Tough ‘Suffs’. Ghost plays. A cult starts to crack.
Don Shirley – Angeles Stage Suffs, Our Town, Paranormal Activity, Hello, My Name Is…, Passion, Mariology, Table 17, Pointy Scissors, R.I.P. Murray Mednick. Read more…
A Christmas Carol @ A NOISE WITHIN
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw Instead of Dickens’s luminous androgyne, The Ghost of Christmas is imaginatively personified as a twirling, tulle-clad ballerina in a top hat. Trisha Miller, who has played the role over several seasons, is once again a delight. Read more…
Suffs @ HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw SUFFS, the Broadway musical that closed in January of this year, touched down at the Pantages last week as part of a national tour — and it arrives with its urgency intact. Read more… Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Not since Hamilton has a show focused on education and rebellion … Read more
Table 17 @ GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw And granted, Rishawn has impressively perfect abs, but why, in one scene, is he wearing an open shirt with his six-pack visibly oiled? It’s a meretricious visual that comes at the expense of the character and indicates deeper problems with the staging, which too often panders for laughs. Read … Read more
UNRAVELLED @ THE WALLIS
Tracey Paleo – Gia On The Move With a truly magnificent cast, UNRAVELLED succeeds in displaying some genuine “brain science” in what could have been merely a play. Read more…
Paranormal Activity @ AHMANSON THEATRE
Travis Michael Holder – TicketHoldersLA Beginning in the total dark with a burst of ear-splitting ambient noise, this opening choice is as if the show’s creators are giving us a warning: This is only the beginning, motherf***ers, so get ready to scream out loud and jump out of your seats on a regular basis for … Read more
Moulin Rouge! @ HOLLYWOOD PANTAGES/SEGERSTROM
Amanda Callas – Broadwayworld A decadent, kitchen-sink-sized chocolate sundae with a sparkly sprinkling of campiness on top, Moulin Rouge! has the allure of something that you know is excessive but you simply cannot resist another bite. Read more… Patrick Chavis – The Orange Curtain Review The love story with attitude, French flair, and a soundtrack … Read more
Grease @ EL PORTAL THEATRE
Harker Jones – BroadwayWorld In the end, if you love GREASE, you may not mind the grumbles and grouses that plagued the production for me. All the songs you love are there, and sometimes that’s enough. The 1950s throwback to a seemingly more innocent time is certainly a palliative to the horrors of today. Read … Read more
Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” @ THE LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE
Anita W. Harris – Long Beach Post Award-winning playwright Neil Simon’s “Plaza Suite” is actually three mini-plays all set in the same suite of New York City’s Plaza Hotel in 1968. The six actors who play three different couples are well directed by James Rice to deliver Simon’s sharp and witty lines in laugh-out-loud ways … Read more
Jagged Little Pill @ LANDMARK THEATRE COMPANY
Anita W. Harris – Long Beach Post Knowing that “Jagged Little Pill” has themes like addiction and sexual assault, I was a little worried it might feel too intense. But Long Beach Landmark Theatre’s production of Alanis Morissette’s musical, based on her 1995 album of the same name, emphasizes its music, humor and humanity, making … Read more