Theatrical, Music, and Dance Performance shows registered on the Better Lemons calendar!
For more shows visit our Calendar. For shows with a LemonMeter rating, visit our LemonMeter page.
Jamba Juice: The Musical
“Boy meets girl. Strawberry meets smoothie. Mix it all together, then just add love. This is a millennial musical comedy that takes place in a Jamba Juice. This parody musical has not and will not be approved by the Jamba Juice Corp.
Use discount code LEMONSAREBETTER for $2 off regular priced tickets ($10 instead of $12)”
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DROUGHT
“’DOUGHT’ is a song-story for women. A musical battle cry. It is for the women that have been and the women to come. DROUGHT is a piece of art activism. Its aim as a piece is to challenge narratives in which women are subject to violence at the hands of male redemption, and how violence in our storytelling perpetuates violence in our culture…Using electronic music, digital landscapes and experimental prose we give voice to a voiceless character…Maybe it’s time we write our own mythology. It is time to end this Drought.”
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Grail Project
“Theatre Movement Bazaar continues its investigation into classic texts, this time inspired by the Arthur Legend and Grail Myth. Co-creators and company founders, Kronis + Alger, are joined by an ensemble of 9 actors to present this surprising and dynamic new work. GRAIL PROJECT guides us through the labyrinthine intrigues of Arthurian court life, then spins out into Perceval’s Quest for the Holy Grail and his Squire’s longing to be a knight. One of the most influential myths of the Western world is given a contemporary voice in this woven tapestry of original text, song, dance, humor, and expressive physicality.
2019 Ovation Award Winners for: Best Ensemble, Best Director, Best Choreography.
Use discount code KNIGHT to get $3 off regular priced tickets (pay $12 instead of $15)”
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SEVEN
“Seven walks the line between reality and fairy tale.
In an archetypal journey to find hope and truth in a dark time, Seven incorporates seven views of the world today through the lens of an archetypal shapeshifter. The Shapeshifter morphs from Knight to Thief, to Princess, to Avenger, to Engineer and Witch. This one-woman show tackles the problems we all face with heart and a little bit of humor, from politics to bubble baths.”
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What Am I Even Doing?
“’What Am I Even Doing?’ is a world premiere solo show written and performed by Hollywood Fringe veteran Kelly Coughlin that is a confessional about your average existential crisis. Who hasn’t wondered ‘what am I doing with my life?’ ‘who am I?’ or ‘what now?’ Full of ups and downs, this comedic performance is relatable and heartfelt, taking patrons on a touching journey through figuring out adulthood and a life purpose that feels just out of our grasp. It will also examine some of the more “interesting” choices Coughlin has made along the way. And if you haven’t questioned your life choices, what are you even doing?”
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Living Between the Lines: When Every Tribe Isn’t Your Tribe
“Born on the Mason-Dixon line, growing up between the Reagan and Clinton administrations, exploring his own sexuality in a time well before anyone knew what #toxicmasculinity even was, and discovering his identity as a first generation Asian-American immigrant, songwriter/actor/writer Michael de Lara discovered a single, undeniable truth: “I don’t fit in with anybody.” “Living Between the Lines” is a one-man musical/cabaret about never fitting into any group scored and performed on a loop pedal and guitar, and told through four days in the 1990s.”
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Butcher Holler Here We Come
“Butcher Holler Here We Come is a critically-acclaimed and award-winning original performance that descends into the interior landscape of the male psyche-in-crisis.- *Told in near-to-total darkness, with the use of headlamps to illuminate the actors while they weave in and around the audience, the play invites a visceral, terrifying, and emotionally-wrought forging of manhood as it actively interrogates itself, against the backdrop forces of an un-anthropomorphic world.”
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Monkey Mind
“MONKEY MIND is a family rock musical about a bright, precocious teenage girl named Lacy. After Lacy’s mother dies unexpectedly, it leaves her and her father overwhelmed with grief and financial worries. Lacy tries to help him out of his depression by trying to win a singing contest. However, she is plagued by negative thoughts, her MONKEY MIND (played by characters who sing and dance around her on stage). A teacher tries to instill the practice of “staying in the now” and controlling her out of control mind. But not until thoughts of suicide nearly kill her does Lacy appreciate her teaching. Use discount code LEMON and get $5 tickets”
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Hamlet
“A gender-bending immersive experience…Welcome to the Coronation of your new King Claudius, but all is not well when a Dead Ghost Cries for Revenge. This 90min Hamlet is a thriller set in the glorious back garden of TeaPop in North Hollywood. Please wear comfortable footwear. This is a semi-immersive event in a nontraditional space. There will be a strobe feel and fog.”
