COSTA MESA THEATER REVIEWS

Filled with a seemingly non-stop parade of awww-shucks delivered puns—of both super naughty and super corny varieties—the show, for lack of a more eloquent description, is so frikkin silly and stupid in the best possible ways a comedy can get. Mind you, this isn't an insult at all—the show is ...

Now presenting an even more over-the-top follow up compared to their first go-round in THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG staged here last February, the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts and McCoy Rigby Entertainment revisit the earnestly bumbling folks at the fictional Cornley Polytechnic Drama Socie...

An intermission-less, two-character, conversational-centric play that focuses on a pair of women's specific immigrant experiences—marked with loneliness, hopes, fears, and puzzlements big and small—Pulitzer Prize finalist Lloyd Suh's absorbing, touching, and occasionally (thankfully) very funny ...

After making a splash when it first visited the OC back in 2022, MOULIN ROUGE! - THE MUSICAL—the dazzling, Tony Award-winning 2019 Broadway stage adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's groundbreaking 2001 movie musical—is back full throttle at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa for a limited wee...

During the recent opening night performance of Musical Theatre West's vibrant new production of the 10-time Tony Award-winning 1964 musical HELLO, DOLLY!, the enthusiastically appreciative audience might as well have chanted 'Hello, Tami!' judging from the reactions during the show's finalé bows. M...

The current fragile state of, arguably, one of our country's most important founding documents—and whether or not some of our current leaders are legally following it—seems to be top of mind these days, which bodes well for the timely arrival of Chance Theater's latest production, playwright Hei...

Still quite a rousing crowd-pleaser—offering empathy and kindness as its main endearing ingredient— La Mirada Theatre's brand new, 'non-replica' production of the Tony-winning musical COME FROM AWAY is a superb, rather enjoyable new Broadway-caliber production that is as every bit as appealing a...

When it comes to the Hollywood Bowl's Summer 2025 production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber / Tim Rice classic rock musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR—which opened August 1 for three sold-out performances playing throughout the weekend—there are just not enough superlatives to bestow upon one of the mos...

Overall, A BEAUTIFUL NOISE—now on stage at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through August 10, 2025—comes off as guaranteed musical candy for Neil Diamond devotees, thanks to its current form as a polished, tidy, nostalgia-baiting jukebox musical loaded with familiar hits, sprinkles ...

Bursting with powerful, beautifully-rendered musical performances and emotionally-stirring characterizations from a terrific ensemble cast, Chance Theater's incredible-sounding, fiercely-acted, deeply searing new production of SPRING AWAKENING is, according to this critic, one of the best, most sati...

Musically entertaining though rather light on narrative heft, Musical Theatre West's otherwise rousing, concert-like new production BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY—now on stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through July 27, 2025—is a straightforward, nostalgic jukebox music...

To kick off the official start of its 2025 season, one of the world's most iconic venues, the Hollywood Bowl, welcomed more than 10,000 guests on the evening of June 7, 2025 for its opening night concert 'An Evening With Hugh Jackman,' featuring the celebrated Australian-born stage-and-screen star p...

Touted as the first 'non-replica' regional production of this Disney stage musical mounted in Southern California, La Mirada Theatre's fresh iteration of FROZEN - THE MUSICAL still has plenty of Disney-esque magic to offer young and old audience members alike seeking to revisit the land of Arendelle...

There is definitely an easy-to-surmise draw behind the now-touring version of the Tony Award-winning play LIFE OF PI, now currently enchanting audiences at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through June 15, 2025. Filled with innovative visual trickery and remarkable, human-powered pu...

Set in the part of the 'real' Hawaii that tourists are unlikely to ever see, THE STAIRCASE—the World Premiere play from Noa Gardner directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch—is an admirable new play that features a superb acting ensemble, relatable themes, beautifully authentic cultural representation, a...

Filled with catchy, pop-infused songs, engaging characters, vibrant choreography, and a not-so-subtle message of female empowerment and self-confidence, LEGALLY BLONDE - THE MUSICAL is back in SoCal in a brand new, awesomely-entertaining, Broadway-caliber regional production at the La Mirada Theatre...

Now ten years old, HAMILTON—which was birthed during a more welcoming time when such a creative, innovative endeavor felt like a step in necessary progress—still lives up to its initial hype, but also now feels more groundbreaking and particularly poignant than ever before....

In celebration of the 50th Anniversary of two groundbreaking, iconic musicals CHICAGO and A CHORUS LINE, Segerstrom Center for the Arts in association with Spot-On Entertainment presented a one-nigh-only star-studded concert featuring the music of John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Marvin Hamlisch. The line...

With a notable career that spans stage and screen, musically-gifted actor Cheyenne Jackson delivered a wonderfully charming, wickedly hilarious OC solo debut set during his three-night run at Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Samueli Theatre from April 10-12, 2025. Backed by the superbly talented Will...

Poignant, hopeful, sardonic, jubilant, and hilariously wicked, YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE END OF THE WORLD! is a brilliant new World Premiere play that revels in its eccentricity yet, thankfully, doesn't quite shield you from genuine, gut-wrenching emotions that tug at your heart strings. Buoy...

For Musical Theatre West's new, winning large-scale production—now on stage at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through April 13, 2025—director Kari Hayter and a company of terrific performers have revived the musical in an expected, true-to-the-classic staging, bursting with t...

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from experiencing RENT - IN CONCERT—a symphony orchestra-backed concert version of Jonathan Larson's iconic musical which recently played to a full-capacity crowd for a one-night-only performance on March 15, 2025 at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa—...

For his debut OC cabaret engagement, Broadway actor Claybourne Elder—who recently played Andy in the Tony Award-winning 2021 revival of Stephen Sondheim's (mostly) gender-bent COMPANY—brought his witty charm and sublime musicality to Segerstrom Center for the Arts' Samueli Theater for three perf...

Fresh off her final set of performances in the L.A. transfer of the new Broadway revival of ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, the two-time Tony Award winning stage and screen star recently returned to Orange County, CA for a one-night-only sold out concert at the Irvine Barclay Theatre accompanied by music dire...

For two weekends in a row in January 2025, Segerstrom Center for the Arts presented some powerhouse talents from the world of Broadway to their enjoyable Cabaret Series. First up was the returning Jason Robert Brown, the Tony Award-winning composer of musicals such as PARADE and THE LAST FIVE YEARS ...