Tag: chromolume

Last night, we were down in Hollywood / West Hollywood to see the second mainstage musical in Chromolume‘s 2026 season of Identity and Expression. Chromolume is an interesting theatre company—one that takes very ambitious swings on a shoestring budget. With Chromolume, you will see shows you rarely see elsewhere, done in a constrained environment where creativity is required. I think the best example of this was a show in their previous location, where they managed to stage Sondheim’s Pacific Overtures in a tiny black-box space, with no wings, overhead, or scenery space. We’ve seen such a wide variety of shows we’ve never seen there, from Zanna Don’t to Dessa Rose to Prez. In their last mainstage show, they managed to stage the full musical The Color Purple in a 73 seat black box.

For their second mainstage show this season, Chromolume has mounted If/Then, a musical we last saw on tour at the Pantages back in 2015, with much of the original cast, including Idena Menzel, Anthony Rapp, and LaChanze.

First and foremost: My friend James Umbach should see this musical. It is rare to find a musical centered around a city urban planner.  [To explain, James, in addition to being a road person, is a city planner for the city of Fernley, NV]

As for the story itself, I’d like to take advantage of the synopsis and observations I wrote when we saw the show for the first time, as those comments still hold:

Science has a theory that every time anyone makes a decision, the universe splits. Each reality reflects the timeline from the decision point, following what would have happened for each way the decision could have gone. This creates an infinite number of alternate realities, reflecting all possible decisions. Many may be dead and lifeless; many may be almost identical. Each is self contained, with no way to know that the other realities exist.

If/Then shows the path of two of those realities as they apply to the life of Dr. Elizabeth Vaughan, an urban planner recently returned to New York City after the end of her college marriage. Both paths revolve around the interaction of Elizabeth and her friends: Lucas (a college friend and housing activist); Kate (a lesbian kindergarten teacher who lives across the hall from Elizabeth); Stephen (another college friend and an urban planner with the City of New York); and Josh (an Army doctor just returned from a tour of duty, who meets Elizabeth in the park).

Let’s pause at this point. Alternate realities are “in”. As I write this, a Big Bang Theory spinoff (“Stuart Fails to Save the Universe”) has just premiered on HBO Max that is centered on alternate realities. We’ve had loads of Spiderman movies based on alternate realities. It’s a popular theme, and a great basis for the exploration of the question “What If?” (in fact, that’s the starting and ending song of this show). So as the basic premise for a show it is a promising idea. Back to my 2015 synopsis:

In one path (the “Liz” path, so-called because Elizabeth is called “Liz” in this path), Liz follows the advice of Kate: she makes the wild choices. She goes into academia, starts dating the man she just met (Josh), and works to build a family and friends.

In the other path (the “Beth” path), Beth follows the advice of Lucas: she accepts a job doing urban planning for the city, and dedicates her life not to love but to work, moving up the urban planning life, working for Stephen.

In both cases, the “ideal” life goes in an uncertain direction in the second act, concluding with Beth/Liz getting the opportunity to start over. You can find a more detailed summary with the various plot twists over on Wikipedia.

The presentation of the alternate realities keeps intertwining the two timelines: songs often keep going back and forth from one line to the other during the song.  Contrast this with The Last 5 Years, which also has two timelines, but keeps them separate except for one meeting point. How do you keep track of which line you are in?  By what characters are around, their demeanor, and by what Elizabeth is called.

In reading the reviews before the show, I’ve seen critics all over the map regarding the story (an original story by Brian Yorkey) and the music/lyrics (music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Brian Yorkey). Some like it; some find it “meh”. I actually enjoyed the story and seeing the multiple lines. If I had one quibble story-wise, it is that the show is far too New York City centric. I understand that to New Yorkers and to those who work on Broadway, New York City is the center of the universe — but it really isn’t. The 33 square miles of Manhattan is just a drop compared to most megalopolises.  The constant dropping of references to New York communities and institutions is confusing to the non-New York audiences, and the New York specific references in the projects provide no meaning or clues to those that know not New York. But the worst part is: none of them are necessary. The story would work just the same in any other major city (with some joke adjustments). This makes the New York attitude come off with a sense of “we’re better and cooler than you” — which will play great on Broadway, but lands with a thud elsewhere, thankyouverymuch.

Let’s pause again at this point. By the time a show moves out of the original production and the original tour, the story is effectively cast in stone. Regional, local, intimate theatre, etc. remountings are constrained by the story’s problems (and often, by the original’s design and constraints—I was just reading a post on Reddit about how some productions of Mamma Mia are constrained in how they can advertise the show). What this means is that we can’t really blame Chromolume for basic plot or music problems: their only involvement was choosing the show for the season, and their subsequent execution of the show. So in terms of the show itself, the choice was reasonable: This show hasn’t been mounted in Los Angeles since the original tour 10 years ago; the venue and budget is so different that the ambition of this attempt is to be applauded independent of any inherent problems in the show itself.

That said, back to the last paragraph of the quoted comment. This show is far too New York centric. New Yorkers seem to love shows centered in New York; they think there city is the best in the world. Los Angeles would beg to differ on that point. But more importantly, unless New York is a vital element to the plot and story, it should not be the centering. In such cases, the centering is clearly pandering to a Broadway audience who wants to worship their city. But when the show has its subsequent productions out of NYC, it helps it fall flat. In this case, there are really only two New York specific things to the story: a meet-cute in the subway, and using the Mets/Yankees for a distinction in a song. Well, city planning takes place in many many cities; many cities have urban transportation systems and multiple sports teams. This could have been in Chicago or St. Louis or even San Francisco, and it would have worked.

Moving past that rant (as you might have guessed, I’m native Los Angeles, and have no desire to live in New York—and that applies to Broadway as well, for Los Angeles has its own vibrant theatre community that I’d match with any city). This show itself has other problems. Here’s more of what I wrote in 2015:

This brings us to the music of the show. Going in, I had heard the album — in fact, I had heard the album with this cast (which is now something rare to get in Los Angeles (ah, for the days when the LACLO usually brought in the Broadway stars)). I had actually liked the music quite a bit — if I look in my iTunes, 60% of the songs are starred as favorites. Some songs are particularly cute — such as “What the Fuck?”; others are very touching. I particularly liked “You Learn to Live Without”, which is a lovely counterpoint to “Who Gave You Permission?” from Ballroom. Both looked at dealing with the aftermath of death: one with acceptance and moving forward, the other with anger. About my only problem with the music was volume — at times, it tended to overpower the voices.

