LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

Independent Shakespeare Co. once again showcases its intuitive ability to re-imagine Shakespeare for a modern-day audience with an intimate production of his classic romance, Independent Shakespeare Co. ROMEO AND JULIET...

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S'Wonderful:The New Gershwin Musical//written & directed by Ray Roderick/MTW (Musical Theatre West) at Carpenter Performing Arts Center, Long Beach/through April 20...

No one is standing on ceremony in Impro Theatre's latest comedic invention, SHAKESPEARE UNSCRIPTED. On the contrary, the only formality you'll find here is the kind you leave at the door when you step foot into the theater....

The Last Act of Lilka Kadison/by Nicola Behrman, David Kersnar, Abbie Phillips, Heidi Stillman, Andrew White/directed by Dan Bonnell/Falcon Theatre, produced in association with the Lookingglass Theatre Company*/through April 19...

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The young, relatively new, City Shakespeare Company is offering a 90-minute modern take on Shakespeare's THE MERCHANT OF VENICE now through April 12, but the well-intentioned effort produces mixed results....

To witness---and, yes, hear---Tony Award-winning legend Patti LuPone on a stage live-belting the bejesus out of a note (well, several notes, really) is just another not-so-subtle reminder for newbies and veterans alike why she's such a one-of-a-kind, ultra-talented star in the first place. She can, ...

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A Song at Twilight/by Noel Coward/directed by Art Manke/Pasadena Playhouse/through April 13...

Crazy For You/book by Ken Ludwig/music & lyrics by George & Ira Gershwin/directed by Neil Dale/choreographed by Dustin Ceithamer/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through April 27...

The bleak and barren world in A Noise Within's MACBETH is as much an outward visual of the inner state of Shakespeare's title character as it is the setting for the story itself. Moody, shrouded in shadows, and sparsely but strikingly accented, it has the look and feel of a timeless purgatory....

Top Girls/by Caryl Churchill/directed by Cameron Watson/Antaeus Theatre Company/through May 4...

A Moon for the Misbegotten/by Eugene O'Neill/directed by Jenny Sullivan/Rubicon Theatre, Ventura/through April 6...

Slowgirl/by Greg Pierce/directed by Randall Arney/Geffen Playhouse, Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater/through April 27...

The big question surrounding the fate of Harmony: Is Broadway ready for another musical about the turbulent 30s and Nazi occupation of Germany? With The Sound of Music, Fiddler on the Roof (although set in Russia and at an earlier time, it's still about the plight of the Jews) and Cabaret firmly pla...

As a teen in Tulsa, Oklahoma who aspired to be a dramatic actor, Chicago-born Jason Graae was advised to 'Be a Clown' and to 'Make 'em Laugh'. Not everyone can fill the shoes of a clown; those shoes are pretty damn big. But for Graae, whose mind never stops clicking with its razor-sharp wit, fierce ...

On Sunday March 9, Spirit of Ireland lit up Morgan Auditorium at the University of La Verne with Michael Ryan and seven other electric musicians onstage, as well as lovely singer Cassie Murphy and three award-winning Irish dancers including Caterina Coyne from Riverdance. Part of a monthly program f...

The shining moment in this 70-minute Civil War musical comes in the final scene when the entire cast executes Ameenah Kaplan's dramatic drum choreography with exciting precision. It's a thrilling conclusion to an otherwise plodding musical by Doug Cooney (book & lyrics) and Lee Ahlin (music)....

On Saturday March 1 Arcadia Performing Arts Foundation presented Broadway star Susan Egan, who originated the role of 'Belle' in Disney's Beauty and the Beast on Broadway, as part of its first season at the Arcadia Performing Arts Center. Joining Egan on stage were the sixty-member Arcadia Stage, th...

Boeing Boeing/by Marc Camoletti/translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans/directed by Larry Eisenberg/Group rep/through April 13...

Girls' night out just got a whole lot sassier now that 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL has arrived in LA for a month's run at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, and women are coming out in droves to see what a group of comedy writers have done with their not-so-secret obsession. I'll say this - it's got balls alright...

Despite an injury, good sport Davis Gaines---who plays the title role in Musical Theatre West's new production of Meredith Willson's ever-enduring Tony Award-winning musical THE MUSIC MAN---continues the 'show must go on' mantra and plows through, turning in a rousing performance that does not disap...