Kristin Towers-Rowles News

Executive Producers Michael Sterling of Michael Sterling Publicity and Production (www.msapr.net). and Barbara Van Orden (www.barbaravanorden.com) have announced that vocal auditions for the 10 year Anniversary of LA's Next Great Stage Star® will be held Sunday, December 13, 2015.  'Our annual auditions in search of 10 men and 10 women between 18 and 32 years of age, is highly anticipated by the hierarchy of those associated with the business of presenting Broadway musical theatre in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California said Sterling.  'We couldn't be more grateful to our professional colleagues and select corporate entities for their consistent support of Stage Star since its inception,' added Van Orden 

Truly inspirational stories allow you to believe anything is possible if you trust in your own judgment, dreams, and will to succeed. Award-winning stage star Kristin Towers-Rowles shares her remarkable life story doing just that in her critically acclaimed cabaret show, A Lovely Lineage, directed by Cate Caplin with musical direction by Katie Clarke. Her latest performance on Sunday, October 18 in the Monroe Forum at the El Portal allowed her to share her remarkable tale of survival as she pursued her dreams no matter what roadblocks were thrown in her way.

Little Fish Theatre is excited to announce the next show of its 2015 season, Private Eyes, by Steven Dietz. A highly-layered and intriguing play that explores common, and yet seldom-discussed, aspects of relationships. It is a fascinating examination of the darker, indefinable and more taboo feelings associated with love, mistrust and temptation. But when is the line crossed, and what do we do when it is? It is a playful and often farcical examination of what is so often played as a heavy subject.

Producers Dr. Stephanie Torres and Bren Coombs, in association with MACHA Theatre, present a provocative new musical, 'SEX, LOVE, & YOGA' written by acclaimed playwright Kate Sullivan Gibbens, who will also direct.

Harvey Fierstein's one-act On Tidy Endings, originally part of his 1987 Safe Sex trilogy, holds up very well in the abled reins of director Sara Wagner and her kick-ass cast. Set in a time when gay men only came out of their closets on a need-to-know basis (ex-wives, kids), contracting AIDS equalled a death sentence. Still, the after-effects of a gay man dying have similar revelancy in 2015.

When Violet first premiered off-Broadway in 1997, it created a stir winning two prizes for Best Musical but didn't make waves until 2014 when it transferred to Broadway in an all new production starring Sutton Foster. It heartfully tells the story of a disfigured girl from Spruce Pine, North Carolina Violet Karl who makes a journey to Tulsa, Oklahoma in the hopes of being physically transformed by a faith healer. An accident occurred when she was a teen - a blade that her father was using cut her face, leaving an ugly scar - and Violet always blamed her father proclaiming that he did not want her to be pretty. She would have no male prospects and be forced to stay on to live with him on their small farm. The scar runs deep - 'it reaches to your heart' new acquaintances tell her, so the journey to find a brand new 'glamorized' look means everything to Violet who will sacrifice just about anything to have it all.

Mmmkay Productions is proud to present Harvey Fierstein's moving and critically-acclaimed play, 'On Tidy Endings' as a part of the 2015 Hollywood Fringe Festival at The Complex's East Theatre, located at 6468 Santa Monica Blvd.. The play will be directed by Sara Wagner and will star Kimberly Patterson, Michael Mullen, Kristin Towers-Rowles, and Andrew Fox.

Kelrik Production's upcoming production of the award-winning off-Broadway hit musical VIOLET, a powerful and heartwarming story of a vulnerable young woman's challenges, loves and emotional journey, will now be staged today, May 15 - 31st, 2015 at the Monroe Forum Theater @ El Portal in North Hollywood.

Kelrik Production's upcoming production of the award-winning off-Broadway hit musical VIOLET, a powerful and heartwarming story of a vulnerable young woman's challenges, loves and emotional journey, will now be staged May 15 - 31st, 2015 at the Monroe Forum Theater @ El Portal in North Hollywood. With a score by Jeanine Tesori (FUN HOME, CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, SHREK THE MUSICAL, THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE) and book and lyrics by Brian Crawley. VIOLET is directed by Joshua Finkel.

