News on your favorite shows, specials & more!

Costa Mesa Interviews

The latest interviews about live + streaming theatre in Costa Mesa.

LISTEN: Podcaster Ashton Marcus and Roberto Williams Discuss George Orwell's 1984
by Ellen Dostal - November 23, 2022


Roberto Williams stars as the 'Courage is Cowardice' Winston in George Orwell's 1984 at the Grand Annex, San Pedro. Enjoy!...

LISTEN: Podcaster Ashton Marcus and A.J. Holmes Discuss YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN
by Ellen Dostal - September 29, 2022


A.J. Holmes stars as the hilariously eccentric Dr. Frederick Frankenstein in Young Frankenstein at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts....

Listen: Podcaster Ashton Marcus and Jared Machado Discuss AMERICAN IDIOT
by Ellen Dostal - August 03, 2022


Jared Machado discusses his portrayal of Johnny in the musical American Idiot at Chance Theater....

Listen: BWW Podcaster Ashton Marcus and Benjamin Perez Discuss IN THE HEIGHTS at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
by Ellen Dostal - June 08, 2022


Director Benjamin Perez (as Kevin Rosario - whether it's shoe polish or his daughter’s education, he knows the right investment) discusses the character he plays in IN THE HEIGHTS at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts....

Kristin Chenoweth's For The Girls & Everybody Else
by Gil Kaan - October 16, 2021


Broadway favorite Kristin Chenoweth returns to Segerstrom Center for the Arts with an evening of songs October 23, 2021. Kristen will be performing heartfelt tributes to some of her female friends and heroines with tunes from her most recent album For The Girls....

LISTEN: BWW Podcaster Ashton Marcus and TL Forsberg Discuss THE BOOK THAT WON'T CLOSE
by Ellen Dostal - August 24, 2021


Actress, TL Forsberg (Olivia in Switched At Birth) discusses the character she plays in THE BOOK THAT WON’T LOSE: CONFESSIONS OF A LOVE ADDICT at Broadwater Black Box. ...

LISTEN: BWW Podcaster Ashton Marcus and Willow Geer Discuss JULIUS CAESAR
by Ellen Dostal - August 23, 2021


Actress, Willow Geer discusses the character she plays in JULIUS CAESAR at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Enjoy!...

Listen: BWW Podcaster Ashton Marcus and Jackie Nicole Discuss A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM
by Ellen Dostal - August 10, 2021


Actress, Jackie Nicole discusses the character she play in A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM at the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. Enjoy!...

Songstress/Songwriter Extraordinaire Ann Hampton Callaway Riffs on Linda, Liz, Barbra & More
by Gil Kaan - July 05, 2021


Segerstrom Center for the Arts presents for one performance only ANN HAMPTON CALLAWAY THE LINDA RONSTADT SONGBOOK July 25, 2021. The platinum singer/songwriter will demonstrate her take on some of Linda’s classic songs with her melodious vocals. Ann will be backed by Trey Henry on bass, MB Gordy on ...

The GOING DARK Series - The Stories behind the COVID-19 Impact on the Performing Arts
by Adrienne Proctor - March 18, 2020


The GOING DARK Series continues with three more UCO performing arts students. Their take on the impact of COVID-19 and the response of theatres around the world to postpone and cancel all shows for the foreseeable future is here in an honest and unfiltered interview. These are the human stories behi...

Scott Coulter Helms The Latest Iteration Of Michael Childers' One Night Only
by David Green - February 10, 2020


Michael Childers' presents One Night Only benefitting the Barbara Sinatra Children's Center. a?oeThe Way We Were: Songs of the '70'sa?? features the best of Broadway and pop music from that era, for one performance only on April 22 at 6:30 pm, at The McCallum Theatre. With Direction & Choreography b...

Fran Drescher of SCHMOOZING WITH FRAN at Outlandish Palm Springs
by David Green - October 09, 2019


Outlandish launches its third season on Saturday, October 12 with America's favorite Nanny Fran Drescher, performing a show for the first time in Palm Springs. In a?oeSchmoozing With Fran Dreschera??, the legendary actress/comedian/activist shares, in her unique voice, both hilarious and poignant st...

