Garry Marshall Theatre Presents
EARTH TO SQUIGGY
A Rock ‘n’ Roll Musical Comedy Event!
Starring Natalie Lander & Alex Ellis
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19 at 8PM
SOLD OUT
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21 at 8PM
SOLD OUT
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 22 at 8PM
12 TICKETS REMAINING
Earth to Squiggy: A Lenny & The Squigtones Musical stars Natalie Lander (The Middle, The Search for Elle Woods) and Alex Ellis (Titanique, Harbor Party), and is conceived by Lander, daughter of the late David L. Lander, best known as ‘Squiggy’ from the groundbreaking TV series Laverne & Shirley, celebrating its 50th anniversary in January 2026.
With a book by Natalie Lander, Alex Ellis and Matthew Leavitt, and songs originally written and performed by Michael McKean and David L. Lander, Earth to Squiggy is a rock ‘n’ roll musical comedy event.
As the new musical unfolds, Squigronica and her best friend Leni go on an out of this world journey of comic plot twists and lyrical hijinks. The World Premiere musical is inspired by the cult classic live album Lenny & The Squigtones by David L. Lander and Michael McKean, and pays loving homage to the unforgettable duo of ‘Lenny and Squiggy,’ and passes the baton to a new comedic pair.
Produced and presented by Garry Marshall Theatre, Earth to Squiggy is a rock musical that is equal parts throwback, camp, and heartfelt tribute. As Squigronica and Leni embark on a quest to reconnect with a famous father, the evening becomes a joyous reminder that rock 'n' roll can be weird, laughter is timeless, and connection is what it's all about. It's ‘comedy with a beat.’
PERFORMANCES
WED, NOV 19 - 8pm
FRI, NOV 21 - 8pm
NEW SAT, NOV 22 - 8pm
Running Time 60 minutes
Tickets*: $65-$75
CREATIVE TEAM
Joseph Leo Bwarie, Christine Lakin, Matthew Leavitt, Musical Director, Adam Bravo. Sound Designer, Robert Arturo Ramirez. Lighting Designer, JM Montecalvo. Garry Marshall Theatre Director of Production, Vince Davey. Garry Marshall Theatre General Manager, Giselle Vega.
LENNY & SQUIGGY CHARACTER HISTORY
The characters of Lenny and Squiggy—or Lenny and Anthony to superfans—were first dreamed up by Michael McKean and David L. Lander in college. Unbeknownst to them, what started as a dorm-room act between friends would, years later, leap from the campus hallway to prime-time television.
The weekend before cameras began rolling for the Happy Days spin-off Laverne & Shirley, Penny Marshall called Lander. Excited about the new sitcom but sensing there was something missing, Penny had an idea. She asked if he and McKean would come to a Laverne and Shirley series “pickup” party in character and perform for the writers and creators including her brother Garry.
Knowing McKean might hesitate, Lander knew his pitch: if they did even one episode, they’d qualify for unemployment benefits the rest of the year. McKean agreed.
That night at the party, ‘Lenny & Anthony’ went off without a hitch and the next day, Garry Marshall called asking if they could come to Paramount on Monday and write “those guys” into the first episode.
That casual living-room performance at Penny Marshall’s house turned out to be the break of a lifetime—one that would launch their careers and forever cement Lenny and Squiggy as comedy icons.
NATALIE LANDER
Natalie is an actress, writer, and producer from Los Angeles. The daughter of the late David L. Lander (Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley), she grew up in a show business family and began acting at a young age. She studied theatre at Pepperdine University, earning her B.A., and has since built a multifaceted career across television, stage, voiceover, and digital media.
On screen, Natalie has appeared in recurring roles on The Middle (ABC), Lopez (TV Land), and Major Crimes (TNT), with guest spots on Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), Étoile (Amazon), 13 Reasons Why (Netflix), 911: Lone Star (FOX), Castle (ABC), Hannah Montana (Disney), and more.