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The Color Collective
“The Color Collective is a comedy variety show featuring diversity and inclusion in everything from music and dance to stand-up and sketch comedy. Winners of a 2018 Encore Award and a 2018 Audience Choice Award from Better Lemons, The Color Collective strives to be a show for all people, where we can tackle topics that typically aren’t (or can’t) be covered by others…If In Living Color and SNL had a love-child, it’d be The Color Collective – a fast-paced hour-long sketch/variety show, highlighting diverse – and hilarious – players from a wide spectrum of cultural backgrounds.”
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NINE WINNING ONE-ACTS
“The Group Rep presents Nine Winning One-Acts play festival, fresh world premiere short plays chosen from more than 250 entries from around the world. The event is co-produced by Belinda Howell and Helen O’Brien for the Group Rep. All nine plays will be performed as one program, twice a week for six weeks, running June 8 through July 14. Saturdays at 4:00 pm. Sundays at 7:00 pm. Running time: 2 hours with one intermission. Warnings: Mature subject matter – suicide, adultery, prop gun, etc.”
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Blindsided
“Suicide is a difficult subject to tackle on stage, but comedian and character performer Jeannette Rizzi faces it head-on in her acclaimed solo production, Blindsided…As raw as it is funny, Blindsided is a personal journey about how Rizzi — at the age of 17 — sees her life dive into a tailspin after the suicide of her best friend Katie. Despite being the daughter of a former monk and former nun (yes, really), Rizzi nonetheless struggles to find her spiritual and emotional compass, while facing off against her debilitating anxiety and depression. Proceeds from her Hollywood Fringe performances will be donated to Teen Line, a Los Angeles-based hotline where teens can reach out to trained teen volunteers for guidance and support. To date, Rizzi has helped raise over $10,000 for various mental health services and initiatives…Blindsided is a product of Jeannette’s commitment to live, as well as her pledge to helping others who battle with their own raison d’etre.”
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No Child Left Behind
“The year is 1992 and South Africa is changing. And with terrorist Nelson Mandela being released from prison, who can tell if it’s for the best. But for one History teacher who grew up during Apartheid, making it through the first day of the school year, and her all white class being racially desegregated, is all the history she needs for one day. *Show is FREE with ticket reservation!!!!”
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My Trans Wife
“This is a true story of transition, written by, and featuring, the two women who are living it: Mara a trans woman, lived as male most of her life. Mimi, a straight ciswoman, was raised in a traditional Catholic family. They met, fell in love and got married. And everything changed. For both of them. ‘My Trans Wife’ is a journey through the pain, joys and laughter of their relationship, as Mara struggles with her gender identity and Mimi struggles with letting go of long-held beliefs enough to acknowledge that she could love someone like Mara…Use discount code BL and get $2 off regular priced tickets…June 9 and June 14 performances are “pay what you can.” Ticket buyers for these two shows can set their own prices, although there is a suggested price of $12…[for]all ticket buyers, not just Better Lemons readers.
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Boxing Your Demons
“An immersive, participatory, dark comedy from Crooked Grin Productions (2x previous winner of both “Best of Fringe” and “Fringe Encore Award”) comes to the Hollywood Fringe Festival this June! Created by Fringe veteran Matt Soson, Boxing Your Demons is a surreal workout/wellness program led by health and fitness influencers Guy and Sheila Larpen (with their biggest fan / personal assistant, Peter) for an audience of twenty participants. Through a series of proprietary steps involving everything from cardio to smoothies, the Larpens show how to resolve and/or seal away the painful and complex conflicts of hypocrisy and cognitive dissonance inherent to modern American life in just 70 minutes!
This intimate, participatory workshop involves movement and speech from the performers and requests some physical participation from the audience in turn…Cute fitness attire, a smartphone, and personal chakra crystals recommended”
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A CABARET LINE Two Night Fundraiser for Group Rep 6/11 & 6/12
“The Group Rep presents A Cabaret Line, a Two Night Only! fun fundraiser cabaret show, directed and hosted by Bruce Kimmel, with music direction by Richard Allen, produced by Doug Haverty, June 11 and June 12 at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood, California. A Cabaret Line features songs from The Great American Songbook, classic musical theatre, and rare songs from legendary flop shows performed in cabaret style by members of the Group Rep and special musical theatre guests including Kay Cole (original cast member Broadway’s A Chorus Line).”
