Shari Barrett - Page 12

Shari Barrett

Shari Barrett, a Los Angeles native, has been active in the theater world since the age of six - acting, singing, and dancing her way across the boards all over town. After teaching in secondary schools, working in marketing for several studios, writing, directing, producing, and performing in productions for several non-profit theaters, Shari now dedicates her time and focuses her skills as a theater reviewer, entertainment columnist, and publicist to "get the word out" about theaters of all sizes throughout the Los Angeles area.

As a 20-year member of the Board of Directors for Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse, one of the thriving community theater groups in Los Angeles, as well as writing for Broadway World LA, Stage and Cineme, and as the Stage Page columnist with Lan Newspapers, Shari is dedicated to promoting theaters of all sizes in the city. Shari has received recognition from the City of Los Angeles for her dedication of heart and hand to the needs of friends, neighbors and fellow members of society for her devotion of service to the people of Los Angeles, and is honored to serve the theater world in her hometown.




LEARN MORE ABOUT Shari Barrett

First Show:

South Pacific

Favorite Show:

Man of La Mancha

Favorite Stories:



BWW Spotlight Series: Phil Brickey – Actor, Director, Rock Musician, and an Elementary Theatre Teacher Learning to Take his Classes Online
BWW Spotlight Series: Phil Brickey – Actor, Director, Rock Musician, and an Elementary Theatre Teacher Learning to Take his Classes Online
March 28, 2020

This Spotlight focuses on Phil Brickey, an actor, director, rock musician and Elementary School Theatre teacher who was one of the first directors for whom I produced a 2006 show for Kentwood Players at the Westchester Playhouse. That show was George Washington Slept Here which required a double level set to be constructed as the home being renovated had to look totally dilapidated in Act 1 and beautifully restored in Act II. Quite a feat of stagecraft thanks to set designer Grant Francis.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Brandon Ferruccio – Fulfilling Every Actor's Dream to Direct Plays
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Brandon Ferruccio – Fulfilling Every Actor's Dream to Direct Plays
March 28, 2020

This Spotlight focuses on Brandon Ferruccio, who started out an as actor only to discover his real passion was to direct plays, especially with all female casts or with a strong feminine lead character. He has directed many productions at Theatre Palisades, Westminster Playhouse, Whittier Community Theatre, The Warner Grand in San Pedro, El Camino College, and the James Armstrong Studio Theatre in Torrance. And soon he will be adding the Westchester Playhouse to the list of theaters in which he has directed productions.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Tanya Alexander – Spoken Word Artist and Lead Actor in HUMAN INTEREST STORY at the Fountain Theatre
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Tanya Alexander – Spoken Word Artist and Lead Actor in HUMAN INTEREST STORY at the Fountain Theatre
March 27, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World Los Angeles which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Tanya Alexander, a spoken word artist and writer of poetry and music, who I recently reviewed in her leading role in HUMAN INTEREST STORY at the Fountain Theatre in Hollywood, in which she plays Jane Doe, an anonymous homeless woman plucked from a park bench and made a media celebrity.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Ronnie Marmo – An Actor, Director, Producer, Playwright, and Artistic Director of Theatre 68 in NoHo and NYC
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Ronnie Marmo – An Actor, Director, Producer, Playwright, and Artistic Director of Theatre 68 in NoHo and NYC
March 27, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World Los Angeles which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Ronnie Marmo, an actor, director, producer, playwright, and Artistic Director of Theatre 68 who has been touring the country with his dynamic solo show I'm Not A Comedian...I'm Lenny Bruce. I attended the show more than once and was excited to hear the news of its New York City and Chicago production dates, which of course are now on hold.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Melanie MacQueen – An Actress and Playwright Who Found Her “Home Base” Directing Plays at Theatre 40
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Melanie MacQueen – An Actress and Playwright Who Found Her “Home Base” Directing Plays at Theatre 40
March 27, 2020

This Spotlight focuses on Melanie MacQueen, an actress and playwright who found her a?oeHome Basea?? directing plays at Theatre 40, who I recently saw in that group's annual production of THE MANOR in which she and her real-life husband, Daniel Leslie, portray married couple Senator Alfred Winston and his long-suffering wife Cora. The pair are so perfectly cast in the roles that no doubt they will continue playing these two characters for as long as the annual production at Greystone Mansion runs! But now she is waiting to find out what happens to her latest directing project, the world premiere of TAMING THE LION which was forced to close after just a few performances in mid-March.

BWW Spotlight Series: Philip McBride – A Musical Theater Triple-Threat Actor and All-Around Stage-Savvy Guy
BWW Spotlight Series: Philip McBride – A Musical Theater Triple-Threat Actor and All-Around Stage-Savvy Guy
March 26, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World Los Angeles which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Philip McBride, a musical theatre triple-threat actor and all-around stage-savvy guy who I have seen in many productions all over town. His skillful comic timing and brilliant smile light up the stage and his respect for others earns him accolades from everyone with whom he creates theatre magic.

