Tag: theatre-planning

🎭 Music Saves, Family Invests | “Hells Kitchen” @ BIH/Pantages

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Hell's Kitchen (Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages)As of the time I’m writing this, I have 57,778 songs in my music library. However, until the musical Hell’s Kitchen popped onto the scene, I don’t think I had ever knowingly listened to a song by Alicia Keys. That’s actually not a surprise: Most of my music listening is music on my iPod Classic; I discover new music through the Tony Awards, the Woodsongs Radio Hour, the Irish and Celtic Music Podcast, and (until it stopped its podcast) the Mostly Folk podcast. I’m into folk and bluegrass and cast albums. Although I enjoy rhythm and I enjoy the blues, I’m not that much into the slower R&B music. I generally don’t watch the Grammys as I’m not really into modern hip-hop and rap, and so I don’t discover the new and upcoming artists unless they are on something else I watch.  To put it succinctly, Keyes was new to me.

Shortly before the 2024 Tony awards, I downloaded the cast album of Hell’s Kitchen into my library and onto my iPod. It was interesting and had some good songs, although I couldn’t really discern the story. After all, this was a jukebox musical, where the songs are selected from an artists catalog to fit a story and set the mood, and they don’t always serve, advance, and illuminate the plot.

Last night, we saw the Hell’s Kitchen  tour at the Pantages.

I’m not sure what to say, which is something different from being speechless. The show had remarkable dancing, and the story was somewhat like Keys’ biography. Well, a little. The music was beautiful, and the performances were very good. And yet, I was left unmoved.

As I noted, the story was somewhat like Keys’ own. It does take place in Manhattan Plaza in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen community, where Keys did grow up. The lead character, Ali, was the child of a bi-racial family where the father left early, and she was raised by a single-mom who was a former actress. Her wikipedia bio notes that Keys “credits her “tough” mother for anchoring her on a right path as opposed to many people she knew who ended up on the wrong path and in jail. Keys attributed her unusual maturity as a young girl to her mother, who depended on her to be responsible while she worked…” But from there it diverges. Whereas Keys was raised on Jazz music, sang and started playing piano at the age of six, and started classical piano training at age seven, the lead character in Hell’s Kitchen took a different path. Ali wants to go out with the dangerous boys, including and especially Nuk, a pickle-drum drummer and house painter. She had no other interest in music until she goes to the music room at her apartment, where she meet Miss Liza Jane who starts teaching her piano. This is at age 16-17, and seemingly in a year or less she has it mastered. The story in the musical concerts Ali’s relationship with Nuk, how that impacts her relationship with her mother, and how she discovered music through Miss Liza Jane. It deals with Ali maturing into a more adult relationship with her mother and her mostly-absent father.

Talking about the story, I should explain the title of this writeup. One of the key plot lines in the story is about music, and how Ali’s discovery of the piano provides her a refuge from the turmoil and leads her to a path forward and out. The other key plot line of the story is the love of family: Although Ali fights with her mother Jersey, they ultimately work through it and grow to depend upon and support each other. Jersey provides the investment into Ali’s safety that moves her forward.

My wife really enjoyed the story. I found it interesting, but could see how it had been assembled to use the music catalog. It is hard to do an effective jukebox musical. There are lots of them, and we’re seeing perhaps the first and best example of them next week, Ain’t Misbehavin’ . Others are hit and miss. Some, like Jersey Boys, work well. Some, like Mamma Mia, are fluff that exists to highlight a great musical catalog. Here, the story was a reasonable one, but it would have been better if I had been able to understand the lyrics that were supposedly supporting the story. The problem was that the sound design for the tour left the side orchestra seats with muddy sound, and the fast nature of the lyrics made it hard to understand the words. This isn’t a problem for those familiar with an artists catalog before the show: they already know the songs and the words. Those who are unfamiliar with the artist are dependent on the sound designer to make the show legibly audible in all the seats. The tour missed its mark in that area (and I know it is the tour: we’ve had no other problems recently with sound design in the Pantages).

