Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Ava: The Secret Conversations, written by and starring Elizabeth McGovern, looks at the life of golden-age movie star Ava Gardner. But oddly, it focuses more on a periphery character, a sycophantic hack writer. This might come as a disappointment to those who want to spend time with Gardner rather than this … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. Pilot gets off to a fun start with a small group of friends gathered at Sally’s (Jacqueline Wright) Santa Monica mountaintop mansion to celebrate her 50th birthday. As the lights go up on Jeff G. Rack’s well-appointed and elaborate (for The Broadwater) scenic design, the friends are playing a … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. Joel Russell’s Heavenly Country, receiving its World Premiere currently at Two Roads Theatre in Studio City, is billed as “a jukebox musical in the country, gospel, spiritual & related genres”. If that sounds like too much for a two-act, six-character show to encompass, it is also heralded as “a … Read more
Jonas Schwartz-Owen – Theatermania. So many shows have issues post-intermission after sparkling in Act 1 that the term “Second Act Trouble” is a cliché. The musical Did You See What Walter Paisley Did Today?, which is having its world premiere at La Mirada Theatre, has the opposite problem. Act 1 lacks flavor and stakes, while … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. City Garage, the resident theatre company at Santa Monica’s Bergamot Station Arts Center, built their thirty-plus year reputation for doing heavy lifting with productions of Greek tragedies and the works of Brecht and Beckett among other dramatists. With their latest offering, Cardenio, they prove they can let down their hair and … Read more
Harker Jones – BroadwayWorld. Tony-nominated playwright Lucas Hnath’s THE THIN PLACE is an eerie meditation on grief, regret and the need for closure, though it is undermined by the lack of a satisfying conclusion… Obie Award- and Outer Critics Circle Award-winning Hnath (“Red Speedo”; “A Doll’s House, Part 2”) carefully delineates each character with precise … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. GRT’s production uses projections on the back wall and on smaller screens that come and go from the wings in an attempt to open up the action. Unfortunately, they don’t add much to the show and Larry Eisenberg’s lackadaisical direction lets the production drag on. Most scenes just meander … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. The children’s rhyme “Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow?” is used several times to taunt young Mary. Unfortunately, her new garden grows quite contrary in this version masterminded by choreographer/director Warren Carlyle. His vision has taken most of the heart and soul out of the story, … Read more
Rob Stevens – Haines His Way. Edmond Rostand wrote his classic romantic comedy Cyrano de Bergerac in 1897. According to Wikipedia, the original French play has been translated at least 16 times since then… The latest version to play locally is the 2006 musical Calvin Berger with book, music & lyrics all by Barry Wyner, currently playing at Burbank’s … Read more
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 from being everything it could be… Alabado is terrific as Dot, an appealing combination of … Read more