Fred Kinney News

If there was ever one musical that, on the surface, can translate well as an intimately-staged production in a black box theater space, then A CHORUS LINE---the classic 1975 Tony Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning backstage musical---should certainly qualify as a strong contender. This still dazzling, groundbreaking show has been revived at Anaheim's Chance Theater, the lauded small regional theater company in Orange County, CA that has definitively, in the very recent past, shown a knack for taking large musicals and making them smaller, very special ones. For the most part, the same can certainly be said about their newest small-scaled local revival, which continues its extended run through August 7, 2016. Exceedingly admirable despite being a bit rough around the edges, Chance Theater's peppy production reminds audiences old and new why the world of musical theater continues to lure certain dreamy, insanely talented people to this sometimes frustrating, often euphoric, and always competitive profession time and time again.

Anaheim's official resident theater company, Chance Theater is pleased to present a fresh and intimate production of the Broadway musical classic ... A Chorus Line. Book by James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban, directed by Chance's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen, choreographed by Hazel Clarke, with music direction by Ryan O'Connell. A Chorus Line will preview from July 1 through July 8, regular performances will begin July 9 and continue through July 31 on the Cripe Stage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Four Clowns' world premiere of playwright David Bridel's LUNATICS & ACTORS wonderfully succeeds as a loving spoof of the acting process. It's to the credit of all involved that what could have been a five-minute Saturday Night Live skit has evolved into 70 minutes of enthralling wit and engaging artistry. Bad acting's truly an art; and to make the bad acting funny, genius!

Now on stage in an exquisite new regional production at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through February 21, 2016, John Logan's riveting Tony Award-winning two-character play RED imagines a specific time period in the life of world-renowned abstract expressionist painter Mark Rothko (played with superb gusto by Mark Harelik) and his struggles to remain an appreciated, serious artiste at the dawn of pop art, Andy Warhol, and the rise of pretty (and well-funded) 'over mantle' modern art. With the help of a new young assistant (the impressive Paul David Story), Rothko forges ahead with a high-paying commission to produce a series of murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant, which causes much inner turmoil for the artist.

The tale of the naughty puppet hoping to become a real boy gets an infusion of music, clowning and fun when South Coast Repertory's Theatre for Young Audiences series presents Pinocchio by Greg Banks, based on the classic story by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio runs Feb. 5-21 on the Julianne Argyros Stage and is directed by Jeremy Aluma. Tickets are on sale at www.scr.org.

The tale of the naughty puppet hoping to become a real boy gets an infusion of music, clowning and fun when South Coast Repertory's Theatre for Young Audiences series presents Pinocchio by Greg Banks, based on the classic story by Carlo Collodi. Pinocchio runs Feb. 5-21 on the Julianne Argyros Stage and is directed by Jeremy Aluma. Tickets are on sale at www.scr.org.

Cal State Fullerton's production of Carrie: The Musical, featuring music by Michael Gore, lyrics by Dean Pitchford and book by Lawrence D. Cohen, runs October 16-November 1, 2015 in the Little Theatre on campus.

There was a moment in Chance Theater's LOCH NESS, a new musical, when I realized I had fallen completely in love with it; when everything suddenly came together in the most wonderful of ways - the glow of the lighting on a handful of heart wide open actors, the lyrical swell of their singing voices soaring with hope, a fog rising from a sea of imagination brought to life with unexpected delight - all of it morphed into what can only be described as pure magic.

We've got a first look at the official press photos for the world premiere of Loch Ness, a new musical, which is the newest show from Ovation Award-winning writer/director Marshall Pailet and Ovation Award-winning choreographer Kelly Todd. The musical opens tonight and runs through March 1 at Chance Theater.

