2020 Interview with Bryan Rasmussen

An award-winning actor as well as a director, producer, teacher, coach, and Artistic Director of the Whitefire Theatre, Bryan Rasmussen is proud to be celebrating its’ 37th season this year! In the fifteen years he has owned the Whitefire, Bryan has produced over 500 shows, as well as over 50 world premiere productions including “Blood Brothers”, “Love Like Blue”, “Mark Twain in the 20th Century”, “Seasons of Change” and many others. He has directed and acted in the world premiere of the critically acclaimed production of “FIREHOUSE” as well as directing the NAACP Best Solo Show of the Year award-winning “BILLIE!...backstage w/ Lady Day” about the life of Billie Holiday . With Solofest about to begin, Rasmussen tells us in detail about the program, what solofest means and how it will benefit the actors and the Whitefire Theatre this season.

Explain to our readers the exact meaning of Solofest.

BR: Solofest is a festival of one person shows or solo theater that is a celebration of the solo journey that brings 80 shows to the stage in 90 days. The biggest difference with this festival as opposed to other solo festivals is that we only do one show per day and not multiple shows in the same day. That’s so that the soloists can create a full production and not do their shows on other production’s sets or lights which is the case with most. And one of the biggest differences is that the performers are able to pay for their shows out of their box office rather than paying the fees upfront like most festivals. I did my own solo show back in the early 90s about Vincent van Gogh called Sincerely Yours, Vincent and performed it for approximately 10 years in local theaters and at the Edinburgh Festival and the Getty Museum. I learned a lot about producing a solo show and wanted to help other solo artists to get theirs done and not lose an arm and a leg financially like I did and to hopefully provide a safe harbor for solo artists to develop their shows.  Mine was a little easier because van Gogh is a name and that helped with marketing but it’s still a very difficult thing to do and as an actor I think it’s the hardest thing they'll ever have to do in their career. Hamlet doesn’t even have an hour and 20 minute monologue!

How long have you been doing it and how long does it run this year and on what nights does it run?

BR: This is the eighth year of Solofest and we do shows every single night of the week Monday through Sunday with two shows on Sunday which includes a matinee for one of the performances.

How many plays are there usually and how do you choose the plays?

BR: It changes every year. We began with about 20 as part of the festival and it has grown to over 80 shows in 90 days and has become the largest solo theater Festival on the West Coast . All of the shows only do one performance except a few that do a little bit of a run during the festival because they’ve done their shows before and want to do a run. That way everybody’s show gets paid for through their audiences. It’s when you try and do a run of solo shows is when it gets very difficult because of the numbers. We start accepting proposals for shows September 1, and we go through all of those and figure out which ones will be in the festival. I have a lot of help with that from my associate producer Nancy Santiago who lives in Seattle and she does a lot of the administrative work and organization that goes into handling all of the logistics needed for this kind of festival. We don’t have a big team or staff or anything like that, and so we are almost a solo show in itself as a theatre!

Is there a theme covering the shows this year?

BR: It’s not a strict theme but we definitely wanted female oriented stories this year which is why we opened the festival with Ladies First about some of the great female historical figures of our country.

What does the program of shows add to or how does it enhance your overall lineup of Theatre?

BR: I think Solo theater has now become the purest form of storytelling in theater. It used to be more of a showcase, vanity situation mostly. But now it has become a platform in which issues that haven’t been tackled as much in film or television can be approached through solo theatre. We have done solo shows here at the Whitefire ever since I took over in 2005. We have produced over 1000 solo shows at the Whitefire which have gone to Theatres all over the world.

What else of importance will you be performing in 2020? Anything radically new?

BR: Unfortunately I can’t speak about any of that at this moment because we are still negotiating with various producers and companies on possible projects that we will be helping to produce in 2020. One that I can mention will be the third installment of Howard Skora‘s family trilogy. We produced Howard‘s first two plays Miserable with an Ocean View and Damaged Furniture. Howard is one of the greatest comedy playwrights in America and we are proud to collaborate with him on his new plays.

As an actor is there anything new on the horizon for you to report?

BR: I’m always working as an actor mostly in film and television now. I don’t do much theater anymore because I’m so busy producing and directing now. I have some possible projects on the horizon but nothing set yet.

Is there anything you care to add?

BR: I think the biggest radically new situation we’re presenting this year is the ability to live stream live theater on a regular basis. We have been developing this technology for a number of years and finally have come to a point where we are like the Netflix of theater and able to stream multiple shows because we offer multiple shows in the same week. We created a “vertical rep” which basically has shows running once a week vertically rather than a lateral run like a Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday situation which is what is the normal template. It’s taken years to get to the point with technology that we can do this and are very excited about the prospect of streaming our content from the front row center seat worldwide!

We are streaming most of the solofest and a lot of our other content.

To do that simply go to www.whitefiretheatre.com/live and enjoy!

2019 Interview with Suzy London

Actress/singer Suzy London loves her work with a passion. She is one of those gifted performers who can do a role brilliantly in a play onstage and ... perform equally well in cabaret. In our conversation she tells our readers about how different one arena is from the other. She will do her brand new cabaret show Tattoos on My Heart at Sterling's Upstaris at the Federal on Sunday January 19, 2020. The show is described as an evening of country, bluesy, jazzy tunes. London relates to us with great humor about singing country.

