SANTA MONIC PLAYHOUSE

by Amanda Callas - June 23, 2025

Nice Girl is the West Coast premiere of a must-see new drama at Rogue Machine on Melrose through July 20th.  This is a quietly thoughtful, intimately compelling slice-of-life four person play I found incredibly poignant and moving....

by Harker Jones - June 24, 2025

When PARADE debuted on Broadway in December 1998 it won Tonys for Best Book and Best Original Score and six Drama Desk Awards. The 2023 revival was nominated for six Tony Awards itself, winning two. Now touring, the show, based on a true story, is in Los Angeles through July 12. And while it takes p...

by Amanda Callas - June 23, 2025

Pandora’s Boombox is a metaphysical, absurdist, family-friendly clown show through June 28th at the Actors Company on Formosa, as part of the Hollywood Fringe Festival.  This is the kind of show that I always hope to see at Fringe - clever, wildly unusual and imaginative, hugely entertaining, and no...

by Harker Jones - June 24, 2025

The Hollywood Fringe Festival is hitting new highs this year, and with 416 shows to choose from, there’s something for everyone. The sheer number of shows means there is essentially no way to see them all, but I’m giving an overview and mini reviews of some of the shows. This is part one....

by Amanda Callas - June 20, 2025

Marry Me a Little starts strong with a pretty perfect “Two Fairy Tales” and seems to lose a bit of steam as it goes on....

by Evan Henerson - June 20, 2025

The knives are lethal and the cuts are man...With Bert Emmett fronting an equally enthusiastic and bloodthirsty cast, the Group Rep’s NETWORK is equal parts rollicking, disturbing and thought-provoking....

by Amanda Callas - June 19, 2025

The Wedding Singer is a delightful retro romantic comedy musical at the Colony Theatre in Burbank through June 29th.  Confectionary light, with killer choreography and eye-candy 1980s costumes and sets, The Wedding Singer is a big whipped cream dollop of pure joy. ...

by Michael Quintos - June 18, 2025

To kick off the official start of its 2025 season, one of the world's most iconic venues, the Hollywood Bowl, welcomed more than 10,000 guests on the evening of June 7, 2025 for its opening night concert 'An Evening With Hugh Jackman,' featuring the celebrated Australian-born stage-and-screen star p...

by Michael Quintos - June 13, 2025

Touted as the first 'non-replica' regional production of this Disney stage musical mounted in Southern California, La Mirada Theatre's fresh iteration of FROZEN - THE MUSICAL still has plenty of Disney-esque magic to offer young and old audience members alike seeking to revisit the land of Arendelle...

by Evan Henerson - June 12, 2025

This production is erotic, evocative, lean as a bone and, at a certain point, leaves HAMLET behind entirely. Director Robert O'Hara (SLAVE PLAY, BARBECUE) cracks HAMLET open, exposes it to the sun and then keeps on probing....