By Steve ZALL and Sid FISH

 April 2023

 It’s great to see that more of the theatres we feared had been lost during the pandemic closure are opening their doors again with new shows. 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. It’s a good idea to check with the theatre before attending an event 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 verified with the theatre before making definite plans.

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

OPENING

“Dark of the Moon: A New Musical” follows John, a witch boy from the Smoky Mountains, who falls in love with Barbara Allen, a beautiful and rebellious mortal girl who longs for more life than she finds in the fictitious Appalachian town of Buck Creek. John is willing to give up anything to be with Barbara Allen and makes a deal with the conjure people to give up his immortality and become mortal if Barbara and he can stay true to each other for a year. Based on the classic stage play of the same name, this new musical adaptation is the sexy, soulful tale of young lovers torn apart by prejudice and fear – a modern melding of “Twilight” and “Romeo and Juliet” loosely based on a centuries-old ballad. Heart wrenchingly beautiful, and profoundly poetic, “Dark of the Moon” features a dual score by an award-winning songwriting team with a bluegrass/folk sound voiced by the humans juxtaposed with a rock/soul sound from the witches.

Written by Jonathan Prince, with music by Lindy Robbins, Dave Bassett and Steve Robson, and directed by James O’Neil, it runs through April 16 at the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura. For tickets, call (805) 667-2900 or visit www.rubicontheatre.org.

“Kiss of the Spider Woman” Set in a South American prison cell in a country under authoritarian rule, two polar opposites discover that love may spring in the most unlikely of places. Poignant, chilling, funny and sensual, this intimate two-hander is the story of Valentin, a macho political prisoner whose commitment to the Marxist cause takes precedence over everything else, and queer, movie-loving Molina, who escapes the harsh reality of prison life by retelling beloved film noir classics and emulating their glamorous leading ladies. Forced to share a cell in Buenos Aires’ notorious Villa Devoto prison during Argentina’s “Dirty War,” the two forge an unlikely relationship.

Written by Manuel Puig and directed by Michael Michetti, it runs through April 23 at A Noise Within in Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 356-3100 or visit www.anoisewithin.org.

“Accomplice” A woman, having an affair with her husband’s junior business partner, contrives to seize control of a significant portion of her husband’s company assets and dispose of her annoying spouse by poisoning his drink. Of course, if the plot were this simple this would be a remarkably short entertainment. However, the play manipulates our perceptions of who will be the perpetrator and who will be the victim with plot twists that occur with increasing frequency and velocity. Central to the action is the fact that there’s an accomplice in there somewhere whose participation ensures the success of the whole criminal undertaking. Just exactly who is the accomplice? Unless you’re already a dedicated mystery buff, you won’t see this one coming.

Written by Rupert Holmes and directed by Trace Oakley, it runs April 7 through April 29 at the Sherry Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets, visit www.eventbrite.com/e/accomplice-tickets,-591780299807.

“The Pilot Who Crashed the Party” An off-beat homage to the drawing room dramas of the ’30s, this unique and entertaining new play is set in the Santa Monica Mountains on a violent, stormy night filled with rain, lightning and thunder. The streets outside the mansion where Sally is celebrating her 50^th birthday are narrow, winding and newly full of mud – when a pilot in a small, single engine plane literally crashes the party. Who, exactly, is this surprise guest?

Written and directed by Paul Sand, it runs April 8 through May 7 at the Broadwater Theatre Main Stage in Los Angeles. For tickets, visit www.onstage411.com/Pilot.