Tell our readers about your new cabaret Tattoos on My Heart. Is it different from you other cabaret shows? If so, how?

SL: It is different, first of all because of the venue for one reason. And...anytime you do a cabaret, you can't just take a show as it is and put it into a place where it's not going to fly. You have to look at the kind of audience you're going to have and what that's going to be like. For instance, there are people in the audience who are drinking and sometimes eating, and so that limits their attention span. If they're there with a group of people, maybe they're talking, so what you do is you have to grab them and keep them or you're not going to be listened to.

I did this show specifically for the Federal. I've never done this show before. I had had great success at the theatre (Group Rep) doing the theatre version of my previous show Around the World with Suzy London. That's where I sang in twelve different styles of twelve different languages. It was sort of autobiographical of my experiences around the world. When I went to the Federal and looked around, I realized it was not the right place for that show, because it had slides and it was a more theatrical production.

How did your musical director play into all of this decision making?

SL: I talked about it with him - Robert Brandzel, and this place lends itself to something light, something fun and something funny. I have had some funny experiences with singing country music because I am a classically trained singer.. Yet, I ended up writing country jingles for a while when I was in Las Vegas. I knew nothing about country but, hey, I got the job. I did a lot of demos for country singers.

Also, right now, you have to take into consideration what is happening in the city you're in, the world you're in, and it's very strifeful. There's a lot of strife going on, a lot of unhappiness going on. I think the number one thing about entertainment is just sort of take people out of the drudgery and misery and upset. So, I wanted to do something that is light and fun. There's a lot of comedy in this show. I do a couple of novelty numbers and a couple of comedy numbers. A good laugh goes a long way.

Robert Brandzel is a joy to work with. I've worked with him for years. I met him when I was hired to do Buttercup in H. M. S. Pinafore. Even though I'm very thin, we did a very thin, skinny Buttercup with humongous breasts. We've done many shows together around town since. We don't even need to speak, we know exactly where we need to go with the music. He listens to me and says, "This isn't feeling right to me. We need to change this." He's a joy...everything about this show has been lighthearted and fun. I think when you get up to perform it, that carries across to the audience and becomes infectious. We need that right now. I'm very excited. There are several songs that I wrote. I put together the flow of  the show with the stories. I do have funny stories about ending up singing country songs in foreign countries. They had no idea what they heard; it's just American to them. (we laugh)

What is your goal with this show? 

SL: This show is meant for a place where people are having some food, drinks and fun. Just the experience of doing it is a joy for me.

It sounds like it may be perfect for cruise ships.

SL: It would be.  That's a good idea. It is very self-contained. I don't need anything but me and the band.

What is the high point for you doing cabaret?

SL: It's much more personal. When you do theatre, you can hide in the character you're playing. and you can let your emotions come out as the other character. But in cabaret, that is not going to work. You cannot have that mask. You have to expose yourself. You have to expose your painful, hurting side, your laissez faire who gives a damn side...your soul, and get through it with a sense of humor. I get through life because I laugh about it.

That's great advice. Do you have a favorite cabaret performer?

SL: I love Liza Minnelli. I know her. Many years ago I met her at an AmfAR Aids Benefit
Man, she really puts herself out there, and I admire that. She just lets it show. And she's a very sweet person. I was taken to see a show of hers when I was a kid, and it was magical. That's I think one of the things that inspired me. And what a small world, Robert Brandzel worked with Liza as well in the beginning of her cabaret career. He thought she needed honing, but had something very special.

 I love Liza too! Let's switch to acting. You are so good at doing big, bold, down.trodden characters, truly bringing them to life onstage. You cement the nitty.gritty of the role you are playing. Do you have a favorite role?

SL: I always enjoy doing musicals. I love singing and dancing, so of course I loved the role I played in The Ghost of Gershwin.  I also enjoyed doing Steppin Out at Group Rep directed and choreographed by Stan Mazin. She was a character with a very interesting arc. I always like characters that have a really clear, distinct arc. I'll tell you right now I am working on a fabulous show about Tallulah Bankhead called Looped, in which she loops dialogue for the film Die Die, My Darling!

I saw that. You would bring a lot to that role.

SL: Thank you. I'm having such fun. I'm hoping to do it somewhere. Bankhead is so outrageous.
As I've been working on Looped. I've found something very interesting. I wondered why Tallulah made such a religious reference and then I saw the film Die Die, My Darling! that the looping was about. In it she's a religious fanatic in that role. Then I got it about her as a person and as an actress. She was the type who became the person and let it influence her, and let it influence her in her private life ...  and it came out in the recording session. By the way, a lot of Looped is taken from the actual recordings of that day when she went to loop that line. It has told me a lot about her as a person, how she sort of becomes the character and imbues everything in her life.

Do you have a mentor? Someone that inspired you, other than Liza?

SL: You know who I also admire because I have seen her work on film and onstage...Annette Bening. She is amazing. You see the kind of vocal skill and control that she's got. You have to be able to project onstage without it looking like you're projecting, and withoiut affecting the tone of the character or what you're trying to say. She's brilliant. She's definitely an inspiration.

