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Theater Review: THE TEMPEST (Idle Muse in Chicago)
LET IDLE MUSE’S INDULGENCE SET YOU FREE Idle Muse Theatre Company’s production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest immerses its audience in a dark and stormy night full of magic and mischief. This quirky cast delivers comedy and a complex tapestry of character connections. Joel Thompson, Michael Dalberg and Jennifer Mohr The moment you step into…
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Theater Review: PRIVATE LIVES (A.C.T. in San Francisco)
JAGGED WITH SOPHISTICATION A.C.T. is bringing back a tried and true favorite: Noël Coward’s Private Lives, moving the play’s locale from France to Argentina, specifically Montevideo. An ultimate comedy of manners, this three-act play centers on a long-divorced couple, both of whom are on their honeymoons with their new respective spouses when they are hit…
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Theater Review: JAJA’S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING (Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater in D.C.)
WEAVING TOGETHER THE IMMIGRANT EXPERIENCE JaJa’s African Hair Braiding – beginning a regional tour after Broadway success and Arena Stage’s season starter – is a peek into the immigrant experience in America, served up with laughter and fears of deportation. Written by Ghanaian American Jocelyn Bioh and directed by Whitney White, the play is both…
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Theater Review: URINETOWN (Lyric Stage Boston)
MIND YOUR PEES AND QUEUES Courtney O’Connor’s masterful direction of the unpleasantly titled Urinetown: The Musical brings together numerous wonderful performances along with great music (Dan Rodriguez, music director) and choreography (Christopher Shin) in this Brechtian examination of economic inequality and environmental degradation. With music and lyrics by Mark Hollman and book and lyrics by…
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Theater Review: MEXODUS (Berkeley Repertory Theatre)
STUNNING STORYTELLING Many times when I go to see a show, whether as a critic or just a patron, I’ll come in not knowing in advance what I’m going to see. With a reputable theater company, my expectations are set pretty high. The Berkeley Rep’s outings have never failed to disappoint me, sure, but not…
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Theater Review: FIGHT NIGHT (Ontroerend Goed Theatre Performance Company / North American Tour)
A LIVELY AND TIMELY EXAMINATION OF VOTING BEHAVIOR Fight Night, brought to seven American states by the Belgian performance group Ontroerend Goed (a punning name, roughly translated as “Feel Estate”), combines theater of the absurd with current events to engage and challenge. Directed by Alexander Devriendt, brings five candidates (Aurelie Lannoy, Julia Ghysels, Bastiaan Vandendriessche,…
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Theater Review: THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST (Lamb’s Players Theatre in Coronado)
THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEING THIS IMPORTANCE Is there a funnier comedy in the English language than Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest? Since it opened in London in 1895 the play has astonished audiences with its dazzling wit, charming characters. and clever plot. Lamb’s Players Theatre has taken on the challenge of reviving this…
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Theater Review: JERSEY BOYS (CCAE Theatricals in Escondido)
BOY, OH JERSEY BOY, IS THIS SHOW EVER GREAT In 2004, a new musical called Jersey Boys quietly debuted at the La Jolla Playhouse. It transferred to Broadway the next year, running for 12 years while road productions popped up worldwide. It’s now back for a short run at the California Center for the Arts…
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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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MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MUSEUM OR THEATRE VISIT
Visiting a museum, theatre, or cinema is a fantastic way to immerse yourself in art and culture. These spaces offer us a glimpse into the creative minds of artists, directors, and performers from all over the world. But beyond simply admiring what’s on display, these venues can also be great places to connect with others…
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Theater Review: NEVER BETTER (Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre)
A NEW MUSICAL THAT JUST MIGHT RIP YOUR HEART OUT Preston Max Allen’s new musical Never Better at Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre is an emotionally raw folk-punk musical. It sometimes struggles with forward motion but makes up for that shortcoming with overflowing heart. Ismael Garcia, Travis Shanahan, Emma Samuelson First, I want to celebrate Theo…
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Theater Review: ARSENIC AND OLD LACE (Center Rep)
Arsenic and Old Lace, the classic black comedy about two sweet old sisters poisoning old men lodgers has been told on stage and screen for decades. This includes the original play written by Joseph Kessering in 1941 and a film in 1944 directed by Frank Capra featuring Cary Grant and Raymond Massey. In 1962, there…
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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 Review: LEOPOLDSTADT (Huntington Theatre, Boston)
A TRIUMPHANT SAGA OF A VIENNESE FAMILY The Huntington and director Carey Perloff bring Tom Stoppard‘s beautifully written Leopoldstadt to Boston with engaging performances that make the complex relationships of three generations of an extended family surprisingly easy to follow and appreciate. A cast of over thirty actors, set in four different time periods, portray…
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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: A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE (North Coast Repertory Theatre in Solana Beach)
A BRIDGE TO GREAT THEATER Arthur Miller’s A View from the Bridge may be a small play physically, with a single drab set and just five significant characters. But it builds from a sympathetic beginning to a shattering violent conclusion in the spot-on production played to the hilt at the North Coast Repertory Theatre. The…
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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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Theater Review: THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW (Cygnet Theatre)
DON’T PAY ATTENTION TO THE PLOT, AND YOU’LL HAVE A BLAST In 1973, a rock musical called The Rocky Horror Show opened in London and ran until 1980 as other productions of the show blossomed throughout the world. One source estimated that the show was eventually performed in 20 languages for 30 million people. The…
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Theater Review: THE CHER SHOW (2024-25 National Tour)
I’VE GOT SOME GREAT NEWS TO CHER The Cher Show, a new musical that follows Broadway’s continuous trend of capitalizing on rockstar jukebox bio-musicals like MJ The Musical and Tina The Tina Turner Musical, stopped at Long Beach’s Terrace Theatre as part of its 2024-2025 national tour (the show closed after a year on Broadway…
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Theater Review: THE AUDIENCE (Drury Lane Theatre)
ENJOYABLE, BUT WHO IS THE AUDIENCE FOR THE AUDIENCE? The Audience at Drury Lane Theatre is a slightly stuffy drama best suited for audience members who are very interested in British politics. I fear that might be a rather niche group. The Audience imagines the life of Queen Elizabeth II through the window of her…
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