San Diego Theater Reviews

Review: DESTINY OF DESIRE at The Old Globe Is Both a Love Letter and A Parody of The Telenovela Genre
by E.H. Reiter - May 31, 2023

DESTINY OF DESIRE at The Old Globe may be a telenovela brought to life on the theatre stage, but you don’t need to be familiar with the genre in order to enjoy it.  Fan of the genre or not, this play is both a love letter to and a parody of the form of entertainment that is loved worldwide. DESTINY ...

Review: THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY PERFORMS TWO CLASSICS AND A WORLD PREMIERE At San Diego's Rady Shell
by Ron Bierman - May 24, 2023

What did our critic think of THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY PERFORMS TWO CLASSICS AND A WORLD PREMIERE at San Diego's Rady Shell?...

Review: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at New Village Arts will have you tapping your feet and wishing for some rain
by E.H. Reiter - May 22, 2023

The classic musical SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN comes to the New Village Arts stage with singing, and dancing, and will make you wish for a little rain in the forecast.  You can join Lockwood, Lamont, and the whole gang through July 2nd....

Review: THE CHRONICLES OF KALKI at MOXIE Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - May 19, 2023

THE CHRONICLES OF KALKI making its San Diego premiere through June 4th at MOXIE Theatre is a comic book-inspired tale of two friends who are figuring out who they are, navigating school, and possibly may have manifested the return of a god set on returning the cosmic order of good and evil through a...

Review: XANADU brings Muses, Love, and Legwarmers to San Diego Musical Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - May 14, 2023

Music, muses, and magic, XANADU at San Diego Musical Theatre brings the stage adoption of an infamous 1980’s movie to life through June 4th....

Review: MURDER ON THE LINKS At North Coast Repertory Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - April 26, 2023

Who knew murder could be so much fun?  North Coast Repertory Theatre brings the world premiere comedy of MURDER ON THE LINKS to the stage with a talented cast through May 21st....

Review: San Diego Opera's Production of GHOSTS at Balboa Theatre
by Ron Bierman - April 21, 2023

Nicolas Reveles was diagnosed with late-stage pancreatic cancer shortly after completing Ghosts, and it is tragic that he died just weeks before its world premiere in a San Diego Opera production. A sincerely religious man, his spirit lives on in the minds of the many grieving friends and admirers w...

Review: EXOTIC DEADLY: OR THE MSG PLAY at The Old Globe
by E.H. Reiter - April 16, 2023

EXOTIC DEADLY: OR THE MSG PLAY is a wild, wonderful show that explores the ideas of heritage, misinformation, and identity with a talented cast in a fast-paced, graphic novel, 90s pop culture-inspired production and is playing at The Old Globe through May 7th....

Review: Love, Laughter, and Latchkeys from PRESENT LAUGHTER at Cygnet Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - April 15, 2023

Love, laughter, and latchkeys are the main tenants to Cygnet Theatre’s PRESENT LAUGHTER, playing through April 29th which brings a strong cast to bring the laugh in this fizzy, funny farce.  ...

Review: The FORCE is Strong with THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: THE UNAUTHORIZED STAR WARS™ BURLESQUE PARODY
by E.H. Reiter - April 02, 2023

THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK brings Star Wars-inspired sexy, nerdy fun to San Diego through April 30th. This burlesque brings comedy, pop culture,  humor, and the art of the strip tease to the stage for an incredibly entertaining time. ...

Review: NEAT at Scripps Ranch Theatre And Loud Fridge Theatre Group
by E.H. Reiter - March 30, 2023

“On a clear day,” is the opening and closing of NEAT by Charlene Woodard, as she recounts her coming of age in 1960s and 70s America and her relationship with her disabled aunt. A co-production of the Loud Fridge Theatre Group and Scripps Ranch Theatre, this play is beautifully performed and directe...

Review: SAN DIEGO OPERA'S TOSCA at San Diego Civic Center Theatre
by Ron Bierman - March 29, 2023

WhaThe San Diego Opera has outdone itself with its most recent production of Puccini’s Tosca. The three major roles are sung by appealing voices with exceptional power; the company’s chorus and the city’s children’s choir combined for thrilling moments, especially in the riveting Act I finale; San D...

