F3PR: Super Freak: The Rick James Story making its way to L.A. this June

PRESS RELEASE

SUPER FREAK: THE RICK JAMES STORY,
CELEBRATING THE KING OF PUNK-FUNK,
MAKING ITS WAY TO L.A. THIS JUNE

Four Performances Only!

Hollywood Pantages Theatre
June 6 - 8, 2024

February 6, 2024 – Broadway in Hollywood and Je'Caryous Entertainment are pleased to announce that the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles will host the L.A. Premiere of Super Freak: The Rick James Story, about the charismatic, flamboyant, provocative musician who dominated the airwaves, with his infectious song “Super Freak”. Rick James’ fusion of funk, groove and rock made the unruly pioneer the trendsetter of the 80's. Super Freak will play the Hollywood Pantages Theatre June 6 – 8, 2024 for four performances only.

Tickets for Super Freak are available for purchase at www.BroadwayInHollywood.com or in-person at the Hollywood Pantages Box Office. Check the website for current box office hours. All prices are subject to change without notice.

Always outrageous, Rick James was a master of celebration and now the party lives on through Super Freak. With a stellar cast, breathtaking choreography, and popular hits such as "Give It to Me Baby," "Mary Jane," and "Super Freak," this musical odyssey bursts to life on the gritty streets of Buffalo – the backdrop for the arrival of the King of Punk Funk.

With his iconic braids and leather-clad body, Rick's flamboyant and rebellious stage persona takes center stage as we follow his turbulent life; tracing his rise to stardom, his chart-topping hits, and the profound impact he made on modern music as a brilliant hitmaker, and influential producer.

Produced by acclaimed Writer/Producer/Director Je'Caryous Johnson and Ty James, James’ only daughter and President of the Rick James Estate, Super Freak: The Rick James Story is based on the books Glow by Rick James and David Ritz, and Memoirs of a Superfreak by Rick James, and is written by Johnson, J. Kyle Manzay and Troy Byer.

Johnson, who has earned acclaim for his dynamic and immersive theatrical productions, expressed his excitement about bringing Rick James' story to the stage. "Rick James was a true trailblazer whose influence continues to resonate in today's music landscape. With Super Freak: The Rick James Story, we aim to honor his unparalleled talent and captivating persona, giving audiences an unforgettable experience."

Ty James, who has been instrumental in preserving and promoting her father's musical legacy, shared her enthusiasm for the project. "This project is a labor of love and a tribute to my father's extraordinary life. I’m thrilled to collaborate with Je'Caryous Johnson to create an authentic and exhilarating portrayal of Rick James' journey, showcasing his musical genius and larger-than-life spirit."

Rick James was Motown’s hottest artist in the 80s releasing chart-topping hits "Super Freak" and "Give It To Me Baby" on his 1981 LP, Street Songs. These tracks showcased James' mesmerizing bass lines and infectious grooves that beckoned listeners to the dance floor. He was a sought-after producer, working on hits for Eddie Murphy (“Party All the Time”), The Temptations (“Standing On The Top”), The Mary Jane Girls and Teena Marie.

Super Freak: The Rick James Story takes audiences beyond the glittering facade. The musical explores the layers of Rick's internal struggles and insane lifestyle filled sex, drugs, and music. From humble beginnings to the glitzy, hedonistic world of Hollywood, Super Freak: The Rick James Story captures the essence of a musical icon, leaving audiences with an unforgettable experience and the resounding declaration, "He's Rick James, B*tch!"

About Je’Caryous Johnson:

For almost two decades, Je’Caryous Johnson has transformed the world of urban theatre and propelled himself into mainstream notoriety and success. It all started for him with his forward thinking to turn African American romance novels into stage plays. The four-time National Championship Playwright is a recipient of the NAACP 2007 Trailblazer Award and is the youngest producer/playwright to garner national media attention. He was the first person to adapt an African American romance novel into a stage play. He was also the first person to write and produce a novel and a play, simultaneously.

