RODGERS AND HART A CELEBRATION
Friday, February 19th, 2010RECOMMENDED
Downey Civic Light Opera celebrates the songs of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in the second offering of their 2009-10 season, Rodgers & Hart: A Celebration.
(read more)
BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS
Friday, February 19th, 2010RECOMMENDED
Screen legend Ginger Rogers takes to the floor again in Lynnette Barkley and Christopher McGovern’s lightweight musical biography Backwards In High Heels, now getting its first big-cast production by Fullerton’s FCLO Musical Theatre. Though not as dance-heavy as 42nd Street or Crazy For You or as meaty as Gypsy, Backwards (subtitled The Ginger Rogers Story) nonetheless provides two hours of fancy footwork, classic 1920s and 30s songs, and Broadway/Hollywood nostalgia.
(read more)
TWICE UPON A TIME
Friday, February 19th, 2010RECOMMENDED
Civic Light Operas owe their livelihood to revivals of Broadway classics and
more recent hits. Rarely if ever do they attempt something brand new. Thus,
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities is taking quite a bold step in presenting a
world premiere musical, Twice Upon A Time, with book and direction by Ray
Cooney. Though the results are somewhat mixed, James A. Blackman III and
company deserve major props for venturing into unknown territory.
(read more)
CAVE QUEST
Wednesday, February 17th, 2010RECOMMENDED
Did you ever see that Coca Cola commercial from 1970s, the one that had a couple thousand peace-seeking grownups and kids warbling “I’d like to teach the world to sing in perfect harmony”? Well, that’s basically Justin Yi’s motivation in climbing to the top of the Himalayas in Les Thomas’ new play Cave Quest. To be more specific, the young Asian American wants to teach the world to “find inner peace” by means of a $49.99 video game. The key to Justin’s achieving this goal is a “legendary” Buddhist nun named Padma—who just happens to have started out a small-town Fresno girl named Ruby Riyono.
(read more)
COULD I HAVE THIS DANCE?
Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010RECOMMENDED
To the outside world, sisters Monica and Amanda would seem to have it made. They’re attractive, successful 30something businesswomen with active sex and/or love lives. Together they run Grapevine, the successful showbiz p.r. firm passed down to them by their mother Jeannette. Monica has a long-term boyfriend who adores her, while Amanda prefers to play the field dating much younger men on a one-night-stand basis. What could possibly be wrong with this picture?
(read more)
ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD
Sunday, January 10th, 2010RECOMMENDED
After staging ten Shakespeare productions over the past three years, The Porters Of Hellsgate are for the first time paying royalties. Not that they really had to leave the public domain, there still being a few dozen more Shakespeare plays left for the talented young troupe of Bard-o-philes to produce and perform. On the other hand, having chosen Hamlet as production number ten, their decision to run Shakespeare’s Greatest Play in rotating rep with Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead (with the same casts no less) was an inspired one.
(read more)
SOUTHERN COMFORTS
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009RECOMMENDED
When was the last time you saw a romantic comedy about a couple of 70somethings who fall head-over-heels in love? Maybe never? If so, playwright Kathleen Clark remedies this omission in Southern Comforts, now getting its West Coast premiere in an entertaining, well-acted production at Theatre 40.
(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