Incident at Vichy by Arthur Miller. David C. Nichols – LA Times Resolute craft drives the cautionary content of Incident at Vichy at the Sierra Madre Playhouse. Arthur Miller’s 1964 study of detainees in Nazi-occupied France isn’t exactly top tier, but when executed as intensely as this gripping revival, it might as well be. Read more…
West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim andArthur Laurents. David C. Nichols – LA Times It’s not just the exposure to countless editions of West Side Story that causes us to stagger dazed and elated from the Chance Theater. Less a revival than a whole-scale reinvention, this stunning chamber version of the landmark 1957 musical by Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Arthur … Read more
The Pianist Of Willesden Lane by Mona Golabek. Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly History is most powerful when we see the “all” through the small — the panorama of the textbook through the peephole of the personal. Acclaimed pianist Mona Golabek give us just that in sharing the story of her mother, Lisa Jura, a budding piano … Read more
Fluffy Bunnies in a Field of Daisies by Matt Chaffee. Mayank Keshaviah – LA Weekly “It’s not easy to say what this play is about. It’s not that kind of play,” says writer-director Matt Chaffee in the program notes, and he’s quite accurate in his assessment. What the play is about, he goes on to say, is “four friends … Read more
The Irish Curse by Martin Casella. Bob Verini – ArtsInLA As a dramatic event, Martin Casella’s The Irish Curse is a complete and utter contrivance. But within its rickety structure are some pungent, surprising observations on character delivered with a good deal of sincerity, and that’s not nothing. Read more…
Macbeth by Shakespeare. Dany Margolies – ArtsinLA Are we, as an educated audience, expected to know exactly when Macbeth “turns”— when the pathologically evil ambition overtakes his soul? Or must the change in him be left open to interpretation? The answer may determine which cast to see in this double-cast production of Shakespeare’s “Scottish play,” illuminatingly directed by Jessica Kubzansky. Read … Read more
The Exorcist by John Pielmeier. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA The Geffen Playhouse have commissioned John Pielmeierto adapt author William Peter Blatty’s legendary horror story to the stage for a world-premiere presentation, and it’s difficult to comprehend why. Why take a sensational novel that was cleverly parlayed into a hit movie to great effect and then – almost forty years later … Read more
Stoneface by Vanessa Claire Stewart. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Be advised – Vanessa Claire Stewart’s wonderful play about Buster Keaton is not a barrel of laughs. Dealing largely with the latter, dismal years of the legendary silent film comedy star’s career and failed marriages (two), many of the dramatic scenes are truly heartbreaking. That’s thanks to superbly subtle and emotional performances … Read more
War Horse by Nick Stafford. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA War Horse, the spectacular stage show that captivated Steven Spielberg, is now playing at the Ahmanson Theater in Downtown LA until July 29, 2012. A unique theatrical experience that combines intense drama with elaborate staging and dazzling puppetry, War Horse is essentially a love story between a boy and his horse. At the heart … Read more
Finally I Can Talk About…. by Bob Verini As an LADCC member, I see many more shows during the year than I could possibly review in Variety. In 2011 I caught 120 attractions in the LA area alone, not counting productions in San Diego, San Francisco, NY, Chicago and London. I don’t want any more of 2012 to go by … Read more