Review: THE OUTSIDERS at La Jolla Playhouse
by E.H. Reiter - March 28, 2023

The new musical adaption of THE OUTSIDERS at the La Jolla Playhouse brings all of the restless energy and the building tensions of the novel, written by S.E.Hinton to the stage with dynamic performances and choreography. Extended through April 9th  at the La Jolla Playhouse, see this show before it’...

Review: THE XIXTH (THE NINETEENTH) at The Old Globe Goes For the Gold
by E.H. Reiter - March 28, 2023

The Old Globe Theatre is going for the gold with their World Premier  THE XIXTH (The 19th).  The show is funny, and thought-provoking, and shows that sadly, the issues of protesting systematic racism and looking for freedom and equality are still as relevant now as it was then.  THE XIXTH is playing...

Interview: SAN DIEGO OPERA'S TOSCA at San Diego Civic Center Theatre
by Ron Bierman - March 20, 2023

Puccini is one of Michelle Bradley’s favorite composers, and she’s in San Diego to sing his Tosca for the San Diego Opera company. We were originally scheduled to talk in person, but a rehearsal change meant Zoom was going to work better for an hour discussion. “I'm happy to be back, and I know tha...

Review: GUNTOPIA at The Roustabouts Theatre Co
by E.H. Reiter - March 20, 2023

It took 3 years and one pandemic, but Will Cooper’s world premiere satire gUnTOPIA has finally opened to audiences at The Roustabouts Theatre Co. The show is a dark comedy pondering what life and society could look like if gun ownership was universal, and not carrying a weapon was against the law.  ...

Review: GOD OF CARNAGE at Backyard Renaissance
by E.H. Reiter - March 18, 2023

Backyard Renaissance pulls no punches with their current production of GOD OF CARNAGE- where two couples have come together to resolve a fight between their children, but it quickly devolves from polite pretense to a delightfully chaotic and comedic confrontation as the gloves start to come off.  GO...

Review: THE CHERRY ORCHARD at North Coast Repertory Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - March 18, 2023

THE CHERRY ORCHARD at North Coast Repertory Theatre brings a contemporary contemplation to a classic play with strong performances and a lovely set.  THE CHERRY ORCHARD is playing through April 2nd at North Coast Repertory Theatre....

Review: THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY at San Diego's Civic Center Theater
by Ron Bierman - March 15, 2023

Edo de Waart is now in his fourth year as Principal Guest Conductor of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. In his long career he’s headed orchestras on four continents and taught in this country’s finest music schools. It’s no coincidence that his frequent conducting appearances in San Diego have coin...

Interview Part 2: NICOLAS REVELES OF SAN DIEGO OPERA'S PRODUCTION OF GHOSTS at The Balboa Theatre
by Ron Bierman - March 06, 2023

GHOSTS, an opera Nicolas Reveles completed shortly before his recent death, premieres on Friday, April 14. He was visibly ill when I interviewed him in January, but excited and enthusiastic about the coming production. Part 1 of my interview described how the new opera came to be written. This concl...

Review: SUNDAY IN THE PARK WTH GEORGE at CCAE Theatricals is not to be missed
by E.H. Reiter - February 22, 2023

SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE may be a beloved musical,  but it isn’t staged that often- it requires an excellent cast to perform a show based on a classic painting by George Seurat, with the complicated but gorgeous Sondheim music to perform in order to make it great.  Luckily, this show by CCAE T...

Review: UNDER A BASEBALL SKY at The Old Globe
by E.H. Reiter - February 23, 2023

 San Diego has deep ties to baseball well before the Padres arrived on the scene. The Old Globe’s new play UNDER A BASEBALL SKY, set in Logan Hieghts shows how baseball can become an important thread in the tapestry of individuals and their communities. This 90-minute play has mystery, family, magic...

Review: THE SAN DIEGO OPERA'S PUCCINI DUO at San Diego Civic Center Theater
by Ron Bierman - February 16, 2023

The big question for the evening was how mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe would do as the first woman in professional opera to sing the baritone title role in Gianni Schicchi. But the question wouldn’t be answered until the second one-act opera in San Diego Opera’s “Puccini Duo.” Blythe was first a co...

Review: BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA at MOXIE Theatre
by E.H. Reiter - February 14, 2023

BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA now playing at Moxie Theatre through March 5th is a moving and thoughtful show about a father and daughters relationship, and is anchored by two excellent performances.  ...