Ten years lager, and about the only song that I remember from the show is “What the Fuck?”. The music, simply put, is pretty unmemorable. Kitt and Yorkey can do memorable songs; just look at Next to Normal. This show comes across as a less memorable effort.

The story has one other major problem. As noted, the basic question is the story is: What path should Elizabeth take to make her life complete? But none of the choices involve Elizabeth being a success without dependence on a relationship. Why is it that a man can find happiness and success in a career, but a woman requires a relationship to be successful? Elizabeth has strong friends, a great career as an urban planner, in (to quote Hamilton ) “the greatest city in the world”. So what (or who) is Elizabeth, independent of any romantic relationship with a man? I’m not sure the book of this show has an answer.

We’ve talked about some weaknesses of the show. What are some of the strengths? First and foremost, centering a story about a female technical professional is a great thing. I noted this back in 2015, saying “This is a wonderful role model for the girls in the audience, and deserves extra applause.” The show also shows somewhat realistic same-sex relationships: not just male-male, but female-female. This was on the edge back in 2014 when the show was on Broadway (same-sex marriage was a new thing then); it is still good to see such relationships portrayed without a lot of stereotypes.

The show also raises some good questions. There are far too many folks these days who get stymied by decision paralysis. Games know this well: In trying to decide your next move, you get stuck analyzing the possibilities and payoffs. If there’s a point to this show, it is: Don’t overthink, just do. Take that chance. That’s a reasonable point to make.

Let’s now turn from the show itself to this particular production. As many reviewers have noticed, this show suffered from the same problem I noted on tour: “About my only problem with the music was volume — at times, it tended to overpower the voices.” The same was true here, and especially so as the performers had no amplification. The volume on the music needed to be turned down where possible: the amp on the keyboard and the bass in particular. The director also needed to emphasize to the actors to project their voices so that they could be heard clearly throughout the small space. There were segments and dialogue that could not be heard where we were sitting—and we were in the second row on stage left. I think actors today are trained to speak as if they were amplified (and this is certainly true for actors who work predominantly in TV and films); it is a different skill to learn to perform without amplified voices, and directors in unamplified venues need to remind their performers of this.

Other than the volume of the voices, the performances themselves were strong. Renee Cohen (who, looking back, once posted a comment my review of Hands on a Hardbody inviting her to see her in Cabaret) gave a great performance as Elizabeth / Liz / Beth. She had a bit of a Rock-y (as in Rock Music) singing voice with points of tenderness, and brought the character to life well. Normally, her tattoos would have bothered me (as I find they make me think of the actor as the actor, not their character), but they seemed to fit the age and character, so I was able to ignore them. Also strong was Jon Armijo as Josh. He had a strong voice and personality, and seemed to have chemistry with Cohen’s Liz.

Other notable main cast members were Danielle Johnson’s Kate, who brought a strong personality and singing voice to the character, as well as strong chemistry with Stephanie Saunders’ Anne. I also liked Judd York’s Lucas, who brought a nice playfulness to the stage. Lastly, we think we’ve seen Keenan Carver (who played Stephen) before, but he’s not coming up on a search.

Of the ensemble, standouts include Shaheen Kapambwe and Nadia Salina Salvia. Kapambwe had a number of small roles, but I think I detected between them a strong singing voice. Salvia also gave glimpses of her voice; I wonder what she could have done with the role of Elizabeth.

In terms of other aspects of the execution: It was hard to keep track of the various timeline threads  based on character interactions alone. There were no real set clues, and although I think they tried to use costumes, it wasn’t really clear. The set itself was a podium, three black scenic boxes, and a bench; the back was some sort of hand-drawn graphic with the show’s name and some references to New York. One of the reviews reminded me that the tour used colored lights to show timelines. That might have helped here, but something was needed.

As for costumes: I think the memo was: wear something black or grey. Other than that, it seemed to be mostly street clothes, with some accessories to hint at profession: a doctor’s coat, a camouflage cap, a teacher’s (umm) cardigan. Chromolume does work on a minimal budget (and they lose money on each show, and can use more donations), so simple sets and costumes are not a surprise. However, design-wise, something stronger was needed to distinguish timelines.

Sound-wise, in addition to the volume problem of the music, there were some aural discongruities. A baby (prop) would be held on stage, and would supposedly cry, but the cry would come from offstage. Similarly, cell phones would be held but would ring offstage. These problems wouldn’t be noticed in a large theatre like the Pantages or Ahmanson. In a small theatre, sound location is, well, amplified. You can easily tell where the sound is coming from. Having some form of mid-stage speaker would have helped quite a bit here, and might have been patchable into the music sound system.

In terms of dance and movement: The space was covered well. There were no particular dance numbers that stand out in my memory.

So let’s do the bottom line, well, at the bottom. Should you go see If/Then at Chromolume? First, if you do, be quick. There’s one more performance this evening, so get your quickits tick, umm, tickets quick, if you decide to do so.

But should you go? Story and music wise, this isn’t a classic. It’s not as forgettable as some, but isn’t top tier either. The questions it raises are good one, and it does center a female professional. What is notable and worthy here is the execution: Yet again Chromolume attempts a show that has only been done on large stages, and stages it, with reasonable success, in a small black box theatre. Chromolume also does it with a show that is rarely done, and swings to see if a lesser known show can be successful. These efforts must be applauded and supported and encouraged. In a world of theatres doing remountings of The Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music and Mamma Mia—all crowd pleasers but all overdone, be a Chromolum and do If/Then. Be a Pasadena Playhouse and do Brigadoon. Be a Group Rep and do Applause.  Be a Conundrum and do Big Fish.

So, yes, if you can catch it, go see If/Then at Chromolume (at the Zephyr in Hollywood). The story isn’t perfect and there are some sound problems. But shows like this must be encouraged. While you’re at it, grab some great Uzbek food at Zira two doors down from the theatre.

Next up at Chromolume (in November): Stephen Sondheim’s Roadshow. Chromolume always does one Sondheim show per season, and this is another ambitious swing. The show hasn’t had a production in Los Angeles before; indeed, most folks forget about the show when they list Sondheim shows (or they think of it under its pre-Broadway name, Bounce). That, too, will be worth seeing.

Credits

If/Then. Music by Tom Kitt. Lyrics and book by Brian Yorkey. Directed by Brayden Hade. Choreography by Ellie Rodriguez.

