The week ahead in SoCal theater: ‘Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella’ and more

Capsule reviews are by Philip Brandes (P.B.), F. Kathleen Foley (F.K.F.), Margaret Gray (M.G.), Charles McNulty (C.M.) and Daryl H. Miller (D.H.M.).

Openings

Hollywood Fringe Festival 2018 The ninth edition of this annual theater showcase continues. Various venues, show times and prices; tickets, info and schedules at www.hollywoodfringe.org. Through June 24. (323) 455-4585.

The Color Purple Tony-winning revival of the musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel about the lives of African American women in rural Georgia in the 1930s. Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa. Tue.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends June 24. $29 and up. (714) 556-2787.

Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella Tony-winning revival of the classic musical based on the beloved fairytale. Hollywood Pantages, 6233 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tue.-Wed., 8 p.m.; Thu., 2 and 8 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends June 24. $49 and up; children under 5 not admitted. (800) 982-2787.

The Humans A family gathers for Thanksgiving at one daughter’s rundown Manhattan apartment in Stephen Karam’s Tony-winning drama; Reed Birney and Jayne Houdyshell reprise their Tony-winning Broadway roles. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., L.A. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1 and 6:30 p.m.; ends July 29. $30-$130. (213) 972-4400.

Sweet Charity Reprise 2.0 stages this classic musical comedy about a dance-hall hostess for its inaugural production; Kathleen Marshall directs, and Broadway’s Laura Bell Bundy stars. UCLA’s Freud Playhouse, Macgowan Hall, 245 Charles E. Young Drive East, Westwood. Wed.-Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 and 7 p.m.; ends July 1. $30-$110. (800) 982-2787.

Constellations Nick Payne’s two-character romantic drama touches on string theory, quantum mechanics, etc. The Santa Paula Theater Center, 125 S. 7th St., Santa Paula. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 4 p.m.; ends July 29. $22, $24. (805) 525-9840.

The Marvelous Wonderettes Jukebox musical features classic hits from the 1950s and ’60s. Glendale Centre Theatre, 324 N. Orange St., Glendale. Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 3 and 8 p.m.; ends July 7. $20-$34. (818) 244-8481.

An Evening of Eclectic Sounds With Kandace Lindsey The singer-songwriter performs. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Fri., 7 p.m. $20-$40. (310) 746-4000.

Ms. Pak-Man: Multiple Lives! Comedy-drag-cabaret show inspired by the vintage arcade game. Comedy Cavern Club Theater, 1920 Hyperion Ave., L.A. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m. $20. (800) 838-3006.

Pump Boys and Dinettes Musical revue set in a roadside diner in North Carolina. Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2:30 p.m.; ends July 29. $25-$45. (626) 355-4318.

The 39 Steps A cast of four portrays multiple characters in this comedic adaptation of Hitchcock’s 1935 mystery thriller. International City Theatre, Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 330 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach. Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends July 8. $47, $49; opening night only, $55. (562) 436-4610.

33 Variations Moises Kaufman’s drama about a musicologist exploring works by Beethoven while dealing with some major health issues. Ojai Art Center Theater, 113 S. Montgomery St., Ojai. Fri.-Sat., 7:30 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends July 15. $10-$35. (805) 640-8797.

L.A. Writers’ Workshop Festival: New Plays Forged In L.A. Inaugural showcase features readings of three new plays; details at www.CenterTheatreGroup.org. Kirk Douglas Theatre, 9820 Washington Blvd., Culver City. Sat., noon, 3 and 5:30 p.m. $15 each; $30 for all three. (213) 628-2772.

Marcy Heisler & Zina Goldrich The musical-theater songwriting duo performs. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Sat., 7 p.m. $25-$50. (310) 746-4000.

The Pink Carpet: The Portrayal of LGBTQ People in Film The Gay Men’s Chorus of Los Angeles uses music, dance, etc., to explore LGBTQ representation on the big screen through the decades. Leslie Jordan hosts. Alex Theatre, 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale. $20-$90. Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 2 p.m.; ends June 24. (424) 239-6514.

