The national touring company of 'The King and I' (based on the Tony-award winning Lincoln Center production) arrived in Thousand Oaks for a brief, one-weekend run. Angela Baumgardner shines as governess Anna Leonowens, with a luxuriant production of rich costumes and marvelous vocal performances fro... (more...)
The Rubicon Theatre Company brings back a Rodgers & Hammerstein classic, 'South Pacific,' in a uniquely intimate two-piano version, featuring stellar performances and a ravishing set design. This one will be talked about for years to come.... (more...)
A stellar cast highlights William Inge's classic play about loneliness on the expansive prairie and a desolate diner on a highway outside of Kansas City. Hayley Georgeanne Cariker and Michael Wayne Beck turn in exemplary performances as the low-grade saloon singer and the wild, untamed cowboy who al... (more...)
What do you do after suffering a debilitating stroke? Write a one-woman show, of course! On December 20, character actress Farley Cadena suffered an ischemic stroke, which left her unable to speak clearly, sing, or read. But she fought back, with this self-penned show helping in her rehabilitation. ... (more...)
Musical Theatre Guild's production of 'Mame' wowed a Sunday evening audience with its broad comedy, Jerry Herman's tuneful score, and winning performances from its cast. The staged reading included full costumes, choreography, and some wonderfully funny moments, thanks to Lewis Wilkenfled's skillful... (more...)
'I Dig Rock And Roll Music' celebrates the folk-rock era of the '60s and '70s utilizing a six-person band, three of whom were featured in the successful theatrical concert 'Lonesome Traveler.' The show includes hit songs from the folk-rock movement, including protest songs like 'Ohio,' 'For What It'... (more...)
A dark horse candidate with little political acumen lacking in smarts is battling to become the Republican candidate for president, while keeping silent one in a series of illicit affairs. Sound familiar? In 'Fifteen Men In a Smoke-Filled Room,' playwright Colin Speer Crowley focuses on the candidac... (more...)
The 1998 murder of Matthew Shepard in Laramie, Wyoming, is dissected in this riveting anatomy of a hate crime, and how it affected the residents of that small town. Elite Theatre Company's production is well-acted and directed by Morgan Keough for Lit Live Theatre.... (more...)
It contains possibly the last words William Shakespeare ever wrote and chances are you've never seen a production of it. THE TWO NOBLE KINSMEN was written around 1613 but not published until 1634, and is attributed to both Shakespeare and John Fletcher, the man who would succeed him as resident play... (more...)
Real-life partners Jennifer Ridgway and Kevin Ellis play perpetual adulterers George and Doris in Bernard Slade's timeless comedy 'Same Time, Next Year' at Oxnard's Elite Theatre Company.... (more...)
Claire Adams stars as a young North Carolina woman seeking a miracle - to heal her disfigured face caused by a farm accident from when she was young. Embarking on a Greyhound bus bound for Tulsa just after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was implemented, Violet deals with race, guilt, and shame in her ... (more...)
Dance serves a major purpose in musical productions. It enhances the script, it visually confirms what is being said and adds a physical energy that elevates the intent and solidifies who the characters are.
This production of THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, A NEW MUSICAL, which is produced by 5-St... (more...)
The newly revamped national tour of 'Let It Be' includes a fantasy 'reunion' of the group on John Lennon's 40th birthday, October 9, 1980, two months before his murder. The group combined note-perfect renditions of two dozen Beatles songs as well as songs from the group members' solo careers during ... (more...)
Theater League's national tour of 'A Chorus Line' features a stellar cast, fabulous singing and dancing, but above all, the rock solid directing by Baayork Lee, the original Connie, who has ensured that Michael Bennett's original conception from over 40 years ago remains the same as he intended, as ... (more...)
Sam Shepard's 1983 black comedy 'True West' comes to life with Elite Theatre Company's searing portrayal of two brothers at war with one another. One is a struggling screenwriter, the other a parasitic bully. When the two clash, their personalities merge until you can't tell one from the other. Aaro... (more...)