This brings us to the music. I’m torn on how to express this. The music was good, but it just wasn’t the style or musical genre that hooked me. I enjoyed it; I was tapping my foot throughout the faster songs. But it didn’t have the underlying melodic lines I tend to like; I can’t really say that the music would make me go out and buy albums from Alicia Keys catalog. This is unlike, say, American Idiot, which I enjoyed so much I started buying albums from Green Day. Listening to the music while writing this up, it has a very R&B feel to it. Slow R&B at times. But not being my style doesn’t make it bad; it just makes it not my style. My wife thoroughly enjoyed the music. I believe that if you like modern pop or R&B music and especially Alicia Keys, you’ll enjoy this music.

The dance was spectacular, but again: it was modern. I don’t know how to describe it. Hip-hop? Street? Break? All I know is that it wasn’t traditional theatre dancing and that it was really fun to watch. The dance performances were very strong. When compared to the last show we saw in Southern California, Brigadoon, the dancing was 180° different. Brigadoon was traditional and spoke the language of ballet and ballroom, with a little celtic thrown in. HK was street and angles and bounce and rapid angular movement. Each beautiful in their own way.

The performances were outstanding. Alas, we didn’t get to see the tour lead, Maya Drake, as Ali. Instead, we got Marley Soleil who normally plays Jessica. Soleil was spectacular as Ali, bringing a great energy and a wonderful voice to the role. But the actor who moved me the most was Roz White as Miss Liza Jane. She brought a gravitas to the role that shone from the stage, and was just a delight to watch. Also strong was Kennedy Caughell as Jersey, Ali’s mom. She had an incredibly strong duet in the second act that just blew everyone away. I also was blown away by the musical performances of the actors. I don’t mean singing—I mean playing instruments. I was closely watching those who were supposedly playing piano: Soleil as Ali, White as Liza Jane, Desmond Ellington as Davis. All seemed to be really playing the instruments, including the pedal work. The actors who were playing the pickle tub drums were also really playing. It is nice to see the talent on stage.

Will this show have a long life post-tour? That’s harder to say. There’s no confetti cannon, which is a plus. The music is accessible to the “youngers”, which will bring in the audience. But the scenic design depends heavily on projections to create the “New York” feel, and to establish locale. Will regional or smaller theatres be able to duplicate the staging? That’s really hard to say.

Speaking of New York: The closing song is “Empire State of Mind”, essentially a tribute to New York as the greatest city in the world. This hit very strange in Los Angeles. Theatre is so very centered in New York and in Broadway, that the writers often forget that theatre exists in other cities, and that other cities can also be great.

So, overall, what is my assessment of the show. It certainly wasn’t a bad show; that’s reserved for things like Girl from the North Country or I, Caligula. It wasn’t a favorite show: one that I might go out of my way to see multiple times, or feel compelled to see regional productions of. Well, maybe on the latter, just to see if a different take on the show uncovers something or works without the original staging.

As for the assessment. For those that know of and appreciate Keys’ music, this was a very good jukebox musical with a compelling story and remarkable performances. For those unfamiliar with Keys’ music: This is a good exposure to her music. You’ll really enjoy the performances and the dance and the compelling storyline.

Hell’s Kitchen continues at the Hollywood Pantages through June 21, 2026. Tickets are available through the Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages website.

Credits

Hell’s Kitchen. Music and lyrics by Alicia Keys. Book by Kristoffer Dias. Directed by Michael Greif. Choreography by Camille A. Brown.

Cast [underscores indicate “at our performance”; strikeouts indicate “not at our performance”; ↑ indicates “swung up”]: Maya Drake Marley Soleil Ali; Kennedy Caughell Jersey; Roz White Miss Liza Jane; Desmond Sean Ellington Davis; Jonavery Worrell Knuck; Rashada Dawan Crystal; ‘Zaiah Ellis Q, Ensemble; Mae-Lynn Flores Ensemble; Marques Furr Asten Stewart Dance Ensemble, “Hallelujah” Dancer, Ensemble; Destini Hendricks Dance Ensemble, “Unthinkable” Dancer, “Work on It” Dancer, Ensemble; Sean Holland II ‘Riq; Gigi Lewis Tiny, Ensemble; Christopher Miller Dance Ensemble, “Unthinkable” Dancer, Ensemble; Usman Ali Mughal Dance Ensemble, “Work on It” Dancer, Ensemble, Police Officer; Chikezie “Chike” Nwankwo Ray; Sangeetha “Sang” Santhebennur Dance Ensemble; Marley Soleil Sydney Townsend Jessica; Beda Spindola Millie, Ensemble; Ethan Zundell Dance Ensemble; Stemarciae Bain Ensemble; TeeTee Ensemble. Swings: ↑ Stemarciae Bain Asst. Dance Captain; Miya Bass; Jaylen T. Bryant; Sherée Marcelle Dunwell; Alfred Jackson Fight Captain; ↑ Asten Stewart; ↑ TeeTee, ↑ Sydney Townsend, Timothy Wilson Dance Captain.

