Erin is a New Yorker living in LA. Discussing the Full House series finale with a kindergarten classmate is one of her most vivid childhood memories. A Ravenclaw, Erin loves theater, figure skating, Joss Whedon, brunch, and petting other people's dogs. You can read more of her thoughts on television and theater at www.onstageandscreen.com. [twitter:erinsk8]
Two teenagers drag two freshly dead corpses into a storage unit. The moment they leave, the corpses sit up and start talking to each other, and it would be like nothing ever happened if not for the gaping bullet wounds in both of their chests. This grisly scene sets the tone for That Long Damn … More Theater Review: Red Cup Theatre Co’s That Long Damn Dark
The human brain is a powerful and fascinating thing. In Plasticity, a world premiere play written by Alex Lyras and Robert McCaskill, a man in a coma struggles to become conscious again, all while his family and friends are forced to make difficult decisions regarding his life and future. The play begins with adventure-seeker David … More Theater Review: Plasticity at the Hudson Guild Theatre
In the opening scene of The Found Dog Ribbon Dance, a world premiere play by Dominic Finocchiaro currently being presented by the Echo Theater Company, a man wearing a Lucha mask uses a webcam to record himself dancing, with ribbons, of course, to “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston. This quirky moment sets … More Theater Review: Echo Theater Company’s Found Dog Ribbon Dance
“You are at the opera, gonna have to study up a little bit if you wanna keep with the plot. ‘Cause it’s a complicated Russian novel, everyone’s got nine different names. So look it up in your program, we’d appreciate it, thanks a lot!” These are actual lyrics from the opening number of Natasha, Pierre … More Theater Review: Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
In talking to people about the shows I saw during my trip to New York this year, I have found that most have heard of Dear Evan Hansen as a buzzworthy, acclaimed new musical, yet no one really knows much about it. That’s not exactly surprising—it’s an original work with no name recognition (with the slight exception … More Theater Review: Dear Evan Hansen
I am not convinced a Broadway theater has ever smelled better than the Brooks Atkinson currently does. To set the scene for Waitress, the Broadway musical based on Adrienne Shelly’s 2007 movie of the same name, an actual apple pie is slowly cooked in an oven near the theater’s entrance throughout the performance. As a … More Theater Review: Waitress
You’re probably familiar with the story of Swan Lake—a beautiful princess is turned into a swan as the result of an evil sorcerer’s curse. Originally written as a ballet by Tchaikovsky, the story has been newly reconceived as a musical. Written by Peter Seibert (music, co-book) and Patrick Lundquist (lyrics, co-book), it came to life … More Theater Review: Swan Lake the Musical in Concert
The production of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic The King & I that won four Tony Awards, including Best Revival, in 2015 has made its way to Los Angeles just in time for the holidays. Now playing at the Pantages Theatre, this traditional, sweeping musical that is fun for the whole family will leave you … More Theater Review: The King & I at the Pantages
Every year, I like to take a brief side step from my usual reportings of happenings on stage and screen to take a look at another classic entertainment medium—books. This year, I read just over 40 of them. Please note that not all of these books were necessarily published in 2016, 2016 is just when I happened … More My Favorite Books of 2016
In 1981, audiences weren’t ready for Merrily We Roll Along. Directed by Hal Prince with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, the musical was highly anticipated…until it became a flop with critics and audiences, closing just 16 performances after opening night. Now rarely produced but currently playing in Los Angeles in a stellar production at the … More Theater Review: Merrily We Roll Along at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
ON STAGE & SCREEN 