It is a rare kind of joke that remains funny after twenty years. It is a certain mark of comedic genius, then, when a joke is funny thirty years later, told in the form of a “comedic oratorio” accompanied by the LA Philharmonic. Yet such a feat was accomplished in style Saturday night, when Monty Python’s Eric Idle led the second consecutive performance of Not the Messiah (He’s a Very Naughty Boy), based on the 1979 Python film Life of Brian, at the Hollywood Bowl.

Idle and composer John Du Prez (who also worked on the Tony-winning Spamalot) masterfully reworked the story of Brian Cohen, a nice Jewish boy born on the same day as Jesus Christ and mistakenly followed as the messiah. Du Prez conducted the LA Philharmonic through classical rip-offs, gospel, and doo wop, while the Pacific Chorale, four soloists, and Idle carried the story.

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Theatre 40’s production of Lost in Yonkers is a heartwarming and thought provoking portrayal of Neil Simon’s Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play.

The theme of a family struggling and pulling together to survive during times of war, and the poverty and uncertainty that war brings with it, is just as relatable and timely as that of the family members’ personalities differences, motivations and histories creating a dysfunction that affects the family’s growth. The play is set in Yonkers, New York in 1942 during WWII, although Simon published it as America was entering into the Gulf War in Middle East in 1991. The story uncovers many tragic moments of this family’s past and the oppressive effects it has on each members’ present and future, expertly written under the guise of a comedy.
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Hillbilly hilarity: Less teeth - More cartwheels. Easy targets flattened like roadkill that have nowhere to hide.

The ‘play within a play’ can be an inventive canvas, albeit, when the former has something relevant to convey that impacts the latter. Not the case here. There is nothing to be learned, revealed or pondered. It’s just a hick sitcom for hick-sake.

As the playbill states, ‘It’s an intimate look at clashing egos on and off-stage, as a cast of misfits prepare to mount the story of small-town boy’s attempt to win a cheerleader’s heart.’ The boy, being the playwright, directing his upbringing for the stage.

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The Rubicon Theater on Main Street in downtown Ventura has outdone itself for this season, promising to renew its fabulous International Theater Festival again next summer. If you missed it this time, start marking your summer calendar for 2009 now. The festival offered twenty-three striking events in sixteen days, most at moderate prices. The two that I attended were among four sessions offered absolutely free. Bi-lingual Spanish romantic comedy, Ivory Coast political intrigue, Israeli “Spanish Inquisition” drama, scholarly Beckett interpretation, soul-searching cabaret sing-out in the round, a former Cirque du Soleil French mime, and much more grace a variety of Ventura’s most delightful settings. This festival is for lovers of seaside towns, charming architecture, quality theater, and international flavor.

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Somewhere inside of me I hear a voice warning “ Respect your elders!” I have to ignore that voice because all the actors playing in Long Day’s Journey into Night are elder than I. Maybe I can go about this in a respectful way…But I’ve heard that the truth shall set me free…Argh! What to do?

The set for this piece was astonishing. I was so overwhelmed by the stage and set design that I took several pictures on my phone. I wanted to revisit these later like a handful of shells collected during a day at the beach. These pictures of the beautiful set would be a nice reminder of a wonderful experience. I was so excited by the scenery and set that my expectations jumped even higher than they already were. I mean this is an American classic; a heartbreaking look into a family’s struggle to deal with substance addiction. I’ve been looking for someone to bring the pain. Here it was; the perfect play for some pain to be brought. Sadly the set was the most painful (astonishingly good) part of this production.

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Located on the second floor on the 6700 block on Hollywood Boulevard is the home of International Dance Academy. Nestled snugly above and across the Ripley Museum between Highland and McCadden Place, it is conveniently accessible to those looking for it. Having arrived fresh off the Metro Red Line last Wednesday evening, I didn’t know what to expect - other than perhaps leotards, gym bags, and some good beats - but let’s just say that the first impression most definitely delivered.

Passing through its narrow unassuming entrance and up two flights of stairs is revealed to the public a different view than that which could be suggested from standing on the street. If Heaven were a dance studio, this would be the place. With many rooms and glistening wooden floors, crystal clear windows with a view of the city, and a central hub with which to run into fellow students from all walks, it is easily a place that any burgeoning talent could call home. Of course, any reputable studio is entitled to its share of self-acknowledged splendor, but a highlighted feature was pleasing to this observant femme - while its name graces every other wall in red-and-black print, the message and aura is simple: ‘It’s so nice to have you here with us. Let’s dance’.