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Macbeth
“Brace yourself for Shakespeare’s wicked and bloody tragedy coming this June. One fateful decision thrusts Macbeth, a Scottish general, and his wife into a world of shadows and horror that threatens to tear their marriage and lives to pieces. Explore the corruptive side of ambition, and the line between kingship and tyranny. We look forward to plunging you into their world of shadows and taking you on the Bard’s darkest of hell-rides.”
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Tabletop the Musical
“As part of our ‘Nerdy Theater’ series MB stage Creative Producers, David Evan Stolworthy and Jared Tyrel Pixler have begun work on the long term development of Tabletop (a new musical)…a universal story that is nothing short of a wish spell. …Karen runs the local game store where Eric and his friends have gathered every week for years to play their favorite tabletop roleplaying game. His childhood friends Luke (the paladin) and Valarie (the ranger), the group’s strategist and a regular tabletop game fanatic Ken (the wizard), and his little sister Sarah (the fighter) begin their next adventure in Vaelrun while Eric’s wife, Emily, who used to play the group’s druid, is pregnant and out “attending her grove”. Everything starts to change when Brandon, Valerie’s new boyfriend, joins the group. While these friends can’t seem to pull themselves away long enough to handle their real lives, Karen watches on and wishes for an escape. Tabletop explores the way we use games to disconnect from our own realities by following the weekly fantasy adventures of these five friends.”
Monsters of Man: A Supernatural Anthology
“’No man chases evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks’ –Mary Shelley. Sometimes the things we fear are not always the creatures that go bump in the night. The Monsters of Man: A Supernatural Anthology combines an element of the every day with a splash of the supernatural. A journey through the stories and lives of individuals who will show that sometimes the most terrifying monsters of all are the ones we create ourselves.”
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CATHARSIS
“CATHARSIS is a solo performance created to process one’s personal journey towards self-recognition amidst the (de)stabilizing effects of adoption. The show broadly explores the dynamic relationship between healing, movement, and visibility as Megh negotiates what it means to take space and be vulnerable as a Black femme. Megh invites audiences to occupy her [head]space as she uses movement, poetry, and sound to remember her histories and create her future.”
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Free Concert on the Lawn: Bernie Pearl Blues Band with Barbara Morrison
“Rancho Los Cerritos is back with its popular free summer concert this summer, with music on the fourth Sunday of the month during July and August. The July 28th concert features The Bernie Pearl Blues Band with Barbara Morrison. The site opens at 5 p.m. for pre-concert picnicking. Concerts run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guests can bring blankets or lawn chairs. Pets are not allowed.”
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Free Concert on the Lawn: The Band of the California Battalion
“Rancho Los Cerritos is back with its popular free summer concert series, with music on the fourth Sunday of the month during July and August. The August 25th concert features The Band of the California Battalion. The site opens at 5 p.m. for pre-concert picnicking. Concerts run from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Guests can bring blankets or lawn chairs. Pets are not allowed. ”
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Horny! the Musical
“Satyrs and nymphs crash the party when a woman sprouts horns right before her high-society wedding. As the horns grow, so do new…feelings. An ancient tale for modern times. Celebrating positive female sexuality in ancient Greek theater tradition.”
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Cabaret Night at Little Fish Theatre
“A cabaret night where your favorite Little Fish Theatre Company Members sing and act their favorite musical theatre songs in a variety show that is sure to delight!”
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A Night Out by Harold Pinter
“Pinter’s early dark comedy about Albert, an introverted insurance firm employee still living with his co-dependent mother in South London…After his office buddies convince him to come to the firm’s office party, a dire case of mistaken identity will shift Albert’s life into a very disturbing direction. Originally written as a teleplay for B.B.C and Armchair Theater.”
