SCENE IN LA
BY
STEVE ZALL AND SID FISH
February 2013
Whether it’s Super Bowl Sunday or Valentine’s Day you’re preparing for, don’t forget to leave some free time for these great shows opening in February at our local theatres including:
OPENING
“Doctor, Doctor!” several health specialists unite under one roof in the notion of delivering healthcare more efficiently in the wake of recent legislation. Several of the providers and the administrative staff are swiftly presented with prospective romantic partners. Using reverse bedside manner, one of the patients brings his considerable masculine charm to woo one of the female staff. As with many companies, the specter of office politics occasionally rears its ugly head. There are other pressures, too: With the national economy in slow recovery, is it a wise time to undertake the establishment of such an ambitious company? Written and directed by Randall Gray, it runs February 1 through March 24 at the Stages of Gray Theatre in Pasadena. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www.stagesofgray.com.
“And the World Goes 'Round” A thrilling musical celebration of life, spotlighting Kander & Ebb’s heart-grabbing Broadway show-stoppers including songs from CABARET, CHICAGO, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN, FUNNY LADY, NEW YORK, NEW YORK and many more. Written by Fred Ebb, with music by John Kander, and directed by Gary Lee Reed, it runs February 2 through March 10 at the NoHo Arts Center in North Hollywood. For tickets call 323-960-4418 or visit www.plays411.net/world.
“Benched” When Max, a disgruntled senior citizen, makes his way to his favorite bench in Central Park to consider what choices he may have left to make his life worth living, he discovers the bench occupied by a stranger who seems determined to disrupt and interfere with whatever plans he may have for himself. Written by Richard Broadhurst, and directed by Anita Khanzadian, it runs February 2 through March 24 at the Avery Schreiber Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-765-8732 or visit www.interactla.org.
“The Gift” When two couples meet while vacationing at a ritzy resort, they instantly transition from strangers to the best of friends. Despite their almost comical differences — Ed (Chris Mulkey) and Sadie (Kathy Baker) are middle-aged, rich and traditional, while Martin (James Van Der Beek) and Chloe (Jamie Ray Newman) are young artists glowing with their potential to change the world — they find themselves spending the rest of their week together. When one seemingly inconsequential event throws both their lives into a tailspin, the couples find themselves wrestling with a moral dilemma: while it’s human nature to want what you don’t have, is it unnatural to abandon something that you do? This provocative new work draws audiences in with a beguiling hilarity that gives way to an unsettling twist, posing searing questions, rather than providing comfortable answers. Written by Joanna Murray-Smith, and directed by Maria Aitken, it runs February 6 through March 10 at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. For tickets call 310-208-5454 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.com.
“9 to 5 the Musical” Three women — an overworked office manager, a jilted wife, and an objectified secretary — conspire to depose their smarmy boss and begin making woman-friendly changes in the workplace. Based on the 1980 hit movie. Written by Patricia Resnick, based on the screenplay by Resnick and Colin Higgins, with music by Allen Everman, and directed by TJ Dawson, it runs February 8 through February 24 at the Plummer Auditorium in Fullerton. For tickets call 714-589-2770 or visit www.3DTshows.com.
“Anastasia Krupnik” Ten-year-old Anastasia is opinionated, sassy, and funny. Really funny. Of course, she also has a funny name, but she’ll make up for it in this offbeat story taken right from the pages of her diary. It’s about all the things she loves—and hates—and what she plans to do about them. Written by Lois Lowry, adapted by Meryl Friedman, and directed by Casey Stangl, it runs February 8 through February 24 at the Julianne Argyros Stage at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.
“I Don’t Have To Show You No Stinking Badges” The play is set in the Monterey Park area of Greater Los Angeles in 1985, the play examines cultural stereotypes and prejudices, when Sonny Villa, a bright teenaged, Chicano, Harvard Pre-Law student, unexpectedly returns home to his showbiz parents in Monterey Park with an older Asian-American woman he met on the road to make an important announcement. Written by Luis Valdez, and directed by Hector Rodriguez, it runs February 8 through March 10 at the Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights. For tickets call 323-263-7684 or visit www.casa0101.org.
