As I have received some more season announcements (this time, to theatres to which I subscribe), it’s time for another installment of season reviews.
First up, Actors Co-Op (FB), which has announced their 2017-2018 season, as well as this summer’s Co-op Too! series (which is included with subscriptions). Here is Actor’s Co-Op’s next season:
The 39 Steps (Sept 22 – Oct 29, 2017). Adapted by Patrick Barlow from the novel by John Buchan and film by Alfred Hitchcock. And it is with those words, playwright Patrick Barlow has crafted a crazy, over-the-top spy novel-type mystery that will have you laughing and giggling and aha-ing! in your seat. This six-time Tony Award nominee comes to life with flashes of Hitchcock movies, sprinkles of Monty Python humor, and a good dose of romance to boot. We saw this back when it was on tour after winning the Tony at the Ahmanson. It will be interesting to see a small stage production of it.- The Man Who Came To Dinner. (Nov 3 – Dec 17, 2017). By Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Get in the Christmas spirit with this comedy classic of the nightmare holiday guest who never leaves—or so it seems. Ex-convicts in the dining room, penguins in the library, and thousands of cockroaches in the kitchen, are just a few of the fallouts from the visitor who outstayed his welcome. I’ve heard about this show, and heard the musical that was developed from it, but haven’t actually seen this.
- A Walk In The Woods. (Feb 9 – Mar 18, 2018). By Lee Blessing. From beloved playwright Lee Blessing, comes a story of relationship between two arms negotiators and what happens when they step out of the war room and into the woods. A Walk in the Woods, produced in 1988, played on Broadway, and Time magazine called it one of the best dramas to hit the stage that year. I have a recollection of seeing this at the Pasadena Playhouse, but can’t confirm it.
- A Man for All Seasons. (Apr 13 – May 20, 2018). By Robert Bolt. A man of remarkable integrity, Sir Thomas More placed ethics before power. To stand up to his country’s sovereign authority cost him everything, but today it offers us one of the most inspiring stories ever staged. Although I’ve heard of this play, I haven’t seen it.
- Violet. (May 11 – June 17, 2018). Music by Jeanine Tesori, Book & Lyrics by Brian Crawley. Beginning in 1964 North Carolina, Violet rides a bus through the segregated South, to a TV evangelist in Oklahoma. She is convinced he can heal her scar, which was the result of a traumatic childhood accident. From American roots to folk to gospel, VIOLET is a powerhouse of music and theatre that will have you tapping your toes, slapping your knees, and wiping your eyes. We saw this as a minimalist Kelrick Productions a couple of years ago at the El Portal; it will be interesting to see how Actor’s Co-Op does it.
A season like this demonstrates why someone subscribes to a theatre: to see shows you might not normally purchase tickets for. Given my druthers, as you probably noticed, I tend to pick musicals. Season subscriptions — back at Rep East, Pasadena Playhouse, or The Colony Theatre in the day, or at Actors Co-Op now, gives the depth to the season to balance my personal breadth. Of course, it doesn’t hurt that the season prices are fantastic: $85 for 5 shows for “Early Bird” (in the first three weeks), or $110 for regular subscriptions. Here’s how to subscribe.
Oh, and it turns out the seasons include the Actors Co-op Too! Summer productions… meaning we get three more shows for our subscription dollar. Here are this summer’s shows:
- The Voysey Inheritance. (June 23 – July 1, 2017). by Harley Granville-Barker, Adapted by David Mamet. Edward Voysey’s highly principled world upturns when he discovers the family business he is inheriting has been defrauding its clients for years. To compound matters, he quickly discovers his, scandal-fearing family knew of the crime but allowed it to continue rather than face the shame of public disclosure. Haven’t seen this; sounds interesting.
- Ruthie And Me. (July 14-16, 2017). Book and Lyrics by Karen Westcott, Music by Marylou Dunn. A musical comedy about a love story between a man and a woman, a mother-in-law and daughter-and-law, and a people and their God. Based on the story of Ruth and Naomi. Sounds interesting.
The Last Five Years. (July 28 – Aug 5, 2017). Written and Composed by Jason Robert Brown.Jason Robert Brown’s Drama Desk winning musical THE LAST FIVE YEARS ingeniously chronicles the five year-life of a marriage, from meeting to break-up and from break-up to meeting, showing the emotional struggle and deconstruction of a love affair. Seen this far too many times (Pasadena Playhouse, Rep East, ACT San Francisco), but it will be interesting to see yet another take on it.
In many ways, this is like REP’s 81 Series: Short run specialty pies. Should be Good.
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This brings us to our next season: The Valley Performing Arts Center (FB). They, too, have announced their 2017-2018 season. We typically do a mini-season with them: 5-8 shows out of the entire season. Here is their season, and whether I am likely to ticket:
Sat 9/16 | 7PM. AMADEUS LIVE. Richard Kaufman, Conductor. Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Members of the LA Opera Chorus.- Thu 10/12 | 8PM. Academy of St Martin in the Fields Chamber Ensemble. Korngold – Sextet for Strings in D Major. Shostakovich – Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet. Mendelssohn – Octet for Strings in Eb Major
- Sat 10/14 | 8PM. Upright Citizens Brigade All-Stars.
