The Girl Who Would be King: Satirical Fairy Tale at the El Centro Theatre
El Centro Theatre - Circle Stage (800 N. El Centro Hollywood, CA 90038)
- Full Price:
- $10.00 - $20.00
- Our Price:
- FREE - $10.00*
* Additional fees apply.
All offers for The Girl Who Would Be King have expired.
The last date listed for The Girl Who Would Be King was Sunday August 1, 2010 / 2:00pm.
Currently at El Centro Theatre - Circle Stage:
Hit Rock Musical HAIR Returns to Hollywood
- Full Price:
- $40.00
- Our Price:
- $20.00
With spirited music and colorful characters, HAIR remains an audience favorite, long after its original Broadway debut in the '60s. Indeed, the 2009 revival cast recording was Billboard's top-selling Broadway album. High-energy inspirational songs like "Aquarius," "Let the Sun Shine In," "Good Morning, Starshine" and "Easy To Be Hard" continue to stir theater audiences as they witness a "tribe" of politically-active New York City friends searching for answers in turbulent 1967. Though the long-haired bohemian companions may look different in style from today's youth, they face the same essential struggle to separate from their parents, define themselves in society, and stand by their personal beliefs in the face of pressure to conform. Award-winning production company theTRIBE performs this electrifying musical, whose original cast recording was America's top-selling album for 13 weeks. Learn More
Goldstar Member Tips
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Sunsetss on What to Wear
Casual attire
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Goldstar Member on Where to Park
Easily found street parking
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Sunsetss on Where to Eat
Eat before at local restaurants in the neighborhood
15 Goldstar Member Reviews
No, it wasn't Shakespeare. But what it was... a cast that does something you don't see often enough in this town, enjoy itself. And so we enjoyed it. A bit silly, slap-sticky (I was still giggling about Sean Faye saluting himself in the face the next day) and even low-brow at times but it was fun! And it doesn't matter what gender or sexual preference you are, by the end of the show you will have a crush on Basil (Riley Rose Critchlow). I will see this again before the end of the run.Written on Jul 19 2010
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Sunsetss
With a minimal set and a tiny stage, the actors pulled off a smart and funny play. The cast, especially young Basil, were completely committed to this satire set in Medieval England. It is a play that Shakespeare would dare not write as the subject of sexual orientation in his plays would not have been "the thing" in his day. But this modern look at ancient times tackles the subject with humor and lightness that keeps the audience engaged.Written on Jun 24 2010
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Claire N.
A wonderful play and performance - so much fun to watch that the time flew by. The leads (Basil and the princess) were standout, but every single person on stage seemed totally committed to their character (or characters) and, along with a witty script, that made it highly enjoyable for the audience. Definitely recommended.Written on Jun 24 2010
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Goldstar Member
Well acted but too long as it was almost two hours; shorter would have been better.Written on Jul 18 2010
Whitton Frank was wonderful and the other two girls were also excellent.
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More Information About The Girl Who Would Be King
Website
http://www.elcentrotheatre.com/nowplayingonthechaplinstage.htm
Quotes & Highlights
- "... loads of laughs and no dull moments." --Backstage, Critic's Pick
- "...comical satire that is reminiscent [of] Fractured Fairy Tales, a Carol Burnett Show skit, a multi-page cartoon portfolio one would find in Playboy (illustrated by Arnold Roth), as well as a touch of Shakespeare tossed into the ...mix. . . . Richard Tatum directs a great ensemble." --ACCESSIBLY LIVE Offline
- "a humdinger of a play" --ReviewPlays.com
Description
In this modern day comedic fairy tale, a struggle for power leads to deceit, gender identity crisis, and ultimately true love. Even though this satirical fairy tale takes place in medieval times, it is told through the perspective of a modern-day storyteller. We are forced to now ask the question: Have things really changed as much as we think? The Girl Who Would Be King has a playful and insightful manner of challenging traditional gender roles.
Once upon a time in a land far, far away, the Great King of Flugelhorn wanted to retire and spend his days feeding the ducks. But he didn’t have an heir, as his one offspring was a female and in Flugelhorn, the law stated that only males could become king. This opened the door for his brother’s son to take the throne. There was one slight catch. The king’s brother, the Duke of Lesser Flugel, also only had a daughter. But the Duke, still bitter about not being king himself, raised his daughter as a son in anticipation of this moment. Now the time has come for his “son” Basil to become the next King of Flugelhorn and the Duke will stop at nothing to make sure this happens. What could possibly go wrong?
“My inspiration for writing The Girl Who Would be King started a few years ago, when I was reading lots of Mark Twain, and I came upon his short story, "A Medieval Romance," says playwright Jan O'Connor. "I was intrigued by his tale of a girl secretly raised as a boy in order to be king, who then is accused on her coronation day of being the father of a princess's unborn child. It was even more intriguing that Twain deliberately left the piece unfinished, telling the reader he had no idea how to resolve the situation. Whether he did that for comic effect or because he genuinely couldn't go any further with the obvious sexual implications of this dilemma in his day, I was captivated with the idea of recasting the story as a play, filtering it through my own imagination and finishing it as one would be able to today. The title, an obvious allusion to Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King, just seemed to me to say it all.”
Jan O’Connor is an award-winning playwright whose works have been produced in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Recent local productions in Hollywood include Cleo's Girls at the Lex Theatre, One Morning by ShortLived 3.0 at the Asylum and The Intersection at Tre Stage. Taken for a Ride was one of the Moving Arts Car Plays for two years in a row in LA. Garden of Ashes was first place winner in Los Angeles’ FirstStage’s One-Act Contest this year and Gayby's Playdate was just selected for 2010 ALAP/ City of West Hollywood Gay Play Reading Festival at the Celebration Theatre. O'Connor wrote book and lyrics for the musical comedy Murder at the Palace, which was given a concert reading at Theatre Building in Chicago.