<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Once on This Island Archives - Cultural Attaché</title> <atom:link href="https://culturalattache.co/tag/once-on-this-island/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://culturalattache.co/tag/once-on-this-island/</link> <description>The Guide to Arts and Culture events in and around Los Angeles</description> <lastBuildDate>Wed, 13 May 2020 19:36:24 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-US</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2</generator> <item> <title>Laura Benanti and Kristen Bell Celebrate the Best in Us</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/05/laura-benanti-and-kristen-bell-celebrate-the-best-in-us/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/05/laura-benanti-and-kristen-bell-celebrate-the-best-in-us/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 05 May 2020 15:55:53 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Musicals: 5-6-7-8]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Streaming]]></category> <category><![CDATA[#SunshineSongs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Anything Goes]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Beauty and the Beast]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Disney]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Encore!]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Godspell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Grease]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Khadija]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kristen Bell]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Laura Benanti]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Once on This Island]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Greatest Showman]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=8870</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Sunshine Songs<br /> <br /> sunshinesongs.com<br /> <br /> Encore!<br /> <br /> Disney+</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/05/laura-benanti-and-kristen-bell-celebrate-the-best-in-us/">Laura Benanti and Kristen Bell Celebrate the Best in Us</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[ <p>It’s an interesting time for fans of the performing arts. Yes, we have tremendous access to see primarily filmed performances in all fields. But there’s something slightly missing from those experiences. There’s that intangible component that makes it feel as if the people we see on stage are truly flesh and blood. Fortunately Tony Award-winning actress <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/01/08/tony-winner-laura-benanti-strips-away-everything-to-reveal-herself/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Laura Benanti (opens in a new tab)">Laura Benanti</a> (<em>Gypsy</em>, <em>My Fair Lady)</em> and Kristen Bell (<em>Frozen</em>, <em>Veronica Mars)</em> have two projects that remind us of the humanity behind the humanities.</p> <div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="alignleft size-medium"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="300" height="169" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-300x169.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-8873" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Laura-Benanti-2-Her-website.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption>Laura Benanti (Courtesy of her website)<br></figcaption></figure></div> <p></p> <p>Over the weekend, Benanti hosted the first <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Sunshine Songs (opens in a new tab)" href="https://sunshinesongs.com" target="_blank">Sunshine Songs</a> concert online. Recognizing that school productions all around the country were being postponed due to the pandemic, she encouraged young performers to send her videos of the performances they would have given had the shows not been canceled. She received over 6,000 videos and the video that started it all has been viewed over 4 million times.</p> <p>Saturday’s event was the first of many events according to what Benanti said during Sunshine Songs. Let’s hope so. There’s so much joy to embrace here.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Laura Benanti Shares Students' Musical Performances Online After School Productions Were Canceled" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tEZaZynLpM0?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>During her livestream event, we got to see many of those videos and hear directly from a couple of the kids whose performances were shown. Getting to see 17-year-old Khadija talk passionately about wanting to perform <em>Once on This Island</em>, and then get to see her completely nail a song from the show, was a much-needed reminder that the passion and enthusiasm for the arts starts young. And I agree with Benanti, this young lady will be on a Broadway stage in the future.</p> <p>Watching the passion of the youngest performers (particularly 9-year-old Parker singing “This Is Me” from <em>The Greatest Showman</em>) reminded me of my own participation in school shows so many years ago. It also awakened in me that desire to do more, be more and celebrate life more.</p> <p>Awakened desires is also a part of <em><a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Encore! (opens in a new tab)" href="https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/show/encore" target="_blank">Encore!</a></em>, a series on Disney+ that is hosted by Kristen Bell. The premise is simple: the high school cast of a musical is reunited – after as many as 40 years – and has less than one week to remount the production under the guidance of professional directors, choreographers and music directors.</p> <p><em>Encore!</em> first started airing in November of last year. I only recently became aware of the show after a friend told me how moved she was by it. Simply put, I can’t get enough and hope there will be many more seasons of the show.