Erica Hanrahan-Ball News

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the third show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with CABARET, book by Joe Masteroff (based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb with musical direction by David O, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Larry Carpenter.

The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, now in its Capital Campaign phase to raise funds for their relocation to Cathedral City's Desert Cinemas (once the Imax Theatre), has announced their upcoming December, 2017 Fundraiser Gala Event - Twisted Broadway, an evening of madcap fun, featuring a lineup of talented Broadway artists performing songs that were originally written for the opposite gender as well as songs they always wanted to sing but couldn't because they would be miscast.

La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment present the third show of its 2017-2018 season (and the 40th anniversary of the iconic theatre) with CABARET, book by Joe Masteroff (based on the play by John Van Druten and stories by Christopher Isherwood), music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb with musical direction by David O, choreography by Dana Solimando and directed by Larry Carpenter.

The Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre, now in its Capital Campaign phase to raise funds for their relocation to Cathedral City's Desert Cinemas (once the Imax Theatre), has announced their upcoming December, 2017 Fundraiser Gala Event - Twisted Broadway, an evening of madcap fun, featuring a lineup of talented Broadway artists performing songs that were originally written for the opposite gender as well as songs they always wanted to sing but couldn't because they would be miscast.

The Colony Theatre in Burbank has announced four performances of A Little Night Music In Concert from September 21 24. The concert presentation of this classic musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler will be directed by Laura Stribling and feature musical direction by Jennifer Lin. Sarah Jo Provost serves as assistant director.

In present-day North Florida, in a town called Starke, in a trailer park called 'Armadillo Acres' (though there are few armadillos and even fewer acres), there's a new tenant - and she's wreaking havoc all over Florida's most exclusive trailer park. New resident, Pippi, the stripper, is on the run, in her five-inch heels no less! Her arrival shakes up the otherwise hum-drum, daily existence of the trailer park residents. When Pippi comes between the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth-collector husband Norbert - Conflict shakes the dysfunctional bliss of the trailer park!

In present-day North Florida, in a town called Starke, in a trailer park called 'Armadillo Acres' (though there are few armadillos and even fewer acres), there's a new tenant - and she's wreaking havoc all over Florida's most exclusive trailer park. New resident, Pippi, the stripper, is on the run, in her five-inch heels no less! Her arrival shakes up the otherwise hum-drum, daily existence of the trailer park residents. When Pippi comes between the Dr. Phil-loving agoraphobic Jeannie and her tollbooth-collector husband Norbert - Conflict shakes the dysfunctional bliss of the trailer park!

Carousel is Rodgers and Hammerstein's favorite musical. Produced on Broadway in 1945 with John Raitt and Jan Clayton in the roles of Billy Bigelow and Julie Jordan, it was R & H's second hit in a row, Oklahoma! being the first, with a string of others to follow. Any Rodgers & Hammerstein musical is among the very best there is in the annals of musical theatre history. The incredibly beautiful music alone is enough to keep an audience riveted, but Hammerstein's books were also laden with topical themes and much food for thought, as with Carousel that becomes a sort of parable for love, forgiveness and redemption. In their current beautifully mounted revival of Carousel, MTW may be assured of a gigantic hit.

 Musical Theatre West presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical masterpiece Carousel March 24 - April 9 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.  Voted 'the greatest musical of the twentieth century' by TIME magazine, Carousel explores the timeless message of message of love, hope, forgiveness, and redemption.  

BABY, now playing at Coachella Valley Repertory is a sweet, sentimental musical about a universal topic - pregnancy. Despite what I consider to be flaws in the book (by Sybille Pearson) and lyrics (by Richard Maltby, Jr.), the show is well worth seeing; David Shire's music is engaging and CVRep has mounted an excellent production.

