Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color Despite this new revival of Flower Drum Song having a second revision from David Henry Hwang, no amount of rewrites cannot shake the core that this Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, now playing at East West Players, is still very much outdated as a orientalist and voyeuristic crowd pleaser … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color Nocturne Theatre’s Jesus Christ Superstar has not only reinvigorated this classic Andrew Lloyd Webber musical with their astounding production work and talent but through conscious & well thought-out casting decisions, has given it urgent relevancy in the world we live today. Read more…
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color Though Kim’s Convenience, now having its run at Center Theatre Group, is enjoyable in its many funny and touching moments, Ins Choi’s 2011 play is very much outdated in its necessity to showcase Korean identity & culture that is completely catered to white people. Despite a well rounded … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color Hamid Rahmanian‘s Song of the North, now currently playing at Pasadena Playhouse, is an extraordinary multimedia production that is a marvel for all ages to enjoy. Utilizing shadow puppetry (483 puppets!!) and projected animation with immense success to reimagine the Iranian epic Shahnameh, the joy and magic found … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color There are many incredible ingredients at work with the Los Angeles premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama Fairview, now playing at Rogue Machine Theatre: a crackling ensemble cast, an intriguing and twisty premise, and a thrilling direction by Oz Scott. But despite these elements present, … Read more
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw And when it comes to dynamic performances, the most winning of the evening is Sylvia herself, a huge red octopus puppet designed and directed by Emory Royston and manipulated by three nimble puppeteers, Zachary Bones, Perry Daniel, and Danielle McPhaul. Read more… Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania A new staging of the Broadway cause célèbre Here Lies Love has arrived at the Mark Taper Forum. But without the benefit of seeing the original Alex Timbers production in New York, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly why, in this reimagined version helmed by Center Theatre Group artistic director Snehal Desai, the … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania In Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus, Antonio Salieri may proclaim himself the patron saint of mediocrity, but Jefferson Mays, who plays him in this new Pasadena Playhouse production, is a patron saint of distinction. His transcendent performance will be remembered for shaping the character into someone sharp, broken, and unexpectedly hilarious. Read more… … Read more
Edward Hong – The Nerds Of Color The world premiere of The Circle at Greenway Court Theatre has severely misguided intentions in possibly one of the longest, most confusing, overly written, acted, and directed plays I have ever seen. Read more…
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