The Secret Life of Muslims Stars from the online series present a variety show featuring comedy, live music and more. Grand Performances, 300 S. Grand Ave. L.A. Sat., 8 p.m. Free. www.grandperformances.org.

Slaughter City Coeurage Theatre Company stages Naomi Wallace’s drama about slaughterhouse workers suffering unsafe conditions, wage cuts and reduced benefits. Lankershim Arts Center, 5108 Lankershim Blvd., North Hollywood. Sat., 8 p.m.; ends July 14. Pay what you want. (323) 944-2165.

The Tempest Kate Burton (“Grey’s Anatomy”) is Prospera, the exiled Duchess of Milan, in Shakespeare’s fantasy tale set on a magical isle. The Old Globe, San Diego, 1363 Old Globe Way, San Diego. Sat.-next Sun., 8 p.m.; ends July 22. $30 and up. (619) 234-5623.

2018 National Young Playwrights in Residence Festival Staged readings of new plays; details at www.echotheatercompany.com. Echo Theater Company, Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., L.A. Sat., 2, 5 and 8 p.m.; next Sun., 1, 4 and 7 p.m.; ends June 24. Advance reservations, $10; pay-what-you-can at the door, subject to availability. (310) 307-3753.

The Blade of Jealousy Henry Ong’s new modern-day adaptation of Spanish playwright Tirso de Molina’s classic comedy “La Celosa De Si Misma (Jealous of Herself).” Whitefire Theatre, 13500 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Next Sun., 7 p.m.; ends Aug. 26. $25. (800) 838-3006.

The Eve of Jackie: A Tribute to Jackie Wilson Broadway’s Chester Gregory salutes the R&B legend. Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Lovelace Studio Theater, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Next Sun., 7 p.m. $20-$40. (310) 746-4000.

exagoge theatre dybbuk offers a staged reading of this retelling of the biblical tale of Exodus. Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. 5th St., L.A. Next Sun., 2 p.m. Free; reservations required. www.eventbrite.com

Hackers and Lovers Staged reading of David Datz’s new play. Theatre 40, in the Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills. Next Sun., 2 p.m. Free. (310) 364-0535.

Legends, Movement and Memories The 5th Dimension’s Florence LaRue, “Next Friday’s” Kym Whitley and R&B singer Freda Payne are among the featured performers in this Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Festival presentation. Ivy Substation, 9070 Venice Blvd., Culver City. Next Sun., 8 p.m. $18-$25. (818) 760-0408.

The Skivvies: Hollywood Stripped! The underwear-clad comedy-pop duo performs. Catalina Bar & Grill, 6725 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood. Next Sun., 7:30 p.m. $25-$50; food and drink minimums apply. (866) 468-3399.

Critics’ Choices

Bad Jews A dip in an acid-laced bubble bath, Joshua Harmon’s effervescently corrosive comedy about a fanatical Jewish ideologue and her more secular-minded cousin’s dispute over a religious artifact left behind by their Holocaust survivor grandfather receives a blissfully high-decibel staging from director Dana Resnick and a pitch-perfect cast. Harmon’s brilliantly caustic play frames serious issues of Jewish identity within a breathtaking blitzkrieg of invective guaranteed to make your eardrums smolder. (F.K.F.) Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West L.A. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends July 1. $30-$35. (310) 477-2055.

The Ballad of Bimini Baths: Mexican Day Tom Jacobson’s “Ballad of Bimini Baths” – a trio of plays inspired by L.A. history, all set at a natatorium popular in the first half of the 20th century – is at times puzzling and frustrating, but this final play in the group delivers the beautiful metaphor of people of all kinds working together to wash away sins. (D.H.M.) Rogue Machine, the MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 8 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 4 p.m.; ends July 1. $40. (855) 585-5185.

Cabaret The world is ending? What good is sitting alone in your room, where you’ll merely brood? Come see what director Michael Matthews has cooked up in an especially dark take on this ever-relevant musical. The dancing is sexy, the emcee is a bit magical, and everyone’s partying like there’s no tomorrow. (D.H.M.) Celebration Theatre, 6760 Lexington Ave., L.A. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends July 15. $35-$60. (323) 957-1884.

