I’m playing a shepherd in this EPIC Beatles Christmas musical special this Wednesday at The Broad Stage in Santa Monica!

It is this mad mashup / juke-box style retelling of the Nativity story with gospel BEATLES songs an incredible talent. I was in the first workshop of it in 2009 for a new plays festival in Hollywood. It is such a feel good, inspirational, exceptionally timely and universal (yes) moment to reconnect. MANY of us who participate in the show as performers or audience (who come year after year) do not also identify as Christian. Yet the thousands-of-years-old story of a new year / new sun/son (Solstice – new life) – resonates for all. 

Come experience BOTH this Winter Solstice at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica!

www.openfist.org for tickets – All volunteer cast! All proceeds go to www.heartofla.com

2 showings at 4pm and 8pm. Will sell out!

Over 50 person cast; all-star choir, leads, super band; lead by Jason Paige.

at California State University Long Beach

Directed by Jennifer Richardson

Directed by Jennifer Richardson

CSULB Theatre Arts presents The Rona Tango: A Mini-Musical Medley

Directed by Jennifer Richardson
Music Directed / Music Production by Kyle Puccia
Choreographed by Christopher Albrecht
Video Edited by Jennifer Richardson
Dance Captain: Julia Russell

CAST Abigail Toler, Elijah Cineas, Hannah Edel, Jackie Nisall, Jason Rivera, Kyomi Wong, Maryann Montalbo, Nini Cheng, Rhiannon Lewis, Rory Smith, Roxana Solis, Spencer Moore, Zach Liong

Director’s Note: This music video was devised by students during the COVID-19 pandemic Spring Semester of 2021. It was recorded by students on their own devices from California to Florida to Taiwan. The framing song is "Cellblock Tango” from Chicago. The theme is around the idea of isolation and reaching out of isolation with confessions -breaking free, finding power, finding peace, finding love, finding joy. Where isolation comes from prison cells in Chicago, for these students in this video, isolation comes from the individual realities of living in a pandemic. Some stories are imagined. The lenses through which we see these confessions are social media, FaceTime, Zoom, Skype or metaphorical, like a bathroom stall mirror or an imagined confrontation with a couch.

The Ugly Duckling
Friday, March 9, 7 pm | Saturday, March 10, 3 pm and 7 pm

Please join us as we share a musical fable about discovering personal identity, learning to love yourself, and finding your flock.

RESERVE SEATS

Friday, March 9, 7 pm

Saturday, March 10, 3 pm

Saturday, March 10, 7 pm

DIRECTIONS

CSULB, Theatre Arts Building, Room 24/26

http://web.csulb.edu/colleges/cota/theatre/about-us/directions.html

MORE INFORMATION

The Ugly Duckling is a 45 minute show with no Intermission.

NOTE: The theatre can be cold and the temperature is controlled by the University. Please dress accordingly.

Friday, February 2

1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
CSULB, Theatre Arts Building, Room 241

Bring sheet music or track. 32 Bars. Style is a hybrid legit/contemporary. (One song in blues / swing style not listed online.)
Be prepared to move!

Clips from show can be found here: www.helenslater.com/uglyduckling/.

Ugly Duckling (Ruth or Ray) – transgender or LGBTQ+ – sings
Narrator – non-singing
Mother – two solos
King (or Queen) of the Geese – blues solo
Sister Sibling of Ugly Duckling (Ella) – solo lines
Male Sibling of Ugly Duckling (Joey) – solo lines
2 – 4 Ensemble – solo lines

About the show:

Subtitled An Urban Journey of Self Discovery and Finding Your Flock, our Ugly Duckling will be a transgendered or LGBTQ+ human discovering their sexuality and finding the flock where they fit. MFA Acting grad Jennifer Richardson, is directing this show as part of the Affinity Series for the CSULB Main Season Spring 2018.

Schedule:

Rehearsals: Feb 5 – March 8 | M-F 6-10 pm – Theatre Arts Building
Performances: March 9-11 – Times TBA

Creative Team:

Director: Jennifer Richardson, MFA Acting Grad | jen@web-jen.com
Movement: Julie Granata-Hunicutt, MFA Acting Grad
Music Director: Michael Rothbart, CSULB Music Department
Set and Costume Design: Ulyana Chava, MFA Design Grad
Words and Music: Helen Slater

Announcement

Announcement 2

These students teach ME so much! It is a joyful thing to teach acting, to help students express themselves, to find their voices, to find their flocks.

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