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Ken Roht's 99 Cent Only holiday show at the Bootleg Theater has become something of a legend. Fans of the yearly holiday spectacle wouldn't miss it. If you are reading this from a far away place, book a plane ticket for LA and come see this show.
Why all the hoopla? The 99 Cent Only Show is a truly fun theatrical experience that will put a smile on your face and make you stand up and cheer.
Why is it called the 99 Cent Only Show? Every item on stage, from the scenery to the costumes, has been made from items bought at the 99 Cent Only store. The costumes are elaborate, colorful assemblages of everything you can imagine from the store, transformed into a magical wonderland of whimsy. The mastermind behind this fantastical vision is director-choreographer Ken Roht of Orphean Circus. He collaborates on the music with John Ballinger and trusts the costume vision to Ann Closs-Farley. LAist asked Ken Roht about this year's show "Calendar Girl Competition", how the whole wacky idea started, and how he has become what he calls the 'demented pied piper'.
LAist: How did the idea for the 99 Cent Only Show originally come about?
Ken Roht: It will be seven years now. I live right up the street from a 99 Cent Only Store. I often get coffee right across the street at Madame Matisse's. I would get my to go cup of coffee and would go across the street and walk up and down the aisles. I think it is sort of fascinating. Where does all of this product come from? How did they get idea to merchandise all of this plastic? As it got closer to the holidays one year, I thought, "I want to make a holiday show, so why not make it with all of this stuff?"
I sent them a letter and asked if they would consider co-sponsoring this project. Two weeks later they called me up and said, "Ken you are on conference call with five of us. Can we talk about this?" They were very receptive and said "Let's go for it. Let's do it." That was seven years ago.
Costume designer Ann Closs-Farley and I had been working on something else at the time. I think we were doing something at The Actors' Gang. I knew that she was creative. I didn't know that she was a genius. It's great. So that worked out. I was working with composer John Ballinger at the time. We have been doing the music for this and for a lot of other things. Jason Adams who owns the Bootleg space is a great sculptor and set designer. We've worked together a lot. Now we have this incredible team. One of the best in the country, I believe. I really believe that. We are on fire and we have a shorthand now that's so strong. Everyone is so good. It is very exciting.
How does the sponsorship with the 99 Cent Only store work? Is it like Supermarket Sweep and they say "Have at it"?
It has been different. The first year they gave us 99 Cent dollars. We got five hundred 99 Cent coupons. We would go to the stores and spend it. That lasted for a couple years.
Now we go to their showroom at their headquarters in City of Commerce. It's like a store that has everything and they do- they say have at it. It is like Supermarket Sweep. We fill out a big piece of paper. We want five boxes of this and we ask for it. This year they gave us more than ever.
What can you tell us about this year's show? Your other shows have been a dinner theatre and other wild themes. What is "Calendar Girl Competition" about ?
This year is a beauty pageant. The audience will actually vote for the winners. They will vote for the semifinalist. There will be five semifinalists. Then we do our second act with those semifinalists being featured. It's kind of not about that. It's kind of a meditation on beauty pageants, but it is a beauty pageant and there is definitely a winner.
Does that mean that the actors will find out during each performance if they are doing the second act?
Yes at intermission. They will all have to know it. There has been that convention in murder mystery plays. That is not necessarily a new concept but I like it applied to this beauty pageant. We are doing it in a pretty down home way. It's more or less a surreal meditation on beauty pageants. It's not about a campy backstabbing situation. It's a feminist piece. They usually are. It has to do with how women are being encouraged to compete in a way with each other in society.
And I looked at these beauty pageants- these kids being coerced into pushing it out there and being glamorous and fabulous at five years old. It's crazy. It's creepy. The more interesting people are the ones who are pushing them. We have eight people playing the loved ones- sort of the pushers. They are dressed in their Chanel suits.
Chanel suits made out of things from the 99 Cent Store?
