The Temperamentals at The Blank Theatre Company

The cast of The Tempermentals

Recently we had the pleasure of seeing, The Blank Theatre Company’s production of The Temperamentals, a play written by Jon Marans and directed by Michael Matthews. The Temperamentals tells the true story of a relatively unknown piece of Los Angeles and gay history, the formation of the Mattachine Society, one of the very first groups created to foster a gay community. Dennis Christopher, from one of my favorite films as a kid, Breaking Away, stars as Harry Hay, the leader of the Mattachines, and just as Harry’s character gets more interesting as he finds himself, Christopher’s performance deepens as the show progresses. 

Erich Bergen as Rudi Gernreich

Providing excellent support are John Tartaglia, Tony nominee for Avenue Q, in a number of roles, as well as my personal favorite Erich Bergen, who performed for us recently at Musical Mondays) as the enigmatic and somewhat tortured Rudi Gernreich whose character best exemplifies the risks these men took. Key roles are also played by the very good Mark Shunock and Patrick Scott Lewis.
Beyond simply being a very satisfying theater experience, The Temperamentals reminds us that gay history did not begin with the Stonewall riots of 1969, but that pioneers had been fighting for gay rights for decades before that. The play’s epilogue shows how the work of the original Mattachine Society still resonates in Los Angeles life today.  Andrew Blau

The Temperamentals 
has been extended through June 5 at the 2nd Stage Theatre,
 6500 Santa Monica Blvd.

Go to http://www.theblank.com/ for more information.

You can also catch Erich Bergen performing in concert at Show at Barre Wednesday May 25th at 8:00 p.m. For more information go to:

 http://www.showatbarre.com

Visit our Facebook Page for Special Promo Codes to local theatre!

Kiss Me, Kate at Reprise Theater Company

Wednesday night, the Fans of MuMo journeyed over to UCLA’s Freud Playhouse to catch Reprise Theatre Company’s production of KISS ME, KATE starring one of our favorite “gorgeous ladies of MuMo,” Lesli Margherita.  The lovely Ms. Margherita most recently came to play with us for Ryan O’Connor’s birthday celebration and appeared last month in a critically acclaimed production of Little Shop Of Horrors for La Mirada Theatre of the Performing Arts.  Also appearing in the production is Michael Motroni, another Fan favorite.

Reprise’s production, directed by Michael Michetti with music direction by Michael Paternostro, is an ambitious one, with an inventive set, eye-catching costumes and choreography by Lee Martino that had the lobby abuzz with praise as early as intermission.  Tom Hewitt gives a spirited performance as Fred/Petruchio, Meg Gillentine (Lois/Bianca) and Sean Martin Hingston (Bill/Lucentio) offer striking interpretations of their respective roles, and the ensemble and supporting characters endow the production with notable atmosphere.  Jay Brian Winnick and Herschel Sparber as First Man and Second Man were audience favorites from their first entrance to their charming rendition of “Brush Up Your Shakespeare.”

Some Fans with Lesli Margherita

It is Lesli Margherita’s star turn in her fresh take on the title character, however, that steals the show.  Though we’ve long known that she is a performer to be reckoned with, in KISS ME, KATE she handles her dual roles with aplomb.  Kate has never been more wild-cattish or appealing.  Ms. Margherita’s “I Hate Men” is a tour de force, and in it she is at her comic best, giving it an elegant raunchiness even Shakespeare couldn’t have imagined.  It’s not just her songs, wonderful as each one is, that mark her performance as something special; her stage presence is compelling even when she is not part of the main action, and her comedic timing in every scene is, as always, brilliant.  In the end, the biggest problem with her performance is that there isn’t more of it.

This review cannot come to a close without noting Michael Motroni’s delightful contributions to the ensemble.  Whether he’s pushing scenery or adding color to the background action, he’s simply enchanting.

If last night’s audience was any indication, as it surely was, KISS ME, KATE will enjoy a successful run playing to enthusiastic audiences until it closes on May 22. ~ Katherine Simon

KISS ME, KATE plays in the Freud Playhouse at UCLA

 (405 Hilgard Ave., Westwood) now through May 22.  

Special MuMo promo code: KISS for $10 off the price of your ticket!!!!

 Reserve your tickets by calling (310) 825-2101 or visiting www.reprise.org.

For The Record: Baz Luhrmann

For The Record: Baz Luhrmann Show at Barre kicks off our

 STO (Summer Theater Outings) 2011. 

The Fans of MuMo and the Boys of FTR

Later this week The Fans Of MuMo will be venturing out to The Freud Playhouse to see one of our favorite “gorgeous ladies of MuMo” Lesli Margherita perform in Kiss Me Kate.  Lesli  performed most recently at Ryan OConnor’s birthday celebration.   Also in the cast of “Kate” is Michael Motroni who is taking a break from playing the role of Ziegler in FTR. Michael, busy with rehearsals, was unfortunately absent from the stage Friday evening when our large group of 10 made our way to see the “talk of the town.”  

