Jackson Grove, Katerina McCrimmon, and Rodney Thompson in the First National Touring Company of Funny Girl (Photo Matthew Murphy for MurphyMade, CTG)
In the fall of 2004 I drove down to the La Jolla Playhouse to see a new musical that was making quite a splash. I was working in the press office at the Ahmanson Theatre and when I returned I told my bosses they needed to get their hands on the show before it headed for Broadway. That didn’t happen, but I remember thinking Jersey… Read More
I will miss you George Michael. I will miss your voice, your music, your creative inspiration and your art full of heart. Born to Greek immigrant parents in 1963 in the suburbs of Edgeware, North London, Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou’s love, from the beginning, was music. He ‘broke out’ onto the U.K. music scene in the early 1980’s, singing alongside fellow bandmate Andrew Ridgeley in… Read More
Brendon Urie is not a simple man. Over the process of five records, the leader (and sole original member) of Panic! At The Disco has proven to be one of the most complicated and constantly evolving rock stars since… Okay I’ll say it. David Bowie. No surprise that Panic! At The Disco’s latest CD is another giant step forward with a tip to the… Read More
Upper East side Debutant meets old Hollywood Glamour! Following years of silence in the music industry, emotionally driven rapper Charles Hamilton debuts the release of “New York Railing” ft. Rita Ora, his first major single since 2008’s “Brooklyn Girls.” After struggling with depression and mental illness, the twenty-seven year old rapper recently signed with Republic Records to debut his fourthcoming album. Years later, Hamilton… Read More
Wicked (full title: Wicked: The Untold Story of the Witches of Oz) is the winner of over 100 international awards, including three Tony’s; six Drama Desk Awards; and a Grammy. This blockbuster musical celebrated its 10th anniversary on Broadway in 2013 and is currently the 11th longest-running show in Broadway history having played over 4,650 performances. With various national and international tours currently running… Read More
Breakout your chunky pink fluro bangles and lace black fingerless gloves because Culture Club is coming to a music venue near you. For the first time in 14 years, the band is touring in all its synthetic-pop glory and all four original band members will be there—Mikey Craig on bass; Roy Hay on guitar and keyboards; Jon Moss on drums and the freakilicious, front… Read More
Talk about tween mania! The Jonas Brothers, Corbin Bleu, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Jesse McCartney, Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, Hanson, Justin Bieber, The Wanted, One Direction… and now…Shawn Mendes! This 16-year-old Canadian recently released his self-titled Shawn Mendes EP and the debut single “Life of the Party” is fueling his rising mainstream success as a singer-songwriter and touring artist. Full disclosure, when LAArtsOnline.com asked… Read More
A little history — in the early 2000s, Bob Gaudio, an original member of The Four Seasons, sought to make a musical from the discography of the legendary rock ‘n roll band. Director Des McAnuff (then-artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse) was hired along with writers Rick Elice and Marshall Brickman. Instead of repurposing the Four Seasons songs for an independent story (the… Read More
Okay. I’ve never read Fifty Shades of Grey, but when I heard that a musical parody of the trilogy was coming to Los Angeles, I responded with an exuberant and immediate, “Where can I get tickets?!” If there is an opportunity to witness bondage and sadomasochism in the form of a hysterical musical, I want to be there to see it. And, from what… Read More
A fish out of water story is always a good premise for an entertaining production, and one of the most beloved examples is the popular 1992 film Sister Act starring Whoopi Goldberg. In fact, the film is regarded as one of the most financially successful comedies of the 1990s. Likewise, Sister Act the Musical has been a runaway hit ever since it debuted in… Read More
