Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group presents the World-Premiere of Joe Musso's brutal story of love, lust, blood, and betrayal, set in New Orleans during the rampant onslaught of an apocalyptic Hurricane Katrina. Greta - a Bourbon Street stripper, lustfully played by Denise Devin, wants "The Prophet", passionately played by Phillip J. Wheeler, to die for his damnation of her seedy sinful ways. It's her criminally-minded street-smart husband Rod, powerfully portrayed by Boston Sturgis, who stands in her way.

Love. Lust. Betrayal. Murder! Zombie Joe's Underground's world premiere production of Vanessa Cate's 1940's Film noir-inspired thriller about a relentless private eye's search for the killer of Hollywood's leading lady and the psychological web of deceit he uncovers.

Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group Presents

Christmas Thrills and High Adventure

Zombie Joe's Underground Theatre Group
4850 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Showing through December 30th
Fridays at 11pm
Reservations (818) 202-4120
TIX: $15
www.ZombieJoes.com

It's that time of year when you untangle the Christmas lights, shop too much, eat too much, and enjoy life too much. I know-- there's no way to enjoy life "too much", but you can get pretty close in the NOHO Arts District. Need a push to get into the Christmas spirit? No problem, just check out Zombie Joe's "Christmas Thrills and High Adventures". It's a Christmas gift you must not miss.

Photo by Zombie Joe

Richard Nathan has wrapped up a delightful package of short holiday plays and songs. This sexy, zany, whacky collection of shorts spans Elizabethan times through sci-fi space travel. Denise Devin has directed (and creatively costumed) another batch of high-octane musical numbers and yule-tide fun.

Katherine Bowman sings "Santa Baby" with the full company in dance mode. Kevin Michael Shiley heads up a "Film Noir"- style detective caper. Zargots the Strong, and Floop the Clever discover the magic of Christmas in a mind-twisting fantasy. If you're up for a rootin'-tootin' western Christmas, Marshall John Stone, Gunman of the West will fill the bill; it's hard to not giggle at a mix of guns and yule-tide comedy. Need your buckle swhashed? "A Pirate Christmas with Captain Broderick Reef" will have you rolling around on the deck with laughs.

The full company provides a real show-stopper: Adam Sandler's outrageous "Chanukah Song" proves that there are many ways to rhyme with "Chanukah"

Of course, no Zombie Joe presentation would seem complete without vampires and werewolfs; and you won't be disappointed with "A Playhouse of the Damned Christmas".

In fact you won't be disappointed by anything during this hour of laugh-filled, cheerful Christmas joy. Arouse your yule-tide spirit at 11pm on Fridays through December 30th. It's a perfect aperitif after an evening out in the NOHO Arts District.

From the clever and inventive brain cells of David P. Johnson comes a witty and spooktacular musical, "Sally Spectre". Five year old Sally met her demise at the end of a hatchet, circa 1900 New Orleans. We find her trapped in a purgatory of her own mind, a place constructed by her memories, a child's bedroom with a few of her favorite toys. She cannot open the door--- she is trapped. When she looks out the window, the neighborhood kids scream and run away. She has nasty headaches now and then--- probably due to the hatchet that is embedded in her skull, which she is completely unaware of. She has accepted her fate of isolation and confinement, though she realizes that something is very wrong. Why has she not grown up or aged these last fifty years? Why can't she go outside? Why does her head hurt?

She copes with all this because her toys talk to her, they love and support her. They realize that she doesn't know the truth, but they also know that only she can face the facts--- they can't do it for her. The covered mirror by the toy box proves that she is not ready for the truth---yet.

Will she face the image in the mirror and free herself from this web of uncertainty?

This tasty book by David P. Johnson is reminiscent of Tim Burton's spooky stories. Designed for adults over about 9, it is a perfect balance of pathos, comedy, songs and fun. Replete with toy characters and wraiths, the fully talented cast is clearly Broadway caliber. The music is sophisticated, complex, and perfectly structured. Stephen Sondheim is lurking about within the bars, beats, and melodies of this delightful libretto. Enticing melodies, sweet harmonies, and clever lyrics make every song a show-stopper. The orchestra is comprised of Johnson at the keyboard, and his musical skills are nothing short of genius. Not one wrong note the entire evening, and it was completely memorized!

Janet Miller's direction and staging is tight and pithy. Every move and beat is exactly right. The costumes were designed by a cadre of experts, and perfectly enhances the fantasy. The simple set is a focused design that really placed us in the little girl's imagination.

Perfect for the halloween season, this show is a must-see. Strange and wonderful, sweet and macabre all at once, with rich and alluring music, this truly heartwarming fantasy beckons. Don't miss this. It evaporates on November 20.

Sally Spectre the Musical
NoHo Stages
4934 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91601
General Tix $25.00
Fridays at 8:30 pm
Saturdays at 8 pm
Sundays at 7 pm
www.sallyspectre.com

OK, what does "Celtic" mean? If you were to drop by T.U. Studios on a Monday evening to observe the goings-on, you might conclude that you were at a gathering of Irish folks celebrating their culture. But "Celtic" is a term with broader meaning. Celtic defines the cultures of (in alphabetical order) Brittany, Cornwall, Galicia, Ireland, The Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. And yes, Ireland is in the middle of it all.