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PODCAST: Stages of Our City: Episode 21: CA State Senator Anthony PortantinoProduced by Julia StierIn Issue 21, California State Senator Anthony Portantino, (D) 25th District, discusses why he authored State Senate Bill 1116, the latest legislative attempt to aid small args orgs in the wake of the pandemic and AB5, and he hopes to “get […]
CinderellaReviewed by Julyza CommodoreSanta Monica PlayhouseThru August 26RECOMMENDEDAlmost 40 years after debuting at the Santa Monica Playhouse in 1984, Cinderella is back as a part of the Summer Twilight Theatre Series. It’s the classic story of Cinderella finding her prince charming, except with many twists.It’s refreshing and exciting to see such a beloved classic done […]
Normal NoisesReviewed by Julia StierThe Group Rep Theatre CompanyThrough Sept. 10Normal Noises, written and directed by Clara Rodriguez, is a compilation of half a dozen short comedies. The six shows – “Bath Day,” “What’s in the Dip?,” “Stakeout,” “Balls!,” “Security,” and “Ripped Off” – cover everything from elder care to shoplifting. However, while each play […]
The PromReviewed by Dana MartinAhmanson TheatreThru Sept. 11Prom night is a big theme at the Ahmanson this season, what with the January’s production of Everybody’s Talking about Jamie, and now The Prom (book by Bob Martin and Chad Beguelin, music by Matthew Sklar and lyrics by Chad Beguelin), which is the very model of a […]
The Old Man and the PoolReviewed by Katie BuennekeMark Taper ForumThrough August 28RECOMMENDEDMike Birbiglia is not dead. But you would be forgiven for thinking otherwise while watching his show that’s currently playing at the Taper. Yes, he’s standing in front of you, performing a comedy set, but the way he talks about his health, you […]
The West Side WaltzReviewed by Taylor KassWill Geer’s Theatricum BotanicumThrough Oct. 1Margaret Mary Elderdice (Ellen Geer) lives alone, and she likes it that way. Irritated by her gossipy fellow tenants and the constant presence of her chatty violinist neighbor Cara Varnum (Melora Marshall), she is content to spend her time alone at her piano. But […]
XanaduReviewed by Dana MartinLaguna PlayhouseThru August 21stIt is said that Xanadu is “a gift so grand that none of us truly knows what it is.” In that case, Xanadu (book by Douglas Carter Beane, music and lyrics by Jeff Lynne and John Farrar) is a gift that keeps on giving. Laguna Playhouse’s current production, the […]
Lavender MenReviewed by Iris MannSkylight Theatre Company/Playwrights’ ArenaThrough Sept. 4RECOMMENDEDPlaywright Roger Q. Mason has fashioned a highly entertaining, controversial, and often “over the top” work that upends conventional teachings about the American icon, Abraham Lincoln (Pete Ploszek). Mason also plays Taffeta, the flamboyant narrator of the piece, who self describes as “a fabulous queer creation […]
