As we approach Halloween in Los Angeles, there are no shortage of spooky events to attend, from amusement park horror nights to intense one-on-one extreme haunts. Delusion first burst onto the scene in 2011 with their first “haunted play”—an escape room, haunted maze, and narrative play rolled into one. What set the event apart was the … More Theater Review: Delusion’s Alt Delete
Don’t feed the plants—or, in this case, one hot pink monstrosity of a plant. This is not your mother’s Little Shop of Horrors that opened at the Pasadena Playhouse last night—most of the camp has been replaced with grit in an iteration that illuminates the realities of Skid Row life. But the results are mixed—while some … More Theater Review: Little Shop of Horrors at the Pasadena Playhouse
Jodi Isaac (Idina Menzel) is feeling insecure. On paper, there’s no reason she should be—she is a successful lawyer at a top firm in Los Angeles, she has more or less successfully raised two young adult sons, and her father is a fashion retail mogul. But her husband recently left her for another woman—an affair … More Theater Review: Skintight at the Geffen Playhouse
What does intimacy look like after two people have been forever changed by a devastating tragedy? The Solid Life of Sugar Water, a play by Jack Thorne (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child) currently in its US premiere at Deaf West Theatre in Los Angeles, follows a young couple as they attempt to connect sexually for … More Theater Review: The Solid Life of Sugar Water at Deaf West Theatre
In his sixth one-man show, Tony winner John Leguizamo is back on stage with Latin History for Morons, a timely and engaging piece that is part comedy special, part solo revue, and part poignant academic lesson. Opening this week at Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre after a successful Broadway run, the show was inspired by Leguizamo’s … More Theater Review: Latin History for Morons at the Ahmanson Theatre
When the lights rise on Handjob, a play by Erik Patterson currently in its world premiere at the Echo Theater Company in Los Angeles, we meet Keith (Steven Culp). Keith is a gay, white writer, and he has hired Eddie (Michael Rishawn), a younger black man, to provide a service that at first glance seems … More Theater Review: Handjob at the Echo Theater Company
At the beginning of Witch, a funny and insightful play by Jen Silverman now in its west coast premiere at the Geffen Playhouse, the titular character (Maura Tierney) addresses the audience, posing a bit of a warning. She points out that if you are a person who still has hope that the state of the world … More Theater Review: Witch at the Geffen Playhouse
Since the publication of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein in 1818, it has been interpreted and adapted in many ways. In 2011, a stage adaptation by Nick Dear debuted at the National Theatre in London, and this weekend its California premiere opened at A Noise Within in Pasadena. While Dear’s adaptation is in some ways problematic, … More Theater Review: Frankenstein at A Noise Within
There’s no crying in baseball, or at Rockwell Table & Stage, where the Unauthorized Musical Parody of A League of Their Own is currently hitting a home run. The latest entry in the venue’s popular UMPO (Unauthorized Musical Parody Of) series, created and written by Kate Pazakis, this funny take on the popular 1992 film … More Theater Review: The Unauthorized Musical Parody of A League of Their Own at Rockwell Table & Stage
There is always something special about seeing Into the Woods performed outside, and there is plenty of magic to be found in the all-star production at the iconic Hollywood Bowl. The musical, with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, opened last night for a weekend run of only three performances, … More Theater Review: Into the Woods at the Hollywood Bowl
ON STAGE & SCREEN 