Author Archive
THE PAJAMA GAME
Saturday, November 3rd, 2007
Director Steven Glaudini and his talented cast do everything right in Musical Theatre
West’s terrific new production of the 1953 Broadway smash The Pajama Game. The
recent Broadway revival with Harry Connick, Jr. sparked interest in this tuneful 50s
classic, and MTW’s production makes it clear why the show remains as fresh as ever in
2007.
(read more)
EXPLOIT THIS
Friday, November 2nd, 2007RECOMMENDED
Fans of sketch comedy will find much to enjoy in Exploit This!, presented by the
Easily Distracted Sketch Comedy troupe, and now playing at the Space Theater
late night Fridays. Written and performed by a young, attractive, and funny
quintet of comic actors and directed at a fast pace by Rick Ferguson, Exploit
This! is 60 minutes of frenetic fun.
(read more)
SCREWBALLS
Thursday, November 1st, 2007RECOMMENDED
Screwballs is a mostly very entertaining and often hilarious blend of wacky
characters and situations and the body swapping premise of such films as Freaky
Friday and Like Father, Like Son.
(read more)
COME BACK TO THE FIVE & DIME JIMMY DEAN, JIMMY DEAN
Tuesday, October 30th, 2007
In the tradition of Steel Magnolias and Crimes of the Heart comes the current
offering at the Hermosa Beach Playhouse, Ed Graczyk’s down-home comedy
Come Back to the Five & Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Like SM and COTH,
CBTTF&DJDJD features a cast of feisty and fabulous Southern (in this case Texas)
women, loads of laughs, and a surprise or two.
(read more)
SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS
Sunday, October 28th, 2007
Cabrillo Music Theatre begins its 2007-8 season with a tunefully winning production of
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. 7Brides47Bros is of course best known as the 1954
MGM musical classic, which starred Howard Keel as Adam, a mountain man in
search of a wife, and Jane Powell as Milly, who accepted his proposal not knowing
that there were six more manly men at the homestead. Debby Boone undertook
the role of Milly in the short lived (opened on Thursday, closed on Sunday) 1982
Broadway production, which has since become a regional theater favorite (recently
staged by Fullerton CLO). Though perhaps not deserving of a loooooong Broadway
run, 7Brides47Bros is still a far more enjoyable experience than its brief Broadway stay
would indicate, and Cabrillo, blessed with about as fine a leading man and lady as
the show could boast and an ensemble more than up to the challenges of John
Charron’s Michael Kidd inspired choreography, has a winner on its hands.
(read more)
DOUBT
Saturday, October 27th, 2007
Doubt, by John Patrick Shanley, had the notable distinction of having its West
Coast Premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse take place simultaneously with its
Broadway debut in the spring of 2005. I found the Playhouse production quite
thrilling, despite a shaky Linda Hunt in the role of Sister Aloysius, the same role
which won Cherry Jones the Tony. Last year at the Ahmanson, I got to see why
Jones had scored just about every award imaginable for her “force of nature”
performance.
(read more)
CITY KID THE MUSICAL
Friday, October 26th, 2007
City Kid The Musical is two hours of virtually non-stop singing and dancing, a music
video come to life, featuring a tunefully accessible score and inventive
choreography, performed by a sensational young cast and backed up by the best
band in town.
(read more)
LOVE LIKE BLUE
Thursday, October 25th, 2007
In Act 1, three relationships break up. In Act 2, the same six individuals begin anew,
but with different partners. A clever “why hasn’t that been done before?” premise,
skillfully executed in Kristen Lasarian’s world premiere play Love Like Blue.
(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 2026 STEVEN STANLEY :: DESIGN BY