What would you like audiences to say about you? She was...

SL: Fun. She was so fun. That was such a great night.

Remember Suzy London in Tattoos on My Heart, Sunday January 19 at 7 pm. Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal is located on the second floor at 5303 Lankershim Blvd in NoHo.

For tix call (800) 838-3006 or go to
Sup011920.brownpapertickets.com

January 2020 Interview with Bill A. Jones

 Actor/singer Bill A. Jones has a varied background as an entertainer and has established himself as quite a sensational crooner of pop songs ove the past few years. As he prepares to perform at Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's Valentine's weekend, he chats in detail about his career thus far.

Tell our readers about your love of singing and how your career got started.

BJ: I grew up in an extended musical family outside of Nashville, and the music we performed was country. As a 6 year old, in talent shows and on local radio stations, I sang songs like, "Okie From Muskokee" and "Folsom Prison Blues." Yes, I sang lyrics like, "I shot a man in Reno just to watch him die" as a 6 year old! (laughs) So I grew up singing in church and at square dances, and hearing rock and roll on the radio, until I discovered the great standards sometime in my early teens. One of my earliest influences came from the Bing Crosby Christmas album, and from there I gradually worked up to Sinatra and all those other iconic artists that sang what we now call Classic Pop Standards.


About the same time, I started doing musicals in high school, and started working in radio when I was 16. For a stretch during my college years, I'd be rehearsing a play during the week, on Saturday Nights play Bass and sing in a square dance band, and on Sundays knock out a shift at a Nashville radio station. While I eventually stopped playing country music - about the time I got cast in a production of a wonderful little musical called "Tintypes" - I stayed with the radio and acting and singing. Eventually I moved to LA to scratch the acting itch, and promptly stopped singing for about 15 years!

Why?

BJ: Well, when I got out here, the Musical Theatre scene was very different from what I was used to. For one thing, they expected you to dance! And while I'd started tentatively singing with a Big Band in Nashville, I had no idea of how to connect with that community in LA. So for about 15 years I concentrated on my acting career, worked as a radio personality, and met my wife and started a family.

Fast forward to me singing "But Not for Me" on a passenger talent night on an Alaskan Cruise about 17 years ago. That got my singing 'itch' going big time. I returned to LA, discovered a Big Band that needed a singer, and one 'coincidence' after another since then led me to where I am today. And interestingly enough, when I started singing again, my acting career picked up. I remember, I was thinking about an arrangement of some song or another as I was waiting to audition for "Glee", for instance. And ironically, I got cast on that show not for my Singing ability.

Tell us about Your time on "Glee".

BJ: I had the pleasure of recurring for 6 seasons as "Rod Remington." If you've never seen the show, Rod was sort of a later day version of Ted Baxter from the old "Mary Tyler Moore Show" - a local TV newscaster who was a legend in his own mind.

First time I worked, I did a little ad lib that broke up everyone, and I was doing a little schtick making eyes at Jane Lynch - who was playing back - and I guess someone took notice and the role got bigger than originally intended. I had a ball every time I was on set, and I'll forever be grateful to Ryan Murphy for taking my career up several notches.

Apart from family background did anyone serve as a mentor to you? If so, who? How did this person help you to go forward?

BJ: I know I'll leave someone out, but here goes: my Nashville vocal coach, Lucille David is one. my High School drama teacher, Joyce Mayo. Steve and Eydie's musical director for 27 years, Jack Feierman, who taught me a lot. A couple of Big Band leaders, John Vana and Harry Selvin. Arrangers Bill McKeag and Diz Mullins. Composer and arranger Van Alexander. Pianist Bill Marles. And when I first started singing again, a gentleman named Frank Perry. He was perhaps one of the last staff pianists at one of the hotels here in LA, and had rubbed elbows with dozens of greats. Frank saw me singing early on with a Big Band, and during the break said, "Hey, come over here," as if he could no longer hold back his frustration, and had to steer me in a better direction. That started a conversation that lasted for several years on how to approach lyrics. Invaluable. All of them.

Talk about your daughter and her contests and advancement in the field. She is taking after you. Will you get an opportunity to sing together again soon?

BJ: I tell people she's the real talent in the family. She just starred in her school's musical production of "25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee." When I did my show in New York at the Triad a few months ago, the next night she sang with her high school choir at Carnegie Hall. We've only sung together a few times, like at a recent Actor's Fund benefit, but it's always a joy, and the response has been tremendous. And she's only a junior in high school. She'll be my special musical guest Valentine's weekend at Feinstein's at Vitello's.

You've sung a lot with Big Bands, as well as with smaller groups. Which do you prefer?

BJ: When I worked on radio, I used to crank up the monitor whenever a great Sinatra record would come on with a classic arrangement by Nelson Riddle and the like. I gained a huge appreciation for orchestration. To have the power of 17 musicians displaying that artistry while backing you is amazing - especially considering I have several of those classic charts in my book. But I also love working with a small group, or just a piano. You gain a flexibility and an intimacy that's hard to duplicate with a large group. The communication with your audience is more immediate, as sometimes you can hear subtle nuances like the inhale of a breath or a sigh. At the show at Feinstein's I'll be straddling those worlds with 6 musicians - a trio plus 3 horns, which lets me have a little bit of both. So, to circle back to your question - I love them both. Don't make me decide!

