The Book of Mormon is at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, and it is living up to all of the hype as one of the most entertaining and talked about musicals in decades.
The Book of Mormon, photo by Joan Marcus 2012
Handsome young lads in crisp white shirts and ties launch the show “ringing” doorbells and singing “Hello,” as they practice their mission of spreading the word. The silliness grabs you right away, but it’s the sincerity of lines like “Hello, my name is Elder Price, and I want to share with you the most amazing book,” that sell the show.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone (the bad boys behind the South Park animated series), plus Robert Lopez and Casey Nicholaw, make up the creative team behind The Book of Mormon. They have been criticized for being profane– and yes, the show is downright blasphemous.
But the show is hilarious. The music is lively and propels the surprising story at such a rapid pace that you feel as if you want a ballad to pop up so you can catch your breath. A ballad dedicated to “Orlando” is sung by Elder Price (Gavin Creel), because that Florida city is his idea of heaven. Then there’s Nabulungi (Samantha Marie Ware) who sings about “Salt Lake City” which is her idea of heaven, because she’s from warlord-ravaged Uganda. The scene-stealing tall tale-telling Elder Cunningham (Jared Gertner) spreads a bit of heaven wherever he goes. Right now that’s at the Pantages Theatre now until Nov. 25, 2012 with The Book of Mormon.
Anthony Skordi as "Onassis"
ONASSIS
Onassis starring Anthony Skordi premiered at The Stella Adler Theatre in Hollywood. The one-man show puts the spotlight on the life of the legendary shipping tycoon before and after he married the widowed Jackie Kennedy. Discovering his humble beginnings and how he made his fortune makes this show particularly fascinating.
Playing the role of Onassis shows off the explosive dramatic talent that lies within Skordi. He is a skilled actor who was born in London and went to the Drama Centre there. He also worked at the Royal Shakespeare Company, and has performed on stages around the world, in Italy, Spain, Brazil, and of course Greece. For information on the shows at the Stella Adler Theatre go to www.stellaadler-la.com
SILENCE! THE MUSICAL
Silence! The Musical is the unauthorized parody of the thrilling film with the rabid cult following The Silence of the Lambs. The insane show is the winner of the 2012 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Musical, and now it is playing at the Hayworth Theatre in Los Angeles.
No stranger to the musical stage, Davis Gaines got raves for his title role in The Phantom of the Opera. Now he inhabits the role of the brilliant cannibal Hannibal Lecter. Christine Lakin (former childstar of Step by Step fame) matches wits with him as FBI agent Clarice Starling. Go to www.silencethemusical.com
THE HOUSE OF FINNEGAN
The House of Finnegan musical will have its world premiere at North Hollywood’s El Portal Theatre on the Monroe Forum stage from Oct. 18 to 28, 2012. The comedy-drama with music and song combines recollections from the early days of musical theater, the golden age of television and motion pictures with the reality of today.
The show feature an outstanding large cast and orchestra. Playwright Bill Rich says the story reveals “the present is no more than the past and the only thing in the end, which really counts, is family, true love and friendship. The House of Finnegan is a little bit about all of us.” www.elportaltheatre.com
#
Recent Comments