A Conversation with Matt Walker and Beth Kennedy, the King and Queen of Troubie Land
by Ellen Dostal - May 02, 2019


When it comes to developing a loyal fan base, Troubadour Theater Company has found the secret: do outstanding work, stay true to your aesthetic, and give the people what they want - a great time at the theater. Artistic Director Matt Walker started the troupe and, with the help of longtime friend an...

We Play 20 Questions with ALADDIN's Clinton Greenspan
by Michael Quintos - March 10, 2019


The national tour of the hit stage adaptation of Disney's ALADDIN has finally arrived in Orange County, playing a three-week engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through March 23, 2019. The talented, terrifically nimble actor that can currently be found in the title role wearin...

RENT'S Joanne, Lencia Kebede, Talks The 20th Anniversary Tour At The McCallum Theatre and More
by David Green - February 06, 2019


The McCallum Theatre presents the 20th Anniversary Tour of Rent for five performances, Friday, February 8, through Sunday, February 10. In 1996, an original rock musical by a little-known composer opened on Broadway and forever changed the landscape of American theatre. Two decades later, Jonathan L...

BWW Interview: The King Of The Forest! Nick Pearson Opens Up About Playing The Cowardly Lion In THE WIZARD OF OZ At The McCallum
by David Green - January 10, 2019


The greatest family musical of all time, The Wizard of Oz, travels over the rainbow to Palm Desert for five performances at the McCallum Theatre. Performances are Friday, January 25, at 8:00pm; Saturday, January 26, at 2:00pm and 8:00pm, and Sunday, January 27, at 2:00pm and 7:30pm. This magical pro...

Michael Childers Brings A Star-Studded Tribute To Andrew Lloyd Webber To Palm Springs in April
by David Green - December 13, 2018


Celebrated Producer Michael Childers will bring his latest edition of One Night Only to The McCallum Theatre on April 24, 2019 with a star-studded cast including Christine Andreas, John Barrowman, Liz Calloway and more. This season's ONO is a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber and proceeds will benefit ...

Christine Toy Johnson Utilizing the Arts To Make You COME AWAY More Knowledgeable & Compassionate
by Gil Kaan - December 12, 2018


Already a few cities into their 27-city national circuit, the touring company of COME FROM AWAY has landed in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson. Helmed by its Tony Award-winning director Christopher Ashley, COME FROM AWAY runs through January 6, 2019. Still fresh and reeling from the audience's passiona...

Pasquale Esposito Opens Up About His Incredible Career, PBS Specials And His Upcoming Concert At The Annenberg
by David Green - November 29, 2018


Italian Tenor Pasquale Esposito returns to The Annenberg Theatre, located at The Palm Springs Arts Museum, for his fifth appearance on December 7 at 8:00 pm. The concert celebrates Italian Piazzas and is the live version of his newest PBS special. I had the opportunity to catch up with Mr. Esposito ...

NOT THAT JEWISH! A Chat With Comic Monica Piper As She Prepares For Her One Woman Show In Palm Springs
by David Green - November 07, 2018


JFS Desert is proud to present an incredible afternoon with Emmy® Award winning comedy writer and stand-up comic Monica Piper for one performance only. This dynamic comedian who has written for Roseanne, Mad About You, Veronica's Closet and was the head writer of the #1 children's animated series Ru...

Catching Up With Dezart Performs' Artistic Director Michael Shaw As He Prepares To Kick Off Eleventh Season With CHURCH AND STATE
by David Green - November 06, 2018


Award-winning Dezart Performs opens it's eleventh season in the desert with the 'serious comedy' CHURCH AND STATE on November 9 at The Pearl McManus Theatre in donwtown Palm Springs. Production notes state: 'Three days before his bid for reelection, a Republican U.S. senator makes an off-the-cuff co...

Julie Makerov and the Fine Art of Balancing Music and Life
by Ellen Dostal - November 05, 2018


How does a busy soprano balance career, family, motherhood, and art? If that soprano is Julie Makerov, it's all about scheduling and planning ahead of time. Makerov, who will be appearing as one of four soloists with LA's Verdi Chorus this weekend at First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica, sa...

