January 2025

Everyone is celebrating the arrival of the New Year and adjusting to the many changes that inevitably come with it, but you can still count on the shows to be seen in local theaters. Try one and see if it doesn’t help you to remember what is and isn’t real.

     COVID protocols continue to be dictated by each individual venue so bring a facemask to wear during the show in case the venue requires it. Check with the theater before attending a show to find out what is their current policy. 

    The information presented in this column is the latest available at the time of printing; however, it should be confirmed with the theater prior to making definite plans. 

     Here are the shows that have announced opening dates for this month or are already running:

Opening

“Death Of a Salesman” ˆThis iconic American drama harnesses bold realism with riveting theatricality and is a commentary on the American Dream that resonates even today. 

Written by Arthur Miller and directed by Mark Blanchard, it runs from Jan. 10 through Jan. 26 at the Colony Theatre in Burbank. For tickets, visit www.onstage411.com/salesman.\

“Jest a Second” In this follow-up to “Beau Jest,” Sarah and Bob are now married and expecting their first child. However, Sarah’s brother Joel is now the one having trouble admitting something to their parents – and Bob once again steps in to “help.” Hilarity once again ensues as the family deals with its latest drama. 

Written by James Sherman and directed by Jonathan Fahn, it runs from Jan. 10 through Feb. 16 at the Theatre Palisades in Pacific Palisades. For tickets, call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.

“Mean Girls” Cady Heron may have grown up on an African savanna but nothing prepared her for the wild and vicious ways of her strange new home: suburban Illinois. How will this naïve newbie rise to the top of the popularity pecking order? By taking on The Plastics, a trio of lionized frenemies led by the charming but ruthless Regina George. But when Cady devises a plan to end Regina’s reign, she learns the hard way that you can’t cross a Queen Bee without getting stung. 

Written by Tina Fey, based on the screenplay by Jeff Richmond with music by Jeff Richmond, lyrics by Nell Benjamin, and directed by Casey Nicholaw, it runs from Jan. 10 through Jan. 12 at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center in Thousand Oaks. For tickets, visit www.BroadwayInThousandOaks.com.

“Wish You Were Here” It’s 1978. Protests break out across Iran as five close girlfriends plan weddings, trade dirty jokes and try to live their young lives. As the revolution escalates, each woman is forced to face an uncertain future by staying in Iran or leaving it. 

Written by Sanaz Toossi and directed by Mina Morita, it runs from Jan. 12 through Feb. 2 at the South Coast Repertory Julianne Argyros Stage in Costa Mesa. For tickets,, call 714-708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.

“Four Women in Red” is about four resilient women searching for missing friends and relatives in the face of apathetic sheriffs and dwindling clues. Are their loved ones lost? Were they taken? Are they even alive? This moving new play celebrates the power of community as the women seek answers against all odds. Their roller coaster journey involves mystery, grief, prayer and moments of sudden joy. 

Written by Laura Shamas and directed by Jeanette Harrison, it runs from Jan. 13 through Feb. 19 at the Victory Theatre Centre in Burbank. For tickets, call (818) 841-5421 or visit www.thevictorytheatrecenter.org.

“Here Comes the Night” When Olivia, a musician’s wife and climate science advocate, invites Maggie, an old friend turned social media influencer, to spend the weekend while she has an at-home medical abortion, she doesn’t realize that Maggie is about to throw Olivia off-course. And actually, these women of different generations are about to alter each other’s lives in ways they hadn’t expected or imagined. What happens when a woman’s right to choose becomes a litmus test for all of her life choices? 

Written by Lisa Kenner Grissom and directed by Hailey McAfee, it runs from Jan. 15 through Feb. 16 at the Moving Arts Theatre in Atwater. For tickets, call (323) 472-5646 or visit www.movingarts.org.

“The Seagull” On a country lake, a star-struck girl of 19 becomes entangled with a famous actress, her famous writer-boyfriend and her troubled son. The girl rejects the romantic pleadings of the son but steals the heart of the famous writer and heads for Moscow to pursue him and pursue a life in the theatre as an actress. 

Written by Anton Chekhov and directed by Bruce Katzman, it runs from Jan. 16 through Feb. 9 at the Odyssey Theatre in Los Angeles. For tickets, visit www.streetratmedia.wixsite.com/the-seagull-la.

