LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

Marry Me a Little starts strong with a pretty perfect “Two Fairy Tales” and seems to lose a bit of steam as it goes on....

The knives are lethal and the cuts are man...With Bert Emmett fronting an equally enthusiastic and bloodthirsty cast, the Group Rep’s NETWORK is equal parts rollicking, disturbing and thought-provoking....

The Wedding Singer is a delightful retro romantic comedy musical at the Colony Theatre in Burbank through June 29th.  Confectionary light, with killer choreography and eye-candy 1980s costumes and sets, The Wedding Singer is a big whipped cream dollop of pure joy. ...

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...

This production is erotic, evocative, lean as a bone and, at a certain point, leaves HAMLET behind entirely. Director Robert O'Hara (SLAVE PLAY, BARBECUE) cracks HAMLET open, exposes it to the sun and then keeps on probing....

The production by Chance Theater, directed brilliantly by Shinshin Yuder Tsai, is lyrical, riveting, and provocative.  The Chinese Lady is also surprisingly, darkly funny....

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....

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...

A dopey story combined with campy acting, an uninteresting score and a general air of corniness halt this sloppy mashup of history and mythology in its tracks....

Ultimately, I liked SAW The Musical for its weirdness. But even as a horror-loving theater nerd, I didn’t quite fall in love. For me, this bloody musical parody didn’t quite slay....

Featuring a cast who seamlessly transport us to a working-class Dublin community in 1964 – with music to match – ANW’s production spotlights not just its leading player, but pens a love letter to the lure of the stage...

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

Annie is a charming classic musical at the Dolby Theatre through May 18th.  This touring production of Annie has a fantastic cast, iconic songs, and a soaring optimism and pure-heartedness that feel rejuvenating....

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

Sometimes there are ideas so asinine that they circle back around and become genius again. That’s Widdle Women, and Alcott would be thrilled enough people signed off on this that it is seeing the light of day....

Fostered is a must-see world premiere comedy at Pacific Resident Theatre in Venice.  The spirit of silliness and fun is bubbly and infectious.  How often do we get to enjoy something sexy, smart, funny and effervescent, like a classic, delicious Woody Allen sex comedy?  The roars of audience lau...

Tenderly staged by director Fidel Gomez, the docudrama boils our stomach juices more over the circumstances of our country than over what we witness being played out among the central characters....

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...

Puppetry and movement director Finn Caldwell is the genius who has really elevated the show, bringing a delightful cast of animals to life in surprisingly realistic and emotional ways....

The piece feels like a sophisticated relative of Cirque du Soleil and, with a striking funeral procession, a chorus of women villagers, and a revolving quartet of confessions, somehow also lands like a well-worn gem of musical theatre....

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....

The clock is ticking, in the moment and in a greater sense, and a.k. payne’s characters can’t fully enjoy the luxury of a deep restorative breath. So neither, in this haunting but quite tender play, should we....

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....

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...