Cary Ginell

What did our critic think of THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG at 5-Star Theatricals?

Musical Theatre Guild, the Los Angeles-based company that produces staged readings of long-forgotten, rarely seen musicals, has done it again with a stellar and highly entertaining production of the 1970 musical Applause. 

A delightful way to kick off Christmas week weas this offbeat radio play production of Charles Dickens' classic short story.

Musically superb, a faulty book prevents 'Million Dollar Quartet' from being one of the best rock musicals of all time. Four musicians perform as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash in a shows inspired by an impromptu Memphis recording session in December 1956.

What did our critic think of HAIRSPRAY at Scherr Forum Theatre? 5-Star Theatricals' production of Hairspray, which opened October 10 at the Scherr Forum Theatre in Thousand Oaks, is the bubbly, effervescent morality tale about civil rights in Baltimore in the early ’60s that won Tony awards for best musical, book, and score.

In 2013, we saw a performance of West Side Story at Calabasas High School and took note of the young actor Landen Starkman, who was playing the part of A-Rab. Three months later, we saw him again in a summer theater production of Seussical and this time, he delivered a remarkably nuanced performance as Horton the Elephant, singing a heartfelt version of the song 'Alone in the Universe.'

'Beautiful Noise' is a better-than-average jukebox musical about the career of superstar singer-songwriter Neil Diamond, presented as an aged Diamond goes through psychoanalysis with a therapist.

5-Star Theatricals uses low-angle lighting to highlight the decadence of pre-Nazi era Berlin, but the performances are not as bold as previous productions of 'Cabaret' have been. Sean Samuels plays The Emcee as if he were a Chippendale's dancer while Emily Goglia channels Glynis Johns rather than Liza Minnelli as Sally Bowles.

What did our critic think of PETER PAN AND TINKER BELL: A PIRATE'S CHRISTMAS at Scherr Forum Theater?

Little Shop of Horrors, the musical version of the 1960 cult film classic, has been as indestructible as Audrey II, its ravenous man-eating, soul music-loving plant. The 1986 remake, starring Rick Moranis, was the basis for the Broadway musical, which actually got its start before the Moranis remake, in an Off-Broadway production four years earlier. Since it finally reached Broadway in 2003, it has become a mainstay in regional and community theatre. The show's success can be traced to its Alan Menken/Howard Ashman score, a love letter to early '60s pop styles, including doo-wop, Motown, soul, and Phil Spector girl groups (the three-female members of the Greek chorus that hover in nearly every scene are named Crystal, Ronette, and Chiffon in Spector's honor). 

An interview with acclaimed director Richard Israel about the forthcoming 5-Star Theatricals production of 'The Sound of Music'

We had the opportunity to talk with actor Justin Mark, who plays the oldest of Finch's children, Jem.

Kimberly Demmary is a talented playwright and actress who has had a number of plays make their debuts on Ventura County stages. Her latest is SHE, an anthology of four stories that all take place in a Victorian house in San Francisco. The story deals with four women who live there in the 1960's, 1990's, 2002, and present-day.

Million Dollar Quartet, the show inspired by a legendary Sun Records jam session in 1956, was an unlikely hit when it made its Broadway debut in 2010. Although it was based on an actual event, the musical takes liberties with what actually went on during that memorable day in order to create a more appealing show. If you take that into account, you can ignore the show’s numerous exaggerations, anachronisms, and falsehoods, because it is simply enormously entertaining. The show opens this Friday for a two-weekend run at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks.

What did our critic think of OLIVER! at Bank Of America Performing Arts Center? As the earliest Broadway musical ever to feature children playing major roles, Oliver! usually bristles with youthful excitement. But despite being marketed as a family-oriented musical, Oliver! is really inappropriate for younger audiences, and it was uncomfortable listening to parents trying to explain to their small children at intermission why that nice girl Nancy loves the bully Sikes and how being successful in picking people's pockets is a positive career move.

What did our critic think of GOLDIE HAWN at Bank Of American Performing Arts Center?

On July 30, Ingram premiered his play, Sage, a deeply personal slice of life about an old man on a park bench and the various characters that he encounters, either in passing or who come to sit beside him on the bench.

What did our critic think of CINDERELLA at 5-Star Theatricals?

A superb production marks the 25th anniversary of the Broadway debut of 'Ragtime.' One weekend remains for this outstanding performance by 5-Star Theatricals in Thousand Oaks.