SEP 11-OCT 18 CONSENT by Aurelio Locsin, directed by Aurelio Locsin
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana World Premiere
Can a Hometown Buffet manager and his hunky demon seducer fall in love through their real and imagined histories? This dark comedy propels
them from Orange County to several afterlives, prompting encounters with a sexy demoness, a fabulous stylist, bewildered tribesmen, and talking
trees.. For Mature Audiences. SKED Fri-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2:30 p.m. TIX $25 ($20 seniors; $15 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens 9/11, Closes 10/18,
NP)
SEP 11-OCT 12 EWP BE LIKE WATER by Dan Kwong, directed by Chris Tashima
World Premiere Produced in association with Cedar Grove OnStage.
‘Be Like Water’ takes place a few years after Bruce Lee’s death in the 1970s. The production tells the story of a 14-year-old victim of school bullies
who turns her idolatry of Martial Arts Icon Bruce Lee into a disciplined training. But she leaves out the philosophical dimension and provokes a visit
from Lee’s ghost. The cast’s four 14 year-old characters are being trained in Jeet Kune Do by martial arts choreographers Diana Lee Inosanto and
Ron Balicki, and the period disco dancing is being choreographed by Blythe Matsui (EWP’s ‘Pippin’). CAST Cesar Cipriano, Jordan Dang, Jonathan
Decker, Pam Hayashida, Shawn Huang, Michael Sun Lee, Yvonne Lu, Stephen Oyoung, Sean Peavy, Ariel Rivera, Saya Tomioka SKED Wed-Sat
8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. (PWYC, 9/18; Signed, 10/5) TIX $30-35 (previews $20, opening night, $60) (Previews 9/11, Opens 9/17, Closes 10/12)
SEP 12-28 SOUVENIR by Stephen Temperley
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
A Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner, ‘Souvenir’ is a ‘Fantasia on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins,’ a real-life eccentric who fancied herself a
coloratura soprano. Despite being called “majestically awful,” her concerts in the 1930s and ‘40s, including a legendary appearance at Carnegie
Hall, were not only sold-out but were attended by the crème de la crème of Manhattan society. Told affectionately through the eyes of her longtime
accompanist Cosme McMoon, ‘Souvenir’ is the sweet, inspiring and hilarious portrait of a passionate music lover who believed that “what matters
most is the music you hear in your head.” Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 9/12, Opens 9/13,
Closes 9/28)
SEP 12-OCT 5 RAGTIME THE MUSICAL book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, directed by Zeke
Rettman, musical direction by Kelly L. Dodson
Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
RAGTIME paints a nostalgic and powerful portrait of life in turn of the century America. Ragtime intertwines three distinct stories that illustrate
history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and love and hate. CAST Joe Montgomery,
Megan Briones, Aaron Jacobs, Michael Arnold, Josie Yount, Adam Mayfield, Kevin Yarbrough, Rachae Thomas, Jon Briones, Danielle Soibelman,
Eduardo Enrikez SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. 7 p.m. TIX $34.99 at 323-960-1055 or online (Previews 9/12, Opens 9/13, Closes 10/5)
SEP 12-OCT 18 RED SCARE ON SUNSET by Charles Busch, directed by Cindy Gendrich
The Attic Theatre, 5429 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles
The year is 1951, Hollywood. America’s sweetheart, Mary Dale, is about to discover that her husband, her best friend, her director and her houseboy
are all mixed up in a communist plot to take over Tinsel-town. First point of order? The abolishment of the star system – no more top billing!
Originally produced in 1991 by the WPA Theatre with a subsequent run Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, RED SCARE ON SUNSET, with
its hilarious take on McCarthyism and the surrounding paranoia in Hollywood, is among Busch’s hilarious works that simultaneously spoof and
celebrate the classic film genre. CAST Drew Droege, Amy Procacci, Chris Tarantino, Michelle Begley, Eric Jorgensen, Jan Munroe, Sona Tatoyan
and Dane Whitlock. SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.. TIX $20 (opening night, $25) at 323-525-0600 ext. 2# or online (Opens 9/12, Closes 10/18,
NP)
SEP 13-OCT 26 OGT THE WOMEN by Clare Boothe Luce, directed by Darko Tresnjak
One of the wittiest and most stylish American comedies, The Women offers an acidic commentary on the pampered lives and power struggles of a
group of wealthy Manhattan socialites. Mary Haines’ society girlfriends know a secret about her husband, and between the beauty parlors, the
department stores and the dinner parties, something’s sure to slip. Claire Boothe Luce’s dishy, decadent 1936 classic comes to vivid life on the Old
Globe stage in a major, large-scale production, as these sophisticated ladies use every weapon in their arsenal to fight for love, happiness and
personal dignity. (Previews 9/13, Opens 9/21, Closes 10/26)
SEP 15 SEESAW book by Michael Bennett, music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, directed and choreographed by Todd Nielsen
Musical Theatre Guild / Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale
Adapted from William Gibson’s ‘Two for the Seesaw,’ ‘Seesaw’ was a show of firsts and lasts: launching the career of Tommy Tune and highlighting
the final lyrics of the great Dorothy Fields. Featuring pulsating Cy Coleman melodies (“It’s Not Where You Start, It’s Where You Finish”) and with 1970
era New York as the background, SEESAW tells the tale of a slightly square, not–quite single lawyer from the Midwest and an off-kilter would-be-
dancer from the Bronx. CAST Edyie Alyson, Roger Befeler, Danny Bolero, Steven Hack, Ron Christopher Jones, Melissa Lyons, Kari Lee Cartwright,
Robyn Cohen, Drew D’Andrea, Lindsey MacDonald, Jake Wesley Stewart, Drew Trent and Lowe Taylor SKED Mon 7:30 p.m. TIX $40 at 818-243-
ALEX or online (9/15 only)
SEP 16-OCT 19 LJP THE THIRD STORY by Charles Busch, directed by Carl Andress World Premiere
The Third Story is an uplifting and very funny play that is composed of three interconnected stories: a realistic tale of a mother and son
screenwriting team in the 1940's, a B-movie about the uneasy alliance between a mob queen and a frosty lady scientist and a Russian fairy tale in
which a painfully shy Princess makes a dark pact with a mercurial old witch. CAST Charles Busch, Mary Beth Peil, Jonathan Walker, Jennifer Van
Dyck, Scott Prkinson, Rebecca Levy. Commissioned by the La Jolla Playhouse (Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, Previews 9/16, Opens 9/21,
Closes 10/19)
SEP 17-OCT 4 BYE BYE BIRDIE directed and choreographed by Dan Mojica
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities / Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach
Loosely based on the life of Elvis Presley, this is one of the most captivating musical shows of our time, taking audiences on a time machine to
gentler times of beehive hairdo's, swivel hips and rock-and-roll summers. It is an affectionate satire of a singer about to be inducted into the army.
Some of the more memorable songs include "An English Teacher," "What Did I Ever See in Him?" "Put on a Happy Face," "One Boy," "A Lot of
Livin' to Do," "Kids," "Rosie" and "Spanish Rose." Book is by Michael Stewart, music is by Charles Strouse, and lyrics are by Lee Adams. Edward
Padula originally produced the play. CAST John Bisom, James Royce Edwards, Lana Hartwell, Heather Lee, John Martin, Natalie Nucci, Heather
Robert Pieranunzi, Jill Townsend and Jennifer Brasuell, Travis Davidson, Jordan Delp, Katie Deshan, Jasmine Ejan, Rachel Genevieve, Cecily Gish,
Merissa Haddad, Brandon Heitkamp, Victor Hernandez, Courtenay Krieger, Stefanie Miller, Samantha Mills, Melissa Mitchell, Michael Moon, Terren
Mueller, Marc Oka, Leslie Stevens, Karl Warden, Eric Weaver. SKED Tues-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. (additional 2 p.m. mats 9/20 and 10/4) TIX
$40-$60 at 310-372-4477 or online (Previews 9/17, Opens 9/20, Closes 10/5)
SEP 18-OCT 26 KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN book by Terrence McNally, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, directed by Nick
DeGruccio
Havok Theatre Company / Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Based on the novel by Manuel Puig and winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN revamps a harrowing
tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty realities with liberating fantasies. Thrown together in a Latin American prison,
Valentin is a tough revolutionary being tortured for political information, and Molina is an unabashed homosexual serving eight years for deviant
behavior. Molina shares his fantasies about a movie actress named Aurora with Valentin to help him mentally escape from the horrors of the prison.
One of Aurora’s movie roles is a “Spider Woman” who kills with a kiss. Two unlikely cellmates, Valentin and Molina play a breathless cat-and-mouse
game as they struggle to survive. CAST Terra C. Macleod, Chad Borden, Daniel Tatar, Ed F. Martin, Eileen Barnett, Zarah Mahler, Che Rodriguez,
Salvatore Vassallo, Shell Bauman, Jeffrey Parsons, Hector Guerrero, and Mike Motrino SKED Thurs-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $34-$38.
(previews, $25) at 800-595-4849 or online (Previews 9/18, Opens 9/26, Closes 10/26)
SEP 19-OCT 26 OGT BACK BACK BACK by Itamar Moses, directed by Davis McCallum World Premiere
Before the headlines blazed with sporting steroid scandals comes Itamar Moses’ (The Four of Us, Bach at Leipzig) funny yet insightful new work
about the careers of three major players making their way in the world of professional baseball – a world too competitive to rely only on raw talent.
The play examines how each individual deals with the stress of keeping up their stats while balancing their personal and professional lives. This
award-winning playwright brings the Globe another world-premiere production that takes audiences inside the locker room to witness the how these
teammates face each other and do battle – for their careers, their legacies, and the future of America’s favorite pastime.
SEP 20-DEC 7 ANW THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK, by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael Michetti
Hamlet, mourning the untimely death of his father and nettled by festering resentment over the premature marriage of his mother and uncle, finds
the core of his soul shaken by a visitor from beyond the grave. Lost in a labyrinth of guilt and rage, the young prince is forced to confront his own
humanity. CAST Freddy Douglas, Tony Abatemarco, Deborah Strang, Dorothea Harahan, Jacob Sidney, Steve Cooms, Matthew Jaeger, and
Francois Giroday. (Previews 9/20, Opens 9/27, Closes 12/7)
SEP 21-OCT 26 KDT THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, music and lyrics by Michael Friedman,
directed by Cosson West Coast Premiere
A new play with music that details the explosion of America’s evangelical Christian movement. Set in Colorado Springs at the base of the majestic
Pike’s Peak, “This Beautiful City” was created from fascinating and revealing interviews with church members, civic leaders, progressive activists and
individuals from all walks of life in the Rocky Mountain town that has rapidly become the epicenter of the Evangelical movement.
