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'Alexander Hamilton' by historian Ron Chernow., August 11 2017, LA Life and Style, Los Angeles Life and Style, Los Angeles Theater, Los Angeles Theatre Reviews, Pantages Theatre Hollywood

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s highly anticipated musical ‘Hamilton’ is getting its Hollywood Close-Up at the Pantages Theatre with pre-showings beginning August 11, Red Carpet opening night, Wed, August 16.

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Hamilton is coming to Hollywood for it's Los Angeles premiere, August 11, 2017.
Hamilton is coming to Hollywood for it’s Los Angeles premiere, August 11, 2017. Photos by Joan Marcus
The cast of Hamilton appears on stage at the Pantages Theatre Hollywood. Lucky theatre goers enjoyed opening night festivities on Friday, August 11, 2017. Photo/Pantages Theatre/ Joan Marcus.
The cast of Hamilton appears on stage at the Pantages Theatre Hollywood. Lucky theatre goers enjoyed opening night festivities on Friday, August 11, 2017. Photo/Pantages Theatre/ Joan Marcus.

Two-Time Tony Award® Nominee JOSHUA HENRY, Broadway’s MICHAEL LUWOYE and Tony Award ® Nominee RORY O’MALLEY to lead National Tour of HAMILTON Hollywood, Calif. – The highly anticipated musical, Hamilton will open at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood on Friday August 11.

HAMILTON is the story of America’s Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington’s right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary.  Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.

Earlier this year, producer Jeffrey Seller announce that two-time Tony Award® nominee JOSHUA HENRY, Broadway’s MICHAEL LUWYOYE and Tony Award® NomineeRORY O’MALLEY will lead the National Tour of HAMILTON as Aaron Burr, Alexander Hamilton and King George III, respectively. Mr. Henry made his Broadway debut in In The Heights, received Tony Award ®nominations for his roles in Violet and The Scottsboro Boys and created the role of “Noble Sissle” in Shuffle Along.  Mr. Luwoye made his Broadway debut in HAMILTON and was nominated for a 2016 Lucille Lortel Award for his work as Jacob in Invisible Thread (Outstanding Lead Actor in a Musical).  And, Mr. O’Malley is currently playing King George III on Broadway and received a Tony Award® nomination for his role as Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon.  Other principal roles in HAMILTON on tour will be played by RUBÉN J. CARBAJAL as John Laurens/Phillip Hamilton; JORDAN DONICA as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; AMBER IMAN as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; ISAIAH JOHNSON as George Washington; SOLEA PFEIFFER as Eliza Hamilton; EMMY RAVER-LAMPMAN as Angelica Schuyler and MATHENEE TRECO as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison. The National Tour also includes RYAN ALVARADO, RAYMOND BAYNARD, AMANDA BRAUN, DANIEL CHING, KARLI DINARDO, JEFFERY DUFFY, JENNIFER GELLER, JACOB GUZMAN, JULIA HARRIMAN, AFRA HINES, SABRINA IMAMURA, LAUREN KIAS, YVETTE LU, DESMOND NEWSON, DESMOND NUNN, JOSH ANDRÉS RIVERA, RAVEN THOMAS, RYAN VASQUEZ, KEENAN D. WASHINGTON and ANDREW WOJTAL.  

Performances launched on March 10, 2017 at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco.  The National Tour of HAMILTON will play 21-weeks in San Francisco. The 21-week engagement in Los Angeles begins Friday.

 Joshua Henry’s Broadway credits include Shuffle Along, Violet (Tony nomination), The Scottsboro Boys (Tony nomination), The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, American Idiot, Bring It On: The Musical, and In the Heights (Drama Desk Award – Outstanding Ensemble Performance).  City Center Encores!: Cotton Club Parade and The Wiz.  Film:  The Lake (2017), Sex and the City and Winter’s Tale.  Television:  “Army Wives,” and “Kings.” Michael Luwoye will play Alexander Hamilton alternate on Broadway.

Off Broadway: Invisible Thread (Second Stage). Regional: Cardboard Piano (Actors Theatre of Louisville), Marley (Center Stage), Witness Uganda (A.R.T.), Tick, tick … BOOM! (American Theater Group), and The Three Musketeers and Once on This Island (Flat Rock Playhouse).  He received B.A. from The University of Alabama c/o 2013. Rory O’Malley was last seen on Broadway singing “Turn It Off” as Elder McKinley in The Book of Mormon (Tony and Drama Desk nominations) and in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Off-Broadway: Nobody Loves You (Drama Desk nomination) and Little Miss Sunshine. TV: “Partners” alongside Kelsey Grammer and Martin Lawrence, “Nurse Jackie,” “The Good Wife,” “Law & Order: SVU” and “1600 Penn.” Film: Dreamgirls.

