Retro family drama Hope, Part II of a Mexican Trilogy, is playing at Los Angeles Theatre Center. Falling somewhere between Hairspray, West Side Story, and The Wonder Years,, Hope depicts the interpersonal relationships of the Garcia family as they are impacted by the major political events of 1962. more ›

This Halloween, down some Zombies & get wasted with The Rum Diary! Then, from three sheets to the wind comes nine lives of Puss In Boots. Plus Hipsters & Oka! in limited release. more ›

Legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp's latest endeavor "Come Fly Away" is a "musical" take on the songs of Frank Sinatra, and the result is a sexy, high-energy dance romp that serves as enthralling nostalgic escapism. more ›

Aladdin and Jasmine experienced a whole new horror on Sunday afternoon during "Disney's Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular" at California Adventure. While soaring over the audience, the not-so-magic carpet malfunctioned and left both performers hanging above the crowd by their harnesses. more ›

Based on the true stories of Downtown residents, the slightly seedy and deeply hilarious gentrification fable "The Vault: (Unlocked)" is currently playing at Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC). Vault Ensemble pokes fun at the hipster colonization of Downtown Los Angeles, bundling social commentary on redevelopment and loss of urban culture into an edgy farce with musical influences. more ›

Aspiring actresses across America are about to have their chance to become the next Barbara Streisand; the Center Theatre Group is holding an online casting call for the role of Fanny Brice in "Funny Girl," and auditions are open to anyone and everyone. In a statement, representatives from the company said that they were casting a wide net to find the right woman for the job. more ›

One of Jeff Conaway's most memorable roles and an enduring favorite was that of bad boy Kenickie in the musical "Grease." The actor died today at age 60. Conaway played the role on Broadway, and of course was in the film version. "A hickie from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card, when you only care enough to send the very best!" quips the ruffian high schooler to his on-and-off flame Rizzo (played in the film by Stockard Channing). more ›

Jonathan Larson's celebrated rock musical, Rent, is currently running at a secret warehouse location in Mission Junction. Perfectly contextualized in an atmospheric, industrial setting, this production of Rent features hearty, resonant voices, emotionally charged performances, live musical accompaniment, and appreciable direction by Kate Sullivan and Caitlin Hart that remains true to the 1996 Broadway original. more ›

Tom Cruise is set to star in the film version of the musical hit Rock of Ages that began its Los Angeles run at the Pantages Theater last week. Rock of Ages is a heartwarming, eye-lining, hair-spraying, tight pants-wearing, arena-rock love story about a small town girl and a big city boy who find each other on the Sunset Strip in 1987, all told through a mega setlist of 70s & 80s rock hits from Journey, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Night Ranger, Poison, Whitesnake, Styx, and lines and lines more. more ›

A sassy amalgamation of New York street smarts and Latin soul with a little Spanglish thrown in for authenticity, In the Heights makes its Los Angeles premiere at the Pantages with a recently extended run through July 25. A Broadway favorite and winner of the 2008 Tony Award for Best New Musical, In the Heights is a light-hearted examination of the hopes and dreams of a mostly Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican community in the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights. more ›

Were you one of the thousands of Gleeks who caught one of the live performances by the cast this week at the Gibson Ampitheatre? Or did you have to live vicariously through the friends who were? We fall into the latter category, which is why we've got these photos from the LAist Featured Photos pool by current events, who falls into the former category. more ›

Get ready.Neil Patrick Harris' vision of the musical "Rent" will happen August 6th through 8th at the Hollywood Bowl, says the LA Times.. With wine flowing and the stars above, this show ought to be get crazy (have you been to the Sound of Music sing-a-longs? it's a riot). This will be Harris' first time directing a musical theatre production. But, of course, we all know his of wonderful his talents, thanks to the Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and his Hollywood Boulevard production of Accomplice. more ›

CIRQUE Cirque du Soleil’s latest show Kooza camps out under the blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau (big top) at the Santa Monica Pier through Nov. 29. Kooza tells the story of The Innocent, a sad loner searching of his place in the world. The show combines two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.Tickets are $60-$135 depending on time and day of performance. more ›

April marks the Month of Photography LA (MOPLA) and there’s an array of programming for photographers and collectors alike. This afternoon from 3-5 pm at the Pacific Design Center, Blue Building, there’s a lecture on “Looking at the Past to Build a Better Future - Lessons Learned from Photographic Trends” moderated by Debra Weiss with Steve Levit, Michael Kochman and Tim Wride. The opening reception for six MOPLA exhibits is also tonight from 6-9 pm. more ›

Tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm famed conductor Zubin Mehta takes to the Walt Disney Concert Hall stage to lead the Vienna Philharmonic. On the program are Angela Maria Blasi, soprano, Bruckner’s “Symphony No. 9,” Wolf’s “Italian Serenade” and Marx’s “Selected Songs.” more ›

It's a robust Monday with interesting events around town: more ›

Bound to happen, right? Nevertheless, it's pretty funny. more ›

If you loved, loved, loved Cats, then you might want think twice before seeing Spring Awakening, which opened last week at the Ahmanson. But for those who can relate to any one of the following themes: teen angst, love, lust, parental oppression, child abuse, sex, masturbation, yearning for enlightenment, then head straight for the Music Center. Pronto. more ›

George Furth, a Tony-award winning playwright and the man behind the books for "Company," the 1970 Broadway musical as well as "Merrily We Roll Along," died yesterday in Santa Monica for reasons yet to be announced. Furth worked with Stephen Sondheim, who wrote the music and lyrics for the two musicals, on the short lived murder mystery "Getting Away With Murder" in 1996. He also wrote the play "Twigs." As an actor, Furth worked on mostly TV shows from the 60s through the 90s and is most notably remembered for his railroad clerk role in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." more ›

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First brought to the boards of Broadway in 1975, Michael Bennett's stark, blunt, and brilliant musical about being in musicals became one of the longest-running musicals of all-time. Now in revival after over a decade's absence on the Great White Way, the national touring company of A Chorus Line has landed in LA's Ahmanson Theatre for a limited engagement. more ›

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Written by Stephen Sondheim, the original "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" is a classic. The most recent Tim Burton screen adaptation of Edward Sissorhands the musical was "meh." And last night's Los Angeles premiere under John Doyle's direction was, simply put, purely amazing. more ›

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Throw on a hoodie and some comfy pants and head out now to make the 2 p.m. start of the Radical Women's International Women’s Day Celebration talk called "Art, Media & Revolution – Three Feminist Visionaries Speak Out." Panelists include artist Susana De Leon, poet Ashley Love, and journalist Amanda Rossi. If getting in touch with your inner grrrrrl makes you hungry, a "rebel-girl supper with vegetarian option" follows at 4:30. more ›

Members of the Towne Street Theatre are on stage tonight in a double bill. First is The 10 Minute Play Festival, which features plays ranging from comedy to satire to drama brought to you by 23 actors and 9 director. Second is PassingSOLO, a one-woman show based on their play version of Nella Larsen's 1927 novella Passing. There will be a talkback after every show. more ›

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It is the best musical you’ve (probably) never heard of. It boasts music by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA, and lyrics by Tim Rice. Its rich songs fuse classical Broadway influences with sprinklings of disco. And it’s the only musical gutsy enough to include songs like “One Night in Bangkok” alongside the beautifully patriotic “Anthem.” The musical is “CHESS,” which tells the story of Victor Korchnoi and Bobby Fischer-esque competitors in a... more ›

What if the future really did look like a cross between a Eurovision song contest and Cats? It would be The Apple, perhaps the oddest (some would say crappiest) musical ever made.... more ›