Barry Weiss
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Hamlet The Rock Musical has had a few iterations since it debuted in 1973 with the title Kronberg 1582. It was commissioned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, where it was part of a larger radio program. In 1976, it ran on Broadway for seven shows as Rockabye Hamlet, and played here at the Odyssey Theatre in 1981 for 18 months as Somethin’ Rockin’ in Denmark.
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Now running through February 23
Darrett Sander
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
On May 10, 1940, Iceland was invaded by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines because the British government feared the possible Nazi takeover of the country. A little over a year later, defense of the country was transferred to the United States. Against this backdrop, Cailin Maureen Harrison tells a story about three U.S. soldiers on a classified mission who are confronted by the powers of nature and myth.
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Rob Stevens – Haines His Way
Cailin Maureen Harrison’s Defenders is receiving its World Premiere at The Broadwater Black Box in Hollywood courtesy of Pandelia’s Canary Yellow Company. Harrison attempts to blur the lines between myth and reality in her tale of three shipwrecked U.S. soldiers on the tiny island of Hrisey off the northern coast of Iceland.
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Now running through December 8
Michael C. Palma
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Gertrude Stein was a poet, novelist, essayist and playwright who is generally regarded as one of the more influential female writers of the 20th century. Her style was anything but conventional, and we have her to thank for such pithy expressions as “a rose is a rose is a rose” and “there is no there there.”
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Now running through November 10
Emma Latimer
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Stephen Adly Guirgis has a knack for scripting characters that “stick” with you, and a keen ear for dialogue that is, by turns, wrenching and humorous. In this dramedy, Guigis creates a gallery of raucous misfits who are brought together by the death of a beloved (and feared) mentor, teacher and friend.
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Now running through September 15
Steve Rogers
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Lila Rose Kaplan’s drama arrives in Los Angeles for its West Coast premiere courtesy of Austin’s Filigree Theatre Company. At just over 80 minutes, it blends romance and comedy by way of two mingled narratives that aren’t scripted artfully enough to make the show a success, despite good performances.
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Now running through August 4
Victoria Anne Greenwood
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Frederick Knott’s edgy thriller was first performed on Broadway back in 1966 and ran for 373 performances. It’s had many stage revivals, not to mention the well-touted film version that starred the talented Audrey Hepburn, along with Alan Arkin and Richard Crenna. In short, this “slow-burn” thriller has been around the block a few times — but it can still translate to gripping entertainment. This production, however, which is the Loft Ensemble’s first in their new space, isn’t quite there yet.
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Now running through July 28
Ed Krieger
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
If you haven’t seen the 1980 movie Bronco Billy with Clint Eastwood and Sondra Locke (or can’t remember if you did), don’t worry. With a book by Dennis Hackin (who also wrote the novel and the movie’s screenplay), and music and lyrics by Chip Rosenbloom and John Torres, with additional lyrics by Michele Brourman, this world premiere musical version, smartly directed by Hunter Bird, is a heck of a lot funnier and way more enjoyable.
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Ellen Dostal – Musicals in LA
A singing cowboy tries to keep his Wild West show alive despite the cards being stacked against him in Bronco Billy – The Musical, a heartwarming musical comedy loosely based on the 1980 Clint Eastwood film.
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Now running through June 30
Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
The terminally damaged clan on display in John Bunzel’s dark comedy convincingly affirms that oft quoted adage of Tolstoy’s that “every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way”.
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Now running through June 2
David Ruano
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
In the lobby of the theater in a plastic case, there is a life-size reproduction of the skeleton of Joseph Merrick, or “John” as he is referenced in the script for The Elephant Man. The night this reviewer attended, there was a small crowd gathered around it, staring in wonder and disbelief, and many expressions of sympathy arose about the hideous deformities this human being was forced to live with during his brief life.
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Now running through April 14
Karianne Flaathen
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Shakespeare’s best plays are a rich source of complex, conflicted characters and readily lend themselves to creative, critical exploration or inspired adaptations. Of course, there are always risks when treading the path of the unconventional, but there are also creative successes. Director Matthew Leavitt’s updated take on the Bard’s famous tragedy, though far from perfect, offers some enjoyable quirks and surprises.
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Now running through March 31
Elvira Barjau
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Some seventy plus years after it was first published, Anne Frank’s heartrending story still tugs irresistibly at the heart. Wendy Kesselman’s adaptation of the original play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett has special significance for our highly contentious political climate.
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Rob Stevens – Haines His Way
For her thirteenth birthday, Anne Frank received a book she had shown her father in a store window in Amsterdam. She immediately began to use it as a diary to record her thoughts. Read more…
Now running through February 24
Brian M. Cole
Lovell Estell III — Stage Raw
Few elements of the criminal justice system generate more discourse and lack of consensus than capital punishment. There are now some 3,000 men and women on death row in the United States, many of whom have been languishing there for decades. Read more…
Harker Jones – Arts In LA
The death penalty ignites emotions in everyone, whether pro or con. It’s a complicated and complex subject, just like Jason Karasev’s world-premiere play Death House, which tackles the topic from many angles with compassion, intelligence, and insight.
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Now running through March 10