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton.  The musical won eleven 2016 Tony Awards ®including Best Musical, Score, Book of a Musical, Direction of a Musical, Choreography and Orchestrations.  Mr. Miranda received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for HAMILTON.

HAMILTON’s creative team previously collaborated on the 2008 Tony Award ® Winning Best Musical IN THE HEIGHTS. HAMILTON features scenic design by David Korins, costume design by Paul Tazewell, lighting design by Howell Binkley, sound design by Nevin Steinberg, hair and wig design by Charles G. LaPointe, and casting by Telsey + Company, Bethany Knox, CSA. The musical is produced by Jeffrey Seller, Sander Jacobs, Jill Furman and The Public Theater. The HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Recording – recipient of the 2016 Grammy for Best Musical Theatre Album and a regular on numerous Billboard top 10 lists – is available everywhere nationwide. HAMILTON: The Revolution, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Jeremy McCarter’s book about the making of the musical, is on sale and has been a selection on The New York Times Best Seller List. For ticket information and to purchase visit:

With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON is based on Ron Chernow’s biography of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton. The musical won eleven 2016 Tony Awards ®including Best Musical, Score, Book of a Musical, Direction of a Musical, Choreography and Orchestrations. Mr. Miranda received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for HAMILTON. HAMILTON is the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, an immigrant from the West Indies who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War and was the new nation’s first Treasury Secretary. Featuring a score that blends hip-hop, jazz, blues, rap, R&B, and Broadway, HAMILTON is the story of America then, as told by America now.
With book, music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, direction by Thomas Kail, choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and musical supervision and orchestrations by Alex Lacamoire, HAMILTON  won eleven 2016 Tony Awards ®including Best Musical, Score, Book of a Musical, Direction of a Musical, Choreography and Orchestrations. Mr. Miranda received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for HAMILTON.

https://www.hollywoodpantages.com/ For information on HAMILTON, visit www.HamiltonOnBroadway.com, www.Facebook.com/HamiltonMusical, www.Instagram.com/HamiltonMusical and www.Twitter.com/HamiltonMusical.

Hollywood Theatre, LA Life and Style, Los Angeles Life and Style, Los Angeles Theatre Reviews, Pantages Theatre Bodyguard Review, Pantages Theatre Hollywood, Pantages Theatre Reviews

The Bodygaurd at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood Is One Moment in Time To Remember. The Bodyguard Musical is a Must See!

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The Bodyguard
Grammy-Award-nominated and multi-platinum R&B/pop recording artist and film/TV actress Deborah Cox stars as Rachel Marron in the Bodyguard now showing at The Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Photo by Joan Marcus/Pantages Theatre

By Margie Anne Clark – Opening night, mini review

Hollywood, Calif. – THE BODYGUARD mesmerized audiences who attended the opening night at The Pantages Theater in Hollywood on Tuesday.  An award–winning musical based on the smash–hit film of the same name, The Bodyguard musical stage version packed a powerful punch, with a star-studded dose of nostalgia, drama and romance, depicting the heights and depths — and dangers of super-stardom.

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Opening Night of the Bodyguard at the Pantages Hollywood, Tuesday, May 2, 2017 Photo by Margie Anne Clark

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron, played by GRAMMY Award-nominated and multi-platinum recording artist Deborah Cox, from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge – what they don’t expect is to fall in love.

But Audiences can expect to fall head over high heels in love with the glitz and pizazz of The Bodyguard at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.  Sheer magic and edge-of-your-seat fun, all rolled into one!

