John Leguizamo does it all — he is an actor, a stand-up comedian, a filmmaker, an author, and a playwright! Over the course of a truly remarkable career he has conquered the movies, television, and the stage, winning countless awards (including a Special Tony) and glowing accolades along the way. He wrote and performed Mambo Mouth (1991) and Spic-O-Rama (1993) off-Broadway before his breakout film role in Super Mario Bros (1993). He has appeared in over 75 films (and produced 10), starred on Broadway in several productions, and has been seen on television in numerous series including House of Buggin’ (which he also created, wrote, and produced), Arabian Nights, ER, The Kill Point, and Blood Line.

Live onstage, Leguizamo is magical and hilarious. This month, Latin History for Morons arrives at the Ahmanson Theatre. Originally produced off-Broadway and later moved to Broadway, the show attempts to rectify the omissions in standard school texts of Latin people’s — or peoples’ — contributions to American History. The New York Times called it, “A harshly funny and surprisingly poignant quest for the perfect Latino hero.” In 2003, Leguizamo’s Sexaholix … a love story played a sold-out engagement at the Ahmanson and working with him on the publicity was one of the happiest times of my career. I later saw Ghetto Klown at the Montalbán Theatre (2012); his performance was electric as always. I am so excited to see him onstage again. He never, ever disappoints.

For tickets and more details, click here.

Sit back, relax, and get ready to laugh…it’s going to be a grumpy ride when Grumpy Old Men: The Musical has its West Coast premiere at the La Mirada Theatre this month. Based on the classic 1993 film starring Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau and Ann-Margret, this new musical-comedy adaptation takes the small town feuding curmudgeons into a delightfully heartwarming and laugh out loud entertaining direction.

Long time neighbors, Max and John played by stage veterans Hal Linden and Ken Page, are firmly set in their ways having been rivals for more than 50 years.  When the charming and beautiful Ariel (Cathy Rigby) moves in across the street, their rivalry adds a romantic element as their hilarious shenanigans and endless sniping reach new heights.  But the bottom line here is the importance of friendship, family and the warmth of a town that feels like home.

The all-star cast makes this a sure fire hit. Linden – best known for his role as Barney Miller on the long running TV sitcom – has been featured in hundreds of TV series and hit movies.  Page is a Broadway veteran having starred in the original productions of Cats and Ain’t Misbehavin’.  And then there’s Rigby, an award-winning gymnast who burst on the scene at the 1968 Olympics, and then launched a second career as a successful stage actress most notably for her role as Peter Pan.

For tickets and more details, click here.

There are many ‘under the stars’ theatrical venues in Los Angeles, but there is only one classic amphitheater and you’ll find it at the magnificent Getty Villa. There is simply no finer setting to see a performance surrounded by art, antiquities, sculpture, and lush gardens.

This month’s presentation, The Heal, is a bold re-imagining of the rarely performed Philoctetes by Sophocles. This timeless myth about the universality of human suffering and forgiveness is still relevant today.  The wounded Philoctetes was abandoned by Odysseus and stranded on a desert island for years.  Now as the Trojan War rages, Odysseus needs the mighty warrior’s help and sends Achilles’s daughter Nia to make peace and bring him home.

Written and Directed by Aaron Posner with music by Cliff Eberhardt, The Heal is performed by the Round House Theatre, one of the country’s leading regional theaters.  Notes Timothy Potts, director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, “In ancient Greece, theater was a fundamental component of religious, social and political life…these words still engage and delight modern audiences some 2,500 years later.”

This is the fourteenth annual production in the Barbara and Lawrence Fleischman Theater which now features newly designed seats with comfortable back supports. Be sure to make an evening of it – come early and explore Buried by Vesuvius, the current exhibit at the Villa, stroll through the gardens and enjoy a light dinner in the Café.

For more details, click here.

Notorious R.B.G. fans should beeline to Beverly Hills to watch Tovah Feldshuh (Golda’s Balcony, The Walking Dead, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) play feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg opposite Stephanie Faracy (Hocus Pocus, The Great Outdoors, Sneaky Pete) as Sandra Day O’Connor in the West Coast premiere of Sisters in Law at The Wallis. Written by Jonathan Shapiro (based upon Linda Hirshman’s New York Times bestseller), and directed by Patricia McGregor (Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole, Skeleton Crew ) with an all-female design team, this compelling and often funny two-hander traces the twin trajectories and professional rivalry of these legal trailblazers who became the United States Supreme Court’s first female justices.

Texas ranch. Brooklyn neighborhood. Stanford University/Law School. Cornell University/Harvard and Columbia Law Schools. (Both denied early employment as attorneys due to their sex.) Assistant Attorney General of Arizona/State Senator/First woman Majority Leader of any state’s senate. Rutgers Law School and Columbia University professor/Co-founder Women’s Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)/Won five out of six gender discrimination cases before the Supreme Court (1973-1976). Superior Court and State Court of Appeals judge/First female Associate Justice. United States Court of Appeals judge/Second female Associate Justice.

“Each one was better off for the other being there.” – Linda Hirshman

Plays September 18 – October 13. For more information, click here.