- Thu 10/19 | 8PM. To Ray with Love, Starring Maceo Parker Featuring The Ray Charles Orchestra & The Raelettes
- Thu 11/2 | 8PM. Moscow State Symphony Orchestra. Pavel Kogan, Conductor. Dmitry Masleev, Piano. Rachmaninov – The Rock. Tchaikovsky – Piano Concerto No. 1. Scriabin – Symphony No. 2.
- Sat 11/4 | 8PM. Flamenco Legends by Javier Limón: The Paco de Lucía Project
- Sat 11/11 | 7PM. DIAVOLO: 25-Year Anniversary Marathon. Signature works from the company’s Past, Present, and Future.
- Tue 11/14 | 8PM. The Sachal Ensemble. Song of Lahore.
- Fri 11/17 | 8PM. Bernstein on Stage. John Mauceri, Conductor. New West Symphony .
- Sat 11/18 | 8PM. iLe. Special Guest Gaby Moreno.
- Sun 11/19 | 3PM. Imago Theatre. La Belle, Lost in the World of the Automaton
- Thu 11/30 | 8PM. Anat Cohen Tentet. Musical Director, Oded Lev-Ari
- Sun 12/3 | 3PM. Hansel & Gretel: A Wickedly Delicious Musical Treat. Musical by Justin Roberts & Ernie Nolan. Fairy Tale by The Grimm Brothers. Animation Director: Micah Chambers-Goldberg. Directed by Michael Matthews.
- Wed 12/6 | 8PM. Eliot Fisk. J.S. Bach – Cello Suites
- Fri 12/8 | 8PM. Michael Feinstein Holiday Celebration.
- Sat 12/9 | 7PM. Fiesta Mexicana: Feliz Navidad.
- Sun 12/10 3PM. Colburn Orchestra.
- Sat 12/16 | 8PM. The Klezmatics. Happy Joyous Hanukkah.
- Fri 1/19 | 8PM. Juan de Marcos and the Afro-Cuban All-Stars with Harold López-Nussa Trio
- Sun 1/21 | 7:30PM. Leilah Broukhim. Dejando Huellas (Traces).
- Thu 1/25 | 8PM. Cheech Marin Hosts an Evening of Comedy. 3rd Annual CSUN Alumni Performance.
- Fri 1/26 | 8PM. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra of London. Charles Dutoit, Artistic Director and Principal Conductor. Debussy – Petite Suite. Haydn – Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major. Stravinsky – The Firebird.
- Sat 2/3 | 8PM. KEIGWIN + COMPANY Celebrates Bernstein.
- Fri 2/9 | 8PM. Step Afrika! Migration: Reflections on Jacob Lawrence.
- Sun 2/11 | 3PM. MUMMENSCHANZ: you & me.
- Fri 2/16 | 8PM / Sat 2/17 | 8PM. Cruzar la Cara de la Luna. Featuring Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlán.
- Wed 2/21 | 8PM. Danish String Quartet.
- Sat 2/24 | 8PM. On the Waterfront, Film with Live Orchestra.
- Sun 2/25 | 3PM. Dublin Irish Dance. Stepping Out
- Thu 3/1 | 8PM. Miles Electric Band.
- Sat 3/3 | 8PM. The Ten Tenors.
- Sun 3/11 | 3PM. Yamato—The Drummers of Japan. Chousensha – The Challengers.
- Thu 3/15 | 8PM. Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Joshua Bell, Director & Violin. A New Commission by Edgar Meyer.
- Sun 3/18 | 3PM. Manual Cinema. The Magic City.
- Fri 3/23 | 8PM. Billy Porter. The Soul of Richard Rodgers.
- Thu 3/29 | 8PM. Kathleen Battle. Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey.
- Thu 4/5 | 8PM. The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.
- Sat 4/7 | 8PM. Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
- Fri 4/13 | 8PM , Sat 4/14 | 3 & 8PM, Sun 4/15 | 3PM | Rodgers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific. McCoy Rigby Entertainment & La Mirada Theatre.
- Wed 4/18 | 8PM, Thu 4/19 | 8PM. Cécile McLorin Salvant.
- Sat 4/21 | 8PM. ¡La Nueva Cuba! The Next Generation. Roberto Fonseca. Daymé Arocena. Pedrito Martinez Group.
- Thu 4/26 | 8PM. Amir ElSar’s Two Rivers Ensemble.
- Sat 4/28 | 3PM. LA Opera presents Great Opera Choruses.
- Tue 5/1 | 8PM , Wed 5/2 | 8PM. Terence Blanchard. Breathless featuring The E-Collective.
- Sat 5/5 | 8PM. Quetzal with Mariachi Flor de Toloache.
- Sat 5/12 | 8PM. An Evening with David Sedaris.
Note that some of the shows we may opt not to ticket, if the total gets too high, and we might decide to include some of the shows.