To date over 3.5 million people have seen Johnson’s shows and they have grossed over $150 million dollars in revenue. Some of Johnson’s hit plays have included Men Cry in the Dark with Allen Payne, The Maintenance Man with Billy Dee Williams, and Friends and Lovers and Cheaters with Grammy Award winning singer Brian McKnight. Married but Single and Married but Single Too, which starred LisaRaye McCoy and Bill Bellamy, sold out from coast to coast and continued to garner Johnson a groundswell of support and fans. Even his most recent endeavors Redemption of a Dogg, adapted for the stage and based on the hit gospel album of hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg; Two Can Play That Game starring Vivica A. Fox; Set It Off starring Da Brat as Cleo; and New Jack City, starring Allen Payne, reprising his role as Gee Money, and Naughty by Nature's Treach, both based on the hit movies, continue to establish Johnson as a trailblazer and put him in a league of his own.

About Ty James:

As the President of the Rick James estate, Ty James is wholeheartedly dedicated to honoring her father's musical contributions and ensuring his enduring impact on the history of music. She has joined forces with Showtime and Mass Appeal as an executive producer for the official documentary chronicling her father's life. The documentary premiered on September 3, 2021, offering an intimate and comprehensive portrayal of the legendary artist.

In addition to her involvement in the documentary, Ty James has launched a clothing line named after her father's band, Stonecity. This clothing line serves as a tribute to Rick James funky style and his profound musical legacy. Furthermore, she has established a music label called Dreammakers Worldwide, inspired by one of Rick James' hit songs. Through this label, Ty aspires to sign and promote artists whose music carries deep meaning and touches hearts, transcending through decades, much like her father's music does.

Ty James embraces her role as a custodian of her father's musical heritage, actively working on various projects to honor Rick James' legacy and support the continuation of his influential musical impact.

Super Freak: The Rick James Story is recommended for ages 18 and up. The show contains mature subject matter. Children under the age of 5 will not be admitted into the theatre. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age.

For more information about Super Freak: The Rick James Story, please visit https://jecaryous.com/superfreak/.

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F3Stage Review: Blue Man Group indeed is & will leave you Speechless--but is that good or bad?

Given what a familiar presence they've become in various forms of media, whether in their long-running, world-spanning live stage productions or on television in various shows and commercials, it's more than a bit surprising that the silent, blue, bald trio of alien performers known as Blue Man Group has never had one of its touring shows play in Los Angeles. And so what better way than to make their overdue, official SoCal splash than to kick off their latest sensory, slapstick spectacle, the aptly named Speechless Tour--and, to go for the easy, punny pull-quote, it definitely will leave viewers speechless, but whether or not that's a good thing is ultimately a simple matter of taste.

For the unitiated, the basic conceit of Blue Man Group is that they are three nameless, mute, almost indistinguishable bald, blue beings of presumably alien origin (played alternately by the quartet of Meridian, Mike Brown, Steven Wendt, and Adam Zuick) who spend the next ninety minutes or so creating music (composed by Andrew Schneider and Jeff Turlik) out of various do-it-yourself percussion instruments crafted out of PVC piping and other objects in their sleek industrial lab and silently, quizzically observing human behavior. The latter, of course, is a mere excuse for the Blue Men to venture into the audience with cameras and other instruments, staring with blank curiosity while invading patrons' personal space, and occasionally bringing a few (un?-)lucky viewers on to the stage for comic bits. And so goes the entire evening, with broad, deadpan comic skits, both with or without audience participation; and propulsive, percussive music set to colorful light shows. It's all very diverting to say the least, thanks to director Jenny Koons's brisk pacing and the real stars of the show, set designer Jason Ardizzone-West, lighting designer Jen Schreiver, and sound designer Crest Factor. But it is, to my personal taste, all a bit too undemanding to a fault. Being not-quite performance art, not-quite theater, not-quite concert, not-quite satire, but cranked-all-the-way-up flashiness and glitz (not for nothing has a production been a Vegas mainstay for nearly two decades), once the initial novelty wears off, the lack of "there" there underneath wears a bit thin after a while.

That all being said, even if not attuned to my tastes, Speechless speaks a lot as far as to explaining just why Blue Man Group has become the multimedia institution it now is. It plays far and wide in just about any demographic spectrum. It's all-ages friendly, so kids and seniors and all points in between can enjoy; and being driven solely through the force of its visuals and wordless melodies, its oddball charms require no translation. So to the many audiences that easily and understandably succumb to the siren spell, Speechless will indeed leave them so, out of awe. But to others such as myself, speechless is also the reaction, but with an admittedly amused but altogether indifferent shrug.

