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DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE by by Sarah Rule

The digital age gets the once-over in this whimsical comedy. Regardless of what you may think about how technology affects our lives, we all use and many love, their cell phones. Whether the messages we receive are pleasant or not, important or trivial, we deal with them. In this story, a cell phone changes lives, particularly that of our protagonist, a lovely, young woman named Jean (the appealing Alina Phelan). Sitting alone in a quiet cafŽ, she's distracted by the incessant ringing of a cell phone at an adjoining table, whose owner doesn't answer his calls. Turns out, the man, Gordon (Trent Dawson) has died, who knows when, looks like rigor mortis has, apparently, already set in. The first act is an absolute delight, as Jean takes possession of the phone and inserts herself into the dead man's life by first answering and then personally contacting the callers. Out of kindness, she delivers the loving messages and notes the man neglected to communicate in his lifetime. She consoles his pain-in-the-butt mother (Eileen T'Kaye), tells not so little white lies to his frigid wide, Hermia (Susan Diol) and embarks on a little romance with Gordon's brother Dwight, adroitly portrayed by Dawson as well which, I confess, I didn't realize until the curtain call. Another dual role, that of Gordon's floozy-like little piece on the side and a foreign business associate, is amusingly done by Heather Roberts.

The second act is disappointing. It fluctuates between the macabre and the ludicrous and it almost seems that this award-winning playwright couldn't sustain the lighthearted fun nor devise a fitting denouement for this highly original idea. In the hereafter, the "deceased:" Gordon, who was so simpatico as a corpse, emerges as a conceited, ruthless businessman in a very strange profession and the witty lines and clever encounters have mostly expired, as well. Nevertheless, the talent of the cast is indisputable, especially Dawson's and Phelan's. Director Robert Israel keeps the action on fast-forward and bridges the many scenes with jazzy musical interludes that snap, crackle and pop. Jeremy Pivnick is in charge of the expert lighting, the smart, functional set with a photographic backdrop is by D. Martyn Bookwalter and Kim De Sharo designed the apt costumes. A salute must go to Andrew Amani, the no-holds-barred fight coordinator.

International City Theatre, Center Theatre at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach 90802. Thursday - Saturday 8 pm. Sunday 2 pm. $38 - $45.Garage parking off Seaside Way $10. (562) 436-4610 or www.internationalcitytheatre.com ends 6/30

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: One of the first establishments on bustling Pine Avenue, just minutes away, and still going strong is ALEGRIA a Spanish bodega with a strikingly colorful tile floor, murals covering every inch of wall space and Latin tapes blasting at top volume. There's also patio seating along this lively thoroughfare. Tapas are a specialty and ideally portioned for pre-theatre patrons who prefer variety over volume, which you control by ordering several to share, priced between $7 and $11. If your IFC ticket falls between Monday and Friday, you can have feast for half the price, during Happy Hour from 3:30 - 6:30 pm. You'll get an extra friendly welcome at the door and, hopefully, an alert waiter. Our man floundered around for at least fifteen minutes but then alegria (happiness) set in, with the appearance of darling Kiara, who took over expertly and brought our two little cheese-stuffed jalape–os with red bell pepper sauce daubs, $5. If you have allergies and want your sinuses cleared for the rest of the summer, these hot babies will do it. A must have is the ceviche in lime marinade, truly extraordinary, in a bowl ringed with paper-thin cucumber slices, $10. A dinner-size portion of ahi tuna with broiled tomatoes, topped with fresh watercress, is a very good deal for $12 but the promised wasabe dressing was mostly soy sauce. If you like your calamari crisp, order it that way but forget the one described as sautŽed diabla in fire sauce. These are first breaded, fried and then doused with sauce, which makes them soggy and turns the breading into mush, $11. To their credit, they didn't charge us for the wine, from $7 per glass, to make up for our displeasure. There's a nightly Flamenco show beginning at 7:30 pm, something to think about for a future, non-theatre visit. Allow about 15 minutes to drive and park next to the theatre.

Alegria Cucina Latino, 115 N. Pine Avenue, Long Beach. Beer, wine, sangria etc. Valet parking $8 (562)436-3388.

SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE - THE MUSICAL Music by Ben Toth, lyrics by Sam Forman, book by Jeff Arch

This cheery musical was a difficult birth for Pasadena Playhouse, with an incubation period that lasted over a year and when "delivered" appears to be a pretty faithful re-creation of the movie with Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. The original inspiration, starring Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr, An Affaire to Remember, has become a true classic. The show retains the old-fashioned values of a romantic comedy, with mostly forgettable music but some funny new lyrics and dialogue. The story, as you may remember, concerns a widower, Sam (Tim Martin Gleason), still in solitary mourning after the death of his wife one year earlier. His precocious son, Jonah (Joe West) and Sam's sister, Suzy (Lowe Taylor), decide "he should get our more" and look for a new wife and mother. The enterprising Jonah, unbeknownst to his dad, puts in a call to a local radio help-line, describing his father's loneliness and insomnia. As a result, Sam, dubbed "sleepless in Seattle" is deluged by letters from love-starved women and men, anxious to fill the void in his heart. If you recall how it ends, there's no need to tell you and if you don't, so much the better, to preserve what little suspense the story contains.

The outstanding performance is by young Joe West, definitely not clueless in Seattle, who sings and speaks with clarity, has an endearing personality and brightens every scene. He's so natural as a loving son cum matchmaker, you almost don't realize he's acting. If that boy is ever up for adoption, I want first dibs. As the leading lady, Casting Director Michael Donovan has found a young woman who resembles Meg Ryan. As Annie, (Chandra Lee Schwartz), a journalist, she is encouraged by her boss and BFF, Becky (Sabrina Sloan) to set out across the country to meet the yet unseen, man of her dreams. Schwartz' voice is pleasant and distinctive, while the other women sound mostly similar and loud, as is often the case with this genre, the so-called Broadway Musical. Schwartz, who does funny things with her hair, is believable as the reluctant fiancŽe of Walter, (Robert Mammana), a nerdy dude with more allergies than charm. Gleason has the lanky frame and sweet demeanor just right for the part, sings well and has us all rooting for him. His friend and occasional baby-sitter, Rob (Todd Buonopane), a Nathan Hale type, is fun to watch and a real audience pleaser. The show is colorfully staged (very inventive set by John Iacovelli). The spirited ensemble is required to do only a minimum of dancing (choreographed by Spencer Liff) but the kid and Buonopane have some good moves. Katharine Leonard as Victoria, Sam's insignificant date, with a bad laugh, does the best with the material she's given, as does Adam Silver as Greg, the brother in law. Not everything works. There is so much cross-singing that both words and melodies get lost and a ludicrous scene, which has the two leads side by side, belting out a ballad without acknowledging each other's presence. What's that about? The direction is by Pasadena Playhouse's own Artistic Director, Sheldon Epps, David O leads the live orchestra, lighting and projection design is by Brian L. Gale and costumes by Kate Bergh.

Pasadena Playhouse, 39 s. El Molino Avenue, Pasadena 91101. Tuesday - Friday 8 pm Saturday 4 & 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm. $64 - $107. Nearby parking lots from $5. (626) 356-7529 or www.thepasadenaplayhouse.org ends 6/23

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: One of Pasadena's cutest restaurants is ABRICOTT, which is also one of my personal favorites. A couple, one Korean, one Thai, have transformed an ordinary storefront into a quaint, little living room look-alike. The narrow space is filled with walls of bookshelves, art works (some for sale) and a nook with framed mirrors in assorted sizes. An entire wall made of books, separates the private Library Room, seating up to thirteen people, which can be rented in advance for a minimum charge of $15 per person for dinner, for not less than eight people. They also have a covered patio that looks out on busy Lake Avenue.

The food is called Asian Fusion but it's really world cuisine. For example, there are mussels Provenale in a spoon-up good broth, $14; a spicy catfish with New Orleans influences $12; Pacific rock fish in black bean sauce, the sort that might be served at the end of an elaborate Chinese banquet, same price, trout amandine with Hollandaise sauce $14 and beef stew for $10.50. How do you like the prices, so far? Theatre patrons might enjoy a mix-and-share of different appetizers like pork tacos, three for $3.50, roti, an Indian pancake with curry sauce, same price or chicken wings with dips, eight for $7.50. On our last visit, we went ape over the sate beef, not on skewers but plenty of marinated, sliced meat with great flavor and tender, too, over a bed of spinach with sliced cucumber relish and a peanut sauce dip. Choice of white or brown rice, for $11.50. Can you believe this deal? Also wonderful is the yellow chicken curry, very generously portioned, with a little kick of spice plus potatoes and carrots floating therein. It also includes choice of rice but they gladly substitute a tossed, baby greens salad since nobody needs a double carbo load unless planning a 10K run the following day. Service is always most helpful ad pleasant. For dessert, I can resist almost anything except their mini hazelnut ganache, several layers of heaven encircled in dark chocolate. I salivate at the mere memory of this tiny confection, $6. To gild the lily, you can BYOB (no charge) and the drive to the Playhouse takes about ten minutes, tops. We always try to eat there when we're in Pasadena - maybe we'll run into each other.