Cast : Jon Armijo Josh; Ryan Axberg Ensemble; Keenan Carver Stephen; Renee Cohen Elizabeth / Liz / Beth; Quin Domalaon Ensemble; Danielle Johnson Kate; Shaheen Kapambwe Ensemble; Joelle Lewis Elena; Natalie Luna Ensemble; Nadia Salina Salvia Ensemble; Stephanie Saunders Anne; Christopher Jewell Valentin Ensemble; Michael Vandie David; Judd Yort Lucas. Understudies: Amy Melendrez u/s Elizabeth / Liz / Beth; Jason Rivera u/s Josh.

Music Department: Isaac Schanno Johnson Music Direction, Piano; Gage Getz Bass; Trinidad Rojas Drums.

Production and Creative: Brayden Hade Director, Scenic Design, Costume Design; Ellie Rodriguez Asst Director, Choreographer; Mary Zastrow Intimacy Director; Devin Harris Lighting Design; James Esposito Sound Design, VP Operations (Chromolume); Ashia Coleman Costume Design; Mara Aguilar Production Stage Manager; Deziree White-Virk Asst Stage Manager; Ken Werther Publicity. For Chromolume: James Esposito VP Operations; Bonnie Sludikoff Artist Coordinator; Nike Montelibano Marketing; Veronica Vasquez Casting Associate; Michael Angel Social Media Manager; Lizeth Olguin Moore Box Office Coordinator; Brianne Lopez-Cole House Manager; Christopher D. Baker Youth Program Director; Ken Werther Press Agent.

Administrivia

I am not a professional critic. I’m a retired cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.

Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania. If you are looking for discount tickets, TodayTix (unlike their predecessor Goldstar Events) doesn’t handle the small theatres in LA. Luckily, Theatre Source LA has a new initiative: StageRushLA for discount tickets.

Upcoming

Key: 🎭 Theatre / 🎼 Music /  Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (🎫 indicates ticketing is pending).

• August: 🎭 Beauty and the Beast at BIH/Pantages;
• September: 🎭 Water for Elephants at BIH/Pantages; 🎼 Sutton Foster at The Soraya; 🎭 The Visit at Pasadena Playhouse; 🎭Every Brilliant Thing at The Main;  🎭🎫 Catch Me If You Can at The Colony Theatre; 
• October: 🎭 The Outsiders at BIH/Pantages; 🎼 Branford Marsalis & Dianne Reeves Celebrate John Coltrane at The Soraya; 🎭 Les Miserables at 5-Star Theatricals; 🎼 Gershwin and the Golden Age (feat. Michael Feinstein) at The Soraya; 🎭 The Who’s Tommy at BIH/Pantages.
• November: 🎭 Passing Strange at Pasadena Playhouse; 🎭 Oh Mary at CTG/Ahmanson;  Dance Theatre of Harlem at The Soraya; 🎭 Road Show at Chromolume Theatre; 🎭 Destiny of Desire at CTG/Taper.
• December: 🎭 Candide at LA Opera; 🎼🎫 Go Jazz at The Main (Tent. Date); 🎭🎫 Big Fish at Conundrum; 🎼 Spanish Harlem Orchestra at The Soraya; 🎭 Christmas Carol Goes Wrong at CTG/Ahmanson.

Last night, we saw The Color Purple at Chomolume Theatre at the Zephyr. We have a history with both, so a little digression is in order at the start. Watch out for rabbit holes.

We last saw The Color Purple at the Hollywood Pantages in June 2018. That day, we also saw The Story of My Life down the street at the Hobgoblin, a production of Chromolume Theatre as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival. Little did we know then (or perhaps we did — I can’t remember) that it would be the last incarnation of that iteration of Chromolume: the rest of their season (Jane Eyre, The Musical and Stephen Sondheim’s Passion) would be cancelled. We had been Chromolume Subscribers since 2016 when we discovered them with Prez, and enjoyed two great seasons (although Hello Again was strange). In 2018, Chromolume would lose their tenancy at The Attic Theatre in West Adams, and after various kerfuffles, would go quiet until 2025, about 7 years later. Chomolume restarted in 2025 with a season consisting of First Date, I Love You Because, The Bridges of Madison County, Marry Me a Little, and Passion. All of which we had seen, and none of which we cared to see again. In fact, Passion was the last show I saw (at Boston Court) before the pandemic closed everything down. But we’ve always loved the company and what they try to do, and so we resubscribed this season. The Chromolume 2026 season is: The Color Purple, Elegies (HFF), If/Then, and Stephen Sondheim’s Roadshow (a/k/a Bounce). Most we haven’t seen, and for most of them, it is hard to imagine how they would be done in a 80-ish seat black box with no fly or orchestra space. But if any company can do it, this one can: After all, they staged Pacific Overtures in a small black box theatre.

Continuing the story/history lesson: This bring us to 2010, which is when I previously saw The Story of My Life (a two-hander musical that is just beautiful). 2010 was the disastrous year of the Pasadena Playhouse bankruptcy, when subscribers were left with donated tickets. We switched our subscription to the Colony Theatre that year; Colony later had its own financial troubles, went dark, and is slowly coming back. The Pasadena Playhouse has also returned strong: winning a regional Tony Award and doing mostly strong productions such as the just finished Amadeus (with a few misses, such as their recent Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha). Yes, we are back as members at the Pasadena Playhouse. Reading through the theatre posts about 2010 also reminded me how I (back then) hated the Pantages; now we are regular subscribers and are quite looking forward to their upcoming season.

Finishing the history lesson: This brings us to 2008, when we saw the first iteration of The Color Purple  musical at the Ahmanson. That was my first time seeing the show: I had heard of the original movie with Oprah Winfrey, but hadn’t seen it. I had never read the book. I was impressed with the story and with the music, and how much of the show was sung through (and yet it didn’t feel like a sung-through musical). As I wrote then: “This is the mark of a good musical: it can use music to concisely tell story, establish people and personas, and advance the plot. The music works very well in this, even though there are very few “stand alone” songs.”

This also brings us back to The Color Purple — and I promise I’ll tie it back to that long introduction rabbit hole. Here’s how I described The Color Purple back in 2008:

“The Color Purple” basically tells the story of Celie, a young black girl in the south, knocked up by her step-pseudofather twice by the age of 14, and then married off soon after to a man who beats her to get her to obey. It is the story of the love between Celie and her sister Nettie, the story of the relationships in Celie’s life. In particular, it is about how Celie’s relationships with some strong black women make her realize that she is loved, that she does have value, that she can stand up for herself and accomplish something, and the power that love plays in it all.

