LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

It takes an awfully long time to get to the point in Philip Whitchurch's original one act play directed by Julia St. John. Set during a fictional night in the lives of William Shakespeare (played by Whitchurch) and his wife Anne (Sally Edwards) at their home in Stratford-upon-Avon, the story reveals...

By now, we all know that new laws have been enacted which allow the first born, whether male or female, of the reigning heir to the British monarchy to be named that person's successor. This new move to equality of the sexes when it comes to being named the crown was perhaps initially started by ...

The west coast premiere of playwright Anna Ziegler's A DELICATE SHIP receives a sturdy launching by The Road Theatre Company. A DELICATE SHIP centers on a romantic Christmas Eve that Sam and Sarah anxiously plan to spend together alone. Right off the bat, Philip Orazio and Paris Perrault smoothly es...

Filled with one amazing powerhouse vocal performance after another, ONE HAND, ONE HEART: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF BERNSTEIN is a musical theater lover's treat of a concert, celebrating the legacy of one of music's most influential musicians and composers of the last century, Leonard Bernstein. Featuring...

Featuring a remarkable, awards-worthy, tour-de-force performance by actor John Tufts that will easily win you over no matter what your personal tastes or beliefs or politics may be, this admirable new regional production of Doug Wright's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play I AM MY OWN WIFE---beauti...

In FREUD'S LAST SESSION, playwright Mark St. Germain has written an intricate, very detailed script of what he imagines as a chance meeting between Dr. Sigmund Freud and C. S. Lewis. Set in 1939 London the day England entered World War II, the two very well-read men debate on the existence of God. W...

Fans of Orange is the New Black certainly enjoy watching the escapades of female inmates stuck together in prison as they attempt to understand each other and either try to get along or attempt to dominate each other. Marja-Lewis Ryan's fourth original production at The Lounge, entitled BUGABOO & T...

Based on the books by P.L. Travers and the classic Disney film, MARY POPPINS delighted the audience of all ages, although the 3-hour run time may be a bit of a challenge for very young children. It tells the tale of everyone's favorite nanny who arrives on the doorstep of the Banks' home on London's...

Since 2003, Hologram USA has delivered more than 700 successful projects, making groundbreaking strides in how people experience live events and communicate with each other using dynamic, cutting edge Holographic 3D technology. Their holographic experiences allow audience members to sit in a theater...

Led by Director/Musical Director/Costume Designer Anne Gesling, along with Choreographer Lauren Blair, the Y.E.S. musical production for November/December 2017 was A WINTER'S TALE, and I can tell you these two talented women worked miracles with a cast of 39 young performers already at the triple-t...

Thanks to director Gloria Gifford, who retains Shakespeare's text while augmenting the proceedings with a contemporary and very soulful song score in the current production at Grey Studios in NoHo, the overall addition of the much-needed modern sensibility through music makes the complicated plot ea...

ASHES TO ASHES centers on liberal Sara (Lena Bouton) and right-winger Jefferson (Kevin Young), ex-spouses who are polar opposites about everything except their love and devotion for their two, newly deceased, filthy-rich best friends. Trapped by the time-constraints of their friends' will, the two a...

The Garry Marshall Theatre (formerly the Falcon Theatre) is currently home to a new, hilarious revival of the Stephen Sondheim classic A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum....

Last year Casa 0101 produced a lovely dual language version of Disney's Aladdin, which was so popular it extended its run and eventually transferred to a larger venue. Hoping to repeat that success, they have set their sights on another Disney classic but, this time, the production proves too ambiti...

The silly, family-friendly fun of those British-borne Pantos are back for a third holiday season in row at Orange County's Laguna Playhouse, this time with a story wrapped around the infamous tale of a smart-aleck street urchin (Jason Gotay) who discovers a magic lamp hiding a genie that grants wish...

PACIFIC OVERTURES with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, book by John Weidman, with additional material by Hugh Wheeler had its Broadway premiere in 1976 and was presented in Kabuki style, with men playing women's parts and set changes made in full view of the audience by people dressed in black...

Of all the holiday stories written, it would be hard to find one more well-known or popular than Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL. The redemption of a miser named Scrooge whose heart has forgotten the meaning of charity has been adapted, musicalized, spoofed, and dramatized in every medium imagina...

A delightful abridged version of 'Scrooge,' the Leslie Bricusse musical adaptation of 'A Christmas Carol,' is now being staged at the rustic Big Oak Theatre in Chatsworth....

THE ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS SHOW (Abridged) by Reed Martin & Austin Tichenor, directed by Perry Shields with a knowing wink at all the holiday craziness now rampant in the world. Adding to his own stressfully creative holiday season, the production features two casts performing on alternate dates with K...

This year for the holidays, The Wallis has traded its typical musical theatre fare (Into the Woods/2014, Guys & Dolls/2015, Merrily We Roll Along/2016) for something a little less traditional but even more imaginative and fun Vesturport Theatre's THE HEART OF ROBIN HOOD by playwright David Farr....

Kate Pazakis and her talented creative team once again incorporate their 'secret sauce' in concocting a most delicious holiday treat for Rockwell revelers - THE UNAUTHORIZED MUSICAL PARODY OF HOME ALONE. The 1990 John Hughes classic Home Alone receives Pazakis' UMPO treatment, resulting in a most si...

No doubt most of us have fond memories of our senior year in high school, with our Senior Prom being one of the many highlights of that year. Nostalgia for that year fuels the happy story of four friends in THE MARVELOUS WONDERETTES, a 1999 musical comedy with a book by Roger Bean that has gone on ...

This new and expanded edition of the 2015 FELIZ NAVIDIVA showcases the hilarious comic stylings and tight-knitted teamwork of Kay Sedia, with her fellow Chico's Angels, Frieda Laye and Chita Parol, as well as, sturdy support from their Boss Man. Director Kurt Koehler spoofs (with co-spoofer Kay Sedi...

Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is sumptuous and fanciful and bursting with all of the ingredients necessary to make up the perfect family musical . The score is timeless and emotionally stirring. The costumes and scenic elements are candy for the eyes. The dancing ensemble is impeccable and t...

Unlike other plays with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's beloved detective at its center, SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY written by Katie Forgette, includes bits and pieces of reality in the mix of characters. The famous actress Lillie Langtry is the focus of Holmes' investigation, which a...