseyTheatre.com.
"Watson" is the story of a good man trapped in the shadow of a great man - a funny, moving and theatrically innovative take on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's heroes and villains. Written and directed by Jaime Robledo, it runs November 5 through December 11 at the Sacred Fools Theater in Hollywood. For tickets call 310-281-8337 or visitwww.sacredfools.org.
"Hyperbole: Origins" a celebratory theatrical event that examines ancient and modern stories of origin as myths and science collide with masks, puppets, music and cutting-edge technology to create an exhilarating experience. SEE the amazing Origin Machine© and experience the fantastic Origin-torium©! It's the birth of the universe - live on stage. Directed by Sean T. Cawelti, it runs November 6 through December 12 at [Inside] the Ford Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-461-3673 or visit www.FordTheatres.org.
"Uptown Downtown" Leslie Uggams stars in this dazzling musical evening where, in stories and song, she recreates her extraordinary journey from uptown to downtown, from Mitch Miller to "Roots," from the Apollo Theater to Broadway. Directed by Michael Bush with musical direction by Don Rebic, it runs November 16 through December 12 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets call 626-356-7529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.
"A Raisin in the Sun" is the gripping and explosive tale of one family living and learning together on the South Side of Chicago in the 1950s, as the Younger family searches for a way to grab their piece of the dream, even in the face of prejudice and discrimination. Written by Lorraine Hansberry and directed by Lou Bellamy, it runs November 17 through November 21 at L.A. Theatre Works at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles. For tickets call 310-827-0889 or visitwww.latw.org.
"Laughing with My Mouth Wide Open" Actress/musician Gwendoline Yeo (Desperate Housewives) in a sharply observed and riotously funny celebration of her cultural journey from Singapore to America, and from family identity to self-identity and womanhood, during which she accompanies herself on the Chinese long zither . Written by Gwendoline Yeo and directed by Mark St. Amant, it runs November 20 through December 19 at the El Centro Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com
So go out and enjoy some real life singing in the rain tonight with all of the family, and have a happy Thanksgiving!