That was a bit simplistic. The Color Purple is a story about love, but it is even more the story of resilience, of saying “Hell No” when people try to push you down. It is a story about love, but much less the traditional notion of romantic boy-girl love. The love in Color Purple is about the love and bond between sisters, the love and bond between women, and the love that is formed out of goodness and caring about others.

The notion of resilience is what ties this musical to the history I started with. We see resilience is the story of Chromolume Theatre, which has refused to stay down over its 24 year history (with 2 7-year breaks). We see resilience in the story of the Pasadena Playhouse, which has come back strong. We may also be seeing resilience in the story of the Colony, which looks to be recovering from its down period (and will be producing Catch Me If You Can later in the year, which we’re interested in seeing); however, the Colony isn’t yet back to doing seasons yet. Resilience is the story of small theatre in Los Angeles: a small but vital community that depends on a network of performers and audience members that believe in it, despite others thinking Los Angeles is a film center. Los Angeles is a theatre town. Its small theatres are alive. They are producing knock-out productions such as Chromolume’s The Color Purple, which according to Chromolume is almost completely sold out at the time it is opening. Who would have thought this would happen back in the days of the I Love 99 fights and Actors Equity changing the 99-seat and under rules? Of course, small theatre (just like big theatre) is rarely profitable, and theatres like Chromolume depend on your support to survive. Donate today.

Now, let’s turn our focus to this production. When Chromolume announced their season, I wondered how they might mount The Color Purple in the tiny theatre they were leasing. The Zephyr is a 74 seat thrust theatre, with no wing space, no fly space, and no orchestra space. There are barely dressing rooms, and crossing from one side of the stage to the other off-stage requires going outside through a narrow alleyway. So I was curious. How would Chromolume do this. Luckily, the recent John Doyle staging of the 2015 revival (which is the version licensed) uses minimal sets, and the directory Elijah Green built upon this. The Chromolume set consisted of a house-suggestive structure with a small triangular thrust area, and a large number of wood chairs.  Green built upon this, and used every inch of the small Zephyr space to bring the story alive, including the aisle spaces within the audience area.

Green also cast the production with remarkable talent, notably Veronica Driscoll as Celie and Jodi Marks as Sofia. Driscoll was outstanding, especially in her transformation between the first and second acts and how she found her inner beauty and strength. She had a remarkable singing voice. Marks’ Sofia was also strong (we’d seen her before in 5-Star’s Frozen), especially in the second act. But all of the cast was strong: strong singing, strong dancing, strong characterizations. Others that caught my eye were Milyah Law as Doris, and Jayla Bryant’s Darlene. They were part of a trio that essentially served as a greek chorus commenting on the story. Jonathan Farrington was a strong Harpo, and Lonnie Jones III was strong as Mister. Lastly, Minque Taylor was dazzling as Shug Avery, and (although not seen as much), Shelby Williams was great as Nettie.

I’d also like to highlight one spectacular number: Miss Celie’s Pants. The dancing and the movement here was just stupendous. It was a joy to watch.

Seeing The Color Purple in an intimate space brings one closer to the story, and one notices characterizations and story aspects that get lost in the cavernous touring spaces of the Pantages or the Ahmanson, especially when one isn’t in the overpriced center orchestra seats. You can see the real emotions of the characters, see the joy in the dancers, realize story beats. It makes the story come alive in a very different way than the detached experience you get in the large houses. If you have the chance to see shows like this in intimate or smaller theatres, take it.

Were there some problems? Only some minor things. The music at times overpowered the actors. That’s unsurprising, as the small theatre doesn’t amplify the actors, and you can’t always soften the instruments. The sound without amplification is also directional, so that when actors were facing away it was harder to hear them. That’s how theatre was originally, folks, so just be aware. You can also insert my pet peeve about tattoos: the trend of “kids” these days to get tattoos is a problem in the theatre, when seeing a tattoo makes one see the performer as the modern actor, not the character. It’s something that is hard to fix as people have the right to do with their bodies as they will, and can’t easily be undone (and I’ll need to get used to it), but there are minimization techniques. But these are really at the noise level, and none really distracted.

Lighting generally did a great job of establishing the mood (and is harder in this theatre where there are no real spaces for follow spots), and costumes generally established the place and mood well.

Overall, this is a production that is well worth seeing. You can get tickets through the Chromolume website, but be aware that many shows are sold out. They may be able to extend if the demand is there, so let them know. The show currently runs through March 29.

Lastly, I generally don’t write up concerts. We had two concerts between Amadeus at the Pasadena Playhouse and The Color Purple: Mandy Gonzalez at the Broad Stage and Noel Paul Stookey at Cerritos Center. Both were excellent.

Credits

The Color Purple. Based upon the novel written by Alice Walker and the Warner Bros./Ambin Entertainment motion picture. Book by Marsha Norman. Music and Lyrics by Brenda Russell, Allee Willis and Stephen Bray. Directed by Elijah Green. Choreography by Katie Powers-Faulk.

Cast: Veronica Driscoll Celie; Minque Taylor Shug Avery; Lonnie Jones III Mister; Jodi Marks Sofia; Jonathan Farrington Harpo; Shelby Williams Nettie; Amaya J Squeak; Jayla Bryant Darlene; Milyah Law Doris; Olivia Leyva Jarene; Jordan McAllister Ol’ Mister; Johnathan O’Neal Buster; Christopher Baker Preacher; Kara Marie Church Soloist; Omari Miller Grady; Stephen Gregg Pa; Myia LaShaun Olivia. Understudies: Barbara Ann Reed Celie u/s; Andante Petit-Homme Mister u/s; Journie Ma-Johnson Sofia u/s; Kara Marie Squeak u/s.

Music Department: Miki Yokomizo Music Director, Piano; Kiarah Davis Guitar; Tony Jones Drums.

Production and Creative: Elijah Green Director; Miki Yokomizo Music Director; Katie Powers-Faulk Choreographer; Ariella Salinas Fiore Intimacy Director; Shawn Plunkett Scenic Design; Shon LeBlanc Costume Design; Daniel Mitchener Lighting Design; James Esposito Sound Design, Chromolume VP of Operations; Mara Aguilar Production Stage Manager; Kendré Scott Asst Stage Manager; Ken Wether Publicity; Bonnie Sludikoff Chromolume Artist Coordinator; Niko Montelibano Marketing; Veronica Vasquez Casting Associate; Michael Angel Social Media Manager; Lizeth Olguin Moore Box Office Coordinator; Brianne Lopez-Cole House Manager.

