Group Rep’s new musical revue “L.A. Now and Then” is a love letter to L.A., the city that was and the city that is.

The Group Rep is proud to present “L.A. Now and Then,” a brand new musical revue celebrating the City of Angels, its past and present, directed by Bruce Kimmel, with musical direction by Richard Allen, produced by Kathleen Delaney and Doug Haverty for the Group Rep.

While the musical review is about Los Angeles, the show will hit home no matter where you’re from – cities may differ, the details may differ, but the shared experiences are universal.

“L.A. Now and Then” is a valentine to Los Angeles past and present. So, whether you’re a native, a transplant, or a visitor, hop onboard for a wonderful ride through a most unique city.

A development workshop production of “L.A. Now and Then” was performed at Los Angeles City College with professional guest performers and students in 2016. Since then, the show has been revised and honed for a full-on production at the Group Rep.

Here’s what the critics had to say about the LACCA workshop production:

“A beautiful, heartfelt love letter to the city’s past.” – Rob Stevens/HainesHisWay

“What a lovely surprise!… mightily informative, nostalgic, and fun show… I sincerely hope that Bruce Kimmel will move this show to another theater… It is a show most worthy of that kind of attention.” – Don Grigware/BroadwayWorld & GrigwareTalksTheatre

“Producer/Director/Writer Bruce Kimmel scores a hometown-home run with his newest endeavor…one of the most intriguing musical revues in recent memory…with over a dozen contributing collaborators of the highest pedigree, L.A. Now and Then tell the tales of the west coast metropolis with such an enthusiastic eagerness, you can’t help but become emotionally involved…nothing less than a spectacular sentimental journey. All aboard. You’re in for one hell of a ride!” – State of the Arts / LA Talk Radio

“An unabashed, entertaining celebration of the City of Angels, Bruce Kimmel’s L.A. Now and Then is a loving look at Los Angeles, full of nostalgia and wonder…exuberant, lyrical and elegiac…excellent tunes showcasing L.A. from the 1940s until now. Told as much through gorgeous, vintage photographs as through songs and sketches, …covers such topics as movie palaces, the Helm’s Bakery Man, C. C. Brown’s, vintage kids’ TV shows, Walt Disney and historic preservation. Striking visuals really make the lyrics pop.” – Mary Mallory/Tolucan

The current production of “L.A. Now and Then” at the Lonny Chapman Theatre features all new songs written by L.A. based composers and writers, with sketches, dances, a cast of 15 performers, and a live band, set against a backdrop of projections in a love letter to L.A. celebrating the city in a way that’s never been experienced before.

Composers and writers include:

Music and lyrics by Michele Brourman, Grant Geissman, Bruce Kimmel, Shelly Markham, Amanda McBroom, Wayne Moore, Adryan Russ, Richard M. Sherman, and The Sherman Brothers (Academy Award-winner Richard M. Sherman contributed his song, “The Whimsey Works,” a touching and beautiful tribute to Walt Disney and his studio at the time when Mr. Sherman worked there with brother Robert.). Sketches and monologues are by Bill Fitzhugh, Doug Haverty, Bruce Kimmel and David Wechter.

Cast features the talents of:

Bita Arefnia, Lottie Arnold, Lisa Dyson, Harrison Fahn, Liz Grannis, Haruna Kajino, Marcel Licera, Danika Masi, Hisato Masuyama, Alariza Nevarez, Alec Reusch, Jeffrey Rockwell, Margaret Staedler and Tamir Yardenne.

The Band:

The band is under the musical direction of Richard Allen who is also on Keyboard, with Ken Zambello on Bass, Ed Smith on Drums, Matt Havesh on Guitar, Brandon Wilkins on Reeds and Bob O’Donnell on Trumpet.

The Production Team includes:

Bruce Kimmel (Director), Kathleen Delaney (Assistant Director), Richard Allen (Musical Director), Lanny Meyers (Orchestrations), Cheryl Baxter (Choreographer), Tesshi Nakagawa and Pawena Sriha (Set Design), Michael Mullen (Costume Design), Sammy Strittmatter (Sound Design), Tesshi Nakagawa and Doug Haverty (Projections), Bita Arefnia (Stage Manager), Doug Haverty (Graphic Design), Kristin Stancato (Online Marketing), and Kathleen Delaney and Doug Haverty (Producers).