Colorado Springs has also become a microcosm of issues facing the country as a whole, such as the broad chasm between the religious right and
the secular left and of the shifting line between religion and government as these churches increasingly wield power in the shaping of national
policy. Co-produced with New York’s Vineyard Theatre CAST Emily Ackerman, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brad Heberlee, Brandon Miller, Stephen
Plunkett and Alison Weller TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 9/21, Opens 9/28, Closes 10/26)
SEP 25-NOV 8 I'M NOT A RACIST Created by The Actors’ Gang, conceived and directed by Cynthia Ettinger
The Actors’ Gang / Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City World Premiere "I'm Not A Racist - An Event" - With its signature take-no-
prisoners style, The Actors' Gang takes a bold, funny, sad - and incendiary - look at what it takes to bring America's history of racism out of the
shadows and shine a light on how it still envelops us today. SKED Thurs-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $25 (Previews, $15; Opening $75) at 310-838-
GANG (310-838-4264) or online (Previews 9/25, Opens 10/4, Closes 11/8)
OCT 3-NOV 16 GEM OF THE OCEAN by August Wilson, directed by Ben Bradley
The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles
Gem of the Ocean - Chronologically the first work in August Wilson's decade-by-decade cycle dramatizing the African American experience during
the 20th century, Gem of the Ocean is set in 1904 at 1839 Wylie Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Aunt Esther, a 287-year-old fiery matriarch,
welcomes into her home Citizen Barlow, a young man from Alabama searching for redemption and a new life. Aunt Esther is not too old to practice
healing; she guides him on a soaring, lyrical journey of spiritual awakening to the City of Bones. CAST Keith Arthur Bolden, Rodney Gardiner,
Juanita Jennings, Stephen Marshall, Tene Carter Miller, Jeris Lee Poindexter, Adolphus Ward SKED Weds-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m. TIX $25-$28
(previews, $15; opening $30) at 323-663-1525 or online (Previews 10/3, Opens 10/11, Closes 11/16)
OCT 3-NOV 9 ANGRY YOUNG WOMEN IN LOW-RISE JEANS WITH HIGH-CLASS ISSUES written and directed by Matt Morillo
The Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
This irreverent comedy--equal parts sophisticated, sexy, and saucy--explores the modern day trials and tribulations of being young, female, and
living in the big city. Told in five short one-acts, each vignette shamelessly plows headfirst into challenging contemporary definitions of sexism,
feminism, homophobia, and gender roles giving audiences a refreshing and intelligent look at what's right, wrong, fantastic, and inexplicable about
modern metropolitan women. In the last two years, "Angry Young Women" has had three sold out runs in NYC (two Off Off Broadway and one Off
Broadway) and two separate four-week runs in Sydney, Australia. It is making its title an idiom in New York and Australia and has amassed an
enthusiastic fan base on two continents. The play, Morillo's first, was published this spring by Samuel French, along with Morillo's second play, "All
Aboard the Marriage Hearse." CAST Jessica Moreno, Tom Pilutik, Keenan Henson, Jason Drumwright, Brooke Hasalton and Gina Regalbuto SKED
Fri Sat 8 p.m, Sun 7 p.m. TIX $25 at 323-960-5774 or online (Opens 10/3, Closes 11/9, NP)
OCT 14-NOV 9 THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, adapted by Frank Galati, directed by Shashin Desai
International City Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach (in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center)
The compelling story of a displaced family’s Depression-era journey from the dust bowls of Oklahoma to the fertile but futile fields of California, Frank
Galati’s Tony Award-winning stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ finds its timeless heart in the
generous spirit and enduring optimism of the common man. TIX (562) 436-4610 or online (Previews 10/14, Opens 10/17, Closes 11/9)
OCT 16-NOV 23 BLOOD BROTHERS book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell, directed by Bryan Rasmussen, musical direction by Carson Schutze,
choreography by Brian Paul Mendoza
Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
The tale of twin boys who are separated at birth, only to be re-united by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret. The Olivier Award-winning,
Tony-nominated musical with its haunting folk/rock score is presented with a multi-ethnic cast that highlights playwright/composer Willy Russell's
(‘Educating Rita,’ ‘Shirley Valentine’) stinging themes of class, poverty, superstition and ultimate tragedy. CAST Josh Adamson, Debra Arnott, Jess
Busterna, Eduardo Enrikez, Mueen Jahan, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Ryan Nealy, Judy Norton, Sita Young and Pamela Taylor SKED Thurs-Sat
8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $25 (s/s/g $20) at 866-811-4111 or online (Previews 10/16, Opens 10/18, Closes 11/23)
OCT 17-NOV23 GENIUS FROM A BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD by Maria Menozzi, directed by Roderick McLachlan World Premiere
Two Roads Theatre, 4348 Tujunga Ave., Studio City
Maria Menozzi was a classical vocalist before someone yelled “Hey, you should do comedy” during a recital performance. It quickly led her to work
recognition at all the top comedy clubs in the U.S. Her work as an actress, writer, and comedienne has been critically acclaimed, most recently for
her role as Judith Bliss in Hay Fever in Los Angeles. Maria became instantly known for her original songs (some now favorites on YouTube) such as
Small Boobs in LA, Please Don’t Make Me Eat Sushi, and the popular crowd pleaser sing-along favorite The Masturbation Song, featuring self-
accompaniment on her 12 string guitar. SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m.TIX $20 a 323-960-7785 or online (Opens 10/17, Closes 11/23, NP)
OCT 17-26 THE KING AND I book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, music by Richard Rodgers, directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld
Cabrillo Music Theatre / Countrywide Performing Arts Center, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks
Deborah Gibson, whose successful career spans the worlds of Broadway and Pop Music, will star in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I,’
directed by Cabrillo’s Artistic Director Lewis Wilkenfeld. The production will feature the original Jerome Robbins choreography of the “Small House
of Uncle Thomas” Ballet, recreated by Irene Cho, who performed the piece under Robbins’ supervision in ‘The King and I’ and ‘Jerome Robbins’
Broadway.’ East meets West in THE KING AND I, as Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam reach across cultural and social borders to find each
other. Anna, a young widow, mother and teacher, sets out for a new life in the Far East, and meets her match in the King, an inquisitive and
powerful monarch who is as much a boy as a man. They each find the other to be more than expected, in this warm, funny and touching tale of
love everlasting. Composer Richard Rodgers and Lyricist/Librettist Oscar Hammerstein II lead an extraordinary musical journey, which includes
“Getting To Know You,” “I Whistle A Happy Tune,” “Shall We Dance,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” and “The March of the Siamese Children.” SKED Thurs-
Sat 8 p.m., Sat Sun 2 p.m. TIX $38-$74 at 805-449-ARTS (2787) (Kavli Theatre, Opens 10/17, Closes 10/26, NP)
OCT 22-NOV 23 MARY WEDDING by Stephen Massicotte
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
This award-winning play follows Mary and Charlie from their unexpected meeting in a barn during a thunderstorm across the prairies of Canada and
the battlefields of Europe. Hot new playwright Stephen Massicotte spins a breathtaking saga about young lovers who must surrender their fate to the
uncertainties of their tumultuous times. A testament to the power of memory and hope that lingers like a remembered dream. TIX Available by
subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online (Previews 10/22, Opens 10/25, Closes 11/23)
OCT 28-DEC 7 GEF BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON by Robert Schenkkan, directed by Richard Seyd
The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Kentucky Cycle, playwright Robert Schenkkan joins forces with local director Richard Seyd for the Los
Angeles premiere of By the Waters of Babylon. A two-character play, this personal and touching romance takes place over the course of one
afternoon as two relative strangers begin to learn the truth about themselves from the stories they reveal. Juxtaposing Cuban politics with Southern
stoicism, ‘By the Waters of Babylon’ intertwines storytelling, scenery and humor to show that in life, as in gardening, sometimes you need to clear
away the weeds to make something more beautiful grow. CAST Demian Bichir, Shannon Cochran (Previews 10/28, Opens 11/5, Closes 12/7)
OCT 31-NOV 16 HAPPY DAYS: A New Musical book by Garry Marshall and music and lyrics by Paul Williams
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Happy Days: A New Musical makes La Mirada the first stop on the North American Tour of a revised version. It’s May 1959 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
and Fonzie is still the king of cool at Arnold’s malt shop. The school year is coming to an end and Richie, Lori Beth, Potsie and Ralph Malph are
getting ready to graduate from Jefferson High School. The gang’s all here, from sexy Pinky Tuscadero to the bumbling “not nice” Malachi Brothers.
Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 10/31, Opens 11/1, Closes 11/16)
NOV 6-DEC 13 OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, directed by Sharyn Case
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana
“My, wasn’t life awful - and wonderful.” The classic play about love, community and the brevity of life in a small town is given a new, challenging
Rude Guerrilla staging. SKED Fri-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2:30 p.m.TIX $25 ($20 seniors; $15 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens 11/6, Closes 12/13
NOV 7-DEC 14 SONG OF EXTINCTION by E.M. Lewis
Moving Arts / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Song of Extinction (winner, 2008 Ashland New Plays Festival) is Lewis's ode to the science of life and loss, the relationships between fathers and
sons, Cambodian fields and Bolivian rainforests and redemption. Max Forrestal, a musically gifted high school student, is falling off the edge of the
world and his biology teacher, Khim Phan, is the only one who's noticed. Trying to help Max pushes Khim onto a magical journey of his own - from
the Cambodian fields of his youth into the undiscovered country beyond. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org
(Begins 11/7, Closes 12/14)
NOV 11-DEC 14 LAG LEAVING IOWA by Tim Clue and Spike Manton West Coast Premiere
Told in flashback, this sentimental comedy about a journalist who returns home to Winterset, Iowa to find a final resting place for his father’s ashes is
a nostalgic ode to days gone by. As the journalist searches for the perfect spot to scatter the ashes, he relives the summer vacations he spent as boy
trapped in the family station wagon en route to uninteresting historical sites with a well-meaning but naïve father. (Previews 11/11, Opens 11/15,
Closes 12/14)
NOV 15-DEC 14 CLOWNZILLA: THE HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA.