Administrivia

I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; The Soraya, Chromolume Theatre, and 5-Star Theatricals.

Want to find a show: Check out the Theatre Commons LA show list. Other good lists are the Theatre in LA listings; the TodayTix listings; OnStage 411 (use the “shows” drop down); and Theatermania.

Some interesting shows that have caught my eye. Wisteria Theatre is doing Reefer Madness: The Musical (in April), as is Long Beach Playhouse (in October/November).  Wisteria was overpriced for a black-box; I might look into Long Beach’s production (but have to factor in the drive). Ebony Rep is doing Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the end of May into June. I love the show, but the prices are a bit high and I’m still trying to decide. I have a hold on the calendar. Casa 0101 is doing the play version of Real Women Have Curves from the end of March into May. Conundrum Theatre is doing a bunch of shows, but notably Big Fish in December 2026. And, as noted earlier, the Colony Theatre is doing Catch Me If You Can in the September/October 2026 timeframe. I’ll look into ticketing the fall shows once I know the CTG Season, to prevent conflicts. Broadway in Hollywood has announced its 2026-2027 season, and it is spectacular. The only major shows missing are Oh Mary, Boop: The Musical, and Just In Time. I expect Oh Mary to show up at the Ahmanson, and possibly Boop; Just In Time might be in the following Broadway in Hollywood season as I haven’t seen it announce any tour dates. Perhaps some local theatre will decide to mount Real Women Have Curves – The Musical or Dead Outlaw. One can hope. I do know the Segerstrom is doing Curves in Concert on March 20, but we just can’t make it due to the distance and a busy busy March.

I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming

♦ Theatre / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending).

• March: ♦ The Play That Goes Wrong at 5-Star Theatricals;  ♦ Here Lies Love at CTG/Mark Taper; MRJ Man of the Year Dinner at Temple Beth Hillel; MoTAS Poker Tournament; ♦ Spamlot at BIH/Pantages.
• April: ♦ Kim’s Convenience Store at CTG/Ahmanson; ♦ Ride the Cyclone at The Main; ♣ Jeremy Jordan at The Soraya; California Science and Engineering Fair at CLU; ♦ Flower Drum Song at East/West Players; ♦ Real Women Have Curves at Casa 0101. NOTE: We need judges for the California Science and Engineering Fair. If you have a degree in the sciences and are available to judge April 12 at Cal Lutheran in Thousand Oaks, sign up to judge here.
• May: ♦ Falstaff at LA Opera; ♦ The Sound of Music at BIH/Pantages; ♦ Brigadoon at The Pasadena Playhouse; ♦ Hells Kitchen at BIH/Pantages.
• June: ♦⊕ Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Ebony Rep; ♦ Elegies at Chromolume; ♦ Primary Trust at CTG/Taper; ♦ Mamma Mia at CTG/Ahmanson; plus whatever I schedule from the Hollywood Fringe Festival.

This is the year of the women. Women are speaking up (almost like never before) for themselves. They are speaking up against abuse, harassment, and the traditional patriarchal notions. Unlike some past feminist efforts, the current effort is going beyond equality of pay and equality of work to demanding equality of treatment, privilege, and respect.

So, perhaps, it is with a unique sense of timing that the first show of the  Chromolume Theatre (FB) 2018 season is Dessa Rose. Dessa Rose, with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, music by Stephen Flaherty,  based on a novel by Sherley Anne Williams, was first produced Off-Broadway in 2005, and is making its Los Angeles premier. The original novel fictionalizes and combines two historical incidents:  In 1829 a pregnant slave woman led a revolt against slave traders, and in 1830 a white woman had a habit of taking in runaway slaves. The book combines the two stories, with the two women meeting and participating in a plan to free the runaways. It also times well for Black History Month, as it is based on the work of an African-American writer, and tells a story about powerful and proud black survival in the pre-Civil War South, and is being presented in a minority owned and operated theatre.

(As an aside, a recently saw a wonderful explanation of why Black History Month is appropriate, but White History Month would not be. Whites typically have the luxury of knowing their past and ethnicity, and knowing where their families came from and when they came to the US. Blacks had that all taken away from them. For many, the best they know is “Africa”, which is a continent, not a nation. They’ve had their past ripped from them, without consent, and Black History Month is a way to reclaim that past, celebrating all achieves of the Black community as their own.)

Dessa Rose also falls into category of music I had heard, but never seen. I’m quite a fan of the works of Ahrens and Flaherty, and how they have a musical style that isn’t repetitive with a particular sound (some other composing teams make it clear when you hear their work who they are). I’ve had the CD of Dessa Rose for quite a few years, but could never wrap my head around the story. Now I can, and hearing those songs in the context of the story makes them so much more meaningful. That’s one reason why I like Chromolume’s season so much: all of their mainstage shows are Los Angeles premieres, shows that I have only heard but never seen.

Dessa Rose tells the story of two women: Dessa Rose and Ruth. You can find a detailed synopsis on the Wikipedia page. The story is presented as the two women telling the story to their grandchildren so that it isn’t loss (a similar motif to Once on this Island, demonstrating the importance of shared storytelling). Dessa’s story concerns how she was born a slave, fell in love at 16, get pregnant, watch the man she loved get killed, and killing the overseer herself in response. She then leads a slave revolt, gets arrested and sentenced to hang. She eventually escapes jail and with the help of other slaves from the revolt, makes her way to Ruth’s plantation. Ruth, who is the black sheep of a different plantation family, marries young to a gambler who abandons her in an unfinished plantation with a new infant. She is accepting of the blacks, and that plantation soon becomes a haven for escaped slaves where no questions are asked. At the plantation, Ruth and Dessa’s stories combine, and the remainder of the musical is how they learn to accept each other, and standup for dignity and freedom.

This is a powerful story, and in some sense, a dark story. Although there are some energetic songs, one can see why it isn’t a typical Broadway story or musical, and thus, never moved from the Off-Broadway Mitzi Newhouse to a larger venue. In the tiny space that is the Attic Theatre (typically configured for 49 seats), it works and the closeness gives it extra power and meaning. It is a clear example of a show that is meant for an intimate theatre space.

What was my reaction? Going in, I really knew only the music, and that it was about the relationship of an escaped slave and a white woman. I’ll note also that I was having a bad afternoon, for reasons I shan’t go into other than to say: Always double check the time for an afternoon matinee, and sometimes it can be equally bad to arrive too early.