Blue Man Group with actress Busy Philipps
on the opening night blue carpet at the Pantages Theatre
on September 26, 2019
(photo by Michael Dequina)

Blue Man Group Speechless Tour is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through Sunday, October 6; the touring company then moves on to other cities across North America through 2020.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage Review: Phantom's music of the night soars over restaging missteps

For many such as myself, The Phantom of the Opera holds a special place in the heart as the "gateway drug" that led to a lifelong love of live theater. Its status as an icon in pop culture, never mind in the ever-increasingly niche corner that is live stage, is no accident, for this is one of those singular feats in entertainment where everything appears to have magically fallen into place: the Gothic romance and horror hook--deformed, masked, musical genius goes to murderous lengths to win the affections of his young soprano protégé--of Gaston Leroux's original novel, Andrew Lloyd Webber's soaring melodies, Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe's evocative lyrics, director Harold Prince's revolutionary stagecraft, all assembled with utmost care by producer Cameron Mackintosh. With the original London West End and Broadway productions still going strong some three decades on without any signs of slowing down, it would appear to be a bit foolhardy to tamper with what has long worked and still to this day wins over new fans (or, rather, "Phans"), yet that's what Mackintosh has done with the current, restaged touring company, now in the midst of its second visit to the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Billed as "the spectacular new production," anyone who's seen the original Prince-directed incarnation will only agree with the "new" part of that statement, but even then, the power of the music of the night overwhelms any shortcomings and outright missteps in this version.

This version, originally launched in the United Kingdom in 2012 and here in North America in 2013, is directed by Laurence Connor, who was also responsible for another scaled-down production of a Mackintosh mega-musical, Les Misérables (which, as it happens, directly preceded this production in the current Pantages season). While his downsizing work on that piece can be easily, though not comprehensively, summed up in two words--no turntable--given how Prince and his scenic and costume designer Maria Björnson crafted an exquisitely ornate spectacle from top to bottom, Connor and his designer, Paul Brown's, alterations to Phantom are a bit more extensive. With touring smaller venues in mind, the physical production streamlines and sometimes outright jettisons some of the more elaborate design touches in the original, and not just the larger ones such as the famous chandelier; in the title song alone, for instance, the descending catwalks and candelabras that ascend from the bottom of a misty lake are long gone. While noticeably more cramped than the Prince version, aside from the reworked chandelier, whose iconic rise and fall would be incredibly underwhelming here even for a first time live Phantom viewer, Brown's newer designs are perfectly adequate, if necessarily lacking the seamless, cinematic fluidity of Prince's scene transitions. Ironically enough, in compacting this production, Connor and scenic designer Paul Brown have done a reverse Les Mis, introducing a central revolving set piece here, a cylinder that most impressively makes for a more practical but still visually interesting passage into the catacombs beneath the Paris Opera House that opens up to reveal Phantom's (Derrick Davis) lair as well as houses the offices of hapless opera house owners Firmin (David Benoit) and André (Rob Lindley). While overall not as grandiose, Connor and Brown do exercise some visual creativity in their substitutions, such as the hall of mirrors that replaces the grand staircase in the act two opener, "Masquerade."

Where Connor runs into some entirely self-created problems is in the blocking, which in the first act comes off as change for change's sake. This most blatantly and unfortunately arises in one of the most famous passages in the show, "The Music of the Night" and its immediate aftermath. Not only a key moment from a narrative and character standpoint, with the Phantom whisking away his beloved Christine Daaé (Eva Tavares) to his lair after her triumphant singing debut and reasserting his sensual musical thrall over her, it's also one from the cast perspective, for it's a crucial chemistry building between the leads to sell the entire romance. Prince's original staging, for all the accoutrements that fill the stage, wisely keeps focus on the actors and relies on their skills and developing rapport, and as their push-pull gradually, inevitably moves from an intangible one to a physical one, ending in--when the pairing of actors works--a complete surrender and tangible connection. Connor, for no good reason, turns this into some weird, overly busy quasi-S&M scenario with the Phantom blindfolding Christine and her stumbling about for the bulk of the number. The less said about the scene that follows, originally a critical beat of agency by Christine involving the Phantom's mask that for some reason now has barely anything to do with the mask, the better.