Abricott, 238 S. Lake Avenue, between Del Mar and Cordova, Pasadena 91101. Open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed from 3 - 5 pm on Saturday and Sunday. No alcohol. BYOB. Parking lot in rear, 2 hours free. (626) 796-1613.

THE TALES OF HOFFMANN by Jacques Offenbach

San Francisco Opera's new production, from Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, is chockfull of surprises. Cuts have been restored, spoken dialogue added, certain story elements altered and a word or two excised for p.c. reasons. Most astonishing of all, coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay, best known for her interpretation of Lucia di Lammermoor, La Fille du Regiment, Queen of the Night etc., does not sing Olympia but, instead, the role of Antonia, generally the realm of a lirico-spinto or dramatic soprano. Although three and a half hours long, you won't tire of these Tales, told with Gallic flair, conducted by Patrick Fourmillier, a Frenchman, directed by Laurent Pelly, ditto and featuring the above mentioned, French-born diva. The cast masters the French text with perfect diction and the rather contemporary-worded Super titles explain the goings-on. Even the sets (by Chantal Thomas), which frequently change in mid-scene and the costumes, are mostly drab and grey, reminiscent of the weather in Paris. By contrast, the score is scintillating and the characters high spirited.

New importance has been given to the Prologue and the Epilogue, which frame the production. There's a brief, opening appearance of the beautiful Muse (Angela Brower) who later transforms into the major Hosenrolle (trouser role) of Nicklauss, Hoffmann's faithful companion. We also meet Lindorf (Christian Van Horn), Hoffman's nemesis, who appears in various guises in every act, as Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dapertutto. His reedy, occasionally raspy baritone is well suited to his menacing personage and his tall, lean stature adds credence. While swilling too much wine in a tavern owned by Luther (Hadleigh Adams) Hoffmann entertains his friends with the Ballad of Kleinzach, a dwarf. Tenor Matthew Polenzoni, whose voice is familiar to listeners of the Met Opera broadcasts, is on stage from beginning to end and sustains his clarity of tone with dramatic inflections and assured high tessitura, throughout.

Act I belongs to Olympia, the mechanical doll beloved by our hapless hero. Without giving anything away, this is, by far, the cleverest rendition of the Doll Song (a kiss on both cheeks to Director Pelly), gorgeously sung, like the peel of silver bells, by Hye Jung Lee, who reaches stratospheric heights in more ways than one. Comic relief is supplied by Steven Cole as a wobbly-headed servant and in subsequent domestic roles he gets a chance to display a fine tenor voice. The next act, frequently performed last, is in the house of Crespel (James Creswell), father of the ill-fated Antonia (Dessay), Hoffmann's latest love. This young woman is gravely ill and shouldn't be singing but we all know, kids don't listen and she warbles anyway, encouraged by the by now familiar ogre in the disguise of the evil Dr. Miracle and by her dead mother, whose giant, ugly head is seen via projection (designed by Charles Carcopino) and whose voice is that of Margaret Mezzacappa. As expected, Antonia gives up the ghost before the pair can live happily ever after.

The last act, which includes the opera's best known melody, the Barcarolle, takes place in Venice. There should be romantic gondolas ferrying lovers to and fro. Instead, we get floating couches and revolving chairs. (I take back the two kisses I bestowed to Director Pelly). Thankfully, it is exquisitely rendered by Brower's rich mezzo and Irene Roberts, who sounds and looks like the ravishingly sensuous courtesan Giuletta and who meets an unexpected end here. Van Horn does his best singing in the dramatic area Scentille Diamant, his version of "Diamonds are a Girl's best Friend", tempting Giulietta with a multi-carat rock. There's a character in this act named Schlemiel (Adams, again), Giulietta's lover, which is probably a private joke between E.T.A. Hoffmann, the writer on whose stories the opera is based and composer Offenbach. Incidentally, neither lived to see the work staged. Schlemiel is a Yiddish term meaning "loser", which should actually refer to Hoffmann who, in the course of three acts and the Epilogue, in which he screws up his late-night date with a primadonna, Stella (an impressive Company debut by Jacqueline Piccolino) in what amounts to a walk-on part. This schlemiel can't get a girl to save his life. The Internet should have been invented a hundred and some years earlier and this guy might, perhaps, have scored.

The orchestra, under the baton of Fourmillier and the chorus, directed by Ian Robertson performe flawlessly. The latter is often grouped together like the leaves of an artichoke, picturesque and vocally effective. All in all, a rousing success or, as the French say, un succes fou!

San Francisco Opera, War Memorial Opera House, 301 Van Ness Avenue at Grove, San Francisco 94102. June 11, 14 and July 6 at 8 pm; June 20, 27 and July 3 at 7:30 pm, matinee at 2 pm June 30. $22 - $ 340. SRO tickets on sale at Box Office beginning at 10 am the day of performance. Cash only. Nearby garage parking from $15 or take BART to the Civic Center. (415)864-3330 or www.sfopera.com ends 7/6

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Walking close to the Opera House is CAFFE DELLE STELLE. Virtually unknown to tourists and to quite a few natives as well, so you'll be happy to read about it here. By far the best deal in the area for quality food and friendly service. The menu is basically Italian but not too Italian, if you know what I mean. This is not the home of the ubiquitous red sauce. Assorted bread is offered, along with a creamy, zesty, basil-scented, tomato flavored dip. The wine list is not huge but prices aren't either, glasses start at $7. Nightly specials hover between $14 and $20.50. On a previous visit, they had wild boar, which was super. It appears occasionally but not on this night. But just as good is the veal scaloppini with capers, a regular on the menu, perfectly textured and prepared, for $20.50, unbeatable! A dish that is "very S.F." is Petrale sole, a fish that is something of a rarity elsewhere. It could be that people have no idea of how to pronounce it (It rhymes with tamale) Of mild and delicate flavor, it is quickly cooked with lemon, butter and white wine, topped here with fresh, sautŽed basil and an absolute delight $15.50. Both plates had mashers and a mŽlange of al dente veggies, Antipasti from $6.50 to $8.50, entrees like chicken breast roulade filled with Fontina cheese and a fish stew with garlic toast, none higher than $20.50, pasta $12 - $13.50 and desserts $6 - $7, won't break the piggy bank. For a real San Francisco finish, have the zabaglione alla nonna, grandma's recipe and frothy as a cloud, served in a Martini glass but spritzed with whipping cream shot from a gun, the only gripe of the night, $6. The Caffe looks charming, with a fireplace and white draped windows enveloping the corner room, some family photos and knickknacks completing the simple but distinctive style.

Caffe delle Stelle, 395 Hayes Street at Gough, San Francisco 94102. Beer and wine. Very tight street parking. (415) 252-1110.

HEART SONG by Stephen Sachs

If you love Flamenco, the dance, the music and the canciones, you'll really enjoy the first act of this world premiere. If you're not a Flamenco fan, you'll get more, much more, history than you ever wanted to know, albeit told and demonstrated with great passion and skill by Katarina (Maria Bermudez), a Spanish gypsy.

The play opens, as a well-padded, fiftyish, Jewish New Yorker, Rochelle (Pamela Dunlap) is getting a massage from a Japanese-American masseuse, Tina (Tamlyn Tomita), whose diagnosis is that Rochelle is too uptight and her muscles are contracted beyond her own healing powers. She prescribes Flamenco as therapy. The kvetchy Rochelle is nervous about the impending Yahrzeit of her deceased mother which, according to Jewish custom, is the ceremony of unveiling the grave stone, one year after the death of a loved one. Out of shape Rochelle, although intimidated by the graceful and accomplished, mature women in the dance class, Alicia (Andrea Dantas), Bernadette (Sherrie Lewandowski), Sarah (Mindy Krasner )and Elisa (Elissa Kyriacou), soon bonds with Deloris (Juanita Jennings), an African-American cancer survivor with a fresh, new outlook on life, thanks to Flamenco. In the second act, we are in Rochelle's home, to which she has invited Deloris and Tina, for a dinner of tapas y vino. The women sip merrily, smoke a little grass and recount fond memories of their diverse childhoods but the evening soon turns ugly when Tina goes on a rant about her parents' wartime internment in what she calls a "concentration camp". This hits a nerve with Rochelle, who has personal reasons to resent that term being used when not in connection to the Holocaust.

