Krapp’s Last Tape by Samuel Beckett. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Samuel Beckett’s melancholy one man, one act play is being performed superbly by John Hurt in his first appearance on a Los Angeles stage, at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, in a production imported from the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Much like Clint Eastwood waited until he was sufficiently old and grizzled enough to play the … Read more
November by David Mamet. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA David Mamet’s grubby and farcical political play November, now playing at the Mark Taper Forum Downtown, is a riot of foul language and racial epithets, all tumbling from the mouth of the President of the United States, as daffily portrayed by Ed Begley Jr. Read more… David C. Nichols – Backstage It’s a week before Election … Read more
Silence! The Musical by Jon and Al Kaplan (music and lyrics) and Hunter Bell (book). David C. Nichols — Backstage The impending Book of Mormonnotwithstanding, it’s unlikely that Angelenos will see anything more scabrous or ham’s-holiday funny than Silence! The Musical at the Hayworth Theatre. This “unauthorized parody” of the Oscar-winning thriller is receiving a take-no-prisoners L.A. premiere and in the process decimates its source and … Read more
The Elephant Room created by Trey Lyford, Geoff Sobelle and Steve Cuiffo. Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA A creepy trio of lounge lizard magicians, sporting pedophile moustaches, cheesy outfits, hideous wigs and (in one case) false buck teeth, are the “protagonists” of a spoofy “play” called The Elephant Room, now playing at the Kirk Douglas Theater in Culver City. But it’s not really a … Read more
The Blue Iris by Athol Fugard. David C. Nichols – Backstage In The Blue Iris, prolific South African playwright Athol Fugard treads delicately yet resolutely through the landscape of the heart. In doing so, the venerable 80-year-old dramatist cannot help clutching at ours, as this riveting U.S. premiere demonstrates. Read more… Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com It’s hard to know exactly what to make … Read more
The Gronholm Method by Jordi Galcerán Ferrer. Translation by Anne Garcia-Romero andMark St. Germain. Sharon Perlmutter – TalkinBroadway.com I was surprised to learn that The Grönholm Method was originally written in 2003; I would have guessed it came out of the “Greed is Good” late 1980s. Indeed, whenever this tale of a job interview from hell mentions Occupy Wall Street or any other … Read more
Memphis by David Bryan(music and lyrics) and Joe DiPietro (lyrics and book). Pauline Adamek – ArtsBeatLA Kicking off with a frenetic pace that never lets up, Memphis is a high energy, original musical about the explosion of black musical artists into the mainstream during the late 1950s. Read more… Bob Verini – Variety The sleek, stylish Memphis exemplifies the Broadway show tour done very … Read more
At a May meeting of the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, David C. Nichols was chosen as the Circle’s president for a one-year term. Nichols, who writes for the L.A. Times and other local publications, had previously held that office from 2008 to 2010. Outgoing president Bob Verini, who has held the office since 2010, will take over as Awards Chair for the LADCC Awards ceremonies … 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
Prize recipients, nominees, critics, publicists, theater practitioners and aficionadi all mingled in the foyer of A Noise Within’s glamorous theater in Pasadena following the 43rd Annual Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards event, which was held on Monday, March 19, 2012. For a full list of the nominees, go here. You can now follow theLos Angeles Drama Critics Circle on twitter via @LADramaCC. Enjoy this photo … Read more