Announcing: LA Stage Blog is now LA Stage Times

LA STAGE BLOG IS NOW LA STAGE TIMES
LA STAGE ALLIANCE ONLINE ARTS JOURNALISM PUBLICATION
BEGINS ITS THIRD YEAR WITH
A NEW NAME, NEW STAFF AND A NEW LOOK

LA Stage Alliance has announced the launch of LA STAGE Times, LASA’s new website for Southern California performing arts coverage, featuring an exclusive interview with Gordon Davidson by Steve Julian, new columns by veteran LA Times and Variety critics Don Shirley and Julio Martinez, new managing editor Deborah Behrens, plus an exciting new interactive design that incorporates social marketing elements, weekly e-mail blasts, expanded production listings and the O! “Ovation recommended” show promotion.

LA STAGE Times replaces LA STAGE Blog as the online incarnation of the former LA STAGE print magazine with a new URL: www.lastagetimes.com. The new design by DISTINC brings the editorial site in alignment with the LA STAGE Alliance and LA STAGE Tix website re-designs which were launched September 1.

Terence McFarland, Executive Director of LA Stage Alliance, said, “With the increasing ability of the internet to give voice to theatre fans, we embrace LA Stage’s legacy as a professional forum for news and features with the new name for our site.  We strive to give coverage to those left behind by the cutbacks of our local mainstream media. We will continue to include personal point of view ‘blogs’ on the site, but the bulk of what we cover can be classified as news and features. Stay tuned for more interactive functionality on the site as we embrace the interactive nature of the web.”

Don Shirley’s LA STAGE WATCH, a column of arts commentary and theatre critiques, which debuted last year as a twice-monthly feature, now appears weekly.  LA STAGE INSIDER  is a new breaking news, gossip and theatre history column by former Variety critic and current KPFK “Arts in Review” host Julio Martinez.  KPCC’s Morning Edition host Steve Julian is now also a regular contributor.

A senior LA STAGE writer since 2001 whose work for the print edition garnered a 2009 Maggie Award, Deborah Behrens was named managing editor in July with responsibilities for marketing, branding and editorial strategy. Lee Melville will continue to oversee editorial content under his new title of Editor-in-Chief.  Neal Spinler, LASA’s new Programs Coordinator, handles multimedia, visual elements, post scheduling and the social media outreach for the site.

Starting this week, LA STAGE Times will send out a weekly e-blast to opt-in subscribers and LASA members who wish to receive a short recap of the week’s featured stories.  LA STAGE Times covers the Southern California performing arts scene including theatre, opera and dance. Story pitches and news releases should be directed to pitches@lastagealliance.com.

LA Stage Alliance is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and support for the performing arts in greater Los Angeles through community building, collaborative marketing, audience development, professional development to strengthen operations for members, and advocacy.  LASA serves over 325 organizational members (professional, educational, and community-based producing and presenting performing arts organizations) annually in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara and Ventura, and individual members comprised of local, regional, national, and international performing arts patrons.

LA Stage Alliance and its programs are supported by:  The Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, The California Arts Council, The Shubert Foundation, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Sony Pictures Entertainment, The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, The National Endowment for the Arts, The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Green Hasson & Janks LLP, The James Irvine Foundation, KUSC, The Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Los Angeles Times, Patron Technology, Target Resource Group (TRG), The California Community Foundation, and the Southern California Dance Futures Fund through the Center for Cultural Innovation.

#   #   #

10-12-10

Announcing: Cast Complete for Courage Campaign Benefit

MICHAEL McKEAN AND JOSH STAMBERG
COMPLETE THE CAST FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY READING OF
TERRENCE McNALLY’S SOME MEN ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 4
TO BENEFIT THE COURAGE CAMPAIGN

LILY TOMLIN SET TO MAKE SPECIAL APPEARANCE

Producers Dan Bucatinsky, Susan Dietz, and Tom Kirdahy have announced that Michael McKean and Josh Stamberg will complete the cast of Terrence McNally’s touching and hilarious play Some Men, a one night only reading benefitting Courage Campaign Institute’s support of marriage equality. (They join the previously announced Alan Cumming, Jason Ritter, John Glover, Matt Gould, David Alan Grier, Justin Kirk and Luke Macfarlane.)

Additionally, the incomparable Lily Tomlin has been set to make a special appearance. Directed by Michael Morris, the event will take place at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on Monday, October 4, 2010 at 8:00.

Some Men chronicles the lives of gay men in the United States over the past 80 years, examining the challenges, the victories, the joys and the sorrows of this history through the prism of love and marriage. Some Men had a sold-out run at the Second Stage Theater in New York City in 2007, with a cast that included Don Amendolia, Michael McElroy and Frederick Weller.

Tickets for this benefit reading of Some Men are $250, $100, $75, $50, and $25, and are available at TicketMaster: http://tinyurl.com/2b3743w. The $250 tickets include a post-performance, onstage reception with the cast and producers, and can be purchased directly from the Courage Campaign for a tax deductive donation: https://secure.couragecampaign.org/page/contribute/SomeMenVIP. Those unable to attend the reading on October 4 are encouraged to make a contribution to support the campaign’s Testimony Project. To donate, please visit http://www.couragecampaign.org. The Saban Theatre is located at 8440 Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills.

# # #

10-01-10