</p> <figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper"> <iframe title="Encore! | Official Trailer | Disney+ | Start Streaming Now" width="696" height="392" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VgR3DLLm_j4?feature=oembed&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe> </div></figure> <p>On a fundamental level each episode functions as a reunion. Like all reunions, these are filled with joy, tears, old issues rearing their ugly heads and expectations there are as high as the pressure to get it right. Each cast must sort all those things out while coming together to perform musicals like <em>Grease</em>, <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, <em>Godspell</em>, <em>Anything Goes</em>. It is pure joy.</p> <p>I found myself rooting for each and every one of them to succeed, often times in spite of their insecurities, challenges or limitations. But there are two more extremely powerful components to each episode of <em>Encore!</em></p> <p>First and foremost is the concept of second chances. This show absolutely gives every adult not just a chance to relive their youth, but to rediscover the excitement found in performing live theatre. Will they be as good as they were in high school? Might they be better? Can they all sing or dance? Of course not. Do you remember your high school shows? Nonetheless, each adult gets another opening of another show.</p> <p>The second and more powerful component in this time of crisis (and perhaps why the show resonates on such an emotional level) is the idea that no matter our circumstances, the choices we have made or where our lives have taken us, we are all so much stronger and more powerful when we work together. That sense of camaraderie is the very heartbeat that pulses through each and every episode.</p> <p>When viewed on the same weekend, as I did, <em>Sunshine Songs</em> and <em>Encore!</em> demonstrate that no matter what your age, coming together to create something bigger than ourselves is amongst the most noble of pursuits. Passion prevails. And with a song in your heart, it’s all so much more fun.</p> <p>Photo of Kristen Bell courtesy of Disney+</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/05/laura-benanti-and-kristen-bell-celebrate-the-best-in-us/">Laura Benanti and Kristen Bell Celebrate the Best in Us</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2020/05/05/laura-benanti-and-kristen-bell-celebrate-the-best-in-us/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>An Evening with Lillias White</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/14/an-evening-with-lillias-white/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/14/an-evening-with-lillias-white/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 14 Jan 2020 22:10:31 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Come to the Cabaret]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Feinstein's at Vitello's]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fela]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lillias White]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ma Rainey's Black Bottom]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mark Taper Forum]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Once on This Island]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Samueli Theatre]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Segerstrom Center for the Arts]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Life]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=7729</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Samueli Theatre at Segerstrom Center for the Arts<br /> <br /> January 23rd - January 25th</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/14/an-evening-with-lillias-white/">An Evening with Lillias White</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>If you saw the production of August Wilson’s <em>Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom</em> at the Mark Taper Forum in 2016, you know how powerful a performer Lillias White is. Or perhaps you saw her in the musicals <i>Fela!</i> or <em>Once on This Island</em> or in her Tony Award-winning role in <em>The Life</em>. She is the epitome of an actress who can sing and a singer who can act as you will witness in <a href="https://feinsteinsatvitellos.ticketfly.com/e/an-evening-with-lillias-white-85288956565/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>An Evening with Lillias White</em></a>.</p> <p>White takes to the stage at Feinstein’s at Vitello’s on Friday night for the first of four local concerts. Next week she has three performances at the <a href="https://www.scfta.org/events/2020/lillias-white" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Samueli Theatre</a> at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.</p> <p>White is not just a talented performer, she’s an intelligent one. She chooses material wisely and specifically. She obviously knows her way around a show tune:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/geZSrh8dYtI" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>She can show you exactly why a standard is a standard:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/3E3ewMQE808" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>And she can prove her teacher Mrs. Jacobson wrong in the best possible way:</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/jdtqIGZ3j2Y" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>Thankfully she didn’t listen to Mrs. Jacobson. Go see <em>An Evening with Lillias White</em> to hear what her teacher didn’t understand.</p> <p>For tickets to Friday’s show at Vitello’s go <a href="https://feinsteinsatvitellos.ticketfly.com/e/an-evening-with-lillias-white-85288956565/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>For tickets at Samueli Theatre go <a href="https://www.scfta.org/events/2020/lillias-white" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Photo of Lillias White courtesy of the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.