NEWS RELEASE ▪︎ CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS SPRING 2017 SLATE OF ENTERTAINMENT

CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS

ANNOUNCES

FULL SLATE OF ENTERTAINMENT FOR SPRING 2017

FEATURING 

HEART & SOUL: 

MUSIC OF WHITNEY HOUSTON, DIONNE WARWICK & DIANA ROSS

STARRING 

SHARON CATHERINE BROWN, NATALIE WACHEN,

 AND TRENYCE COBBINS;

TRIXIE MATTEL IN AGES 3 & UP; 

SHOSHANA BEAN 

(WITH SPECIAL GUEST RUMER WILLIS); 

NIKI HARIS; AND DONNA McKECHNIE

Chris Isaacson Presents has announced a full slate of spring entertainment, beginning with Heart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick & Diana Ross starring Sharon Catherine Brown, Natalie Wachen, and Trenyce Cobbins; and continuing with Trixie Mattel in Ages 3 & Up; Shoshana Bean with special guest Rumer Willis; Niki Haris with special guest Donna De Lory; and Donna McKechnie with special guests Greg Safel and Jeffrey Scott Parsons (previously announced).

Be seduced by three sultry starlets of today — Sharon Catherine Brown, Natalie Wachen, and  American Idol finalist and Grammy Award-nominee Trenyce Cobbins as they capture the awesome Heart & Soul of three musical legends – Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, and Diana Ross. The show features stunning musical arrangements and a larger-than-life montage of rare photos and videos that showcase the lives of these iconic stars. Darrell Alston is music director, Kay-Ta Matsuno is associate music director, and Davy Nathan is the musical arranger. [Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego on Tuesday, April 11, at 8pm and on Saturday, April 15, at 8:30pm Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood.] 

Life in plastic isn’t always fantastic. Don’t believe it? Buckle up as RuPaul’s Drag Race favorite Trixie Mattel spins the last straw into comedy gold with her razor–sharp wit and unmatched style in Ages 3 & Up. From the mundane to the once-in-a-lifetime, Trixie’s point of view breaks the mold. See the world through her iconic, doll–like eyes. [Catalina Bar & Grill on Wednesday, April 12, at 8:30pm.]

Actress and recording artist Shoshana Bean  is a veteran of the Broadway stage having made her debut  in  the  original  cast  of Hairspray and starring as the very first replacement for Elphaba in Wicked. Most recently she appeared as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl and in the pre-Broadway production of the new musical Beaches.  She  has  sold  out  solo concerts around the globe, lent her voice to countless films and television shows, and her music has been featured in television shows on NBC, MTV, Oxygen, Bravo, and Showtime. Special guest Rumer Willis recently starred as Roxie Hart in Chicago on Broadway. Previously, she released her cover of Britney Spears’ “Toxic,” and she was the Season 20 winner of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. [Catalina Bar & Grill on Friday, April 14, at 8:30pm.]

Recording artist and chanteuse extraordinaire Niki Haris is set to perform a Mother’s Day concert at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood. Daughter of Grammy Award nominated jazz pianist Gene Haris, Niki has performed on the world’s biggest stages from Carnegie Hall to Wembley Stadium, Lincoln Center to the Staples Center and everywhere in between. Known for her jazz, gospel, and pop vocals she has performed with jazz greats from Stanley Turrentine, Red Holloway, and Ray Charles to pop superstars from Sheryl Crow to Whitney Houston — and most famously as the big voice behind Madonna. Special guest recording artist Donna De Lory has released multiple critically-acclaimed CDs, including Bliss, In the Glow, The Lover and The Beloved, Sky is Open, Sanctuary, Remixes, and most recently, The Unchanging. The show’s music director is Karen Hammack, and the band will feature Rob McDonald on bass, LJ Hollifield on drums, and more to be announced.  [Catalina Bar & Grill on Sunday, May 14, at 7:30pm.]

Tony Award-winning star of A Chorus Line Donna McKechnie is regarded internationally as one of Broadway’s foremost dancing and singing leading ladies. Her Broadway shows include How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Sondheim—A Musical Tribute On the Town, Promises, Promises, Company, and State Fair. Donna has starred in numerous productions in London’s West End including Promises, Promises, Company, No Way to Treat a Lady, Can-Can, and Follies. She starred in Bob Fosse’s last production, the 1987 National Tour of Sweet Charity. Most recently she appeared in Michael John LaChiusa’s The Wild Party in London. Special guests will include Greg Safel making his LA cabaret debut in celebration of his new CD Visible (LML Music), and local favorite Jeffrey Scott Parsons, a musical theatre star working on the boards across the United States and internationally. Some of his many credits include West Side Story, White Christmas, Cabaret, Dames at Sea, 42^nd Street, Glory Days, and Forever Plaid. [Sunday, May 28, at 7:30pm at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood and Thursday, June 1, at 8pm at Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego.]

Chris Isaacson Presents (CIP) has created, produced, and promoted over 700 events since the company’s founding in 2004. From small clubs to major theatres CIP has presented some of the most influential stars of this generation. CIP’s summer event in 2016 — Broadway Under the Stars: Celebrating the 35^th Anniversary of “Dreamgirls” — was a complete sellout at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. The evening starred original Dreamgirls Sheryl Lee Ralph, Loretta Devine, and Jennifer Holliday. Most recently, CIP coordinated and produced an elaborate kick-off event at the Pacific Design Center celebrating the premiere of Ryan Murphy’s FEUD: Bette and Joan (FX Networks). The Drag-Tacular Live Concert Event featured Tony Award-winner Sam Harris as host. Niki Haris and Bianca Del Rio were only two of the many stars in the show, which played to a standing room only crowd. For information about upcoming CIP events, including Broadway Under the Stars at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, visit www.ChrislsaacsonPresents.com.