In voiceover, she starred as “Goldie” in Disney Jr.’s Goldie & Bear and has voiced characters in Justice League Action, Spider-Man, Craig of the Creek, Animaniacs, and major video games including Saints Row, Final Fantasy, God of War, and Fire Emblem.
As a writer and producer, Natalie co-created digital series for AwesomenessTV and New Form Digital. Her acclaimed one-woman musical comedy Legally Brunette: The Search for Myself, based on her time on an MTV reality competition show, has sold out multiple runs in Los Angeles and New York.
Natalie recently appeared in a pilot starring Jason Alexander and David Paymer, and completed filming a horror indie feature alongside Julie Benz, Busy Philipps, and Ron Perlman.
Outside of her career, Natalie is active with the nonprofit The Art of Elysium and serves as a board member of SHARE Inc., helping raise funds for children’s charities in Los Angeles.
ALEX ELLIS
Originally hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, Alex has carved a dazzling path through NYC and Los Angeles. From Broadway stages to TV screens, to animated worlds, Alex has done everything—except, apparently, sleep.
Broadway credits include Catch Me If You Can, Legally Blonde, One a Clear Day, They're Playing Our Song and Thoroughly Modern Millie. She created and starred in the role of Rose Dewitt Bukater in the Off-Broadway hit musical, Titanique , which recently won the Olivier award in the Westend, as well as the Lucille Lortel Award for Best Musical.
She’s graced the TV screen on hits like The Goldbergs, The Unicorn, Man with A Plan, Hollywood Darlings, and Hot in Cleveland. She voiced the iconic role of Cosmina on Disney’s Vampirina as well as Jenna on Nickelodeon’s The Loud House , as well as voices on World of Warcraft and Red Dead Redemption. She was also a part of the CBS Diversity Showcase, featuring up and coming comedic actors in Los Angeles.
Alex also fronts LA’s premiere Yacht Rock tribute band called Harbor Party (featured many times on Bravo & NPR). Alex also writes, shoots, and produces her own films, including a poignant short about mental health featuring none other than Grammy-nominated rapper Petey Pablo called “Who Am I?”. Eleven film festivals later (premiering at the esteemed Hip Hop Film Festival in Harlem) Alex Ellis doesn’t just dream big—she delivers.
Alex is absolutely thrilled to be alongside Natalie in this heartfelt tribute! Catch her on Instagram at @aellis3 or deep in the world of her magical, multimedia empire at www.thealexellis.com.
MATTHEW LEAVITT
A life-long Los Angeles native, Matthew is an award-winning playwright, director and librettist, and is the co-artistic director of The 6th Act Theatre Company. His debut play The Boomerang Effect is published by Samuel French/Concord Theatricals and has enjoyed productions throughout the US and the UK. Other plays include, The $5 Shakespeare Company, which was recognized as an LA Times Critics’ Choice, and Sukkot which recently had its World Premiere at The Skylight Theatre. He has also been commissioned twice by LA Opera to write the librettos for two new operas, Orpheus and The Wreck of the Miranda (both collaborations with award-winning classical and film composer Nathan Wang).
Directing credits include Hamlet (The 6th Act, winner of ‘Best Director of a Play’ Stage Scene LA), Legally Brunette (World Premiere - The Garry Marshall Theatre in LA, 54 Below in NYC), Sonnets From Suburbia (Edinburgh Fringe Festival, 59E59 in NYC), Outside Mullingar (The Matrix Theatre and The Skylight Theatre), The Brothers Abelson Since 1946 (World Premiere - Electric Lodge), The Scorpion and the Frog: a time killer (World Premiere - Hollywood Fringe Festival), Showstopper (World Premiere - Whitefire Theatre), Barfly Shakespeare (The 6th Act), Twelfth Night (Village Green Productions), The Taming of the Shrew (Village Green Productions), Arrival (Sci-Fest LA), and Goes The Weasel (Ammunition Theatre Company).
He is also an enormous “Lenny and The Squigtones” fan and is overwhelmingly honored and ecstatic to be a part of this show with the incredible Natalie and Alex.