“The Curious Savage” When Ethel Savage’s late husband leaves her $10 million, she decides to establish a fund to support dreamers. But her three greedy stepchildren commit her to a mental institution hoping to “bring her to her senses.” In the sanitarium, she befriends the other “guests.” Meanwhile the stepchildren discover that Ethel has hidden the family fortune and attempt to browbeat her into confessing where the money has been stashed. There is a wild goose chase where the question, “Who is really crazy and who is sane?” comes into play. With warmth, humor and dignity, this charming play celebrates those who are often overlooked, emphasizing kindness, affection and empathy in a world that too often rewards greed and ambition. 

Written by John Patrick, it runs from Jan. 17 through Feb. 23 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre (Main Stage) in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 763-5990 or visit www.thegrouprep.com.

“Sleeping Giant” When a firework-filled marriage proposal goes very wrong, the accompanying explosions wake up something very old that has been sleeping in the nearby lake for thousands of years. What follows are intimate, darkly comic and sometimes startling vignettes about the lengths people go to when they desperately want to believe in something. 

Written by Steve Yockey and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, it runs from Jan. 17 through Feb. 23 at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 761-8838 or visit www.roadtheatre.org.

“East of the Sun and West of the Moon” is based on a Norwegian folk tale. Karen, a young woman, is offered the chance to rescue her impoverished family from its dire straits if she agrees to become the companion of an enchanted bear for a year. Within the body of the bear resides a handsome prince destined to become Karen’s true love, but the Evil Queen of the Trolls has hatched a scheme to thwart Karen and dominate the bear for the queen’s own purposes. Can love prevail? 

Written by Kai Cofer, with music by Larry Evans, lyrics by Kai Cofer, and directed by Jon Peterson, it runs from Jan. 18 through Jan. 26 at the Lineage Performing Arts Center in Pasadena. For tickets, visit www.our.show/eastofsun.

“Eleanor” A tour-de-force solo performance by Kandis Chappell brings to life the dynamic and iconic First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. Both strong and vulnerable, public and private, Eleanor Roosevelt’s fascinating story will sweep away the audience. Learn more about the passionate and unforgettable woman at the heart of her husband’s presidency whose impact on history cannot be understated. 

Written by Mark St. Germain, and directed by David Ellenstein, it runs from Jan. 19 through Feb. 2 at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach. For tickets, call (949) 497-2787 or visit www.lagunaplayhouse.com.

“Millennium Magic 2025” Back in 2000, magician, actor and Theatre West member George Tovar originated Millennium Magic, an annual festival of Magic Castle magicians performing for one weekend each fall at Theatre West. This year, George returns to host three amazing performances as he is joined onstage by his magical friends from Hollywood’s Magic Castle, Vegas, cruise ships and television shows. This array of great talents from the world of magic is the 23rd annual presentation of this popular show. The line-up of magicians will vary at each performance, so one could attend all three dates and see three different programs. Nowhere else will you be able to see an array of talented magical performers of this caliber at such an affordable price. 

Written and directed by George Tovar, it runs from Jan. 24 through Jan. 26 at the Theatre West in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 851-4839 or visit www.theatrewest.org.

“The Play That Goes Wrong” The Cornley Drama Society in Britain is putting on a 1920s murder mystery but, as the title suggests, everything that can go wrong does! The accident-prone thespians battle against all odds to make it through to their final curtain call with hilarious consequences! 

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer & Henry Shields, and directed by Eric Petersen, it runs from Jan. 25 through Feb. 16 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets, call (562) 944-9801 or visit www.LaMiradaTheatre.com.

“Jane Austen in 89 Minutes” is a comedy in which a cast of madcap ladies and gents bring all six of Jane Austen’s beloved novels to comic life and includes modern day zingers about Jane Austen’s fame, fandom, movies and TV series. The play takes place in a wrinkle in time, the present day intermingled with England’s Regency Era, 1811-1816. At several points, Jane Austen must rein in her characters when they run amok and try to take over the show. 

Written and directed by Syrie James, it runs from Jan. 29 through Feb. 9 at the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills. For tickets, call (310) 364-3606 or visit www.theatre40.org.

Steve Zall, Publisher – Scene in LA
Sid Fish, Co-publisher & Editor