“Shirley Valentine” DeeDee Rescher stars in this one-woman production about middle-aged Liverpool housewife Shirley Valentine, who is trapped in humdrum domesticity, frequently talking to her kitchen walls just for a bit of conversation. However, when her best friend wins a trip-for-two to Greece, Shirley is suddenly pulled away from her boredom into a life-altering adventure. Faced with romantic possibilities and sudden self-awareness, Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light. Written by Willy Russell, and directed by Andrew Barnicle, it runs February 8 through March 3 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. For tickets call 818-955-8101 or visit www.falcontheatre.com.
“Stepping Out” This sweet tale about an eclectic mix of neighborhood locals is told against the backdrop of an adult community center tap dancing class, as the earnest amateurs struggle to learn the routine for their big charity show. We witness them challenge their fears and triumph over their troubles, teaching us that the bonds of family are not always determined by blood relations. Written by Richard Harris, and directed by Stan Mazin, it runs February 8 through March 24 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets call 818-763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.
“To Be Young, Gifted and Black” inspires us to bridge a better world of respect and change through its reflection of the resiliency of the human spirit of which there is no color. Written by Lorraine Hansberry, adapted by Robert Nemiroff, and directed by Andi Chapman, it runs February 8 through March 17 at the Actors Co-op in Hollywood. For tickets call 323-462-8460 or visit www.actorsco-op.org.
“Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical” a well-meaning Dr. Henry Jekyll desperately seeks a cure for the evil in the world – but is instead pitted in a cruel battle against Edward Hyde, his own evil alter ego. Written by Leslie Bricusse, with music by Frank Wildhorn, and directed by Jeff Calhoun, it runs February 12 through March 3 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-982-2787 or visit www.broadwayla.org.
“The Importance of Being Earnest” Jack is in love with Gwendolen. Algernon is in love with Cecily. However, when an identity crisis spirals out of control, the previously separate worlds of town and country collide and delicious mayhem ensues. Thoughts of marriage and a happy ending must be put on hold until the inimitable Lady Bracknell can be convinced that the young men are worthy suitors. Written by Oscar Wilde, and directed by Andrea Gwynnel Morgan, it runs February 14 through March 10 at the Expo Art Center in Long Beach. For tickets call 323-960-5521 or visit www.plays411.com/beingearnest.
“A Family Thing” A felon. An addict. A writer. Three estranged brothers reunite in New York’s Hell's Kitchen to settle unfinished business in this darkly funny drama. A comic, brutal, and heartbreaking exploration of the way family binds us together—and can tear us apart. Written by Gary Lennon, and directed by Chris Fields, it runs February 16 through March 17 at the Echo Theater Company @ Stage 52 in Los Angeles. For tickets call 877-369-9112 or visit www.echotheatercompany.com.
“Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” A short order cook and a waitress have a one-night stand and grapple with a longer-term commitment. Written by Terrence McNally, and directed by Franc Ross, it runs February 16 through March 3 at the Sidewalk Studio Theatre in Toluca Lake. For tickets or visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/313073.
“Von Bach” Baron Heinrich Von Bach was the nineteenth century scientific genius resurrected from the dead after he sought answers to the mysteries of death and the secrets of immortality. At least that’s the story Hollywood told when they got ahold of the Gothic romance novel written by Elsa Jaeger. Decade after decade, new films based on the bloody life and undeath of Von Bach keep churning out, until the present day, when screenwriter Minna McPheeters sets out to make the true story of Von Bach, one of love and loss, on film with Worldwide Studios. Suddenly, in the middle of production, the real Von Bach returns once more from the dead and, suffice it to say, he is not happy. Will any of the cast and crew survive? Written by Owen Hammer, and directed by Scott Rognlien, it runs February 16 through March 10 at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena. For tickets call 866-811-4111 or visit www.fremontcentretheatre.com.