Although the cast is uniformly talented, there's a definite overload of philosophical expounding on the subjects of faith, hope, religion and the miraculous powers of art, specifically Flamenco, triumphing over all sorts of adversity. The choreography is by Maria Bermudez, the costume finery is credited to Dana Rebecca Woods, the sound, often deafening, to Bruno Louchouarn, the serviceable set to Tom Buderwitz, the intricate lighting to Ken Booth, all under the able direction of Shirley Jo Finney. Note: Denise Blasor takes on the role of Katarina as of June 15th.

The Fountain Theatre, 5060 Fountain Avenue near Normandie, Los Angeles 90029. Thursday - Saturday 8 pm.,Sunday 2 pm. (dark 7/4). $25 - $34. Parking in adjoining lot $5. (323) 663-1525 or www.fountaintheatre.com ends 7/14

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: A well established, local favorite is EL CHAVO, a Mexican eatery that always looks ready for a party. Stepping out of the bright sunlight, you almost need a Seeing Eye dog to wend your way but soon you'll see pi–atas and flags dangling from the ceiling, colored lights along the wall and more dŽcor than at a fiesta. Prices are reasonable, house wine is $6 for a generous glass. Besides all the popular combinaciones, entrees include chicken preparations from $12, lots of steak and beef dishes from $11, camarones are $18. Entrees include Spanish rice and beans as well as soup. On our night, the lentil had "home made" written all over it. The ropa vieja, which should be shredded bliss, is only $11 but even George Washington's wooden teeth couldn't masticate these tough strings. Good sauce, though. A better choice is their wonderfully tender and tasty beef tongue in Spanish (or mole) sauce, sautŽed with fresh tomatoes, green peas, onions and bell peppers. If you like tongue, you'll savor it, if you don't, have another Margarita and give it a shot. If you didn't know what it was, you'd lick your chops. Both plates have chopped lettuce and tomato slices, bare naked. I usually enhance this form of salad with spoonfuls of the house salsa but theirs is a little too sugary and so hot, it'll make your ice water. Service is exceptionally rapid, great for us curtain-catchers and the drive to the Fountain takes less than ten minutes. I'm anxious to try some of their other dishes, perhaps the N.Y. steak for $14, next time and promise a full and truthful report.

El Chavo, 4441 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles 90029. Beer and wine. Free parking in adjoining lot. Open daily from 4 to 11 pm (323)664-0871

OPENING NIGHT by Norm Foster

For a good laugh, you can always count on Norm Foster, the man known as the Canadian Neil Simon and this may be the funniest play he has written. It takes place in a theatre in Quebec (set by Jeff G. Rack), on opening night, for which Ruth and John Tisdale (Gail Johnston and John Combs) have wrangled tickets on their 25th wedding anniversary. Ruth had to drag him away from his televised ball game and hopes to introduce him to "the finer things in life". They get to hang out in the VIP lounge, where the overwrought director Richard Hyde-Finch (Tom Delaney), anxiously awaits the last minute arrival of the cute, young leading lady, Libby (Iona Kulinska). Also present are an unemployed thespian Michael Craig (Richard Hoyt Miller), whose only recent paying gig is in a TV commercial. He knocks back a few too many drinks, served by a twenty-two year old aspiring actor, Tom (Eric Keitel), currently working backstage a waiter. The interaction between these characters gets us off to a rollicking start and becomes downright hysterical when the actual play gets under way. Called Whisper on the Wind, a real turkey of farm life, whose cast, shall we say, isn't breaking any legs, to put it kindly.

The performances are all impeccable and every line is a comic gem. Combs, as the rube who's never before set foot in a theatre is just perfect. Johnston, a wife with a case of empty nest syndrome, exudes a touching combination of innocence and warmth. The handsome Thompson is the epitome of a self-centered, arrogant director and his repartee with his ladyfriend, Cilla (Meranda Walden), is priceless. Walden, tall and sophisticated, is a woman with undiscovered erogenous zones and ticking biological clock and she wins over the audience sooner than her Mister Director. Kulinska, as the ingŽnue who is well endowed except for talent, is full of surprises. The portly Miller, a man with illusions and delusions of grandeur and a backpack of personal problem, is thoroughly convincing as a Shakespearean with noble bearing and a sonorous speaking voice. Keitel is terrific as the enthusiastic gofer, eager to get a foothold in the theatre. Last but certainly not least, David Hunt Stafford, Theatre 40's amiable Artistic Director and Producer, is a hoot as an old farmer on stage and quite the ladies' man off stage, both of which he plays with an Oxford accent. Veteran Bruce Gray brings it all together with his usual, accomplished directorial touches. The costume design by Michele Young are spot-on. This is one opening night everyone should attend. If you're not already a theatre buff, you will be at the play's end and you'll be snickering and quoting Foster's zingers for days.

Theatre 40 Reuben Cordova Theatre, 241 S. Moreno Drive, off Little Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Hills 90212, on the campus of Beverly Hills High School. Thursday - Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm. $24 - $26. Free parking in building garage. (310)364-0535 or www.theatre40.org. ends 6/14

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Century City's newest star, HINOKI AND THE BIRD has created more buzz than the latest Hollywood blockbuster .Owner David Myers made big waves a few years ago, with his restaurant Fraiche, in Culver City but here he has created a tsunami. Popular and packed from day one, in spite of the up-up-upscale prices. But you won't have to take out a second mortgage, if you nibble on small plates, ideal for pre-theatre. A generous portion of fried chicken is $14, boneless, juicy and so crisp, it echoes in your mouth and comes with a lemon aioli dip. Another treat is the Asian version of beef tartare $15, with Parmesan and pickled jalape–os, seasoned to deliver a sneaky kick, without making your eyes water. Mix it with the quail egg on top and spread it on the darkly toasted bread. You'll love it. Also excellent is the Singapore-style chili crab toast, three small slices heaped with a sweet-spicy crab mixture, $15. If there are two of you, prepare for combat over the extra one. Main courses are available, duck breast $24, black cod $26, a Wagyu strip loin $42. When my ship comes in.....

The place is exceedingly attractive, with a covered patio past the fashionably loud bar area, into which you make a grand entrance via a small staircase. It is located on the ground floor of the luxurious Century Tower, a high rise whose condos start at a million dollars. I understand one of the tenants owns eighteen automobiles. You get the idea. Service is impeccable. The waitresses all wear what looks like blue work shirts with no pants. One even got me a pillow - be warned that the benches along the wall banquettes are rock hard, unless you have your own, upholstered cushy tushy. Cocktails reign supreme, the wine list is deep and pricey but by the glass, quite shallow. We ordered the Gruener Veltliner, a crisp white from Austria's wine country $11 but it was out of stock. May I suggest management place a dot next to what is not available, to avoid disappointment. After a respectable period of mourning, we consoled ourselves with a Chardonnay from Santa Barbara, $13. One thing is certain, dining here is an experience no self-respecting foodie can afford to miss. The emphasis is on "afford".

Hinoki and the Bird, Century Tower, 10 Century Drive (this is the small street just south of the Century Plaza Hotel) Century City. Full bar. Closed Sunday and Monday. Valet parking $8.50. (310)552-1200

MY MOTHER'S KEEPER by Jane Press

Good thing Mother's Day has come and gone. It could be risky to bring mom to this fascinating show. Not the usual paean to motherhood, it can be quite jarring, as in the course of the lives of four generations of women, hearts and flowers often turn to thorns and pricks. The playwright, herself, reveals what it was like to grow up "on the fringe of show business", as she puts it, taking us back to her girlhood with her eccentric, non-carng mother, Della (nee Thelma), an actress (the wonderfully acerbic Susan Giosa) and her loving grandmother, Ida (the endearing L.B Zimmerman). She begins with a hilarious story about a talking bird when she was eleven and called Janie (played by Francesca Farina alternating with Campbell Walker). The tale is told in reminiscences and flashbacks via vignettes dating from 1964 to 1988, revealing all the characters with admirable honesty. Some memories are painful, others joyous but all are consistently interesting.

