Stage Raw: Things That Matter, Like Theater Awards!

 THINGS THAT MATTER

Louis Prima and Keely Smith circa 1958

The Gaza Strip is on fire; in the middle of a new year's freeze, Russia has cut off heating gas to Ukraine; the global economy is in shambles; the U.S. senate can't decide who should be seated from Illinois or Minnesota; the New York Times is reporting on more Broadway shows closing this January than in recent memory. But there are signs of hope.

The L.A. Weekly Theater Awards committee is finalizing a list of nominees for, yes, another awards show/theater party!

We like throwing this party so much, we've been doing it now for 30 years. Did you read that right? Yes, you did. This will be the 30th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards. In Athens, that's called a warm up. In L.A., it's called history. Details are being finalized, but we know we're doing it Monday night, March 30 at the El Rey in the beautiful Miracle Mile, that's a couple of weeks after the Drama Critics Circle Awards. Ours is really an awards show that's an excuse for a party, hosted this year by crooners Louis Prima and Keely Smith (a.k.a. Jake Broder and Vanessa Claire Smith), who will turn the El Rey into the Sahara Hotel in Vegas, circa 1958, for an evening based on their much heralded musical, Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara. It'll be cabaret seating, some people will drink, some will make asses of themselves, most won't. Some will win awards, most won't. And that's why we've been doing this for 30 years: We've all come to expect it.

The list of nominees is coming within two weeks, so stay tuned.

At your fingertips: This week's New Theater Reviews  

Note: the Comprehensive Theater Listings feature of this blog returns January 12.