“Battlesong of Boudica” The legions of conquering Rome have swept across the mist-shrouded island of Britannia and subdued most of its warring, disunified tribes. On the advice of his consort Boudica, Chief Prasutagus of the Iceni tribe has forged an alliance with the occupying Romans in hope of preserving his people’s liberty. But when Prasutagus is conscripted by Rome and killed in battle, Roman law refuses to recognize Boudica or her young daughters as the deceased chief’s heirs. For resisting the confiscation of her family’s ancestral home by the Romans, Boudica is flogged and her daughters brutally assaulted. Savaged, dishonored and discarded for dead, Boudica seeks a bloody revenge. Securing the chiefdom of her tribe by trial of fight, Boudica sends word across Britannia: Rise up, unite and push the Romans out. Soon all of Celtic Britannia is in revolt, rallied beneath the banner of War Chief Boudica. But the steeled force of Rome intends neither surrender nor retreat. And so, the stage is set for an epic battle, the subject of legends and songs sung across two millennia.

Written and directed by Christopher William Johnson, it runs April 9 through April 30 at the Hudson Backstage in Hollywood. For tickets, visit www.school-of-night.ticketleap.com/battlesong-of-boudica.

“Ava: The Secret Conversations” “I either write the book or sell the jewels. I’m kinda sentimental about the jewels.” So says legendary Hollywood icon Ava Gardner to her ghostwriter Peter Evans as they begin work on her tell-all biography that will shock Tinseltown. But as Peter attempts to glean the juicy details about her life story, her marriages to Mickey Rooney, Artie Shaw and Frank Sinatra, and her turbulent relationship to Howard Hughes, an altogether different and unexpected journey unfolds in this theatrical glimpse into the private life of Hollywood’s original femme fatale.

Written by Elizabeth McGovern and directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel, it runs April 13 through May 7 at the Gil Cates Theater at the Geffen Playhouse in Westwood. For tickets, call (310) 208-2028 or visit www.geffenplayhouse.org.

“George Gershwin Alone: Final Farewell Performances of Gershwin” This exploration of Gershwin’s short but extraordinary life illuminates the master tunesmith whose work shaped a distinctly American style of music. “George Gershwin Alone” spotlights this brilliant composer’s prolific partnership with his brother, lyricist Ira Gershwin, and incorporates beloved songs ranging from the popular hits “Fascinating Rhythm,” “I Got Rhythm,” “’S Wonderful” and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” to excerpts from ground-breaking musicals “Porgy and Bess” and “An American in Paris” and a complete performance of “Rhapsody In Blue.”

Written by Hershey Felder, with music by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin, and directed by Joel Zwick, it runs April 13 through April 16 at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Bram Goldsmith Theater in Beverly Hills. For tickets, call (310) 746-4000 or visit www.TheWallis.org.

“An American In Paris” Originally a jazz-influenced orchestral piece by American composer George Gershwin that was first performed in 1928, this version of the “An American in Paris” musical is inspired by the Academy Award-winning hit 1951 movie of the same name that starred Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron. An American soldier, an alluring French woman and an indomitable European city each yearn for a new beginning in the aftermath of World War II. MTW’s “An American in Paris” will feature an enchanting score by George and Ira Gershwin, a fresh, sophisticated book by Tony nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Lucas, and stunning choreography from tap to ballet that will sweep audiences off their feet!

Written by Craig Lucas, with music by George and Ira Gershwin, and directed by Jeffry Denman, it runs April 14 through April 30 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach. For tickets, call (562) 856-1999 or visit www.musical.org.

“The Laramie Project” In 1998, Matthew Shephard, a college student at the University of Wyoming was kidnapped, beaten, tied to a fence and left to die. His crime? Being gay. Kaufman, Fondakowski and members of the Tectonic Theater Project made six trips to Laramie over the course of a year and a half. They conducted more than 200 interviews with the people of the town. The breadth of the reactions to the crime is fascinating. They have constructed a deeply moving theatrical experience from these interviews and their own experiences in Laramie. This play is a breathtaking collage that explores the depths to which humanity can sink and the heights of compassion of which we are capable.

Written by Moises Kaufman, Ms. Leigh Fondakowski and The Techtonic Theater Project, and directed by Kathleen Delaney, it runs April 14 through May 21 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre Main Stage in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 761-8838 or visit www.roadtheatre.org.

