Looks like some wonderful Holiday shows are
celebrating this month, so here’s a few live shows to take the grand-kids to…
A CAROL CHRISTMAS – North Hollywood
The Group Rep presents a new musical version of the immortal Charles
Dickens classic - instead of a miserly man named Scrooge we have a domineering woman named Carol. A successful hostess of a home-shopping network show, she despises
Christmas and demands that her staff work through the holidays. There are 17 new
songs, and all of the characters you know and love including Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit,
Tiny Tim and three Christmas Ghosts. It’s a fun, charming, family-friendly new
musical. Adapted by Doug Haverty, with direction and songs by Bruce Kimmel,
musical direction by Richard Allen, and choreography by Kay Cole. At the Lonny
Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Blvd, NoHo. Tickets: (818) 763-5990 or www.thegrouprep.com
IT'S
A WONDERFUL LIFE &
HERE’S JOHNNY –
Cahuenga
Theatre West, who recently unveiled this glorious outdoor
Judy Garland mural, has a number of December shows to catch. Based on the
original 1947 Lux Radio Theatre version, Philip Matt
Johnson directs this radio-drama style staging of the holiday classic It's A Wonderful Life. The cast includes
Philip Sokoloff, Bonnie Kalisher, Maria Kress, Loida Navas, Sara Shearer, Tammy
Taylor, Tatum Shank, Michael Van Duzer, Don Moore, James J. Cox, and Bill
Sehres. Don’t forget to watch Jill Jones, the Foley master, magically
recreating the old radio sounds. George Tovar produces for On The Air Players. Then
on December 15, Here’s Johnny!, an
afternoon of Music and Fun with actor-singer Giovanni Ferretti, who will
delight with Romantic Ballads, favorite Opera arias and Neapolitan Folk songs.
That’s Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. Info: http://theatrewest.org.
SUGAR PLUM
FAIRY – Los Feliz
This
thoroughly original holiday treat tells the story of a 12 year-old girl who
dreams of dancing the lead in The Nutcracker and the audience is invited to
join in the fun. Created by NPR’s Sandra Tsing Loh's, this festive cheer is
appropriate for ages 8 to 80. So bring the little ones and come decked out in bright
holiday sweaters, tutus, red jammies and Hanukah hats, and be prepared to join
in the madcap merriment. Bart De Lorenzo directs, Sandra Tsing Loh, Tony
Abatemarco, and Shannon Holt perform. It’s a modern take
on the Christmas season, and if you sit close enough to the stage you might go
home with one of the show's props! Sandra Tsing Loh’s daily NPR radio minute, The
Loh Down on Science, is internationally syndicated and heard locally on
KPCC (89.3 FM). At Skylight Theatre, 1816 ½ North Vermont, LA. Tickets online at http://SkylightTix.org
LOVE ACTUALLY LIVE – Beverly Hills
If you enjoyed the star-studded 2003 movie, Love Actually, then don’t miss this live
theatre production at The Wallis. Presented by special arrangement with
Universal Theatrical Group, the Bram Goldsmith Theater is transformed into a
giant, immersive modern-day cinema. This one-of-a-kind presentation is
performed live by an all-star cast and 15-piece orchestra, and includes songs
from the film, such as Christmas Is All
Around, The Trouble with Love Is,
and Both Sides Now. In case you
missed the film, it showed different aspects of
love through ten separate stories involving a wide variety of individuals, many
interlinked as the tales progressed. Now in a three-dimensional world,
scenery and video screens intertwine, providing a canvas upon which actors
weave between projections as they bring scenes to life through the movie’s
songs. At Wallis Annenberg Center for
Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa
Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills. Tickets: (310) 746-4000 or http://TheWallis.org
