Theatre Planning - 4Q06

[cahwyguy]

I haven't done a post about theatre planning in a while, but since I was doing tickets tonight, I figured I'd subject you to it :-). The following are shows we either have tickets to, or are planning to go to:

• × Fences (Pasadena Playhouse). Starring Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, with Bryan Clark, Kadeem Hardison, Orlando Jones, Wendell Pierce, and with Victoria Matthews. Winner of the 1987 Pulitzer Prize and a Tony Award Winner. Single tickets are already sold out. Story: Troy Maxson - a former star ballplayer in the Negro Leagues - finds himself an embittered 53-year old garbage collector. As he comes to terms with his own lost dreams, Troy struggles to hold onto a shred of personal dignity while battling to unite his family.
  9/23 @ 9:00pm
  
  
• × {proof} (Rep East Playhouse). Starring Rebekah Dunn, Mike Levine, Kristen Paige, and Phillip Peck. Winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. Story: Catherine, the daughter of Robert--a recently deceased mathematical genius and professor at the University of Chicago--had cared for her father through a lengthy mental illness. Upon Robert's death, his ex-graduate student Hal discovers a revolutionary mathematical proof about prime numbers in Robert's office. Can Catherine prove that her father wrote it? Along with proving the proof, the daughter also finds herself in a relationship with the young Hal. Throughout, Catherine finds herself wondering if she will succumb to the mental illness that destroyed her father. NSS&F and ellipticcurve are joining us for this.
  9/30 @ 8:00 pm
  
  
• × The Marvelous Wonderettes (El Portal Theatre). The Marvelous Wonderettes is a cotton-candy colored, non-stop pop musical blast from the past! Featuring your favorite songs from the fifties and sixties, including "Lollipop," "Dream Lover," "Stupid Cupid," and more. The Marvelous Wonderettes stars four of the biggest stars on the Los Angeles theatre scene--Kirsten Chandler, Kim Huber, Julie Dixon Jackson and Bets Malone. Needless to say, shutterbug93 will be there (what do you expect; she does the websites for ½ the cast!) [Added 9/21]
  10/8 @ 3:00 PM
  
  
• The Musical of Musicals (Colony Theatre). A captivating, delightfully clever homage to America's favorite musical theatre creators, and a send-up of every musical you've ever seen. NSS&F will join us for this. [Added 10/6]
  10/28 @ 3:00 pm.
  
  
• A Chorus Line (Cabrillo Music Theatre). The story of a chorus audition for a Broadway musical. It reveals the high hopes of an eclectic group of young Broadway gypsies seeking to land a job in the show. NSS&F will join us. (Side note: Ask me how Marvin Hamlisch gave me a ride home).
  11/4 @ 2:00 pm
  
  
• The Beastly Bombing (Steve Allen Theatre @ CFI), a terrible tale of terrorists tamed by the tangles of true love, produced by SORO (The Secret Order of Revolutionary Operettists). [Added 10/6]
  11/10 @ 8:00 pm
  
  
• A Day Out With Thomas (Orange Empire). Come and see a really useful engine. NSS&F will also be there.
  11/11 aft. 1:00 pm
  11/12 all day
  
  
• Sister Act: The Musical (Pasadena Playhouse). Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Glenn Slater. Story: When disco club singer Deloris Van Cartier is placed in protective custody in a dying convent, her unique brand of funk comes face-to-face with the traditions of the church and the strict order is in for a change. Masquerading as a nun named Mary Clarence, this Sister's act will have you laughing and singing in the aisles.
  11/18 @ 9:00 pm
  
  
• Dirk (Road Theatre Company). A play based on Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. This is being presented by the Road Theatre Company, a small house in North Hollywood. We're doing this for NSS&F's birthday party; ellipticcurve and ixixlix are part of the group purchase. If you're interested in joining us, let me know. [Updated 9/22]
  11/19 @ 2:00 pm
  
  
• The Light in the Piazza (Ahmanson). Story: a poignant tale of two unusual young people who fall in love and to explore the essence of love itself. Music and Lyrics by Adam Guettel and Craig Lucas. Winner of 6 Tony Awards.
  12/3 @ 2:00pm.
  
  
• An Evening with Shel Silverstein. My daughter's school will be doing this play, and as she's in Drama class this year, she'll be in it. Naturally, we'll be there.
  12/7, 12/8 @ 7:00 pm
  
  
• 13 (Mark Taper Forum). A musical about 13 13-year old in Indiana, with Music and Lyrics by Jason Robert Brown. Hot Tix go on sale 12/1. NSS&F wants to see this.
  Possibly 12/30.

There are also a number of good upcoming musicals and plays:

• Santa Clarita Rep East: A Few Good Men (Aaron Sorkin) [Jan-Feb]; Driving Miss Daisy (Alfred Uhry) [May/June]; Bleacher Bums (Joe Mantegna) [July/September]; The Unexpected Guest (Agatha Christie) [Sep/Oct]
  
  
• Pasadena Playhouse: Defiance (John Patrick Shanley); Cuttin' Up (Charles Randolph Wright) plus 4 more plays, including Can-Can.
  
  
• Broadway/LA: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (May 2007)
  
  
• Ahmanson: Jersey Boys (May-July 2007).
  
  
• Cabrillo Music Theatre: Smokey Joe's Cafe, Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

All in all, a busy time for us theatre junkies.