Best One-Person Shows In Los Angeles
Solo shows take strong performers in order to shine, but that's no problem when these theatrical endeavors take place in Tinseltown where true talent runs rampant. From serious subject matters to an homage or two to popular personalities who have passed on to stand-up routines that never cease to capture more than a few laughs, Los Angeles has a plethora of talent just waiting to mount the stage. That said, consider the following one-person shows slated for the weeks and months to come.
Lewis Black Stand-Up Act
Fred Kavli Theatre
Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd.
Thousand Oaks, CA, 91362
(805) 449-2100
Oct. 27
www.toaks.org
Lewis Black comes to the Fred Kavli Theatre for one night only in his one-man show that is sure to steal some squeals of delight. The comedian, a regular on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" who shows up on the small screen to deliver his "Back in Black" commentary, is sure to be a hoot as the 65-year-old stand-up veteran brings his own brand of human filled with keen observations on life as it exists today. Oh, and politics are definitely not off limits for this particular character who definitely is not striving to be politically correct in any way, shape or form when he does his thing in public. So go see Lewis Black, sure to provide a fun night out in the Southland just days before Halloween.
Jim Gaffigan Stand-Up Comedy
Club Nokia
800 W. Olympic Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 765-7000
Dec. 14
www.clubnokia.com
This keen wit who originally hails from Indiana draws on memories of growing up in a family of six kids in the Midwest to captivate his audiences. The 47-year-old author of the new tome and memoir "Dad Is Fart" and a stand-up who enjoys a thriving movie career (he's been seen in "13 Going on 30" and "Flight of the Conchords" as well as many more flicks viewed on the big and small screens) is one of the most compelling middle-aged comedians in the nation and his material is sure to inspire while drawing plenty of guffaws in the process.
Bette Midler in "I'll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers"
Geffen Playhouse
10886 Le Conte Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90024
(310) 208-5454
Dec. 3 through Dec. 22
www.geffenplayhouse.com
Bette Midler takes on the edgy persona of Sue Mengers in a one-woman show at the Geffen Playhouse that plays for three weeks. Directed by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantello of "Wicked" fame, this is the West Coast premiere of the Broadway show that defines the life of the first female super agent who took Hollywood by storm back in the 1970s. By the time she reached our neck of the woods, Mengers, a refugee from Germany during Hitler's terror reign, was literally "the hostess with the mostest" – running big name parties on her terms with wit, charm and a whole lot of pluck. As Bette Midler reinvents herself yet one more time on the stage in this one-woman show, Sue Mengers comes to life at the Geffen for a limited run not to be missed.
Related: Best Big Theaters in Los Angeles
Christopher Plummer in "A Word or Two"
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 628-2772
Jan. 19 through Feb. 9, 2014
www.centertheatregroup.org
Christopher Plummer's all-too-brief engagement at the Ahmanson Theater in 2014 is already becoming the talk of our town. To all fans' delight, the legendary actor will be on hand with "A Word or Two," a stage production that began at Canada's prestigious Stratford Festival in 2012, for just 16 performances. The meat of this octogenarian's material surrounds his fascination for the best of the spoken word as written by such luminaries as Lewis Carroll and William Shakespeare.
Michael Urie in "Buyer & Cellar"
Mark Taper Forum
135 N. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 765-7000
www.centertheatregroup.org
Date: July 9 through Aug. 17, 2014
Michael Urie is truly a cast of characters in and of himself as this comic genius is slated to take over the stage at the Mark Taper Forum. "Buyer & Cellar" allows the "Ugly Betty" star a chance to explore his reality as a Hollywood actor looking to stay afloat as well. The play, by Jonathan Tolins, also gives this seasoned thespian a chance to explore his unreality as a superstar in a subterranean world that is nothing like the one in which he does not thrive. Entertainment Weekly called Urie's one-man show "beyond brilliant" while The New Yorker said that his performance was "a crowd pleaser." Happily, this highly anticipated theater piece originally presented off-Broadway at the Barrow Street Theater in NYC is coming to downtown Los Angeles to do more crowd pleasing. Mark your calendar.
Related: Best Comedy Clubs in Los Angeles
Los Angeles freelance travel writer Jane Lasky, contributes to publications such as Travel + Leisure, Vogue and Esquire. Her weekly sojourning column ran in 40 newspapers for 20 years. Jane is anything but an accidental tourist. Check out her articles on Examiner.com.
