THE PANTAGES THEATRE CELEBRATES THE LOS ANGELES RETURN OF RAIN: A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES WITH THEMED CONTEST VIA THE THEATRE’S OFFICIAL TWITTER FEED, @PANTAGES

Hollywood, Calif. – From March 28-April 1, @Pantages – the official Twitter account of Broadway/L.A. and the Pantages Theatre – will give followers the opportunity to win a midweek Hollywood getaway for two – including tickets to the April 12th opening night of RAIN – A TRIBUTE TO THE BEATLES, plus overnight accommodations at Hollywood’s The Redbury Hotel, located just around the iconic corner of Hollywood & Vine.

 

The contest – dubbed AlphaBEATicLES – will take participants on an alphabetical walk through classic Beatles songs,
challenging them to be first to accurately identify a passage of lyrics based only on a string of initials.
A sample clue might appear as follows: CYEAIKYTIMYRIABT #RAIN #alphaBEATicLES #A The final hashtag “#A”
identifies the clue as being from a Beatles song beginning with the letter “A,” and the first string of letters represent initials
of a well-known lyric – in this case, from the A-titled song All My Loving: “Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you,Tomorrow I’ll
miss you,Remember I’ll always be true.”

A total of 19 challenges will be issued during the contest, and the 19 winners will be entered into a grand prize drawing –
st
and on Friday, April 1 at 5pm, @Pantages will announce (in 140 characters or less) the winner of the two opening night
tickets, plus a one night stay for two in a Vine flat at The Redbury, the latest addition to the award-winning sbe Hotel
Collection. To participate, follow the Pantages Theatre on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/Pantages.

Curated by visionary Creative Director and renowned photographer Matthew Rolston, in collaboration with sbe Founder
and CEO Sam Nazarian, The Redbury offers spacious guest flats with uncompromising amenities and services. With its
unpretentious and engaging hospitality experience, The Redbury appeals to a community that is passionately connected
to the arts, music, fashion and entertainment.

RAIN, the internationally-acclaimed Beatles concert, returns by popular demand to Hollywood’s historic Pantages
Theatre, where they enjoyed astounding success during their special one week engagement in 2009. RAIN will play the
Pantages for eight performances only, April 12-17, 2011. Ticket prices start at just $25. For more information about RAIN
– A Tribute to the Beatles’ Los Angeles engagement, as well as for complete contest rules, please visit the Pantages
Theatre’s official website, www.BroadwayLA.org.

Photos by Joan Marcus

SCV Youth Project Gears up for its 3rd Annual Sweet Charity Auction

By Margie Anne Clark

Santa Clarita, Calif. The Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project is getting more exciting every year and it’s not too late to join in the fun.

Providence Medical Center is Proud to Present The Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project’s 3rd Annual Sweet Charity Cake Auction & Competition, judging panel coming up on on April 9, 2011 at the Tournament Players Club in Valencia.
A 2010 entry for the SCV Youth Project’s Sweet Charity fundraising event. This year April 9, 2001 event is expected to draw even more creative entries. Photo by Margie Anne Clark

Judges include: Jim Moret, chief correspondent for Inside Edition, Chef David Lawrence, the host and Creative Food Director of the hit web cooking series Good Bite, and Cindy Schwanke, culinary instructor at College of the Canyons.

Also joining in the fun will be the famous Porto’s Bakery & Café, siblings Margarita and Raul Jr. Porto

“It should be a great night. We have great new sponsorships and we continuing to see such excitement amongst the community members!” said Kim Goldman, Executive Director for the SCV Youth Project. “Having Jim, Chef David and of course Cindy, is going to add some spice to the night, it will surely make for a memorable evening.”

For more information call 661.257.YOUTH (9688) or visit the SCV Youth Project website at:
www.HelpNotHassle.org.

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

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).