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Los Angeles
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Recommended Theater: ROOM-I-NATION (CAP UCLA’s Nimoy)
Aditya Prakash’s ROOM-i-Nation, an unprecedented adaptation of his 2023 album ISOLASHUN, comes to CAP UCLA’s Nimoy Theater on October 4 & 5, 2024. Drawing from his vibrant Los Angeles upbringing and rich musical education in India, Prakash seamlessly blends the ancient rhythms of Karnatik music with contemporary sounds. His journey of self-discovery, reflected in every note, resonates…
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Cabaret Review: IN MY LIVING ROOM (Jessica Vosk at Smothers Theatre at Pepperdine, Malibu)
LIVING IT UP IN HER LIVING ROOM In the shimmering galaxy of cabaret, few stars sparkle with the vivacity and brilliance of Jessica Vosk, who, at 40, is the real deal. You’re talking about a woman who sells out Carnegie Hall. On September 19, a raucous and appreciative audience — mainly students at Pepperdine University’s…
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Highly Recommended Theater: THE EMPIRE STRIPS BACK: A BURLESQUE PARODY (The Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood)
IT’S OK TO GET SAUCED FOR STUNNING SAUCY STRIPPERS AND SPECTACULAR SAUCERS, OR MAY THE TORSO BE WITH YOU Forget about Broadway or the latest Marvel Comic movie. The fun, hip and cool burlesque Star Wars parody ’” which isn’t just for fans of the franchise ’” is the show to see live onstage. Surprised by…
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Theater Review: ONCE (Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura)
SEEING ONCE ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH Ironically, the real-life love affair between collaborators Glen Hansard, an Irish singer-songwriter, and Markéta Irglová, a Czech songwriter, fizzled after John Carney’s 2007 film became a success (well, it’s not called Once for nothing). But the Tony-triumphant 2011 stage musical, now offered in Rubicon Theatre‘s enchanting and bittersweet yet…
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Theater Interview: MICHAEL ROTH (Music Director for Randy Newman’s “Faust” at The Soraya, September 28 & 29, 2024)
LIFE IN THE FAUST LANE There’s Gounod’s Faust (the opera), Thomas Mann’s Doctor Faustus (the novel), Christopher Marlowe’s Faust (the play), then there’s the classic Faust — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s massive tome, published in two parts in 1808 and 1832, that is both rhymed-verse poem and play, considered by some to be the greatest work of…
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Opera Review: MADAME BUTTERFLY (LA Opera)
TAKE. CUT. PRINT. A BUTTERFLY IN A 1930 MOVIE STUDIO ENTHRALLS Stage and cinema have merged at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion for what may be the most glorious and cogent version of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly you will ever see. Certainly, this is the most inspiring and satisfying version of this oft-produced opera that I have…
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Highly Recommended Theater: PARENTS IN CHAINS (Developmental Workshop Production at Whitley Theatre in L.A.)
It’s rare to see so many superstars on stage at once. That’s what you’ll get for Parents in Chains, a new comedy by Jay Martel, which will have a developmental workshop production at Hollywood’s Whitley Theatre on Monday, September 30 and Tuesday, October 1 at 8pm. It’s also rare that such a production is open…
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Theater Review: TICK, TICK … BOOM! (Theatre Palisades)
IT TICKS, IT BOOMS, IT EXPLODES! Theatre Palisades has struck gold with its astoundingly entertaining and moving production of Jonathan Larson‘s Tick, Tick … BOOM! Expanding the cast from three to six, director Lindsay Johnson takes what normally feels like a song cycle and turns it into a full-fledged story, upping the emotional resonance of…
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Theater: WAITRESS (La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts)
If the heat in the kitchen is getting you down, you’ll want to head on over to La Mirada Theatre, where the Broadway hit Waitress opens tonight and plays through October 13. Designed by an all-female creative team and featuring Jessie Mueller in its 2016 premiere, it received a Tony nomination for Best Musical (but…
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Theater & Cabaret Review: CRIMSON & CLOVER (Cinegrill Theater at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel)
YOU’LL WANT TO SEE THIS CLOVER AND CLOVER AGAIN There’s a wonderful new show playing at the Cinegrill Theater at the gorgeous Hollywood Roosevelt that is not so easy to shoehorn into a simple definition. It’s burlesque, immersive theater, cabaret, dance show, nightclub and more. The name of the show, Crimson & Clover, comes from…