How do you feel about contemporary music? Hip hop and rap? Are you comfortable with it? Do you think the American Songbook will survive?

BJ: I think the Songbook is going to survive as long as there is an appreciation for great melodies and lyrics that touch us in a meaningful way. Which will hopefully be forever. As far as contemporary music, I find some of Ed Sheerran's writing quite good, for instance. But there's also a lot of dreck out there, too! (laughs) I used to be totally dismissive of Rap, but I saw a performance by Common a while back, and I gained a greater understanding. I now see how it (Rap) can be a legitimate means of artistic expression. But to repeat, there's a lot of dreck out there!

Who is your favorite composer? Why this choice?
BJ: That's a tough one! I don't know if I can narrow it down to just one. Cole Porter, the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Sammy Cahn, Frank Loesser, all tick the boxes for me. Irving Berlin would be another.

What is your favorite musical show of all time? Why?

BJ: Again, a tough one! I used to say "My Fair Lady" without hesitation, as I played Higgins back in school, and have had a deep affection for it ever since. But there've been so many great shows since then, it'd be hard to say. But "Fair Lady" is a great one.

Tell us a bit more about your daughter. Does she want to be a professional musical theatre actress? What are her plans?

BJ: As of now, she wants to pursue Musical Theatre, and is looking at various university level programs. Time will tell. She's a junior in high school, so things could change.

You have a big gig in February at Vitello's. Tell us if this show will be different than shows in the past. If so, how?

BJ: Feinstein's at Vitello's in Studio City, Saturday February 15th. Yeah, I've done my "Great Gentlemen of Song" show a lot, and I'll be repeating some of that material. But this time I'll be focusing on romance. The Theme is 'Love Songs and More," in recognition of Valentine's Day. Last time I played Vitello's a few years ago, we sold out the place a day in advance - so I'm telling people to get tickets early. I'll be bringing in 6 musicians this time - I call them my 'A Players' - and I plan to have a great time. And hopefully the audience will too! (laughs) Seriously, this is a very different experience than when I appear as a guest with a big band. I take a great deal of pride in my nightclub and cabaret shows, as I feel it lets me do what I do best. Not just sing, but tell stories, and share something of myself in a hopefully entertaining way.

Do you want to add anything?

BJ: People sometimes ask me what I prefer: Acting or singing.

Well, when you work in a scene with someone like Jane Lynch, who elevates your game because of their artistry - that's pretty special, and something I'd be very reluctant to give up.

But when you do a show like the one coming up Valentine's weekend - the energy, or love that you put out as a performer, gets returned to you manifold by the audience. Which further feeds and elevates what you send in return to the audience.

It's a beautiful thing.

2019 Interview with Patrick Burke

Actor/director Patrick Burke is nominated for a BWW Award for his outstanding direction of Avenue Q at Group Rep this past summer. This interview shows his deep connection to the show and desire to move it forward.

You’ve been an active member of the Group Rep for years, as an actor and producer.  The Group Rep is not known for having musicals on their season schedules.  How did Avenue Q get on the 2019 Season Schedule?

PB: I have just always had a passion for Avenue Q since I saw it on Broadway in August of 2003.  At the Group Rep, members are encouraged to present projects which are performed in front of the company following the Monday night membership meeting. I approached fellow member Paul Cady, a wonderful pianist, and discovered that he loved the show too. Our Co-Artistic Directors and the Artistic council enjoyed the presentation and decided to put it in the 2019 season.

How did you prepare to direct a musical?  

PB: I have performed in many musicals myself and learned a great deal from the men and women that have directed me.  For this particular show my puppeteer training was a plus. I trained with both Kevin Carlson and the late Michael Earl, both had worked extensively with the Henson Company. Kevin Carlson still puppeteers in Henson Company films.  The late Michael Earl worked on "Sesame Street" in the 60s and 70s.

Is this your first BWW Award nomination? Regardless, how do you feel about it?

PB: I was nominated as an actor for my role as Eddie in Lost In Yonkers It is always amazing to be recognized.

Is acting always going to be first with you, or might you continue to direct?

PB: Acting is my priority. However, I really enjoyed directing and most definitely will do it again.

You put your soul into Avenue Q. Might you revive it at some point, if not at Group Rep then at some other theatre?

PB: I would love to revive it. I have all the puppets. I am sure people are tired of hearing me say it but I just love this show.

I understand you created puppets for The Man Who Came to Dinner -  penguins? -  as well. Is that true?

PB: No I was not involved in The Man Who Came To Dinner. I hear it is a wonderful production and I am looking forward to seeing it.

To read more about Patrick Burke and  especially his puppetry background, go to the link below to see an interview I did with him during the run of AVENUE Q last tummer..

https://grigwaretalkstheatre.blogspot.com/2019/06/director-patrick-burke-trained-atthe.html

2019 Interview with Doug Haverty

Actor/playwright Doug Haverty will become Group Rep's new artistic director in January 2020. In our conversation he tells our readers in great detail about the upcoming season and talks in depth about his vision for the theater.