Zimmerman as Grandma Ida dotes on Janie, her shayna maydele (Yiddish for beautiful, everyone's amusement, inspiring Janie to emulate her splendidly. Ida hosts her mah jongg parties, usually juicy gossip sessions, where we meet Rozzie (Barbara Goodson alternating with Sharon Rosner), Bea (Mari Marks), Seal (Laura Julian) and Pauline (Barbara Turino), all excellent performers. The end of the first act reverts back to 1914 and we learn the cause of Ida's disfigured leg. Jane and Della's stormy (somewhere between a typhoon and a tornado) mother-daughter relationship is not sugar-coated, either, as we witness in the second act which also includes vintage photographic projections from 1914. This is an absorbing, entertaining and very well done piece of theatre which will please all audiences but if you're Jewish, you'll love it even more and may recognize some of your own relatives. Bouquets to Director Robin McKee, and most of all, to author (and scenic designer) Press, for spilling her guts, so to speak.

The Electric Lodge, 1418 Electric Avenue at Milwood Avenue, Venice 90291. Friday & Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm. Free parking in adjoining lot. www.livearts@electriclodge.org or brownpapertickets.com. ends 6/16

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Not more than ten minutes away, is Venice's BARNYARD, a local hangout since 1085, according to their sign. Spruced up in 2012 and now under the expert aegis of Chef Jesse Barber, formerly in the kitchen of Napa Valley's renowned French Laundry (but not at their $$$$$$). It has rustic charm, sitting on the pretty, covered patio, edged with a few cushioned seats and pillows, so comfy, you may never want to leave. You can order small pates, around $$10, of honey glazed ribs, a cassoulet or the freshly, home-made terrine, a slice of heaven with a dollop of grainy mustard and a raw baby carrot. Also recommended is the braised octopus, perfectly textured and sauced, with garbanzo beans and a bonus of some calamari, to start or to share. The most expensive entrŽe, $18 to be exact, the lamb chop done to your specs, is a delight, daubed with Argentinean chimichurri sauce, surrounded by fagioli and some still firm, fava beans. The menu promised an arugula salad also but it never appeared. Still, a good value. Desserts include a panna cotta, a bit too runny for my taste but spoon up good., $7. Next time we'll try the marquise du chocolat, something to look forward to. Wine prices by the glass start at $9, service is lovely but street parking a virtual impossibility.

Barnyard, 1715 Pacific Avenue, two blocks south of Winward, Venice 90291. Beer and wine. Valet parking $7 with validation. (310)581-1015.

AL FRESCO FUN: While other outdoor summer venues are still in snooze mode, THE FORD THEATRE across from the Hollywood Bowl, is already operating fullb last, with exciting, diverse musical programs for every taste. There's Broadway star Mandy Patinkin in Concert with the Pasadena Pops on June 9th; Flamenco, June 15; Grandeza Mexicana July 12 and 13; Afro-Brazilian Dance July 27; Bluegrass August 2, Jazz August 16, The Los Angeles Jewish Symphony August 25, New Orleans Music August 30, Aloha Fest September 29. See anything you like? If not, there's more. Luxurious picnics complete with choice of dessert $20 to $30 are available, as well as sandwiches and salad plates for $13. Must be ordered at least three days in advance (323)461-3673. Bring a wrap for evening performances.

The beautiful Ford Amphitheatre is located at 2580 Cahuenga Blvd. East in Hollywood , 90068. Stacked parking $5 - $10 per car, free parking and shuttle service at Universal Metro station, Lankershim Boulevard and Universal Terrace Parkway. Prices vary. Box Office open noon to 5 pm Tuesday - Sunday (323) 461-3673 or www.fordtheatres.org

LOOKING by Norm Foster

This rom-com tackles the singles scene with humor and more than a grain of truth. These are not folks in their roaring twenties but four middle-aged people who are "looking" for a connection among the opposite sex. It'll give hope to those in the same boat and make all others glad they're not treading water in the dating pool, anymore. We have Andy (David Graham), a portly guy with low self-esteem and also broke, due to the failure of his storage business. He has set up a blind date with Val (Melissa Brandzell), an attractive operating room nurse with very high expectations. Uneasy about the prospect, Andy inveigles his tennis partner Matt (Bert Pigg), a successful DJ, to make it a double date. The women have had identical trepidations and Val persuades her friend Nina (Kimberly Pattison), a lady cop, to come along. Nina, who has been, shall we say, around the block romantically a few too many times, reluctantly agrees. She and Matt seem to hit it off immediately, while the relationship status of the other two is a bit more complicated.

The playwright, dubbed the Canadian Neil Simon, supplies laughs aplenty and, while we can easily guess where all this is going, the getting there is a lot of fun. The set (by Chris Beyries) stretches from one side of the stage to the other and involves a bit of neck craning, as Darrell Clark's lighting takes us from a workout room to the Private Dick Bar and to several different hallways. The costumes, designed by Christa Armendariz have the appropriate middle-class touch. Working with an enormously talented foursome, Director/Producer Stephanie Coltrin gives us a comedy with a light-hearted approach to a universal theme, that is, we all need someone to love, who loves us in return. Sounds so simple, doesn't it? Just wait and see....

Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre Street at 8th, San Pedro. Friday & Saturday 5/17, 18, 24 & 25; Thursday 5/23 8 pm; Sunday 5/19 2 pm (in repertory with Embraceable Me). $27, seniors $24, students $20. Free parking in rear, entrance through the alley. (310)512-6030 or www.littlefishtheatre.org ends 5/25

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Please see review of Embraceable Me for information on the close- by NIKO's in San Pedro.

ANNAPURNA by Sharr White
Set in a trailer so trashy, it makes everyone else's place look ready for a photo shoot by Architectural Digest. We see a scruffy, bearded man, Ulysses (Nick Offerman), wearing only an apron, frying sausage. He is gravely ill, carries an oxygen tank on his back and swears at his dog a lot. Into this sorry milieu walks a woman, toting several suitcases. It's his wife, Emma (Megan Mullally), whom he hasn't seen for twenty years, since she and her five year old son walked out n him and disappeared. That much we know right at the beginning. What we would never guess is that this is an intelligent man, a published poet, now living below the poverty line, who has escaped from the world and settled into a trailer park in the Colorado Rockies, to await his inevitable fate.

This story of a broken family, is so well written and constantly sprinkled with humor, that you won't find it depressing at all but rather uplifting and dramatically gripping. The actors, both familiar to televiewers, bring their characters to life with amazing artistry. Mullally, with her piercing voice and disgusted demeanor, is an eyeful as she methodically cleans and scrubs her way through the filthy mess and is riveting right to the end, when she reveals the reason for her sudden departure. Offerman, a reformed drunk who remembers nothing is so convincing, we can almost smell him. He's truly fabulous as he transforms from behind his veneer of a rough and angry individual, to a man who is unable to reign in his emotions when confronted with the truth. A stunning performance, not to be missed. Mullally and Offerman are husband and wife in real life and we are grateful to Bart De Lorenzo for bringing them together and directing them superbly in this unforgettable play. Compliments all around, to Beth Hogan from the Evidence Room for producing, to costume designer Ann Closs-Farley and scenic designed Michael Gend for their inspired collaboration and a standing ovation for award-winning playwright Sharr White.

Odyssey Theatre, 2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd., West Los Angeles. Wednesday 5/22 & 29, Thursday 5/16, 23 & 6/6. Friday and Saturday 8 pm Sunday 2 pm . (dark 5/24-26) $30, students and seniors $5 off, except Saturday night) No intermission. Parking in front $3. (310) 477-2055 or www.odysseytheatre.com ends 6/9

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: About a five minute drive from the Odyssey, is FREDDY SMALLS BAR & KITCHEN. Except for the TV over the bar, this could double for a plain, retro kitchen with its wooden cutting board table tops and dishtowel napkins. They have loud music, small plates and big prices (devilled egg, $4). But, please, don't stop reading because the food here is terrific, the menu intriguing and service couldn't be better or friendlier. No reservations are accepted but you're coming early, before the show and shouldn't have any seating problems. The place is very popular and after a bite of two, you'll know why. We savored our chicken liver mousse, generously smeared on a single slice of toasted French bread, bedecked with a few paper-thin pickles, pickled radishes and strewn with frisee, divine $7. Smoked fingerling potatoes are brown and crisp, skin on, with a kicky, tartar-type sauce in a small container, which we scraped so clean, they needn't have put it in the dishwasher, $7 also. Their flash-grilled (for maybe a second), is hand-chopped, rare beef of the best quality, topped with an egg yolk to be mixed in. It comes with fresh, fingerling potato chips, $14. Three selections, all outstanding and just right for two to share. They have fried sprouts $8, asparagus $13 and a chicken preparation for $28. The next time, I'm going for the smoked trout and some of the other goodies on that tempting menu. Wine starts at $9 per glass, no bargain either but worth every penny.