Music Department (🌴 indicates local): Adam Blackstone Music Supervisor, Co-Orchestrator, Co-Arranger; Tom Kitt Music Consultant, Co-Orchestrator; Lily Ling Assoc Music Supervisor; Kristy Norter Music Coordinator; Emily Orr Music Director, Keyboard 1; Enrico de Trizio Ableton and Electronic Drum Programmer; Joy Brown Asst. Conductor, Keyboard 2; Darrick Brown Music Assoc, Keyboard Swing; Azana Hightower Guitar 1; Jamick A. Johnson-Hector Bass; Adam Bailey Percussion; Brandon Brooks Drums; 🌴 Dan Lutz Bass (5-String Electric, Acoustic Stick Bass, Synth Bass); 🌴 Eric Heinly Music Contractor; Randy Cohen/Randy Cohen Keyboards LLC Synthesizer Programming; Chris Sutherland Drum Programming; Jared “Choclatt” Crawford Bucket Drum Consultant; Jason Berlanger Music Asst.; Emily Grishman Music Copying; Timothy Hanson Music Preparation.

Production and Creative: Alicia Keys Book Music, and Lyrics; Kristoffer Diaz Book; Michael Greif Director; Camille A. Brown Choreographer; Robert Brill Scenic Designer; Dede Ayite Costume Designer; Natasha Katz Lighting Designer; Gareth Owen Sound Designer; Peter Nigrini Projection Designer; Mia Neal Hair and Wig Designer; Michael Clifton Makeup Designer; Monet Assoc. Director; Rickey Tripp Assoc. Choreographer; Tom Schall Fight Director; Rocio Mendez Intimacy Coordinator; Bond Theatrical Tour Booking, Marketing, and Publicity; Doug Rodgers Company Manager; Veronica Aglow Production Stage Manager; Hollace Jeffords Stage Manager; Jasmin Holton Asst Stage Manager; Amber Dickerson Sub Asst Stage Manager; Caroline Inches Sub Asst Stage Manager; Kate Murray, CSA & Heidi Griffiths, CSA Casting; Juniper Street Productions Production Manager; Foresight Theatrical General Manager; Aaron Lustbader Executive Producer; The Public Theatre Originating Theatre.

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.

As the Tonys approach, shows left and right have been announcing that they will be going on tour (even shows that are closing). So, even though we haven’t started the 2026-2027 seasons for Broadway in Hollywood (BIH) and the Center Theatre Group (CTG), here are my predictions for the 2027-2028 seasons in Los Angeles.
* indicates shows for which tours are not yet announce, but I’m guessing they will tour.
Sources: Playbill as indicated, Tours to You, Broadway League Tours.

Show Where It Will End Up
The Lost Boys BIH/Pantages
Ragtime BIH/Pantages
Every Brilliant Thing CTG/Taper, but note there will be a local production at The Main in Sept. 2026
Beaches BIH/Pantages
Titanique BIH/Pantages
Just In Time BIH/Pantages
Two Strangers Carry A Cake Across New York CTG/Ahmanson
Schmigadoon! BIH/Pantages
Cats: The Jellicle Ball* CTG/Taper, but poss. BIH/Pantages
Giant* CTG/Ahmanson (but possibly as a local production)
Rocky Horror – New Broadway Production* BIH/Pantages
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella BIH/Pantages (Add-On)
Heathers – The Musical CTG/Ahmanson
Liberation* In 2027 at the Geffen Playhouse
The Ballusters* Local production at the Geffen or Pasadena Playhouse.

Additionally, May saw the opening of ticket sales for the Hollywood Fringe Festival. There are over 2,150 performances over the month of June; there are 439 shows listed in the show catalog. These all occur during the month of June, with multiple shows throughout the day. 20 minutes to move in; then the show; 20 minutes to move out. Ticket prices are low. The shows run the gamut, from totally strange to one person shows to full on short plays to musical reviews. You’re sure to find something you’ll like.