“Moose on the Loose” The Tappino family left their impoverished existence in Calabria, Italy decades ago for America in search of a better life, like generations of immigrant families before them. They got as far as Way Up Bay, a remote little town somewhere in a frosty part of Ontario, Canada and they stayed there. And they had kids. And then they had grandkids. Daughter Gina left home to establish herself in the professional world of marketing and now she’s coming home to Way Up Bay to take a year off from work. It’s not a simple vacation. She has a hidden agenda. What could it be? Ironically, the day she arrives a moose wanders into the Tappinos’ residential neighborhood and, in a town where the most popular television station is The Weather Channel, a moose on the loose is big news. This arouses some concern as moose can be wild, unpredictable and are downright enormous. So, Daddy Giuseppe decides to go after it with a gun. And the local police go after him. Because this is a comedy about a large and loving albeit chaotic Italian extended family (sister Carmela has an Anglo husband, brother Bruno has an indigenous girlfriend), the action will sooner or later wind up at the dinner table. What’s Gina’s big secret? What will happen to Giuseppe? What will happen to the moose? How long will it take the Tappinos to discover that the moose is not the only one who is displaced and confused?

Written by Dina Morrone and directed by Peter Flood, it runs April 14 through May 21 at Theatre West in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (323) 851-7977 or visit www.theatrewest.org.

“Scintilla” Michael and Nora travel to visit his mother Marianne, a reclusive artist who lives at the edge of the woods in California’s Wine Country. As a raging wildfire approaches, Michael must deal with Marianne’s stubborn refusal to leave and the arrival of two unexpected visitors. The rising tension exposes a complicated family history erupting into a larger question about our very survival on this planet.

Written by Alessandro Camon and directed by Ann Hearn Tobolowsky, it runs April 14 through June 4 at the Road Theatre in North Hollywood. For tickets, call (818) 761-8838 or visit www.roadtheatre.org.

“Jane Austen Unscripted Tea at Pemberly” An afternoon of improv and English tea in our garden starring the critically acclaimed Impro Theatre in a love-struck and hilarious outdoor production. This is a fully improvised play that brings the world of Jane Austen to life with audience suggestions and, dare we say, participation. The always-new production will be presented on the new outdoor stage in the garden at Garry Marshall Theatre.

Written by Impro Theatre Company, it runs April 15 through May 14 at the Garry Marshall Theatre in Burbank. For tickets, visit www.garrymarshalltheatre.org.

“44 – THE unOFFICIAL, unSANCTIONED OBAMA MUSICAL” Barack Obama’s election changed history. And as we can clearly see, it also ended racism forever! But 44 is the story of Obama you won’t read about in history books … because history books are now banned in most states. But also because 44 is the story of Obama as Joe Biden kinda sorta remembers it.

Written and directed by Eli Bauman, with music by Eli Bauman, additional songs co-written by Eli Bauman and Jon “Bowzer” Bauman, it runs April 19 through May 20 at the Bourbon Room Hollywood in Hollywood. For tickets, visit www.BourbonRoomHollywood.com.

“Dr. Keeling’s Curve” tells the story of the life and work of Dr. Charles David (“Dave”) Keeling (1928-2005) whose work on CO2 (carbon dioxide) measurement at Caltech in the mid-1950s gave the world its first early warnings of the dangers of climate change. The fully dimensional narrative explores his life as a husband father as well as his brilliant work as a scientist.

Written by George Shea and directed by Kirsten Sanderson, it runs April 21 through April 23 at the Sierra Madre Playhouse in Sierra Madre. For tickets, call (626) 355-4318 or visit www.sierramadreplayhouse.org.

“Romeo Rocks the 80s” Based on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet,” “Romeo Rocks the 80s” is a climatic musical featuring an all-blind cast and extraordinary musicians with different disabilities. The production centers around Romeo’s ability to cross over the thresholds of political demands and fight to the death to find his true love.