DEAR EVAN HANSEN's Ben Levi Ross & Jessica Phillips Connecting Truthfully
by Gil Kaan - October 18, 2018


DEAR EVAN HANSEN, the winner of six Tony Awards (including Best Musical) makes its second stop of its 23-city national tour at the Ahmanson Theatre with opening night set for October 19, 2018. I had the opportunity to sit down with two of the leads of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. I joined Ben Levi Ross (Evan H...

Pageant Of The Masters Artistic Director Diane Challis Davy Shares Her Vision Of An Incredible Summer UNDER THE SUN
by David Green - August 17, 2018


The world-famous Pageant Of The Masters, a theatrical celebration of great art recreated in tableaux vivants, and celebrating its' 85th anniversary of 'living pictures' as part of Laguna Beach's Festival of Arts, is in full bloom in Laguna Beach, with performances nightly through September 1. This s...

TENOR James Chiao Making His Mannequins Work BY NIGHT
by Gil Kaan - August 09, 2018


A mannequin manufacturer by day, James Chiao will be fulfilling his dream with the world premiere of his musical TENOR BY NIGHT September 22, 2018 at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood (with preview performances at the Rose Center Theater in Westminster, August 17 through 26). James took two s...

CHICO'S ANGELS Turn The Heat Up At Oscars Cafe And Bar In Palm Springs
by David Green - June 12, 2018


The south of the border hotties, Chico's Angels, will make their Palm Springs debut with their hour-long variety show VIVA LAS CHICAS!: Chico's Angels Variety Hour. The show stars the heavenly trio Kay Sedia, Frieda Laye, Chita Parol & Bossman. VIVA LAS CHICAS opens tonight, June 12, and runs for th...

THE SHOW GOES ON! Broadway,Television And Screen Icon Kaye Ballard Talks About Her New Documentary Film And More
by David Green - June 04, 2018


On May 20, The Camelot Theatre in Palm Springs previewed an incredible new documentary, 'The Show Goes On', about the life and career of Broadway, Film and Television Icon Kaye Ballard to a 'more than full house'. In fact, two theatres were opened for the screening since demand far exceeded the numb...

Grammy Winner Melissa Manchester Is LIVE AT THE MCCALLUM With The Coachella Valley Symphony
by David Green - May 03, 2018


Grammy Winner Melissa Manchester Joins The Coachella Valley Symphony for a very special 'one night only' concert that will feature her greatest hits and more on Saturday, May 12 at 7:00 pm at The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert. Ms. Manchester may be best known for her hits 'Midnight Blue', 'Wheneve...

The McCallum's President/CEO Mitch Gershenfeld Talks Upcoming 2018-19 Season And More
by David Green - April 10, 2018


The McCallum Theatre recently announced its new lineup as it begins its fourth decade of presenting world-class artists and entertainers for Coachella Valley audiences. The new season includes McCallum debuts, iconic superstars, family-friendly entertainment, holiday sensations, and an outstanding r...

Producer/Director Chad Hilligus Talks Upcoming WEST SIDE STORY IN CONCERT And More
by David Green - March 02, 2018


The McCallum Theatre presents WEST SIDE STORY: IN CONCERT for five performances Friday, March 9 through Sunday, March 11. This classic musical is being exclusively produced by the McCallum Theatre as part of its Leonard Bernstein Centennial Celebration. Produced and directed by Chad Hilligus, the li...

At Home at the Garry Marshall Theatre with Joseph Leo Bwarie
by Ellen Dostal - November 08, 2017


Theatres have a way of becoming an artist's second home. It doesn't matter if you are a director, designer, actor, or volunteer the countless hours you invest and the close proximity in which you do your work often create friendships that last a lifetime. And each time you step back through those ...

In-Depth with Michael Michetti, Man of the Hour
by Ellen Dostal - October 19, 2017


Director Michael Michetti is the man of the hour. He has directed some of LA's most compelling productions and, for the past fifteen years, helped The Theatre @ Boston Court become one of the premier theatres for new and innovative work. He currently has a trio of shows on his directing calendar tha...