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana
Following the critical and popular success of CLOWNZILLA: A Love Story, the troupe returns to Rude Guerrilla to celebrate the holidays with you!
This show finds our beloved clowns searching for a quintessential Clown Holiday. They travel with their typical wild abandon from a black and white
silent film world into a universe of blazing color and light. Join CLOWNZILLA in this joyful and hilarious send-up of celebrations and holidays from
around the world. Have a laugh this holiday season! SKED Sat 4:30 p.m., Sun 7 p.m. TIX $20 ($15 seniors; $10 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens
11/15, Closes 12/14, NP)
NOV 15-DEC 28 OGT DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! book and lyrics by Timothy Mason, Music by Mel Marvin,
directed by Jack O’Brien
America's favorite holiday fable, back for its 11th joyous year, is a wonderful, whimsical production that will once again jump right off the pages of
the classic Dr. Seuss book and onto the Old Globe stage. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has been hailed by critics: “This Grinch is a smash,” wrote
the L.A. Times, while the San Diego Union-Tribune raved, “Jack O’Brien scaled this Globe holiday show to the heartfelt humanity of the season.”
Come take part in the fun as the Globe is transformed into snow-covered Who-ville right down to the last can of Who-hash! (Previews 11/15m Opens
11/29, Closes 12/28)
NOV 16-DEC 21 KDT THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED by Douglas Carter Beane, directed by Scott Ellis
Julie White will reprise her Tony Award-winning performance in ‘The Little Dog Laughed,’ portraying the brash, fast-talking Hollywood agent Diane,
whose client has a chance to make it to superstar status, if only he stays in the closet. A sweet, sexy man enters his life and makes the ruse difficult,
even as this new love interest has complications of his own – a naïve, needy girlfriend. But nothing derails Diane in her pursuit of power and money
as she skillfully and hilariously manipulates all within her reach. With twists and turns that keep audiences guessing, “The Little Dog Laughed”
cleverly reflects America’s celebrity-obsessed culture. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 11/16,
Opens 11/23, Closes 12/21)
DEC 15-24 LAG SISTER’S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM: THE MYSTERY OF THE MAGI’S GOLD
She’s back! Everyone’s favorite late-nite nun returns with a holiday show that will keep audiences laughing as they watch Sister tackle the question
that has been puzzling historians throughout the ages: What ever happened to the Magi's gold? (Opens 12/15, Closes 12/24, NP)
DEC 19-JAN 4 GEF GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE Music and Lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin, text by Hershey Felder, directed by Joel Zwick
Hershey Felder celebrates the holidays in Los Angeles by bringing back one of America’s most well-known composers. Performed and acclaimed all
over the world, this Geffen Playhouse special engagement marks the final time Felder will perform this piece. Recreating key moments in George
Gershwin’s life through song and spoken word, this musical retelling features a look behind some of the composer’s most famous works, including
Felder’s solo rendition of “A Rhapsody in Blue,” and culminating with an interactive audience sing-a-long to their favorite Gershwin tunes. Winner of
four Ovation awards including Best Musical and Best Lead Actor in a Musical, George Gershwin Alone is a wonderful evening for the whole family: It’
s got rhythm, it’s got music – who could ask for anything more? (Opens 12/19, Closes 1/4, NP)
2009
JAN 6-FEB 8 LAG AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Mark Brown
Jules Verne’s classic novel comes to life on stage with five actors playing more then three dozen roles. Proper London gentleman Phileas Fogg
strikes a wager with fellow members of the Reform Club that he can travel around the world in a mere 80 days—a mighty feat in the 1870s. With him
goes his trusty French servant, Passepartout, while tenacious Detective Fix, who has mistaken Fogg for a fugitive bank robber, shadows him every step
of the way. (Previews 1/6, Opens 1/10, Closes 2/8)
JAN 10-FEB 15, 2009 OGT SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION by John Guare, directed by Trip Cullman
This Pulitzer Prize finalist and Olivier Award-winning play is a fascinating and compassionate commentary on what drives people: the desire for
money, fame, social standing, comfort, and a desire for meaningful human connection. Based on an actual incident when a man gained access to
the homes of upper-class New Yorkers by pretending to be the son of actor Sidney Poitier, Six Degrees of Separation centers on art dealers Ouisa
and Flan Kittredge and the young man who disrupts, and possibly enriches, their privileged, Upper East Side lives. (Previews 1/10, Opens 1/15,
Closes 2/15)
JAN 17-FEB 21 BATTLE HYMN by Jim Leonard
Circle X Theatre Co. / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Battle Hymn follows an American Mother Courage through her past, pregnancy and future on an incredible search for the meaning of motherhood
and love. On the eve of the Civil War, 16-year-old Martha finds herself pregnant and ostracized. As Martha travels through and fights in the Civil
War, she settles on one incontrovertible fact: she will not raise her baby in a blood-soaked, violent country. Martha stays pregnant for over a century,
until she arrives in San Francisco in 1967. For a moment Martha thinks she's landed in heaven, but before she knows it, half the world is at war once
again. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org (Begins 1/17, Closes 2/21)
JAN 21-FEB 22 KDT TAKING OVER created and performed by Danny Hoch, directed by Tony Taccone
‘Taking Over’ is a riveting study of the effects of gentrification and how this is changing the face of many American cities. Hoch seamlessly
transforms himself into the vividly diverse characters from his hometown, the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, and into the real estate agents
and developers who are shepherding radical changes into the district’s character and nature. Filling the stage with compelling, impeccably drawn,
multicultural portraits, Hoch captures the complexities of the transition of a poorer urban community, once vibrant and colorful – if also crime- and
cocaine-ridden – into a culture that is wealthier, less diverse, and the cause of higher rents, property values and the displacement of long-term
residents. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 1/21, Opens 1/23, Closes 2/22)
JAN 24-MAR 8 OGT SINCE AFRICA by Mia McCullough, directed by Seema Sueko
Directed by Seema Sueko, Artistic Director of the critically-acclaimed Mo’olelo Theatre, Since Africa is the story of Ater – a “Lost Boy of Sudan,”
and the two volunteers who try to help him acclimate to life in urban America: Diane, a recently widowed socialite, and Reggie, an African-
American Deacon in the Catholic Church. As Ater tries to leave his past behind him and forge a new life in a new land, he is mystified by American
ideas of art, ritual, and family. At the same time Diane and Reggie must come to grips with their own personal tragedies, and as their lives clash and
tangle, they all confront difficult questions about identity, ritual, and grief.
FEB 3-MAR 15, 2009 GEF TIME STANDS STILL by Donald Margulies, directed by Daniel Sullivan
Time Stands Still (originally titled The Elephant in the Room) is a Geffen-commissioned world premiere production. After multiple award-winning
productions, Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies (‘Collected Stories,’ ‘Dinner with Friends’) and Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan (‘Proof’) team
up once again (after ‘Dinner’ and ‘Brooklyn Boy’) to give us a glimpse into the life of Sarah and James, a journalistic team and longtime couple.