Written by William Shakespeare, with music by Laurie Grant, and directed by Greg Shane, it runs April 21 through May 6 at the Blue Door in Culver City. For tickets, visit www.bluedoorculver.com.

“Footloose: The Musical” is all about fun, dancing and the carefree nature of being a teenager. The indelible music, created from the 1998 musical, is based on the 1984 film and has truly stood the test of time. Not only is “Footloose” a coming-of-age story or a struggle to fit in, but one that digs far deeper into the impact of death on people’s lives and how they choose to move on from it or, in this case, how they choose not to move on from it. The show tells the story of a city-slicker outsider Ren McCormack and his mother Ethel as they move from fast-paced Chicago to a much slower Beaumont, Texas in search of a change of pace and hopefully a better life.

Written by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie, with music by Tom Snow, lyrics by Dean Pitchford and Kenny Loggins, and directed by Barry Pearl and Michelle Elkin, it runs April 22 through May 14 at the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center in Simi Valley. For tickets, visit www.panicproductions.org.

“The King and I” Set in the 1860s, “The King And I” is based on the true story of Anna Leonowens, a widowed schoolteacher from Wales who travels to Siam to teach the King’s many children. Her effect on the kingdom and the kingdom’s effect on her are the basis of this beautiful and classic musical.

Written by Oscar Hammerstein II, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and directed by Glenn Casale, it runs April 22 through May 14 at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts in La Mirada. For tickets, call (562) 944-9801 or visit www.LaMiradaTheatre.com.

“Coleman ’72” takes you back to the summer of 1972 through the eyes of three Korean American siblings: Jenn, Michelle and Joey, who pile into the family Buick for an All-American road trip –spontaneously orchestrated by their father. From Milwaukee to Los Angeles and back again, they hit the open plains, stocked with kimchi, banchan and lemon drops, rickety Coleman camper in tow. But Korean parents and American kids hold conflicting ideas of what they’re looking for and the real purpose of their journey comes to light.

Written by Charlie Oh and directed by Chay Yew, it runs April 23 through May 14 at the South Coast Repertory Julianne Argyros Stage in Costa Mesa. For tickets, call (714) 708-5555 or visit www.scr.org.

“A Little Night Music” Set in 1900 Sweden, “A Little Night Music” explores the tangled web of affairs centered around actress Desirée Armfeldt and the men who love her: a lawyer by the name of Fredrik Egerman and the Count Carl-Magnus Malcom. When the traveling actress performs in Fredrik’s town, the estranged lovers’ passion rekindles. This strikes a flurry of jealousy and suspicion between Desirée; Fredrik; Fredrick’s wife, Anne; Desirée’s current lover, the Count; and the Count’s wife, Charlotte. Both men – as well as their jealous wives – agree to join Desirée and her family for a weekend in the country at Desirée’s mother’s estate. With everyone in one place, infinite possibilities of new romances and second chances bring endless surprises.

Written by Hugh Wheeler, with music by Stephen Sondheim, and directed by David Lee, it runs April 25 through May 21 at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena. For tickets, call (626) 356-7529 or visit www.pasadenaplayhouse.org.

“South Pacific” On an island in the South Pacific during World War II, Ensign Nellie Forbush, a spunky nurse from Arkansas, falls in love with French planter Emile de Becque. When Nellie learns that the mother of Emile’s children was an island native, she refuses Emile’s proposal of marriage, unable to overcome the prejudices with which she was raised. Meanwhile, the strapping Lt. Joe Cable falls in love with a Tonkinese girl named Liat but he, too, denies himself a future due to the same fears that haunt Nellie. When Emile accompanies Joe on a dangerous mission that claims Joe’s life, Nellie chooses to embrace a future with Emile and his children, thus confronting and conquering her prejudices.

 This show features everyone’s favorite songs including “Some Enchanted Evening,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” “Nothing Like a Dame,” “Honey Bun,” “Younger Than Springtime” and more!

