LA 2014-15: Cicely Tyson in Bountiful, Dame Edna Farewell, Matilda, Cinderella, Buyer & Cellar, What the Butler Saw

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 9:02pm

Man, I have to say, hats off to Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles for planning a pretty stellar 2014-15 season* at the Ahmason and Mark Taper Forum with a combination of exclusive NY-to-LA transfers, national tour openings and original productions. I've been itching to leave LA for the last year. Who knew I'd be wanting to fly back to LA for the theatre! I mean:

Through July, 2015 at the Ahmanson we'll have:

Cicely Tyson in The Trip to Bountiful? Assumed Lifetime was going to be my only opportunity to see this performance.

Dame Edna's Farewell Tour? All the press Barry Humphries was doing in the UK seemed to indicate he was going into final retirement after wrapping up the UK tour. What a wonderful surprise to see that we'll get one more Stateside visit from this humble housewife.

The premiere engagement of the Matilda national tour. Very nice.

The Cinderella national tour. Not a huge surprise given that CTG was one of the producers of the Bway production, but still glad to see it on the list.

David Suchet in The Confession.

+ We Will Rock You (gross) and some new Riverdance bull****. (But no one's perfect)


And through December 2014 at the Mark Taper Forum we'll have:

Michael Urie in Buyer & Cellar. Fab!

A new production of Joe Orton's What the Butler Saw directed by Brit actor/director John Tilinger, a Joe Orton expert who won a Tony for directing Loot on Broadway. (I wonder if they're eying a NY transfer of this one.)

The premiere of Jordan Harrison's Marjorie Prime, directed by Tony winner Pam MacKinnon (also eying a NY transfer, I imagine)

+ The additional yet to be announced productions at the Mark Taper Forum and the Kirk Douglas Theatre for the winter/spring of 2015.


* Yes, I know that the Taper and Ahmason seasons have different calendars and that a few of these productions are technically from the 2013-14 season or are extra-season events.

[best12bars]

Posted: 2/13/14 at 9:52pm

Nice lineup!

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 12:47am

Excited about A Trip To Bountiful, Cinderella and sure I'll see Matilda again. Never saw We Will Rock You on any of my London trips so bi curious about that production. I mean, it's been running in the West End for as long as I can remember. Always a delight seeing David Suchet and that play, The Last Confession sounds interesting. Shame that Brian Bedford had to bow out

think the strongest season is at The Taper with Buyer & Cellar and What The Butler Saw

Great things that make up for that Riverdance stuff. I guess it sells but I'll sit that one out. Center Theater Group is great about dropping a show each season. And yeah, I'm dropping Riverdance 2.0

Now on to casting.....

[blaxx]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 2:52am

Is Dame Edna like Cher? Is she going to be retiring for the next 20 years?

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 2:53am

It's very easy to talk smack about Riverdance. It's an easy target. But if you've never seen it live, don't knock it. I saw it in Edinburgh about 12 years ago, went in a skeptic and came out a fan. They put on a helluva show.

As far as Dame Edna is concerned, ugh. Can't believe they're wasting a spot on an act that became tiresome years ago.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 9:05am

Sell that trout elsewhere, Bob. When I was last in the UK I didn't get to see Dame Edna's show at the Palladium ( was sold out both of the nights I had free), but she was doing a ton of media appearances and I was pleasantly surprised at how razor sharp Humphries' remained. Of course, he goes into any media appearance with a general script/tried and true material, but he didn't miss a beat when he had to improvise when a host would ask him a total left-field question or if he had to interact with another guest. I am delighted to see him back and look forward to getting pummeled with flying gladioli.

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 12:10pm

Barry Humphries turns 80 on Monday and has been playing this character since 1955. 1955! Almost 60 years!!! Even Sasha Baron Cohen knows when a character is played out and needs to be retired. I have no doubt Humphries is still sharp and can still improvise wonderfully in character but it's still the same character and it's still the same schtick. I may be wrong but isn't this the 2nd or 3rd "final" tour? It's inconceivable for me that there is any new ground to break with this character but much in the same way people will buy the 11th cookbook of a popular TV chef even though the recipes are just ever so slightly different from those in the 10 cookbooks they already own, people will still go to see Dame Edna do her "Hello Possums" routine for the 5th or 6th time.