Upcoming

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

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🎭 Update: Prognostications for the 2023 Pantages/Ahmanson Seasons

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Back in mid-February 2022, I posted my predictions for Broadway in Hollywood (FB) (Pantages) and the Ahmanson Theatre (FB) seasons. BIH just made their announcement, so how did I do?

For the record, here’s what I wrote for Broadway in Hollywood:

  • Mean Girls. This was postponed from 2020.
  • Six.
  • Beetlejuice.
  • Tina – The Musical.
  • Ain’t Too Proud. This started out at the Ahmanson and went to Broadway. It is likely not to repeat at the Ahmanson — they want to reach a different subscriber base.
  • Wicked. On tour, currently at the Segerstrom. A likely retread that performs well and can do an extended sit-down at the Pantages.
  • Girl from the North Country (although this could end up at the Ahmanson)
  • Aladdin The Musical. This is a “newly imagined” version, and could be a draw.
  • Maybes:
    • The new equity tours of either Annie or Hairspray. Both are older, both done regionally, but both might be crowd draws.
    • The Cher Show. The tour was postponed, but it might come back.
    • The Spongebob Musical. One can always hope.
    • MJ The Musical. This was just announced (3/21) as going on tour in 2023. It is the type of show that would be at the Pantages, but I think the announcement is too late for the 2023 season. But one never knows; it might make it in.

What did we get?

I got the first four right on the button:

In my maybe list, the two retreads ended up being in the season:

  • The new equity tours of either Annie or Hairspray. Both are older, both done regionally, but both might be crowd draws.

Two of the shows I thought for the Ahmanson are coming into BIH instead:

I didn’t see a remounting of The Lion King; I wasn’t even aware they were still on tour. The Playbill article on current and upcoming tours indicates the Lion King tour ends in October 2022, and the BIH announcement indicates it is coming in 2023.

So where does this leave the other traditional touring house: The Ahmanson. There’s a push at CTG for more diversity and there’s a new managing director, so there could be some changes in direction. CTG/Ahmanson also does more local stuff, and stuff moving up. So what will we see from the Ahmanson? Here’s the revised prediction.

Ahmanson Theatre

The Ahmanson Theatre, in Downtown LA,  is a large venue that in the past has programmed both National tours, shows it has locally produced or produced pre-tours, or select touring productions from elsewhere, such as the West End. It has smaller capacity than the Pantages/Dolby, can accommodate mid-size runs but not long sit downs. There has been a recent strong push for diversity and local productions at CTG, and there is new artistic leadership, so I expect to see more diverse playwrights and local productions as opposed to only the tours we’ve seen of late.

My prediction:

    • To Kill a Mockingbird (Tour). This was postponed from 2021.
    • 1776 (Musical). This was postponed from 2021.
    • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This could be a local mounting as a tour hasn’t been announced, but there has been a sister production at the Curran in SF. This isn’t a formal tour, so it would require a local mounting of the show — which means it would require the Ahmanson, as Broadway in Hollywood doesn’t locally mount stuff.
    • Jagged Little Pill. This just seems a bit more like an Ahmanson show.
    • Girl from the North Country
    • MJ: The Musical
    • Diversity author slot.
    • Pre-Broadway or West-End Musical

I still believe that Ain’t Too Proud will NOT come back to the Ahmanson, but I could be wrong. The Ahmanson did bring back both Dear Evan Hansen and Come From Away, which they presented before. Other tours are shows that are retready enough they don’t fit CTG, such as Aladdin The Musical or Wicked, and although a new production of 9 to 5: The Musical is going on tour, I don’t think it would be a sufficient draw for CTG.  I still don’t think Emojiland: The Musical  will end up at the Ahmanson either.

And still no Spongebob Musical. But one can always hope.

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🎭 Prognostications for the 2023 Pantages/Ahmanson Seasons

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

It’s that time of year again. I’ve received email from Broadway in Hollywood (FB) (Pantages) that it is time to advance renew our subscriptions and that their season announcement was coming soon; I expect to hear something similar from the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). So I though I would go through the list of shows I know to be setting up tours, and predict what the seasons will look like. Let’s see how close I am once the announcements come out. My basis for show information is the Tours to You site, and the Playbill article on current and upcoming tours.

