Karen WeinsteinMusicCA,
For the opening of its 30th anniversary season, the LA Opera has turned to Hollywood for a 2 hour and 40 minute double bill: Woody Allen's production of "Gianni Schicchi" and Franco Zeffirelli's "Pagliacci." The Chandler was packed for opening ...
Moisés Kaufman's fine revival of this tale of Nazi persecution of homosexuals is both entertaining and tragic.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
A play based on fact is a reflection of the time in which it is written as well as the time in which it is set. If revived, a further layer of dust accumulates. Martin Sherman’s “Bent” — a holocaust ...
This funny, pleasantly melodic and wittily lyrical musical fits the bill for cheerful farce.
George AlexanderTheaterLos Angeles,
The elements of farce, according to theatrical canon, are absurd characters and situations, slapstick physical humor and shovelfuls of risqué banter and behavior.
“Adam and Eve and Steve, A Musical Comedy” satisfy those criteria and then some. The five ...
If you can bear it, this 90-minute play is a crash-course in religious zealotry.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
"Oy, such a shreier," my immigrant grandfather would have said of Daphna Feygenbaum (Molly Ephraim), the lead in the Geffen Playhouse production of "Bad Jews.' "Vy vould you vant to spend the evening listening to such a voman?" Good question, ...
No sugar-coated tale, this hit from London has a Dickensian sensibility infused with wit.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
Honestly, you really do not need a kid in tow to justify going to see "Matilda the Musical." Great if you have one conveniently at hand; he or she will be forever a convert to live performance. But "Matilda" is ...
Thought provoking it ain't. But the two actor/pianists and a vaudevillian setup makes this a frothy, fluffy entertainment.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
Yesterday I wasted quite a bit of time trying to write a theater review of "Murder for Two." Silly me. "Murder for Two" is not a play. It is a piece of vaudeville nonsense. Viewed as such there is lots ...
Addressing racial themes, this family "dramedy" plays up the laughs and downplays character development.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
Who is in your immediate family? Is it nice and tidy, with Mom, Dad, you, and your 1.3 siblings? Or have things gotten a bit mixed up? Half-siblings from one or the other parent's previous (or subsequent) marriage(s) or relationship(s)? ...
A tale of two struggling teens is redeemed more by the playwright's ear for adolescent edginess than her recourse to magic realism.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
One thing you can count on with the Fountain Theatre, they never put on a really bad play or production. On the other hand, not everything they do is perfect, or a crowd-pleaser. "I and You" falls in the ...
Don't go looking for a thought-provoking exploration of spirituality in this mildly entertaining play about a TV news anchor.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
I keep hoping for transformative theatrical moments at Westwood's inviting Geffen Playhouse. Sadly they are few and far between. There is no doubt that playwright Stephen Belber thinks he has penned such a piece with "The Power of Duff." Billed ...
The cast looks and sounds as if they are thoroughly enjoying themselves in this winning production.
Karen WeinsteinMusicLos Angeles,
What is not to like about Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro"? Not much. When skillfully executed, the music is Mozart at his liveliest. The story is a convoluted farce with overtones of the conflict between the classes and the eternal battle ...
