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Theater Review: DIETRICH (Tour at Revolution in Palm Springs)
FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN Last night, Revolution Stage Company presented Cindy Marinangel‘s in her one woman show, Dietrich. Inspired by the legendary Marlene Dietrich, this is a captivating night of theater. Marinangel fully inhabits Dietrich, bringing a fresh and compelling take on her life and career. From the moment she steps onto the stage she…
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Theater Review: UNCLE VANYA (Shakespeare Theatre Company)
A BEAUTIFULLY SHABBY, STARKLY HUMAN TRIUMPH From the moment the house opens, Shakespeare Theatre Company’s Uncle Vanya, directed by Simon Godwin and starring Hugh Bonneville, signals that this is no ordinary Chekhov. The “pre-show” is a quietly brilliant touch: actors drift onstage, greet the audience, lace up their boots, and half-slip into character as if the…
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Theater Review: CAROUSEL (Boston Lyric Opera)
A SPIRITED REVIVAL WITH DEPTH AND DISSONANCE Eighty years after Carousel had its final pre-Broadway preview at Boston’s Colonial Theatre, Boston Lyric Opera revives Rodgers and Hammerstein’s 1945 classic with both nostalgia and an edge. Under the thoughtful direction of Anne Bogart and the sure baton of David Angus, this production revisits a golden-age musical…
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Theater Review: SHOWSTOPPER (Gary Stockdale at Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks)
HIGH NOTES AND HARD KNOCKS: SHOWSTOPPER CHARTS THE SONGBOOK OF SURVIVAL Singer songwriter Gary Stockdale has a loyal but eclectic fan base. His long-term devotees date back to legendary TV producer Steven Bochco’s cutting-edge and sadly short-lived musical police drama Cop Rock, in which he played a drug dealer who stood before the bench and…
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Theater Review: DON’T EAT THE MANGOS (Huntington Theatre Company at Calderwood Pavilion)
MURDER BY MANGO Ricardo Pérez González’s Don’t Eat the Mangos—a tragicomedy brimming with revelation, rage, and retribution—transforms the Calderwood stage into a site of reckoning. Directed by David Mendizábel, this gripping family drama unfurls within the walls of a Puerto Rican home, where three adult sisters contend with the burdens of caregiving, long-held grievances, and…
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THE REVIVAL OF CLASSIC THEATER IN THE AGE OF STREAMING: IS THERE STILL A PLACE FOR THE STAGE?
In an era dominated by the convenience of streaming platforms, where movies, TV shows, and even live events are just a click away, the question arises: Can classic theater still hold its ground? With audiences increasingly drawn to the on-demand nature of digital content, the stage has faced mounting challenges in maintaining its relevance. Yet,…
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Theater Review: #CHARLOTTESVILLE (Keegan Theatre in D.C.)
HAUNTING, URGENT, AND SPEAKS VOLUMES Priyanka Shetty’s #Charlottesville, currently running at the Keegan Theatre, is a searing and deeply personal exploration of one of the darkest moments in recent American history—the 2017 “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. More than a mere recounting of the events, the production offers a visceral and emotionally charged portrait…
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Theater Review: THE WORLD GOES ‘ROUND (Lark Theater)
CELEBRATING KANDER & EBB: WHAT A LARK! In the heart of southern Marin County, Larkspur’s Lark Theater is a 1936 art deco movie house with a single screen. It required hard work, dedicated volunteers and plenty of donations from 2004 to 2007 to transform it into a state-of-the-art film and cultural center. Today, this historic…
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Theater Review: SUBURBIA (Mojo Ensemble at Odyssey Theatre)
Suburbia is too close to the country to have anything real to do and too close to the city to admit you have nothing real to do. — American essayist Sloane Crosley First, I want to acknowledge the passing of Ron Sossi, Founding Artistic Director of the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, who made theatre in LA…
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Theater Review: SISTER ACT (Ford’s Theater in D.C.)