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Naughty with a Band
“Celebrated actress and singer Pamela Shaw gets naughtier than ever with her fun, provocative, musically eclectic new show ‘Naughty with a Band.’ Direct from a critically acclaimed run in Australia, England, and the Edinburgh and Adelaide Fringe Festivals, this Los Angeles premiere is a musical mélange of pop, blues, and rock with a live band. Conceived and created by Shaw, this extraordinarily funny and touching show captures her journey from being a well-bred New York child doing everything “right”, to stepping into her own power and freedom as a woman…Inspired by Matilda, Roald Dahl’s book…’Naughty with a Band’ delivers a mix of comedy, cabaret, dance, music, songs and poignancy from the irrepressible Shaw in a polished, professional and unflappable performance, rich in energy and sensuality…’Naughty with a Band’ was first performed as ‘Naughty for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival’ in 2017. It played several festivals in Europe, had a month-long season at the Adelaide Cabaret Fringe Festival 2018, and the first version debuted in December 2018 in Sydney. Naughty with a Band is just finishing up a month-long run as the inaugural production at the new Cobbstar Live club in Sydney.”
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“Hello America” The Riveting New Play
“’Hello America’ (Written by Brandon Rainey) is a riveting production that paints the picture of being a black man in America. These men take you on a hysterical but emotional journey of masculinity, spirituality, fatherhood, sexuality, love, lust & identity through the use of creative storytelling, monologue, audience interaction, film & music.”
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Bestseller
“A zany comic romp by internationally acclaimed playwright Peter Quilter (Glorious!, End of the Rainbow) about writers, how they write, the stories they tell and the secrets they keep. When three young novelists gather at an isolated cottage for a writer’s retreat, their hilarious books jump off the page and onto the stage.”
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Sucker Punch
“In the red corner: Leon Davidson – black British champ or Uncle Tom? In the blue corner: Troy Augustus – international powerhouse or naive cash cow? Having spent their youth in the same London boxing gym vying for the favoritism of an inspirational, foul-mouthed trainer, two former friends step into the ring and face up to who they are. By turns tender, shocking and funny, Sucker Punch asks if the right battles have been fought, let alone won. A SITE-SPECIFIC EXPERIENCE. West Coast premiere.”
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It’s Personal: Los Angeles
“’It’s Personal’ is a collection of solo performances written and performed by the cast. Join us as we share truthful stories about Los Angeles and what it means to us! Every show, It’s Personal raises money for a local charity that is near & dear to our hearts. We are raising money for Inner-City Arts this month. Help us give back to our community! @itspersonalonstage Use discount code PersonalLemons and get $5 off regular priced tickets.”
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Ready Steady Yeti Go
“Rogue Machine’s 12th Season Begins in Association with the National New Play Network by presenting the Rolling World Premiere of David Jacobi’s ‘Ready Steady Yeti Go’…In the aftermath of a hate crime, 7th grader Goon befriends Carly, one of the victims. Their youthful romance blossoms. As the town organizes ‘The Assembly to End Racism Forever,’ the two must navigate the pitfalls of falling in love while dealing with the town’s prying eyes, especially being under the scrutiny of Wikipedia Jones, the crime-solving son of the Chief of Police. Bad parental advice and ill-informed gestures of kindness create a white guilt perfect storm, threatening to push the course of true love down a very rocky road. This ironic modern comedy takes place in the present. Unfortunately.”
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Extraordinary Aliens
“’Extraordinary Aliens: The Play’ is the incredible story of Fabianna – a foreign actress whose dream is to work in the United States. Unfortunately, dreams are a little harder to achieve once you have to worry about types of visas, deadlines, immigration fees and an attorney who seems more messed up than you. Fabianna will soon find that trouble are always around the corner – but she might find herself not completely alone along the way. The Play is based on true events”
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American Stranger the Musical
“American Stranger is the story of three siblings, two of whom are learning to understand the third who is transitioning from their brother to their sister, now known as Mary. Rejection and intolerance plagues Mary— from society and from her parents who have disowned her. However, it is the loss of her beloved girlfriend, Dionne, that haunts her the most. After Mary is taken in by her sisters in Hollywood, Brooke and Janet, she tries to pursue her artistic aspirations by selling her paintings on the streets. There, she befriends a homeless man named Jake and a transgender woman named Shannon. The streets of Hollywood become their backdrop as Mary slowly begins to understand more about herself and her new world. However, one night she is confronted by an intolerant and violent passerby. America’s growing cultural divide has made Mary a stranger in her own country. American Stranger features the acoustic versions of the songs of Laura Espinoza & Lunden Reign.”
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