Palm Springs
(Coachella Valley)

PALM SPRINGS DISPATCH FROM HEADAH HOPPER  Your faithful correspondent in the desert My dear reader, If you are planning a visit to Palm Springs and think your evenings will be limited to early dinners, tasteful cocktails, and discussions of real estate values, allow me — helpfully, lovingly — to redirect you. You are going to…

Desert Ensemble Theater’s world premiere of Rich Rubin’s Dispersion of Light opened this past Friday at the Palm Springs Cultural Center, and it’s a fascinating dive into the 1930s art world. The play centers on 1932—a chaotic year for Georgia O’Keeffe, who was balancing a massive commission for Radio City Music Hall while her marriage…

A BRITISH FARCE OF DOUBLE-DEALING, DISGUISES, AND CHAOS IN ’60s BRIGHTON When it hits its stride, CV Rep’s high-energy staging delivers the kind of old-school physical comedy that feels like instant stress relief. What the world needs now is… laughter. Lots of laughter, which is being served up liberally in Coachella Valley Repertory’s tasty take…

Unpacking the Magic: LT Cousineau’s Songs from My Holiday Closet is a Seasonal Smash that has become a holiday tradition There’s a special magic that happens when a performer stops trying to please everyone and simply tells their own truth, which is what went down at Revolution Stage Company this past Monday, December 22, for…

PLAIDS, CAROLS & COMIC CHAOS A tuneful Yule celebration filled with charm, harmony, and holiday silliness If you’re craving holiday nostalgia served with tight four-part harmonies and a side of goofy, good-hearted comedy, Plaid Tidings at Revolution Stage Company should be on your December shortlist. Stuart Ross’s follow-up to his wildly popular 1989 revue Forever…

A DARKER LOOK AT THE GANG WE GREW UP WITH Dog Sees God, Bert V. Royal’s 2004 reimagining of the Peanuts universe, wonders what might happen if those familiar childhood figures stumbled into late high school. The answer is a swirl of drugs, profanity, identity crises, and more than a little homophobia. Though the script…

A TEXAS-SIZED CHRISTMAS MELTDOWN This is pure, sugar-spun, deep-fried, glitter-smothered Texas Trashmas — and honey, sometimes that’s exactly what the doctor ordered. If your idea of Christmas cheer involves snowflakes, Victorian carolers, or anything resembling culture, turn back now, sugar. Desert TheatreWorks has hauled a flaming holiday fruitcake onto the stage, delivering a holiday spectacle…

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…

SUNNY SIDE UP IN PALM SPRINGS A production that belts, dances, and tail-wags its way into the season ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ ✦ Palm Canyon Theatre’s production of Annie delivers a sleigh-full of Christmas delights. All the elements of great musical theatre are here: talented performers, a terrific show and…

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…