BWW Spotlight Series – Meet Gregg Lawrence, a Versatile Actor Who Commands the Stage and Screen with Larger-Than-Life Characters
BWW Spotlight Series – Meet Gregg Lawrence, a Versatile Actor Who Commands the Stage and Screen with Larger-Than-Life Characters
March 26, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series on Broadway World Los Angeles which features interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Gregg Lawrence, a versatile actor who commands the stage as larger-than-life, fully-embodied characters.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Anzu Lawson - Asian-American Actress, Playwright, Stand-Up Comic, and Yoko Ono Doppelganger
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Anzu Lawson - Asian-American Actress, Playwright, Stand-Up Comic, and Yoko Ono Doppelganger
March 25, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of am the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Anzu Lawson, an Asian-American Actress, Playwright, Stand-Up Comic, and Yoko Ono doppelganger who I first met during the 2014 Hollywood Fringe Festival.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Actors Paul and Alicia Luoma Who Met in NYC and Moved West to Pursue Their Mutual Passion for the Performing Arts
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Actors Paul and Alicia Luoma Who Met in NYC and Moved West to Pursue Their Mutual Passion for the Performing Arts
March 25, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of am the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on married couple and soon-to-be-parents Paul and Alicia Luoma who met in NYC and moved to L.A. together to pursue their mutual passion for the Performing Arts.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Peter Miller – a Musical Theater and Voiceover Actor Who Spends Time as a Theme Park Carnival Barker
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Peter Miller – a Musical Theater and Voiceover Actor Who Spends Time as a Theme Park Carnival Barker
March 24, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of am the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight focuses on Peter Miller, a Musical Theater and Voiceover Actor Who Spends Time as a Theme Park Carnival Barker.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Kristin Towers-Rowles – An Award-Winning Director, Triple-Threat Actress, and Granddaughter of Screen Legend Kathryn Grayson
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Kristin Towers-Rowles – An Award-Winning Director, Triple-Threat Actress, and Granddaughter of Screen Legend Kathryn Grayson
March 24, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of am the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? This Spotlight Series interview features Kristin Towers-Rowles, an Award-Winning Director, Triple-Threat Actress, and Granddaughter of Screen Legend Kathryn Grayson.

BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Susan Stangl - Director, Sound Designer, Actress, Singer and Medical School Professor
BWW Spotlight Series: Meet Susan Stangl - Director, Sound Designer, Actress, Singer and Medical School Professor
March 24, 2020

With the current theatre world on hiatus, I have created a Spotlight Series of interviews with some of the many talented artists who make our Los Angeles theatre community so exciting and vibrant thanks to their ongoing contribution to keeping the arts alive in the City of the Angels. And like all of us, how are they dealing with the abrupt end of productions in which they were involved? Today I would like to introduce you to Susan Stangl: Director, Sound Designer, Actress, Singer and Medical School Professor

BWW Review: Be Ready to Play Your Part Creating a HOME in the Past, Present and Future at The Broad Stage
BWW Review: Be Ready to Play Your Part Creating a HOME in the Past, Present and Future at The Broad Stage
March 7, 2020

The Eli and Edythe Broad Stage in Santa Monica is presenting the Southern California Premiere of HOME, created by Geoff Sobelle and directed by Lee Sunday Evans, who won a 2018 Bessie Award for Outstanding Production.

BWW Review: Ballet BC Presents a Contemporary and Emotionally Impactful ROMEO & JULIET at The Soraya
BWW Review: Ballet BC Presents a Contemporary and Emotionally Impactful ROMEO & JULIET at The Soraya
March 4, 2020

In a first for Ballet BC, the new full-length work delves into a thought-provoking retelling of the classic that resonates today, capturing audiences with its deeply human story and enduring themes of love and family. a?oeThe vision of love that Shakespeare gave us in this master work is very precious. It is like holding a jewel in your hand that needs to be protected,a?? according to choreographer Medhi Walerski. And he certainly has succeeded.

BWW Interview: Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass on Their Journey to THE CLAIRVOYANTS EXPERIENCE, Landing in La Mirada on 3/14
BWW Interview: Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass on Their Journey to THE CLAIRVOYANTS EXPERIENCE, Landing in La Mirada on 3/14
March 3, 2020

After performing in over 100 sold out casinos throughout the United States and touring worldwide, The Clairvoyants are kicking off 2020 with a brand new interactive live show in which audiences will be involved throughout the show and will experience the magic in their minds and hands. In addition to never before seen tricks, The Clairvoyants Experience will feature the duo's dog, Mr. Koni Hundini, as part of the show taking place on Saturday, March 14 at 8:00 pm at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, 14900 La Mirada Blvd. in La Mirada. To prepare myself for The Clairvoyants Experience, I wanted to find out more about Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass, the two extraordinary clairvoyants who are taking the world by storm.

BWW Review: SWEET LAND Site-Specific Opera by The Industry at LA State Historic Park
BWW Review: SWEET LAND Site-Specific Opera by The Industry at LA State Historic Park
March 1, 2020

The Industry is presenting its site-specific world premiere of SWEET LAND at the LA State Historic Park near downtown Los Angeles, with the city's skyline seen prominently during the outdoor production. With Music by Du Yun and Raven Chacon, Libretto by Douglas Kearney and Aja Couchois Duncan, the production directed by Cannupa Hanska Luger and Yuval Sharon, unravels narratives surrounding American identity on the site when a new Arrivals ship runs aground on the shore and they encounter a community of The Hosts, those natives to the land. The story is an important one to be told about the history of invaders who have taken over land where indigenous people live, even in our own backyard, and destroyed not only the land but the people who loved it.

BWW Review: THE ANDREWS BROTHERS Jukebox Musical Recreates a WWII USO Show Somewhere in the South Pacific
BWW Review: THE ANDREWS BROTHERS Jukebox Musical Recreates a WWII USO Show Somewhere in the South Pacific
February 25, 2020

THE ANDREWS BROTHERS sung-through musical is sure to please those who remember the 1940s first-hand, or those of us who appreciate the song stylings of those bygone days. According to Bean, a?oeHere we create the atmosphere of a rag-tag USO team a?' a very real organization with an important and impressive history a?' sing songs familiar to many in the audience, and try to live up to the memory of a legendary singing group.a?? And thanks to the talented, triple-threat performers, Kelley Dorney, Michael D'Elia, Max DeLorch and Grant Hodges, no matter what goes wrong, the show must go on!

BWW Review: Timely New Play HUMAN INTEREST STORY Focuses on Homelessness, Celebrity Worship and Truth in American Journalism
BWW Review: Timely New Play HUMAN INTEREST STORY Focuses on Homelessness, Celebrity Worship and Truth in American Journalism
February 24, 2020

This thought-provoking testament to the universal struggle of living day-to-day in a society whose apathy seems to know no bounds for the down-and-out will grab your attention and keep you at the edge of your seat as Jane Doe's story unfolds. Tanya Alexander's magnificent ability to morph herself from a homeless woman in dirty clothing, sitting on a park bench holding a sign stating a?oeI am NOT Invisiblea?? allows us to see where she has been and how much she really desires to pick herself up by her bootstraps and do whatever is necessary to survive. As she achieves celebrity status, Alexander opens to heart and soul and lets us see into Jane Doe's guilt of having survived when others have not. And as Jane Doe's fortunes rise, Alexander is costumed to perfection in lovely, form-fitting dresses designed by Shon LeBlanc that would allow Jane Doe to shine anywhere.

BWW Review: CAN'T PAY? DON'T PAY! Comically Reflects the Growing Social and Economic Divide Plaguing America
BWW Review: CAN'T PAY? DON'T PAY! Comically Reflects the Growing Social and Economic Divide Plaguing America
February 22, 2020

This wildly funny satirical farce questions why, in a world of bailed-out banks and overpriced prescription drugs, theft is only a crime when it is committed by those truly in need, centering on humble housewife Antonia (Kaili Hollister) who joins a revolt of women at the local supermarket as they are all hungry and fed up by rising prices and stagnant wages. Determined to live with dignity and rejecting an austere diet of dog food and birdseed which is about all Antonia can afford to buy on her husband Giovvanni's (Jeremie Loncka) wages working on the production line at a local factory, the women's protest escalates and looting ensues.

BWW Review: Four Larks FRANKENSTEIN World Premiere Almost Totally Incomprehensible but Entertaining to Watch
BWW Review: Four Larks FRANKENSTEIN World Premiere Almost Totally Incomprehensible but Entertaining to Watch
February 21, 2020

The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Four Larks present their World Premiere production of FRANKENSTEIN, created by Four Larks after Mary Shelley's classic novel, from Wednesday, February 12 through Sunday, March 1, 2020, in The Wallis' Lovelace Studio Theater. This unusual Frankenstein, commissioned by The Wallis, is an exuberant amalgamation of dynamic physical theatre, live music and experiential design that brings the tale to life in a modern take that spotlights the dangers of unregulated technology. Sourced predominantly from Shelley's novel in conjunction with its 200th anniversary, the production awakens new questions about moral responsibility for each generation. That description drew me to see the show, but in all honesty, I found the storyline as presented completely incomprehensible. But yes, it was entertaining to watch the talented cast of twelve...



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