2/10-2/26: MAN OF LA MANCHA

MAN OF LA MANCHA rehearsals begin today, and the full cast announcement appears at theatremania.com ("Davis Gaines, Damon Kirsche, Lesli Margherita to Star in Musical Theatre West's Man of La Mancha").

MAN OF LA MANCHA

February 10-26, 2012
CARPENTER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, LONG BEACH


"One of the all-time great musicals, featuring one of the all-time great standards.  At the height of the Spanish Inquisition, author Miguel de Cervantes is imprisoned and uses the story of the knight-errant Don Quixote to defend himself.  Full of indelible characters and a beautiful Latin-tinged score, the original production of MAN OF LA MANCHA ran for six years on Broadway and won the Tony for Best Musical."

DIRECTOR
Nick DeGruccio

MUSICAL DIRECTOR
Matthew Smedal

CHOREOGRAPHER
Carlos Mendoza


Click here for tickets or visit musical.org

1/15: The Metropolitan Room

FRED BARTON PRESENTS—

AND THINKS YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!

UPDATE: BroadwayWorld.com's Michael Dale reviews the evening.

Fred Barton hosts, sings and plays once a month with his 9-piece Broadway Band, bringing back classic Broadway show music with some swing on the side.  Fred's guest singers on January 15 are the incomparable ELENA BENNETT, and the dashing DAMON KIRSCHE in a rare New York appearance, with a special appearance by the legendary PAMELA MYERS.   Fred's previous guest singers KAREN WILDER and JESSE LUTTRELL will also appear.  Included will be songs from TENDERLOIN, LI'L ABNER, FADE OUT-FADE IN, SARATOGA, SUGAR, LIFE BEGINS AT 8:40, PLAIN AND FANCY, TWO ON THE AISLE, DO RE MI, SUPERMAN, HELLO DOLLY!, LITTLE ME, and a rare outtake from CHICAGO.

Fred: "Classic show music has fallen into a bit of disrepute and disuse around town. I just don't hear enough of it to suit me, in the piano bars, the cabarets, and of course on Broadway. My friends know I've been bitching about this for a few years. I love show music. I love a good band. I love a great singer. And I especially love a great singer singing a great show song with a great band."

"I know a bunch of great old-time Broadway singers trapped like me in a rock-and-roll world. I know a bunch of great songs that aren't being heard. I know a bunch of show music fans like me, who are staying home on the internet. Tell you what. Why don't we all get together?"

"ELENA BENNETT has one of our time's uniquely powerful and rich voices, with a Broadway repertoire to match. DAMON KIRSCHE is the quintessential Broadway matinée idol with a voice for the ages and consummate taste. I can't wait to feature them with the Broadway Band."

"FRED BARTON PRESENTS – AND THINKS YOU'RE GONNA LOVE IT!" will be presented monthly throughout 2012, with a CD release in July.

The show's debut in September was a sell-out smash, with a line down the street, walkups turned away and a jam-packed room.

FRED BARTON is a performer, arranger, songwriter, conductor, and TV composer. His previous cabaret revues include FORBIDDEN BROADWAY (Drama Desk, Tony Award, 27-year run), MISS GULCH RETURNS! (Bistro Award), and WHOOP-DEE-DOO! (Drama Desk Award.) He's conducted numerous Broadway shows, composed numerous TV shows, and his symphonic orchestrations are played almost weekly by orchestras around the country. His symphonic pops arrangements were played in four different concerts at Carnegie Hall in 2011.

As Jerry Herman wrote: "There's just no tune as exciting as a show tune."

Fred Barton Presents – And Thinks You're Gonna Love It!

Sunday, Jan. 15 at 7PM
The Metropolitan Room
34 West 22nd St. (Between 5th and 6th Avenues)

New York, NY 10010

$20 cover, 2-drink minimum (food available)

For TICKETS, visit metropolitanroom.com
or call: 212.206.0440

12/18: The Johnny Holiday "Holiday" Program

Ginger Pauley, Monique Dubois, Johnny Holiday and Damon Kirsche
(Photo: BHousePhoto.com)

I'll be joining a swing-tastic cavalcade of special guests at the Cicada Club on December 18th.

Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club proudly presents
The Johnny Holiday "Holiday" Program
starring Johnny Holiday
inspired by Mr. Holiday's late
Uncle Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall radio show

Dine and Dance to the music of
Dean Mora and his Melody Boys
10-Piece Dance Orchestra
at
The Historic Oviatt Building
617 South Olive Street
Los Angeles, California

Special Guests include: Johnny Crawford, Jennifer Keith, Kayre Morrison, Ginger Pauley, Robert Picardo, Toni Prima, The Lindy Sisters, The Satin Dolls and many more!

All Ages - Valet Parking - Fine Dining - Full Bar
Doors Open 6 PM - Showtime 8 PM

NOTE: Dinner reservations are no longer available for this evening, but $10 tickets are still available for this final party of the year!
For more information, visit clubcicada.com.

