Special event: Love Never Dies (The Phantom of the Opera sequel)

Valentine's Day may be over, but we're still feeling warm and fuzzy inside. Thanks to the generosity of our friends at NCM Fathom and Omniverse Vision, ExperienceLA has received four passes to see Andrew Lloyd Webber's Love Never Dies in theatres on February 28th. To share this love, we're hosting a Twitter contest to send two of our lucky followers to see the first ever US showing of Love Never Dies, the highly anticipated sequel to the Broadway classic: The Phantom of the Opera. 

The Grinch Will Steal Your Heart

Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! is no doubt a family holiday favorite - from the book, to the cartoon film, to the live-action movie with Jim Carrey.

It also makes the perfect family-friendly holiday musical.

John Larroquette enters as "Old Max" retelling the story of when he was "Young Max" (portrayed by James Royce Edwards) and the Grinch (Stefan Karl) was up to his anti-Whoville holiday scheme. No need to retell the story most already know, but there are great elements that make this musical an enjoyable family experience.

The audience/show barrier is lifted often. Larroquette, Edwards, and Karl's character portrayals directly interact with the audience. Stefan Karl's performance as the Grinch is hilarious here, particularly in numbers where he's being quite the ham to the audience and both Old/Young Max alike warns us not to encourage him.

The stage is a holiday splendor of familiar Who-ville images seemingly lifted from Seuss' books into real life in all that musical stage spectacular. It's the perfect setting to bring the family into the beautiful historic Pantages Theatre.

And of course, the story is as heart-warming as ever - warmly lit by the singing of the Whoville cast, especially Cindy-Lou Who and her heart-changing interactions with the Grinch.

The show evokes the warmth of the holiday season for Human, Grinch, Dog, and Whoville citizens alike.

-ExperienceLA Editor

Usage of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! image and name is authorized. TM & ©1957, 2009 Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P.

An Evening with Kristin Chenoweth

We all know and love her as Glinda in the Broadway hit musical, Wicked, but this time Kristin Chenoweth's bringing her own goodness to a benefit performance for the Reprise Theatre Company. The performance is one night only at the intimate Freud Playhouse at UCLA. You can also win tickets through the Reprise Theatre Company's website at www.reprise.org/kristin. Check out other events by the Reprise Theatre Company.

Other Broadway-like events around Los Angeles include:

• The Dining Room by A. R. Gurney at the Victory Theatre


• An Enchanted Evening at the Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center


• Luisa Fernanda, the Zarzuela - A Spanish Musical at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre


• Broadway At The Gardens Presents: Sweeney Todd at the Lewis Family Playhouse


• Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum

-Tiina Vuorenmaa, ExperienceLA Staff

Behind the Curtains...

Life After Tomorrow is an award-winning documentary that reunites more than forty women who played orphans in the Broadway production of ANNIE, revealing the highs and lows of their experiences as child actresses in a cultural phenomenon—from out-of-control stage mothers to being replaceable at the age of 12. At the age of 12? Talk about potential lifelong complexes waiting to happen. If you want to check it out, the DVD will be on sale February 26th...

Live theater and Broadway's always been associated with the streets of New York, but I wonder how many people ever think back to the once thriving Broadway Theater District in LA's Historic Core, comprised of 12 theaters concentrated in a 7 block span? Even in the present day, the theaters are still preserved in their unique architecture and character; and while LA might now be more known for Rodeo Drive and the glamour of Hollywood, LA definitely has its own historical theater culture to boast about as well.

Here's an interesting fact of the day: The Los Angeles Theater's 1931 opening featured Charlie Chaplin and his movie "City Lights".

Check out ExperienceLA for live theater events taking place all around greater LA.

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Arts/Culture Marketing Assistant