Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Julia Child’s charismatic personality is explored in Claudia Shear’s new play The Recipe, a comedy with too few laughs and too few fresh insights into the life of the iconic chef. Lisa Peterson helms a breezy production that keeps the action moving, but her direction of its lead ultimately sinks it. … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Is the Old Globe’s new production of Hedda Gabler intended as a comedy? This isn’t a glib question, but a legitimate concern after leaving Erin Cressida Wilson’s slimmed-down adaptation of Henrik Ibsen’s classic, headed by movie star Katie Holmes. This very watchable production feels like a spoof of daytime soap operas. … 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
F. Kathleen Foley – Stage Raw SUFFS, the Broadway musical that closed in January of this year, touched down at the Pantages last week as part of a national tour — and it arrives with its urgency intact. Read more… Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania Not since Hamilton has a show focused on education and rebellion … 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
Patrick Chavis – LA Theatre Bites Podcast 8.9 out of 10! Excellent Show! LA Theatre Bites Recommended! Listen here… Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix While the play is genuinely affecting about the lives of these intrepid brothers, emotional nuance sometimes doesn’t land, perhaps also because the play’s pastiche structure precludes a sense of story. … Read more
Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania The biggest rumble in LA Opera’s West Side Story is not between the Sharks and the Jets but between two musical styles. As Romeo and Juliet, the lead opera stars clash with the rest of the cast, who emphasize a Broadway style singing and acting—and that clash keeps audiences from experiencing … Read more
Tracey Paleo – Gia On The Move Preview night stood on no ceremony whatsoever as Ortega delivered her Magnum Opus performance, AM I ROXIE? – an autobiographical, comedic lullaby to her Peruvian mother who lived her last years and died with Alzheimers. Very Highly Recommended. Read more… Jonas Schwartz – Theatermania The Geffen Playhouse is … Read more
Anita W. Harris – LA Theatrix While some of us can multitask, others — like Francis Henshall (Kasey Mahaffy) in “One Man, Two Guvnors” — find it inexplicably and hilariously challenging. Richard Bean’s 2011 take on Carlo Goldoni’s 1746 Italian “The Servant of Two Masters” re-sets the story to 1960s Brighton, England, complete with skiffle … Read more