Apparently having gotten over the urge to force a differing "vision" onto the material, after intermission Connor apparently learns to more completely trust it, and it all is still entirely involving and enveloping after 30 years. He's helped immeasurably by a solid cast. If the character of Raoul, Christine's upstanding suitor, is still an incredibly thankless part, Jordan Craig sounds good and strikes the necessary, earnest bond with Tavares in their key duet, the now-wedding song staple "All I Ask of You." Singing beautifully from the start, Tavares only grows in strength much like how her character does as the story goes on, really hitting her stride from the underrated early act two gem "Twisted Every Way" onward. Her chemistry with the charismatic, menacing, and piercingly empathetic Davis, despite that bizarre "Music of the Night" staging, is palpable, reaching a feverish erotic boil in the climactic "The Point of No Return." That song, as ever, is aptly named, for that begins one of those most tense, suspenseful, emotionally urgent final stretches of any musical--which, in Connor's one truly inspired deviation from the Prince template, manages to be even more devastating. No spoilers, but the Phantom's--and the show's--final line now has an even more bittersweet lead-in that results in an even bigger wallop, further amplified by Davis's towering star turn. By the famous closing notes, the music of the night once again proves its everlasting power, undiluted by some less than ideal direction and production choices.

Derrick Davis as The Phantom, Eva Tavares as Christine Daaé
(photo by Matthew Murphy)

The Phantom of the Opera is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood through Sunday, July 7; the touring company then continues in Southern California at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 21 before moving on to other cities through the rest of the year.

Buy the The Phantom of the Opera Original London Cast album CD here.
Buy The Complete Phantom of the Opera book here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera movie Blu-ray here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera movie DVD here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera movie soundtrack CD here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: In Celebration of 25 Years Blu-ray here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: In Celebration of 25 Years DVD here.
Buy the The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall: In Celebration of 25 Years CD here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage Review: Hello, Betty! The legendary Buckley delights as Dolly

With Broadway managing to achieve a certain sense of contemporary zeitgeist hipness--and, thus, mainstream media attention--in recent years with a stream of younger-appealing successes such as Dear Evan Hansen, Mean Girls, the soon-to-transfer Off-Broadway cult sensation Be More Chill, and a certain little slice of American political (and, now, theatrical) history known as Hamilton, the knee-jerk impulse, particularly for the new audiences these shows rope in, is to reject the shows of yesteryear as being simple, square, and antiquated. But certain shows become enduring classics for a reason, and that one usually does indeed boil down to a simplicity that's been lost over time: that of the laser-focused aim to provide theatergoers with pure, unadulterated joy. And that the current national tour of Hello, Dolly!, now running at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, definitely serves up by the gallon.

The touring version of Jerry Zaks's 2017 Tony-winning Broadway revival doesn't boast what was the main drawing card for that production's 16-month run: Bette Midler, and her equally Big Deal replacement, Bernadette Peters. This isn't to say that the tour skimps out on star power, however, for credit goes to the producers for snagging another legendary leading lady for the road, Betty Buckley. One need not be familiar with her long list of credits and accolades to know, from her casually grand entrance from behind a newspaper, one is in the presence of an all-caps STAR. In essaying the role of Dolly Gallagher Levi, resourceful, resilient, all-purpose Jill of All Trades widow in 19th century New York, Buckley is in fine voice tackling Jerry Herman's timeless tunes, but more crucially she exudes the boundless charisma and charm that is essential for the character and the show as a whole. Dolly's main hustle as a matchmaker entails meddling and manipulation, such as the convoluted machinations she employs to get a trio of financially strapped young paramours, artist Ambrose (Garett Hawe) and store clerks Cornelius (Nic Rouleau) and Barnaby (Jess LeProtto), to fully win over their respective true loves, frequently crying Ermengarde (Morgan Kirner), widowed hat store owner Irene (Analisa Leaming), and her assistant Minnie (Kristen Hahn). While the farcical shenanigans that ensue in Michael Stewart's book are preposterous by design, to lend even the most basic dramatic credibility to the trust they place in Dolly, it takes a presence of undeniable, irresistibly welcoming warmth such as Buckley's.