How long have you been a member of Group Rep?

DH: I started in 1983, so 36 years.

What is it about being in the theater that drives you onward and upward?

DH: I guess I enjoy the challenge of it, the pushing that huge rock up a very steep hill and audience reaction when you get the rock up on that hill. I recently went to see one of my plays in Zurich, Switzerland. The producers wanted to introduce me before the show and I requested that they do that afterward. I just wanted to feel how the play went without the audience knowing an author was in the theater. The play was being performed in English and most people in Zurich speak French, German and then maybe some English. I had no idea how it would be received. I was very pleasantly surprised because they got every single joke. They were listening really intently. I didn’t know anyone there. No friends in the audience cheering, no supporters, no one. And I was struck by the question: what other artist gets to sit with an audience, anonymously, while that audience react to their art? Naturally, there are other elements impacting an audience’s reaction; actors, delivery, direction, etc. But it was pretty cool. If you’re a painter and you have a painting up in a gallery or a museum, a patron probably studies your piece for 10-20 seconds, silently. I got two hours of uproarious laughter and applause. It’s rare and I guess that audience reaction is what drives me.

Is Lonny Chapman's mission for the Group Rep theater still vital to the theater's operation?

DH: It will be because I intend to re-establish his playwrights unit and develop new plays and musicals with the same process that he used when I first joined in 1983.

You were in many of the plays this past season.

DH: Gosh, did it seem like that? I was in THE SECRET OF CHIMNEYS, LOOSE KNIT, and MAN/DINNER (downstairs) and NINE WINNING ONE-ACTS and OTHERWISE ENGAGED (upstairs). But we did 12 shows this season.

I know you work exceedingly hard for the company...

DH: Yes, as do others. We are a completely volunteer-run organization, so many people wear many hats and devote a lot of time to the running of the theater. It’s kind of cool when you stop to think about it; that there’s that kind of unselfish cooperation and like-minded goal orientation.

As the new artistic director what is your overall goal?

DH: I am going to try and maintain the status quo, initially. I’d like it to be a seamless transition. I have been on the Artistic Council for Larry Eisenberg and Chris Winfield and suggesting shows and reading plays and discussing themes, so I plan to keep that the same. As I mentioned earlier, I am going to re-establish Lonny’s playwrights unit and develop new plays and musicals. Chris Winfield has contributed immensely to the overall production of sets and the facility. Having him depart leaves a huge hole. I am going to look to young designers to give us creative, unusual and suggestive sets, so there may be a slightly different look to the shows, simply because we won’t be able to erect the majestic sets that Chris has built for us.

Do you see areas that need improvement?

DH: There is always room for improvement. I hope that each show will be a slight improvement on the previous one. I’m going to try and develop audience beyond our current reach.

What is your plan of attack?

DH: I would love to be able to improve/clean-up/spruce up our physical space. We are going to have to be very creative in how we raise the funds to accomplish this, but it’s a goal.

Are you happy with the play selections from season to season?

DH: I am pleased with the play selections because I was involved; although Larry and Chris did make the final decisions.

Do you think audiences have been pleased or do you need to cater more toward their likes and dislikes?

DH: For the most part, I think they have been pleased. Larry and Chris would usually do 4 or 5 safe bets and then a riskier play. For the first season under my watch, I am trying to present plays we can do well, plays that audiences will want to see (we hope) and plays that have not been over-exposed.

My personal feeling is the need for variety. Not too much Shakespeare but definitely some classics; not too much Neil Simon but maybe an array of Ayckbourn, Simon and some newer comedic and dramatic playwrights.

DH:: I love all those writers, especially Neil Simon and Alan Ayckbourn. And, I agree, variety is needed. What I discovered in arranging the 2020 season is that many new, modern, hip plays are not available to us because we are in Los Angeles. So, another challenge gets heaped on the pile.

Also, you need to attract a younger audience.

DH: Yes, yes, yes. It’s a delicate balance to keep our current audiences satisfied while trying to attract a younger demographic. We’ve tried to do that previously and our marketing campaign must have mis-fired because we didn’t reach that audience.

Is there a plan to bring some newer faces to the board who might express their opinions for change?

DH: We have a new, wonderful on-line marketing manager, Kristin Stancato, and I firmly believe she will be able to help us expand our audience beyond our current status.

Talk about the season coming up in detail.

DH: I am so excited about our new season. I appointed a five person Artistic Council and we looked at a lot of plays and musicals. 2020 is an election year and there will be lots of mud-slinging and speechifying and political craziness. So, we set out to find plays that would offer great escapism, so that our audiences could get away from Breaking News and all things political. We wanted to find plays that we could do well, that audiences would like to see (that haven’t been overdone) and plays that have some kind of feel-good, which will — we hope — engender good word-of-mouth.

We start out with a play that is near and dear to me. It’s a play I wrote and it was the first full-length play presented in our current facility. It’s called IN MY MIND’S EYE and it was the play I initially submitted to Lonny Chapman, and he developed it through his play development process. This play is a love story/memory play based on true events. A teacher of mine inspired it. My first day of junior high, was her first day of teaching and she was legally blind. Even then, I recognized that this was a brave woman. She fell in love with the English teacher next door. The play also deals with the blind teacher’s mother who has grown dependent on her special needs offspring.