</p> <p> </p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/14/an-evening-with-lillias-white/">An Evening with Lillias White</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2020/01/14/an-evening-with-lillias-white/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>An Evening with Lea Salonga</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/20/an-evening-with-lea-salonga/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/20/an-evening-with-lea-salonga/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 20 May 2019 14:00:00 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Come to the Cabaret]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[54 Below]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Aladdin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Allegiance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Blurred Lines]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lea Salonga]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Les Miserables]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Miss Saigon]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Mulan]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Once on This Island]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Soraya]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tony Award]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://culturalattache.co/?p=5551</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>The Soraya<br /> <br /> May 22nd - 23rd</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/20/an-evening-with-lea-salonga/">An Evening with Lea Salonga</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><figure id="attachment_5552" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-5552" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-5552" src="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-300x169.jpg" alt="Lea Salonga performs two nights at The Soraya" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Lea-Salonga-Raymund-Isaac.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-5552" class="wp-caption-text">Lea Salonga (Photo by Raymond Isaac)</figcaption></figure></p> <p>If you have children you might know Lea Salonga from her work as the voice of Jasmine in Disney’s animated film <em>Aladdin</em> or the voice of Fa Mulan in Disney’s <em>Mulan</em>. If you are a theatergoer, you might know her from her Broadway debut in <em>Miss Saigon</em> as Kim (for which she won a Tony Award) or from her two stints in <em>Les Misérables</em> or for the musical <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/03/06/george-takeis-allegiance-musical-japanese-american-internment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Allegiance</em></a>. Recently she appeared in the Tony Award-winning revival of <em>Once On This Island</em>.</p> <p>Lea Salonga returns Wednesday & Thursday to The Soraya for <a href="https://www.thesoraya.org/calendar/details/lea-salonga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two concerts</a> where she will celebrate her life and her film and stage career. Just as she does in this medley she performed Live at 54 Below in New York in 2016.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/GaeNap2rirk" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>In 2017 she released <em>Blurred Lines</em>, an album that found Salonga performing songs by The Beatles, Rodgers & Hart, The Gershwins, John Legend, Pharrell Williams and more. Like the clip above, it was recorded live at 54 Below.</p> <p>Which is to say, the best way to experience Lea Salonga is live and in person. She’s previously played one night concerts at The Soraya. This is her first two-night engagement at the venue in Northridge.</p> <p>You can safely assume her set list will now include a song or two from <em>Once on This Island</em> where she played The Goddess of Love.</p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/YRHW7WYmS1M" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>The only available tickets at press time for the May 22nd performance are re-sale tickets. You can find them <a href="https://www1.ticketmaster.com/an-evening-with-lea-salonga-northridge-california-05-22-2019/event/0B00524BB42323B1?CAMEFROM=CFC_THESORAYA_WEB_EVENTPAGE_BUYBUTTON&brand=soraya&_ga=2.112774212.1745936969.1558289310-1713585650.1558289310#efeat6916" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>For tickets for the May 23rd performance (and there are very few left) can be found <a href="https://www1.ticketmaster.com/event/0B005595E3203941?CAMEFROM=CFC_THESORAYA_WEB_EVENTPAGE_BUYBUTTON&brand=soraya&_ga=2.183626982.1745936969.1558289310-1713585650.1558289310#efeat6916" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p> <p>Main Photo by Luis Luque/Courtesy of The Soraya</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/20/an-evening-with-lea-salonga/">An Evening with Lea Salonga</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2019/05/20/an-evening-with-lea-salonga/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Is It A Hard-Knock Life Directing “Annie?”