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Contrary to popular belief, tragedies and comedies do not have to be separate dramatic entities. It only takes a glance at this weekend’s theater picks to see that not every play can be classified in specific genre boxes (OK, so it’s pretty pretty easy to deduce given the title of “The Comical Tragedy…”). Go ahead and blur the theater lines by checking out The Next Big Thing, The Comical Tragedy or the Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch, Marx in Soho, and Dupe!

The Next Big Thing - Show tunes either come in the variety of tacky, cheeseball Julie Andrews dancing through grassy fields or tongue-in-cheek campiness a la “Hairspray” and “Dreamgirls,” right? “The Next Big Thing” defies those expectations, however, by featuring a soundtrack of 1980s rock. The story of a teenager striving to write a song that transcends a one-hit wonder, this breezy play takes the liberty to play with 1980s conventions while addressing timeless themes of creating immortality through music.

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Love Hurts: May I have another? Love Hurts: May I have another?

Suicide- Abortion- Homosexuality: Aaahh youth!
Like a stiff salesman traveling thru Tulsa: Teens needs sex no matter what the face of fate.

This highly imaginative production paints a moral space as an illuminated womb where the only way out is by kicking and screaming. Is there anything more sensual than curiosity? A trio of youths rage to find romance hoping to conquer what their parents feared most: Satisfaction.

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Celebrate the power of the individual this weekend with a slew of original and traditional shows that show how it can take only one person to tell a story or make an impact. It may sound cheesy, but in theater, one actor can tell a more effective story than a stage of twenty. Read below for more information about It’s Great 2B_N American, Happy Hour, Assassins, and Shift Happens: A (Piece of) Work in Progress!

It’s Great 2B_N_American - Living as a minority in America can be tough, but returning to one’s home country as an American can be even tougher. In a one-man show, Dan Kwong tells the story of his travels in Asia and how his identity as an Asian-American shaped not only his perspectives upon Asia, but the perspectives Asians had of him. Chock full of props, video, and sound effects, this show’s 21st century intentions create a universally appealing show.

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Opening night bumps made for a stormy journey for “Refuge from the Storm,” but it is an easy and interesting ride overall. The play seems simple enough. Bert (Austin Graham) and Martha (Barbara Keegan) work at a tavern on the sea cliffs of Maine. Todd (Seth Caskey), sitting on a bar stool beside his friend Joe (Rod Davidson), is mourning over his father’s recent death. The bar closes for the night and into the empty tavern enters Doris (Gretchen Koerner) and Tom (Michael Harrity), an unhappily married couple. Their boat has crashed on the rocks and they are lucky to have made it to shore. Throughout the night a series of characters come into the bar: Michael (Dane Bowman), a seaman; Eileen (Kassandra Woodley-Connolly), daughter of the owner of the bar; Jim (David Love), an accountant, together with Candy (Chase McKenna), a cheerful prostitute; and Father Gray (Steve Gunning), a priest.

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The dulcet infectious lyrics of the Wet Spots, “Do You Take it in the Ass,” are Lili VonSchtupp’s cue to start the show. Dressed in a black slip which leaves little to the imagination, Lili takes to the stage, bends to the floor with her ass facing the crowd, and points her finger. The music disappears and Lili faces the audience. She welcomes the crowd, simultaneously sounding off a dozen or so expletives, just, as she says, to get them off her chest. She’s now ready to start the show. This is Monday Night Tease, Los Angeles longest running weekly Burlesque show at the 3 Clubs on Santa Monica and Vine. 3 Clubs is a two roomed joint with a long bar in one room, where a sliding door takes you into the second room. Here you will find plenty of comfy couches in swanky booths, spacious tables, an elevated stage, and generous bar.

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Considering The School for Scandal debuted in 1777, the latest production at Topanga Canyon’s Theatricum Botanicum feels remarkably in tune with the times. Once your ears begin processing the rapid-fire stream of five-dollar words, it’s hard to ignore that the gossip and defaming have merely changed venues, from the salons of the 18th century to the blind items and frothing immediacy of the blogosphere.

If Jane Austen captured the passive-aggressive nature of British society, then “Scandal” is clearly a man’s play on it. The show made an overnight sensation of its writer Richard Brinsley Sheridan (who’s bio reads like a sequel to “Barry Lyndon”), and it’s a fitting creation of a mad genius in his twenties.

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