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast Casa 0101 is currently waging a fund-raising battle to keep its doors open. Judging by this reprise of a production mounted earlier in the year, it would be a tragedy for the neighborhood — and for the larger theater community — if this valiant institution shuttered. The show may not have all the big budget Broadway bells and whistles, but it does feature lavish from-scratch production elements that, considering the constraints of physical space and budget, seem nearly miraculous. Director Rigo Tejeda helms the superlative performers, spearheaded by Omar Mata as a looming, authoritative Beast. Musical director Caroline Benzon oversees the blissful assemblage of singers, while choreographer Tania Possick marshal the troops ingeniously in a limited space. An achievement by any standards, this “Beauty” deserves to be seen — as this theater deserves to be supported. (F.K.F.) Casa 0101 Theater, 2102 E. 1st St., Boyle Heights. Sun., next Sun., 3 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 8 p.m.; ends July 1. $25-$40. (323) 263-7684.

Henry IV Tackling both parts of Shakespeare’s “Henry IV” in an outdoor staging with a company of actors not primarily known as Elizabethan specialists is a recipe for a long and bumpy night. So it’s a credit to the Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles for not only averting disaster but getting so much right in this production, directed by veteran Daniel Sullivan and starring Oscar-winner Tom Hanks as an affectionately convivial Falstaff and Hamish Linklater as a Hamlet-esque Prince Hal. (C.M.) The Japanese Garden, West Los Angeles VA Campus, 11301 Wilshire Blvd., West L.A. Sun., Tue.-next Sun., 8 p.m.; ends July 1. $79-$500. (213) 481-2273.

Her Portmanteau First-generation Nigerian-American playwright Mfoniso Udofia’s moving drama defies preconceptions and expectations with a unique, deeply felt perspective on immigration and its unforeseen personal and family complications. (P.B.) Boston Court, 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends June 30. $20-$39. (626) 683-6801.

Long Day’s Journey Into Night There are two main reasons to undergo Eugene O’Neill’s semi-autobiographical drama in this Bristol Old Vic production directed by Richard Eyre. The first is Lesley Manville’s breathtaking performance as Mary Tyrone, who is played not as an excuse for flamboyant virtuosity but as a credible wife and mother imprisoned in addiction. The second is Jeremy Irons’ suave and subtle portrayal of James Tyrone — one consummate actor stepping into the raffish skin of another. Two masters in a singular masterpiece. (C.M.) Bram Goldsmith Theater, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, 9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. Sun., next Sun., 2 p.m.; Tue.-Fri., 7:30 p.m.; Sat., 2 and 7:30 p.m.; ends July 1. $35-$125. (310) 746-4000.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest The audience become participating patients in an elaborately immersive psychiatric-ward environmental staging wrapped around a solid production of the Dale Wasserman-Ken Kesey drama; the experience may induce a bit of multiple personality disorder but it’s benign — and thoroughly engaging. (P.B.) Six01 Studio, 630 S. Flower St., Burbank. Sun., next Sun., 7 p.m.; Thu.-Sat., 8 p.m.; ends July 1. $35, $50. www.cuckoosnestla.com.

Ripe Frenzy A mass shooting at a high school performance of “Our Town” sends a mother on a ghostly quest to try to understand what happened and whether anything could have been done to prevent it. Playwright Jennifer Barclay addresses a pressing issue with restraint, lyricism and even beauty, adopting much the same the style as Thornton Wilder’s classic play. (D.H.M.) Greenway Court Theatre, 544 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A. Ends Sun., 4 p.m.; ends June 17. $15-$34. (323) 673-0544.

Violet Hope, faith and a sense of adventure propel this 1997 musical, which is notable for featuring the first score by Jeanine Tesori (“Soft Power,” “Fun Home”). Its tale of a disfigured young woman’s journey to wholeness is vividly and quite movingly presented under Richard Israel’s direction. The exhilarating cast is led by Claire Adams as the title character. (D.H.M.) Actors Co-op, Crossley Theatre, 1760 N. Gower St., Hollywood. Sun.-next Sun., 2:30 p.m.; Fri., 8 p.m.; Sat., 2:30 and 8 p.m.; ends June 30. $25-$34; student rush, $17, cash only. (323) 462-8460.