Ginifer King as Satine ummm GORGEOUS

For The Record: Baz Luhrmann is everything we had heard and hoped it would be.  Its irresistible fun and features some of L.A.’s top drawer talent  that bursts, literally, from every corner of the room  

Two ladies, who we love to welcome at MuMo with open arms,  Jenna Leigh Green and Ginifer King bookend the first and second acts.  

Jenna Leigh Green as Juliet

Both ladies never fail to deliver when performing at MuMo.

Their roles as Juliet and Satine gave them ample opportunity to showcase their amazing voices and each gave passionate performances filled with conviction.

Ben D. Goldberg as Romeo, sexy, sultry and strong in the first act, showcases his range of talent when he turned on his comic timing as the Duke in the second act.  As Christian in Moulin Rouge, Steve Mazurek, performed some of the most well known and popular songs of the night and he pretty much seems to carry his own spotlight wherever he goes.  We we’re thrilled to be in the audience on a night Tracie Thoms was performing. It is a rotating cast so to hear her solo “When Doves Cry” was a little piece of theater perfection. Arguably the biggest stand out performances among a cast of stand-outs came from Arielle Jacobs and Jason Paige.  Every time either of them took to the stage, you could feel the electricity in the room as they threatened to blow the windows behind them out into the streets.  We are hoping they both will grace our stage at MuMo very soon.

Steve Mazurek as Christian

At first I was concerned the stellar band led by Christpher Lloyd Bratten would over power the singers in such a small space but big shout outs to the lighting and sound designers Travis Hagenbuch and Matt Starcher  Both utilized the limitations of the space to give the audience a great mix of sound and light so that not a single moment of the vocals and performances in the 8 member cast was lost.  Shane Scheel and all the cast members at Show at Barre lived up to  the buzz we heard before seeing the show and we left knowing that many of us may return before it closes later this summer.

To Reserve Seats for FTR: Baz Luhrmann go to: www.showatbarre.com

Tickets for FTR: Baz Lurhmann are $20 dollars plus a 2 drink minimum and a 18% percent gratuity added to all checks.

After the show with Tracie Thoms


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How our brain tick...tick...booms.

Welcome to the Fans of MuMo blog!!!  We are here to provide you with the most current and up to date promotion codes and reviews of Theater and Musical Theater around Los Angeles.  We try to attend as many shows as possible around town, for it is the love for Musical Theater that brought this group together in the first place.

What's MuMo? Well, once a week we gather together at Club Eleven and sing, dance and mirror our favorite musicals at Musical Mondays. There is no admission and if you enjoy musicals then you will have a blast participating along side the rest of the bar as clip after clip of musicals from stage and screen are played on the television screens that surround the bar. Come for drinks and dinner and then stay for the live show at 10 p.m. that features a different performer every week from  the stages of Broadway and Los Angeles.

Glad you came here to check us out and make sure to participate on here and let us know about the shows you are attending!  We love to know what's the hottest ticket in town! You can find us on Facebook here:

The Fans of MuMo: Musical Mondays-at-Eleven

or Follow us on Twitter for up to date information from the performers at MuMo and promotion codes to discount theater tickets:

Fans Of MuMo on Twitter

But for now... here is a sample of what gets us through the week:

So if you care to find me... From this day on...now and forever.. Listen to the Lullaby of Broadway. All of my friends who think I'm blessed, they don't know my head is a mess. I'm going insane. Going mad. But If I dug right down to the bottom of my soul...You get the music.... it can See me. Feel me. Touch me. Heal me.

Now I'm alive, I'm alive, I am so alive. If you climb on my back then we both can fly. And this gift or this curse I have inside maybe at last i'll know why My future is unlimited. 

Just listen there's a song here in my heart a melody I start so why Must it alway be either less or more either plain or grand?

You might look up to find I've gone on to better things Better jobs or bigger rings I don't have the time to cry I'm too busy loving Being Alive. 

Chalk it all up to experience They said I'd fail but I disagree. Who could say then where my path would lead? Well, now I know when I hear my favorite song I know that I belong I've got nothing to do but relax. 

So Curtains Up. Light the lights. It is the music of a people who Gotta find a corner of the sky. So when my heart is breaking. I smile. And let my light so shine before men. 

I have been in the darkness for so long but theres No way. No No No No way...I'm living without the hidee high and whoopdy doo The lullaby of Broadway. 'Cause Broadway always wears a smile. A million lights, they flicker there A million hearts beat quicker there No skies are gray on that great white way, That's the Broadway Melody.