The last month of the year, filled with holiday shopping, existential dread, and about half a dozen versions of a Christmas Carol. However, there are still plenty of shows to see to help you escape, and only one version of A Christmas Carol on this newsletter.
*shows with asterisks are produced by companies that have signed the LA Anti-Racist Theatre Standards, encourage your favorite company to sign the standards today! Companies that have signed the standards get prioritized on these roundups!
Outside In Theatre presents a lot of holiday improv shows!
From “Final Girl Christmas” to “Breaking Bread: an improvised holiday experience” and “Cold Tofu” there are plenty of improv shows to bring some holly jolly laughs your way. If you want to think a little faster on your feet when your family asks you uncomfortable questions this holiday season, they also offer improv classes!
Why I am Interested: Sometimes I just need a good laugh, and I miss some improv in my life. Plus I love Outside In as a production company and want to send them some love before the end of the year.
Dec 5 - 15 at Atwater Village Theatre
IAMA's New Works Festival and the new voices it helps to nurture are at the core of our mission. Since 2018, the festival has emerged as IAMA’s leading development and community engagement program, and provides us the first step in curating new plays of artistic excellence that will be considered for future productions. The festival invites our local community into the creative process and welcomes social gatherings and discussions following each play presentation, sparking important dialogue, connection, and creative exchange, both on and off the stage. New work developed during the festival has gone on to full, World Premiere productions not only at IAMA, but at other theaters in Los Angeles and across the country.
Why I am interested: These new works have some incredible directors attached to them, and there have been some great plays that have come out of this program!
Once Upon A Mattress presented by Center Theatre Group*
Dec 10 - Jan 5
Musical theatre legend Sutton Foster (The Drowsy Chaperone, The Music Man) returns to the Ahmanson Theatre as Princess Winnifred in this beloved musical fairytale. Full of gloriously catchy melodies like “Shy” and “In a Little While,” this uproarious update of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Princess and the Pea promises both classic charms and new delights.
Directed by Tony-nominated Encores! Artistic Director Lear deBessonet (Into the Woods) and with a new adaptation by Amy Sherman-Palladino (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Once Upon a Mattress sets an unapologetic free spirit loose in a repressed kingdom, reveling in Winnifred’s ability to charm and transform with willpower, honesty, and a little bit of help from her friends.
Why I am interested in seeing it: Amy Sherman-Palladino raised me on a healthy diet of "Gilmore Girls" and "Bun Heads" and while I don't want to talk about Gilmore Girls A Year in The Life, I did really love The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Also I played Fred in an abridged verison of
The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Casa 0101
Nov 15 - Dec 22
In fifteenth-century Paris, the bells of Notre Dame ring out as Quasimodo, the bell-ringer, watches the city celebrate the Feast of Fools. Convinced by his uncle, Archdeacon Frollo, to stay hidden due to his appearance, Quasimodo yearns to explore the world. Against Frollo’s wishes, he ventures out and joins the festivities, where he faces cruelty except from the Romani dancer Esmeralda. As Frollo’s fury escalates, Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus defy societal constraints to rescue each other amidst mounting tensions, set to a stirring score in this timeless tale.
Why I am interested: Well we could all use a little more Stephen Schwartz in our life this month, and Casa 0101 deserves some more love on this list!
Friday, Dec 13 at the LA LGBT Center
On this very special holiday-season Friday the 13th, we are going to MOUSE THE HOUSE DOWN! Join Coin & Ghost and the Los Angeles LGBT Center for this two-part performance event of epic proportions. ACT ONE will feature curated drag performances inspired by your favorite animated characters; ACT TWO will feature YOU, as the audience takes to the stage for Mickey’s open mic karaoke. So you better warm up those pipes and come to SLAY, MOUSE MAMA!
Why I am interested: I went to the last rendition of this and it was an absolute BLAST. Plus, transparently I am board member for Coin & Ghost and am just a big fan.
A Christmas Carol at a Noise Within*
Nov 30 - Dec 24
The region’s longest-running annual holiday tradition returns! Perfect for all ages, this timeless story of redemption is filled to the brim with music and merriment. Create cherished memories with your whole family by witnessing Ebenezer Scrooge’s joyful transformation. It is a perfect burst of boundless good cheer for the season—and beyond!
Why I am interested: As someone that is completely over this play, this would be the only version I am interested in seeing, and I have a deep love for A Noise Within so I know they will do this show well.
To learn more about LA Theatre Guides, click here! To submit a show to be added, click here.
Comments