LOS ANGELES -- DRAMA! and I REMEMBER PAPA by Alec Napa, two-autobiographical one person-comedies which follow the artist's journey out of the closet and into the limelight, will be premiered by Taper, Too at the Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City, Jan. 21-Feb. 9. Call (213) 628-2772.
COSTA MESA, CA -- PROOF, winner of both the 2001 Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award, will open in South Coast Rep's Segerstrom Stage, Jan 19 and continue through Feb. 6. Directed by Michael Bloom and starring Emily Bergl, Richard Doyle, Christina Haag and James Waterston, the play is a study of the quirky nature of genius and how it affects one's life, work and family. 655 Town Center Drive, call (714) 798-555 or visit www.scr.org
LOS ANGELES -- LIBERTY! by Chris Wells, will run Jan. 18-Feb. 23 at Inside the Ford, Part cabaret and part agitprop, the musical explores the idea of freedom, the pursuit of happiness and the state of the American Dream. An expansion of Wells' acclaimed solo show, LIBERTY! has been transformed into a raucous, high-octane ensemble evening with live music. Tracy Young directs Gary Kelley, Don Luce, Kate Mulligan, Dina Platias and Wells. 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E. Call (323) 461-3673 or visit fordampitheatre.org
LOS ANGELES --TIMES LIKE THESE, John O'Keefe's drama about two popular actors, one Jewish, the other not (played by Laurie O'Brien and Norbert Weisser) struggling to survive in Hitler's Germany, is transferring from 2100 Square Feet to the Odyssey Theatre, Jan. 10-Feb. 23. The two-character drama "takes a largely forgotten tragedy of the Holocaust and exploits it to devastating effect," said the LA Times. Call (310) 477-2055 or visit odysseytheatre.com
LOS ANGEL;ES -- Frankie Avalon, the singing sensation of the 50s, will reprise his movie role as Teen Angel in GREASE. the Warren Casey/Jim Jacobs musical which will be checking into the Kodak Theatre for an 8-performance run (Jan. 7-12). The new production also features a pre-show dance contest. Call or visit Ticketmaster. The Kodak is at 6801 Hollywood Blvd.
SAN JOSE, CA -- The famed comedy trio Culture Clash takes on Silicon Valley in CULTURE CLASH IN AMERICCA, opening Jan 31 at San Jose Repertory Theatre and continuing through March 2 (with an ASI interpreted matinee performance, Sat. March 1). Based on interviews with people from across the country, the new show features the trio's unique blend of political, ethnological and sociological humor with new material written for and about San Jose, commissioned by the Rep. Call (408) 367-7255 or visit sjrep.com
LOS ANGELES -- The road company of SWING! will jitterbug into the Wilshire Theatre for an 8-performance run, Feb. 25-March 2. The all-singing, all-dancing evening features a mix of new and classic songs and over 30 elaborate dance numbers--some comic, some romantic, some nostalgic, some sexy. The show is choreographed by Kim Craven, who trained and danced under SWING'S origianl choreographer, Lynne Taylor-Corbett. Call or visit Ticketmaster.
LOS ANGELES -- Ahmanson Theatre will present three critically acclaimed award-winning performances--Barbara Cook in MOSTLY SONDHEIM, John Leguizamo in SEXAHOLIC...A LOVE STORY and ELAINE STRITCH AT LIBERTY--for special limited engagements beginning Feb. 28 and continuing through April 27. For exact dates and ticket information, call (213) 628-2772
LOS ANGELES --Charles L. Mee's SONGS OF JOY AND DESTITUTION will be unveiled Jan. 10-Feb. 15 at the Open Fist Theatre in Hollywood. The play melds The Trojan Women and Orestes in provocative fashion, resulting in an anti-war play that uses "high oratory, tawdry phone sex, the pop songs you hear in the bathroom of a gas station, Jerome Robbins dance numbers and a great deal of unapologetic pathos to scorch a psychic x-ray of the post-9/11 planet." Mathew Wilder directs a large cast of Open Fist company members. The theatre is located at 1625 N. La Brea Ave in Hollywood. Call (323) 882-6912.