Los Angeles Spotlight: February 2006

Three blockbuster attractions lead the roster of L.A. theatre openings this month. Annette Bening and Alfred Molina head the cast of the Mark Taper Forum’s revival of Anton Chekhov’s Russian classic The Cherry Orchard, adapted by Martin Sherman and directed by Sean Mathias (February 2-March 19). The recently remodeled Geffen Playhouse in Westwood brings us the L.A. premiere of David Mamet’s acclaimed drawing room comedy, Boston Marriage, directed by the playwright and starring his wife Rebecca Pidgeon, film star Alicia Silverstone, and Oscar winner Mary Steenburgen (through March 1). Also of surefire interest is the U.S. premiere of writer-director Terry Johnson’s Hitchcock Blonde at South Coast Rep. This unique blend of film footage and live action involves Alfred Hitchcock’s legacy, a British film lecturer, and his lovely young student; Dakin Matthews stars as the famed film director (February 3-March 12).

There’s a healthy dose of musical treats on tap for the month. Likely to generate the most interest is the world premiere of Garry Marshall’s production of Happy Days based on his long-running sitcom, with a score by Oscar- and Grammy winner Paul Williams, at Marshall’s own Falcon Theatre in Burbank (February 15-March 12). Josh Prince directs a new production of Barnum, the Tony-winning musical based on the circus life of the legendary P.T. Barnum (NoHo Arts Center, February 10-March 29). The international touring spectacle Bombay Dreams, a splashy musical set in India’s bustling Bollywood film industry, stops for a spell at the Orange County Performing Arts Center (February 21-March 5), while that musical phenomenon Cats has its first Southern California locally mounted production, courtesy of Fullerton Civic Light Opera (February 17-March 5).

The perennially popular Stephen Sondheim masterpiece Sweeney Todd is presented by the Asian American-focused East West Players (David Henry Hwang Theatre, February 8-March 5). Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens’ A Man of No Importance will be seen in three separate concert stagings by Musical Theatre Guild. The show features a book by Terrence McNally, based on a British film about a lonely bus conductor who finds his only joy as a community theatre director. (February 6 at the Alex Theatre in Glendale; February 12 at the Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks, and February 27 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.) And those who caught the 2003 premiere of the campy Biblical musical Jesus’ Kid Brother will be happy to hear that director Jules Aaron is helming a new production in the much larger Long Beach’s International City Theatre (February 10-March 12).

Rounding out the offerings are some interesting dramas and comedies. Del Shores’ hugely popular Sordid Lives, a black comedy about white trash, has a 10-year anniversary revival at Hollywood’s Zephyr Theatre (February 3-March 23). Pulitzer winning playwright Paula Vogel’s Hot ‘n Throbbing gets its Orange County premiere at the Chance Theater in Anaheim (February 4-March 12). Tim Robbins’ venerable Actors’ Gang, now in a new space in Culver City, premieres a Robbins-directed version of the George Orwell classic 1984, adapted by Michael Gene Sullivan (Starts February 9). And The Colony Theatre in Burbank has enlisted award-winning director Jessica Kubzansky to stage Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie (February 11-March 12).

Among attractions for family audiences this month is a puppet version of Cinderella at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (February 26), while Theatre West wraps ups the run of its musical version of the fairy tale classic Rumplestilskin (through March 1).