RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD at the Lillian Theatre

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David C. Nichols – LA Times A recurring pulse of pure exhilaration with purpose spins through “Recorded in Hollywood” at the Lillian Theatre.Though not without new-show quirks, Matt Donnelly, Jamelle Dolphin and Andy Cooper’s fervent, thoughtful musical study of legendary record store Dolphin’s of Hollywood and its visionary namesake is interesting, entertaining and frequently thrilling. … Read more

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

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Melinda Schupmann – Showmag.com Garnering numerous awards at the New York Musical Theatre Festival in 2011, it has been re-worked as a full-scale production and is McCoy Rigby Entertainment’s first world-premiere musical. Fresh and imaginative, it takes the finest features of Jane Austen’s classic novel and musically highlights the love stories of its principal characters. Read … Read more

CORKTOWN 57 at the Odyssey Theatre

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Steven Leigh Morris  – LA Weekly Corktown 57 unfolds entirely in the Irish-quarter grocery-shop basement of Frank Keating (John Ruby), who’s having difficulties with his wife (Natalie Britton, in a nicely textured performance). Read more… David C. Nichols – LA Times Family dynamics and political ire mix it up in “Corktown ‘57” at the Odyssey Theatre. Playwright John … Read more

THE GLASS MENAGERIE at the Renegade Theatre

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Neal Weaver  – Stage Raw The published text of Tennessee Williams’ play is rife with stage directions insisting that it’s not a realistic play, but its production history suggests that Williams didn’t trust his own creation. When it’s performed with honesty and simplicity, as it is here, debates about realism vs. memory seem merely academic. Read … Read more

MR. WOLF at South Coast Repertory

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Terry Morgan  –  Stage Raw The things that are good about Rajiv Joseph’s new play Mr. Wolf outweigh the things that are misguided, enough that one hopes the author will use this world premiere to tighten the play’s focus and deepen its impact. The current production at South Coast Repertory benefits from an excellent cast and a … Read more

NEVER GIVING UP at The Broad Stage

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Jonas Schwartz –  Arts In LA Anna Deavere Smith is an American treasure. She is a vivid storyteller who has mastered building monologues from interviews with those affected by her subject matter. She captures the cadence and moods of the real people she impersonates and finds the most penetrating details to flesh out. Read more… Melinda … Read more

Neil LaBute, on his play The Break of Noon

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Steven Leigh Morris – Stage Raw The meister of messy and cruel romantic relationships, in works such as In the Company of Men, The Shape of Things, Fat Pig and Reasons to Be Pretty, playwright, screenwriter and film director Neil LaBute shines a spotlight on atrocious behavior.  That is, of course a judgment, and LaBute insists he tries … Read more

THE GREAT WAR at Redcat

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Hoyt Hilsman  –  Huffington Post Dutch performance group Hotel Modern, along with sound designer and composer Arthur Sauer, have created a fascinating, innovative and riveting miniature reenactment of World War I, using an imaginative mix of toy soldiers and tiny landscapes, along with a mélange of media and soundscape. Read more…