Tickets for all shows are on sale now and may be purchased online at www.ChrisIsaacsonPresents.com or www.ticketweb.com or by phone (LA shows) at (866) 468-3399. Phone reservations for shows at Martinis Above Fourth may be made at (619) 400-4500.

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04-04-17

^{SHOSHANA BEAN, TRIXIE MATTEL, NIKI HARIS}

^{PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHRIS ISAACSON PRESENTS.}

NEWS RELEASE — WEST COAST PREMIERE OF “ALLEN WILDER 2.0” ▪︎ WRITTEN & DIRECTED BY MATT MORILLO ▪︎ OPENS SATURDAY 4/29 at The Lounge Theatre

Generation X needs a hero … instead they have this guy.

KADM PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

A WEST COAST PREMIERE

ALLEN WILDER 2.0

WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY MATT MORILLO

FEATURING

FARIDA AMER, EILEEN GRUBBA AND TOM PILUTIK 

A NEW PLAY

BY THE AUTHOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING SMASH HITS

ALL ABOARD THE MARRIAGE HEARSE

AND

THE INVENTOR AND THE ESCORT

OPENS APRIL 29 AT THE LOUNGE THEATRE

FOR FOUR WEEKS ONLY

KADM Productions has announced the West Coast premiere of Allen Wilder 2.0, written and directed by Matt Morillo, at the Lounge Theatre in Hollywood for four weeks only beginning April 28. The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Farida Amer, Eileen Grubba and Tom Pilutik. There will be one preview performance on Friday, April 28 and opening is set for Saturday, April 29 at 8pm. The limited engagement will run through May 21 only.

The set and lighting design are by Rene Parras, Jr., and the casting director is Michael Donovan, CSA.  Allen Wilder 2.0 is produced for KADM Productions by Joanne Hartstone.

In Allen Wilder 2.0, a director of softcore porn returns from Hollywood to his dead parents’ house in Levittown, Long Island, to sort through his belongings and re-examine his life. Can a chance meeting with his former babysitter and his estranged niece soothe the wounds of the failure he feels? Is it too late? His search for redemption gets comic treatment in this new play.

Matt Morillo’s first play, Angry Young Women in Low-Rise Jeans with High-Class Issues, was a runaway hit on two continents, packing houses and receiving rave reviews through three separate runs in New York City, and two separate runs in Sydney, Australia.  Of the 2008 Los Angeles production, Variety wrote, “Angry Young Women is a cheerfully raunchy show that boasts … hilarious writing and a sharp, fearless and funny cast.” Morillo’s other playwriting credits include the award-winners All Aboard the Marriage Hearse and The Inventor and The Escort. A screenwriter also, he made his debut at age 23 with the award-winning film The Pretenders (2000), and he has written several highly lauded and award-winning short films, includingMaid of Honor (2003).

Allen Wilder 2.0 will play one preview performance on Friday, April 28 at 8pm and opening is set for Saturday, April 29 at 8pm. The running schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm, and Sunday at 3pm, through May 21 only. General seating admission is $15 for the preview and $25 for regular performances. Tickets are on sale now, and may be purchased online atwww.kadm.com or by calling (323) 960-7792.

The Lounge Theatre is located at 6201 Santa Monica Boulevard (just east of Vine, at El Centro), in Hollywood, 90038. Street parking is available.

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 04–04–17

NEWS RELEASE ▪︎ CHROMOLUME THEATRE AT THE ATTIC PRESENTS MICHAEL JOHN LaCHIUSA’S “HELLO AGAIN” ▪︎ MAY 5–28

CHROMOLUME THEATRE AT THE ATTIC

PRESENTS

HELLO AGAIN

BOOK, MUSIC & LYRICS BY MICHAEL JOHN LaCHIUSA

MUSICAL DIRECTION BY BRENDA VARDA

DIRECTED BY RICHARD VAN SLYKE

MAY 5 — 28 ONLY

Chromolume Theatre at the Attic has announced the second production of its 2017 Season of Musicals, Michael John LaChiusa’s Hello Again. Opening on Friday, May 5 at 8pm, the show will play a strictly limited engagement through May 28. The Chromolume production will feature musical direction by Brenda Varda and will be directed by Richard Van Slyke.

The cast will feature (in alphabetical order) Cesar Cipriano, Michael Corbett, Kevin Corsini, Tal Fox, Joe Hernandez–Kolski, Michelle Holmes, Sarah Randall Hunt, Allison Lind, Bretten Popiel,and Corey Rieger. Scenic design is by Lauren J. Peters, lighting design is by Richard Fong, costume design is by Ovation Award-winner Michael Mullen, and sound design is by James Esposito. The stage manager is Mara Aguilar.

Michael John LaChiusa’s Hello Again is based on the 1897 play La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler. It focuses on a series of love affairs among 10 characters during the 10 different decades of the 20th century. LaChuisa’s musical adaptation follows the structure of Schnitzler’s original material closely, often replicating fragments of his dialogue, detailing a daisy chain of sexual encounters and love affairs. Unlike the book, each scene is set in a different decade of the 20th century and in non-chronological order, allowing for a large and varied pastiche of musical styles ranging from opera to 1970s disco. Hello Again was originally produced off-Broadway (at Lincoln Center) in 1993.

Hello Again opens on Friday, May 5 at 8pm. The regular performance schedule is Friday and Saturday at 8pm and Sunday at 7pm through May 28. Tickets are $30 and may be purchased online atwww.crtheatre.com or by telephone at 323-205-1617. Chromolume Theatre at the Attic is located at 5429 W. Washington Boulevard (between the 10 freeway and Hauser Boulevard), in Los Angeles, 90016. Ample street parking is available. For more information, visit www.crtheatre.com or call 323-510-2688.

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 04–03–17