Recently reunited after a stint covering the turmoil in the Middle East, the pair slowly find that their words and pictures are no longer a perfect
match. Through humor, trauma and photographs that are worth a thousand words, Time Stands Still’ examines how a little shift in perspective can
change an entire picture. (Previews 2/3, Opens 2/11, Closes 3/15)
FEB 4-MAR 8 CANDIDA by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Kathleen F. Conlin
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
A love triangle -- and a woman's choice between two men who love her. Reverend Morell thinks he and his wife, Candida, have the perfect
marriage, but when a talented, young poet also declares his love for her, Morell begins to doubt whether his wife loves him after all. Written over a
hundred years ago, George Bernard Shaw shows that marriage hasn't changed all that much. A story of fidelity, honor and unspoken passion that
asks how well we really know those we love. TIX Available by subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online
(Previews 2/4, Opens 2/7, Closes 3/8)
FEB 6-22 LOST IN YONKERS by Neil Simon
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Like many of Simon’s plays, Lost In Yonkers is drawn from his experiences growing up in New York City. During World War II, Arty and Jay are sent to
live with their frightfully intimidating Grandma and sweet but mentally slow Aunt Bella. It’s an unsentimental examination of lives in an oppressive
household. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 2/6, Opens 2/7, Closes 2/22)
FEB 17-MAR 22 LAG ELLA Book by Jeffrey Hatcher, Conceived by Rob Rugiero & Dyke Garrison / Musical arrangements by Danny Holgate
It’s a life lived out loud in this exhilarating new musical about The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. This theatrical event weaves myth, memory
and music as it tells the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz/pop vocalists of the 20th century. It’s 1966 and the fabled songstress
is preparing for one of the most important concerts of her career. As she jams with the musicians (including famed trumpeter Louis Armstrong) and
gets ready to meet the audience, Ella reflects on her life, her secrets and the love of music that made her soar. Featuring more than a dozen of her
most famous hits. (Previews 2/17, Opens 2/21, Closes 3/22)
MAR 7-APR 12 OGT WORKING Based on book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, directed by Gordon Greenberg
Recently re-imagined by Schwartz and Greenberg, with new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Tony Award, ‘In the Heights’), ‘Working’ explores how work
defines one’s self-worth and connection to community through people first introduced through Terkel’s radio interview show – from trucker to
housewife, waitress to corporate executive, fireman to schoolteacher, 26 in all. Other composers include James Taylor, Mary Rodgers, Craig
Carnelia, and Graciela Daniele. (Previews 3/7, Opens 3/12, Closes 4/12)
MAR 21-APR 26 OGT OPUS by Michael Hollinger, directed by Kyle Donnelly West Coast Premiere
A world-renowned string quartet struggles to prepare for high-profile performance at the White House when their brilliant but unstable violist
mysteriously disappears. When they hire a gifted young woman as a replacement, the rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise,
personalities clash and the musicians contend with the evanescent nature of their life’s work. No opus will ever be as complex or compelling as the
offstage travails of these five extraordinary individuals, as they wrestle with feuds, ambition, mortality, and their passion for the music. (Previews
3/21, Opens 3/26, Closes 4/26)
MAR 26-MAY 3 HOME SIEGE HOME by Katharine Noon
The Ghost Road Company / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Inspired in part by The Oresteia, 's Home Siege Home is a three-part highly theatrical multi-media piece that explores the intimate lives of one
powerful family bent on vengeance for past wrongs. This powerful drama is played out against the backdrop of an unpopular war overseas and the
social, political and emotional impact of such a war on those left at home. See all three parts (Clytemnestra, Elektra and Orestes) in one day or over
the course of two evenings. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org (Begins 3/26, Closes 5/3)
MAR 31-MAY 3 LAG ALL THE MORE TO LOVE Music by Craig Bohmler, Lyrics by Marion Adler / Libretto by Marc Jacobs World Premiere
From the composer and lyricist of ‘Gunmetal Blues’ and ‘Enter the Guardsman’ comes a brand new musical about the unusual people who visit a
plus-size consignment boutique and their quest for love, self-respect and the deeper meaning of wearing someone else’s clothes. Inspired by the
name of an actual shop located in Northern California and its proprietor, Erna. All the More to Love attracts a loyal and diverse clientele who, with
humor, a little magic and a lot of music, all find what they need. (Previews 3/31, Opens 4/4, Closes 5/3)
APR 15-MAY 17 NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY by Douglas J. Cohen
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
Based on the William Goldman novel and movie of the same name, this hilarious, sexy musical gives new meaning to "knock 'em dead.” A serial
killer is on the loose, and Detective Morris Brummell is on the case. Can he find the killer, get the girl, and appease his disappointed mother -- all
before the next chorus? It's a game of cat and mouse -- a tour de force with 4 actors playing 17 roles -- and a murderously fun time! TIX Available
by subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online (Previews 4/15, Opens 4/18, Closes 5/17)
APR 17-MAY 3 TUNA DOES VEGAS by Joe Sears and Jaston Williams
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Joe Sears and Jaston Williams return to La Mirada in their first new show in a decade! Polyester-clad Bertha Bumiller and gun-crazy Arles Struvie
decide to head to Las Vegas to renew their wedding vows. But Arles announces the trip on his conservative radio talk show, and so nearly everyone
in Tuna decides to head to Sin City as well. Petey Fisk from the Greater Tuna Humane Society goes on a mission to find out if the white jungle cats
in Vegas are really albinos or just the victims of bad dye jobs, Inita and Helen from the Tastee Kreme take a spin as showgirls, Joe Bob goes on the
Rush Limbaugh diet and Vera and Pearl battle over the slot machines. Find out what happens when an Elvis impersonator from the sequined white
stretch-pants era gets double-booked with another Elvis impersonator from the “Blue Hawaii” period. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801,
714-994-6310 or online (Previews 4/17, Opens 4/18, Closes 5/3)
MAY 9-JUN 14 OGT THE PRICE by Arthur Miller, directed by Richard Seer
The Old Globe’s acclaimed “Classics Up Close” series continues with this deeply moving drama by Pulitzer Prize-winner Arthur Miller (All My Sons,
Death of a Salesman). The Price tells the story of two brothers who reunite after sixteen years to sell off the remains of their family’s possessions.
Along with the old furniture are memories of choices the two brothers made when their father’s fortunes crumbled during the Depression. One gave
up his education and became a policeman to support his ailing father. The other left his family and went on to become a successful doctor. As they
try to arrive at a price from an eccentric antiques dealer, they are forced to settle up in more ways than one as each man reexamines his life and
uncovers family secrets. (Previews 5/9, Opens 5/14, Closes 6/14)
MAY 10-JUN 7 KDT BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moises Kaufman World Premiere
A lyrical, haunting new play set against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’ portrays the lives and, in some cases, the
afterlives, of two American soldiers, an Iraqi translator, the ghosts of Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Ousay, and a Bengal tiger as they all intersect
in a surreal, darkly humorous and gently balanced view of war and its aftermath. Inspired by an AP story detailing the shooting of a rare tiger by an
American soldier at the decimated Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the play puts the war into a different and very personal context
than what is found in the media and White House pronouncements. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online
(Previews 5/10, Opens 5/17, Closes 6/7)
MAY 16-JUN 21 OGT CORNELIA by Mark Olsen, directed by Ethan McSweeny World Premiere
From the creator of the hit HBO series “Big Love” comes an epic slice of history centering on 1970s Alabama politics. Beautiful, divorced beauty
queen Cornelia Folsom is a force of nature who works her way into the heart of Governor George Wallace. Together they plan to take over the state
and then the White House until an assassination attempt halts his presidential campaign. But no obstacle is too great for Cornelia to overcome, as
she secretly harbors her own political ambitions amidst a hostile campaign staff, her rarely sober mother, and southern shenanigans in this sweeping,
provocative tale of sex, power, and bare-knuckled American politics. (Previews 5/16, Opens 5/21, Closes 6/21)
MAY 26-JUN 28 LAG AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFÉ DU GRAND BOEUF by Michael Hollinger West Coast Premiere
The author of last year’s ‘Red Herring’ returns with another West Coast premiere. Can laugh-lightening strike twice. Let’s hope. This time, Victor, a
wealthy American expatriate in Paris owns the world's greatest restaurant, reserved solely for his private use. Then, arriving home depressed after his
idol Ernest Hemingway commits suicide, he announces to his fussy staff his decision to starve himself to death. What ensues, we hope, will be
hilarious with Hollinger’s talent for the comic turn of phrase. As long as he doesn’t over garnish the plate! (Read the ‘Red Herring’ review here.
(Previews 5/26, Opens 5/30, Closes 6/28)
JUN 5-21 RING OF FIRE by Richard Maltby, Jr., conceived by William Meade
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
The songs of Johnny Cash form a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, home and family. ‘Ring of
Fire’ features 38 of the music legend’s songs such as “Country Boy,” “A Thing Called Love,” “Five Feet High and Rising,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Ring of
Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “The Man in Black,” and his final hit, “Hurt.” ‘Ring of Fire’ was created by Tony Award® winner
Richard Maltby, Jr. and conceived by William Meade. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 6/5,
Opens 6/6, Closes 6/21)
JUN 16-JUL 26 GEF NIGHTMARE ALLEY Book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Brielle, directed by Gilbert Cates
Composer and musician Jonathan Brielle, a staple of New York’s music and theater scene, brings the world premiere of his new musical ‘Nightmare
Alley’ to the Geffen Playhouse. Helmed by Geffen Producing Director Gilbert Cates, ‘Nightmare Alley’ explores the darker side of entertainment by
taking us into the world of carnies, cons and clairvoyants. With a score as wild as a funhouse and as emotionally evocative as a beautiful tightrope
walker, this new musical tells the story of shocks that await you inside the big tent. Based on the William Lindsay Gresham novel and subsequent
cult-classic film, ‘Nightmare Alley’ is a night at the theater full of special effects, wondrous feats and enough spirit to make believers of us all.
(Previews 6/16, Opens 6/23, Closes 7/26)
JUL 5-AUG 2 KDT HEDDATRON by Elizabeth Meriwether, directed by Alex Timbers West Coast premiere
Featuring actors and fully functioning robots, ‘Heddatron’ deconstructs Henrik Ibsen’s ‘story of a woman who is unable to escape the role society has
shaped for her. Layered with hilarious sub-plots that are chronologically askew and geographically continents apart. Jane, an unhappy Michigan
housewife is abducted by robots and taken to an Ecuadorian rainforest to star in their production of ‘Hedda Gabler.’ While her husband concocts a
plan to rescue her, a hundred years earlier Ibsen is distracted from writing his masterpiece by a shrewish wife, his rival August Strindberg and a lusty
maid. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 7/5, Opens 7/12, Closes 8/2)
JUL 15-AUG 23 OGT THE FIRST WIVES CLUB — A NEW MUSICAL book by Rupert Holmes, music by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and
Eddie Holland, directed by Francesca Zambello
A new musical by the Tony Award-winning Holmes and music by a reunited Motown songwriting team behind Four Tops, Supremes and Vandellas
among many others, is based on the popular 1996 Paramount film “The First Wives Club” starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton.
That story, about three divorced women who seek revenge on their former husbands, was based on Olivia Goldsmith's novel and featured a
screenplay by Robert (‘Steel Magnolias’) Harling. (Begins 7/17, Closes 8/23)
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana World Premiere
Can a Hometown Buffet manager and his hunky demon seducer fall in love through their real and imagined histories? This dark comedy propels
them from Orange County to several afterlives, prompting encounters with a sexy demoness, a fabulous stylist, bewildered tribesmen, and talking
trees.. For Mature Audiences. SKED Fri-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2:30 p.m. TIX $25 ($20 seniors; $15 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens 9/11, Closes 10/18,
NP)
SEP 11-OCT 12 EWP BE LIKE WATER by Dan Kwong, directed by Chris Tashima
World Premiere Produced in association with Cedar Grove OnStage.