U.S. NATIONAL TOUR OF THE SMASH HIT WEST END MUSICAL
WILL PLAY HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE
THREE WEEKS ONLY | MAY 2 – 21, 2017
Hollywood, Calif – The first U.S. National tour of the hit musical THE BODYGUARD, will celebrate its Los Angeles premiere at Hollywood Pantages Theatre for a 3-week engagement; May 2 – 21, 2017.
Tickets for THE BODYGUARD are on sale and are available for purchase at www.HollywoodPantages.com or www.Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787, and at the Hollywood Pantages Box Office (6233 Hollywood Boulevard). The box office opens daily at 10am except for Holidays.
Grammy® Award-nominated and multi-platinum R&B/pop recording artist and film/TV actress Deborah Cox stars as Rachel Marron.  In the role of bodyguard Frank Farmer is television star Judson Mills.
Based on Lawrence Kasdan’s 1992 Oscar nominated Warner Bros. film, and adapted by Academy Award-winner (Birdman) Alexander Dinelaris, THE BODYGUARD had its world premiere on December 5, 2012 at London’s Adelphi Theatre. THE BODYGUARD was nominated for four Laurence Olivier Awards including Best New Musical and Best Set Design and won Best New Musical at the Whatsonstage Awards.  The UK production of the musical recently completed a triumphant return run in London’s West End after a sell-out 16-month UK and Ireland tour.
Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge; what they don’t expect is to fall in love. A romantic thriller, THE BODYGUARD features a host of irresistible classics including So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My   Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest selling songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.
Rounding out the principal cast are Alex Corrado (Gotham, Hannibal) as Tony Scibelli, Rachel’s personal security guard, Jarid Faubel (Black & White, X-Men: First Class) as FBI agent Ray Court, Charles Gray (Broadway: The Color Purple, Tour: The Lion King) as manager Bill Devaney, Jonathan Hadley (Broadway: Jersey Boys, A Class Act) as publicist Sy Spector, Jorge Paniagua (Regional: The Full Monty, Oregon Shakespeare Festival) as the Stalker, Jasmin Richardson (Tour: Memphis, Dreamgirls) as Rachel’s sister Nicki Marron, and Douglas Baldeo (Broadway: Kinky Boots, Tour: Motown) and Kevelin B. Jones III (Idlewild Music Festival) alternating in the role of Rachel’s son Fletcher.
The ensemble includes Brendon Chan, Willie Dee, Megan Elyse Fulmer, Alejandra Matos, DeQuina Moore, Bradford Rahmlow, Benjamin Rivera, Sean Rozanski, Matthew Schmidt, Jaquez André Sims, Maria Cristina Slye, Nicole Spencer, Lauren Tanner, and Naomi C. Walley.
Direction is by Thea Sharrock.  Set & costume design is by Tim Hatley, lighting design by Mark Henderson, sound design by Richard Brooker and video design by Duncan McLean.  Choreography is by Karen Bruce, orchestrations by Chris Egan, musical supervision by Richard Beadle and production musical supervision by Mike Dixon.  Musical director Matthew Smedal conducts the live orchestra.
The U.S. National tour of THE BODYGUARD is produced by Michael Harrison, David Ian and Nederlander Presentations, Inc.
The performance schedule for THE BODYGUARD is Tuesday through Friday at 8pm, Saturday at 2pm & 8pm, and Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm. Opening Night is Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 8pm. Deborah Cox is not scheduled to perform at the matinee performances.
THE BODYGUARD is recommended for ages 13 and up. (Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age.)
Individual tickets for THE BODYGUARD start at $35.  Prices are subject to change without notice.
For more information, visit www.TheBodyguardMusical.com
For tickets or more information about the Los Angeles engagement of THE BODYGUARD, please visit the official website for Hollywood Pantages Theatre: www.HollywoodPantages.com/TheBodyguard.
Jay Manuel Beauty is the official makeup sponsor for the US tour of THE BODYGUARD  www.jaymanuelbeauty.com
DATES:
MAY 2 – 21, 2017
VENUE:
HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES THEATRE
6233 Hollywood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90028
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
Tuesday – Friday at 8pm
Saturday at 2pm & 8pm
Sunday at 1pm & 6:30pm
OPENING NIGHT:
Tuesday, May 2, 2017 at 8pm
TICKET PRICES:
Individual tickets start at $35
Ticket prices subject to change without notice.
PARENTAL ADVISORY:
Ages 13 and up Children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre. All patrons must have a ticket, regardless of age.
HOW TO PURCHASE:
Online:             HollywoodPantages.com or Ticketmaster.com
Phone:             1-800-982-2787
In Person:        Hollywood Pantages Box Office (opens daily at 10am) and all Ticketmaster Outlets
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https://www.hollywoodpantages.com/seasonpackages

Broadway, LA Life and Style, LA Life and Style Entertainment News, Los Angeles, Los Angeles Life and Style, Los Angeles Life and Style Entertainment News, Los Angeles Theater, Los Angeles Theatre Reviews, Pantages Theater, Pantages Theatre Hollywood, Pantages Theatre Hollywood Previews, Pantages Theatre Reviews

‘Avenue Q’ Muppet parody opens at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre –

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By Margie Anne Clark

Hollywood, Calif., – Taking its cue from the groundbreaking years of public television’s Muppet lore, Broadway’s Tony Award winning musical ‘Avenue Q’ is sweeping the clouds of political correctness away during its whirlwind stop at the Pantages Theater. The show opened tonight and runs through Sunday in a special limited engagement.