'Kinky Boots' overcomes a formulaic, predictable storyline with energetic performances and Cyndi Lauper's outstanding score. The national tour features outstanding work from its trio of stars: Lance Bordelon as frustrated shoe factory owner Charlie Price, Jos N. Banks as enterprising drag queen Lola... (more...)
SISTER ACT is a feel-good musical comedy smash hit based on the 1992 film that has audiences ready to rejoice! Featuring original music by Tony® and 8-time Oscar® winner Alan Menken (Disney's Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast, Newsies, Enchanted), dazzling dance routines and songs inspired by Motown,... (more...)
Back in the late 60s, groups of people would meet up at an agreed-upon place to attend a "happening," defined as a partly improvised or spontaneous piece of theatrical or other artistic performance, typically involving audience participation. This description is exactly how I would describe what is... (more...)
Brian McDonald brilliantly plays multiple roles in the one-man comic fantasy 'Buyer and Cellar,' about serving as shopkeeper in Barbara Streisand's ornate underground personal shopping mall. A tour de force for McDonald and the Rubicon Theater Company.... (more...)
'Motown: The Musical' is, plain and simply, Berry Gordy's revenge on
'Dreamgirls.' After getting displayed in a negative fashion in that show, Gordy decided to create his own version of his career, painting himself in noble colors.... (more...)
When one says 'student directed' it sends a chill up this reviewer's back, especially within the high school theater community. So, walking into Agoura High School's production of 'The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee' I wasn't expect much.... (more...)
Ojai Art Center's production of 'Animal Crackers' features impeccable performances by Sean Mason (Groucho), Daniel Mitchell (Chico) and Anna Kotula (Harpo) as the Marx Brothers. Directed by John Medeiros.... (more...)
One of the most current topics in the media now concerns transgender people being able to live the life they envision for themselves without prejudice or scorn aimed at them. After all, no doubt you have seen public restrooms now labeled to allow anyone access to them, be that person either physica... (more...)
BWW Review: THE KING AND I at Fred Kavli Theatre
BWW Review: SOUTH PACIFIC at Rubicon Theatre Company
BWW Review: BUS STOP at Elite Theatre Company
BWW Review: STROKE OF LUCK at El Portal
BWW Review: MAME at Alex Theatre
BWW Review: I DIG ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC at Rubicon Theatre Company
BWW Review: FIFTEEN MEN IN A SMOKE-FILLED ROOM at Elite Theatre Company
BWW Review: THE LARAMIE PROJECT at Elite Theatre Company
BWW Review: OTHELLO at Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival
BWW Review: Kingsmen's TWO NOBLE KINSMEN Proves Honor Has Value and Chivalry isn't Dead
BWW Review: SAME TIME, NEXT YEAR at Elite Theatre Company
BWW Review: VIOLET at Actors Co-Op
BWW Review: THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME Highlights The Message Of True Spirit & Inner Beauty Through Movement And Song at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
BWW Review: HANSEL AND GRETEL at California Lutheran University's Creative Arts Division
BWW Review: LET IT BE at Fred Kavli Theatre
BWW Review: A CHORUS LINE at Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza
BWW Review: TRUE WEST at Elite Theatre Company
BWW Review: KINKY BOOTS at Thousand Oaks Civic Art Plaza
Review: SISTER ACT Offers a Sparkling Tribute to the Universal Power of Friendship, Sisterhood and Music
Review: Gilbert and Sullivan's PIRATES OF PENZANCE Reimagined as an Interactive Beach Party at the Pasadena Playhouse
BWW Review: BUYER AND CELLAR at Rubicon Theatre Company
BWW Review: MOTOWN: THE MUSICAL at Fred Kavli Theatre
BWW Review: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE at Agoura High School
BWW Review: ANIMAL CRACKERS at Ojai Art Center
Review: ROTTERDAM: A Queer Love Story About All of Us, Highlighted by Brilliant Writing, Direction and Character Portrayals
