LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

The world premiere of WHEN STARS ALIGN possesses and blends together all the ingredients of a perfect time at the theatre - a brilliant cast; a formidable director; a solid, realistic script flowing at a comfortable, steady pace; and top-notched production elements. Then intermission interrupts....

In FROM HER EYES ONLY, multi-hyphenate Derek Jeremiah Reid revels with his charismatic stage presence and characterization of famed James Bond novelist Ian Fleming. Reid commands the stage with his effective scripted emoting and his quick-witted improv-ed one-liners. Reid begins his show most promis...

My first association with musical composer Frank Loesser was as an actor in the 70s in a revue of his music. I played Sky Masterson of Guys and Dolls and sang a duet of 'I've Never Been In Love Before'. I came to realize quite rapidly how lovely his music is and how well he manages to capture the ...

To anyone who has not witnessed an Impro Theatre production, a word to the wise: you are about to experience a rare form of brilliance, sometimes seen in improvisation, but especially keen in Sondheim Unscripted, because it not only has an original book but music as well... totally in the style of ...

What is truly amazing - a miracle really - is the entire production began rehearsals (including learning the music as well as staging) on August 13 and opened on August 21. That this ensemble, directed and choreographed by the talented powerhouse Jeffrey Polk, was able to put the rock opera togethe...

The world premiere of Emmy-winning writer Peter Lefcourt 's CAFE SOCIETY deserves credit for attempting a hostage situation as a satisfying sitcom dramedy. A frequent collaborator, Terri Hanauer directs her game cast of seven. Kudos to Yee Eun Nam for her novel, innovative projection design utilizin...

Assassins/book by John Weidman; music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/presented by Red Blanket Productions with Punk Monkey Productions at the Pico Playhouse/directed by Dan Fishbach/thru September 27 A word or two before I start this review. In the film Judgement at Nuremberg, Spencer Tracy who p...

On August 18th, The Stupid Songs Troupe wowed the packed house of the Rockwell Table & Stage with their fast-paced 70-minutes of 18 non-stop songs of high hilarity and witty, hysterical lyrics. Director Keri Safran begins the fun with 'Stupid Gold,' her re-written lyrics to the tune of 'Xanadu.' Bac...

The San Pedro Theatre Club presents the World Premiere of FRACTURED BROADWAY: MADE IN LA. This hilarious parody with a big Los Angeles point of view is a satirical romp through your favorite musicals parodied to reflect the current affairs of live theatre in Los Angeles. With 24 original parodies s...

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony and Grammy Award-winning show In the Heights had a lot to shout about when it played Broadway in 2008...in fact, it still does. First of all, it's a musical with and about Latinos - way overdue -plus it has a terrific book with a heartwarming storyline about a closely kni...

Virtuoso pianist Tom Ameen made his E-Spot Lounge debut at Vitello's Friday August 14 with a joyously entertaining show highlighting Disney music from TV, film and the Disney theme parks. It was a smash. Ameen is no stranger, though, to Vitello's, as he plays downstairs at the bar very Monday and Tu...

In GOD'S MAN IN TEXAS, multi-hyphenate David Rambo has written a very smart and involving script on the inner workings of a successful Baptist church empire.  Rambo also quite ably directs his trio of highly skilled actors in a firmly-reined, tight, well-crafted production. All three actors adeptly...

GROUNDLINGS RED LIGHT DISTRICT, most assuredly continues The Groundling's well-earned reputation of being one of the funniest improvisational and sketch comedy troupes in Los Angeles, if not the entire United States. Ably directed by Karen Maruyama, the evening features the talented Groundling memb...

One of the keys to providing great entertainment is understanding your audience. For a theatre company that means knowing what your audience wants and then being able to provide it so they keep coming back for more. Independent Shakespeare Co. has done a brilliant job of both. Not only do they play ...

Proving once and for all that concerts need not be serious or dull, Fraser Entertainment Group's 9th installment of A Classic Evening of Broadway bowed at Rockwell Table and Stage on Monday, August 10 to a packed audience of enthusiastic show tune fans. And it was an uber delightful show! Musical ...

As a companion piece to Eric Simonson's Lombardi on the main stage, Group rep presents Lee Blessing's The Winning Streak on their second stage. Both plays involve sports: Lombardi, football and The Winning Streak, baseball. For full enjoyment of Lombardi, it helps to be a football fan; for T...

In NO HOMO, playwright Brandon Baruch has written a very funny, smart and realistic script on the perceived misconceptions of Ash and Luke's relationship.  Their respective siblings and their friends think the two admittedly hetero guys really cohabitate as lovers and not just roommates. Jessica Ha...

The West Coast Premiere of The Ben Hecht Show, ably directed by Dennis Zacek, showcases the charismatic performance of James Sherman in the titular role. In The Ben Hecht Show, playwright Sherman has written many a witty line ('She didn't have any anti-Semitic germs.') and dropped many a famous na...

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Twenty-nine years after it premiered, playwright Jerry Mayer's hit comedy ALMOST PERFECT has returned to the Santa Monica Playhouse playing weekends through September 27 as part of the Playhouse's three-year Jerry Mayer-a-thon, reuniting Mayer with director Chris DeCarlo. Mayer is based in Pacific ...

The new touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, currently playing at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, is a must-see. The music, costumes, and sets are hauntingly beautiful and the performances are generally superb. Katie Travis, as Christine Daae, is a standout....

REDCAT debuted an eclectic program of new works this week during its 12th Annual New Original Works Festival - two dance/movement-based pieces and a third that fused theatre and live music to create an absurdist performance art piece based on early twentieth century Surrealism....

Ruskin Group Theatre's world premiere of Sneaky Ole Time makes for a delightful, easy-breezy, light-hearted two hours filled with clever songs by Grammy-winning writer Paul Overstreet and solid performances by its cast of nine triple-threats.  Michael Myers directs his talented ensemble at a steady...

Playwright Lyle Kessler is perhaps best known as the author of 'Orphans' which began its stage life at the Matrix Theater in Los Angeles. Similar to the two lost brothers living in Philadelphia looking for family in that play, Kessler's new play 'The Great Divide' also centers on two very different...

In Scene Two of Lynn Riggs' play, Green Grow the Lilacs, farm girl Laurey Williams speaks passionately to her Aunt Eller about the ranch where she grew up:...