By Juan Markos
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 04/28/2024
I attended the one-day-only performance of Victoria Lavan’s “Dance Me to the End of Love” on April 27th, 2024, at Theater West in Los Angeles, California. I had never been to this venue before and was excited to visit. Established in 1962, Theater West is the oldest running theater company in Los Angeles. Over the years, their productions have transferred to Broadway, and some have been made into feature films. Their work has been applauded by Tony Awards, Obies, Ovation Awards, and 9 LA Dramatic Critic Awards. Some of the plays that have transferred to Broadway are “Spoon River Anthology” and “Aesop in Central Park,” and some plays that became feature films are “A Bronx Tale” and “Faithful.”
Victoria Lavan directed Theater West’s last two big musical shows, “Winter Wishes” and “So Many Stars.” Now, it’s her turn to take center stage and put her magnificent voice on display. Directed by Brooks Almy and produced by Donald Moore, “Dance Me to the End of Love (My Love Affair with Music)” is a touching and personal musical concert. Singing an eclectic array of songs from Leonard Cohen to Stephen Sondheim, Obradors to the Eurythmics, and interweaving stories hilarious and heartbreaking, Victoria Lavan and her five-piece band, James Lent (keyboard), Peter Snell (guitar), Bill Von Ravensberg (bass), Jim Varley (drums), Mara Wells (harmonica), tell the origin story of an accomplished singer, from Victoria’s beginnings singing in grade school to her experiences in college.
It was very touching. Her stories are a progression of love and love lost, revealing many personal details of her family, including the loss of her only son. This takes us back to one of her first stories and songs, where she explains having her son in the audience of her first performance. It was a bit heartbreaking and beautiful, and it wasn’t the love story I expected to hear. She is very talented and has many vocal stylings to her voice. She is a born entertainer, and I immediately fell in love with her.
Victoria Lavan has over 30 years of credits in regional opera, symphony concert, music theatre, cabaret, and theatre. She has served on the voice faculties of American Musical and Dramatic Academy College and Conservatory for the Performing Arts. Ventura College, Pepperdine University, and UCLA Ray Bolger Musical Theater Program.
Brooks Almy directs. A veteran performer of four Broadway shows and five years with the New York City Opera, her directing credits include Hair, Avenue Q, Beauty and the Beast, Chance Encounters, Silver Screen, and Toonsicals.
Technical director: David P. Johnson. Lighting design: Michael Lee. Stage manager: David Mingrino.
Proceeds from this one-night-only event will support the ongoing work of the Theatre West Musical Theatre Workshop.
Established in 1962, Theatre West is celebrating its 62nd year as the oldest continually running professional theatre company in the city of Los Angeles. It is a membership collective of actors, playwrights, directors, and technicians. Theatre West’s alumni members include Ray Bradbury, Beau Bridges, Richard Dreyfuss, Sally Field, Betty Garrett, Martin Landau, Lee Meriwether, Jack Nicholson, Carroll O’Connor, Sherwood Schwartz, Joyce Van Patten, and Paul Winfield. Theatre West has produced more than 300 plays and musicals. Of these plays, nearly 70% are original works developed in its workshops and many have led to Broadway, regional tours, and feature films including A Bronx Tale by Chazz Palminteri; A Very Brady Musical by Lloyd Schwartz and Hope Juber; Our Man in Santiago by Mark Wilding that transferred to Off-Broadway in the Fall of 2022; and our co-production of Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground that went to Broadway in 2023.. Theatre West is supported in part by The Ahmanson Foundation, California Arts Council, Peter Glenville Foundation, The Green Foundation, Kaplan-Loring Foundation, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors through the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment for the Arts, Lloyd E. Rigler-Lawrence E. Deutsch Foundation, Sidney Stern Memorial Trust, Dwight Stuart Youth Fund, and L.A. Parent Magazine.
