It sometime astonishes me the caliber of people who can end up working for peanuts on an L.A. stage.

I give you Tonya Pinkins, Tony award winning star of "Caroline, Or Change," "Jelly's Last Jam," "Radio Golf." A real heavy hitter, this lady. I've seen her in the aforementioned "Caroline" and in "Thoroughly Modern Millie" pre Broadway, "Play On!" Etc. Apparently she's been on the soap "All My Children" for the past 17 years playing attorney Livia Frye Cudahy. I mean, the lady seriously rocks. No less than Oprah Winfrey proclaims her one of the "Ten Women in America Who Will Take Your Breath Away."

Now, no knock on the Celebration Theatre or its production of the West Coast premiere of "As Much as You Can" -- which I fully intend to see -- but how does a small theater in Hollywood manage to secure an actress like Pinkins.

Enough gift horse staring. They have, and Pinkins will be in the Paul Oakley Stovall play beginning Friday and playing through Jan. 27. The play concerns an African American man bringing his Swedish boyfriend to meet members of his traditional A-A family during his brother's wedding. I'll let you know whether Pinkins is in breath removing form next week.

Tix are $34. Check out www.celebrationtheatre.tix.com, asmuchasyoucanla.com or call (323) 212-4119.