Chance Theater will present the world premiere of the bright, imaginative flight of fancy Loch Ness, a new musical. Music and book by Marshall Pailet, lyrics and book by AD. Penedo, with direction by Marshall Pailet, choreography by Kelly Todd and music direction by Mark Sonnenblick. Loch Ness, a new musical will preview from tonight, January 30 through February 5, regular performances will begin February 6 and continue through February 28 on the mainstage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Chance Theater will present the world premiere of the bright, imaginative flight of fancy Loch Ness, a new musical. Music and book by Marshall Pailet, lyrics and book by AD. Penedo, with direction by Marshall Pailet, choreography by Kelly Todd and music direction by Mark Sonnenblick. Loch Ness, a new musical will preview from January 30 through February 5, regular performances will begin February 6 and continue through February 28 on the mainstage at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken theater arts Center.

Peter Shaffer's incredibly intriguing examination of the demise and death of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the hands of Court Composer Antonio Salieri in 1791 Vienna is at the core of Amadeus, which premiered in London in 1979, went on to win a Tony Award as Best Play of 1981 and also an Oscar for the reinvented film version in 1984. It is well reputed that Shaffer used artistic license in creating the play and movie as Mozart and Salieri were never official rivals/foes, but, yes or no, it certainly makes for divinely pleasant theatricality, now in a handsome revival at ETC in Santa Barbara through October 26.

Peter Shaffer's Amadeus is a dramatized account of the rivalry between Antonio Salieri, court composer of Vienna, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, musical prodigy and social embarrassment.

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 16th Anniversary Season - the humorous and inventive glimpse behind-the-scenes of the traditional Passion play produced in three distinctively different locations and times. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Sarah Ruhl, with direction by Trevor Biship (director of Chance's Ovation Award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera). Passion Play opens tonight, May 3 and continues through May 25 at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 16th Anniversary Season - the humorous and inventive glimpse behind-the-scenes of the traditional Passion play produced in three distinctively different locations and times. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Sarah Ruhl, with direction by Trevor Biship (director of Chance's Ovation Award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera). Passion Play will preview now through May 2, open May 3 and continue through May 25 at Chance Theater at Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center. BroadwayWorld has a first look at the cast in action below!

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 16th Anniversary Season - the humorous and inventive glimpse behind-the-scenes of the traditional Passion play produced in three distinctively different locations and times. Written by two-time Pulitzer Prize Finalist Sarah Ruhl, with direction by Trevor Biship (director of Chance's Ovation Award-winning Jerry Springer: The Opera). Passion Play will preview from April 25 through May 2, open May 3 and continue through May 25 at Chance Theater @ Bette Aitken Theater Arts Center.

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 2013 season with the Orange County Premiere of THE LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER by Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephen Belber, playing in repertory with the award-winning masterwork, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, by Moises Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, both directed by Chance Theater's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen. THE LARAMIE PROJECT will preview tonight, April 18 & Saturday, April 20 at 8pm and will open on Tuesday, April 23 at 8pm.

Chance Theater presents the second show of its 2013 season with the Orange County Premiere of THE LARAMIE PROJECT: TEN YEARS LATER by Moises Kaufman, Leigh Fondakowski, Greg Pierotti, Andy Paris and Stephen Belber, playing in repertory with the award-winning masterwork, THE LARAMIE PROJECT, by Moises Kaufman and members of Tectonic Theater Project, both directed by Chance Theater's Artistic Director Oanh Nguyen. THE LARAMIE PROJECT will preview on Thursday, April 18 & Saturday, April 20 at 8pm and will open on Tuesday, April 23 at 8pm. THE LARAMIE PROJECT: 10 YEARS LATER will preview on Friday, April 19 at 8pm & Sunday, April 21 at 7pm and will open on Wednesday, April 24 at 8pm and both shows will continue playing in repertory through Sunday, May 19 at Chance Theater, 5552 E. La Palma Ave. in Anaheim Hills.

South Coast Repertory revived Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, an SCR-commissioned play that had its world premiere here 20 seasons ago. It runs through April 1 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.

South Coast Repertory is reviving Donald Margulies' Sight Unseen, an SCR-commissioned play that had its world premiere here 20 seasons ago. It will run March 11- April 1 on the Julianne Argyros Stage.