Freddy Smalls Bar & Kitchen, 11520 W. Pico Blvd, between Gateway and Barrington, West Los Angeles. Full bar. Late night menu. Valet parking $5. No reservations. (310)479-3000

EMBRACEABLE ME by Victor Cahn

Spring is here and romance is in the air, as well as on this stage, simply set with some strategically placed tables and chairs. The focus is on the two actors, Allison (Lydia Medeiros) and Edward (Victor Holstein), who first met in college and became close friends. Not sweethearts, mind you, just good buds. We know they're meant for each other - but they don't. She has a quicksilver personality, he's introspective and reserved. Their story is told primarily in monologues, as they break the fourth wall and address the audience. They are both excellent, appealing performers and keep us constantly amused, thanks to playwright Cahn's snappy dialogue. Their roles are skillfully fleshed out, revealing their innermost thought with gentle humor. This is no ordinary courtship, as they each follow their destiny for many years and their careers take them to different parts of the country. He becomes an editor, she ends up a TV personality. When they do see each other though, there's an unmistakable connection which leaves no doubt that opposites attract. Or, is that just an old canard? Will they fall into each other's arms or go their separate ways? You go and find out.

Top notch director and sound designer, C. Ryanne Laratonda, keeps the action in constant motion and effortlessly takes us through dozens of scenes for an uninterrupted seventy minutes without so much as a pause, and, in the end, you'll hate to bid adieu to that quirky, young woman and that handsome fellow.

Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre Street at 8th, San Pedro. Friday & Saturday , 5/10 & 11, Wednesday & Thursday 5/15 & 16,8 pm. $27, seniors $24, students $20. Free parking, enter via the alley. (310)512-6030 or www.littlefishtheatre.org ends 5/16

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Just minutes from Little Fish Theatre is NIKO'S PIZZERIA, a misnomer if there ever was one. The place is big and bold, with the characteristics of a sports bar and lots of TV screens. Of course, they have pizza, who doesn't these days? But in addition to ribs, salmon and Italian fare, from $11.25 to $15.95, they serve Greek food daily, which was the magnet that drew us in. Starters are on the steep side, a small bowl of feta cheese mixed with roasted red bell peppers and pita bread, a portion which some restaurants supply complimentary, is $7.95 and tasted too sweet. We fixed it up with a dash of red pepper flakes and a shower of cheese, both at table. Their lamb shank, on the other hand, is a bargain at $13.95, tender and covered with rich, tart gravy, with rice and pita bread. The lamb chops are excellent also, $15.95, very generous and include rice and sautŽed, mixed vegetables which were on the sweet side, as well. This chef likes sugar and, perhaps, you do too but I had to donate some of my yummy sauce to make them palatable. They also have moussaka, pastitsio, stuffed grapeleaves etc. Service is casual and wine, Italian and California varietals, goes from $6 for a nice, full glass. Business on a Wednesday evening was booming.

Niko's Pizzeria, 399 E. 6th Street, San Pedro. Open from 10 am to midnight seven days a week. Beer and wine. Metered parking lot across the street, free after 6 pm. (310) 241-1400.

REAL MEN SING SHOWTUNES.....AND PLAY WITH PUPPETS by Nick Santa Maria and Paul Louis
If you need a good laugh right about now run, don't walk, to catch this kick of a show, which does for men what Menopause The Musical did for women. It speaks to men in their language and is slightly risquŽ. The guys will relate and sophisticated women will have fun, too. Listen up, ladies, if you don't have a sense of humor, please stay home!

The stage is framed with paintings of masculine paraphernalia: sports equipment, tools and car parts (set by James W, Gruessing, Jr.) and backed by scenic projections. The three multi-talented performers do more than justice to the smart lyrics and snappy, live music composed by Santa Maria and Paul Louis and their voices and harmonies are first rate. It skewers marriage, fatherhood, male bonding, dating and, of course, sex, in ingeniously humorous ways. It gets just a tiny bit serious about death in a song called Mortality Blues and wistful in Sweet Mother of Mine. They do a bluegrass trio based on the old joke, that the most expensive affair a man can have is with his own wife. It's very cleverly staged, as well, especially in a number called I'm Not Gay and becomes downright hysterical with the help of puppets (Erwin Bayan and Jason Sluyter, puppeteers). Throughout the performance there are little pauses during which the cast, dressed in choir boy robes, reads from "the holy scriptures", explaining why men are the happier gender, with funny one-liners like "we can pee anywhere" and "a make over is getting your car painted". The direction of this award-winning, West Coast premiere is by author-composer-actor Nick Santa Maria, who deserves a triple salute for giving us this wonderful entertainment. A must see for adult audiences.

Norris Theatre, 27570 Norris Center Drive, Rolling Hills Estates. Friday & Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2 pm. $38. Free parking in adjoining garage. (310)544-0403 or www.norriscenter.com

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Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: For twenty years, MISTO has been a favorite dining destination for Palos Verdes hill dwellers and is practically on the way up to the Norris. Tucked into Hillside Village with other restaurants, boutiques and offices, it has the casual charm of a European bistro with a neat al fresco area. Recently spruced up after a disastrous flooded floor, which closed the place for three months, it's back on the scene. The menu defies description but is basically American fare with international accents mixed among Italian, French, Mediterranean and Asian preparations. Misto means "mixed" in Italian and there you have it. It is ideal for bringing some fussy eaters who only like one type of cuisine and we all know a few of these, don't we? One language everyone understands is good value and nice service. At Misto you can grab a salad or some pasta, from $9.50. China Coast chicken bowl is $13.95, a steak Diane $18.95. In between, there's cioppino $17.95 and much more, plus nightly specials. They do a home style spaghetti and meatballs and a colorful, enormous Misto Asian bowl for $15.95. The latter overflows with noodles, bits of beef, clams etc., umpteen veggies and a couple of pot stickers. You'll have fun treasure hunting for the goodies with chopsticks and twirling the noodles around your fork. The wine list is short but has some uncommon bottlings from California, Chile, Italy etc. Wine by the glass from $6.50. There's complimentary bread and an olive oil dip loaded with garlic, tasty but I would suggest both you and your companion have some, if you're headed for the show. Too bad about the guy next to you....Allow about ten minutes to drive up the hill to the theatre.

Misto Caffe & Bakery, 24558 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance. Beer and wine. Lunch weekdays, breakfast Saturday and Sunday 10 am - 2:30 pm., dinner nightly except Monday. Free parking in Hillside Village. (310)375-3608.

RAISE ME UP by Lisa Phillips Visca
This cute story about love at first sight and old fashioned family values plays like a classic, black and white movie. A world premiere, it is based on the life of the playwright's parents. It opens in 2004,showing an attractive, elderly couple still in the throes of marital bliss. Cynics may scoff but all you unabashed romantics out there, will relish it.
Flash back fifty-four years earlier and witness the complicated Greek-Italian connection between two young people. He's from a stereotypical New York Italian household, where the baddest four-letter word is "diet". She's a Greek girl with corkscrew curls who's never been kissed. It's 1950, after all. That's when Louis Padula (handsome Michael Marinaccio) and Rosita Theophanous (Serena Dolinsky) first meet on the Staten Island Ferry. She smiles - he's at once besotted with love but their families declare war, especially her father (the excellent Stuart Pankin), a rigid patriarch, whose own arranged marriage serves as his role model for eventual happiness. The commendable cast, all with impressive show biz backgrounds, includes Louis' playboy of a brother, Johnny (Mitch Lerner), his mamma (the delightful Lenora May), whose little malapropisms are always good for a laugh and his dad (john Del Regno). Rosita's elegant mother is the famous Evelyn Rudie, a former child star (read her program bio). Rudie with her Director husband Chris De Carlo, are the founders and Artistic Directors of this jewel box of a theatre, on these remises for fifty-two years, Bravo! Also giving a notable performance is Joey Shea as the unwelcome suitor, chosen by old man Theophanous as the ideal husband for Rosita, not only because he is Greek but also happens to be his employer. Go fight that! What's the old adage? The course of true love never runs smoothly? Raise Me Up is the poster child for that one. Incidentally, the frequent caveat: "Don't bring your Aunt Bertha", does not apply here. She'll love it, it may evoke her memories of a more innocent time and is suitable for all ages.