But there appears to be a solution HorseTears. I suggest if you enjoy Dame Edna, you go see her and skip Heartbeat of Home which you so nicely described as "some new Riverdance bull****" and I'll go see Heartbeat and skip Dame Edna's 9th Farewell Tour. I think we'll both end up happy with our choices.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 12:36pm

I think that's a marvelous solution, Bob! :)

[Wildcard]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 12:48pm

I too am looking forward to seeing Dame Edna, likely for the last time.
I love dance programs (saw Sleeping Beauty this season) but I'm not terribly excited about Heartbeat of Home. I would have rather had another play or musical in its place.

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 1:07pm

Horse & Bob--

I'm perplexed by your mutual willingness to respect one another's opposing points of view without vituperative character assassination.

I'm not sure you quite "get" the way things work around here...

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 1:07pm

I'm so perplexed I posted twice, apparently....

Updated On: 2/14/14 at 01:07 PM

[FishermanBob]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 2:46pm

I know Addison and I'm sorry. At the risk of baring my soul, being too nice a guy is something I've struggled with most of my life. It's just *sobs* so hard sometimes. And I realize that simply and quietly choosing not to see a show that doesn't appeal to me instead of pissing and moaning endlessly about how bad it is, is wrong on so many levels. Again, all I can do is ask for your forgiveness.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 4:13pm

Shut the f*ck up, Bob.

Updated On: 2/14/14 at 04:13 PM

[Addison D.]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 4:50pm

Nice...

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 7:14pm

Bob, again I disagree that Dame Edna is mere schtick. Yes, the drag is schtick, but I sat through a 5-hour taping of her short-lived TV talk show and was on the floor laughing most of the time because of her off-camera ad libs.

Long after the schtick becomes familiar, Barry Humphries displays true wit.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 2/14/14 at 8:35pm

Poor Bob. I didn't mean for us all to pile on. You either get it or your don't, right? We all have different comedic sensibilities. It should be noted that this farewell tour has been a multi-character evening. The first act has featured several of Humprhies' other popular (though less well known) characters and the second act is entirely that of Dame Edna. I would assume that Barry Humphries will be doing the same thing for his US engagements.

BTW, anyone know if he's announced any other dates? I would imagine at a minimum he'd do NY and SF as well.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 4:37pm

Possums - if you're in SoCal, but not sure if you'll be free to see Dame Edna in LA early next year, she's doing some warm up gigs at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido (North San Diego County) next week. Fairly intimate 400 seat theatre. $30.




Tickets for Dame Edna in Escondido

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 4:46pm

and now that this thread has resurrected

Kudos for CTG getting Angela Lansbury in Blithe Spirit.

I saw it on Broadway a few years ago and understand this is the same version and cast that played in the West End.

Still looking forward to it.

[jwsel]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 4:59pm

Has anyone seen What the Butler Saw? It just started previews. I have tickets for next weekend.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 6:17pm

On the occasion of The Music Center's 50th anniversary, the LA Time's Charles McNulty offers Center Theatre Group some... constructive criticism on how to "elevate" CTG in the future. Good read. I wonder what the admin of CTG thinks of the article. I imagine the literary department isn't thrilled with it. Ha.




LA TIMES: Ambitious new work would help elevate Center Theatre Group Updated On: 11/14/14 at 06:17 PM

[broadwaybabywannabe2]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 7:48pm

BUYER AND CELLAR was simply fabulous!...worth the drive in from Palm Springs...i love the MARK TAPER FORUM

[VernonGersch]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 7:49pm

thanks for flagging this article.

I have to agree with a lot of what McNulty says in his piece. There are a slew of playwrights like Itamar Moses and Anne Baker whose work has received tremendous acclaim at Playwrights Horizon, those works would be well suited for this new era of theater going patrons. The young and not so young Urban Dwells of DTLA can find their stories and voices heard within the confines of The Taper. At the same time there is room for a revival like What The Butler Saw - so excited for that

I am all for revivals of classics, gives us a chance to see works we might have never seen live (although I can do without Shakespere)

[Wildcard]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 8:14pm

Since we're discussing LA, did anyone see 3D Theatricals' Ragtime with Rufus Bonds? Other than Rufus himself, I kinda liked this production better than the last Broadway revival. The 19-piece orchestra and 45-member cast worked beautifully together. Not to mention, they had better props than the Bway revival.

[HorseTears]

Posted: 11/14/14 at 8:20pm

Never heard of 3D Theatricals until now. Sounds like they're in the 'civic light opera' mold? Mix of equity and non-eq local talent, big production values. Seen anything else there?

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 11/15/14 at 3:15am

I saw 3-D Theatrical's Ragtime as well. Great production! I also saw their productions of Parade and Damn Yankees.