Robin S Opens Up About Her Music Career And Her Headlining Engagement At Halloween Palm Springs
by David Green - October 12, 2017


Robin S, one of the most prolific dance artists of our time and Billboard Dance Chart Topper known for her mega hits 'Show Me Love' and 'Luv 4 Luv' will headline Halloween Palm Springs on Arenas Road Tuesday, October 31 from 5:00-10:00p.m. I had the chance to catch up with Robin to talk about her u...

Stephen Schwartz On Bringing PRINCE OF EGYPT to the Stage, Working With His Son Scott & More!
by Alan Henry - September 25, 2017


The first stage production of THE PRINCE OF EGYPT, based on the Dreamworks animated feature, will premiere next month at TheatreWorks Silicon Valley....

BWW Feature: Strong Women Get Their Due on Stage in August
by Ellen Dostal - August 11, 2017


If you were captivated by the film Hidden Figures and its story of the women known as 'human computers' who saved John Glenn's NASA space mission, get ready for Lauren Gunderson's play SILENT SKY, opening this month at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center....

Kate Shindle Talks Tour Life with FUN HOME The Musical
by Michael Quintos - August 01, 2017


Broadway's Kate Shindle---currently traveling the country playing Allison Bechdel in the first national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical FUN HOME---is not only an accomplished singer, actor and dancer, she is also a published author and an outspoken activist. In 2015, Shindle was also elected ...

Meet the Producers of A LITTLE NEW MUSIC
by Ellen Dostal - April 11, 2017


It takes a village to create a new musical. And it takes a village like A LITTLE NEW MUSIC to give musical theatre writers a place to showcase new material while their Broadway-hopeful shows are in development. Meet Peter Welkin, Christopher Maikish, Luke Klipp, Amy Francis Schott, and Kila Packett ...

OC's Segerstrom Center Welcomes Charles Busch in THE LADY AT THE MIC
by Michael L. Quintos - March 06, 2017


Making his Segerstrom Center for the Arts debut, Tony Award® nominee Charles Busch is bringing his unique and critically-acclaimed talents to the Samueli Theater March 9-11, 2017 as part of Segerstrom Center's Cabaret Series. Entitled THE LADY AT THE MIC, Busch will enchant audiences in this intimat...

Interview: Before The Parade! A Conversation With Michael Childers About His Upcoming HELLO JERRY! In The Desert
by David Green - February 24, 2017


The last remaining tickets are on sale for the desert's most anticipated annual star-studded concert event, Michael Childer's 'One Night Only', benefiting Jewish Family Services Of The Desert (JFS), to be held Thursday, April 20, 2017 at The McCallum Theatre. This 10th season's theme is 'Hello Jerry...

Get Happy! LORNA LUFT Opens Up About The Judy Garland Songbook And More
by David Green - February 09, 2017


The McCallum Theatre presents 'Lorna Luft Sings the Judy Garland Songbook' on Tuesday, February 14, at 8:00pm. Lorna Luft's career has encompassed virtually every area of entertainment. A celebrated live performer; stage, film and television actress; best-selling author; recording artist and Emmy-no...



Videos


Siempre Selena LA: A Tribute to Selena
Phantom Projects Theatre at La Habra Depot (6/22 - 6/22)
48th Annual Sholund Scholarship Concert in Costa Mesa 48th Annual Sholund Scholarship Concert
Musco Center for the Arts Main Stage (5/11 - 5/11)
Pageant of the Masters 2024 Production - “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion” in Costa Mesa Pageant of the Masters 2024 Production - “À La Mode: The Art of Fashion”
Festival of Arts (12/4 - 8/30)
Prelude to a Kiss, the Musical in Costa Mesa Prelude to a Kiss, the Musical
South Coast Repertory (4/5 - 5/4)
Disney's Beauty and the Beast in Costa Mesa Disney's Beauty and the Beast
Rose Center Theater (6/28 - 7/14)
Aladdin in Costa Mesa Aladdin
Segerstrom Center for the Arts (5/7 - 5/12)
Funny Girl in Costa Mesa Funny Girl
Segerstrom Hall (5/28 - 6/9)
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