An Act of God (LAArtsOnline.com)

^{An Act of God starring Sean Hayes is now playing through March 13th at the Ahmanson Theatre}

By Ken Werther

In the early spring of 2015, An Act of God made his first of 76 appearances at Studio 54 on Broadway. He proceeded to hold forth through the early summer on matters of faith and folly to peals of raucous laughter. Audiences were more than a little surprised to discover that in a history-making metaphysical transformation, God looked an awful lot like four-time Emmy Award-winner Jim Parsons.

The magic and mirth will continue when God arrives onstage at the Ahmanson Theatre this month looking an awful lot like Will & Grace star and Emmy Award-winner Sean Hayes. I expect that a great many of us will be making our way downtown to sample God’s sense of humor on a myriad of issues, and to hear his version of familiar biblical stories. Rumor has it that he will also be delivering a new and improved set of Commandments, and who wants to miss that?

An Act of God is directed by two-time Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello (The Normal Heart, Assassins). I’m fortunate to have met Joe all the way back in 1992 when he was in the original cast of Angels In America at the Mark Taper Forum, and this guy is the real deal. So let’s see … Sean Hayes, Joe Mantello, God … I’m there!

An Act of God is now on stage at the Ahmanson Theatre, click here for tickets and more information.

Guys and Dolls! (LAArtsOnline.com)

^{Guys and Dolls opens at The Wallis December 4th}

Guys and Dolls!

By Ken Werther
Photo Courtesy of The Wallis

This classic American musical is one of my absolute favorites! The original Broadway production of Guys and Dolls opened in November 1950, ran for 1200 performances, and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical. A little remembered fact: Guys and Dolls was selected as the winner of the 1951 Pulitzer Prize for Drama but because of book writer Abe Burrows’ troubles with the House Un-American Activities Committee the Trustees of Columbia University vetoed the selection and no Pulitzer for Drama was awarded that year. Not the finest moment in American history.

Through the years there have been countless revivals and new productions of the show in the US, London, Australia, and around the world. I was lucky enough to see the 1992 revival on Broadway — an evening of theatre I will never, ever forget. That production ran for 1143 performances (only 57 less than the original!) and won the Tony Award for Best Revival. Pretty amazing history for a Broadway musical.

The critically acclaimed Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Guys and Dolls arriving at the Wallis this month follows their celebrated version of Into the Woods which I found extraordinary (and ITW is a show I had never really ‘gotten’ before). Directed once again by Tony Award-winner Mary Zimmerman, this Guys and Dolls promises to be another unforgettable theatre experience!

For tickets and show times for Guys and Dolls, click here.

The Sound of Music! (LAArtsOnline.com)

The Sound of Music opens September 20 at the Ahmanson Theatre

The Sound of Music!

By Ken Werther
Photo Courtesy of Center Theatre Group

Now considered a classic and unarguably one of the world’s best loved musicals, The Sound of Music opened on Broadway in November, 1959 and ran well into 1963 for a total of 1443 performances. The last show written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, it starred Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical (in a tie with Fiorello!) … and you certainly don’t need me to tell you that in 1965 it was made into a film which remains, to this day, the most successful movie musical in history. Little known fact that The Sound of Music was originally conceived as a play that would feature songs from the repertoire of the real-life Trapp Family Singers. But during the show’s development it became clear to the creators that the story would be better told with original music. Several of the songs in the show have become standards: “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and of course, “The Sound of Music.”

A lavish new production directed by three-time Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien will be launching a North American tour at the Ahmanson Theatre this month. For several generations of folks who only know The Sound of Music as a movie, this will be an exciting opportunity to see how it all began.

The Sound of Music is running at the Ahmanson Theatre September 20 – October 31st.