Ahmanson Theatre

The Ahmanson Theatre, in Downtown LA,  is a large venue that in the past has programmed both National tours, shows it has locally produced or produced pre-tours, or select touring productions from elsewhere, such as the West End. It has smaller capacity than the Pantages/Dolby, can accommodate mid-size runs but not long sit downs. There has been a recent strong push for diversity and local productions at CTG, and there is new artistic leadership, so I expect to see more diverse playwrights and local productions as opposed to only the tours we’ve seen of late.

My prediction:

  • To Kill a Mockingbird (Tour). This was postponed from 2021.
  • 1776 (Musical). This was postponed from 2021.
  • Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. This could be a local mounting as a tour hasn’t been announced, but there has been a sister production at the Curran in SF. This isn’t a formal tour, so it would require a local mounting of the show — which means it would require the Ahmanson, as Broadway in Hollywood doesn’t locally mount stuff.
  • Jagged Little Pill. This just seems a bit more like an Ahmanson show.
  • Diversity author slot.
  • Pre-Broadway or West-End Musical

Broadway In Hollywood

Broadway in Hollywood, booking at the Pantages and the Dolby, has to fill large venues. They book only tours and such; no locally produced or unknown quantitites here. They also bring in a small number of retreads — shows that have done well before that might be worth another sit-down.

My prediction:

  • Mean Girls. This was postponed from 2020.
  • Six.
  • Beetlejuice.
  • Tina – The Musical.
  • Ain’t Too Proud. This started out at the Ahmanson and went to Broadway. It is likely not to repeat at the Ahmanson — they want to reach a different subscriber base.
  • Wicked. On tour, currently at the Segerstrom. A likely retread that performs well and can do an extended sit-down at the Pantages.
  • Girl from the North Country (although this could end up at the Ahmanson)
  • Aladdin The Musical. This is a “newly imagined” version, and could be a draw.
  • Maybes:
    • The new equity tours of either Annie or Hairspray. Both are older, both done regionally, but both might be crowd draws.
    • The Cher Show. The tour was postponed, but it might come back.
    • The Spongebob Musical. One can always hope.
    • MJ The Musical. This was just announced (3/21) as going on tour in 2023. It is the type of show that would be at the Pantages, but I think the announcement is too late for the 2023 season. But one never knows; it might make it in.

Emojiland: The Musical is also going on tour. However, it doesn’t seem like either Pantages or Ahmanson fare, being an off-Broadway production to start with. My guess, if it comes to the LA Area, is that it might end up at Broadway in Thousand Oaks or the Pasadena Playhouse.

So those are my predictions. Your thoughts? I could also see, if the new Music Man announces a tour this early, that it could end up at the Pantages.

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🎭 Thoughts on a Theatre Season – Ahmanson Theatre 2020-2021

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CTG/Ahmanson 2020-2021 SeasonWell, the Ahmanson has announced their 2020-2021 season and… well, it’s better than their 2019-2020 season. That season had a lot of problems, with two one-person shows and a number of shows I had no interest in seeing. For the upcoming season, at least there aren’t any one-person shows. But there are so many encores that I’m still not sure it is worth subscribing, especially with the quality of the Mezzanine seats and the availability of the AmEx Presale (as well as how poorly the Ahmanson treated their subscribers vs. the Pantages/Broadway in Hollywood)*. Here’s the season and my thoughts (🎶 indicates musical; 🎭 indicates a play; and 🔁 indicates “encore performance”):

  • Open Slot. To Be Announced. According to the formal announcement it will be announced this Spring.
  • 🎭 The Lehman Trilogy, Oct. 20–Nov. 28, 2020. Written by Stefano Massini, adapted by Ben Power, directed by Sam Mendes.
  • 🔁 🎶 Dear Evan Hansen. Dec. 1, 2020–Jan. 23, 2021.  Book by Steven Levenson, score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, directed by Michael Greif
  • (🔁) 🎶 Les Misérables. Jan. 26–Feb. 28, 2021. Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer, original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell. Note: Les Miz was at the Pantages in May 2019.
  • 🎶 Hadestown. March 2–April 4, 2021. Book, music and lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell, directed by Rachel Chavkin
  • 🎭 Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird”. April 29–June 6, 2021. Written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Bartlett Sher
  • 🔁 🎶 Come From Away. June 9–July 4, 2021. Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, directed by Christopher Ashley
  • 🎶 The Prom. July 6–Aug. 8, 2021. Book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, music by Matthew Sklar, lyrics by Chad Beguelin, directed and choreographed by Casey Nicholaw
  • 🔁 🎶 Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of The Temptations. Aug. 11–Sept. 5, 2021. Book by Dominique Morisseau, music and lyrics from the Motown catalog, choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, directed by Des McAnuff