Then we return to the world of Neil Simon. Mr. Simon inspired me as a young playwright and I even got to meet him when he was a guest speaker at his brother’s (Danny) writing class where I was a student. We are doing his LONDON SUITE, which is similar in structure to PLAZA SUITE and CALIFORNIA SUITE. It’s four unique plays that just happen to take place in the same suite in London. We also get to re-visit Sydney and Diana (whom we met in CALFIORNIA SUITE). Many people have not even heard of this play, so we are hoping people will enjoy discovering rather unfamiliar Simon wonderfulness. They are reviving PLAZA SUITE on Broadway with Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick. When they announced the production, Broderick said, “We all need a little Neil Simon now.” And we’re hoping that is true.

Then we’re doing a big, Broadway musical. This musical won the Tony Award in 1970, so this is its 50th Anniversary. Based on “All About Eve,” this musical is APPLAUSE. It has a wonderful score (by Charles Strouse who wrote BYE BYE BIRDIE and ANNIE), full of musical comedy classics and a sharp, witty book (written by Comden & Green who wrote ON THE TOWN and SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN). It’s a huge show and rarely done because it has so many mammoth production requirements. We’re going to do very theatrical presentation that still lets it live in all its glory.

TO GRANDMOTHER’S HOUSE WE GO by Joanna McClelland Glass will follow that. I saw this play in the early 90s on Broadway with Eva LaGalliene and Kim Hunter. I loved it. When I was working with the Colony, Barbara Beckley asked me to recommend a great American family drama and I told her about this play. Her subscribers loved it and she thanked me profusely every time I saw her after that. It’s about Grannie who’s trying to cope with widowhood and retirement and suddenly all her middle-aged children have to move back home due to financial hardships. So, it’s about that and also claiming your life and following your bliss regardless of what age you start. I think it’s even more timely today than it was when it originally presented.

I love mysteries and thrillers. We tried to get THE DESPERATE HOURS last year and it wasn’t available, but this year it is! This is a classic thriller, really well written about an all-American family who is held hostage in their own home by bank-robbers on the run. Based on the best seller by Joseph Hayes, the Broadway version starred Paul Newman and the film version starred Frederick March. Father, mother, daughter and son are captive and try to prevail over a terrifying situation. And the conclusion is breathtaking.

We close the season with a wonderful holiday treat by Ken Ludwig (who wrote LEND ME A TENOR). It’s part murder mystery, part thriller, part farce and part Christmas play. It’s called THE GAME’S AFOOT (HOLMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS) and it’s wonderfully theatrical and unpredictable. Ludwig is known for zany plays and this is no exception. We hope it will be the perfect holiday alternative confection for theatergoers.

That’s our mainstage season. We are also planning exciting things for Upstairs-At-The Group as well. We will start the season up there with TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Our current Artistic Director performed beautifully in this play last year at Sierra Madre Playhouse with direction by L. Flint Esquerra. So, we will be bringing this touching human story to North Hollywood.

We are continuing our series called NINE WINNING ONE-ACTS upstairs too. Writers from around the world submit ten-minute plays and we select nine. This has been a very successful endeavor and we hope it will continue to thrive.

When our building at 10900 Burbank opened in August 1984, our very first production was a program of one-acts called MOTEL 66. The plays were all written by our members (as opposed to Nine Winning One Acts which are outside submissions). The set is the exterior courtyard of a motel along Route 66, any city, any year.

Then we will close out the season upstairs with ORPHAN’S REVENGE, which is a good, olde-fashioned, musical melodrama complete with villain, hero, heroine and lively songs. This was done at Group Rep previously, written by one of our members and was tremendously successful. We’re hoping to repeat that rollicking success.

Change comes slowly if it is to be at all effective. What do you hope to accomplish in 2020?

DH: I hope to build our audiences, expand our audience and become the theater known for creating exciting new material (plays and musicals). I’d love it if people started coming to us to find new material.

Tell us about the award nominations for A Carol Christmas for BWW and Ovation Awards. Great show; you should be very proud!

DH: Yes, very proud of our BroadwayWorld Nominations for A CAROL CHRISTMAS. I was immensely proud of all aspects of that production. And equally thrilling was that we got to make an Original Cast Recording at Village Recorders (in the same studio where Fleetwood Mac recorded their iconic “Tusk” lp). It was very exciting for all involved and the CD sounds stunning.

It’s also very exciting to receive Ovation nominations for Book and Music/Lyrics. The Ovation voters are very tough and very critical, so just to have it nominated is really quite an honor.

Visit Doug at:

www.thegrouprep.com

2019 Interview with Kristin Towers Rowles

Actress Kristin Towers Rowles is also an amazing director. She is nominated this year for two BWW Awards. In the conversation that follows she talks about acting, directing and the meaningful choices she has made in her career so far.

(Kristin Towers Rowles, second from left)

Congratulations on your BWW Award nominations! Tell our readers in what categories you received them.

