ON STAGE

BOB FOSSE’S DANCIN’

Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ is his full-throated, fullbodied celebration of the art form he loved, practiced and changed forever. His musical masterpiece is being reimagined by director Wayne Cilento, who starred in the original Broadway production. Cilento is transforming the show’s original vision for 21st-century audiences.

The revival will return to Broadway in the 2022–23 season. But lucky for us, it will first play at The Old Globe in San Diego with performances from Tuesday, April 19 through Sunday, May 29.

Dancin’ brims with Fosse’s warmth, emotion, color and endlessly influential style rarely seen in modern interpretations of his work. Featuring an eclectic score that spans a multitude of musical genres and a cast of Broadway’s most accomplished dancers, Dancin’ will deliver the quintessential Broadway experience for Fosse fans and first-timers alike.

“Bob Fosse was a transformational figure in the musical theatre, and his innovations revolutionized dance on the Broadway stage and on film,” Old Globe Artistic Director Barry Edelstein said. “One of his greatest works, Dancin’, showcased everything that was breathtaking and unique about his vision. Now the brilliant Wayne Cilento, one of Fosse’s heirs and himself a Broadway treasure, revitalizes and reanimates this classic show for our moment and for the 21st century. Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ is a jolt that will supercharge The Globe and our audiences as we boldly step forward — as we dance forward — from the two challenging years of the pandemic. It is a viscerally exciting piece of theatre, with stagecraft as colorful and rich as its remarkable choreography, and the dancer-singer-actors Wayne has brought to San Diego are quite simply wonders to behold. This show is a bold statement about the joy and delight that are unique to the theatre, and I’m honored and truly happy to bring it to our city.”

theoldglobe.org

MID-CENTURY MODERNS THE MUSICAL

The fabulous hits of ’66 come to life in this delightful tale of a plucky Wisconsin widow who transforms from frump to fabulous when she finds herself at the center of modernity in Palm Springs.

The music of Tom Jones, Petula Clark, Lesley Gore, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra, The Association, The Monkees and more are featured in this world premiere directed by

Mark Christopher.

Mid-Century Moderns The Musical will star Christine Tringali-Nunes, Robbie Wayne, Dana Adkins, Gary Powers, James Owens, Carlos Garcia and Kellee McQuinn as The Tour Guide. The show will run from

Wednesday, April 20 through Sunday,

May 8 at Desert Rose Playhouse in Palm Springs. desertroseplayhouse.org

PACIFIC SYMPHONY PRESENTS VERDI’S OTELLO

Love, betrayal and jealousy are all trademarks of great tragic opera and Otello embraces these themes to the fullest. Based on William Shakespeare’s play Othello, Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello premiered at La Scala opera house in Milan in 1887. Verdi had a particular affection for the works of Shakespeare. He described the Bard as “the great searcher of the human heart.” Verdi’s interpretation of this classic Shakespeare tale takes you on a journey through a passionate romance destroyed by one of opera’s most loathsome villains.

Otello is considered to be Verdi’s greatest tragic opera, containing some of his most beautiful, expressive music and some of his richest characterizations.

Verdi’s Otello will be performed on Thursday, April 7, Saturday, April 9 and Tuesday, April 12 at Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa. pacificsymphony.org

A TWISTED BARGAIN

From writer Michael Mizerany of the hit shows The Big D, Wally & His Lover Boys and Marry Me, Dennis Branigan comes the first play in his new Thrillogy Series, A Twisted Bargain. Inspired by the life and crimes of Leopold and Loeb, A Twisted Bargain can be seen through Sunday, April 10 at The Forum Theater at the Tenth Avenue Arts Center in downtown San Diego. This psychological thriller examines the volatile relationship of Michael Franklin and Xander Roberts. Michael is obsessed with crime and cruelty, and Xander is obsessed with Michael. Thus began their pact of quid pro quo where sex and violence are brutally intertwined. A story of obsession, manipulation and murder features performances by Juan Ayala and Hunter Brown.

Warning:A Twisted Bargain contains adult themes and content including profanity, male nudity, sexual situations and some violence.

compulsiondancetheatre.org

Beauty, thrills and majesty will return to Orange County on Friday and Saturday, April 22 and 23. Imagine the magic of some of the best cirque artists in the world performing on the same stage with a full symphony orchestra. This is the experience of Cirque de la Symphonie. Combining these two art forms provides an energized performance that is greater than the sum of its parts.

For more than 10 years, the popular troupe has thrilled and bedazzled veteran concertgoers and new patrons. Coming to Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, the new show features a jaw-dropping fusion of fliers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, jugglers and strongmen while the Pacific Symphony provides a soundtrack of classical masterpieces and contemporary favorites. pacificsymphony.org

LES BALLETS DE MONTE-CARLO CIRQUE DE LA SYMPHONIE

To wrap up their spring dance season, the always-dazzling Les Ballets de Monte Carlo will make its long-awaited return with Romeo and Juliet performed from Friday, April 15 through Sunday, April 17 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa.

Considered one of the most iconic ballets by acclaimed choreographer Jean-Christophe Maillot, Romeo and Juliet has been performed more than 250 times around the world, usually greeted with standing ovations. It has also been added to the repertoire of seven major dance companies.

Knowing audiences arrive with some knowledge of Shakespeare’s story freed Maillot to create an original perspective told through a series of flashbacks. Stripping away the flowery balconies into a streamlined stage design that speaks to the heart, the only accessories required by the choreographer are our own emotional responses and the memory of our first loves.

Romeo and Juliet harmoniously unites classical ballet and contemporary dance to create a truly cinematic style of modern theatre. With the quality, youthful energy and elegance that characterizes this distinguished company, this remarkable version is one of the most exquisite ballets adapted from Shakespeare’s masterpiece to be seen today.

Les Ballets de Monte Carlo was established in 1985 by the Princess of Hanover in accordance with the wishes of her mother, Princess Grace of Monaco. In 1993, Maillot was nominated as the head of the company to continue the long tradition of dance in Monaco and its famous Ballets Russes. scfta.org