________________________
________________________
Mystic Pizza starts next weekend at the La Mirada Theater
January 12, 2024
By Stepheny Gehrig
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts held its first-ever sneak preview for the upcoming season on Jan. 10. Tickets were free to attend and were offered to La Mirada residents or those subscribed to the theater’s email list.
The showcase lasted about an hour and thirty minutes, beginning at 7:30 p.m. and ending around 9 p.m. Boasting a nearly full house, the preview enticed attendees to pick up a ticket for an upcoming show for the spring season or choose a season package.
Featuring a projected video trailer of all the running musicals and the one night specialty performances to come, the preview also drew attention to the newly added Courtyard Cafe.
The Courtyard Cafe, which opened in 2023, creates an environment for audience members to relax and hang out. Fit with a bar, lounge, heaters and small meals, the revamped courtyard space is open before shows, during intermission, and for a short period after shows.
Previews were shown for all musicals for the spring season, including “Mystic Pizza”, which runs Jan. 19 to Feb. 11, “Jersey Boys”, which runs April 19 to May 12, and “The Little Mermaid”, which runs May 31 to June 23. Tickets for all shows are currently available with discounts for military, students and seniors.
Starting off 2024 with film projections, the theater will host a quote-along to “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” on Friday, Jan. 12 at 8 p.m. Quickly following, the theater will show a sing-along to Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” on Saturday, Jan. 13 at 1 p.m. Tickets for both showings range from $13.25 to $25.
Specialty live performances begin in March and continue through July. An extensive list of performances, dates and ticket prices can be found online at lamiradatheatre.com.
Davis Gaines on Feb. 14 at 8 p.m., $11.25 to $37
Mandy Patinkin on March 1 at 8 p.m., $41.25 to $85
“Music of the Knights” on March 15 at 8 p.m., $18.75 to $105.
“Feelin’ Good”, a Michael Bublé tribute act on April 5 at 8 p.m., $21.75 to $46
Classic Albums Live Presents U2’s The Joshua Tree May 16 at 8 p.m., $15.75 to $85
“Born on the 4th of July” on June 30 at 2 p.m., $9 to $34
“Neil Berg’s History of Rock n Roll” on July 27 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., $21.75 to $125
The showcase ended the night with performances by Gaines, Scott Wood from “The Four Jokers”, Kelli Rabke, Anthony Bernasconi and a song and tap dance experience to represent the “Born on the 4th of July” event.
The performances spanned about five minutes for each act and brightened the serious mood for the night.
Gaines offered a robust performance as he interacted with the audience and brought some light humor to the stage, along with a voice that filled the auditorium with very little help from the microphone.
Woods brought to the stage a comedy set as he used vulgar and adult humor to lighten the mood. Despite some vulgarities, Woods stated that “The Four Jokers” show will be suitable for all audiences.
Rabke returned to the La Mirada stage with one song as she performed a heartfelt rendition of “Memory”. With a striking resemblance to Bublé, Bernasconi sang two beautiful songs that brought much excitement for his Bublé tribute show. The tap dance and song performance introducing the “Born on the 4th of July” event was exquisite and got the audience clapping along to the rhythm.
When purchasing online, the code SPRING24 gives a 25% discount to all shows.
The discount code was revealed as the specialty promotional item for the showcase.
