French Stewart News

Stage Raw announces the nominations for its third annual awards show 'A Wake and Sing!,' coming Monday, May 15 to Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring Street, Downtown.

Prismal Productions has announced that HER OPPONENT, a dynamic new event that re-stages verbatim excerpts from three of 2016's deeply contentious presidential debates (replicating the actual text, gestures, and movements of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump with gender-reversed casting) is headed Off Broadway, for an open ended run in the Jerry Orbach Theatre at The Theater Center, 1627 Broadway, in Times Square.

Back by popular demand for a third season, the McCallum Theatre presents Palm Springs Legends III and the Legends Orchestra on Sunday, January 15, at 3:00pm. The top tribute artists honor the iconic stars who lived, and spent time, in the Palm Springs area - the legendary stars that made Palm Springs the place to be!

There are undoubtedly other productions worthy of merit in 2016 which I did not cover. This list is based only on what I saw and reviewed. (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories) No set, costume, technical awards. I leave that to the bigger awards and to the expertise of those who really know those fields inside out.

Sharon Lawrence (Rizzoli & Isles) and Barrett Foa (NCIS: Los Angeles) lead the list of celebrities who join event hosts French Stewart (3rd Rock from the Sun, Mom) & Vanessa Claire Stewart (Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara) as Skylight Theatre's Board of Directors celebrates the artistic achievements of Gary Grossman and the Skylight Theatre Company for this year's annual Skylight Salute being held December 4th at the Colony Theatre in Burbank.  

Members of Los Angeles' 'Pro99' movement, including actors Frances Fisher and Alfred Molina, spoke out today about the recent response leveled by Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional stage actors and stage managers, against its own Los Angeles members who are part of the movement.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the summer lineup for LookOut, a new multi-genre performance series, presenting a wide variety of work from a diverse array of voices, artists emerging and established alike. LookOut programming will take place throughout the summer in the 1700 Theatre, Steppenwolf's new 80-seat black box space at 1700 N Halsted St, which connects to the existing building.

Steppenwolf Theatre Company announced today the 2016/17 Season, the first to be curated by Artistic Director Anna D. Shapiro and the Steppenwolf artistic team. The new season brings many exciting changes that embrace expanded artistic offerings, flexibility and a diverse selection of experiences, featuring the ensemble in ways both familiar and new. In 2016/17, Steppenwolf will produce an expanded six-play Subscription Season, as opposed to the previous five-play season, in a new format that features four plays in the Downstairs Theatre with the opportunity for subscribers to choose between two productions in the Upstairs Theatre.

After a series of breakthrough plays such as Stoneface and Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara, which went on to larger venues and are still waiting in the wings for Broadway, the  brilliantly innovative Sacred Fools Theatre has moved into the remodeled Lillian Theatre on Santa Monica Boulevard. With the opening of this brand new space comes the world premiere of Padraic Duffy's Past Time, a wildly funny comedy about finding happiness and the beauty missing in one's life. The five-character ensemble are a marvel to watch under Jeremy Aldridge's smooth direction through March 26.

The Laguna Playhouse Artistic Director Ann E. Wareham and Hershey Felder Presents are thrilled to announce the fourth show in the Laguna Playhouse 2015-2016 season, Tony Award-winner Anthony Crivello and Vanessa Claire Stewart starring in LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA, written by Vanessa Stewart, Taylor Hackford & Jake Broder, choreography by Vernel Bagneris and directed by Taylor Hackford.  "Our subscribers and audiences are about the have the time of their lives as we transport them to 1950's Las Vegas and beyond and the incomparable song-stylings of Louis Prima and Keely Smith," says Wareham. LOUIS & KEELY: 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA will begin previews on Wednesday, February 24; will open on Saturday, February 27 and will run through Sunday, March 27, 2016 at the Laguna Playhouse, 606 Laguna Canyon Road in Laguna Beach.

Sacred Fools Theatre's inaugural production in their new home on Hollywood Theatre Row is Past Time, Padraic Duffy's World Premiere comedy. The production opens Friday, February 19th and runs through March 26th with previews February 12th, 13th and 14th.  Performances Fridays and Saturdays at 8 PM and Sundays at 3 PM. Tickets are available at www.sacredfools.org Tickets are $25 for regular performances, $15 for previews.

After nearly two decades, Sacred Fools Theater Company announces a departure from their East Hollywood birthplace of 660 N. Heliotrope Drive, and immediate relocation to Theater Row in Hollywood as the resident theater company for the space formerly known as the Elephant / Asylum Complex at 1076 North Lillian Way at Santa Monica Boulevard. Sacred Fools will be occupying and managing the entire establishment, including all five theater stages, beginning January 1, 2016.

The 2015 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the past 12 months, were presented on Monday, November 9 at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center. Among the many winners were the stars and creative team of Deaf West's SPRING AWAKENING, now on Broadway. Scroll down for photos from the arrivals, ceremony and after-party!

BREAKING THROUGH, a world premiere musical, features a book by Kirsten Guenther, and music and lyrics by Cliff Downs and Katie Kahanovitz. The production is choreographed by Tyce Diorio and directed by Sheldon Epps. Preview performances began October 27, 2015 with the official press opening on November 1, 2015 at The Pasadena Playhouse (39 S. El Molino Avenue in Pasadena). BroadwayWorld brings you a first look at opening night on the red carpet below!

Actors' Equity Releases Statement Re: Equity Waiver Lawsuit, Asner vs. Actors' Equity

French and Vanessa Claire Stewart have been set to host the 2015 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 9 at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center. Red carpet arrivals begin at 6pm and the curtain will rise at 7:30pm.

As BroadwayWorld reported this weekend, members of the Los Angeles theatrical community have filed a lawsuit today against Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers, challenging the Union's decision to eliminate its 25-year-old waiver of jurisdiction over small 99-seat theaters, a program popularly known as Equity Waiver.

This just in from actors and other members of the Los Angeles theatrical community who filed a lawsuit today against Actors' Equity Association, the union of professional actors and stage managers. The lawsuit challenges the Union's decision to eliminate its 25-year-old waiver of jurisdiction over small 99-seat theaters, a program popularly known as Equity Waiver. Plaintiffs claim that the Union's decision to end Equity Waiver will unfairly destroy small theater in Los Angeles and deprive thousands of actors of opportunities to collaborate on creative theatrical projects.

Ed Asner, Dakin Matthews and Kristen Vangsness are among the celebrities who will be in attendance at a street party scheduled to take place on Sunday, Oct. 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at NoHo Plaza in North Hollywood.

Continuing in a tradition of storytelling and music, Hershey Felder announces the star cast for the Chicago stage premiere of Academy Award winning director Taylor Hackford's LOUIS AND KEELY, 'LIVE' AT THE SAHARA.