Thank you. I'm nominated for Best Actress in a Play (Local) for playing Hattie in Laundry and Bourbon at Group Rep and as Director of a Play (Local) for Directing the World Premiere of The Lost Virginity Tour at The McCadden Place Theatre.

If you had to choose winning one, which would that be? Why this choice?

That's a really difficult question..I am an actress, first and foremost. Even though I've done mostly Musical Theatre, my first love and what I feel I am best at is acting. I come from a family of performers so it's not so much a choice, it's who I am and what I know.

But I am also a Director...I became a director by just doing it...I've been in over 200 shows as a performer so I've learned by watching, gleening from the great people I've been blessed to work with. It was on-the-job training...so I feel the Directing Award nomination is even that much more prestigious. I took a show that had never been done and created an entire world. It was the World Premiere and it launched the show into orbit (more on that later). Actors who work with me as a Director say that they love my style...I approach everything from the ground up, I encourage "play", I am on their team.

Tell us about your next major stage project.

This is a really great time to answer that question!! As an actress, I was just offered a role in the long running show, The Manor produced thru Theatre 40 at The Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, Directed by the Brilliant Martin Thompson. I recently became a company member at Theatre 40 and this will be my first show with them. For more info, please go to www.theatre40.org

I am directing Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party at The Morgan-Wison in Santa Monica. This show is an incredible, sizzling 20s musical, perfect to usher in the new Roaring 20s. The show runs March 14-April 11, 2020 at the Morgan-Wixson. www.morgan-wixson.org.

I am so elated to announce that after directing the World Premiere of The Lost Virginity Tour in Los Angeles, I am being hired to direct the Franchise and National Tour. The writer, Cricket Daniel, was given the opportunity to take her show nationally by Jeanie Linders, who created Menopause the Musical. She chose me to be her Director. We had a blast developing the show in LA with our original cast and team. I'm very excited that this show has legs and will be seen on such a National scale. And that it's about older women...women in the age range of these characters have such rich stories to tell..this show celebrates them.

Talk about caroling this Christmas. You look amazing in your beautiful pre 20th century caroler costume. How many gigs do you do?

This is my 20th year working for the company I carol with, The Voices of Christmas. Many people assume that it is something that we do just for fun, but no it is actually a job and a very lucrative one. I spend most of my evenings in December at The Tam O'Shanter in Atwater Village or Lawry's in Beverly Hills. People come from all over California to dine and hear the carols... it's amazing! We also do Private events/Holiday Parties, office parties, wrap parties for TV shows...I've sung at Disney and been drawn by a Disney Animator. I've Christmas Caroled on the arm of a famous Rapper...it's a fun job and it brings joy to people...and I get to sing great music in a quartet with some of LA'S finest vocalists. Check us out at www.voicesofchristmas.com

If you had to choose, would you be a director or an actor? Why?

I have been asked this question so many times...I love both of my jobs so much!! I do know that if I absolutely HAD to give up one of the things I love, it would be directing because I can't imagine a life without performing. It's just a part of me. Luckily, I don't have to choose. I get to do both and I truly feel that one art form informs the other...my acting is given so much perspective because of my directing and my directing benefits from my knowledge as an actress. People want us all to do one thing only...why?? I'm good at both so I'm going to keep going. This is my unique path.

What project do you really want to do in the not too distant future?

I am in talks with a wonderful director in town to do The Bridges of Madison County and play Francesca. It is my dream role and it's perfect for where I am at right now...I'm a mom of teens, I'm not a 20 year old ingenue and I'm not "older"...and I'm a soprano...most modern musicals ignore true sopranos so it's something that is right for my sound. It's got one of the most gorgeous scores, written by Jason Robert Brown. I'm really hoping it happens.

Talk about the support of your family and their involvement in the industry. Cite your amazing daughters and their accomplishments.

I am very lucky to have an incredible support system..my husband, Ryan, is a musician and a music teacher. He plays 17 instruments proficiently! We have 3 beautiful daughters Ryanna (15), Makayla (14) and Amelya (12) all of our kids are artists in their own way. My older daughter is a visual artist/animator and a stage manager! She loves all things tech. My youngest daughter is a singer with a beautiful Soprano sound and a Kung Fu master...my middle daughter Makayla is my mini me. She is a Musical Theatre girl and she's currently studying Improv and Theatre in an Arts School in Downtown LA. All different, all talented in their own way.

Part of what keeps me going is knowing that my daughters are watching me. They have an example of a mom who continued to live her dreams, even after having children. This business is not kind to women as we age and I feel so fortunate for each and every opportunity to continue creating. Thanks to my friends and family who support my unconventional and on-the-go life. And thanks for your questions!

(Kristin with her husband and three daughters)

https://www.kristintowers-rowles.com/

2019 Interview with Doug Engalla

A Twisted Christmas Carol marks Doug Engalla's eighth production as Director at The Group Rep. Doug has worked with Phil Olson since 1997 on a number of productions, including five World Premieres in the Don't Hug Me series (most recently, as director of Don't Hug Me, We're Family in 2018), as well as the 2016 World Premiere of A Nice Family Christmas (featuring Tony Award-nominated actor, Marcia Rodd) at The Group Rep. A Twisted Christmas Carol is Doug's sixth World Premiere as Director with Phil Olson. Doug's cast of Phil Olson's A Nice Family Gathering - also in 2016 at The Group Rep - earned a Best Ensemble, Small Theatre nomination from the NAACP Theatre Awards. Doug's previous directing project at the Group Rep was for Neil Simon's Rumors in 2018. He is preparing to open A Twisted Christmas Carol this Sunday December 15.

