5 theater events to see in San Diego this fall

'Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express'| The Old Globe

 
Ken Ludwig has had three world premieres at the Old Globe: "Baskerville," "Sherwood, the Adventures of Robin Hood," and "The Gods of Comedy." Now the Globe is hosting the West Coast premiere of "Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express," which the Agatha Christie Estate commissioned Ludwig to write.

"The challenge of adapting Christie is the challenge of adapting any great work," Ludwig said. "Paring down the story to its essentials so it fits on stage, still tells the story, and has momentum all the way through. Fortunately for me, the Agatha Christie Estate is exceptionally well-run. Rather than demanding that I stick closely to the original, they trusted me to know how it had to change to work on stage. As for it being well known, I think that’s a good thing. I couldn’t rely just on the cleverness of Agatha Christie’s plot since so many people know it — I had to challenge myself to make the play funny and emotionally rich so it’s entertaining even if you already know whodunnit."

The plot involves passengers onboard the Orient Express that departs from Istanbul only to become stranded in a snow drift. But don't worry, the doldrums of being stuck in the snow are quickly interrupted by a murder, in which everyone is a suspect. Fortunately, Belgium's most famous detective, Hercule Poirot, is also traveling on the train.

"I admire Christie for a number of reasons," Ludwig said. "Her stories are so tightly plotted. Comedies — for which I’m primarily known — and mysteries are alike in that they both need a machine-like precision, and I pride myself on the construction of my plays. Her stories are literary Swiss watches. I wanted to honor that in writing an adaptation that ticks along and tells the story with all the twists, turns and surprises that we expect from an Agatha Christie mystery."

Ludwig's past work for the Globe has revealed a deft wit and delightful sense of stagecraft. So all aboard for "Murder on the Orient Express."

Diversionary Theatre

'Midnight at the Never Get' | Diversionary

Singer Trevor Copeland and songwriter Arthur Brightman are in love, but in 1965 their romance is also against the law. However, in the back room of The Never Get, an illegal Greenwich Village gay bar, they decide to do something slyly subversive. They create a show called Midnight, in which Trevor sings classic love songs to Arthur without changing the pronouns. The play alludes to the revolution that is brewing in the LGBTQ+ community, offers a meditation on memory and features a great score.

Stephen Brotebeck programmed the play as Interim Artistic Director at Diversionary and also directs it.

“What drew us to ‘Midnight at the Never Get’ was the show's celebration of gay romance in the 1960s set to a lush and seductive score inspired by the Great American Songbook,” Brotebeck said. “Faced with a multitude of obstacles both professionally and personally, Trevor and Arthur fight to disrupt the norms of society at the precipice of the gay rights movement in America. The show reminds us to ‘Don't let the world shape your love. Let your love shape the world’.”

"Midnight at the Never Get" has book, lyrics and music by Mark Sonnenblick, and it was conceived by Sam Bolen, Max Friedman and Sonnenblick. If you want to go behind the scenes of the production consider attending Backstage Thursday/Director’s Happy Hour to join the director and other members of "Midnight at The Never Get" artistic team in the Clark Cabaret for a chance to chat before the show. Or check out Backstage Thursday/Designer Spotlight to join members of the design team before the show.

Arts & Culture

Sasha Velour celebrates queer expression through drag

Beth Accomando

North Coast Rep

'Incident at Our Lady Of Perpetual Help' | North Coast Rep

Embark on a journey down memory lane with the San Diego premiere of "Incident at Our Lady of Perpetual Help." Set against the backdrop of the 1970s, Katie Forgette’s comedy revolves around the O’Shea clan as they face a rapidly changing decade. Forgette explores themes of faith, friendship, and personal choices.

Jenny Sullivan will be making her North Coast Rep debut as director of the play, and noted that it’s the perfect time for the play.

“We all need to have a good laugh and reflect on life,” Sullivan said. "'Incident’ is an outrageously funny and very touching memory play driven by a series of mishaps that the working class O'Shea clan must navigate during the wild ride of the early ’70s. This is my era, and I was immediately excited by the opportunity to direct this play. All families have a history that we laugh and learn from, and take with us for the rest of our lives. I call it the the 'family folklore' since over time our collective memories evolve. Heart and humor are at the core of this play as we take a nostalgic journey which in the end defines family as everything. I am thrilled to embark on my first North Coast Rep experience."

San Diego's best arts and culture this fall

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Travis Land

'Die! Mommie Die!' | Diversionary Black Box

Charles Busch occupies a unique spot in pop culture as playwright, actor, director, novelist, screenwriter, cabaret performer, drag icon, and kitschy, campy commentator on social morays. He’s penned more than two dozen plays including “The Divine Sister,” “Red Scare on Sunset,” and “Vampire Lesbians of Sodom” (that title alone deserves an award!). He has also memorably starred in the film adaptations of his plays “Psycho Beach Party” and “Die Mommie Die!” (for which he won the Best Performance Award at the Sundance Film Festival).

Michael Mizerany, who has been writing his own snarky riffs on horror and pop culture with his “Thrillogy” plays, will be directing “Die Mommie Die!”

“It is a hilarious dark comedy evoking the 1960s ‘Grande Dame Guignol’ films that featured aging stars such as Bette Davis, Joan Crawford and Lana Turner chewing up the scenery,” Mizerany explained.

The plot is like a Douglas Sirk melodrama on steroids ... or maybe it's diet pills.

“The action is set in 1967 Beverly Hills in the home of failed musical actress Angela Arden,” Mizerany added. “Angela is unhappily married to film producer Sol whose cloying relationship with their daughter, Edith is anything but wholesome. Meanwhile, Angela is carrying on with protuberant tennis pro Tony Parker who becomes the object of lust to both Edith and Angela’s gay son, Lance. Angela’s husband Sol is adored from afar by Bootsie, the family’s long-time, long-simmering housekeeper. When Angela decides to poison Sol, a cascade of dark family secrets comes to light — improbably, histrionically and hilariously.”

Mizerany suggests watching any of these fabulous Grande Dame Guignol films to get in the right claws-out, over-the-top mood for the play: “Whatever Ever Happened To Baby Jane?” “Straight-Jacket,” “Hush, Hush Sweet Charlotte,” and “Die! Die! My Darling!”

Joey Kirkpatrick takes on the flamboyant role of Angela Arden. The scenery may need to be protected.

Please note: This is not a Diversionary Production, but Diversionary hosting this Guest Production.

'La Bohème' | San Diego Opera

Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohème" has special meaning to San Diego Opera.

"'La Bohème' was the first opera produced by San Diego Opera in our initial 1965 season," explained general director David Bennett. "And in 2020, we were the first company in the country to produce opera before a live audience during the pandemic — 'La Bohème' as a drive-in opera. As we open our 60th season, we want to honor these two important moments in our history. This new production will tell the opera’s story through Rodolfo’s memory, just as we did so successfully in our drive-in version."

Lidiya Yankovskaya will make her first appearance with San Diego Opera, conducting the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. Keturah Stickann returns as director after having helmed the innovative drive-in production in 2020 (see video above about that production).

Below is a video produced in 2015 going behind the scenes of San Diego Opera's production of "La Bohème" for that season.

"La Boheme" will be sung in Italian with English and Spanish super titles. San Diego Opera continues with its shortened schedule with only three performances of the opera.