Audrey Liebross

The Bent, the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ theatre company, is presenting its first musical, A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE, written by Terrence McNally (book), Stephen Flaherty (music), and Lynn Ahrens (lyrics). The writers and composer have put together a moving book, lyrics, and score that create a deeply affecting and emotional story, with just enough hilarity to soften the upsetting moments. The brilliant acting, singing, directing, and design make this show a must-see.

California Cabaret held a highly enjoyable presentation in Sun City, in memory of Sheri Borax, wife of the founder. The concert was a benefit for Hadassah.

BEEHIVE: THE 60’s MUSICAL, playing at Desert Theatreworks (DTW) is a revue, meaning that it has no real story. However, director, choreographer, and musical director Lance Phillips presents the show as what I would call a “jukebox documentary”.

THE GRADUATE, Desert Theatreworks’ current farce, which also contains elements of heavy drama, is, in my opinion, a must-see, both because of the writing and because of DTW’s casting, acting, directing, and staging.

The Bent, the Coachella Valley’s LGBTQ+ theatre, is presenting a wonderfully directed and acted and technically superb dramedy, IN THE WAKE, by Lisa Kron. The play is well-written and generates lots of laughs and lots of pathos, although I consider it a bit too wordy. Still, it is well worth seeing.

Neil Simon’s LAUGHTER ON THE 23rd FLOOR is a brilliant comedy with a great deal of bite, but without the underlying tone of sexism aimed at entitled women that Simon’s work sometimes displays. Desert Theatreworks (DTW) presents a top-notch production with an A-list cast that more than does justice to the script. I found the production hilarious and urge everyone to attend.

Desert Ensemble Theatre’s (DET’s) world premiere production of DISPERSION OF LIGHT, a historical drama by Richard Rubin, is, as usual, brilliantly directed and acted and technically superb. Mr. Rubin has written a dark psychological study that requires a great deal of thought on the audience’s part. The production is a must-see.

A DOUBLEWIDE, TEXAS CHRISTMAS is loaded with groaner puns and double entendres, the physical humor is anything but highbrow, and the characters are loony, with the audience frequently howling with laughter, especially during the insane second act.

Desert Ensemble Theatre’s (DET’s) first offering for 2025-26, THE ROOMMATE, a one-act two-person dramedy written by Jen Silverman, is, as is common for DET, brilliantly directed and brilliantly acted. This season will be its last, and it is clear that DET intends to go out with a bang.

I went on a fabulous cruise to Alaska on the Celebrity Solstice, through Seth Rudetsky’s Broadway Vacations. The best part was interacting with Seth, his husband (James Wesley) and the three other Broadway stars: Donna McKechnie, James Monroe Iglehart, and Ann Hampton Calloway. The scenery was impressive as well.

Desert Theatreworks has done a fabulous job with its final presentation of the season, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, a one act, two-character, mostly sung-through musical by Jason Robert Brown. Mr. Brown's take on the disintegration of a marriage, which unfolds before the audience's eyes and ears in eclectic musical styles, is emotionally powerful. The music, performed live by a keyboard and violin, and the superb on-stage performances in the production, help make this one of the most memorable shows I've seen.

Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) hilarious production of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG generates uproarious laughs at least once or twice a minute; I actually wanted the laughs to slow down because laughing so much made me cough. This show is a must-see.

Desert Ensemble Theatre (DET), has once again scored with its last production of the 2022-23 season. FUTURE THINKING, primarily a comedy albeit with serious moments, features fine acting and directing, a clever set and costumes, and a rich story that takes place at a geeky fan convention.

Christine Michele, a 36-year-old Coachella Valley native, is ready to try her hand at professional musical theatre, in New York City. She has been accepted into a two-week summer intensive course at the Actor Therapy workshop, ActorTherapyNYC.com, founded by Tony award winner Lindsay Mendez and Ryan Scott Oliver, an award winning composer and lyricist. She has created a Go Fund Me page to raise money for the program, https://gofund.me/3a4e4d43.

Desert Theatreworks showcases its talented cadre of singers, dancers, and comedic actors in its current production, the musical comedy JIMMY BUFFETT'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. Director Lance Phillips and musical director Douglas Wilson have done a superb job with this jukebox musical that features Buffett's tunes. A cast of twenty dances enthusiastically to excellent original choreography by rising Coachella Valley star Anthony Nannini, and impressively pulls off both sweet folk rock songs and belted numbers. The performances and strong visuals from the designers result in an enjoyable, cheerful evening, with numerous stand-out moments.

Desert Ensemble Theatre has done it again with its world premiere production of Rich Rubin's KAFKA's JOKE: It has put on a brilliantly acted theatrical experience that cause audiences to laugh, to feel the craziness of the situations that the characters face, and to keep thinking about the play long after it has ended. In short, director Jerome Elliott Moskowitz has come up with DET's latest must-see production.

I had a great time attending Desert Theatreworks' terrific production of Agatha Christie's THE MOUSETRAP. I am unsurprised that the directing, acting, and technical aspects of the show are fabulous -- that is DTW's modus operandi. The script leaves the audience guessing and laughing. This production is top-notch.

Desert Ensemble Theatre is presenting the Southern California premiere of Aren Haun's comedic drama, KILL THE EDITOR. As is usual with DET, the directing, performances, and technical aspects of the production are top-notch. What lowers the presentation from a 'must see' to a B or B+ is that, in my opinion, the script has some flaws.

If you’ve seen the original NUNSENSE, which consists of hilariously stupid (stupidly hilarious?) jokes and songs, you’ve seen NUNSENSE A-MEN! — same book and lyrics, same music, and same characters, but with a twist: The cast is entirely made up of men. DTW’s performers play their roles STRAIGHT rather than as if they were part of a drag show; if they wore stage makeup at all, they applied it with a light touch. Their earnestness adds to the hilarity, for example when rubber-faced, diminutive Raul Valenzuela glares at Charles Harvey’s Mother Superior, and the tall Mother Superior glares back. The even more diminutive Larry Martin, playing postulant Mary Leo, is a dentist in real life; he performs an excellent ballet routine. DTW veterans Mark Demry and Michael Hamlin round out the cast. They, too, are DIVINE; this ensemble cast works together seamlessly. They ace the singing and dancing (ballet, Broadway-style, and tap), and their chemistry is terrific.

There is a great deal of enthusiastic singing and dancing by a large, energetic cast in Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) production of WHITE CHRISTMAS, with book by David Ives and Paul Blake, and songs and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Daniela Ryan directed this production, which features two choreographers - Stacy Casaluci-Grenrock, assisted by teenaged veteran DTW member Violet Feath (who also serves as dance captain) for the tap numbers.