Authors
Loren Lester
Loren Lester is an actor, writer and the director of Los Angeles-area productions of Madama Butterfly, Aida, and Carmen (starring Suzanna Guzman), Pagliacci (both in Los Angeles and in Las Vegas), the Los Angeles premiere of Viktor Ullmann’s The Emperor of Atlantis, and the world premiere of the one-act operas Vayero and Khazak V’Hamtaz. Most recently he directed La Bohème with the Bangor Symphony Orchestra. Loren has directed numerous musicals and plays, including the award-winning production of T.S. Eliot’s The Cocktail Party. He is the writer and director of the musical web series Let’s Do Lunch!, and the stage show It’s Magic: The Music of Doris Day. Loren is also a book editor, most recently for the memoirs of actor William Daniels (There I Go Again, University of Nebraska Press, 2017). As an actor, Loren is a familiar face with over 40 years of credits, guest-starring on over 200 TV shows (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Orville, Hung, Parenthood, etc.) and in numerous films (Red Eye, Rock ‘N Roll High School, etc.) Loren is married to singer/actress Kelly Lester and together they have three singer/actress daughters.
Contributions
Audra McDonald and the Art of Perfection
May 22 2018
She let us know that she considers herself "a champion of new composers." "That way," she told us, maybe only half-joking, "I'll still have a job in the future." She reminded us that Jason Robert Brown was once a "new composer" and proffered his "Stars and Moon" which has become one of her signature songs.
Love Potion Number Nein
May 20 2018
Mr. Mitisek and Long Beach Opera have built their world-renowned reputations on new works and the discovery of neglected treasures from the past. Mr. Martin's 1942 opera does not fit into either category.
Verdi's tragedy in jest
May 16 2018
To protect his daughter from the Duke (and his entourage of like-minded cruel courtiers), Rigoletto hides her from the real world. She isn't allowed to venture outside, except to go to church. And that's where the Duke spies her and decides he must have her. There is an abundance of well-placed irony throughout the drama.
When Don Giovanni is the "Don"
April 18 2018
There is a temptation for any director, therefore, to try something different or new. To quote Stephen Sondheim: "you gotta get a gimmick." In this case, it's not a gimmick but a brilliant conceit from director Josh Shaw that works on every level. Here, Don Giovanni is…well…the "Don" as in the head of the local mafia.
Twice on This Island
March 27 2018
The percussionist inside Mr. Copeland finds the perfect places for the musical punctuation of xylophone, triangle, concert tom-toms, etc. And even though the tip-toeing steps of the bass and bassoon are heard throughout, it's the booming bass and bass drum that drive the drama, expressing the developing madness inside and outside the characters.
A Butterfly, but not from Puccini
April 16 2018
The riverboat set is a marvel of art and engineering by Mark Frederic Smith. Taking up nearly the entire width of the proscenium, it gracefully and quickly revolves to reveal the front, back, and both sides of the boat, giving Ms. Evans and her cast many options to play the various scenes.
Orpheus & Eurydice in the hands of a theatrical genius
March 14 2018
Though he has a decades-long, international reputation for his ballets, Mr. Neumeier's ingenious and beautiful choreography is only part of the story, or rather "his" story. Writers are supposed to write what they know; in this case, Mr. Neumeier directs what he knows. This is the famous opera written by Gluck in 1774, but it's no longer the travel and travail of a musician.
"Viva la operetta!"
February 19 2018
Director Guerrero, using only a small acting space and nothing more than a door, a chair and bed as set pieces, utilized beautiful and, in some cases, symbolic rear projections to underpin the production, which is as much about the heart-breaking issue of immigration as it is about the heart-felt music.
Candide: the Best of All Possible Productions?
February 16 2018
All of Candide’s disasters could translate into a disastrous evening, but thanks to the clear and sure hand of director Zambello, the humor is allowed to speak for itself without too many additional bits and gags that often make a funny show tiresome and unwatchable.
Heavenly voice visits the City of Angels
February 08 2018
The night ended with a nod to Leonard Bernstein's 100th Birthday - "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The lyrics "There's a place for us - somewhere a place for us…" she dedicated to the DACA Dreamers, and the evening ended with many in tears and everyone on their feet for several standing ovations.