So, my reaction: I found this to be an incredibly moving musical, with very strong performances. There were just a few points where I felt a little bit of a drag in the story, and the close of Act I was more of a dark close than one is accustomed to see. But overall, I found the story timely — especially in this era of women speaking up for themselves and not putting up with being mistreated anymore. This was a strong show about women taking back their power and putting their destiny in their own hands — not the hands of their masters or their husbands. It was women finding their own way in society. It is a message that resonates with today.

Director , James Esposito (FB) had a challenge in staging this production. Not only did he have to draw powerful performances out of his cast, but he had to figure out how to make the production work in a very tiny space, with very limited sets, options, and budgets. But the true measure of live theatre is creativity, and productions can thrive on imagination and performance, whereas film demands realism. The set here was simple: no real set pieces, just some ramps and spaces. Looking back, there also wasn’t a large number of specific props. Yet none of this was necessary, as the actors through performance alone created all the different places and made them real, so that you saw where you were in your imagination and in the movement. As a small example of that, watch the background performers and their motions. They are doing their house and field work without props, but establishing where and when they are. That’s the type of notion that I believe comes from the director working with the acting team.

In the lead performance positions were Shaunté Tabb (FB, FB) as Dessa Rose and Abby Carlson (FB) as Ruth. Tabb was a knockout. An incredibly strong singing voice (no amplification needed) combined with a powerhouse performance just blew me away. You believed she was who she was portraying. Similarly, Carlson was strong as Ruth. In that role, she had a bit more leeway to let go and relax, and when she did, there was just this natural luster that shone through. Again, there was a strong singing voice and equally strong performance that blended exceptionally well with Tabb’s Dessa Rose.

In more of a supporting role were Mykell Barlow (FB)’s Nathan and Ken Maurice Purnell (FB)’s Harker. Barlow was outstanding. A wonderful voice and a engaging stage presence created an instantly likable and strong character. Purnell’s Harker had a smaller presence, but the two worked well together.

The mothers in this story were repres ented in a different way: Kymberly Stewart (FB) played multiple mothers: Dessa Rose’s mother Rose, Ruth’s Mammy Dorcas, and an additional character, Aunt Chloe. Ruth’s actual mother was portrayed by Claire Buchignani (FB). Stewart’s portrayal of the different Mammy’s was interesting. Traditionally, the “Mammy” is a problematic character and oft stereotypical, but Stewart gave both an interesting rebellious and subversive nature, encouraging both Ruth and Rose, as different mothers, to be their own person and do what is right for them. Buchignani caught my eye from the opening number: there was just something in her face and movement that drew my eyes to her. Both were strong in their shared numbers such as “Ladies” and “Ten Petticoats”, and Stewart was outstanding in “White Milk and Red Blood”, emphasizing how we are all the same.

Matt Mancuso (FB), as Adam Nehemiah, was perhaps the villain of the piece, if there was one. Initially a friend to Dessa Rose, after her escape he vowed to capture her, and thus was the hunter to be avoided.  Mancuso captured the two different sides of his character exceptionally well: contrast his performances in both “Ink” and “Capture the Girl”.

The remaining actors tended to play multiple characters, both in the ensemble as well as some named characters: Mikhail Roberts (FB) [Bertie, Sheriff Hughes, Auctioneer #2]; Bradley Alan Turner (FB) [Kaine, Phillip]; Zach Campa (FB) [Mr. Steel, Mr. Oscar, Sheriff Pine]; Ambrey Benson (FB) [Annabel, various slaves]; and Margaret Berkowitz (FB) [Susannah]. All were strong singers and ensemble performers; there were a few that shone exceptionally in my mind. Berkowitz’s Susannah brought an interesting sunshine to the piece — not because she was the only blonde, but there was just something about how she portrayed Susannah that had a lightness about her. Roberts captured the cad nature of Bertie, who abandons Ruth, well in the little characterization we had, but a bit more interesting was Campa’s Sheriff Pines in his interaction with Adam Nehemiah when Dessa is almost uncovered. Strong performance. Campo was also great as Mr. Oscar interacting with Ruth. Turner had a strong portrayal of Kaine in his early interactions with Dessa Rose.

The understudies, whom we did not see, were Maya (Sh’von) Thomas (FB) [u/s Dessa Rose]; Jessica Jacobs (FB) [u/s Ruth]; Christopher T. Wood (FB) [u/s Nathan]; and Allen Barstow (FB) [u/s Nehemiah].

Music was provided by an offstage band led by music director Daniel Yokomizo (FB) on Piano, John A. Graves on Bass^†, and Jeff Fish (FB) on Percussion^‡.  For a small group, they had a very nice sound that worked well with the small show.
^†: Simon Landau on 2/3, 2/24, and 2/25
^‡: Anthony Jones (FB) on 2/2, 2/3, 2/10, 2/16, 2/17, and 2/23; Jon Lundgren on 2/9, 2/24, and 2/25.

The remainder of the creative and production team were: Michael Marchak (FB) [Choreography];  Kara McLeod (FB) [Costume Design]; Jesse Baldridge (FB) [Lighting Design]; Jasmine Moreno (FB) [Stage Manager]; Ken Werther (FB) [Publicity]. There was no sound design credit. A few notes: the speakers had an annoying buzz that can hopefully be corrected in the future. Marchak’s choreography was simply and appropriate for the show McLeod’s costume seemed to establish period well. Lastly, Baldridge’s lighting established time and mood well.

Dessa Rose has one more weekend in its run at Chromolume Theatre (FB). You should get tickets now if you can; they are selling out fast and you don’t want to miss this show. There were tickets on Goldstar, but they are sold out.

Chromolume just announced their Hollywood Fringe Festival production, and I’m excited. Here’s what they wrote:

We are happy to announce that our 2018 Hollywood Fringe Festival production will be the one-act musical, The Story of My Life! We are also excited to announce we will be performing at the The Hobgoblin Playhouse. We are excited to bring this story to you…coming in June! Click on the link below to find out more!

http://crtheatre.com/story.html

And for those of you who don’t know, if you purchase your season subscription before our current production ends, you will get free tickets to see this production!

We last saw Story of My Life back in 2009, right after the death of our dear friend Lauren. The story touched me in special ways; it is just a beautiful and meaningful show. I’m looking forward to it. Subscribe before Dessa Rose closes, and I believe it will be included in your subscription.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member. I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB) in the West Adams district, and a mini-subscription at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB). Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.