‘Be Like Water’ takes place a few years after Bruce Lee’s death in the 1970s. The production tells the story of a 14-year-old victim of school bullies
who turns her idolatry of Martial Arts Icon Bruce Lee into a disciplined training. But she leaves out the philosophical dimension and provokes a visit
from Lee’s ghost. The cast’s four 14 year-old characters are being trained in Jeet Kune Do by martial arts choreographers Diana Lee Inosanto and
Ron Balicki, and the period disco dancing is being choreographed by Blythe Matsui (EWP’s ‘Pippin’). CAST Cesar Cipriano, Jordan Dang, Jonathan
Decker, Pam Hayashida, Shawn Huang, Michael Sun Lee, Yvonne Lu, Stephen Oyoung, Sean Peavy, Ariel Rivera, Saya Tomioka SKED Wed-Sat
8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. (PWYC, 9/18; Signed, 10/5) TIX $30-35 (previews $20, opening night, $60) (Previews 9/11, Opens 9/17, Closes 10/12)
SEP 12-28 SOUVENIR by Stephen Temperley
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
A Tony and Drama Desk Award-winner, ‘Souvenir’ is a ‘Fantasia on the life of Florence Foster Jenkins,’ a real-life eccentric who fancied herself a
coloratura soprano. Despite being called “majestically awful,” her concerts in the 1930s and ‘40s, including a legendary appearance at Carnegie
Hall, were not only sold-out but were attended by the crème de la crème of Manhattan society. Told affectionately through the eyes of her longtime
accompanist Cosme McMoon, ‘Souvenir’ is the sweet, inspiring and hilarious portrait of a passionate music lover who believed that “what matters
most is the music you hear in your head.” Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 9/12, Opens 9/13,
Closes 9/28)
SEP 12-OCT 5 RAGTIME THE MUSICAL book by Terrance McNally, music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, directed by Zeke
Rettman, musical direction by Kelly L. Dodson
Hudson Backstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood
RAGTIME paints a nostalgic and powerful portrait of life in turn of the century America. Ragtime intertwines three distinct stories that illustrate
history's timeless contradictions of wealth and poverty, freedom and prejudice, hope and despair, and love and hate. CAST Joe Montgomery,
Megan Briones, Aaron Jacobs, Michael Arnold, Josie Yount, Adam Mayfield, Kevin Yarbrough, Rachae Thomas, Jon Briones, Danielle Soibelman,
Eduardo Enrikez SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. 7 p.m. TIX $34.99 at 323-960-1055 or online (Previews 9/12, Opens 9/13, Closes 10/5)
SEP 12-OCT 18 RED SCARE ON SUNSET by Charles Busch, directed by Cindy Gendrich
The Attic Theatre, 5429 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles
The year is 1951, Hollywood. America’s sweetheart, Mary Dale, is about to discover that her husband, her best friend, her director and her houseboy
are all mixed up in a communist plot to take over Tinsel-town. First point of order? The abolishment of the star system – no more top billing!
Originally produced in 1991 by the WPA Theatre with a subsequent run Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, RED SCARE ON SUNSET, with
its hilarious take on McCarthyism and the surrounding paranoia in Hollywood, is among Busch’s hilarious works that simultaneously spoof and
celebrate the classic film genre. CAST Drew Droege, Amy Procacci, Chris Tarantino, Michelle Begley, Eric Jorgensen, Jan Munroe, Sona Tatoyan
and Dane Whitlock. SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.. TIX $20 (opening night, $25) at 323-525-0600 ext. 2# or online (Opens 9/12, Closes 10/18,
NP)
SEP 13-OCT 26 OGT THE WOMEN by Clare Boothe Luce, directed by Darko Tresnjak
One of the wittiest and most stylish American comedies, The Women offers an acidic commentary on the pampered lives and power struggles of a
group of wealthy Manhattan socialites. Mary Haines’ society girlfriends know a secret about her husband, and between the beauty parlors, the
department stores and the dinner parties, something’s sure to slip. Claire Boothe Luce’s dishy, decadent 1936 classic comes to vivid life on the Old
Globe stage in a major, large-scale production, as these sophisticated ladies use every weapon in their arsenal to fight for love, happiness and
personal dignity. (Previews 9/13, Opens 9/21, Closes 10/26)
SEP 15 SEESAW book by Michael Bennett, music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, directed and choreographed by Todd Nielsen
Musical Theatre Guild / Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale
Adapted from William Gibson’s ‘Two for the Seesaw,’ ‘Seesaw’ was a show of firsts and lasts: launching the career of Tommy Tune and highlighting
the final lyrics of the great Dorothy Fields. Featuring pulsating Cy Coleman melodies (“It’s Not Where You Start, It’s Where You Finish”) and with 1970
era New York as the background, SEESAW tells the tale of a slightly square, not–quite single lawyer from the Midwest and an off-kilter would-be-
dancer from the Bronx. CAST Edyie Alyson, Roger Befeler, Danny Bolero, Steven Hack, Ron Christopher Jones, Melissa Lyons, Kari Lee Cartwright,
Robyn Cohen, Drew D’Andrea, Lindsey MacDonald, Jake Wesley Stewart, Drew Trent and Lowe Taylor SKED Mon 7:30 p.m. TIX $40 at 818-243-
ALEX or online (9/15 only)
SEP 16-OCT 19 LJP THE THIRD STORY by Charles Busch, directed by Carl Andress World Premiere
The Third Story is an uplifting and very funny play that is composed of three interconnected stories: a realistic tale of a mother and son
screenwriting team in the 1940's, a B-movie about the uneasy alliance between a mob queen and a frosty lady scientist and a Russian fairy tale in
which a painfully shy Princess makes a dark pact with a mercurial old witch. CAST Charles Busch, Mary Beth Peil, Jonathan Walker, Jennifer Van
Dyck, Scott Prkinson, Rebecca Levy. Commissioned by the La Jolla Playhouse (Sheila and Hughes Potiker Theatre, Previews 9/16, Opens 9/21,
Closes 10/19)
SEP 17-OCT 4 BYE BYE BIRDIE directed and choreographed by Dan Mojica
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities / Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, 1935 Manhattan Beach Blvd., Redondo Beach
Loosely based on the life of Elvis Presley, this is one of the most captivating musical shows of our time, taking audiences on a time machine to
gentler times of beehive hairdo's, swivel hips and rock-and-roll summers. It is an affectionate satire of a singer about to be inducted into the army.
Some of the more memorable songs include "An English Teacher," "What Did I Ever See in Him?" "Put on a Happy Face," "One Boy," "A Lot of
Livin' to Do," "Kids," "Rosie" and "Spanish Rose." Book is by Michael Stewart, music is by Charles Strouse, and lyrics are by Lee Adams. Edward
Padula originally produced the play. CAST John Bisom, James Royce Edwards, Lana Hartwell, Heather Lee, John Martin, Natalie Nucci, Heather
Robert Pieranunzi, Jill Townsend and Jennifer Brasuell, Travis Davidson, Jordan Delp, Katie Deshan, Jasmine Ejan, Rachel Genevieve, Cecily Gish,
Merissa Haddad, Brandon Heitkamp, Victor Hernandez, Courtenay Krieger, Stefanie Miller, Samantha Mills, Melissa Mitchell, Michael Moon, Terren
Mueller, Marc Oka, Leslie Stevens, Karl Warden, Eric Weaver. SKED Tues-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m. (additional 2 p.m. mats 9/20 and 10/4) TIX
$40-$60 at 310-372-4477 or online (Previews 9/17, Opens 9/20, Closes 10/5)
SEP 18-OCT 26 KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN book by Terrence McNally, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, directed by Nick
DeGruccio
Havok Theatre Company / Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles
Based on the novel by Manuel Puig and winner of seven Tony Awards including Best Musical, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN revamps a harrowing
tale of persecution into a dazzling spectacle that juxtaposes gritty realities with liberating fantasies. Thrown together in a Latin American prison,
Valentin is a tough revolutionary being tortured for political information, and Molina is an unabashed homosexual serving eight years for deviant
behavior. Molina shares his fantasies about a movie actress named Aurora with Valentin to help him mentally escape from the horrors of the prison.
One of Aurora’s movie roles is a “Spider Woman” who kills with a kiss. Two unlikely cellmates, Valentin and Molina play a breathless cat-and-mouse
game as they struggle to survive. CAST Terra C. Macleod, Chad Borden, Daniel Tatar, Ed F. Martin, Eileen Barnett, Zarah Mahler, Che Rodriguez,
Salvatore Vassallo, Shell Bauman, Jeffrey Parsons, Hector Guerrero, and Mike Motrino SKED Thurs-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $34-$38.
(previews, $25) at 800-595-4849 or online (Previews 9/18, Opens 9/26, Closes 10/26)
SEP 19-OCT 26 OGT BACK BACK BACK by Itamar Moses, directed by Davis McCallum World Premiere
Before the headlines blazed with sporting steroid scandals comes Itamar Moses’ (The Four of Us, Bach at Leipzig) funny yet insightful new work
about the careers of three major players making their way in the world of professional baseball – a world too competitive to rely only on raw talent.
The play examines how each individual deals with the stress of keeping up their stats while balancing their personal and professional lives. This
award-winning playwright brings the Globe another world-premiere production that takes audiences inside the locker room to witness the how these
teammates face each other and do battle – for their careers, their legacies, and the future of America’s favorite pastime.
SEP 20-DEC 7 ANW THE TRAGEDY OF HAMLET, PRINCE OF DENMARK, by William Shakespeare, directed by Michael Michetti
Hamlet, mourning the untimely death of his father and nettled by festering resentment over the premature marriage of his mother and uncle, finds
the core of his soul shaken by a visitor from beyond the grave. Lost in a labyrinth of guilt and rage, the young prince is forced to confront his own
humanity. CAST Freddy Douglas, Tony Abatemarco, Deborah Strang, Dorothea Harahan, Jacob Sidney, Steve Cooms, Matthew Jaeger, and
Francois Giroday. (Previews 9/20, Opens 9/27, Closes 12/7)
SEP 21-OCT 26 KDT THIS BEAUTIFUL CITY written by Steven Cosson and Jim Lewis, music and lyrics by Michael Friedman,
directed by Cosson West Coast Premiere
A new play with music that details the explosion of America’s evangelical Christian movement. Set in Colorado Springs at the base of the majestic
Pike’s Peak, “This Beautiful City” was created from fascinating and revealing interviews with church members, civic leaders, progressive activists and
individuals from all walks of life in the Rocky Mountain town that has rapidly become the epicenter of the Evangelical movement.