</title> <link>https://culturalattache.co/2018/07/17/hard-knock-life-directing-annie/</link> <comments>https://culturalattache.co/2018/07/17/hard-knock-life-directing-annie/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Craig Byrd]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Tue, 17 Jul 2018 16:22:09 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Musicals: 5-6-7-8]]></category> <category><![CDATA[What's Hot]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Ana Gasteyer]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Annie]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol]]></category> <category><![CDATA[David Allen Grier]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Kaylin Hedges]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Lea Salonga]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Megan Hilty]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Merrily We Roll Along]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Michael Arden]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Once on This Island]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Roger Bart]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Spring Awakening]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Steven Webber]]></category> <category><![CDATA[The Hollywood Bowl]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">http://culturalattache.co/?p=3452</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>"I thought that seems a strange choice having me direct Annie - which is why I wanted to do it. "</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/07/17/hard-knock-life-directing-annie/">Is It A Hard-Knock Life Directing “Annie?”</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When you’ve come off a three-show run of highly-acclaimed productions as a director, what would prompt someone to tackle putting together a musical in two weeks? Not just any musical, but a big, splashy musical that features a lot of kids and a dog named Sandy. Well that’s precisely what Michael Arden is doing this summer. Next week there will be three performances of <a href="https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/383/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Annie</em> at the Hollywood Bowl</a> beginning Friday, July 27th.</p> <p><figure id="attachment_3464" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3464" style="width: 282px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-3464 " src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-300x169.jpg" alt="Michael Arden directed Broadway's "Once On This Island"" width="282" height="159" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Once-on-this-Island.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 282px) 100vw, 282px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3464" class="wp-caption-text">Once on This Island<br /> (L-R): Emerson Davis,Lea Salonga, Alex Newell,<br /> Quentin Earl Darrington, and Merle Dandridge. (c) 2017 Joan Marcus</figcaption></figure></p> <p>Arden was a recent nominee for Best Director of a Musical for the revival of <em>Once on This Island</em> that is <a href="https://www.onceonthisisland.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently playing</a> at the Circle in the Square Theatre in New York City. Though he didn’t win, the production surprised a lot of people by winning the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical. (<a href="http://carouselbroadway.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Carousel</em></a> and <a href="https://www.lct.org/shows/my-fair-lady/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>My Fair Lady</em></a> were the other nominees.) Prior to <em>Once on This Island</em> Arden directed <em>Merrily We Roll Along </em> at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. His production with Deaf West Theatre of <em>Spring Awakening</em> transferred from the Wallis to Broadway. He earned a Tony nomination for that show.</p> <p>I recently spoke with Arden by phone as he was going between meetings about <em>Annie </em>and meetings with actor Jefferson Mays about <a href="http://geffenplayhouse.org/more_info.php?show_id=278" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol</em></a> which will open at the Geffen Playhouse in late October.</p> <p><figure id="attachment_3466" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3466" style="width: 696px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-3466 size-large" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-1024x576.jpg" alt="Michael Arden directs "Annie" at the Hollywood Bowl" width="696" height="392" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Arden-2.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 696px) 100vw, 696px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3466" class="wp-caption-text">Michael Arden (Photo by Luke Fontana/Courtesy of grapevine public relations)</figcaption></figure></p> <p>When I spoke with <a href="http://culturalattache.co/2014/07/30/hair-hollywood-bowl-bringing-adam-shankman-tears/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Shankman</a> about the production of <em>Hair</em> that he directed in 2014 he said, “I don’t want to cry in this interview, but I vastly underestimated the amount of work.” Do you realize what you’ve gotten yourself into?</p> <p><strong>I keep turning to members of the team saying “I’m not sure I can do this.” I’m terrified. It’s a huge show and children and dogs and a short amount of time and a big orchestra. I guess admitting you don’t know quite what you are doing is the first step.</strong></p> <p><figure id="attachment_3467" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3467" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3467" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-300x169.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Annie-Orig-Broadway_.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3467" class="wp-caption-text">Andrea McArdle and Reid Shelton in the original Broadway production of “Annie” (Photo by Martha Swope/Courtesy of the New York Public Library Digital Collections)</figcaption></figure></p> <p>What was it about doing this particular musical, <em>Annie</em>, that appealed to you?</p> <p><strong>Getting to make something on a big scale. The producers reached out and said, “Do you want to do this.” That’s not a show I ever wanted to direct. I was in it as a little kid. I thought that seems a strange choice having me direct <em>Annie</em><em> </em>– which is why I wanted to do it. It’s a challenge and to do it in a venue I so love. It seemed like a quick “yes.”