By Shari Barrett
HADESTOWN, the most honored show of the 2018-2019 Broadway season, has returned to the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre through October 15. Born from the music of celebrated singer-songwriter and Tony Award winner Anaïs Mitchell, and developed with innovative director and Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, this tale of love and loss blends modern American folk music with New Orleans-inspired jazz to perfection.
The musical’s plot follows two intertwining love stories – one of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and King Hades and his wife Persephone. Both couples are involved in hell-raising journeys to the underworld and back, either by choice or fate. Mitchell’s beguiling melodies and Chavkin’s poetic imagination pit industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love, performed by a vibrant ensemble of 13 triple-threat actors, dancers, and singers, accompanied by an onstage seven-member orchestra who fills the theater with amazing music from start to finish.
The current North American touring production stars J. Antonio Rodriguez as lovelorn songwriter Orpheus, Amaya Braganza as the street urchin Eurydice, Will Mann as Hermes who blesses the musical as its flashy narrator, Lana Gordon from the Broadway cast whose triple-threat talent and mega-wattage smile lift Persephone from victim to star, and devilish Matthew Patrick Dunn as the threatening, bass-voiced Hades. The Fates harmonizing trio are impeccably played by Marla Louissaint, Lizzie Markson, and Hannah Schreer who dazzle the audience while doing Hades’ bidding to stir up trouble. The Workers ensemble who serves Hades after losing their own identities to him are played by Sevon Askew, Jamal Lee Harris, Courtney Lauster, Daniel Tracht, and Racquel Williams who act as stage hands when not mesmerizing the audience with their amazing choreography.
Along with the outstanding cast, kudos go to the marvelously talented creative team who make Hadestown a treat for all the senses – from the multi-level scenic design by Tony Award winner Rachel Hauck which has Hades and Persephone seated on a New Orleans-style balcony overlooking all the action while the workers toil below them, often on a rotating, circular platform center stage to enhance the believability of their journeys; two-time Tony Award winner Bradley King’s mood-enhancing lighting design; four-time Tony Award nominee Michael Krass’ costume design which enhances the dullness of underworld with splashes of light and color from those who are able to journey above; Tony Award winners Nevin Steinberg and Jessica Paz for their sound design; Conductor by Eric Kang who plays a mean piano; and David Neumann’s Tony Award-winning, viciously active choreography which utilizes every area of the stage to great effect.
Hadestown runs on Tuesday through Friday at 8 p.m., Saturday at 2 p.m. and 8pm, Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. through October 15. Tickets start at $40, available through Audience Services at (213) 972-4400, online at CenterTheatreGroup.org, or in person at the Center Theatre Group Box Office (at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center, 135 N. Grand Avenue in Downtown L.A. 90012). Do not miss your chance to be dazzled by this haunting and hopeful, totally artistic, epic production.
Birding connects a father and daughter whose relationship is strained by different views of the world in Odyssey Theatre Ensemble’s Los Angeles premiere of BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA by Anna Ouyang Moench. Peter Richards directs, with performances running through November 19. Set against the background of nature and climate change, John (Arye Gross) and Caitlyn (Jacqueline Misaye) enjoy their time together as they scan the skies over a backyard in suburban Maryland looking for elusive birds.
The play takes a close look at their evolving relationship over the course of a decade as they struggle to understand the parts of one another that defy understanding due to their very different views of the world. How they manage to really love and care for each other since they don’t see eye-to-eye on so many things, speaks to the nature of unconditional love so difficult to find and maintain.
With no other real action other than bird watching going on, the ten scenes often seem far too long, although the run time is just 90 minutes without an intermission. And with so few funny moments to generate emotion-breaking laughter, be prepared to patiently get inside these characters through their words as expressed by the two talented actors who are to be commended for their dedication to such an emotionally difficult play to perform.
Performances take place Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through November 19. In addition, there will be two performances on Mondays at 8 p.m., on October 16 and 30; with “wine night” performances at 8 p.m. on Fridays, October 20 and November 17 with complimentary wine and snacks with the cast after the show. Tickets start at $25 except Mondays, which are Pay-What-You-Will (reservations open online and at the door starting at 5:30pm). The Odyssey Theatre is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles, 90025. For tickets and more information, call (310) 477-2055 ext. 2 or go to https://odysseytheatre.com/
This inspiring true story about heart, heritage, and two people who believed in their talent and each other, ON YOUR FEET! THE STORY OF EMILIO & GLORIA ESTEFAN is an exhilarating original musical based on the extraordinary life of 26-time Grammy Award-winning husband-and-wife team, featuring a book by Academy Award and Golden Globe winner Alexander Dinelaris and a score made up of some of the most loved and iconic songs of the past quarter-century including “Rhythm is Gonna Get You,” “Conga,” “Get On Your Feet,” “Don’t Want To Lose You Now,” “1-2-3,” and “Coming Out of the Dark.” I guarantee you will want to get up and dance thanks to the astounding 24-member cast, led by triple-threat performer Gaby Albo as Gloria and handsome Samuel Garnico as Emilio, as they entertain accompanied by the 7-piece rocking band conducted by Music Director Daniel Gutierrez.
The Design Team is to be commended for their artistic contributions, including Scenic Design by Clifton Chadick, Lighting Design by Ryan J. O’Gara, Costume Design by Jeannette Christensen, Video Design by Patrick W. Lord, Sound Design by Diego Garzón, and Music Direction by Daniel Alejandro Gutierrez.
ON YOUR FEET! THE STORY OF EMILIO & GLORIA ESTEFAN with music, lyrics & orchestrations by Emilio and Gloria Estefan, with musical direction by Daniel Gutierrez, directed with Tony Award nominated choreography by Luis Salgado, begins the 2023-2024 season of La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment with the Southern California regional premiere of a brand-new production of the smash-hit musical, continuing through Sunday, October 29 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd in La Mirada (near the intersection of Rosecrans Avenue, where the 91 and 5 freeways meet). Free on-site parking)
Performances are Thursdays at 7:30 p.m.; Fridays at 8 p.m.; Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., and Sundays at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. There will be an Open-Captioned performance on Saturday, October 21 at 2 p.m. Talkbacks with the cast and creative team will be on Thursday, October 12 at 7:30 p.m. and Thursday, October 26 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $19, available at www.LaMiradaTheatre.com or by calling (562) 944-9801 or (714) 994-6310. Discounts for groups, military and students are available. Children under 3 will not be admitted into the theatre.