Of these, the ones that I want to see are Hadestown, Mockingbird, and The Prom. Although we saw it the last time we were at the Ahmanson, we’ll want to see Come From Away again, simply because my wife likes that musical so much. But as for the others: We weren’t that impressed with Dear Evan Hansen, despite all the buzz. We saw Les Miz when it was at the Pantages in May. Lastly, we saw Ain’t Too Proud when it had its pre-Broadway run at the Ahmanson, and I don’t have the strong urge (based on that) to see the post-Broadway changes in a jukebox musical.

That leaves The Lehman Trilogy, which is a maybe and depends on scheduling. I’ll note that it is during a period when both the Ahmanson and Dolby are dark.

*: The last time we subscribed to the Ahmanson, for the lowest priced tier, they shuffled us off to a Friday night claiming no subscriptions were available for Saturday nights. Friday nights were a pain to get to. I seem to recall they didn’t have the clearest system for changing seats. For 2020-2021, we’re interested in 4-5 of the 8 announced shows. If they have good prices and dates for the season, and we can get a decent side mezzanine price, subscription is a possibility, although they seem to save those seats for open sales. At that point, we might just as well wait for the Amex Pre-Sale and get the seats when they first go on sale. Their subscription plan, according to their site, is for the six season shows (Lehman, TBA, Les Miz, Hadestown, Mockingbird, and Prom) plus one encore show. That’s a possibility, although I have no desire to see Les Miz again.

ETA: Subscribing is a clear example of how the Pantages knows how to treat subscribers, and the Ahmanson does not. When you subscribe at the Pantages/Broadway in Hollywood, you can pick which week of the run you want and which night, pick your seats, and set it up with a 10 payment plan all from the web. With the Ahmanson, you can only pick the day of the week — no choice on which week of the run. You can’t pick your seat — only the seating area, and there is no seat map made available. And if you want to do something other than pay it all in one lump sum, you have to call Customer Service. Which I will do tomorrow.

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🎭 Thoughts on a Theatre Season: Broadway in Hollywood 2020-2021

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Broadway in Hollywood 2020-2021 SeasonThis morning, the Hollywood Pantages (FB), also known as Broadway in Hollywood (FB), announced their 2020-2021 season.  It consists of seven shows, although I’m sure more will be added:

  • Nov 3 – Nov 22, 2020 @ the Dolby: Daniel Fish’s Oklahoma revival.
  • Mar 23 – Apr 11, 2021 @ the Dolby: The Cher Show
  • Apr 13 – May 2, 2021 @ the Dolby: Tootsie
  • May 13 – Jun 5, 2021 @ the Dolby: Aida
  • Jun 8 – Jun 27, 2021 @ the Dolby: Pretty Woman: The Musical
  • Jun 25 – Sep 5, 2021 @ the Pantages: The Lion King
  • Oct 13, 2021 – Jan 2, 2022 @ the Pantages: Moulin Rouge! The Musical

So, here are my thoughts:

First, that’s an awfully long stretch for the Pantages and Dolby to be dark. Hamilton is scheduled to run at the Pantages from March through September November 22. But from September November 22 2020 through June 2021, there’s nothing seemingly planned for the Pantages. Either a refurbishment is in order for The Lion King, or there is more to be announced.

Similarly, the Dolby is quiet from July 26 (end of The Bands Visit) to November 3. Where are the shows that typically come in during September and October 2020. Oddly quiet. There must be more shows in the works. There are also no shows at either theatre for the lucrative Christmas 2020 season. Oklahoma closes, and the Dolby is dark until March, and the Pantages is dark through June. Really odd.