Doors open at 6 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50/$65/$79/$89 plus applicable fees. There are a limited number of VIP Experience Meet & Greet Available, which includes a post-show reception with the lead cast and directors – $75 plus applicable fees.

         Special limited time offer: Purchase the same ticket to “South Pacific” and “Joseph’s Technicolor Dreamcoat” (June 30 & July 1) and save 15% per ticket!

         Under 18 must be accompanied by a paying adult. With regard to and respect for the safety of theatre patrons, large bags will not be permitted. No bags bigger than 20” by 16” allowed.

         Written by James A. Michener, adapted by Oscar Hammerstein II and Joshua Logan, with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, it runs April 28 through April 29 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. For tickets, call (888) 645-5006 or visit www.wmmts.com.

“Under the Skin” Lou needs a kidney … as in now. His daughter Raina’s got one to spare, but she’s also got issues (plenty of these.) Like how come the son of a bitch had sex with so many women who weren’t her mother? Secrets get aired and truths revealed in this lively, unpredictable comedy that asks just how much parents and children really owe one another.

Written by Michael Hollinger and directed by caryn desai, it runs April 28 through May 14 at the International City Theatre in Long Beach. For tickets, call (562) 436-4610 or visit www.InternationalCityTheatre.org.

“Whittier Boulevard” Los Angeles in the year 2042. Years of fires, torrential rain, anarchy and bloodshed have led to a totalitarian city-state where the elderly disappear, their stories forgotten. When authorities make a surprise visit to the home of faded Chicana starlet Veronica Del Rio on the eve of her 75^th birthday, she enlists the help of her loudmouth nurse, a kindhearted policeman-fan and a down-on-his-luck poet. Will Veronica disappear and be forgotten before she finds true love?

Written by Evelina Fernández, Sal López, Geoffrey Rivas, Lucy Rodriguez and José Luis Valenzuela and directed by Jose Luis Valenzuela, it runs April 29 through May 28 at the Los Angeles Theatre Center in Los Angeles. For tickets, call (213) 489-0994 or visit www.latinotheaterco.org.

“Why Worry? Jews R 2 Much Fun!” Kathy and Stanley are deeply in love. They want to get married. Stanley is Jewish, Kathy’s a Catholic. Interfaith marriages happen all the time in America. But Kathy’s father Chris considers Stanley’s father Marv to be a hated, sworn enemy … and has felt this way for many years. Kathy and Stanley’s families are to be united in matrimony. In order to prevent Chris’ hate from derailing their happiness, they devise a plan. Stanley’s family, aided by Kathy’s mother Mary, are about to give Chris a very special education. Hilarity ensues. Chris will ultimately have to reconsider the things that are stressing him out.

Written by Jerry Mayer and directed by Chris DeCarlo, it runs April 30 through June 25 at the Santa Monica Playhouse in Santa Monica. For tickets, call (310) 394-9779 Ext. 1 or visit www.santamonicaplayhouse.com.

CONTINUING

“Best of Best of This Week This Week” This is LA’s premier topical sketch show with a hilarious group of talented performers presenting each week’s top news stories as only they can. The writers and cast present their favorite “Best of Best of This Week This Week” ripped-from-the-headlines sketches from the past year on weekends. Always fresh. Always funny. Always relevant.

Written and directed by Ron West, it runs through April 8 at the Atwater Village Theatre in Atwater Village. For tickets, call (323) 882-6912 or visit www.openfist.org.

“Run for Your Wife” A taxi driver gets away with having two wives in different areas of London because of his irregular working schedule. But after an accident that puts him in the hospital where his contradictory personal information is found, complications pile up rapidly as tries to keep his life on the same equilibrium as before.

Written by Ray Cooney and directed by Sherman Wayne, it runs through May 6 at the Theatre Palisades in Pacific Palisades. For tickets, call (310) 454-1970 or visit www.theatrepalisades.org.