Celebration Theatre at the Lex and Bruce W. Zisterer in association with Nicholas Caprio, Michael C. Kricfalusi, Todd Milliner and Jack Morrissey presents, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, and thrilled to announce that their critically-acclaimed (LA Times Critic's Choice) Smash-Hit, West Coast premiere of THE BOY FROM OZ, music and lyrics by Peter Allen, book by Martin Sherman, original book by Nick Enright, choreography by Janet Roston, musical direction by Bryan Blaskie, produced by Andrew Carlberg and directed by Celebration Theatre co-artistic director Michael A. Shepperd is EXTENDING through SUNDAY, JULY 31 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, Celebration at the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Once in a great while an extraordinary performer comes along, one that not only moves us, but also affects meteoric changes within our culture. Peter Allen, born Peter Woolnough in 1944 in Tenterfield, New South Wales, Australia and who died young in 1992, was one such mega-talented singer/dancer/musical composer, who appealed to a wide audience.Not at first, mind you; it took a few years in the 60s for him to realize his bisexuality and to understand who he was.

Celebration Theatre at the Lex in association with Nicholas Caprio, Michael C. Kricfalusi, Todd Milliner and Jack Morrissey presents, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the West Coast premiere of THE BOY FROM OZ, music and lyrics by Peter Allen, book by Martin Sherman, original book by Nick Enright, choreography by Janet Roston, musical direction by Bryan Blaskie, produced by Andrew Carlberg and directed by Celebration Theatre co-artistic director Michael A. Shepperd.  THE BOY FROM OZ will begin previews on Friday, April 22 at 8pm; will open on Friday, April 29 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, June 19 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, Celebration at the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

Celebration Theatre at the Lex in association with Nicholas Caprio, Michael C. Kricfalusi, Todd Milliner and Jack Morrissey presents, under the artistic direction of Michael Matthews & Michael A. Shepperd, the West Coast premiere of THE BOY FROM OZ, music and lyrics by Peter Allen, book by Martin Sherman, original book by Nick Enright, choreography by Janet Roston, musical direction by Bryan Blaskie, produced by Andrew Carlberg and directed by Celebration Theatre co-artistic director Michael A. Shepperd. THE BOY FROM OZ will begin previews on Friday, April 22 at 8pm; will open on Friday, April 29 at 8pm and perform through Sunday, June 19 at the Celebration Theatre's new home, Celebration at the Lex Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave. in Los Angeles.

An incredibly talented cast populate the West Coast premiere of Gretchen Cryer's I'M STILL GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER (AND TAKING IT ON THE ROAD). This production actually includes the original 1978 I'm Getting My Act Together and Taking It On the Road as the first act with the newly written second act set 30 years later.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham are thrilled to announce the cast for the west coast premiere musical event, I'M STILL GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER and taking it on the road, with music by Nancy Ford, lyrics by Gretchen Cryer and performed and directed by Gretchen Cryer. Check out photos from the show below!

The Laguna Playhouse presents the west coast premiere musical event, I'M STILL GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER and taking it on the road...,music by Nancy Ford, lyrics by Gretchen Cryer and performed and directed by Gretchen Cryer.

The Laguna Playhouse Executive and Artistic Directors, Karen Wood and Ann E. Wareham have announced the cast for the west coast premiere musical event, I'M STILL GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER and taking it on the road...,music by Nancy Ford, lyrics by Gretchen Cryer and performed and directed by Gretchen Cryer.

The now classic musical A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum is silliness personified from its zany characters and inane plot contrivances to its corny yet witty dialogue. It is clever farce set to music. Mistaken identities, zippity fast exits and entrances...it has no rhyme or reason but is terribly, terribly funny with belly laughs about every two seconds. Crown City Theatre's new revival rates an A+ with a devilishly good cast and delicious direction and choreography from Lisaun Whittingham. The production is about as good as it gets.

Playwright Lily Blau receives a strong mounting of her world premiere The Missing Pages of Lewis Carroll at the Theatre @ Boston Court. Director Abigail Deser glides her able cast through what Blau has imagined would be in the missing pages of author Lewis Carroll's actual diaries.