Out of plastic, yeah. And they wear little tams. I saw these pictures of these models in the 1960's, 70's wearing tams on their heads. So I asked Ann if we could have tams.
Ken Roht and team at the Calendar Girl Competition photo shoot.
You mentioned that you live in Silver Lake. How long have you lived there?
Fourteen years.
What is your favorite thing about living in Los Angeles?
It's beautiful here. I have a convertible. I have taken complete advantage of it. It's just beautiful and it's really diverse. It's getting cleaner in a way. So it's even a better place to live. In Silver Lake I can walk to so many cool little places.
What is your favorite place to eat?
I love Dusty's. It's really cool I can walk there in two minutes from my house. Every special occasion I go there. They have a great wine bar. When I feel like I had a good day I can buy myself a $10 glass of wine.
What's you favorite LA landmark or cultural institution?
MOCA is great. The museums. I love going to the museums. LACMA.
What other projects are you working on now when you are not doing the 99 Cent Only Show? We heard about a Hello Kitty collaboration.
Yeah, I love it. I have started to work as a music video choreographer. I love choreographing for other people. I used to not love it. Now I get so excited to work with another director because I am at a place where I am working with really great directors and that is such a joy. I worked with a pop star who won the competition to be on the Hello Kitty CD. They are creating a compilation of pop music that is appropriate for their audience. I choreographed the video for one of the tunes on it. It was really fun.
I am also doing choreography for, there was a show called "Naked Boys Singing", now there is going to be a show called "Naked People Singing". I am going to Ashland, Oregon and choreographing that.
And I am editing this movie that I shot.
What is the movie?
I did a play called "Echo's Hammer" at The Boston Court Theatre. Seven years ago I made a movie of this material. It's been waiting to be edited. I am editing it now. I've got the bug because of the music videos. Lodger Films is a great film company here in Silver Lake. They are doing really great interesting work. They will be involved with "Echo's Hammer".
Maybe we'll do a reality TV show about the 99 Cent Only Show. That these wackos would follow me into battle. I'm the demented pied piper.
LAist asked costume designer Ann Closs-Farley to describe the process of working with Ken Roht.
Ann Closs-Farley: I have always been a fan of Ken's work. He has his own sense of style and taste that is original, unique and quirky. It gets my team of elves and me excited every year about creating something unexpected and original. It's not an easy task to create complementary costumes that perfectly translate his vision. He gives me guidelines and generally lets me go do my thing. We then come back together and tailor it around what is working and what is not. His choreography is so incredibly detailed that I often have many sleepless nights trying to figure out how I am going to get the paper and plastic from getting in his way. Every year we discuss and ponder new ways to build bigger and better ways to build the costumes for more flexibility. I am lucky to have many wonderful volunteers who are huge fans of the 99 Cent Only show that help in any way possible to get this show ready for opening. Ken is a Los Angeles treasure. I am always honored to participate in making this event a joyous sensation.
"Calendar Girl Competition" open on Saturday night! LAist can't wait!
Ken Roht's 99c Only Calendar Girl Competition
Bootleg Theater
2220 Beverly Blvd.
Previews Thursday & Friday, December 4th & 5th.
Opening Night Saturday, December 6th
Runs thru December 21st
Thursday – Saturday at 8p.m.
Sundays at 3p.m.
with: Don Allen, Carolyn Almos, Wendy Arimah, Tad Coughenor, Jamie Hebert, Michael Lopez, Lucie McGrane, Lauren Oppelt, Katie Puckrik, Daniele Watts, Alicia Wollerton, Jabez Zuniga, Greg Ainsworth, Lisa Bode, Michael Bonnabel, Adam LeBow, Laura Martin, Lori Scarlett, Kat Meyer Smith, Raul Staggs, Silvie Zamora, Mark Bringelson, Marc Devine, Max Faugno, Tim Hearl, Marvin Solomon, Sissy Boyd and Uma Nithipalan.
Tickets for this The Orphean Circus show are available at Brown Paper Tickets.
photos of the calendar girls by Jim Hickcox
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