Not so long ago, we brought you an overview of plays and musicals opening in the winter months of 2022. While things got off to a shaky start, they are now stabilizing. Almost everything in that original article is now either open or on schedule to open, and plenty of additional shows have been announced.
Here are the latest additions, several of which were written specifically to process our pandemic times. They join those already profiled. And like those, all require proof of vaccination plus ID, plus masks inside the theater.
It’s Alive, It’s Alive!
Performance artist John Fleck wrote and stars in It’s Alive, It’s Alive! at the Odyssey Theatre. It’s billed as a ribald and satirical rollercoaster of a musical cabaret that “skewers our fears and assumptions about everything from COVID-19 to our identity as earth dwellers at this precarious moment.”
It’s Alive, It’s Alive! has two shows only: Saturday, Feb. 19 at 8:00pm and Sunday, Feb. 20 at 5:00pm. Tickets are $20 and area available here. The Odyssey is located at 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Marvin’s Room
Actor’s Co-Op presents the classic Marvin’s Room at the David Schall Theatre in Hollywood. Two sisters reunite after a long separation. One, after caring for their bedridden father, has been diagnosed with leukemia; the other returns to the family, bringing her troubled teen son.
Marvin’s Room runs from Feb. 18-March 27 at the David Schall Theatre, 1760 N. Gower Street, Hollywood, on the campus of First Presbyterian Church of Hollywood. Show times are Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 2:30pm, with special Saturday matinees March 5 and 12 at 2:30pm. Tickets are $35 and are available here.
Detained
How do families stay together, even when they are kept apart? The Fountain Theatre presents answers in Detained, a new theatrical world premiere play that compiles true stories exploring the rippling impact of mass deportations on families.
Originally commissioned by immigration attorney Judy Rabinovitz of the ACLU Immigrants’ Rights Project, Detained is based on interviews with longtime U.S. residents held in immigration detention, and with their family members, advocates, attorneys and representatives of ICE.
Detained will be performed Feb. 19 through April 10 on Mondays (dark Monday, Feb. 21), Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 2:00pm. Previews Feb. 16-18, all at 8:00pm. Tickets range from $25–$45; Pay-What-You-Want seating is available every Monday night in addition to regular seating (subject to availability). The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Secure, on-site parking is available for $5.
Billie! Backstage with Lady Day
Written and performed by Synthia L. Hardy as part of the Solo Shows Festival at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. Hardy presents the story of Billie Holiday’s turbulent life and, accompanied by a live four-piece combo, sings her greatest hits, including “God Bless the Child,” “Strange Fruit,” “Good Morning Heartache,” “Lover Man” and many more.
Billie! is up Feb. 25-27, 2022. Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays. at 2:30pm. Tickets are $40 and are available here. The Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd.. offers free parking in the back and across the street, as well as street parking. There are several dining establishments within walking distance of the theater.
On the Other Hand, We’re Happy
Rogue Machine launches a new season at the nearby Matrix Theatre with the American premiere of Welsh playwright Daf James’ On the Other Hand, We’re Happy. The story revolves around a young couple’s dreams of adopting. When an unforeseen turn of events upends their goals, plans must be adjusted. Life is tough, but even the worst of it can be laugh-out-loud funny. Cameron Watson directs.
On the Other Hand, We’re Happy opens Saturday, Feb. 26 (previews the preceding three nights) and plays through April 10 at 8:00pm Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays and 3:00pm Sundays.. Tickets are $45 and are available here. There will be four “Pay-What-You-Can” performances with minimums starting at $10 and going up to $20. Check website for dates. The Matrix Theatre is at 7657 Melrose Ave.
Celestial Events
IAMA Theatre Company returns to in-person theater with the world premiere of a new, ensemble-inspired comedy that offers a fun and modern escape from our never-ending pandemic reality. Celestial Events was written, directed and performed entirely by the 22 members of members of the IAMA ensemble. A feel-good comedy about friendship, love and shared experience in our city, Celestial Events introduces 12 Angelenos whose paths cross in mysterious ways on the eve of a once-in-a-millennia meteor shower.
Celestial Events runs from March 5-14, Thursdays through Saturdays at 8:00pm, Sundays at 8:00pm, with a matinee on Sunday, March 6 at 2:00pm. Actors Company LA is located at 916 N Formosa Ave., just south of the Formosa Café. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased here.
TRAYF
The Geffen Playhouse has Power of Sail in the main theater and will soon open the “road-trip bromance” TRAYF, directed by Maggie Burrows, in its Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater.
Zalmy lives a double life. By day, he drives a Chabad “Mitzvah Tank” through 1990s New York City, performing good deeds with his best friend Shmuel. By night, he sneaks out of his orthodox community to roller-skate and listen to rock and roll. But when a curious outsider offers him unfettered access to the secular world, is it worth jeopardizing everything he’s ever known?
TRAYF runs March 10-April 10; previews begin Tuesday, March 1. Tickets are $39-109 and are available here.
Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies
The Echo Theater Company presents an irreverent, darkly funny coming-of-age story that explores racial identity, privilege and pop culture with insight, passion and biting humor. Ahmed Best directs the Los Angeles premiere of Hooded, or Being Black for Dummies.
Marquis and Tru are both 14-year-old Black boys, but they exist in two completely different worlds. Marquis is a book-smart prep schooler living in the affluent suburbs, Tru is a street-savvy kid from the inner city of Baltimore. Their worlds overlap one day in a holding cell. Tru decides that Marquis has lost his “blackness” and pens a how-to manual entitled “Being Black for Dummies.” He assumes the role of professor, but Marquis proves to be a reluctant pupil. They butt heads, debate, wrestle and ultimately prove that Nietzsche and 2pac were basically saying the same thing.
Hooded opens Saturday, March 12 and runs through April 18. Tickets are $34; three “pay what you want” previews take place March 9-11. Performances are Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00pm and Sundays at 4:00pm. Echo’s home, Atwater Village Theatre, is located at 3269 Casitas Ave and offers free on-site parking.
The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival: Solo Shows
The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival (LAWTF) marks 29 years of producing more than 600 solo women performers from around the globe. The latest installment will be presented virtually March 24-March 27 with the theme “Beyond Boundaries.
The opening night gala and awards ceremony on March 24 will be hosted by Hattie Winston and Ted Lange and also feature performances. Additional performances take place on Friday, March 25 at 8:00, Saturday, March 26 at 3:00 and 8:00, and Sunday, March 26 at 3:00 and 7:00pm. All shows will feature performances by exceptional female solo artists, including actors, musicians and dancers.
Early bird single show tickets are $15 until March 1 or $20 thereafter. Early bird gala tickets are $20 until March 1 or $25.00 thereafter. A VIP all-access pass for the entire festival is available for $80. Reservations will be available at (818) 760-0408 and online here.
