Reviews

If you remember only one thing from my review of Green Day’s American Idiot playing now at the Ahmanson Theater, let it be this: see it.  Seriously.  The innovation of dance alone is reason enough to spring for this 90 minute of movement.  With such a proud history of dance in American musical theater, it…

The opening night audience of Into the Woods was slow to be seated making curtain nearly twenty finger-drumming minutes late.  Between that and the actors meandering out onto the stage, waving at the audience prior to curtain, the prospects for a theatrical experience worthy of Stephen Sondheim’s giant work seemed slim.  Happily, first impressions sometimes…

Six-time Tony Award Winner Dear Evan Hansen Smashes Records at the Ahmanson After a delayed curtain of close to twenty minutes, Evan Hansen (Ben Levi Ross) hit the stage wearing his now familiar arm-cast and the crowd went wild.  Before so much as a word of dialogue was spoken, the opening night audience broke into one…

On February 5, 2020, the man whose generous support made possible the launch of the Center Theatre Group’s third stage, passed away at the glorious age of 103. CTG honored actor Kirk Douglas Wednesday night with the dimming of the lights at the theatre which bears his name.  It is lovely to note that the…

Even before the house lights dimmed to dark and the stage lights popped on like a curtain rising to reveal Mike Birbiglia bouncing with enthusiasm, a pre-show soundtrack blared out a beat that hinted at the life force that was to come. The opening night audience of the New One was primed to laugh.  And…

If you have neither seen nor heard of the odd little 1621 tragicomedy by William Rowley, Thomas Dekker, and John Ford called The Witch of Edmonton, worry not: all the best of it is alive and well in Jen Silverman’s devilish take, Witch, now open at the Geffen Playhouse.  Silverman winks at the audience with…

Written and Starring John Leguizamo It is a joy when, on any given opening night, the Ahmanson Theatre is packed.  And so it was for the much-anticipated opening night of Latin History for Morons—the air crackling with excitement as subscribers, fans, celebrities, and reviewers found their seats.  Long before his accomplished body of work as…

Less than 25 minutes into the opening night performance of Eleanor Burgess’, The Niceties, a patron stomped up the aisle and out the door, muttering displeasure at the story unfolding on stage.  Poor guy, he missed one smart, relevant evening of theatre performed by two remarkable women In the 1960s, the fight on university campuses…

Oh, Miss Rachel; Oh, Bill.  How proud you would be to witness the rebirth of your stories and music as told by your beloved Ruben Santiago-Hudson.  Perhaps you peeked down from Heaven opening night and saw for yourself the beauty, the pain, and above all–the love that you stamped upon his heart–as it unfolded before…

      “Look for the helpers.  You will always find people who are helping.” Fred “Mister” Rogers Where were you on 9/11? For a generation of Americans, the question might be phrased, “Where were you when the world as we knew it was ending.”  Yet, out of the endless accounts of heartache and loss emerges the…

Echo Theater Company Playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Pulitzer Prize finalist play, Gloria, opened with a bang in its West Coast premiere in the able hands of the Echo Theatre Company.  The spare set of open cubicles makes for cramped quarters between three twenty-something executive assistants, but plenty of room for the biting wit, hilarity, and startling…

A Theatre Review by Keri Tombazian Director Des McAnuff has another hit on his hands – a heart-stopping, electrifying, spectacular telling of one of the greatest bands of any genre in American history.  Even more than his terrific Jersey Boys, the crowning jewel of Ain’t Too Proud is the music.  It is the sweeping history…

Every minute of every day battles are waged for all to see on screens large and small.  Tweets fly, three-sentence posts are quickly buried beneath a mass of comment-laden threads, articles are sent like little missiles of righteous indignation.  Who among us has no sense that this endless time and personal equity spent in the…