Lovell Estell III – Stage Raw Playfulness and the unexpected inform this sextet of one-acts by David Ives. Not all of them are knee-slapping winners, but Ives’s eccentric humor and witty, nimble use of the word make the show a success. Read more… Now running through October 2
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw Blueberry Toast may not feature a knockout script, but it sure packs a punch when inimitable performer Jacqueline Wright, at her manic and brilliant best, takes on one of the lead roles. Read more… Now running through October 23
Dany Margolies – Arts In LA Scholars may try to tell us they know exactly what theater looked like in ancient Rome. But they’ll never convince all of us that Troubadour Theater Company’s Haunted House Party, in the nighttime air of the outdoor Getty Villa’s amphitheater, isn’t an exact replica of a sunny day at … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – TheaterMania The title says it all. The Fantasticks is always is a delight. This production at the Pasadena Playhouse is no exception. Led by Philip Anthony-Rodriguez as the mysterious El Gallo, the musical comedy features a talented cast, including Tony winner Hal Linden, all of whom add to the enchantment of the … Read more
Neal Weaver – Stage Raw As I was driving to The Road Theatre to see this Edward Albee play, the radio news announced that Albee had died earlier in the day, at the age of 88. At the theatre, director Andre Barron informed the crowd in the lobby that Albee had passed away. There was … Read more
Lovell Estell III – Stage Raw It’s been nearly eighty years since Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize winning paean to small town America was first performed, yet it still retains a mysterious charm. Perhaps it’s the play’s evocation of a less complicated time and place, or maybe it’s Wilder’s simple exploration of what is common and … Read more
Deborah Klugman – Stage Raw In Nosferatu, adapter/director Bill Reilly’s musical stage adaptation of F.W. Murnau’s 1922 horror film classic, the bodies pile up swiftly, felled at the hands (or should I say teeth) of the title character, the remorselessly bloodthirsty Count Orlok (Michelle Holmes). Read more… Now running through October 31
Terry Morgan – Stage Raw The Young Vic production of Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge was roundly praised in both London and New York. The current version at the Ahmanson, however, has at least a couple of major problems. Read more… Dany Margolies – The Daily Breeze Belgian theater director Ivo van Hove revives Arthur Miller’s … Read more
Paul Birchall – Stage Raw At the Opening Night performance of director Phylicia Rashad’s powerful staging of playwright August Wilson’s modern classic Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, I found myself seated next to a gentleman who claimed to be one of the agents for one of the performers in the show. He promptly loosened his tie and shrugged … Read more
Terry Morgan – Stage Raw Theatre based on the recreation of history can be frustrating. On the one hand, one never knows how much the facts have been altered to make it properly dramatic and entertaining, while on the other, there are often so many characters that one never really gets to know any of … Read more