Upcoming Shows:

February concludes with  James and the Giant Peach at the Chance Theatre (FB) in the Anaheim Hills, and tickets for Dublin Irish Dance Stepping Out at  the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB).

March was supposed to start with the MRJ Man of the Year dinner, but that shifted back a week. This enables us to see a remounting of Leslie Jones starring in Prez – The Lester Young Story that weekend. This is followed on the second weekend with the LA Premiere of the musical Allegiance at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (FB) and the MRJ Man of the Year Dinner. The next weekend brings Steel Pier at the UCLA School of Television, Film, and Theatre (FB). The penultimate Friday of March was to bring Billy Porter singing Richard Rodgers at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB), but that has shifted to June and that weekend is currently open. The last weekend of March is open for theatre, but there will be the Men of TAS Seder.

April looks to be a busy month. It starts with Love Never Dies at the Hollywood Pantages (FB) [as an aside, there was just a great interview with Glen Slater, the lyricist of that show, on Broadway Bullet that is well worth listening to]. The second weekend brings A Man for All Seasons” at Actors Co-op (FB). The third weekend brings The Hunchback of Notre Dame at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) (nee Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)), as well as our annual visit to the Original Renaissance Faire. The last weekend of April sees us travelling for a show, as we drive up to San Jose to see friends as well as Adrift in Macao at The Tabard Theatre Company (FB).

Continuing into May and June: The first weekend in May will bring School of Rock at the Hollywood Pantages (FB), with the following weekend bringing Soft Power  at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). The middle of May brings Violet  at Actors Co-op (FB).  The last weekend will hopefully bring a Nefesh Mountain concert at Temple Ramat Zion; the weekend itself is currently open. June — ah, June. That, my friends, is reserved for the Hollywood Fringe Festival (FB), including The Story of My Life from Chromolume Theatre (FB). Additionally in June we’re seeing the postponed Billy Porter singing Richard Rodgers at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB), The Color Purple at  the Hollywood Pantages (FB), and possibly Do Re Mi at MTW. The latter, however, is on a Sunday night in Long Beach, and so Fringing may win out. Currently, we’re booking all the way out in mid to late 2018! We may also be adding an  Ahmanson Theatre (FB) subscription, given their recent announcements regarding the next season.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget.

When one thinks of the musicals of Stephen Sondheim (FB), one often thinks of theatre in the large. The full size Broadway stage, houses with over 800 seats, fully executed scenery and staging. But often one gains a greater appreciation of Sondheim in the small staging, the intimate theatre environment. Think about small intimate creative stagings of Into the Woods, Sweeny Todd, or Assassins: these often provide insights and understanding that the Broadway staging doesn’t give.

Intimate staging of Sondheim’s successes are somewhat easy to find. Stagings of the shows that fared less well on Broadway — that’s a different story. Take Pacific Overtures, for example. First produced on Broadway in 1976, it ran for 6 months (and subsequently had a mounting at the LA Civic Light Opera later that year). I don’t have a recollection of the LACLO performance; it is possible that I didn’t go to it (I do remember the show after it, Irma La Douce). It’s had a few mountings on Broadway or Off-Broadway since then, and there have been even fewer mountings in Los Angeles. The last mounting was in 1998 by the East-West Players. So when I saw that the Chromolume Theatre (FB) 2017 season announcement included Pacific Overtures, I was intrigued. Chromolume is an under-50 seat theatre — how the hell were they going to pull off a full Sondheim musical — especially one as complicated as Overtures — on a small black box stage with no fly space and limited cast size?

Saturday night we found out. The answer is: they pulled it off by embracing the minimality in the staging, instead of trying to duplicate the grand Kabuki stylings of the original. There are still Kabuki-ish elements, to be sure; however, there is no use of traditional Kabuki whiteface, and there are no set stylings to speak off. For me, the minimalism worked. It felt … Japanese in styling, although I must admit that I am far from being an expert — or even familiar — with what is traditional Japanese style. From reading the background on this story, that was Sondheim’s intent: to provide a Westernized version with a Japanese feel. However, in today’s sensibilities, it does raise some interesting questions of cultural appropriation that, given the underlying message in the story, create an even more interesting contrast and echo.

The message in the story — that’s right, I haven’t explained that yet. Pacific Overtures — with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim (FB), book by John Weidman, additional material by Hugh Wheeler, and original orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick — tells the story of the (re-)opening of Japan to Western culture in the late 1850s and thereafter (for those that remember the miniseries Shogun, this is the reopening after the post-Shogun isolation). It begins with the arrival of Commodore Perry to Japan in 1853, and looks at the reaction to that arrival in the traditional Japanese culture of the Emperor and Shogunate — a culture that had been isolated from other nations for over 250 since the Spanish and Portuguese were expelled (i.e., the Shogun period). It also explores the exploitation and westernization that occurred thereafter — often in the names of “commerce”. [As an aside, it created an interesting parallel with the gentrification occurring today in South LA, where again predominately white men are exploiting a culture seen by implication as inferior and worthy of updating.] The musical ends with a political commentary on Japan’s success, adopting a Western commerce with a uniquely Japanese attitude, often beating the West at their own game.

The means of telling the tale centers around the use of  “reciter” — essentially, a narrator — combined with a focus on two primary characters: a minor Samurai named Kayama Yesaemon and a sailor named John Manjiro. The remaining members of the ensemble played all the other characters. Chromolume’s seeming conceit and framing (by director James Esposito (FB)) was that this was a group of actors wandering in and presenting the story, which explained the small number and the use of men to play women (without having to go full on Kabuki, where that is the tradition). Reading some of the reviews before the show gave the impression this was more of a concert staging, but I never got that feeling. This seemed fully executed, albeit in the small.

The performances developed by the actors and the director, James Esposito (FB), were strong. I remember watching the faces for the nuances of performance and find them. The stylized movements seemed appropriate, and the character interplay was good. The voices were strong — most notably Paul Wong (★FB; FB) [Reciter], Cesar Cipriano (FB) [Kayama Yesaemon], John Sala (FB) [Ensemble, Warrior, Russian Admiral, Sailor], and Gibran Mahmud (FB) [Ensemble, Fisherman, Dutch Admiral, Second Councilor, Sailor]. These four had voices that just blew me away (which is not to say that the others weren’t great either). The one whose face won me over was Julia May Wong (FB) [Ensemble, Tamate, Young Boy, Geisha Girl]. She just had great facial expressions in all of her scenes; she also wins the award for the best bio (a haiku: “About to Give up / Chromolume came to save her. / Honored. Humbled. Thanks.”).

