A-LISTS theatreby tony reverditto
NIGHTMARE ALLEY
“Come one, come all, step right up and witness first hand the eight wonders of
the world; don’t push, there’s plenty of room for everyone.” If you are a carnival fanatic with an affinity for the odd, then Nightmare Alley is for you, but to be hon- est, skeptics are welcome too. The world-premier musical is based on the William Lindsay Gresham seedy novel that was made into a 1947 film that flopped, but is now considered a cult classic. The dark tale (put to song) centers around Stanton Carlisle, an amoral carnie who scams alongside a phony fortune teller, Zeena and her alcoholic husband, Pete. Zeena pretends to read the minds of the curious and lures them to pay to see more carnival freak shows, but there is some freaky stuff going on behind the scenes as well. Runs: April 13 – May 23 at Geffen Playhouse, 10886 Le Conte Avenue, LA. Tickets: 310.208.5454 or geffenplayhouse.com.
JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS
French singer-songwriter, Jaques Brel was
HAIRSPRAY
Hairspray: The Musical is based on the John Waters 1988 hit film about
teen culture in the sixties. Hairspray, the movie starred Nikki Blonsky, John Travolta (as her mom) and Queen Latifah. The movie was adapted to the stage and won the Tony Award for Best Musical in 2003. A pleas- antly plump Baltimore teen, Tracy Turnblad dreams of just one thing; to dance on the popular Corny Collins Show. When Tracy wins a role on the show, she becomes a celebrity overnight. With her instant fame on the (American Bandstand-like) program comes a new-found confidence. She decides to dethrone the shows reigning “Teen Queen,” and then win the affections of heartthrob, Link Larkin. Somehow through her selfish pursuits, a more important issue arises; racial prejudice. Tracy decides to launch a campaign to integrate the show by making waves sure to bring change. Runs April 6-11 at Orange County Performing Arts Center, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tickets: 714.556.2787 or ocpac.org.
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RAGE monthly | APRIL 2010
an instant hit when Jacques Brel is Alive and Well
and Living in Paris made its debut in Greenwich Village in 1968. The insightful ballads went on to be produced as a moderately successful French film starring Brel in 1975. This forgotten musical treasure returns to L.A. after a long absence and brings a thought-provoking collection of songs. The live show is comprised of 35 insightful ballads that tell a story (with no dialogue) that re- flect upon various aspects of life, love, marriage, death, war and the like. Brel’s composition has an unmistakably Gallic sensibility, a potent mixture of romanticism, cynicism, world-weariness and jaunty whimsy. Runs April 7-May 9 at The Colony Theatre 555 N. 3rd St. Burbank. Tickets: 818.558.7000 or Colonytheatre.org.
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