Santa Monica Playhouse, Main Stage, 1211-4th Street, Santa Monica. Friday & Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 3 pm. $25, seniors and students $22.50, children under 12, $15. Park in Structure 1 across the street. (310)394-9779 or www.SantaMonicaPlayhouse.com ends 5/19

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Just five minutes from the Playhouse is BORDER GRILL, one of SoCal's favorite Mexican restaurants. Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, lovingly known as The Two Hot Tamales, started this venture when women chef/proprietors were fairly rare. Due to their entrepreneurial skills and thanks to a well-oiled publicity machine, their names have become household words. Together they now own five properties, including a food truck in DTLA. But back to Santa Monica. The room is very large and very loud, its black ceiling and walls covered with primitive paintings that are also very loud but along with their famous Margaritas, sets the mood here. It's not your neighborhood Mexican hangout, prices are upscale but the cuisine is a notch above, with original recipes, a distinct flair and superb service. Entrees range from $17.50 for chile relleno to $36.50 for gaucho steak. In between, there's Yucatan pork $21.50 and chicken mole $24.50 etc. An order of guacamole clocks in at $9.75 but it's custom made and truly fabulous, with a little salad. Their Baja-style ceviche, with chopped shrimp and fresh fish, seasoned with cilantro aioli, decorated with a wedge of avocado is outstanding and a good portion, $11.50. These two items would be a perfect, light dinner for a warm evening, before the show. Also recommended is the grilled turkey breast in black peppercorn sauce which comes with exquisitely flavored and textured, seared greens. Also included are fried, sweet platanos which, frankly, would have tasted better not smothered in gravy, a relative bargain at $19.50. Wine from $9 per glass. You may be in time for Happy Hour, from 4 - 7 pm. But the bar area is probably already fully packed.

Border Grill, 1445 - 4th Street, Santa Monica. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Full bar. Park in Structure 5 across the street (first 90 minutes free). (310)541-1655.

PARADISE A Divine Bluegrass Musical Comedy, Music and Book by Bill Robertson, Tom Sage and Cliff Wagner

Bluegrass and country music fans will truly be in paradise at this show. Who knew that life among the shit-kickers could be such fun? We're in a depressed, little coal mining town named Paradise (cute set by Stephanie Kerley Schwartz), whose church has just burnt down. Into the midst of this calamity comes a handsome evangelist, the Reverend John Cyrus Mountain (Jonathan Root), whose devilish charm and glib tongue convinces the local rubes that, by building a new mega-church there, tourists from everywhere will flock to worship, pick up the economy and make everyone rich. His competition is Rebecca Washington (Marie Françoise Theodore), a hard-nosed Hollywood type, who arrives with a scheme for a reality TV show to be filmed in Paradise, promising to make all the inhabitants famous.

Cliff Wagner and his Old #7 Band's overture, will immediately get you clapping your hands and tapping your toes and the musical compositions throughout the show are nothing short of inspired. The cast is amazingly talented, they all sing superbly, act well and can dance, too - each one of them a star in his or her own right. Root as the ruthless Reverend is a dynamo in a silk suit, who alone is worth the price of admission. His colleagues are no slouches, either. His cohort, the gorgeous Betsy Landon as Chastity Jones, a former pole dancer, in her platinum wig and provocative wardrobe (costumes by Sarah Figoten Wilson), is a major babe. Rachel Noll, playing sweet Luanne, a pillar of the community, is genuinely appealing and steals the heart of the simpatico Michael Rubenstone as Peter Silverman, the TV cameraman and wannabe songwriter. Robert Craighead is Old Man Johnson, hillbilly incarnate and proud of it. We also have the town's dapper Mayor, Mr. Gayheart (the nimble-footed Jason Rowland), a man with an unlimited wardrobe of gloves and Tater, his son (Elijah Rock) who tap dances up a storm. Kristal Lynn Lockyer is a blast as the porky Cyndi, a loveable troublemaker. As mentioned previously, they have really fine voices and rock Tom Campbell's choreography. Special cheers go to Robertson, Sage and Wagner for the hilarious text, unabashedly risqué and delightfully witty. The clever direction by Dan Bonell sustains the quicksilver tempo, making us want more, even after the slightly hokey ending. Dan Weingarten is in charge of the lighting and an uncredited master is responsible for the sound effects. This little gem has been quietly drawing packed houses since February and has been extended again to give y'all a chance to enjoy it. And enjoy it you will!

Ruskin Group Theatre, Sante Monica Airport, 3000 Airport Drive, Santa Monica. $25, students, seniors and Guild members $20. Friday & Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2 pm. (310)397-3244 or www.ruskingrouptheatre.com ends 5/4

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: One never gets tired of dining at TYPHOON at the Santa Monica Airport, a stone's throw from the Ruskin, because the menu reads like a map of the Orient and you can taste the multi-cultural specialties of China: Mongolian beef $20; Japan: shoyu ramen $12; Indonesia: mi goring noodles $12; Vietnam: goi can (shrimp wrapped in rice paper $10; Thailand: green curry shrimp $19; Taiwan: manila clams $15; Burma: tea salad $12; Malaysia: Kway teow (Rice noodles with chicken, shrimp and vegetables) $12; Korea: kalbi (short ribs) $21 and the Philippines: pancit molo soup $12, even samosas from India and a pink snapper from New Zealand and much, much more. If you're homesick, get the salmon and mashed potatoes. Are you salivating yet? Believe me, the food is really delicious and authentic, as well. Gastronomic daredevils can amaze their dinner companions by ordering insects like Macedonian ants, Taiwanese crickets (I had some of those in China once - it's like eating shrimp with their shells on), Singapore scorpions or silkworm pupae. Bon appetit! I would suggest getting two dishes and sharing among two people. Portions are very generous. I can vouch for the excellent chap chae, a Korean staple of glass noodles with a dozen slivered vegetable $12 and the grilled pork, a Filipino specialty (or the similar pollo adobo) $15, a heap of sliced pork, crisply grilled and unbelievably tasty, served with vinegar and garlic for dipping, the same combination in which the meat has been marinated. Good wines from $7 per glass and fanciful cocktails with names like Tailspin and Dynamo. Typhoon sits right by a runway, with private planes taking off and landing in full view through the floor to ceiling windows. But you better bring someone you like to look at, in case of dense fog when all air traffic is at a standstill, as happened on this visit. There's entertainment (call for schedule) and jazz night every Monday, $10 cover, no minimum. Service is first class and the drive to the theatre takes less than five minutes.

Typhoon,3221 Donald Douglas Loop South, Santa Monica Airport. Full bar. Park in front and take the elevator to the 1st Floor. (310)390-6565

HEADS UP, BALLETOMANES: The fabulous Eifman Ballet from St. Petersburg, Russia, comes to Segerstrom Center for the Performing Arts for four performances only, May 3 - 5. Choreographed by that genius, Boris Eifman, a full length RODIN is on schedule this year, Miss it at your own peril. (714)556-2787 or www.scfta.org

WALKING THE TIGHTROPE by Mike Kenny

This community-oriented, family friendly theatre company brings us a rarity: a charming play that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike. Little Esme (Paige Lindsay White), who is about five years old, has been spending the end of summer at her grandparents' house in an English seaside town, since she was a baby. This year, circa 1959, something has changed, namely, her grandma is nowhere to be found. It seems like a simple story but there's a lesson here, how to deal with the loss of a loved one and explain it to a child, without becoming maudlin. A difficult premise, which the playwright handles with delicacy and a light touch. Grandpa Stan (Mark Bramhall) concocts a tale every child can understand - Nanna has run away to join the circus!

As directed by Debbie Divine, this West Coast premiere sparkles with imagination and stimulates ours, as well. Thus we all spend time at the beach, cook up some pudding in the kitchen and find excitement at the circus. The delightful presence of a silent clown (Tony Duran), who doubles as a stage hand and prop master, lending a helpful hand whenever one is needed, provides a touch of magic. The stage, framed by a circus tent (set by Keith Mitchell), looks sparse but the production comes to life with the help of Matthew Hill's video projections, the realistic sound design by John Zalevski and illumination by Dan Weingarten. Master musician Michael Redfield accompanies the action, getting us into the circus mood with that typical oompah beat and gradually tempering his score into a melodious flow of harmonious, never intrusive, music. And, of course, the two leads keep us spellbound. White accurately mimics the movements and expressions of a young child. Bramhall, whose credits include both the San Francisco based ACT and SoCal's A noise Within, groups whose artistic excellence is justly renowned, gives a marvelous portrayal of an old man who must bear his own grief but who finds solace by lightening the load for his granddaughter. The play is suitable for children eight years or older. I might add that on my night there were lots of kids in the audience, all mesmerized by the story and not one peep out of any of them for seventy, uninterrupted minutes.