Sweeney Todd first bowed on Broadway in late 1979. Fortunately, I was in New York to witness the brilliant achievement of Hugh Wheeler and Stephen Sondheim, Angela Lansbury and Len Cariou and the entire creative team. Kelrik Productions is presenting the masterwork for the first time, hardly an easy task in a small intimate theatre space such as the Monroe Forum Theatre of the El Portal. Well, let me tell you, they may be exceedingly proud of this production, as it replicates just about everything that the original achieved, minus a full orchestra. Every detail, every move and every musical beat are in line with wonderful musical director Joe Lawrence at the piano. With a perfect cast and brilliantly inventive direction and staging from Kristin Towers-Rowles, this Sweeney Todd could not be better.

SWEENEY TODD, the Tony Award-winning musical, sails into the Monroe Forum Theatre @ El Portal tonight, April 10 to May 10, 2015. Based on a version of SWEENEY TODD by Christopher Bond, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, it's a tragicomic tale of murder, mayhem, and meat pies.

Kelrik Productions proudly presents Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece of musical theatre, Sweeney Todd, winner of 8 TONY Awards, in its original conceptual form as a chamber piece, at the 99-seat Monroe Forum Theatre at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood, CA.

SWEENEY TODD, the Tony Award-winning musical, sails into the Monroe Forum Theatre @ El Portal April 10 to May 10, 2015. Based on a version of SWEENEY TODD by Christopher Bond, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, it's a tragicomic tale of murder, mayhem, and meat pies.

On Sunday July 24, actress/singer Kristin Towers-Rowles debuted her one-woman cabaret A Lovely Lineage at Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's to resounding success. The amazing singer, who is the grand daughter of legendary MGM musical star Katharine Grayson and Broadway veteran Johnnie Johnston, saluted them both as well as her musical comedy performing parents Patty and Robert Towers. Although the young descendant of American show business royalty has a stupendous background, her life has not been that rosy. Playing a role onstage in a show called Veggie Tales, Towers-Rowles popped a disc in her back from wearing a 50-pound costume and was told she would never appear on stage again. She made a near complete recovery and although she still is in pain, exclaims, 'If I have to hurt, I might as well hurt on stage.' It is this unsinkable brave spirit that is present in her beautiful singing voice, in her glowing personality and overall captivating aura. She has an infectious sense of humor as well.

Art-In-Relation (AIR), a new Long Beach based Arts Organization will be holding its first fundraising event on Sunday, February 22, 2015 beginning at 2 p.m. at Ernest Borgnine Theatre in Long Beach. The event is called 'Fresh A.I.R. - a Broadway Benefit.'

Sunday, January 11th at 5pm (note earlier time) Jasmine Thai Cuisine 19707 Rinaldi, Porter Ranch (Porter Ranch Town Center) CSO rings in a new year of Amici della Musica dinner-and-song evenings at Jasmine Thai Cuisine, an elegant new venue serving truly gourmet Thai delicacies.

The Best in LA Theatre for 2014 (alphabetical listings; Equity, Equity-waiver & Non-Equity productions are mixed) (artists performing outside LA may be included in performance categories)

Ah, the art of making art! In an excellent adaptation of the 1999 Broadway production of Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, Chromolume Theatre steps up to bat with stellar direction from Cate Caplin and boasting a terrific cast through December 21 at their home the Attic Theatre in West LA.

Chromolume Theatre succeeds in putting together a strong cast of five vocally gifted singers to harmoniously perform the collection of Stephen Sondheim songs strung together in the revue Putting It Together.

Chromolume Theatre has announced its final production of 2014, Stephen Sondheim's Putting It Together, opening tonight, November 14 at 8pm. Devised by Sondheim and Julie McKenzie with music and lyrics by Sondheim and musical direction by Richard Berent, Putting It Together will be directed and choreographed by Ovation Award-winner Cate Caplin. The show will play a strictly limited engagement through December 21 only.