“The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” examines the controversy of globalization through the rise and fall and resurrection of Apple, illuminating how Apple’s former CEO and his obsessions shape our lives. It follows the trail all the way to China to investigate the factories where millions toil to make iPhones and iPads, shining a light on the very human price we pay for our high-tech toys. Written by Mike Daisey, and directed by Robert McCaskill, it runs February 20 through April 10 at the Theatre Asylum in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit agonyecstasy.brownpapertickets.com.
“Wicked” Long before Dorothy drops in, two other girls meet in the Land of Oz. One – born with emerald-green skin – is smart, fiery, and misunderstood. The other – is beautiful, ambitious, and very popular. WICKED tells the story of their remarkable odyssey, and how these two unlikely friends grow to become the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good. Written by Winnie Holzman, with music by Stephen Schwartz, and directed by Joe Mantello, it runs February 20 through March 17 at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. For tickets call 714-556-2787 or visit www.SCFTA.org.
“Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love” Edmonton, Alberta in 1989 is a swinging place where young people (late teens to early thirties) indulge in nightlife, drugs and sex in all its permutations: boy and girl sex, girl on girl sex, boy on boy sex, sometimes in feverish promiscuity. Great sex, however, is heady stuff, and it can lead to romantic obsessions not shared by both partners in a relationship. Pouring cold water over all this sexual heat is the presence of a serial killer in town, holding the populace in a grip of terror. Evidence suggests to a small group of friends and lovers who are the focus of this narrative that one of their number may actually be the killer. One young man concludes that his best friend is the purveyor of horrible, bloody slaughter. What will he do? (WARNING: Nudity/Adult Content) Written by Brad Fraser, and directed by Kenne Guillory, it runs February 22 through March 10 at the Chromolume Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.brownpapertickets.com.
“Complete” a time-splitting wrangle over the power and perversion of language. Two obsessive linguists and a nine-year-old zealot meet head-on with the magnetic leader of an “est”-like group seminar. When Eve finds out Micah is doing “The Training”, she risks their careers, their relationship, and their safety to prove just how destructive the notion of self-creation can be. Written by Andrea Kuchlewska, and directed by Jennifer Chambers, it runs February 23 through March 30 at the Matrix Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 323-960-7822 or visit www.plays411.com/complete.
“Sexsting” Based on true events: Predator or prey? Posing as a 14-year-old girl, an FBI agent goes online with unexpected results as seductions are being carefully plotted. Can a man be arrested for a fantasy, for an intention? Who draws the line between fantasy and crime? Written by Doris Baizley in collaboration with Susan Raffanti, and directed by Jim Holmes, it runs February 23 through April 14 at the Skylight Theatre Complex in Los Angeles. For tickets call 702-582-8587 or visit www.katselastheatre.com.
CONTINUING
“Dirty Filthy Love Story” A darker than black comedy about a lonely woman who is forced by her meddlesome neighbor to face her hoarding problem. When she finds unexpected love, deeper issues bubble to the surface and her hoarding mess spreads farther than anyone can handle. Written by Rob Mersola, and directed by Elina de Santos, it runs through February 10 at the Skylight Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets call 855-585-5185 or visit www.roguemachinetheatre.com.
“How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse” Do you know what a zombie looks like? Do you know how you become infected? Would you be aware of the safest place to go when the undead rise? Could you effectively kill a zombie with just a Florida orange lip balm and roll of scotch tape? The answer to these questions may be ‘yes’. The answer to these questions may be ‘no’ or the answer could just be ‘I don’t care’ – well, you should care! Because if you don’t care then you will die! And then you will rise from the dead. And then we’ll have to kill you. And then you’ll die again…. and that is just unacceptable. Written by Ben Muir, Jess Napthine, David Ash, Lee Cooper, and directed by Patrick Bristow, it runs through February 24 at the Theater Asylum in Hollywood. For tickets call 800-838-3006 or visit www.theatreasylum-la.com.
Don’t let the whole month slip away, go out, and see a show today!