Also notable are the shows that are missing. Hadestown, of course, is going to the Ahmanson Theatre. But there are other significant shows that have announced tours: The Prom; You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown; The Lightning Thief;  Ain’t Too Proud (which started at the Ahmanson, so it is likely to return to the Pantages Going to the Ahmanson); An Officer and a Gentleman (ETA: Going to Broadway in Thousand Oaks). Then there are the musicals that are expected to tour — in particular Beetlejuice. I really expected The Prom (Ahmanson: 20-21), Ain’t Too Proud(Ahmanson: 20-21), and Beetlejuice at the Pantages. Two other tours — although more likely at the Ahmanson — are the Harry Potter play currently at the Curran, and To Kill a Mockingbird (update: Mockingbird has been announced for the Ahmanson). But Broadway in LA doesn’t do plays, although it might make an exception for Harry Potter.

As for what they do have on the season: All are good shows, with only two real retreads. The Lion King hasn’t been around for a while, and it will be nice to see it on stage again. Aida is an interesting choice. Hasn’t been in LA since it was first done at the Ahmanson; we saw it a few years ago in Portland. Hadn’t heard it was being revived and going on tour. The other shows are good, although none bring the big sparks.

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🎭 HFF19 Scheduling

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

userpic=fringeThis is my Fringe scheduling post. It will be updated as my Fringe schedule changes, unlike the schedule at the bottom of my theatre writeups, which are a snapshot at the time they were written.

The following are the Fringe shows that I currently have scheduled and ticketed. Note that due to my work schedule and where we live, we can only see shows on the weekend, and cannot do the shows that end super late (i.e., we can’t make start times after 10pm, in general). I also need to allow for meals, and time to get between theatres. Typically, my wife also has to be willing to see the show, and she’s not into things that are too dark, or might touch on triggery areas. Oh why, oh why, can’t someone do a good Fringe scheduler as a Science Fair project:

Key: ⊕: Non-Fringe Show/Event; °: Producer/Publicist Arranged Comp or Discount

The following are the shows that we were interested in, and had blocked out on the schedule, but ended up making everything too expensive and so were later cut. We may ticket these later, especially if comps or discounts come our way.  (OBAS) indicates they were on our schedule, but now have been Overtaken By Another Show, meaning a producer or publicist convinced me to see a show, which has stomped over the time slot I had originally planned. I’m still interested in those shows, if I could figure somewhere else to shoe-horn them in.

The following are the shows that we thought about scheduling, but just couldn’t fit in, given our constraints. Typically that means there were no weekend slots, they were too close to the end or beginning of another show, or there wasn’t adequate transportation time between the theatres:

To give you an idea of most Fringe locations, here’s a handy-dandy map:

HFF19 Theatre Map

 

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🎭 Thoughts on a Theatre Season – Pantages 2019-2020 Season / Ahmanson Prognostications

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

No, I haven’t forgotten my Hello Dolly writeup. It should be up in the next day or three — but it is a great show and you should go see it. But first … this morning the Hollywood Pantages (FB) announced their 2019-2020 season, and I thought I should share some thoughts. Here’s the graphic and some thoughts:

  • The Nederlander Organization is expanding to programming two theatres this year: the Hollywood Pantages (FB) and the Dolby Theatre (FB) at Hollywood and Highland. It will be interesting to see how our seats translate to the Dolby; I’ve never been in that facility. They also seem to be returning to the “Broadway in Hollywood” moniker. People forget the history, but the original Pantages programming going back to the days of Joseph and the … back in 1982 merged with what was left of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera (which used to program musicals at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion — in fact, it was one of the original tenants) to create an organization called “Broadway LA“. That name (and the website) was dropped around ten years in favor of only the Pantages name, but it appears to be resurrected in a slightly different form. Here’s the press release.
  • The shows announced are as follows:
  • The split between the theatres is interesting. What this seems to be permitting — at least this year — is a long sit-down engagement for Hamilton starting in March while they can still satisfy the subscription base they have built with new shows at the Dolby. This may work — I’m sure the Dolby will have significantly better acoustics than the Pantages; I don’t know about sight lines from the side. But once the juggernauts are gone, what will happen then? The major long sit-down shows will be things like Wicked, Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, and such. What others will sustain a long run in this city?
  • This season, I’ve heard the music from all of the shows. Most of the shows in the season I’m excited to see: in particular, The Band’s Visit, Spongebob, and Anastasia. I’ve heard Frozen has some good effects, but at least based on the cast album, the first act is a bit slow. It will be interesting to see on stage. I like the music to Mean Girls, but it comes across as a Heathers-ish show. I’ve heard really good things about the My Fair Lady revival, and supposedly they’ve addressed the tonal problems in the original, but I’m curious to see how. The music in Escape to Margaritaville is good, but it’s a jukebox musical with little substance (much like Buffett’s music). The least interesting of the bunch is Summer — another jukebox, but with disco. Yes, disco, the music of my college years.
  • This year, I’ll likely get the add on: Hamilton is one musical I won’t mind seeing a second time.