And that warmth is all the more critical to the entire piece, for Dolly's plotting is also for a major selfish concern on top of those selfless ones. Intertwined in and her ultimate end to all of these means is her ultimate master plan to marry Horace Vandergelder (Lewis J. Stadlen), the grumpy old widower who owns the feed and hay shop at which Cornelius and Barnaby work, not to mention Ermengarde's uncle and the person Dolly is supposedly matching with Irene. As mentioned, Buckley's effortlessly ingratiating presence and demeanor never keeps Dolly's best-intentioned heart of gold out of mind even through all the antics, but not for nothing did Buckley win a Tony Award by wringing torrents of tears through a single song as Grizabella in the original Broadway production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats. Through the most minimal and understated inflections and rhythms of her line readings, Buckley brings a lifetime of emotional dimension to Dolly, making her motivations not only more relatable but lending them a certain gravitas. When Dolly occasionally addresses the spirit of her dearly departed husband Ephraim, Buckley is able to turn on a dime what is sometimes used as a comic device into deep dive character moments that are sincerely affecting and sell the story's most universal of themes: that of one's eternal hunger and need, even with many years behind and the world ready to count one out, to simply feel and live.

Buckley is able to just as easily shift in the other direction, and make no mistake, for all the heartfelt sentiment and poignant emotion infused in the piece, it is overall just a fun time--and a major reason for that is Zaks completely embracing the yesteryear style of the piece. Santo Loquasto's opulent scenic and costume design is a throwback to go-for-broke showmanship of Broadway's heyday, their vibrant colors matching the infectiously sunny disposition of the entire production and the boundless energy of all of the actors on stage. That last statement most definitely includes the large ensemble of ensemble players, particularly the dancers who impressively execute William Carlyle's elaborate, intricate, and even physics-challenging--as in extended "The Waiters' Gallop" set piece that features props in various, precarious positions of balance--that, in tandem with Herman's ever-hummable score, drive the show's numerous showstopping numbers.

No number is more showstopping than, of course, the title one. While the core cast members are all very impressive, in fine voice, comic timing, and having crackling chemistry with each other, when Buckley makes the most definitive of diva entrances, resplendent in the iconic Dolly red dress and feathered headpiece, it's just as much a tribute to its star as it is the character. For all the terrific work she does throughout the show--beautifully singing the songs, acting the hell out of the comedy and the drama, and bringing the character to vivid life--the manner in which she can instantly hold a housefull audience in a cavernous venue in her helpless thrall by simply strutting down a staircase while flashing a tractor beam of a smile is the true testament to what a timeless talent and treasure she is. Hello, Betty.

Betty Buckley as Dolly Gallagher Levi
(photo by Julieta Cervantes)

Hello, Dolly! is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood in a limited engagement through Sunday, February 17; the First National Tour then continues on to other cities throughout the year.

Buy the Hello, Dolly! 2017 Revival Broadway Cast album CD here.
Buy the Hello, Dolly! Original Broadway Cast album CD here.
Buy the Hello, Dolly! 1967 Broadway Cast album CD here.
Buy the Hello, Dolly! 1994 Revival Broadway Cast album CD here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

Original Hello, Dolly! star Carol Channing's
Hollywood Walk of Fame star, right outside the
Pantages Theatre, on opening night
(photo by Michael Dequina)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage: Hollywood gets on its feet for Gloria & Emilio Estefan's On Your Feet! opening night

In what was far and away the most star-studded local theater opening I have ever had the privilege to attend, many luminaries and bona fide show business legends, especially from the music industry and the Latinx diaspora, showed up at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood last night, Tuesday, July 10, to support the Los Angeles premiere of the musical On Your Feet!--or, perhaps more accurately, the subjects and composers of the biographical piece, pioneering pop music icon Gloria Estefan and her equally accomplished husband, Emilio Estefan Jr. After a successful two-year on Broadway, the inspirational and downright infectious show is currently on tour across the country, and notable figures from the American and Latin American entertainment sectors gave the Estefan family and the production a warm welcome to the entertainment capital of the world.

