Terry Morgan – ArtsBeat LA. As part of its “Sondheim Celebration” this year, the Pasadena Playhouse has a new production of Sunday, but although it is professionally done and largely enjoyable, a couple of issues in direction and performance keep this show…
Dana Martin – Stage Raw. Jonathan Larson’s semi-autobiographical rock musical tick, tick…Boom! opens the 2023 season at Long Beach International City Theatre. The production is earnest but struggles to find synthesis… Ernesto Figueroa’s Jon is charming and gently guides the musical’s throughline,…
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. For my first theatre review of 2023, I ventured out to Theatre West in Hollywood and joined the lively audience for Storybook Theatre’s opening performance of Hansel and Gretel. Lloyd J. Schwartz wrote the book…
Katie Buenneke – Theatre Digest If you’re a long-time subscriber to this newsletter, you know that I love to check out a new musical that mashes up pop songs with a classic story. Sometimes, those shows are good and fun…
Martίn Hernández – Stage Raw In the 1990s, playwright Justin Tanner was the wunderkind of small venue L.A. theatre. Tanner churned out hit after hit, like Pot Mom, Zombie Attack, and Teen Girl, for the now defunct Cast Theatre, where he was resident playwright.…