BENEATH THE SCHMALTZ IS A JOYFUL NOISE Fun, uplifting, and yes, frivolous, Sister Act is a musical remake of the famously successful 1992 hit movie starring Whoopi Goldberg. The historic Ford’s Theater, which also houses a museum based on Abraham Lincoln’s legacy, is a tourist destination and is known for producing non-controversial shows for the…
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Theater Review: TRUE WEST (Roustabouts Theatre Company at Diversionary Theatre in San Diego)
TRUE ZEST IN TRUE WEST As my sixtieth year on earth winds down, I’d like to believe those years have seasoned me with a strong degree of wisdom, patience, and finesse. As I said, I’d like to believe that, but there are two people who can reduce me to a furious, outrageous adolescent in a…
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Theater Review: INTO THE WOODS (Musical Theatre West)
THE FAIRY TALES BREAK– AND THAT’S THE POINT The stories are still here. Cinderella. Jack. Little Red. Rapunzel. A Baker and his Wife, tangled in a curse and each other. Into the Woods has always worn its source material like a costume—but it keeps a blade tucked underneath. Musical Theatre West’s new production doesn’t sharpen…
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Theater Review: THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE (Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood)
BEE MINUS Now playing at Wisteria Theater in North Hollywood is one of the few wonderful musicals from this century so far, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, by William Finn (music and lyrics) and Rachel Sheinkin (book). Now 20 years old, this delightful musical follows a group of middle schoolers as they struggle…
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Broadway Review: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (Music Box)
THE PICTURE OF ASTOUNDING THEATRE I’ve been fortunate to witness some extraordinary one-person plays on Broadway. To name a few: Zoe Caldwell in Lillian, Ben Kingsley in Edmund Kean, Robert Morse in TRU, as well as Elaine Stritch at Liberty, I Am My Own Wife, and outstanding performances by John Leguizamo, Eric Bogosian, and Anna…
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Theater Review: CABARET (NTC Playhouse in Novato)
WHEN THE GRIM PAST WAS A PARTY Willkommen to the intimate 99-seat NTC Playhouse in Novato, transformed into the seedy Kit Kat Klub in pre-war Berlin. While poverty, unemployment, and a sense of doom fill the streets, free-wheeling sex, drugs, and jazz entertain inside the club. Unpleasant political developments are willingly pushed aside by these…
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Theater Review: THE UNRAVELING (Ghost Road Theatre)
LOOM WITH A VIEW Ghost Road Theatre’s The Unraveling pulls you into its strange, hypnotic orbit and doesn’t let go. This is a truly original work with some breathtaking theatrical coups. Ann Noble is mesmerizing as Susan, a reclusive former professor who loved teaching Homer’s epic poem The Odyssey, but modern-day students and their ever-present…
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Theater Review: HAMILTON (National Tour in Houston)
Now playing at The Hobby Center in Houston is the national tour of the absolute crown jewel of the theater known simply as Hamilton. This artistic cultural phenomenon is non-stop high-energy from beginning to end, showing no signs of slowing down. At almost a decade old, the story of the elusive and blindly ambitious Founding…
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Theater Review: WILD WITH HAPPY (NCTC in San Francisco)
ASHES TO ASHES, PIXIE DUST TO PIXIE DUST Academy Award-nominated actor, playwright, and former Bay Area resident Colman Domingo‘s semi-autobiographical dramedy, Wild With Happy, is having its San Francisco debut this month at the New Conservatory Theatre Center. The title itself is a contradiction, perfectly capturing the show’s blend of humor and heartfelt emotion. The…
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THE ART OF THE GAME: HOW SPORTS AND THEATER SHARE THE SPOTLIGHT
When fans fill a stadium or a theater, they come for the same thing: an unforgettable performance. Whether it’s an actor delivering a monologue or an athlete making a game-winning play, both arenas thrive on drama, storytelling, and the thrill of the unexpected. The connection between sports and theater runs deeper than just spectacle. Both…
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Theater Review: MRS. KRISHNAN’S PARTY (Marin Theatre)
FEEL-GOOD SHOW SPICES UP MARIN THEATRE Marin Theatre takes a flying leap into immersive culture with Mrs. Krishnan’s Party—which opened tonight in the intimate Boyer Main Stage. The interactive comedy is a short, frenetic and very funny helping of what goes on in back-of-the-store India, transported to Mill Valley. The audience slowly enters a backstage…
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