LOS ANGELES THEATER REVIEWS

How do you stage the performance of an amateur tap class believably? Should the big contest production number be like the finale of A Chorus Line, the way I have seen it done on the Equity stage, or should it be shown less professional, somewhat flawed, in a more play it as it comes fashion? The thi...

What a glorious night of singing at the Disney Concert Hall on Grammy Award Sunday February 10! Singular singing sensation Ann Hampton Callaway presented the Streisand Songbook in honor of her mentor. On stage with Callaway was Alan Bergman, one half of the Alan and Marilyn Bergman composing team wh...

If you like spooky ghost thrillers with lots of creepy sound and visual effects, Peter Colley's I'll Be Back Before Midnight is an old-fashioned treat. Think of Deathtrap, Sleuth and others in that genre, and it's a pretty darn good match with enough plot twists and turns to keep you on the edge of ...

Many will be vehemently opposed to the theme of Joanna Murray-Smith's The Gift, for it concerns undoing primary parental obligation. It is forgivable when an artist sometimes allows his livelihood to take precedence over his parental duties, but to negate them is nothing short of immoral/criminal. M...

I had the pleasure of attending the Teatro Lirico D'Europa MADAMA BUTTERFLY last evening at The McCallum Theatre and was once again swept away in Puccini's exquisite score and timeless love story. The vocalists were stellar; every one - everything else in the production was a little sub-par. Even th...

All things must come to an end. Even love. Especially love....

If you've ever sat through Steven Spielberg's e-ticket cinematic blockbuster Jurassic Park and wondered to yourself… 'Gee, I wonder how those dinosaurs feel about this whole situation,' then this cheeky, oddly hilarious musical send-up is the perfect show for you. Silly and even surprisingly touch...

To quote one of Steven Schwartz' most famous songs, it seems like Kritzerland monthy concerts are getting pretty darn 'Popular'. On Monday, February 4, an off night for Kritzerland - Bruce Kimmel wisely did not wish to compete with Super Bowl Sunday on the 3rd - Kritzerland Records presented a jubil...

Everyone dreams of flying. In 2007, Marcelo and Summer Dey Cacciagioni brought their dream to life and created ENCORE, a non-profit Children's Theatre Company that strives through arts education and mentorship programs to instruct children and young adults in all aspects of the performing arts, to ...

Get ready to fail! You can do it! Have you ever attended a Tony Robbins self-help seminar? Ever do est? Love Dr. Phil? Then this is the show for you! In his one-man show "Tom Rubin - Success Guru" at the Santa Monica Playhouse on Friday nights at 8:00pm through February 22, stand-up comedian...

Based on the 1994 film, the Glasgow/UK stage version of Backbeat is making its US premiere at the Ahmanson with all the fire, guts and gusto that engender a genuinely moving dramatic story. This is not a musical, but a drama with music. Let's face it: the Beatles more than any other musical group in...

On Sunday January 27 singer/TV executive producer Joe Lupariello brought his musical show Where or When to Sterling's Upstairs at the Federal. Lupariello has had a background in musical comedy, but chose a mix of contemporary and traditional pop standards for Where or When, some of which worked bett...

I don't make a habit of reading a press release up front, because I like to be surprised. If someone had told me that I was going to see a one-woman show about an actress' life, my first comment would have been, 'Oh, please! What did she overcome? Alcoholism, drug abuse, rape, paternal or spousal ab...

Though so many of us have seen 'RENT' countless times, its creator, Jonathan Larson, never lived to see his work come to life since he died of an aneurysm in the early hours of its opening night. But I know he would have loved its current production dedicated to him which is now playing at the Actor...

This was not my first venture into the world of "Plaid" - I have seen the show over a dozen times over the past two decades, have directed it on multiple occasions and have the book and score pretty well etched on my brain. However, I will say that it was one of the best PLAID productions I have eve...

Hands down one of the most hypnotic, creatively-staged plays ever conceived for the theater, the Tony Award-winning WAR HORSE--whose National Tour is now on stage at Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through February 3--is an utterly stirring feat of theatrical magic, expertly combining da...

Last night I spent what was my hands-down favorite evening in the theatre in the past several months thanks to the talents of David Zippel, Jason Graae, Christiane Noll, Lillias White, Karen Ziemba and the marvelous melodies of Marvin Hamlisch. Not to mention special guest star Lucie Arnaz. HOORAY f...

Kathryn Graf's world premiere The Snake Can assuredly offers nothing new, but its moment to moment confrontations and gripping dialogue make it completely engrossing from start to finish. With an expert ensemble and sturdy direction from Steven Robman, who really understands women's issues, the play...

Dan Goggin's latest installment in the Nunsense series is Nunset Boulevard, which world premiered in 2009. It is a delicious musical ode to old Hollywood. And yes, Norma Desmond does make a brief appearance. Continuing on its first national tour, the show stopped at the Norris Theatre Saturday for t...

The Manhattan Transfer brought their incredible vocal harmonies to The McCallum Theatre last Saturday night to a Standing Room Only Crowd. I know that for a fact - because I was standing! The sold-out to capacity crowd was riveted by a ninety-plus minute "vocal buffet" of as many of the quartets big...

I LOVE Broadway. I was not in love with Neil Berg's tribute to Broadway, "101 Years Of Broadway", presented at The McCallum Theatre for two performances last week. The cast was more than credible with ample credits, each and everyone - Broadway stars Ron Bohman, Sandra Joseph, David Elder, Erin Denm...

Life -- is it a comedy or a drama? The answer is 'Yes!' in HAPPY FACE SAD FACE. The brilliantly simple concept is played out in two acts with the first being a drama and the second a comedy. The hook is, they are the same story but told from polar opposite perspectives....

Freud's Last Session/by Mark St. Germain/directed by Tyler Marchant/The Broad Stage, Santa Monica/through February 10...

In Stephen Adly Guirgis' wickedly funny, intensely riveting 2011 dark urban comedy THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT -- now enjoying a superb, profanity-laced new production at South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through January 27 -- the idea of personal growth is explored mostly through the (cuss) wor...