Despite the impressive bios of the creative team, this excessively wordy drama never comes to life onstage.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
"If you can't say something nice, don't say anything at all" was the mantra of my youth, but that mantra does not serve a critic well. Looking forward to the opening night of "Marjorie Prime," I thought, "At last Michael ...
While updating Verdi's tale of star-crossed romance to the Roaring Twenties is open to debate, this production remains true to his glorious music.
Karen WeinsteinMusicLos Angeles,
The question: To be or not to be faithful to the original setting of an opera is known to evoke passions as intense as those expressed by the originalists fighting with the rest of us who think the Constitution should ...
This fictional take on an employee in Barbra Streisand's real-life basement mall is a bright, fresh pleasure.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
Somewhere folks who make up summer reading lists and compile theatrical playlists get the notion that we still have the summer off from school to simply be amused before we return in September. The curmudgeon in me screams, “I haven’t ...
Now in its sixth national tour, this evening of shtick is good for a few laughs if you don't mind the premise.
Karen WeinsteinTheaterLos Angeles,
Are you thinking you caught me leaving out some important information in the heading? Like the actor's name? Well, I am glad you are awake, but here is the dilemma: At this point I think I should put in a ...
The world premiere of this comedy of manners takes pains to remind you of its Chekhovian inspiration, with often less-than-inspired results.
George AlexanderTheaterLos Angeles,
The program for “The Country House” digs its pointy elbow into your ribs to ensure you get “it” — the parallels, that is, between this Donald Margulies play and Anton Chekov’s “The Seagull,” “Uncle Vanya,” and “The Cherry Orchard.”
...
The latest in a series of works about the mysterious death of Pope John Paul I, this drama presents the back story in a compelling new way.
George AlexanderTheaterLos Angeles,
Wal-Mart? A mom-and-pop corner store, despite its 2.1 million employees worldwide. Bank of America? A payday loan business, despite its $115 billion in assets. Chicago? A shining city on the hill, despite its long and well-earned history of municipal corruption ...
The time-honored theme of academic principles versus entitlement gets a twist in this invigorating drama.
George AlexanderTheaterCA,
Spoiler Alert: Animals are, indeed, hurt in this play.
They’re the oxen gored by playwright Steven Drukman and they can be found at almost any university today — from the president to a major department chair to a ...
Though this production's point is unclear, it certainly makes a statement in rhinestone and brocade.
Karen WeinsteinMusicCA,
“Thaïs.” Does the name ring a bell? If you are not an opera aficionado, the likely answer is no, unless you happen to recall the haunting "Méditation from Thaïs." If so, you are on the right track. This late 19th-century ...
The playwright's "Fat Pig" runs at Hollywood's Hudson Theater through June 1, 2014
Jordan RiefeFeaturesCA,
Tom loves Helen. And why shouldn’t he? She’s smart, pretty and has a great sense of humor. But she’s also fat, and for Tom that just may be a deal breaker. This is the conundrum at the heart of Neil ...
This "new old-fashioned musical" strives to be both things simultaneously and ends up neither.
George AlexanderTheaterCA,
As someone who loves George Gershwin’s music, could listen to it 24/7 and never tire of it, I’d looked forward to reviewing "The Ghost of Gershwin" at the Lonny Chapman Theatre in North Hollywood.
But I quickly tired of ...
