Winners! Killers! Producers!: 'Celebration' Announces Its 2019 Season, 'Celebrating' Reading Series' 'Skin Like Milk'

December 5th, 2018

99 Seat Theater in LA, Comedy, Featured, LGBTQIA+, Musicals, Theater, Theater Company

Monique LeBleu

Registered Critic, Writer, Editor

Last updated: 12/6/18 12:15 a.m.

Celebration, under Executive Director Michael C. Kricfalusi, has announced its 2019 season of shows under the artistic direction of Michael A. Shepperd, making this season Celebration’s 37th and the fourth in its home at The Lex.

The 2019 Season will open with the Los Angeles premiere of “Born To Win,” written by Matt Wilkas and Mark Setlock, and Directed by Michael Matthews, and tickets go on sale today, Wednesday, December 5, 2018.

Starring Drew Droege and Wilkas, “Born to Win,” tells the story of “Pinky Corningfield, who’s always dreamed of her daughter winning the ‘Supreme Queen.'” When newcomers to the child pageant circuit, Marge, along with her participating daughter, show up “to grab the glory,” Pinky will stop at nothing to get that crown.

“I’m very excited about the fact that we are doing “Born to Win” [which] came out of our Celebrating New Works,” said Shepperd. “[Celebrating New Works is] our program that we do once a month where we take a new or ‘newish’ writer and a newish play and we give it a stage reading to see if it can be part of our season.”

“Born To Win” opens Friday, February 15, 2019, and plays until April, 2019.

Also premiering is “The Secretaries” written by The Five Lesbian Brothers and opens April 2019.

‘The Secretaries’ is going to be an all-female cast, helmed by a female director and all-female team,” said Shepperd. “Lighting design, set design, props, costumes, sound design – everyone is going to identify as female.”

“A killer comedy, ‘The Secretaries,’ chronicles the initiation of Patty Johnson as she lands the job of her dreams at the Cooney Lumber Mill in Big Bone, Oregon. But those dreams turn into bloody nightmares when she discovers the truth her co-workers have been hiding from her!,” according to the synopsis. Written 20 years ago, this play is “as fresh as if it was written today in its skewering of feminist archetypes of the ‘80s and ‘90s.”

“I’LL tell you when we’re getting in too deep!” – The Producers

Celebration’s Los Angeles intimate theatre premiere of “The Producers” with book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan, music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and original direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, and directed by Matthews, will open June 2019.

“It’s the first time the Celebration Theatre has gotten its hands on ‘The Producers’ and creates something spectacular in an intimate theatre,” said Shepperd.

Winner of 12 Tony Awards®, two theatrical producers pull together a team of theatre wannabes, ne’er-do-wells, and misfits, and dream up a get rich scheme involving overselling “interests” in a Broadway play they’re sure is destined to be a flop. Hilarity ensues when the show “unexpectedly turns out to be a massive hit!”

“The Producers” is presented by special arrangement with Music Theatre International and with StudioCanal.

Celebration is located at The Lex, 6760 Lexington Ave., Los Angeles, 90038. Tickets go on sale here for the season tomorrow, Wednesday, December 5, 2019, and be sure to check their Calendar for updated information.

Also, coming up next week, as part of the Celebrating New Works reading series, Celebration will present “Skin Like Milk,” written by Ryan Fogarty, produced by Nathan Frizzell, and directed by Ryan Bergmann, in a one night only performance, Tuesday, December 11, 2018, at the West Hollywood City Chambers.

“Skin Like Milk.” Illustration poster courtesy of Celebration, Celebrating New Works.

“Skin Like Milk” centers in “Berlin, 1941. In a makeshift basement gay bar, Heinrich and Otto have just strangled a Nazi officer … after hiding the body, guests arrive attempting to forget the destruction from last night’s air raids. … Emile, Heinrich’s former lover, and his new interest, … Horst, show up to share a drink and a bit of music with their friends. As the night unravels, the alcohol disappears and air raids resume, the men realize that their dark bar is no longer a refuge from the hateful world above.”

“Skin Like Milk,” plays once only, Tuesday, December 11, 2018, 7:30 p.m. at The West Hollywood City Chambers, 625 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood.

For “Skin Like Milk” only, admission is free, with donations gratefully accepted. Contact Celebration via email for more info, or call 323-957-1884.

Celebration is a community of artists dedicated to entertain, inspire, and empower with innovative productions that celebrate the LGBTQ community.

To become a member, purchase a subscription, or get single tickets for “Born to Win” or any Season 2019 shows, visit Celebration, contact via email for more info, or call 323-957-1884.

Updated 12/6/18, 12:15 a.m.: Date change, “Born to Win” opens on Friday, February 15, 2019.

Updated 12/5/18, 10:00 a.m.: – Name correction for Michael A. Shepperd with spelling in attributions corrected.

 

Monique A. LeBleu/Event Editor and Contributor.

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