Emilio Estefan Jr. & Gloria Estefan
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Christie Prades (Gloria Estefan) & Mauricio Martinez (Emilio Estefan Jr.)
of the On Your Feet! Los Angeles/First National Tour cast
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Emilio Estefan Jr. & Gloria Estefan with
their stage portrayers, Christie Prades & Mauricio Martinez
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds with Emilio Estefan Jr.
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Angélica María with Mauricio Martinez
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Rita Moreno
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

George Lopez & Nadine Velasquez
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Lea Thompson
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Michael Bolton
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Diane Warren
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

Gloria Estefan and Emilio Estefan Jr. with
One Day at a Time star Justina Machado,
executive producer/writer Gloria Calderon Kellett,
and co-star Isabella Gomez
(photo by Chelsea Lauren/REX/Shuttershock)

#GloriaEstefan @gloriaestefan , #EmilioEstefan @emilioestefanjr & grandson (in all white on the right) joining the #OnYourFeet @onyourfeetbway cast including #ChristiePrades @christie_elaine & #MauricioMartinez @martinezmau at the curtain call of tonight's @hollywoodpantagestheatre opening. #GloriaEstefan #EmilioEstefan #EmilioEstefanJr #MiamiSoundMachine #theater #theatre #stage #music #musical #JerryMitchell #Broadway #Hollywood #Pantages #Cuba #Miami

A post shared by Michael Dequina (@twotrey23) on Jul 11, 2018 at 12:53am PDT

On Your Feet! is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood in a limited engagement through Sunday, July 29; it then returns to the Southern California area at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, August 21 through Sunday, September 2.

Buy the On Your Feet! Original Broadway Cast album CD here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3PR: Cinderella returning to Los Angeles for Hollywood Pantages Theatre premiere

PRESS RELEASE

RODGERS + HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA
RETURNING TO LOS ANGELES NEXT YEAR FOR
HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE PREMIERE

2013 Tony Award® Winning Broadway Musical
Will Play One Week Only
June 19 – 24, 2018

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 – The Nederlander Organization is proud to announce that Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, the 2013 Tony Award winning Broadway musical from the creators of The King & I and The Sound of Music, will return to Los Angeles, making its Hollywood Pantages Theatre premiere for one week only; June 19 – 24, 2018.

Tickets for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella are now available to current 2017-18 Hollywood Pantages Season Ticket Holders. Current season ticket holders may purchase online at www.HollywoodPantages.com, call 866-755-2929 (Mon-Fri; 8am – 6pm), or purchase at the theatre box office, located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard (corner of Hollywood & Vine). General Public on sale information will be provided at a later date.

With its fresh new take on the beloved tale of a young woman who is transformed from a chambermaid into a princess, this hilarious and romantic Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella combines the story's classic elements – glass slippers, pumpkin, and a beautiful ball along with some surprising twists. More than just a pretty face with the right shoe size, this Cinderella is a contemporary figure living in a fairytale setting. She is a spirited young woman with savvy and soul who doesn't let her rags or her gowns trip her up in her quest for kindness, compassion and forgiveness. She longs to escape the drudgery of her work at home and instead work to make the world a better place. She not only fights for her own dreams, but forces the prince to open his eyes to the world around him and realize his dreams too.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella has music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, a new book by Douglas Carter Beane and original book by Oscar Hammerstein II. Originally directed by Mark Brokaw and choreographed by Josh Rhodes, the tour is directed by Gina Rattan and choreographed by Lee Wilkins. Music adaptation and arrangements are by David Chase and music supervision is by Greg Anthony Rassen. Orchestrations are by Bill Elliott and are adapted from the original Broadway orchestrations by Danny Troob.

One of Rodgers + Hammerstein's most popular titles, Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella was written for television -- debuting in 1957 starring Julie Andrews. In 2013, the show made its long-overdue Broadway debut. Along with Cinderella, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's legendary musicals include Oklahoma!, Carousel, The King and I, South Pacific and The Sound of Music.

Mr. Beane's book for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella blends masterfully with the musical's cherished score with songs including "In My Own Little Corner," "Impossible/It's Possible," "Ten Minutes Ago" and "Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful?"

The creative team includes scenic design by Tony® Award nominee Anna Louizos, costume design by six-time Tony® Award-winner William Ivey Long, lighting design by Tony® Award-winner Kenneth Posner and sound design by Tony® Award nominee Nevin Steinberg.

The Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella tour is produced by Work Light Productions. Cinderella was produced on Broadway by Robyn Goodman, Jill Furman, Stephen Kocis, Edward Walson, Venetian Glass Productions, The Araca Group, Luigi Caiola & Rose Caiola, Roy Furman, Walt Grossman, Peter May/Sanford Robertson, Glass Slipper Productions LLC/Eric Schmidt, Ted Liebowitz/James Spry, Blanket Fort Productions and in association with Center Theatre Group.

The performance schedule for Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm. Opening Night is Tuesday, June 19, 2018 at 8pm.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella is recommended for all ages. (Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age.)

For more information, visit www.CinderellaOnBroadway.com.

For tickets or more information about the Los Angeles engagement of Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella, please visit the official website for Hollywood Pantages Theatre: www.HollywoodPantages.com/Cinderella.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage: The Bodyguard makes its bow on the Hollywood stage tonight

The Broadway-bypassing tour of the live stage musical adaptation of the 1992 Kevin Costner-Whitney Houston screen blockbuster The Bodyguard makes its big splash in Hollywood at the Pantages Theatre tonight, Tuesday, May 2, beginning an extended run in the Southern California area that continues at the Pantages through Sunday, May 21 before moving a little bit south to Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, May 30, where it will run through Sunday, June 11. Unfortunately, unlike most Pantages productions, I will not be there to cover and review opening night, which is especially disappointing considering how intrigued I've been by the production since it made its world premiere on the London West End in 2012 with Tony Award winner Heather Headley tackling Houston's role of endangered pop star Rachel Marron. Stage adaptations of hit films with popular soundtracks are nothing at all unusual (Footloose or Fame, anyone?), but I've always found the conceptual approach taken by book writer Alexander Dinelaris and director Thea Sharrock fascinating and why-didn't-I think-of-that?-brilliant. With the six recognizable Houston tracks from the film soundtrack being far too few for a full-blown stage production, instead of filling out the song list with original tunes, a number of big hit singles from Houston's entire career fill out the remainder of the score--thus the show serves dual purposes as an adaptation of the film and as a jukebox musical homage to the legendary career of its late star, whose passing preceded the West End debut by mere months. With none other than Deborah Cox, a Grammy-winning songstress in her own right as well as a seasoned stage musical veteran and the provider of the singing vocals for Angela Bassett's 2015 Lifetime television biopic Whitney, headlining the American tour, at least one knows that it has a perfectly cast lead to not only do the songs justice but more than embody the Rachel Marron superstar aura.

The Bodyguard opens tonight at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood and will run through Sunday, May 21; it the returns to the Southern California area at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, May 30 through Sunday, June 11.

Buy The Bodyguard UK Tour Cast album CD here.
Buy The Bodyguard movie Blu-ray here.
Buy The Bodyguard movie DVD here.
Buy The Bodyguard movie soundtrack CD here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage: Hamilton Los Angeles tickets on sale tomorrow, Sunday, April 30

Tickets for the highly anticipated Los Angeles premiere engagement of Lin-Manuel Miranda's pop culture--never mind merely Broadway--phenomenon, the hip-hop historical musical Hamilton: An American Musical go on sale to the public at large beginning tomorrow, Sunday, April 30. You can get them here at the official Hollywood Pantages Theatre website.

Hamilton is set to play at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood from Friday, August 11 to Saturday, December 30.

Buy the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast album CD here.
Buy the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast album MP3 here.
Buy the Hamilton Original Broadway Cast album vinyl here.
Buy the Hamilton: The Revolution book here.
Buy the Hamilton: The Revolution audiobook here.
Buy The Hamilton Mixtape CD here.
Buy The Hamilton Mixtape MP3 here.
Buy the Hamilton sheet music here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!

F3Stage Review: An American in Paris sings when it dances

Given its (deserved) status as a classic of the movie musical format, it's a bit shocking that it's taken more than a half-century wait for there to be a major live theatrical adaptation of An American in Paris. For some ardent, purist fans of the landmark 1951 Gene Kelly/Vincente Minnelli/George and Ira Gershwin collaboration, it would not be unfair to say that the wait continues, for book writer Craig Lucas and director/choreographer Christopher Wheeldon take a very free hand in fashioning the film for the stage. But however many liberties they and the rest of the creative team take with the source material, they just as accurately capture the boundary-breaking creative essence of the film while being its own distinct, imaginative, and satisfying entertainment on its own terms.

