Palm Springs
(Coachella Valley)

GUARANTEED HAPPINESS AWAITS It was just slightly over a year ago that the newcomer Revolution Stage Company staked its claim as one of The Valley’s top production companies with their presentation of Avenue Q (see Stage and Cinema‘s review) There was a bit of concern when the company announced that it would be restaged for this…

THIS CLASSIC MUSICAL STILL SPARKLES By and large, I don’t understand why people are so eager to return to familiar musicals. We know that Curly and Laurie are going to get hitched and that Annie is going to enjoy a plush life with Daddy Warbucks. For that reason, I have avoided My Fair Lady for…

PERFECT, INDEED: TERRIFIC—AND TIMELY The Bent Theatre, Palm Springs’ queer theatre company now in its third season, continues to prove its significance not only for the LGBTQ+ community but for the greater theatre scene as well. Their current production of Perfect Arrangement —which opened last night—exemplifies this beautifully. Topher Payne’s script is a work of genius….

CHUCK YATES IS A TOUR DE FORCE AS TRUMAN CAPOTE Based on photos and video clips I’ve seen of Truman Capote, Chuck Yates has truly captured the successful-but-troubled author in Desert Ensemble Theatre’s production of Tru, a two-act monologue which proves that the proudly gay author was even more interesting than the characters he created for…

A LUSH, ROMANTIC JOURNEY THROUGH LOVE AND TRANSFORMATION Since Adam Karsten‘s arrival as Artistic Director at CV Rep, the quality and consistency of the theater’s productions have improved exponentially. The current production of The Light in the Piazza, directed by Karsten, takes this progress to the stratosphere. Mollie Vogt-Welch, Daniel Lopez, Logan Graye This 2005…

A TON OF LEGAL FUN If you’re seeking a deep, soul-searching drama that challenges your intellect and reshapes your worldview, Legally Blonde The Musical at Indio’s Desert Theatreworks may not be the ticket. However, if you’re looking for an effervescent evening of laughter, music, and toe-tapping delight, this production promises to be the perfect antidote…

WHAT A PIECE OF WORK IS FAT HAM Dezart Performs solidifies its reputation as one of the premier theater companies in The Valley—and possibly all of Southern California—with its current production of Fat Ham, running through January 26. Given the lack of diversity on Coachella Valley stages, it’s invigorating to see a play featuring a full…

TEEN ANGST HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD The first time I saw Spring Awakening was at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre and I hated it. This chamber musical–so dependent on facial expressions–was awful in that 2,700-seat venue (though I love it for big musicals). The intimate production which opened last night at Palm Springs’ Revolution Stage…

39 STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Adapted by Patrick Barlow from John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film, The 39 Steps is a comedic thriller blending spy drama, physical comedy, and theatrical ingenuity. In the outrageous, hilarious spoof, now playing at CV Rep, Richard Hannay (Matthew Floyed Miller), a dashing Canadian visiting England, meets…

MORIARTY MARVELOUSLY MIMICS MENGERS Virtually every Hollywood star has an agent but one of the only agents who was known by name is Sue Mengers, the Dragon Lady of movie casting in the 60s, 70s and early 80s. She was legendary for the lengths to which she would go to get her actors in major…

YOU’RE NOT JUST IN GOOD COMPANY; THIS IS GREAT COMPANY Mention the name Stephen Sondheim to a musical theatre devotee and first they will bow their head for a moment of reverence, and then assure you that except for Into the Woods and Forum, his works are definitely not to be attempted by community theatres….

THE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OF POLITICS When you hear the name Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton there are three visceral reactions that may occur. The first is deep respect for a woman who gave her entire life to making American local and federal government better for everyone. The second is patriarchal hatred for a woman stepping out…

LOOT IS A HOOT Loot is Joe Orton’s darkly comic masterpiece that eviscerates societal norms and exposes the hypocrisies of authority figures with razor-sharp wit. Two young men, Hal and Dennis, rob a bank next to a funeral parlor and attempt to stash their ill-gotten gains in the coffin of Hal’s recently deceased mother, Mrs….

ABNORMALLY REAL CV Rep opened it’s 24/25 season this past week with a triumphant production of the rock musical Next to Normal, ably directed by CV Rep’s Artistic Director Adam Karsten.  Groundbreaking in its exploration of mental illness, grief, and the impact these issues have on a family, the show won the Pulitzer Prize for…

OOH LA LA FOR  LA CAGE AUX FOLLES With songs by the incomparable Jerry Herman, bookwriter Harvey Fierstein once again broke ground after his Torch Song Trilogy with La Cage aux Folles. It was groundbreaking as the first Broadway musical to prominently feature a gay couple as main characters along with an ensemble of drag queens,…