One of the top priorities of Carla Werner, an up-and-coming
singer and musician from New Zealand, is comfort.
“I don’t wear shoes on stage. You have to feel
comfortable when you’re performing, and I can’t stand
wearing shoes when I sing,” Werner said.

With instruments poised and fingers itching in anticipation, the
members of the Latin Jazz Ensemble eagerly wait for their director
Bobby Rodriguez to signal to them, inviting them to join the
groove.

With the pop-based “Moulin Rouge” and recent
box-office hit “Chicago,” it’s easy to see the
audience of musical theater is changing. However, John Hall,
producer and director of the UCLA Musical Workshop’s
production of “The Wild Party,” shows his regard for
tradition.