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Beetlejuice: The MusicalReviewed by Socks WhitmorePantages TheatreThrough July 30 RECOMMENDEDContent AdivsorySpooky season has come early to the Hollywood Pantages, where supernatural shenanigans are taking the stage. Welcome to the show about death: Beetlejuice the Musical (The Musical, The Musical…), a toe-tapping reimagining of Tim Burton’s 1988 cult classic. The original story centers on Adam and Barbara […]
Nothing, NothingReviewed by F. Kathleen FoleyHero Theatre Through July 29It’s difficult to review a social movement.When it comes to reaching out to underserved communities, the non-profit Hero Theatre is as much a social outreach as it is a theater.Elisa Bocanegra, the founder and artistic director of this “social and environmental justice theatre company,” is a […]
In the Heights Reviewed by Martίn HernándezMorgan-Wixson TheatreThrough July 30RECOMMENDEDOpening on Broadway during the U.S. housing-based financial meltdown, this 2008 Tony Award winner for Best Musical deals with gentrification, yet another real estate-grounded scourge that disproportionately harms marginalized communities. Lin-Manuel Miranda’s music and lyrics, an exuberant mix of hip-hop, salsa, and other energetic musical genres, and […]
PenthesileaLoft EnsembleReviewed by Taylor KassThrough August 6thThe Trojan War has been raging on for ten years, but the Daughters of Artemis are just hearing about it. This community of women, also known as the Horde, live peacefully even as they train fiercely to uphold their status as a formidable band of warriors. But once they […]
StewReviewed by Julia Lloyd GeorgePasadena PlayhouseThrough August 6RECOMMENDEDThe end of Zora Howard’s magnificent Stew lies in its beginning, echoing the eerie circularity that seems irrevocably stitched into all its characters’ lives.It’s 7 am on Sunday in the Tucker household, but Mama (LisaGay Hamilton) is already getting started on an enormous stew meant to feed 50 […]
The Reconciliation DinnerReviewed by Amanda L. AndreiPower Mac Center Blackbox Theater at Circuit Makati in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.ClosedNote: The production reopens at PETA Theater Center, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines: August 5-20, 2023RECOMMENDEDNote: This review is part of a reflection essay on Stage Raw contributor Amanda L. Andrei’s sojourn to the Philippines, in order […]
MacbethReviewed by Philip BrandesWill Geer Theatricum BotanicumThrough September 23RECOMMENDEDIt’s good to be the King—or is it? The titular Scottish monarch and his Lady consort discover many reasons to regret their lust for power in the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum’s haunting production of Macbeth.Making excellent use of a 26-member ensemble and the outdoor Topanga venue’s expansive […]
Julius CaesarIndependent Shakespeare CompanyReviewed by Taylor KassThrough July 30thRECOMMENDEDPower is a slippery slope. In William Shakespeare’s political drama Julius Caesar, returning hero Caesar (David Melville, who also directs this production) is a larger-than-life figure, complete with adoring crowds, magnificent statues, and the promise of a crown. But to senators Brutus (William Elsman) and Cassius (Sabra […]