24th Street Theatre, 1117 W. 24th Street, Los Angeles. Saturday 3/16, 23 & 30 at 2 pm, and 7:30 pm. (now extended, see below) $15, children under 10 $10, seniors, students and teachers $12. North University Park residents, 24 cents. Parking lot corner of 24th and Hoover $5. (213)745-6516 or www.24thstreet.org ends 5/18

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Less than five minutes from the 24th Street Theatre, is the 23RD STREET CAFÉ, a student hang-out, which automatically means it's dirt cheap and very casual. The "silverware" is plastic and the "china" metal plates. If you're a snob who only goes in for fine dining, you can stop reading right here. The front room with USC sports posters h as a counter at which you order (the food is delivered to your table). The adjoining room adds a soupcon of atmosphere with large portraits of Ghandi and there's a cute patio out back, waiting for the spring weather that's just around the corner. There's no wine but lots of fresh fruit smoothies, assorted teas in exotic flavors, lattes and espresso. The menu is quite interesting, you can get Indian entrees and snacks, vegetarian thalis plus Mexican fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and tacos, also burgers, salads and sandwiches. We went Indian with chicken tikka masala, little cubes in a mild, creamy sauce and baingan bharta, a roasted eggplant puree, $7.99 each. Both came on large, sectioned plates with rice studded with an occasional green pea, raita, thin yoghurt with bits of cucumber and carrots , saucy lentils and lots of warm naan bread, all quite delicious. The eggplant is a real nose blower and, if too spicy for you, spoonfuls of rice or the cooling raita, will ease the burn. The check, with one coffee $1.39 and one tea $2, came to less than thirty dollars. No sticker shock here!

23rd Street Café, 936 W. 23rd Street at Portland, Los Angeles.Free wi-fi, no alcohol (alas, no BYO either).. Open daily 6 am to 10 pm for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Street parking. (213)749-1593.

I'LL BE BACK BEFORE MIDNIGHT by Peter Colley

If your idea of a good time is to raise a few goose bumps and feel the hair at the back of your neck rise up, you'll have fun at this thriller. A young wife, Jan Sanderson (Joanna Strapp), who suffered a recent mental breakdown, is taken to recuperate at a rented, old, isolated farmhouse, by her scientist husband Greg (Tyler Pierce), not exactly a restful milieu for that purpose. It has a creepy, lived-in look (adroit set by Stephen Gifford) and a long history of murderous activity, complete with ghosts, as recounted with obvious glee by a jovial neighbor, George (Ron Orbach). The Sanderson's fragile marriage is further threatened by Greg's invitation to his sister Laura (Kate Maher), for an extended visit. Trouble is, these two women can't stand each other, exacerbated by Jan's assumption that their relationship is less like that of siblings but more like bed-mates. I won't tell you what anybody is up to but the spooky proceedings are lightened by a generous sprinkling of humor and helped enormously by Drew Dalzell's chilling sound design and Luke Moyer's clever lighting.
The cast is strong. The petite Strapp looks like an antique doll, with her gossamer dress and dreadlock-like do, frightened and ripe for protection - but from whom? Pierce, the husband, with his bespectacled countenance and Chippendale bod, gives just the right enigmatic performance that has us wondering …who is this guy? The gorgeous Maher is the epitome of glamour (costumes by Diane K. Graebner), she's dressed like a model in New York City black, sleek as a cat and the villain incarnate. Or is she? Orbach, as the friendly, old local is a teddy bear of a man, a born raconteur who tipples good humouredly but who also has a few surprises up his denim sleeve. Co-directors David Rose and author Peter Colley pepper the suspense with unexpected (and expected) special effects and keep us guessing up to the last drop of blood.

Colony Theatre, 555 N. Third Street at Cypress, Burbank. Thursday - Saturday 8 pm, matinees on Saturday at 3 and Sunday at 2 pm. $20 - $42, student, group and senior discounts available. Free parking at the theatre entrance in the Burbank Town Center Mall. (818)558-7000 ext. 15 or www.colonytheatre.org ends 3/2

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion :There's a new Vietnamese eatery, MAMA HONG'S in the midst of the restaurant intensive San Fernando Boulevard, just a few minutes from the theatre. It looks appealing, prettied up by a mirrored wall strung with neon-like ribbon effects that constantly change color and provide all the atmosphere we need. If you're a stranger to Vietnamese cuisine, this is the ideal intro - it's fresh, simple and very reasonable. If you are already a fan, you'll appreciate the quality and flavors offered here. Start with the traditional spring rolls, natural, not fried, filled with shrimp, vermicelli and crunchy veggies, $3.95 for an order of two rolls. Dip them into the hoisin/peanut sauce (you can add some soy or fiery sriracha sauce), a good appetizer to share. As a main course, you can get the ubiquitous pho, $7.50- $9.50 (for filet mignon pho), the popular banh mi sandwiches $4.95 and Vietnamese beef stew $7.95 to $8.95. They don't have my favorite, chicken or beef in lemongrass sauce but they are very new on the scene and don't have a wine license yet, either. Meanwhile I can recommend their vermicelli with grilled meat, a bowl chockfull of soft, room temperature noodles, topped with greens, cukes, sprouts etc., and the meat of your choice, pork sausage, chicken, beef or pork, the latter in thin, lean, grilled strips, really excellent, served with a cup of nuoc cham broth which you pour over the whole thing, $7.50. They also have vermicelli with tilapia marinated in turmeric, sounds intriguing and I plan to try it next time when, perhaps, one can sip a little wine or sake along with all these delicacies. Another enjoyable entrée is the stir-fry combo, wok-tossed shrimp, pieces of chicken, bits of beef, bok choy, broccoli etc., with egg noodles $9.95 (for an extra dollar it comes in a crispy noodle basket.) Service is attentive and you don't have to be a fortuneteller to predict a bright future for Mama, with these prices and no competition in the immediate vicinity.

Mama Hong's Vietnamese Kitchen, 211 N . San Fernando Blvd.,Burbank. Open daily for lunch and dinner. No alcohol. Park in public lot around the corner on Orange Grove. (919) 558-6262.

7 STORIES by Morris Panych

The best thing about this play is its premise. A suicidal man (Eric Charles Jorgenson) climbs up to the 7th floor of an apartment building. While on the ledge, he becomes involved in the lives of several tenants. We meet these diverse personages as they pop open the windows that are lined up at the top of the stage. Clever set, as always, by Jeff G. Rack. This situation lends itself to high drama and/or rollicking comedy yet neither is achieved by this West Coast premiere. What we do get are some laughs as we momentarily get glimpses of the occupants' shenanigans and a terrific ensemble of seven actors, six of them in dual roles, including Jennifer Laks and Steve Oreste. They're so well disguised and be-wigged, it's impossible to tell who's who by their program photographs. Outstanding among the cast are Richard Hoyt Miller in his turn as a paranoid old man with a memory problem, not to mention a persecution complex. Jill Ramez does a fine job as an all-business-no-heart Russian nurse, presumably trained in a Gulag, who takes care of a 100-year old lady, amusingly portrayed by Flora Plumb. Greg Barnett channels the late Andy Kaufman in speech and mannerisms, as an interior decorator with artsy-fartsy pretensions.

Bruce Gray directs the play without intermission, giving his cast quite a workout behind the scenes, as they don party hats, glue on moustaches etc., honing their talents as quick-change artists. The expert lighting is by Ric Zimmerman. We never do find out why this man wants to end it all. In conclusion, I have to say that the Canadian playwright's "metatheatrical" ending, as described in the program note, frankly, does nothing to elevate the work into a loftier realm.

Theatre 40, Reuben Cordova Theater, 241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills, on the grounds of Beverly Hills High School. Thursday - Saturday 9 pm, Sunday 2 pm. $24 - $26. Free parking in building garage, adjoining the theatre. (310) 364-0535 or www.theatre40.org
Ends 2/24

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: In December, when I visited SEASONS they were not officially open and catered to an invited guest list. Now that the pans have deglazed, I'm even more convinced that they will find great success and an enthusiastic following at the Westfield Mall. They're part of a chain but you'd never guess it. The huge space, formerly Houston's, is divided into several rooms, including a bar with live entertainment (piano and vocals) nightly. It's tastefully decorated, using their walls as a wine cellar and the romantic lighting makes you even better looking than you are, guaranteed. Save the gorgeous outdoor patio for the warmer weather ahead. Menu prices, which in December, went from $17.95 for chicken, to $24.95 for steaks, have climbed upwards. If you look at the nightly Chef's Specials, steaks and roasts are $25.95 to $29.95 and on the regular menu $28.95 for a lamb T-bone or a filet mignon. What hasn't changed is the top notch service and quality ingredients of the seasonal dishes. They don't use butter nor do they serve bread. I saw lots of flatbread trays (around $11) go by but we didn't want to fill up to the brim, pre-theatre. But we did cave in to the dessert display (more later). There's a good wine list with several unusual labels. The Indiba Chardonnay from South Africa has a good nose but a harsh finish, per glass $7.50.They do an excellent Pacific salmon, roasted and served on a small cedar plank with perfect asparagus spears (hot but still firm, why don't mine ever turn out that way?), crisp carrots and parsnips plus the best roasted potatoes. Little fingerling halves, skin on, with incredible flavor, from Weiser Farms in Modesto, love and kisses to the folks up there, $21.95. Also recommended is penne pasta with jumbo shrimp, spinach, sundried tomatoes and sour cream, well-prepared and excitingly seasoned, $19.95. Finally, they bring you a selection of mini-indulgence desserts in cute, little square glass containers, just a sweet bite or two for $2.75 - who can resist that? The pecan pie with vanilla mousse was great!