Colorado Springs has also become a microcosm of issues facing the country as a whole, such as the broad chasm between the religious right and
the secular left and of the shifting line between religion and government as these churches increasingly wield power in the shaping of national
policy. Co-produced with New York’s Vineyard Theatre CAST Emily Ackerman, Marsha Stephanie Blake, Brad Heberlee, Brandon Miller, Stephen
Plunkett and Alison Weller TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 9/21, Opens 9/28, Closes 10/26)
SEP 25-NOV 8 I'M NOT A RACIST Created by The Actors’ Gang, conceived and directed by Cynthia Ettinger
The Actors’ Gang / Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City World Premiere "I'm Not A Racist - An Event" - With its signature take-no-
prisoners style, The Actors' Gang takes a bold, funny, sad - and incendiary - look at what it takes to bring America's history of racism out of the
shadows and shine a light on how it still envelops us today. SKED Thurs-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $25 (Previews, $15; Opening $75) at 310-838-
GANG (310-838-4264) or online (Previews 9/25, Opens 10/4, Closes 11/8)
OCT 3-NOV 16 GEM OF THE OCEAN by August Wilson, directed by Ben Bradley
The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Ave., Los Angeles
Gem of the Ocean - Chronologically the first work in August Wilson's decade-by-decade cycle dramatizing the African American experience during
the 20th century, Gem of the Ocean is set in 1904 at 1839 Wylie Avenue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Aunt Esther, a 287-year-old fiery matriarch,
welcomes into her home Citizen Barlow, a young man from Alabama searching for redemption and a new life. Aunt Esther is not too old to practice
healing; she guides him on a soaring, lyrical journey of spiritual awakening to the City of Bones. CAST Keith Arthur Bolden, Rodney Gardiner,
Juanita Jennings, Stephen Marshall, Tene Carter Miller, Jeris Lee Poindexter, Adolphus Ward SKED Weds-Sat at 8 p.m., Sun at 2 p.m. TIX $25-$28
(previews, $15; opening $30) at 323-663-1525 or online (Previews 10/3, Opens 10/11, Closes 11/16)
OCT 3-NOV 9 ANGRY YOUNG WOMEN IN LOW-RISE JEANS WITH HIGH-CLASS ISSUES written and directed by Matt Morillo
The Hudson Mainstage Theatre, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles
This irreverent comedy--equal parts sophisticated, sexy, and saucy--explores the modern day trials and tribulations of being young, female, and
living in the big city. Told in five short one-acts, each vignette shamelessly plows headfirst into challenging contemporary definitions of sexism,
feminism, homophobia, and gender roles giving audiences a refreshing and intelligent look at what's right, wrong, fantastic, and inexplicable about
modern metropolitan women. In the last two years, "Angry Young Women" has had three sold out runs in NYC (two Off Off Broadway and one Off
Broadway) and two separate four-week runs in Sydney, Australia. It is making its title an idiom in New York and Australia and has amassed an
enthusiastic fan base on two continents. The play, Morillo's first, was published this spring by Samuel French, along with Morillo's second play, "All
Aboard the Marriage Hearse." CAST Jessica Moreno, Tom Pilutik, Keenan Henson, Jason Drumwright, Brooke Hasalton and Gina Regalbuto SKED
Fri Sat 8 p.m, Sun 7 p.m. TIX $25 at 323-960-5774 or online (Opens 10/3, Closes 11/9, NP)
OCT 14-NOV 9 THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck, adapted by Frank Galati, directed by Shashin Desai
International City Theatre, 300 E. Ocean Blvd, Long Beach (in the Long Beach Performing Arts Center)
The compelling story of a displaced family’s Depression-era journey from the dust bowls of Oklahoma to the fertile but futile fields of California, Frank
Galati’s Tony Award-winning stage adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, ‘The Grapes of Wrath,’ finds its timeless heart in the
generous spirit and enduring optimism of the common man. TIX (562) 436-4610 or online (Previews 10/14, Opens 10/17, Closes 11/9)
OCT 16-NOV 23 BLOOD BROTHERS book, music and lyrics by Willy Russell, directed by Bryan Rasmussen, musical direction by Carson Schutze,
choreography by Brian Paul Mendoza
Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
The tale of twin boys who are separated at birth, only to be re-united by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret. The Olivier Award-winning,
Tony-nominated musical with its haunting folk/rock score is presented with a multi-ethnic cast that highlights playwright/composer Willy Russell's
(‘Educating Rita,’ ‘Shirley Valentine’) stinging themes of class, poverty, superstition and ultimate tragedy. CAST Josh Adamson, Debra Arnott, Jess
Busterna, Eduardo Enrikez, Mueen Jahan, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Ryan Nealy, Judy Norton, Sita Young and Pamela Taylor SKED Thurs-Sat
8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m. TIX $25 (s/s/g $20) at 866-811-4111 or online (Previews 10/16, Opens 10/18, Closes 11/23)
OCT 17-NOV23 GENIUS FROM A BLUE COLLAR NEIGHBORHOOD by Maria Menozzi, directed by Roderick McLachlan World Premiere
Two Roads Theatre, 4348 Tujunga Ave., Studio City
Maria Menozzi was a classical vocalist before someone yelled “Hey, you should do comedy” during a recital performance. It quickly led her to work
recognition at all the top comedy clubs in the U.S. Her work as an actress, writer, and comedienne has been critically acclaimed, most recently for
her role as Judith Bliss in Hay Fever in Los Angeles. Maria became instantly known for her original songs (some now favorites on YouTube) such as
Small Boobs in LA, Please Don’t Make Me Eat Sushi, and the popular crowd pleaser sing-along favorite The Masturbation Song, featuring self-
accompaniment on her 12 string guitar. SKED Fri Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m.TIX $20 a 323-960-7785 or online (Opens 10/17, Closes 11/23, NP)
OCT 17-26 THE KING AND I book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, music by Richard Rodgers, directed by Lewis Wilkenfeld
Cabrillo Music Theatre / Countrywide Performing Arts Center, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Thousand Oaks
Deborah Gibson, whose successful career spans the worlds of Broadway and Pop Music, will star in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s ‘The King and I,’
directed by Cabrillo’s Artistic Director Lewis Wilkenfeld. The production will feature the original Jerome Robbins choreography of the “Small House
of Uncle Thomas” Ballet, recreated by Irene Cho, who performed the piece under Robbins’ supervision in ‘The King and I’ and ‘Jerome Robbins’
Broadway.’ East meets West in THE KING AND I, as Anna Leonowens and the King of Siam reach across cultural and social borders to find each
other. Anna, a young widow, mother and teacher, sets out for a new life in the Far East, and meets her match in the King, an inquisitive and
powerful monarch who is as much a boy as a man. They each find the other to be more than expected, in this warm, funny and touching tale of
love everlasting. Composer Richard Rodgers and Lyricist/Librettist Oscar Hammerstein II lead an extraordinary musical journey, which includes
“Getting To Know You,” “I Whistle A Happy Tune,” “Shall We Dance,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” and “The March of the Siamese Children.” SKED Thurs-
Sat 8 p.m., Sat Sun 2 p.m. TIX $38-$74 at 805-449-ARTS (2787) (Kavli Theatre, Opens 10/17, Closes 10/26, NP)
OCT 22-NOV 23 MARY WEDDING by Stephen Massicotte
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
This award-winning play follows Mary and Charlie from their unexpected meeting in a barn during a thunderstorm across the prairies of Canada and
the battlefields of Europe. Hot new playwright Stephen Massicotte spins a breathtaking saga about young lovers who must surrender their fate to the
uncertainties of their tumultuous times. A testament to the power of memory and hope that lingers like a remembered dream. TIX Available by
subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online (Previews 10/22, Opens 10/25, Closes 11/23)
OCT 28-DEC 7 GEF BY THE WATERS OF BABYLON by Robert Schenkkan, directed by Richard Seyd
The winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Kentucky Cycle, playwright Robert Schenkkan joins forces with local director Richard Seyd for the Los
Angeles premiere of By the Waters of Babylon. A two-character play, this personal and touching romance takes place over the course of one
afternoon as two relative strangers begin to learn the truth about themselves from the stories they reveal. Juxtaposing Cuban politics with Southern
stoicism, ‘By the Waters of Babylon’ intertwines storytelling, scenery and humor to show that in life, as in gardening, sometimes you need to clear
away the weeds to make something more beautiful grow. CAST Demian Bichir, Shannon Cochran (Previews 10/28, Opens 11/5, Closes 12/7)
OCT 31-NOV 16 HAPPY DAYS: A New Musical book by Garry Marshall and music and lyrics by Paul Williams
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Happy Days: A New Musical makes La Mirada the first stop on the North American Tour of a revised version. It’s May 1959 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
and Fonzie is still the king of cool at Arnold’s malt shop. The school year is coming to an end and Richie, Lori Beth, Potsie and Ralph Malph are
getting ready to graduate from Jefferson High School. The gang’s all here, from sexy Pinky Tuscadero to the bumbling “not nice” Malachi Brothers.
Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 10/31, Opens 11/1, Closes 11/16)
NOV 6-DEC 13 OUR TOWN by Thornton Wilder, directed by Sharyn Case
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana
“My, wasn’t life awful - and wonderful.” The classic play about love, community and the brevity of life in a small town is given a new, challenging
Rude Guerrilla staging. SKED Fri-Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2:30 p.m.TIX $25 ($20 seniors; $15 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens 11/6, Closes 12/13
NOV 7-DEC 14 SONG OF EXTINCTION by E.M. Lewis
Moving Arts / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Song of Extinction (winner, 2008 Ashland New Plays Festival) is Lewis's ode to the science of life and loss, the relationships between fathers and
sons, Cambodian fields and Bolivian rainforests and redemption. Max Forrestal, a musically gifted high school student, is falling off the edge of the
world and his biology teacher, Khim Phan, is the only one who's noticed. Trying to help Max pushes Khim onto a magical journey of his own - from
the Cambodian fields of his youth into the undiscovered country beyond. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org
(Begins 11/7, Closes 12/14)
NOV 11-DEC 14 LAG LEAVING IOWA by Tim Clue and Spike Manton West Coast Premiere
Told in flashback, this sentimental comedy about a journalist who returns home to Winterset, Iowa to find a final resting place for his father’s ashes is
a nostalgic ode to days gone by. As the journalist searches for the perfect spot to scatter the ashes, he relives the summer vacations he spent as boy
trapped in the family station wagon en route to uninteresting historical sites with a well-meaning but naïve father. (Previews 11/11, Opens 11/15,
Closes 12/14)
NOV 15-DEC 14 CLOWNZILLA: THE HOLIDAY EXTRAVAGANZA.
Rude Guerrilla, 202 North Broadway, Santa Ana
Following the critical and popular success of CLOWNZILLA: A Love Story, the troupe returns to Rude Guerrilla to celebrate the holidays with you!