So what does this leave for the  Ahmanson Theatre (FB)? We know their first show in the 2019-2020 season will be Once on this Island, as that has been announced. What will join it? Perhaps the Bat Out of Hell tour will finally make it back on the road (supposedly it will in 2019), but I’m not holding my breath. Piecing together the announcements that I’ve seen, plus how the Ahmanson is programmed, here’s my best guess. Note that the Ahmanson differs from the Pantages in that is isn’t exclusively tours: they do produce new musicals, they present plays, and they do dance shows like the upcoming Cinderella. They don’t do many repeat or second-tier revivals, so tours like Hair, JC Superstar, Clue, Percy Jackson, and such are extremely unlikely to go to the Music Center. Here’s what I think will join Once on this Island:

I haven’t heard rumors of Angels in America going on tour, but I could see the Ahmanson adapting that and bringing it in as a one-off. They may also bring in some dance show; I think Harry Potter would suffice for the play. There could be a new musical in the mix; they tend to do that.

There are some other shows that I could see coming in, but they are too new to be highly likely: Pretty Woman, The Prom, or Be More Chill.

Look for my Hello Dolly review by the end of the week. This weekend: Theatrical whiplash, in the form of 1776 and Anna Karenina, both on the same day.

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Seeing Your Show at the Hollywood Fringe Festival

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy6 Comments

userpic=fringeThis time of year, I get many request from producers and friends in the theatre industry to see their Fringe shows. I joke that these folks seem to think I’m a critic, when I’m really just a cybersecurity expert and roadgeek who is a professional audience, and who writes up every live performance I go to for my friends. But publicity is publicity, and if they think I’m a critic, oh well….

However, if I’m a critic, I’m not a paid critic. I write up the shows that I choose to see. For Fringe, that means that starting in April or May I start reviewing the shows registered at Fringe, and start building my schedule. About mid-May, I purchase my tickets, always cursing the fact that I can’t afford to see the shows I want to see, and that I can’t fit all the shows I want to see into my schedule. Oh, and about that schedule: I work full time, living in Northridge, commuting to El Segundo. This means that I cannot see shows in Hollywood on weeknights or during the week, and making a Friday evening show is very difficult. I get up for work at 440am, so that also means that I can’t see a show late on Sunday night. Further, I tend to go to shows with my wife, meaning that not only must I find the show and subject matter of interest, but she must as well. As a result, we tend not to see what I would deem “dark” shows — intense subject matter, often triggery. There are occasional times where I might be able to work such shows into my schedule, but it is rare.

So will I see your show, and would I like free tickets to it? Seeing the show depends on whether there is an available slot in my weekend schedule, and whether my wife is interested in seeing it if she is with me. As for free tickets, my real world job imposes ethics rules that limit the ability to provide gifts as they may create the appearance of conflict of interest. So, whereas I might like free tickets, my ethics typically preclude me from accepting them. I will accept what I would pay on Goldstar, that is, half-price or discounted tickets.

So what is my schedule for Fringe. It will be posted and updated in each writeup I do after this one (as I ticketed this week), but for reference:

There were a few shows I thought about working in, but couldn’t due to price, time, or other constraints:

Other shows I thought about seeing, but couldn’t work in due to schedule included: Fort Huachuca at Complex/OMR; Earworm at McCadden Theatre; #METOO at Studio C; A Very Die Hard Christmas at Studio/Stage; Fat Chance at the Hudson; and Rayn: An Electronic Burlesque Experience at Thymele Arts. I was also interested in Doctor Nympho and the Sex Zombies at the Three Clubs because an actress I like is in the cast, but no times worked out (the available weekend times were too late; weeknights didn’t work; and other weekend times had conflicts).

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