You have such a great rapport with Phil Olson. Tell our readers about that.

DE: Well, for one thing, Phil and I are pretty close in age; only a few months apart. So, when it comes to comedy, I think we're not only similar by generation, but also by the mutual appreciation of the same kind of whacky, almost non-sequitur humor. There are times when we've worked on a project together, including this one; and during rehearsal notes, one of us will come up with something that we will both have had, in our separate notes. I also believe that the author should be present as we rehearse and develop the project. Phil has a specific vision and idea of timing. I learn from Phil with every project.

How many of his plays have you directed? Is there a favorite?

DE: I've directed a total of seven of his feature-length plays, one of his short plays, and co-directed one on which he collaborated with entertainer, Wayland Pickard. Of the seven feature plays, six are World Premieres. Whenever Phil has a new project coming, I never assume that he'll ask me to direct it, even after all of these years. But when he does ask, I am delighted, because I love his writing style. I also say, Yes.

I have several favorites of Phil's that I've directed; but, the one that holds very close to me, was the opportunity to direct A Nice Family Gathering in 2016. I co-produced (with Art Shulman) the World Premiere of that show at the Group Rep in 2001, and it was produced again in 2007 there. I knew that this is, to date, Phil's most personal work, as the characters were based on his own family; mixed with doses of humor, pathos, and whimsy, and I had always wanted to direct it. Not only did I get that opportunity, we switched out the original Norwegian-American family in the play and had an African-American cast, with very little change to the dialogue, and its poignancy unchanged.

In detail talk about the challenges you face in directing A Twisted Christmas Carol. Also, what similarities do you see here with the characters in the Don't Hug Me musicals.

DE: I was involved with the World Premiere of A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol as Co-Producer (with Stefanie Ibanez) and I also performed in the show as an alternate. Since A Twisted Christmas Carol is based on this episode in the Don't Hug Me series, I felt more connected to this material than I would for a new episode of Don't Hug Me. Early in the rehearsal process for Twisted, I would occasionally refer to one of the characters by their Don't Hug Me name! So, I do turn to my past experience to support the new show, and after that, find a way to make it a little different from its predecessor. Sometimes, though, you really do need to mirror what was done when A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol premiered in 2006.

To that end, all of the characters are very nearly direct transfers of the regular characters in the Don't Hug Me series, by their core definition. Phil and I understand their characters very well, even when placed outside of wild and wonderful Bunyan Bay, Minnesota; because we've learned that everyone shares the same feelings and basic human responses to their various situations.

Tell us about the actors playing the Scrooge character and the ghosts.

DE: Buford Johnson, our story's Scrooge, is played by Van Boudreaux, who is a longtime member of the Group Rep company. Van played the role of real-life Lou Costello in The Group Rep's 1995 production of Lou's on First; and I am happy to be working with him at long last. Van is funny, boisterous, and is a fountain of stories and information; the opposite of Buford's emotionally and financially reserved, cranky character. But, that's a testament to how Van takes Buford on his journey of transformation. As for the three ghosts, Phil used the same concept as he did in A Don't Hug Me Christmas Carol, by putting all three into the persona of Buford's rival of his own imagining - in this case, his former business partner, Hank Walker; who is played by the very talented Paul Cady, another longtime Group Rep member. This is also the first time I've worked with Paul; who is, in fact, from Texas.

Does Dickens' story hold up in substance or is A Twisted Christmas Carol mostly a lot of belly laughs?

DE: A Twisted Christmas Carol has belly laughs, to be sure, and not a day of rehearsal goes by without us laughing uproariously. But like much of Phil's work, there's some heart. There are no pretensions to this being a direct adaptation, but the themes of transformation and redemption, along with looking at what would happen if we made different choices in our lives, is still of the Dickensian cloth. It's about finding the real joy in our lives, which is often located where we see it the least; which is either right in front of us or in someone near to us.

Do you wish to add anything?

DE: A Twisted Christmas Carol is one of two shows to close out the Group Rep's 45th consecutive season, and it also comes at the conclusion of a decade-long tenure of Co-Artistic Directors Larry Eisenberg and Chris Winfield. I'm beyond words in expressing my gratitude to them, and the opportunities they have given to me, as well as their leadership to the Group Rep. Doug Haverty, who steps in as Artistic Director beginning next season, is a longtime member and colleague, and I'm looking forward to taking the next steps with the Company, under his creative leadership.

A Twisted Christmas plays December 15 - January 12. Saturdays at 4:00 pm. Sundays at 7:00 pm. Talk-backs after Sunday shows 12/21 and 01/04. For tickets and information: www.thegrouprep.com or (818) 763-5990. Upstairs at the Group Rep on the second floor of the Lonny Chapman Theatre, 10900 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood 91601. The Upstairs venue is not handicapped accessible.