I went with my friend, Rob Kendt, to see a pretty snazzy show yesterday at the new Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City. It's called A Perfect Wedding, by American playwright of the moment, Charles L. ("Chuck" to his pals) Mee. There are many terrific elements, including the world's best stage kiss and an ultra-fabulous Bollywood musical number, as well as a bunch of terrific performances, including those by my friends Jim Anzide, Melody Butiu, Veralyn Jones, Leo Marks and John Fleck (whose rant on the election has garnered me more hits in one day than I will probably ever receive for the rest of my blogging life).
But you might not even get to see it, it's already sold out for the rest of the run. There are tickets here and there but they're steep; I paid $40 to catch a matinée.
So to hell with it. Come see Peace Squad Goes 99: The Greatest 99¢ Story Ever Told...Ever! (a.k.a., "the 99¢ show") instead! It's Evidence Room's annual holiday treat, and the only show we put up all year that's clean enough for kid consumption (but still cool enough for the hippest of grownups). I'm in it this year, after two years of bugging the genius behind it all, Ken Roht, for a part, but that's not the reason to see it.
I sat in on my first run-through of the show today and it was absolutely dazzling: hilarious, beautiful, brilliant number after number until I was so weak I had to lie down and have some sliced jalepeno cheese and a celery stick.
For them what hasn't had the pleasure, everything in the 99¢ show is from the 99¢-only Stores, which are the show's main sponsor: all the costumes, all the props, all the set pieces. The show's music is composed primarily on a cheap-o Casio keyboard. You have no idea how fabulous this can be in the hands of L.A.'s best theater composers and designers until, well, let's just say that every time I walk into the costume shop and see the latest creation they're building, I want to play a different part.
Opens November 27. Runs through Christmas. Deets here.
Oh, and 15 bucks cheap.
xxx
c