This just in: Seasons 52 has received a nomination as The Most Promising New Restaurant, from the Southern California Restaurant Writers. The ceremony and banquet (a.k.a. the Oscars of the Restaurant Industry) takes place at the fabulous Ranch Restaurant, 1025 E. Ball Road at Lewis Street. On March 11, 2013 at 6 p.m. (open to the public)$110 per person, includes wines, dinner, tax and gratuities. Information & tickets: (888) 656-1324

Seasons 52, Westfield Century City Mall, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Century City. Full bar. Open daily for lunch and dinner.(310)277-5252. Parking in underground garage. This is the only annoying aspect dining here. It takes forever to find a vacant space and now, effective February 1st, they even charge $1 an hour for parking. Booooo!

PICK OF THE VINE
Every year, Little Fish Theatre unveils the best short plays culled from hundreds of submissions. pThis year's crop is again of premium vintage and deserves a hearty toast and three loud cheers! Here's a quick synopsis of each of the chosen eight:

THE KISS by Mark Harvey Levine, directd by Staphanie Coltrin.
Bill Woski and Holly Baker-Kreiswirth (a real life married couple), are such good buddies that he enlists her help in rating and improving his kissing technique for the future conquests of other women.

A NAME by Mark Cornell, directed by Bill Wolski.
It's not easy to come up with a new baby's name. Rachel Levy is the near-hysterical mom, Craig Shields, the dad.

THE TRUE COST OF HEAVENLY BIRTH INSURANCE by Bill Johnson, directed by James Rice.
A bit of existentialism on a provocative subject: Can we buy, bargain or barter for a perfect life? With Susie McCarthy and Bill Woslki as the celestial insurance salesman.

THE DIVINE VISITATION OFJOEPICKELSIMER by Micah McCoy, directed by James Rice. Deus ex machina, in the form of golfer Rodney Rincon, dispenses some stern advice to couch potato Don Schlossman, about altering his life style. Truly hilarious and marvelously performed.

A FINE ROMANCE by Ben Jolivet, directed by Stephanie Coltrin.
Ebullient reader Baker-Kreiswirth meets vampirical romance author Schlossman, in a chance encounter rife with wit and surprises.

THE EIFFEL TRUTH by Susan Apker, directed by Holly Baker-Kreiswirth.
A lone Englishman (the peripatetic Bill Wolski) meets an American in Paris, who turns out to be an incomp0arable tourist guide. Rachel Levy shines as the latter.

DISCONNECTIONS by Peter Kennedy, directed by Stephanie Coltrin.
A sobering bit about the final hone calls of three doomed individuals, Baker-Kreiswirth, Schlossman and Shields. The serious skits were not as successful this year. The audience was in the mood for laughter and they certainly got their wish in the last number:

ONE FOR THE CHIPPER by Adam Seidel.
A less than victorious Little League team gets a pep talk from coach Wolski. The entire ensemble demonstrates its amazing versatility here. Levy, McCarthy, Rincon and even newcomer Craig Shield, who appeared slightly ill at ease as the Dad in The Name, is perfectly convincing in the 'little kid moves", under the excellent direction of James Rice.

Little Fish Theatre, 777 Centre Street at 8th, San Pedro. Wednesday- Saturday 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm (call for exact dates). $27, senior $24, students $20. Parking lot, enter via the Alley. (310)512-6030 or www.littlefishtheatre.org ends 2/16

Pre-performance Dining Suggestion
Three generations have established J. TRANI'S as a name synonymous with the San Pedro culinary scene among its loyal clientele. There's a cozy, old fashioned feel to this restaurant, the white clothed tables are set apart to allow decent conversation. The vintage aura is further advanced by tons of brick around the dual-level room. The menu is mostly familiar, American food with a light Italian inflection, service attentive, prices on the upscale side, rising to the middle thirties for veal or lamb. But for $26.50 you can enjoy a splendid duck breast, one of the finest you'll ever taste, with a velvety texture and intense flavor, daubed with demi-glace and speckled with corn kernels, a meal to be savored. Not in the same league as their mashed potatoes, watery and tasteless. I hate to say it, but I've tasted better instant mashers. Nicely presented, though, shaped like a disc with a chive stalk rising from the center. In the pasta division, they do a tasty, al dente linguine with scallo0ps and broccolini bits 0lus the added interest of spicy sausage chunks, in a light tomato sauce for $22.50. Portions, I might add, are not doggie-bag sized. Even though Trani's is conveniently close to the Little Fish (abut ten minutes away). This would be a better choice for an evening of leisurely dining with friends, some serious wine sipping, pleasant repartee and absorbing your money's worth of atmosphere and space. I plan to do exactly that, soon.

J. Trani's, 584 W. Ninth Street, San Pedro, Full Bar. Parking lot (310)0832-1220

DIRTY FILTHY LOVE STORY by Rob Mersola

This absolutely terrific show will lift you out of the holiday frazzles and is a must see. You'll thank me for recommending it but you'll thank me even more for not disclosing the goings on in great detail, because the surprise element is part of the fun. Let me just assure you, you'll spend seventy-five, uninterrupted minutes laughing your head off.
Here we have a woman, Ashley (the pleasingly plump Jennifer Pollono), who simply cannot part with any of her possessions, all of which she considers "good stuff". Her next door neighbor Benny (Burt Moseley) is trying to sell his house and is understandably perturbed by all the garbage piled up in front of Ashley's property, sure to discourage prospective buyers. He hires a clean up man, Halbert (Joshua Britton) to get the job done. What happens when two lonely people are thrown together by fate is the gist of this gifted playwright's story.

Pollono is wonderful as the hoarder, a deserted wife without a life, who wears her Bluetooth like an ornament, in conversations with her mother, about the only phone call she ever gets. Moseley is priceless, suffering one mishap after another, his comic flair well suited to the mayhem he endures. Britton, as the professional clean up guy, brings a certain innocent charm to his role as a blue collar shlump, whose only acquaintance with the subject might have been a sex education class in high school - if that. Elina de Santos directs this world premiere with a frothy touch and the scenic design team of David Mauer and Hazel Kuang, should come out and take a curtain call bow along with the fine cast. Marsola's play will get you in a better mood than a pint of eggnog, without the calories, so cancel everything and end a good theatre year at the Rogue Machine.

Rogue Machine Theatre (at Theatre/Theatre) 5041 Pico Blvd., west of La Brea, Los Angeles. Friday 8 pm, Saturday 8 and 10 pm (December 15th, 10:30 only). $20 - $25. Street parking. (855)585-5185 or www.roguemachinetheatre.com ends

Pre-Performance Dining Suggestion: Just a few blocks west of the theatre is BLOOM CAFÉ, a casual spot with a menu to match. It's popular with families and health conscious locals. There are gluten-fee desserts, vegan and vegetarian dishes, burgers, wraps, interesting, substantial salads and sandwiches with prices tailored so as to not raise your blood pressure. Everything seems to be $10, $13 or $14. The dinner-oriented items are mostly bowls, the most expensive is $15 for salmon grilled over brown rice. I had the Moroccan chicken with lentils, no discernible Moroccan spices but a nicely grilled breast topped with tomato salsa plus cous-cous in the style of a soft risotto, creamy and somewhat overcooked, $14. In the pasta division, there are turkey meatballs, very tasty, indeed, with whole wheat penne in a fresh tomato-rosemary sauce, $13. No alcohol but lots of juices and smoothies and you can BYOB at no extra charge. Bloom Café is sparkling clean but pretty noisy around the early dinner hour, so it's not going to be a romantic dinner with intimate conversation but more of a"grab a bite to eat before the show" experience. Only a five minute drive to the Rogue Machine but allow a few extra minutes for finding a parking spot.
Bloom Café, 5544 Pico Blvd, at Curson, Los Angeles. Open daily. BYOB. Street parking. (323)934-6900.