In the lead positions, as noted before, were Wong as Reciter, Cipriano as Yasemon, and Daryl  Leonardo (FB)  as John Manjiro. Wong was strong as the Reciter, carrying the burden of the exposition on his back, helping to explain the story to the audience. Cipriano and Leonardo had a good chemistry between them, same strong, and conveyed emotion well.

Rounding out the cast, in addition to the three previously mentioned, were Marcel Licera (FB) [Ensemble, Lord Abe, Old Man, Sumo Wrestler], Peter Jeensalute (FB) [Ensemble, Mother, American Admiral, Merchant], Daniel Koh (FB) [Ensemble, Madam, British Admiral, Third Councilor], and Kevin Matsumoto (FB) [Ensemble, Commodore Perry, French, Admiral, Sailor]. Reuben Uy (FB) [Ensemble_u/s, Madam_u/s, British Admiral_u/s, Third Councilor_u/s] was the understudy. All were good: I particularly enjoyed the facial expressions in the “Welcome to Kanagawa” number, the difference characterizations in “Please Hello”, the Emperor puppet, and Matsumoto’s dance as Com. Perry. 

Uncredited in the program as the horse and the servant was the ASM, Louis Lake III (FB). Lake’s performance was a hoot and quite a surprise.

Michael Marchak (FB)’s choreography seemed appropriately Japanese, but then again, I’m not an expert on the subject. All I know is that the movement worked well and was enjoyable to watch, and kept up with the various references thrown into the mix by Sondheim.

Music was under the direction of Daniel Yokomizo (FB), who also led the on-stage but off-stage band on piano, assisted by (at our performance) John A. Graves [Bass] and Jeff Fish (FB) [Percussion]. Note: At some performances, bass is provided by Alex Moore (FB), and percussion by Anthony Jones (FB)  or Lee Piatelli (FB). For its size, the orchestra was strong. Pacific Overtures is not a show that requires a large orchestra, as it isn’t dependent on traditional Western instruments as much as many shows.

Turning to the production side of the staging. As you can see from the images to the right, Hector Figueroa (FB)’s scenic design was minimal: some platforms, tan and red backgrounds, and a hiding place for a character or two. Necessary context was provided by properties or the costumes, which were designed by Kara McLeod (FB). The costumes seemed reasonably appropriate; again, I’m not an expert on Japanese attire of tha period. Lighting design was by Jesse Baldridge (FB), and it worked well to establish the mood. There is no explicit credit for sound design, but James Esposito (FB) has done it for some past shows so it is likely he did it again. The sound worked well this time around. Veronica Vasquez (FB) was the stage manager, and the aforementioned Louis Lake III (FB) was the asst. stage manager… and the 🐎 :-). Publicity was by Ken Werther (FB).

Pacific Overtures runs for one more weekend at Chromolume Theatre (FB), with performances today at 2pm and 7pm, and next Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are available through the Chromolume Website, discount tickets may be available through Goldstar. This really is a production you should see if you can: Pacific Overtures just isn’t produced all that often, and this may be one of the few chances you have to see a great production in an intimate space by a company that loves them some Sondheim.

Chromolume Theatre (FB) has just announced their 2018 season, and it is three shows that I haven’t seen (in fact, two for which I didn’t even have the cast album until the announcement): Dessa Rose with book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty [Feb 2 2018 – Feb 25 2018]; Jane Eyre – The Musical with music and lyrics by composer-lyricist Paul Gordon and a book by John Caird [Jul 13 2018 – Aug 5 2018],  and Passion with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by James Lapine [Nov 9 2018 – Dec 2 2018]. We plan to subscribe in the next couple of weeks. You should too! Season subscriptions are only $60, which is $20 per show… and Goldstar is $18 per show plus service fees. What a bargain, and you help guarantee this little theatre’s survival.

***

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member. I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted. I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at 5 Star Theatricals (FB) [the company formerly known as Cabrillo Music Theatre (FB)], the Hollywood Pantages (FB), Actors Co-op (FB), the Chromolume Theatre (FB) in the West Adams district, and a mini-subscription at the Saroya [the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)] (FB). Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups.

Upcoming Shows:

This afternoon brings the Colburn Orchestra at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB). I probably won’t write that one up. The weekend encompassing Chanukah sees us back at the Saroya  (FB) for the Klezmatics (FB). We also hope to squeeze in a performance of A Christmas Story at the Canyon Theatre Guild (FB). We might also go to the  58th Annual L.A. County Holiday Celebration, as they are featuring Klezmer Music from 3-6pm on Dec 24, and we can take advantage of Metro to avoid the traffic. Of course there will also be the obligatory Christmas Day movie — who knows — perhaps it’ll be the upcoming The Greatest Showman. Afterward: The obligatory Chinese Food.

If I can get tickets, January will start out with the Jason Graae/Faith Prince concert at the Rubicon Theatre (FB) in Ventura [tix]. The next weekend brings Aladdin at the Hollywood Pantages (FB). The rest of January is currently open, as January tends to be a quiet theatre month. We’ll see what fills up.

February is busier. It starts with the Cantor’s Concert at Temple Ahavat Shalom (FB). The following weekend brings our first Actors Co-op (FB) production of 2018: A Walk in the Woods. Mid-week brings opera: specifically,  Candide at LA Opera (FB). That is followed the next weekend by the first production of the Chromolume Theatre (FB) 2018 season, Dessa Rose. The month concludes with Dublin Irish Dance Stepping Out at  the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB).

March was supposed to start with the MRJ Man of the Year dinner, but I’ll miss that because they pushed back from their advertised date right on top of my non-refundable tickets to the LA Premiere of the musical Allegiance at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center (FB). This is followed by a HOLD for Steel Pier at the UCLA School of Television, Film, and Theatre (FB). The penultimate Friday of March brings Billy Porter singing Richard Rodgers at the Saroya (the venue formerly known as the Valley Performing Arts Center (VPAC)) (FB). The last weekend of March is open for theatre, but there will be the Men of TAS Seder.  Currently, we’re booking all the way out in mid to late 2018! We may also be adding a CTG subscription, given their recent announcements regarding the next season.

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Musicals in LA, @ This Stage, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, LA Stage Tix, Plays411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Note: Lastly, want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget.