BWW Reviews: 3DT's Eye-Popping TARZAN Musical Swings into the OC Jungle
OC's award-winning regional theater company 3-D Theatricals' latest effort is a remarkably admirable, visually-stunning iteration of Disney's TARZAN® THE MUSICAL that defiantly dazzles and entertains despite the inherent, unavoidable shortcomings of its licensed source material (a problematic book ...
BWW Reviews: Musical Theatre West Revisits the Glorious Feeling of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
As the cliche goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is perhaps partly the philosophy behind the rather faithful stage adaptation of the gloriously wonderful movie musical SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, now once again charmingly replicated in a smile-inducing local production at Musical Theatre West tha...
BWW Reviews: The Touring Company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Raises $10,000 for BC/EFA and The Actors Fund with its Magnificent Cabaret in LA.
The touring company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA performed a magnificent self-produced cabaret titled OSCAR UNMASKED, consisting of performances from Oscar winning songs and scores. In addition, audience members had the chance to bid on three items in a live auction. The cabaret raised about $10,000 ...
BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Orange County Offers a Multicultural ROMEO & JULIET
As an attempt to increase its cultural relevance, involve the community, and expand its audience base, Shakespeare Orange County's ROMEO & JULIET is an admirable venture. Directors Mike Peebler and John Walcutt have integrated several hometown groups to appeal to its neighboring communities: the Vie...
BWW Reviews: Desert Rose's VITAMIN Q is the perfect prescription to fight boredom and generate laughs
VITAMIN Q, a revue comprised of musical numbers by Eric Lane Barnes, now appearing at Desert Rose Playhouse, is hilariously funny and appropriate for gay-friendly audiences from teenagers on up....
BWW Reviews: High-Energy MOTOWN THE MUSICAL Entertains O.C. with Non-Stop Hits
For nearly three vigorous hours, MOTOWN - THE MUSICAL provides one helluva show. More like a CONCERT rather than your typical book musical, this dazzling, high-octane extravaganza of music and dance is a visual and aural feast that gamely crams in more than 60 hits from the groundbreaking record com...
BWW Previews: FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE Has Its California Preview at Desert Theatreworks
Desert Theatreworks presents the California premiere of the new romantic comedy FUNNY LITTLE THING CALLED LOVE, at the Arthur Newman Theatre, in Palm Desert, beginning June 19, 2015....
BWW Reviews: La Mirada's Jolly MARY POPPINS Is A Charming Delight
The charming new regional production of the Disney/Cameron Mackintosh musical spectacular MARY POPPINS---currently playing at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through June 21---has found a lovely, practically perfect Poppins in Hart of Dixie's Brandi Burkhardt, who confidently channels ...
BWW Reviews: Storm the Barricades to See Theatre Royale's Brilliant Production of LES MISERABLES
A brilliant production of LES MISERABLES by Theatre Royale appeared at the Fox Performing Arts Center in Riverside. In addition to top-notch performances, the production of LES MIZ features stunning visuals....
BWW Reviews: Clever, Imaginative PETER AND THE STARCATCHER Flies Into South Coast Rep
Let's first get this very necessary accolade out of the way: South Coast Repertory's brand new production of Rick Elice's PETER AND THE STARCATCHER is, hands down, one of the most enjoyable, most thrilling, and most engagingly imaginative plays I have seen all season---a fitting capper to the Tony A...
BWW Reviews: Adorable ANNIE Returns In (Another) New Tour
A safe, inoffensive, cutesy crowd-pleaser for the young and the young-at-heart, the brand new non-Equity touring revival of the Broadway classic ANNIE is eager to please and pretty much does so. The show is, by all accounts, a cute if standard-issue charmer, filled with hummable ear-worm music (via ...
BWW Reviews: South Coast Rep Stages World Premiere of Rajiv Joseph's MR. WOLF
South Coast Repertory's latest offering, MR. WOLF---now on stage in Costa Mesa through May 3---is a high-quality presentation of an intriguingly audacious if not quite fully-gestated new world premiere play from Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph, the playwright behind the celebrated BENGAL TIGER ...
BWW Reviews: New GUYS AND DOLLS Tour Charms OC
Surprise! This brand new, non-equity national tour of GUYS AND DOLLS---currently onstage at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts for a limited week-long run through April 19---is a winning, nicely-nicely done charmer. Of course, it helps a lot that this traveling production comes equipped ...
BWW Reviews: Admirable Regional Production of LES MISERABLES Storms into MTW
So. Cal audiences should check out Musical Theatre West's rather admirable regional production of LES MISERABLES, which continues its limited run at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach through April 26, 2015. This highly-commendable, local production features a superb-sounding 30-pers...
BWW Reviews: South Coast Rep Debuts Witty World Premiere Play OF GOOD STOCK
Filled with relatable humor, wit, and plenty of fiercely sarcastic dialogue and gasp-lite melodrama, OF GOOD STOCK explores the layered, often contentious relationship between a trio of sisters who have decided to gather together at their family's gorgeous ocean-side summer home for a little weekend...
BWW Reviews: Coyote StageWorks Debuts in its New Home with the Howlingly Funny BUYER & CELLAR
Coyote StageWorks' BUYER & CELLAR is howlingly funny, brilliantly acted, and cleverly staged. Playwright Jonathan Tolins alternatively skewers Barbra Streisand and sympathizes with her through Alex More, the main character -- all characters are played by Emerson Collins -- after Alex takes a job in...
BWW Reviews: South Coast Rep Serves Up World Premiere of TOKYO FISH STORY
In playwright Kimber Lee's hushed yet absorbing sushi-making drama TOKYO FISH STORY---now having its World Premiere production at Costa Mesa's Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory through March 29---centuries of painstaking tradition are... well, rapidly showing its age against the progress of m...
BWW Reviews: Jane Monheit Presents Stunning Tribute to Judy Garland
Any opportunity to catch two-time Grammy-nominated international jazz superstar and frequent favorite BroadwayWorld Cabaret Award-winner Jane Monheit bring her talents to a local venue outside of New York (and even nearby Los Angeles) is its own cause for celebration. That was certainly evidenced by...
BWW Reviews: Desert Rose's THE DIVINE SISTER is Indeed Divine, Especially for Those who Love Oddball Comedy
Charles Busch's one-act comedy, THE DIVINE SISTER, appearing at the Desert Rose Playhouse, in Rancho Mirage, is a divine parody of nun movies and a zany comedy. It is almost impossible to describe the over-the-top story, but the production is hilarious and well worth seeing....
BWW Reviews: CVRep's Production of LA GRINGA Features Superb Acting, Directing, and Production, but the Script is Weak
CVRep's new production of LA GRINGA is brilliantly acted and brilliantly directed. The set design and other technical aspects of the production are also superb. However, Carmen Rivera's script is mediocre, because this 'comedy' is not funny....
BWW Reviews: Desert Theatreworks' NUNSENSE: THE MEGA-MUSICAL is Silly, Irreverent, and Lots of Fun
Desert Theatreworks (DTW), one of the Coachella Valley's nonprofit theatre companies, is presenting the hilarious musical comedy, NUNSENSE: THE MEGA-MUSICAL. Dan Goggin's musical farce contains clever wordplay and groaner puns. The show as DTW presents it is silly, irreverent, and highly enjoyable....
BWW Reviews: MEMPHIS at Fox PAC has Great Singing and Dancing but Something is Missing
The national tour of MEMPHIS features superb choreography and musical direction, as well as top-notch singing, dancing, and acting by the supporting case. However, despite the show's considerable strengths, the lead actors turn in mediocre performances, reducing the touring version's overall appeal...
BWW Reviews: Tony Winner John Lloyd Young Croons in OC Valentines Concert
For John Lloyd Young's special Valentine's weekend cabaret concert titled 'My Turn'---which continues at the Samueli Theater on the campus of Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through February 14---the Tony Award-winning star of JERSEY BOYS presented an hour-long set of love songs, both...
BWW Reviews: Cathy Rigby Leads 3-DT's Fun-Filled SEUSSICAL Musical
A charming, fun-filled musical comedy performed with cheery, infectious gusto, 3-D Theatricals' top-notch regional production of SEUSSICAL - THE MUSICAL is a laugh-out-loud, smile-a-minute spectacular for all ages! Featuring Cathy Rigby reprising her Broadway/National Tour role as The Cat In The Hat...
BWW Reviews: Stage Adaptation of DIRTY DANCING Makes O.C. Debut
Of the multitude of recent film-to-stage adaptations that have risen from the video dust bin to breathe new life in a different guise, the stage version of DIRTY DANCING---whose first national tour is now gyrating inside Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through February 15---is by far one...
Videos
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The Book of Mormon (Non-Equity) Segerstrom Center for the Arts (12/29-1/03) |
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UB40 Fred Kavli Theatre (10/25-10/25) |
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Ah Ha! Bluebird Park (6/06-6/06) PHOTOS VIDEOS |
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Gorillaz Oakland Arena (10/28-10/28) |
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Segerstrom Center for the Arts (7/05-7/25) |
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The Book of Will Curtis Theatre (6/12-6/21) |
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Jekyll & Hyde the Musical Rose Center Theater (6/12-6/28) |
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The Sound of Music Segerstrom Center for the Arts (6/02-6/14) |
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Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Segerstrom Center for the Arts (7/11-7/25) |
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Fremont Ave. South Coast Repertory (4/25-5/23) |
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