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Theater Review: 3 FACES OF STEVE: SONDHEIM IN CONCERT (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble)
A MASTER OF MUSICAL THEATER; TWENTY-SEVEN SONGS; THREE GREAT PERFORMERS; ONE TERRIFIC REVUE 3 Faces of Steve: Sondheim in Concert at Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is a revue that spans the breadth of Stephen Sondheim’s work. Director Angelina Réaux, the soprano who personally knew and worked with the great composer, joins world-class singers Michael Sokol, baritone,…
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Theater Review: CLARKSTON (Echo Theater Company)
TRYING TO MAKE LIFE BETTER AT ANY COSTCO Head north to the small town of Lewiston, Idaho, and you’ll discover how the town got its name. One of the town’s main attractions is the Lewis and Clark Discovery Center. Located along the banks of the Snake River, the center chronicles the journey of 19th-century explorers…
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Highly Recommended Dance: HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO (On Tour at Musco Center, Friday Sep 20, 2024)
HUBBA HUBBA HUBBARD Hubbard Street Dance Chicago’s is making a rare West Coast appearance next Friday at The Musco Center at Chapman College The Chicago veteran contemporary dance company, one of America’s finest, never disappoints. The quadruple bill next consists of a variety of styles. The first piece, Maria Torres’s Echoes of Our Ancestors (2024) is…
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Theater Review: A GOOD GUY (Rogue Machine)
NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED Take a look at the highly decorated diorama just before you go upstairs to the Henry Murray Theatre for one of the most exciting world premieres you will ever see. It’s a miniature school room with one open text book about statistics and others involving math problems. Notice the circles….
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Theater Review: DUEL REALITY (Ahmanson Theatre)
STAR-CROSSED … AND TOSSED Think of The 7 Fingers (Les 7 doigts de la main) as a mini Cirque du Soleil performing onstage instead of in a ring under a Big Tent. This Montreal-based circus troupe and creative collective is making its Music Center debut with a brief two-week run of its current show, Duel…
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Theater Review: DRAGON LADY (Geffen Playhouse)
GRANDMA’S A BADASS It’s Grandma Maria Porkalob Sr.’s 60th birthday party, she’s living in her son’s mother-in-law basement and he’s just given her a karaoke machine as her birthday present. She’s about to fire it up to tell granddaughter Sara Porkalob her dramatic life story. Upstairs, her birthday is being both celebrated by most of…
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Theater Review: THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH (A Noise Within)
TRIUMPH OF THE WILL I love how the press notes for A Noise Within‘s stupendous revival of Thornton Wilder‘s The Skin of Our Teeth noted a quote from original director Elia Kazan: “I overheard one couple talking as they left the theater. ‘What’s it all about?’ the man complained to his wife. ‘Why, George,’ she said,…
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Theater Review: CYRANO DE BERGERAC (Pasadena Playhouse)
PLAYWRIGHT MARTIN CRIMP HAS A NOSE FOR UPDATES Martin Crimp’s Cyrano at the Pasadena Playhouse is nothing short of theatrical alchemy. This bold reimagining of Edmond Rostand’s beloved classic breathes new life into an age-old tale, cleverly intertwining the timeless themes of love, identity, and self-worth with a distinctly modern sensibility. Crimp’s adaptation, first brought…
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Theater Review: THE CIVILITY OF ALBERT CASHIER (Colony Theatre, Burbank)
A MUSICAL THAT’S TOO CIVIL TO RESONATE Union soldier Jeffrey N. Davis (no relation to President of the Confederate States of America Jefferson Davis), is on the hunt for his best friend, Albert Cashier, a fellow soldier in the the 95th Illinois Infantry. Following a skirmish, the brave sharpshooter Cashier stayed behind to place a…
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Highly Recommended Theater: BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL (Morgan–Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica)
THIS BAT COMES OUT SWINGING Bat Boy: The Musical is finally returning to Los Angeles for a run at Morgan–Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica September 28 through October 13, 2024. This outrageous comedy/horror Off-Broadway musical, which originated right here in L.A. at The Actors Gang in 1997, is a campy, off the wall musical that…
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