Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania The ageless classic Fiddler on the Roof has bottle-danced its way into Los Angeles’s La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts with an incandescent re-creation, complete with Lee Martino’s restoration of Jerome Robbins’s Tony award-winning original choreography. Led by Jason Alexander, the cast is impeccable, fulfilling the joyousness and pain of … Read more
Martín Hernández – Stage Raw Skimpy on plot but packed with vocal talent, this musical comedy follows an alienated young woman on her bumpy journey of self-discovery. Read more… Tracey Paleo – Gia On The Move ADVENTURES IN THE GREAT BEYOND is a wacky, anti-rebel-girl, musical, relationship romp in utopian new age spirituality. Honestly, though, … Read more
Tracey Paleo – Gia On The Move SHPIDER! is without a doubt, the meta-absurdist, hi-camp hilarity, small theater stand-out success of the season. This B-movie creature feature world premiere play is full-frontal, writer/director Matt Ritchey at his best. Read more…
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix It’s a lot to cover, but under Daniel’s direction, the action is engagingly fluid and suspenseful – you really don’t know what’s going to happen next – heightening the story’s innate tensions. And due to the actors’ vibrant portrayals, the characters stay with you long after exiting the theatre, … Read more
Martín Hernández – Stage Raw A tongue-in-cheek musical melodrama replete with a vile villain, a temptress or two, and a hearty hero and heroine, the show features a book by Suzanne Buhrer and Gene Casey, and music by Buhrer, Casey, and Jan Casey. It’s also directed with comic flair by Stan Mazin. The result is … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Westrate and Owen’s concept of A Streetcar Named Desire is ripe with possibilities, and they skillfully tighten the noose around Tennessee Williams’ characters. With the constricted proximities, the audience feels less like they’re viewing a play than guiltily eavesdropping on neighbors’ high drama. Read more…
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw Becker efficiently orchestrates over a dozen actors, most of whom play multiple roles. It’s a logistical feat — still, she can’t quite smooth over the shortcomings of an uneven cast, or the feeling that the sum of the play adds up to less than its clanking moving parts. Read … Read more
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Shem Bitterman’s eerie new thriller is a totally unexpected eleventh-hour diamond in the rough that tops off our dynamic 2024 season with a bare-boned yet gleaming gem of extraordinary theatrical brilliance. I wanted to go home and take a shower and, in this case, that was a good thing. Read … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Someone as delightfully unpredictable as the legendary comedian Joan Rivers deserves a delightfully unpredictable show. The new biographical play Joan by Daniel Goldstein, now having its world premiere at South Coast Rep, however, is a pleasant but by the numbers program. Read more… Patrick Chavis – The Orange Curtain Review South … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix Under the direction of Todd Nielsen, the actors are meticulous both in their deliveries and intricately timed movements, so the audience is always clear as to what’s going on amid the surprising twists and turns. Read more…