David Colston Corris, Ashley Eileen Bucknam, Michael Liscio Jr. (Top-Bottom) Actors Michael Liscio, Jr., David Colston Corris and Ashley Eileen Bucknam pose at the opening night of “Avenue Q” at the Pantages Theatre on March 1, 2011 in Hollywood, California. Photo by Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images North America)

‘Avenue Q’ cast member Ashley Eileen Bucknam who stars in two roles as “Kate Monster” and “Lucy the Slut,” reflected on the early days of ‘Sesame Street’  – which starred the likes of Bert and Ernie, Kermit the Frog, Oscar the Grouch and Cookie Monster.

“There are many similarities to the original characters of Sesame Street but there is a lot more to it than a-b-c and one two three. You get involved in their lives and every character is someone you can relate to and have fun with,” said Bucknam, assuring that audiences are sure to be entertained by the show’s unique and risqué format.

“You have to come into the show with an open mind, and by the end of the show you end up really feeling for these puppets,” said Bucknam who was born and raised in South Jersey where passion for the arts took flight at the age of two while growing up along the beaches of the Jersey Shore.

While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, ‘Avenue Q’ has not been authorized or approved in any manner by The Jim Henson Company or Sesame Workshop, which have no responsibility for its content.

In a departure from Sesame Street, the puppeteers of ‘Avenue Q’ take to the stage more in the tradition of a ventriloquist than a muppeteer.

Bucknam and her fellow cast members are fully seen on stage as they provide the voices for their colorful furry, Styrofoam-eyed characters with their lips moving in full sight.

“All of the actors wear black, but as the show progresses they are watching the puppets – it’s like watching the subtitles in a movie,” explains Bucknam of the challenge audience members may have of suspending belief with the actor’s faces and moving lips in full view. “Eventually you get used to it end up watching the puppets.”

As the play opens, ‘Avenue Q’ introduces audiences to a young man named Princeton, a bright eyed, college grad who moves to NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. The only apartment he can afford is way out on Avenue Q, where everyone is looking for the same thing he is: a decent job, a stable relationship, and a “purpose.”

“Every show is different because the characters evolve over the course of the tour,” Bucknam said of the show that has been seen in more than 96 cities in the United States and Canada.

Bucknam stars opposite David Colston Corris Princeton, Rod), Michael Liscio, Jr. (Nicky, Trekkie Monster, Bear & Others), Lisa Helmi Johanson (Christmas Eve), Tim Kornblum (Brian), Anita Welch (Gary Coleman) and Kerri Brackin (Mrs. T, Bear & Others). Rounding out the company are ensemble members Ben Hart, Kate Lippstreu, Katie McCreary, and Zach Trimmer. Avenue Q features music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, a book by Jeff Whitty, based on an original concept by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx; and is directed by Jason Moore. Puppet design is by Rick Lyon, with orchestrations by Stephen Oremus, choreography by Ken Roberson, scenic design by Anna Louizos, costume design by Mirena Rada, lighting design by Howell Binkley, and sound design by Lew Mead. Associate director is Evan Ensign and music supervisor is Andrew Graham.

“We’re thrilled and excited to be performing right in the heart of L.A.,” said Bucknam in between performances during her San Francisco stop prior to making her way down to the streets of Hollywood’s storied Tinseltown.

“Everything in life is for now only,” the classically trained actress added borrowing a line from the last song of the show when the characters come to the realization that growing up isn’t so bad at all.

“I hope that LA will love it as much as we do – and you never know what will happen next!”

Tickets to ‘Avenue Q’ may be purchased by visiting www.broadwayla.org or by call 800-982-ARTS (2787). Parental warning, Due to adult situations (like full-puppet nudity), ‘Avenue Q’ may be inappropriate for kids under 13. (Everyone must have a ticket; children under 5 will not be admitted to the theatre).