LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

International City Theatre opened its 29th season this past weekend with the California premiere of LET'S MISBEHAVE: The Music and Lyrics of Cole Porter. The relatively new musical by Karin Bowersock (book) and Patrick Young (musical arrangements) weaves together more than thirty Cole Porter standar...

When a show moves me like this one did, it's worth raving about. Minus the bombardment of glitz and flash so often shoe-horned into modern day musicals, the remount of Open Fist Theatre Company's James Joyce's THE DEAD is instead that rare production that breathes life into our hearts with its sing...

A Word or Two/written, arranged and performed by Christopher Plummer/directed by Des McAnuff/Ahmanson Theatre/through February 9 only...

Anything Goes/original book by P.G. Wodehouse & Guy Bolton and/Howard Lindsay & Russell Crouse/music & lyrics by Cole Porter/directed by Ray Limon/Welk Theatre San Diego, Escondido/through March 23...

Still emotionally resonant more than a decade later, BARE - THE MUSICAL---the angst-fueled, hyper-melodramatic 'pop opera' written by Jon Hartmere Jr. and the late Damon Intrabartolo---continues its Orange County, California premiere performances at Theatre Out---the OC's Gay and Lesbian theatre com...

The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas/book by Larry L. King & Peter Masterson/music & lyrics by Carol Hall/directed & choreographed by John Vaughan/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre, Claremont/through February 2...

On Thursday January 16 Blake McIver showed a whole new side to his musical art when he premiered selections from his new CD at Don't Tell Mama in WeHo. Set for release in February, the CD is pop, R&B based and is a showcase for McIver's own compositions, many of which are quite poignant, some downri...

In her terrific new play TRUDY AND MAX IN LOVE---now having its World Premiere performances at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through January 29---writer-actress Zoe Kazan (Ruby Sparks) puts an engaging millennial spin on the typical cute-boy-meets-cute-girl story. While, true, the situations--...

Jukebox musicals come in all shapes and sizes. Some find a way to integrate the songs of a particular group or singer in such a way that the end result is more than satisfying as an evening of theatre....

Grease/book, lyrics and music by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey/directed by Michael Lopez/Encore Dinner Theatre, Tustin/through March 1...

Why I Died, A Comedy/written & performed by Katie Rubin/directed by Victor Bumbalo/Echo Theatre at Atwater Village Theatre/remaining performances: Saturday: January 18; Friday: January 17/Thursdays: February 6, 13, 20...

Beautiful actress/singer Laura Benanti, Tony Award winner for Gypsy, performed at 54 Below in New York during 2013, and the live concert was recorded on Broadway Records. To celebrate the release of the CD entitled In Constant Search of the Right Kind of Attention, Chris Isaacson Presents booked Ben...

Make way everybody, we've got some new kids in town and they're out to take over musical theatre one song at a time. Of course, I'm referring to Kritzerland's latest cabaret show at Sterling's Upstairs at The Federal. On Sunday, January 5th, Bruce Kimmel's New Kids in Town! featured nine terrific up...

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An Evening with Danny Kaye/conceived, written & performed by Brian Childers/directed by Stephen Nachamie/musical direction by Jeff Biering/El Portal Mainstage, NoHo/New Year's Eve, December 31, at 4 pm and 9 pm...

It's the most wonderful time of the year, especially for the Group Repertory Theatre Company, which for more than three decades has provided holiday cheer for children-in-need....

'I have played behind Frank Sinatra all around the world and in the recording studios in Hollywood since 1959. Now along comes Robert Davi who, in my opinion, is the only one that comes close to having the voice, the acting chops, and the charisma that the Ol' Man had. Listen and become a life-long ...

For the Record: Baz Luhrmann in Concert is the brainchild of Christopher Lloyd Bratten (musical director) and Shane Scheel (producer) who have previously produced concerts incorporating the music from the films of the Coen Brothers and also John Hughes and Quentin Tarantino, among others. The Luhrma...

On Sunday December 22 the amazing Cortes Alexander presented his Thou Swell Noel to a packed house at Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Alexander has such frenetic energy and charm that, and I've said this before, you just want to wrap him up. What a joyous Christmas present...and with his two glo...

A Steam-Punk chorus of cadaverous ghouls, zombified and singing Christmas carols in twitching harmony is about as far from traditional as you can get, and quite possibly the most satisfying prologue for A CHRISTMAS CAROL I've ever seen....

Ah, yes. 2013 was indeed an outstanding year for theater in Southern California. Even better: Orange County---my home base---boasted some of the best shows, period---marking an exciting theater renaissance in brilliance and artistry that I hope continues to grow here inside L.A.'s next door neighbor...

The Troubies' traditional holiday mashups are some of the company's most anticipated shows of the year. Past hits like A Christmas Westside Story (A Christmas Story with the music of West Side Story), Rudolph the Red Nosed ReinDOORS (Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and The Doors), and The First Jo-...

Aladdin and His Winter Wish/written by Kris Lythgoe/directed by Bonnie Lythgoe/Pasadena Playhouse/through December 29 For a few years the prolific Lythgoe family have been entertaining us at Christmastime, first at the El Portal in NoHo and now at the Pasadena Playhouse with a British style panto...

A Little Night Music/book by Hugh Wheeler/music & lyrics by Stephen Sondheim/directed by Jonathan Fox/Ensemble Theatre Company (etc) at the New Vic, Santa Barbara/through December 22 only...

One of my very favorite Christmas stories of all time is A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote about his boyhood growing up with his eccentric cousin Sook Faulk. Geraldine Page played Sook in a 1966 telefilm, and it was later remade for television in the 80s with Patty Duke. It is the Page version tha...