Author Archive
THE DODGERS
Monday, February 1st, 2016
What if all it took to determine whether you lived or died was your date of birth? This was the worst nightmare come true of over 850,000 18-26-year-old American males back on December 1, 1969, when the United States government held its first “Draft Lottery,” the losers of which were virtually assured a one-way ticket to Vietnam.
Playwright Diana Amsterdam takes us back to this not-so-long-ago reality in her gripping new play The Dodgers, now getting an exciting World Premiere at the Hudson Mainstage with as star-studded a 20something cast as you’re likely to see all year in a 99-seat production.
(read more)
DREAM BOY
Sunday, January 31st, 2016
Nine years after a pair of gay teen boys fell unforgettably into first love in Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing, Celebration Theatre and director Michael Matthews reunite for the similarly themed (albeit considerably darker) Dream Boy, Eric Rosen’s meticulously faithful adaptation of Jim Grimsley’s haunting Southern Gothic novel, an imaginatively directed, superbly performed, gorgeously designed Los Angeles Premiere marred only by poor sightlines that will often have you craning to see the action.
(read more)
PAL JOEY
Monday, January 25th, 2016
Musical Theatre West’s Reiner Reading Series has once again done what it does best—treat Broadway buffs to a one-night-only almost fully-staged revival of a show unlikely to get an extended MTW run—in this case Rodgers & Hart’s Pal Joey, which despite the unsympathetic characters who populate John O’Hara’s often unengaging book proves a showcase for a couple of R&H’s best known song classics (and for the triple-threats who perform them and many more).
(read more)
EMPIRE THE MUSICAL
Monday, January 25th, 2016RECOMMENDED
A pair of stellar lead performances, a sensational young ensemble executing director-choreographer Marcia Milgrom Dodge’s thrilling dance moves, and the fascination already built into the story behind the construction of NYC’s most iconic landmark are the best reasons to catch Empire The Musical at La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts, though its producers’ exhortation to “See it before it goes to Broadway” is, at least as things stand now, wishful thinking.
(read more)
DEATHTRAP
Saturday, January 23rd, 2016
Thrills and chills and gasp-worthy plot twists galore highlight the topnotch revival of Ira Levin’s Broadway suspense classic Deathtrap now exciting and delighting audiences on the proscenium stage of the historic Sierra Madre Playhouse.
(read more)
IF/THEN
Wednesday, January 20th, 2016
For everyone who has ever wondered just how different things might have been had they not made that one single life-altering decision, the National Tour of Broadway’s If/Then has arrived at the Segerstrom Center For The Arts, the last stop before its Tony-nominated star and two other original cast leads exit the tour, and if that’s not already enough to send you down Costa Mesa way, rest assured, this engaging, unpredictable, emotionally potent new musical is well worth the drive.
(read more)
GUYS AND DOLLS
Wednesday, January 20th, 2016
Damon Runyon’s picturesque band of New York denizens have arrived in Claremont for an all-around terrific revival of Frank Loesser’s 1950 Broadway classic Guys And Dolls.
(read more)
PRIVATE EYES
Sunday, January 17th, 2016
Reality and fiction. Truth and lies. Has any playwright had more fun fooling (and delighting and engaging) an audience than Steven Dietz does in Private Eyes, the best straight-play production I’ve seen at Santa Monica’s venerable community theater, the Morgan-Wixson, and one that easily holds its own against the top professional houses in town.
(read more)
Since 2007, Steven Stanley's StageSceneLA.com has spotlighted the best in Southern California theater via reviews, interviews, and its annual StageSceneLA Scenies.
COPYRIGHT 2025 STEVEN STANLEY :: DESIGN BY