This show finds our beloved clowns searching for a quintessential Clown Holiday. They travel with their typical wild abandon from a black and white
silent film world into a universe of blazing color and light. Join CLOWNZILLA in this joyful and hilarious send-up of celebrations and holidays from
around the world. Have a laugh this holiday season! SKED Sat 4:30 p.m., Sun 7 p.m. TIX $20 ($15 seniors; $10 students) at 714-547-4688 (Opens
11/15, Closes 12/14, NP)
NOV 15-DEC 28 OGT DR. SEUSS’ HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! book and lyrics by Timothy Mason, Music by Mel Marvin,
directed by Jack O’Brien
America's favorite holiday fable, back for its 11th joyous year, is a wonderful, whimsical production that will once again jump right off the pages of
the classic Dr. Seuss book and onto the Old Globe stage. How the Grinch Stole Christmas! has been hailed by critics: “This Grinch is a smash,” wrote
the L.A. Times, while the San Diego Union-Tribune raved, “Jack O’Brien scaled this Globe holiday show to the heartfelt humanity of the season.”
Come take part in the fun as the Globe is transformed into snow-covered Who-ville right down to the last can of Who-hash! (Previews 11/15m Opens
11/29, Closes 12/28)
NOV 16-DEC 21 KDT THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED by Douglas Carter Beane, directed by Scott Ellis
Julie White will reprise her Tony Award-winning performance in ‘The Little Dog Laughed,’ portraying the brash, fast-talking Hollywood agent Diane,
whose client has a chance to make it to superstar status, if only he stays in the closet. A sweet, sexy man enters his life and makes the ruse difficult,
even as this new love interest has complications of his own – a naïve, needy girlfriend. But nothing derails Diane in her pursuit of power and money
as she skillfully and hilariously manipulates all within her reach. With twists and turns that keep audiences guessing, “The Little Dog Laughed”
cleverly reflects America’s celebrity-obsessed culture. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 11/16,
Opens 11/23, Closes 12/21)
DEC 15-24 LAG SISTER’S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM: THE MYSTERY OF THE MAGI’S GOLD
She’s back! Everyone’s favorite late-nite nun returns with a holiday show that will keep audiences laughing as they watch Sister tackle the question
that has been puzzling historians throughout the ages: What ever happened to the Magi's gold? (Opens 12/15, Closes 12/24, NP)
DEC 19-JAN 4 GEF GEORGE GERSHWIN ALONE Music and Lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin, text by Hershey Felder, directed by Joel Zwick
Hershey Felder celebrates the holidays in Los Angeles by bringing back one of America’s most well-known composers. Performed and acclaimed all
over the world, this Geffen Playhouse special engagement marks the final time Felder will perform this piece. Recreating key moments in George
Gershwin’s life through song and spoken word, this musical retelling features a look behind some of the composer’s most famous works, including
Felder’s solo rendition of “A Rhapsody in Blue,” and culminating with an interactive audience sing-a-long to their favorite Gershwin tunes. Winner of
four Ovation awards including Best Musical and Best Lead Actor in a Musical, George Gershwin Alone is a wonderful evening for the whole family: It’
s got rhythm, it’s got music – who could ask for anything more? (Opens 12/19, Closes 1/4, NP)
2009
JAN 6-FEB 8 LAG AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS by Mark Brown
Jules Verne’s classic novel comes to life on stage with five actors playing more then three dozen roles. Proper London gentleman Phileas Fogg
strikes a wager with fellow members of the Reform Club that he can travel around the world in a mere 80 days—a mighty feat in the 1870s. With him
goes his trusty French servant, Passepartout, while tenacious Detective Fix, who has mistaken Fogg for a fugitive bank robber, shadows him every step
of the way. (Previews 1/6, Opens 1/10, Closes 2/8)
JAN 10-FEB 15, 2009 OGT SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION by John Guare, directed by Trip Cullman
This Pulitzer Prize finalist and Olivier Award-winning play is a fascinating and compassionate commentary on what drives people: the desire for
money, fame, social standing, comfort, and a desire for meaningful human connection. Based on an actual incident when a man gained access to
the homes of upper-class New Yorkers by pretending to be the son of actor Sidney Poitier, Six Degrees of Separation centers on art dealers Ouisa
and Flan Kittredge and the young man who disrupts, and possibly enriches, their privileged, Upper East Side lives. (Previews 1/10, Opens 1/15,
Closes 2/15)
JAN 17-FEB 21 BATTLE HYMN by Jim Leonard
Circle X Theatre Co. / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Battle Hymn follows an American Mother Courage through her past, pregnancy and future on an incredible search for the meaning of motherhood
and love. On the eve of the Civil War, 16-year-old Martha finds herself pregnant and ostracized. As Martha travels through and fights in the Civil
War, she settles on one incontrovertible fact: she will not raise her baby in a blood-soaked, violent country. Martha stays pregnant for over a century,
until she arrives in San Francisco in 1967. For a moment Martha thinks she's landed in heaven, but before she knows it, half the world is at war once
again. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org (Begins 1/17, Closes 2/21)
JAN 21-FEB 22 KDT TAKING OVER created and performed by Danny Hoch, directed by Tony Taccone
‘Taking Over’ is a riveting study of the effects of gentrification and how this is changing the face of many American cities. Hoch seamlessly
transforms himself into the vividly diverse characters from his hometown, the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, and into the real estate agents
and developers who are shepherding radical changes into the district’s character and nature. Filling the stage with compelling, impeccably drawn,
multicultural portraits, Hoch captures the complexities of the transition of a poorer urban community, once vibrant and colorful – if also crime- and
cocaine-ridden – into a culture that is wealthier, less diverse, and the cause of higher rents, property values and the displacement of long-term
residents. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 1/21, Opens 1/23, Closes 2/22)
JAN 24-MAR 8 OGT SINCE AFRICA by Mia McCullough, directed by Seema Sueko
Directed by Seema Sueko, Artistic Director of the critically-acclaimed Mo’olelo Theatre, Since Africa is the story of Ater – a “Lost Boy of Sudan,”
and the two volunteers who try to help him acclimate to life in urban America: Diane, a recently widowed socialite, and Reggie, an African-
American Deacon in the Catholic Church. As Ater tries to leave his past behind him and forge a new life in a new land, he is mystified by American
ideas of art, ritual, and family. At the same time Diane and Reggie must come to grips with their own personal tragedies, and as their lives clash and
tangle, they all confront difficult questions about identity, ritual, and grief.
FEB 3-MAR 15, 2009 GEF TIME STANDS STILL by Donald Margulies, directed by Daniel Sullivan
Time Stands Still (originally titled The Elephant in the Room) is a Geffen-commissioned world premiere production. After multiple award-winning
productions, Pulitzer Prize winner Donald Margulies (‘Collected Stories,’ ‘Dinner with Friends’) and Tony Award winner Daniel Sullivan (‘Proof’) team
up once again (after ‘Dinner’ and ‘Brooklyn Boy’) to give us a glimpse into the life of Sarah and James, a journalistic team and longtime couple.
Recently reunited after a stint covering the turmoil in the Middle East, the pair slowly find that their words and pictures are no longer a perfect
match. Through humor, trauma and photographs that are worth a thousand words, Time Stands Still’ examines how a little shift in perspective can
change an entire picture. (Previews 2/3, Opens 2/11, Closes 3/15)
FEB 4-MAR 8 CANDIDA by George Bernard Shaw, directed by Kathleen F. Conlin
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
A love triangle -- and a woman's choice between two men who love her. Reverend Morell thinks he and his wife, Candida, have the perfect
marriage, but when a talented, young poet also declares his love for her, Morell begins to doubt whether his wife loves him after all. Written over a
hundred years ago, George Bernard Shaw shows that marriage hasn't changed all that much. A story of fidelity, honor and unspoken passion that
asks how well we really know those we love. TIX Available by subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online
(Previews 2/4, Opens 2/7, Closes 3/8)
FEB 6-22 LOST IN YONKERS by Neil Simon
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Like many of Simon’s plays, Lost In Yonkers is drawn from his experiences growing up in New York City. During World War II, Arty and Jay are sent to
live with their frightfully intimidating Grandma and sweet but mentally slow Aunt Bella. It’s an unsentimental examination of lives in an oppressive
household. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 2/6, Opens 2/7, Closes 2/22)
FEB 17-MAR 22 LAG ELLA Book by Jeffrey Hatcher, Conceived by Rob Rugiero & Dyke Garrison / Musical arrangements by Danny Holgate
It’s a life lived out loud in this exhilarating new musical about The First Lady of Song, Ella Fitzgerald. This theatrical event weaves myth, memory
and music as it tells the uplifting and poignant story of one of the greatest jazz/pop vocalists of the 20th century. It’s 1966 and the fabled songstress
is preparing for one of the most important concerts of her career. As she jams with the musicians (including famed trumpeter Louis Armstrong) and
gets ready to meet the audience, Ella reflects on her life, her secrets and the love of music that made her soar. Featuring more than a dozen of her
most famous hits. (Previews 2/17, Opens 2/21, Closes 3/22)
MAR 7-APR 12 OGT WORKING Based on book by Studs Terkel, adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, directed by Gordon Greenberg
Recently re-imagined by Schwartz and Greenberg, with new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (Tony Award, ‘In the Heights’), ‘Working’ explores how work
defines one’s self-worth and connection to community through people first introduced through Terkel’s radio interview show – from trucker to
housewife, waitress to corporate executive, fireman to schoolteacher, 26 in all. Other composers include James Taylor, Mary Rodgers, Craig
Carnelia, and Graciela Daniele. (Previews 3/7, Opens 3/12, Closes 4/12)
MAR 21-APR 26 OGT OPUS by Michael Hollinger, directed by Kyle Donnelly West Coast Premiere
A world-renowned string quartet struggles to prepare for high-profile performance at the White House when their brilliant but unstable violist
mysteriously disappears. When they hire a gifted young woman as a replacement, the rehearsal room becomes a pressure cooker as passions rise,
personalities clash and the musicians contend with the evanescent nature of their life’s work. No opus will ever be as complex or compelling as the
offstage travails of these five extraordinary individuals, as they wrestle with feuds, ambition, mortality, and their passion for the music. (Previews
3/21, Opens 3/26, Closes 4/26)
MAR 26-MAY 3 HOME SIEGE HOME by Katharine Noon
The Ghost Road Company / [Inside] the Ford, 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East, Hollywood
Inspired in part by The Oresteia, 's Home Siege Home is a three-part highly theatrical multi-media piece that explores the intimate lives of one
powerful family bent on vengeance for past wrongs. This powerful drama is played out against the backdrop of an unpopular war overseas and the
social, political and emotional impact of such a war on those left at home. See all three parts (Clytemnestra, Elektra and Orestes) in one day or over
the course of two evenings. TIX $20 (students, $12) at 323.461.3673 or online www.fordtheatres.org (Begins 3/26, Closes 5/3)
MAR 31-MAY 3 LAG ALL THE MORE TO LOVE Music by Craig Bohmler, Lyrics by Marion Adler / Libretto by Marc Jacobs World Premiere
From the composer and lyricist of ‘Gunmetal Blues’ and ‘Enter the Guardsman’ comes a brand new musical about the unusual people who visit a
plus-size consignment boutique and their quest for love, self-respect and the deeper meaning of wearing someone else’s clothes. Inspired by the
name of an actual shop located in Northern California and its proprietor, Erna. All the More to Love attracts a loyal and diverse clientele who, with
humor, a little magic and a lot of music, all find what they need. (Previews 3/31, Opens 4/4, Closes 5/3)
APR 15-MAY 17 NO WAY TO TREAT A LADY by Douglas J. Cohen
The Colony Theatre, 555 North Third St, Burbank
Based on the William Goldman novel and movie of the same name, this hilarious, sexy musical gives new meaning to "knock 'em dead.” A serial
killer is on the loose, and Detective Morris Brummell is on the case. Can he find the killer, get the girl, and appease his disappointed mother -- all
before the next chorus? It's a game of cat and mouse -- a tour de force with 4 actors playing 17 roles -- and a murderously fun time! TIX Available
by subscription only ($75-$195) until closer to the season at 818-558-7000 or online (Previews 4/15, Opens 4/18, Closes 5/17)
APR 17-MAY 3 TUNA DOES VEGAS by Joe Sears and Jaston Williams
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
Joe Sears and Jaston Williams return to La Mirada in their first new show in a decade! Polyester-clad Bertha Bumiller and gun-crazy Arles Struvie
decide to head to Las Vegas to renew their wedding vows. But Arles announces the trip on his conservative radio talk show, and so nearly everyone
in Tuna decides to head to Sin City as well. Petey Fisk from the Greater Tuna Humane Society goes on a mission to find out if the white jungle cats
in Vegas are really albinos or just the victims of bad dye jobs, Inita and Helen from the Tastee Kreme take a spin as showgirls, Joe Bob goes on the
Rush Limbaugh diet and Vera and Pearl battle over the slot machines. Find out what happens when an Elvis impersonator from the sequined white
stretch-pants era gets double-booked with another Elvis impersonator from the “Blue Hawaii” period. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801,
714-994-6310 or online (Previews 4/17, Opens 4/18, Closes 5/3)
MAY 9-JUN 14 OGT THE PRICE by Arthur Miller, directed by Richard Seer
The Old Globe’s acclaimed “Classics Up Close” series continues with this deeply moving drama by Pulitzer Prize-winner Arthur Miller (All My Sons,
Death of a Salesman). The Price tells the story of two brothers who reunite after sixteen years to sell off the remains of their family’s possessions.