On the stage as it was on screen, the show's primary narrative focus is on the love that blossoms between the titular American in Paris, artist Jerry (Garen Scribner) and young French woman Lise (Sara Esty). Also present are Milo (Emily Ferranti), a rich woman who takes a shine to Jerry; and Jerry's buddies Adam (Etai Benson), a songwriter; and Henri (Nick Spangler), a singer. The film's love triangle between Jerry, Lise, and Henri becomes a quadrangle here, with a now-Lise-besotted Adam more than just a comic sidekick and more firmly entrenched in the main action. But from those basic elements from Alan Jay Lerner's screenplay Lucas builds his own thing, which is clear right after the curtain rises, filling out Jerry's backstory with a prologue that also moves this story's setting into the more immediate WWII aftermath, detailing how this American soldier came to take residence in Paris.

That opening sequence also boldly announces Wheeldon's overriding approach to the entire production, which is to have words and even the Gershwins' music come distinctly secondary to the expression and narrative propulsion of dance. While that may not come as a surprise given that the original film is a vehicle for iconic screen hoofer Kelly, Wheeldon takes less inspiration from the well-known screen persona of the movie's beloved star than its rightfully legendary 17-minute, all-dance fantasy sequence climax, where Minnelli bravely--and spectacularly--adopted the old school stage convention of an extended "ballet" interlude for the cinema. Wheeldon's 11-o'clock stage analogue to that sequence is, predictably, the highlight of his show, but with his long, illustrious background in classical ballet turning the figurative "ballet" into a literal one that showcase the remarkable control, coordination, and fluid grace of Scribner and especially Esty, whose Lise is here is not just a simple shopgirl but a ballerina. But that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as how Wheeldon makes his true inspiration come alive on his stage. The simple, sometimes schematic paintings that serve as backdrops for portions of the movie's big ballet largely informs Bob Crowley's fairly minimalist but effective scenic design, with projections and animations of paintings and sketches serving as an ongoing manifestation and connection to Jerry's artistic pursuits. Most prominently and boldly of all, however, is how Wheeldon injects and intertwines ballet into the proceedings even when Lise's character is neither rehearsing nor performing, often using ballet interludes in a way akin to montage is employed in cinema, creatively creating an effect that merges movie and theater technique into something both practical and highly imaginative.

If these descriptions make this An American in Paris sound like it's merely inspired by, rather than more closely adapts, its filmic namesake, this is only the half of it. The emphasis on ballet means only a token nod to Gene Kelly's famous tap dancing skills, and even then the big tap number is centered around the Henri character, with the Kelly-originated Jerry nowhere to be found in the scene. Perhaps even more offensive to purists is that only five of the ten Gershwin compositions in the film are used here, not including what is arguably the film's central love theme, "Love Is Here to Stay." While there is a valid reasoning behind the differences in the song listing--the original film is, after all, a jukebox musical of pre-existing Gershwin songs, so Wheeldon and Lucas used others as they saw fit for their vision--not having the Jerry character do any tap dancing at all does indeed feel like a (bad pun intended) misstep.

But that's only one in a lovely production that gets it right where it needs to be: in crafting an irresistible musical, magical tribute to the swooningly romantic spell of the City of Lights. As much credit for that goes to Wheeldon, his vision would not have been fulfilled were it not for the truly multi-talented cast, most of whom must dance, sing, act, and emote--often all at once--with equal dexterity and conviction. They--especially the combustible couple of of Scribner and Esty--are what turn Wheeldon's radical concept into an involving and fully realized piece of theatrical art.

An American in Paris is now playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood in a limited engagement through Sunday, April 9; it the returns to the Southern California area at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa on Tuesday, April 25 through Sunday, May 7.

Buy the An American in Paris Original Broadway Cast album CD here.
Buy the An American in Paris movie Blu-ray here.
Buy the An American in Paris movie DVD here.
Buy the An American in Paris movie soundtrack CD here.

(Special thanks to Hollywood Pantages Theatre)

The Movie Report wants to attend and cover all your live stage productions! Please send any and all invitations to this address. Thanks!