</strong></p> <p><figure id="attachment_3465" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3465" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3465" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-300x169.jpg" alt="Michael Arden directed "Spring Awakening"" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Spring-Awakening.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3465" class="wp-caption-text">“Spring Awakening” – the Deaf West Production (Courtesy of The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts)</figcaption></figure></p> <p><em>Spring Awakening</em>, <em>Once on This Island</em> and <em>Merrily We Roll Along</em> are all shows that had a loyal fan base, but not of them were as popular as <em>Annie</em>. How do you manage expectations die-hard fans have of the show yet still make it something beyond what only loyalists might expect?</p> <p><strong>I don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel. It’s a wonderful show that is always timely, but appears to be more so in the current climate. My job is to make something incredibly clear and honor this amazing score with amazing singers and actors. </strong>[Amongst the cast members are Ana Gasteyer, David Allen Grier, Megan Hilty, Roger Bart, Lea Salonga and Steven Webber. Kaylin Hedges (seen singing “Tomorrow” in the video below) plays “Annie.”] <strong>I think the reason we go to the theater is to see something live and new. So people expecting to see the same thing might as well go to Blockbuster and find it closed. The musical is quite different from the movie, so I’m happy to do service and homage to these great writers.</strong> [Charles Strouse, Martin Charnin, Thomas Meehan.]<strong> Some musicals beg for a context outside </strong><b>themselves. I don’t think this does.</b></p> <p><figure id="attachment_3475" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3475" style="width: 300px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-3475 size-medium" src="http://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-300x169.jpg" alt="Director Michael Arden faces the 18,000 seat capacity of The Hollywood Bowl" width="300" height="169" srcset="https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-300x169.jpg 300w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-768x432.jpg 768w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-696x392.jpg 696w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-1068x601.jpg 1068w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along-747x420.jpg 747w, https://culturalattache.co/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Merrily-We-Roll-Along.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3475" class="wp-caption-text">Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Directed by Michael Arden. Pictured: Aaron Lazar (center) with ensemble. Photo credit: Kevin Parry for The Wallis.</figcaption></figure></p> <p>You are directing a show that will play to 18,000 people each night. Does your vision have to play to the back row or just to the monitors that sandwich the stage?</p> <p><strong>It has to do both. You have to honor the fact we are all here together watching a live </strong><b>experience. You want people to watch the stage and know what’s going on. If people want to see people’s faces they are going to watch the monitor. This many people a night seeing <em>Annie</em> is exciting. When that many people gather together to witness a work of art something really beautiful happens. The message of the show and instilling hope into that many hearts is really exciting. To see a little girl bring together a Democrat and a Republic with hope and benevolence is something that many people will be watching.</b></p> <p>How do you think lines like “I’ve decided that if my Administration’s going to be anything, it’s going to be optimistic about the future of this country” and the concept of a child separated from her parents and is trying to find them will play in today’s political landscape?</p> <p><strong>Oh, I think it’s going to be impossible to not hear those words echo through the theatre and see what’s going on. When our administration views children separated from parents as a hindrance as opposed to an opportunity, that’s a misstep and hopefully that’s what we’ll explore. It’s a different world than when I said “yes” to the project. It will be a different world </strong>[when the show opens.] <strong>It’s not my job to make it about what’s happening now, but to do <em>Annie</em> and the work on the page. The audience will come and see the world in the story.</strong></p> <p><iframe loading="lazy" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XnF5VySwNMU?rel=0" width="560" height="315" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></p> <p>With this fall’s <em>A Christmas Carol</em> and <em>Annie</em> you have two shows that have Christmas a part of the story. What is the gift that <em>Annie</em> is giving you as a director?</p> <p><strong>I think it is giving me an opportunity to satisfy my ego or the feeling like I need to put my ideas forth. It’s letting me honor something that’s wonderful and great and do the simplest and clearest work I can do. That’s a gift. Do things I want. I’ve had two kids in a show, but I’ve never had seven. It’s me breaking in a new skill set on a very large stage. It’s like the gift parents give the kid when they push them into the pool and say “swim.”</strong></p> <p>Next week look for our interview with Roger Bart about his role as “Rooster” in <em>Annie</em>.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://culturalattache.co/2018/07/17/hard-knock-life-directing-annie/">Is It A Hard-Knock Life Directing “Annie?”</a> appeared first on <a href="https://culturalattache.co">Cultural Attaché</a>.</p> ]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://culturalattache.co/2018/07/17/hard-knock-life-directing-annie/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel> </rss>