Harker Jones - Page 2

A double feature from Pamela Eberhardt showcases her caustic wit and emotional depth

When PARADE debuted on Broadway in December 1998 it won Tonys for Best Book and Best Original Score and six Drama Desk Awards. The 2023 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards itself, winning two. Now touring, the show, based on a true story, is in Los Angeles through July 12. And while it takes place 1913–1915, it is still just as relevant today as it was a century ago.

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is hitting new highs this year, and with 416 shows to choose from, there’s something for everyone. The sheer number of shows means there is essentially no way to see them all, but I’m giving an overview and mini reviews of some of them. This is part one.

Roston’s choreography is evocative and sensual with diaphanous and whimsical qualities, and she finds the perfect setting for each sequence as romantic dusk fades into ominous twilight.

Elizabeth Reaser gives a career-defining performance under the creative direction of Jennifer Chang in this utterly delightful triumph at the Pasadena Playhouse

Director Carolyn Ratteray infuses the poignant memory play with shards of humor that undermine the story’s power and its heartbreak

While the nature of truth is always complicated, the difference between right and wrong should not be. Gernand’s electrifying story may not change minds, but ideally it will make some think.

a.k. payne’s West Coast premiere of FURLOUGH’S PARADISE is a lyrical look at envy, resentment, and perspective, and it serves a reminder that there is always hope even if offered only as glimmers.

While a complicated and creative adaptation, the production ultimately suffers from a lack of energy and a tonal inconsistency that is hard to reconcile.

Scott Thompson and Fred Barton plumbed legendary composer Harold Arlen’s catalog to create the dazzling world premiere jukebox musical ONE FOR MY BABY playing now at the El Portal Theatre in North Hollywood.

BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL is smart, silly, and full of heart. Its expansive and inclusive ideas are not preached, they are sown. And it is another home run from the ever-reliable Open Fist Theatre Company.

This is just another gem of a production that should not fly under the radar. The Theater 68 Arts Complex in North Hollywood is an unsung space that consistently offers up intimate and challenging material.

The classic show is revived to hysterical effect with excellent directing, staging and acting

The themes in DEATH OF A SALESMAN are universal and timeless, though that doesn’t mean they always resonate. Firmer direction and better sound would have elevated this production so that it landed with more heft.

NIGHTINGALE is by turns stark, humorous, shocking, and devastating, revealing truths and realities obliquely but with the power of blunt force.

At a brisk 80 minutes, the rock opera flies by in a flash of opulence and sin with an infectious joie de vivre

The Road Theatre’s 2024–2025 season opener, Marlow Wyatt’s ROBBIN, FROM THE HOOD, is a smart and sensitive look at two kids in the projects of an unnamed tropical American city who strive for more.