Alex Steiniger | June 11, 2018
Color Your World’s Dr. Yvonne Williams-McMillan and Erika Danina Williams head to ABC Tucson’s Morning Blend.
The mother-daughter duo talk about their program and how it teaches women to excel.
Watch video: Here
BROADWAY WORLD: BWW Review: Erin Sullivan’s Strong Vocals Bolster WITH LOVE, MARILYN
Gil Kaan | June 5, 2018
WITH LOVE, MARILYN/written by Stephanie Rosenberg& Erin Sullivan/directed by Stephanie Rosenberg/musical direction by Garrett Taylor/Rockwell Table & Stage/June 4, 2018
Erin Sullivan has created (with help from co-writerStephanie Rosenberg and co-conceiver Robin Milling)WITH LOVE, MARILYN, her one-woman homage toMarilyn Monroe. Sullivan nails Monroe’s breathy line deliveries and body language, especially in recreating Monroe songs “My Heart Belongs to Daddy” and her signature “Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend.” Director Rosenberg gives Sullivan a lot of leeway in her laidback retelling of the insecure Monroe’s love life and early Hollywood years, but smartly edits Sullivan’s “Happy Birthday (Mr. President)” to less than a single verse. Opening conceit of this show has Monroe going through a dress rehearsal of her Vegas nightclub act, which allows for Monroe to exhibit all her insecurities. Fortunately, for the Rockwell audience, Sullivan’s sturdy vocals power through Monroe’s hesitation onstage.
Read more: Here
LA EXCITES: Rockwell’s “Clueless” Is a Ridiculously Funny Homage to the Original
Imaan Jalali | June 5, 2018
The following review is based on the May 11th performance.
Unlike some tentpole film franchises, there are no depreciating returns with Rockwell Table & Stage’s UMPO series, which remains just as gut-bustingly funny with its 12th installment, “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Clueless, which is scheduled to run through September 1st in Los Feliz.
(L-R, foreground) Courtney Bruce and Janaya Mahealani Jones in “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Clueless” at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles, CA. Photo credit: Bryan Carpender
The fabulous farce, based on Amy Heckerling’s 1995 high school classic starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, the late Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Breckin Meyer, and others, is once again the brainchild of Artistic Director, Executive Producer, creator, and writer Kate Pazakis. Rockwell’s resident genius has been on an unprecedented roll for the past few years, highlighted by her talent to reimagine pop-culture phenomena by incorporating not only an appropriately modern bent, but extra helpings of humor, to go along with dynamic dancing, and the singing of hits spanning the last four decades.
Pazakis is undoubtedly joined by heavy hitters in Musical Director Gregory Nabours, who particularly excels at splicing mashups of songs, oftentimes from different eras and genres; Choreographer Mallory Butcher, whose sweeping ensemble numbers are as lively as can be; Production and Costume designer Chadd McMillan, who, in this case, really does transport us back to the carefree mid-90s; Sound Designer BJ Marchini, who ensures that the performers are always heard; and Lighting Designer Joey Guthman, who illuminates “Clueless” with a saucily suitable pink glow.
Longtime actor Jimmy Smagula makes his Rockwell debut as the director of this coming-of-age production, which spotlights protagonist and near 16-year-old Cher Horowitz, already a Beverly Hills socialite among her peers, who lives with her father and step-brother, Josh. Despite some common, and not so common, family drama, Cher is very much in control as the center of attention, flanked by her gal pal, Dionne. Yet, Cher, who is also based on Jane Austen’s “Emma,” is also altruistic, and thus becomes matchmaker and makeover guru, particularly with respect to the new girl in town, Tai.
(L-R, foreground) Nohely Quiroz and Zack Colonna in “The Unauthorized Musical Parody of Clueless” at Rockwell Table & Stage in Los Angeles, CA. Photo credit: Bryan Carpender
Smagula’s direction has lended itself to a very brisk 90-minute show (including a 10 minute intermission), which manages to entertain in gloriously gratuitous fashion and tie together the plot, pulled by the substantive weight of its triple-threat cast members (the show is double-cast). These individuals are certifiable titans of multitasking on stage, zipping through a myriad of costume changes, and positioning themselves rapidly among the joyful patrons
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STAGE SCENE LA: THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY OF CLUELESS
Steven Stanley | June 5, 2018
East Coast transfer student Tai Frasier may have been clueless when she showed up at Beverly Hill High just aching for a makeover, but the folks at Rockwell prove themselves masterful movie spoofers once again with their riotous, rollicking latest, The Unauthorized Musical Parody Of Clueless.
Writer-director Amy Heckerling breathed new life into the then dormant ‘80s-era teen romcom—and made a star out of Alicia Silverstone in the bargain—when she updated Jane Austen’s Emma for the big screen back in 1995, and now, twenty-three years later, writer-executive producer Kate Pazakis’s UMPO series pokes affectionate fun at the movie original while spicing it up with a show-opening “Kids In America,” a grand finale “Time Of My Life,” and plenty of ‘90s classics like “I Touch Myself,” “MMMBop,” and “Barbie Girl” in-between.
Read more: Here
JOB SEARCH MASTER CLASS: 3 Things You Should Do Before You Apply for Your Dream Job
Dana Manciagli | June 5, 2018
If you want to get that next big promotion or your dream job, Dr. Yvonne Williams-McMillan and Erika Williams of Color Your World Personal Development & Coaching, LLC., suggest three things you should do before you start filling out applications. Become exceedingly knowledgeable about who you are and what your priorities are; use a journal for self-reflection and insight; and establish habits of success.
1 – Be Very Knowledgeable About Who You Are and What You Stand For.
Their Women’s Leadership Series focuses on helping women gain self-awareness. Williams and Williams-McMillan believe knowing who you are, your purpose and passion in life, your potential, and what core principles guide you, are indispensable to success.
Examine your values, beliefs, thoughts, words, and actions so that you understand why you do the things you do. Readily recognize and capitalize your value and articulate it to others to transform the way you express yourself and find meaning in both your personal and work life.
Read more: Here
STAGE SCENE LA: With Love, Marilyn
Steven Stanley | June 4, 2018
Marilyn Monroe is crossing the country to tell her rags-to-riches, obscurity-to-stardom life story in song, and since it’s triple-threat blonde bombshell Erin Sullivan doing the telling and the singing, With Love, Marilyn makes for a fabulously performed trip down memory lane.
Looking sultry and stunning in black velvet and diamonds, lots of diamonds, Sullivan’s Marilyn sings up a storm in hit after hit after hit, from “I Wanna Be Loved By You” (accompanied by memories of Norma Jean Baker’s marriage to first husband James Dougherty) to “Bye Bye Baby” (because that first marriage, like Marilyn’s two others, ended in divorce), and more, many more.
Imagining the final dress rehearsal of Monroe’s about-to-debut cabaret act, With Love, Marilyn has its star confronting stage fright with the help of pianist/music director Garrett Taylor while sprinkling in recollections of growing up Hollywood-adjacent (a trip to Grauman’s Chinese Theater had Norma Jean comparing her handprints with those of Jean Harlow), changing her name to Marilyn (in honor of 1920s Broadway star Marilyn Miller), and signing a contract with Twentieth Century Fox (“My Heart Belongs To Daddy”) that soon made “Marilyn Monroe” synonymous with sex and glamour.
Read more: Here