12/6-7: In the Holiday Mood

IN THE HOLIDAY MOOD

Big Band Concert

Featuring:

DEAN MORA AND HIS ORCHESTRA

December 6 & 7, 2011

7:30 - 9:30 PM

Big band revivalists Dean Mora & His Orchestra, who played a sold-out show at the Colony Theatre earlier this year, return for a program of '30s and '40s-style festive favorites that run from "Sing, Sing, Sing" and "White Christmas" to "Moonlight Serenade," "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" and more, Mora's 20-piece dance orchestra will create a lively, nostalgic mood that's steeped in tradition but infused with fresh energy. In addition to their celebrated earlier appearance at the Colony, Dean Mora & His Orchestra have played popular shows at numerous high-profile venues -- including the Hollywood Derby, Hollywood Palladium, Biltmore Hotel, Orpheum Theatre and the Jazz Bakery -- since the group's formation in 2006. Featured vocalists include Kayre Morrison, Damon Kirsche, Johnny Holiday and The Lindy Sisters!

Dean Mora & His Orchestra

The Colony Theatre

555 North Third Street

Burbank, California, 91502

(818) 558-7000

More details and ticket info can be found at the Colony Theatre website.

For more information about Dean Mora and His Orchestra, visit www.morasmodern.com.

11/30-12/3: LOST AND UNSUNG

The Los Angeles City College Theatre Academy

presents

LOST & UNSUNG

An Evening of Cut Songs from Great Musicals

and Great Songs from Flops

Based on the series of albums, Lost In Boston and Unsung Musicals, produced by Bruce Kimmel, the show features the songs you never heard from such classic musicals as Chicago, Sweet Charity, Company, Annie Get Your Gun, Gypsy and many others, along with unsung gems from such legendary flops as Smile, We Take The Town, Drat! The Cat!, Sherry!, and more.  

Starring:

Alet Taylor (Ovation nominee for Having It All; The Producers, The Brain from Planet X)

Damon Kirsche (Ovation nominee, La Mirada, My Fair Lady; The Fantasticks)

Melody Hollis (Broadway:  Irving Berlin’s White Christmas)

Will Collyer (Parade at Mark Taper Forum; Big, The Musical, West Coast Ensemble)

With: 

Brett McMahon and Harrison Meloeny

Tara Collins, Sarah Fontenot, Julia Rose, Alexis Williams

Special Opening Night Guest:

RICHARD M. SHERMAN 

of The Sherman Brothers, who wrote the songs for Walt Disney’s Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Happiest Millionaire, Charlotte’s Web and such iconic songs as “You’re Sixteen, You’re Beautiful, and You’re Mine” and the classic Disneyland “It’s A Small World.”

Directed and narrated by Bruce Kimmel 

Music direction:  José Simbulan

The Caminito Theatre

Los Angeles City College

855 North Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90029

The closest entrance to the Caminito Theatre is from the 800 block of Heliotrope, which is two blocks west, and runs parallel to, Vermont.  Free parking available in Faculty Parking Lot on that block of Heliotrope.

Show dates and times:

November 30 – Special Opening Night performance 7:15 pm

December 1 – Two shows:  3:00 pm and 7:15 pm

December 2 – 8:00 pm

December 3 – Two shows:  2:00 pm and 8:00 pmReservations online: 

http://lacitycollege.edu/academic/departments/theatreacademy/

Click the “Buy Tickets Now” icon

Reservations by telephone:  (323) 953-4000, ext. 2990

11/14: The Musical Theatre Guild presents "Fanny"

Next Monday, I'll join fellow Musical Theatre Guild members in presenting a one-night concert reading of FANNY, the bittersweet story of star-crossed young lovers on the Marseilles waterfront. 

FANNY

Book by S. N. Behrman & Joshua Logan

Lyrics & Music by Harold Rome

Based on Marcel Pagnol’s trilogy

Monday, November 14, 2011 at 7:30 PM

Alex Theatre

216 North Brand Boulevard

Glendale, CA 91203-2610

(818) 243-2539

10/30: Swingin' Sixities Halloween Costume Party

Last night I appeared with Dean Mora and his "Latinaires" at the Cicada Club and the floor was hopping with fantastic dancers enjoying tangos, cha-chas, mambos, congas and the like. But at our next appearance at the club, we'll really let it all hang out...

SWINGIN' SIXTIES HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY

Featuring: 

DEAN MORA AND HIS ORCHESTRA

Mr. Mora's acclaimed dance orchestra returns to the Cicada Club for a Swing' Sixties Halloween Costume Party. Dance to the finest Big Band tunes of the Sixties as Dean Mora and his Orchestra take you on a swingin' musical journey from "Mad Men" to "Austin Powers." Featuring star vocalists Kayre Morrison and Damon Kirsche, with special appearances by Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Gos, singing Ann Margaret's 1962 hit "Thirteen Men" and special Groovy guest, the "Fake" Austin Powers.

More information and tickets available at clubcicada.com. For more information about Dean Mora and His Orchestra, visit www.morasmodern.com.

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2011

Maxwell DeMille's Cicada Club

617 S. Olive Street

Los Angeles, California 90014

1960s costume or evening attire requested. I'll be going in a Mark Antony inspired costume, selected for me by Shon LeBlanc of Valentino's Costumes.