Along with the old furniture are memories of choices the two brothers made when their father’s fortunes crumbled during the Depression. One gave
up his education and became a policeman to support his ailing father. The other left his family and went on to become a successful doctor. As they
try to arrive at a price from an eccentric antiques dealer, they are forced to settle up in more ways than one as each man reexamines his life and
uncovers family secrets. (Previews 5/9, Opens 5/14, Closes 6/14)
MAY 10-JUN 7 KDT BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO by Rajiv Joseph, directed by Moises Kaufman World Premiere
A lyrical, haunting new play set against the backdrop of the war in Iraq, ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’ portrays the lives and, in some cases, the
afterlives, of two American soldiers, an Iraqi translator, the ghosts of Saddam Hussein’s sons Uday and Ousay, and a Bengal tiger as they all intersect
in a surreal, darkly humorous and gently balanced view of war and its aftermath. Inspired by an AP story detailing the shooting of a rare tiger by an
American soldier at the decimated Baghdad Zoo during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the play puts the war into a different and very personal context
than what is found in the media and White House pronouncements. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online
(Previews 5/10, Opens 5/17, Closes 6/7)
MAY 16-JUN 21 OGT CORNELIA by Mark Olsen, directed by Ethan McSweeny World Premiere
From the creator of the hit HBO series “Big Love” comes an epic slice of history centering on 1970s Alabama politics. Beautiful, divorced beauty
queen Cornelia Folsom is a force of nature who works her way into the heart of Governor George Wallace. Together they plan to take over the state
and then the White House until an assassination attempt halts his presidential campaign. But no obstacle is too great for Cornelia to overcome, as
she secretly harbors her own political ambitions amidst a hostile campaign staff, her rarely sober mother, and southern shenanigans in this sweeping,
provocative tale of sex, power, and bare-knuckled American politics. (Previews 5/16, Opens 5/21, Closes 6/21)
MAY 26-JUN 28 LAG AN EMPTY PLATE IN THE CAFÉ DU GRAND BOEUF by Michael Hollinger West Coast Premiere
The author of last year’s ‘Red Herring’ returns with another West Coast premiere. Can laugh-lightening strike twice. Let’s hope. This time, Victor, a
wealthy American expatriate in Paris owns the world's greatest restaurant, reserved solely for his private use. Then, arriving home depressed after his
idol Ernest Hemingway commits suicide, he announces to his fussy staff his decision to starve himself to death. What ensues, we hope, will be
hilarious with Hollinger’s talent for the comic turn of phrase. As long as he doesn’t over garnish the plate! (Read the ‘Red Herring’ review here.
(Previews 5/26, Opens 5/30, Closes 6/28)
JUN 5-21 RING OF FIRE by Richard Maltby, Jr., conceived by William Meade
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Boulevard, La Mirada
The songs of Johnny Cash form a unique musical about love and faith, struggle and success, rowdiness and redemption, home and family. ‘Ring of
Fire’ features 38 of the music legend’s songs such as “Country Boy,” “A Thing Called Love,” “Five Feet High and Rising,” “Daddy Sang Bass,” “Ring of
Fire,” “I Walk the Line,” “I’ve Been Everywhere,” “The Man in Black,” and his final hit, “Hurt.” ‘Ring of Fire’ was created by Tony Award® winner
Richard Maltby, Jr. and conceived by William Meade. Subscription only until 6/1/08 at 562-944-9801, 714-994-6310 or online (Previews 6/5,
Opens 6/6, Closes 6/21)
JUN 16-JUL 26 GEF NIGHTMARE ALLEY Book, music & lyrics by Jonathan Brielle, directed by Gilbert Cates
Composer and musician Jonathan Brielle, a staple of New York’s music and theater scene, brings the world premiere of his new musical ‘Nightmare
Alley’ to the Geffen Playhouse. Helmed by Geffen Producing Director Gilbert Cates, ‘Nightmare Alley’ explores the darker side of entertainment by
taking us into the world of carnies, cons and clairvoyants. With a score as wild as a funhouse and as emotionally evocative as a beautiful tightrope
walker, this new musical tells the story of shocks that await you inside the big tent. Based on the William Lindsay Gresham novel and subsequent
cult-classic film, ‘Nightmare Alley’ is a night at the theater full of special effects, wondrous feats and enough spirit to make believers of us all.
(Previews 6/16, Opens 6/23, Closes 7/26)
JUL 5-AUG 2 KDT HEDDATRON by Elizabeth Meriwether, directed by Alex Timbers West Coast premiere
Featuring actors and fully functioning robots, ‘Heddatron’ deconstructs Henrik Ibsen’s ‘story of a woman who is unable to escape the role society has
shaped for her. Layered with hilarious sub-plots that are chronologically askew and geographically continents apart. Jane, an unhappy Michigan
housewife is abducted by robots and taken to an Ecuadorian rainforest to star in their production of ‘Hedda Gabler.’ While her husband concocts a
plan to rescue her, a hundred years earlier Ibsen is distracted from writing his masterpiece by a shrewish wife, his rival August Strindberg and a lusty
maid. TIX currently available by subscription only at 213-972-4444 or online (Previews 7/5, Opens 7/12, Closes 8/2)
JUL 15-AUG 23 OGT THE FIRST WIVES CLUB — A NEW MUSICAL book by Rupert Holmes, music by Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier and
Eddie Holland, directed by Francesca Zambello
A new musical by the Tony Award-winning Holmes and music by a reunited Motown songwriting team behind Four Tops, Supremes and Vandellas
among many others, is based on the popular 1996 Paramount film “The First Wives Club” starring Bette Midler, Goldie Hawn and Diane Keaton.
That story, about three divorced women who seek revenge on their former husbands, was based on Olivia Goldsmith's novel and featured a
screenplay by Robert (‘Steel Magnolias’) Harling. (Begins 7/17, Closes 8/23)
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2008
SEP 21-OCT 12 SCR DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE by Sarah Ruhl, directed by Bart DeLorenzo
Sarah Ruhl returns to SCR following the world premiere of ‘A Clean House,’ seen first by SCR
audiences before it wowed New York and became a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Her latest comedy is
another runaway hit that proves she is, in the words of her MacArthur Fellowship, “a playwright
creating vivid and adventurous theatrical works.” In this imaginative new comedy, Gordan is dead,
but his cell phone keeps ringing. And ringing. Would you answer? Jean does, and soon she’s
telling the callers what she thinks they need to hear, even though it takes her to hell (yes, that’s
where Gordon ends up) and back, as she draws them into the surprises and mysteries of their lives—
and her own. Pictured: Andrew Borba, Margaret Welsh, Lenny Von Dohlen (Previews
9/21, Opens 9/27, Closes 10/12)
Sarah Ruhl returns to SCR following the world premiere of ‘A Clean House,’ seen first by SCR
audiences before it wowed New York and became a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Her latest comedy is
another runaway hit that proves she is, in the words of her MacArthur Fellowship, “a playwright
creating vivid and adventurous theatrical works.” In this imaginative new comedy, Gordan is dead,
but his cell phone keeps ringing. And ringing. Would you answer? Jean does, and soon she’s
telling the callers what she thinks they need to hear, even though it takes her to hell (yes, that’s
where Gordon ends up) and back, as she draws them into the surprises and mysteries of their lives—
and her own. Pictured: Andrew Borba, Margaret Welsh, Lenny Von Dohlen (Previews
9/21, Opens 9/27, Closes 10/12)
