Jason Mannino

BREAKING THE LIES THAT BIND Broadway’s biggest feelings land in the desert ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Dear Evan Hansen, the six-time Tony Award–winning musical with music and lyrics by Benj Pasek & Justin Paul and book by Steven Levenson, made its regional premiere at CV Rep last night with…

Rainbow Entertainment Group’s production of Hedwig and the Angry Inch opened with a bang at the Palm Springs Cultural Center tonight, delivering a performance that left the audience on their feet, buzzing with energy. This raw, unapologetic, and fiercely theatrical show, which runs for just two more performances through November 22, is a must-see for…

TWO WOMEN, ONE MATCH— STRIKE CAREFULLY Jen Silverman’s combustible roommate saga kicks off Desert Ensemble Theatre’s last lap Jen Silverman’s The Roommate is a stunning opener for Desert Ensemble Theatre’s 15th and final season. Directed by Kudra Wagner, this darkly comedic exploration of second chances, self-discovery, and unlikely friendship captivates from the start. With powerhouse…

NO DAY BUT TONIGHT Revolution Stage Company’s Rent delivers heart and heat, if not always polish Revolution Stage Company’s production of Rent, directed by James Owens, bursts with passion and commitment, offering an earnest exploration of love, loss, and survival in New York City’s East Village at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis. The energy…

RAISING THE CURTAIN AGAIN Palm Springs Plaza Theatre celebrates its grand reopening with a free community open house After a two-year, multimillion-dollar restoration, the historic Palm Springs Plaza Theatre will reopen its doors with a free community open house and block party on Saturday, November 22, 2025, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Visitors can…

WOOD YOU BELIEVE IT? CV REP’S PINOCCHIO CARVES OUT A WINNER The Conservatory program at Coachella Valley Repertory opens its arms wide to the next generation of theatre lovers with Pinocchio, Greg Banks’s zippy retelling of the wooden boy who just wants to be real. Director Howard Shangraw packs Banks’s fast-paced adaptation with physical comedy,…

SHRINKING THE SCALE, NOT THE MAGIC Coachella Valley Classical Voices’ recent production of Hansel and Gretel, the beloved 1893 opera by Engelbert Humperdinck, ran this past weekend at Palm Canyon Theatre, which provided the space. The result was a fresh, intimate twist on the classic tale, a charming evening of music and storytelling, featuring a…

SPOOKY CHARM MEETS UNEVEN MATERIAL The Addams Family: The Musical invites audiences into the delightfully macabre world of America’s favorite gothic household — and while the show itself can feel like it’s caught between a coffin and a hard place, Desert Theatricals’ production, which ran this past weekend at Rancho Mirage Amphitheatre breathes more life…

A SUGAR RUSH WITHOUT THE GOLDEN TICKET Palm Canyon Theatre kicks off its 39th season with David Greig‘s musical adaption of Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, a production that’s as colorful and sugary as a Wonka Bar — but often hollow once you bite in. Directed by Se Layne, the production bursts with…