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| NOT BORN YESTERDAY, May 2018 |
Dear Reader:
Seems everyone goes to the
movies, or sit home and watch TV, but for some reason live theater is not on
their agenda. As a British-born theater professional, what I learned from
seeing great stars onstage, there’s a bond between actor and audience that can
only be experienced that one time, since every performance and every audience
is different. Film and TV freeze this intimate relationship into a mechanical
experience. So, here are some live shows I recommend that may just be in your
neighborhood.
LOVE NEVER DIES
(Hollywood)
Andrew Lloyd Webber has
done it again. It’s ten years later, The Phantom still loves Christine, has
written a new song and, if he can persuade her to sing it, she’s his forever.
Complications are her husband and a darling son, but the song is proof that
love never really dies. The music is grand, as are the singers, and even with
no chandelier the sets and costumes amaze. This sequel to ‘Phantom of the Opera’
should enthrall fans of that beautifully melodramatic show. At the Pantages.
866-755-2929.
THE IMMIGRANT (Sierra Madre)
In Texas, in 1909, an
immigrant Jewish fruit peddler is befriended by an older Christian couple. It’s
the true story of how a Jewish refugee from Russia made a life in America. Written
by Mark Harelik and directed by Simon Levy. Because the challenges facing
immigrants today are no less urgent than they were 109 years ago, there are
post-show discussions with panelists on immigration issues. Sierra Madre
Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. Free parking behind
Playhouse. Reservations: 626-355-4318 or www.sierramadreplayhouse.org
DAMAGED FURNITURE (Sherman Oaks)
This delightful comedy,
written with tongue-in-cheek by Howard Skora, is about an LA actor forced to go back to Brooklyn and work in his
family business. He is soon confounded by his dysfunctional family and, when he
discovers how the furniture got damaged, he also realizes what lead him to
become an actor in the first place. Directed by Jim Fall. Runs Saturday
Evenings (only) at 8:00 pm. At Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd. in
Sherman Oaks.
Tickets: damagedfurniture.brownpapertickets.com
SEX (in Hollywood, natch)
On Broadway in 1926, Mae
West was writer, director, producer and star in this raunchy comedy. The show
was a hit but West was arrested for obscenity and served eight days in jail.
The plot: Margy, a successful sex worker in Montreal, accused of a crime she
did not commit, heads for New York acquiring lovers along the way. Between the
police, criminals, hypocritical high-society types, and two men who love her,
Margy has her calendar full! Directed by Sirena Irwin. Produced by Buzzworks.
At Hudson Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica
Blvd., Hollywood. Tickets: Hudson Box Office or https://dime.io/events/buzzworks-sex
CARDBOARD PIANO
(Long Beach)
A wedding ceremony in
Uganda between an American missionary and a local teenage girl is disrupted by
violence when a child soldier, fleeing the atrocities of war, stumbles into
their church. South Korean playwright Hansol Jung’s haunting drama confronts
the religious and cultural roots of intolerance, as well as the human capacity
for hatred, forgiveness and love. International City Theatre, 330 East Seaside
Way, Long Beach. Tickets: 562-436-4610 or InternationalCityTheatre.org.
Recommended for mature audiences, ages 16 and
up.
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