HADESTOWN
Thursday, October 5th, 2023
A nearly brand-new cast makes Hadestown’s two-week return to the Ahmanson not only a must-see for anyone who thrilled to the Best Musical Tony winner last year, but also a thrilling introduction to Anaïs Mitchell’s electrifyingly original musical smash for those discovering it for the first time.
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FOLLIES (CONCERT VERSION)
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023
With a now basically unaffordable original Broadway cast of 47 (and opulent sets and costumes to match), Stephen Sondheim and James Goldman’s Follies turned out to be the ideal rarely-staged gem for Musical Theatre Guild to introduce audiences to its best-ever new space at Santa Monica’s The Broad Stage, a one-night-only concert version that more than earned Sunday’s extended standing ovation.
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THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME
Sunday, October 1st, 2023
An English teenager on the autism spectrum sets off on the most remarkable of coming-of-age journeys in The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, ingeniously directed, gorgeously designed, and excitingly performed by some of Chance Theater’s best and most popular stars (and one very impressive newbie).
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KILL SHELTER: THE RED CAST
Saturday, September 30th, 2023
A return visit to Theatre Of NOTE to catch the “Red Cast” in Ashley Rose Wellman’s Kill Shelter provides additional proof that (to quote from my original review) this is “not only one of the most remarkable new plays I’ve seen in a very long time, it’s the best Theatre of NOTE production I’ve reviewed since the company’s streak of winners in the mid-2010s.”
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TOWARDS ZERO
Monday, September 25th, 2023Haphazard casting and shaky direction make Agatha Christie’s Towards Zero the weakest Theatre 40 production since the company’s return to live, in-person programming over two years ago.
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BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA
Sunday, September 24th, 2023
A lifetime of failed opportunities to connect weighs heavy on the hearts of the father-daughter protagonists of Anna Ouyang Moench’s haunting Birds Of North America, exquisitely acted by Arye Gross and Jacqueline Misaye at the Odyssey Theatre.
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ROOM SERVICE
Saturday, September 23rd, 2023Sluggish pacing drags down the Group Rep’s 2023 revival of John Murray and Allen Boretz’s Room Service despite a delightful first act and a number of snappy performances.
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HOW IT’S GON’ BE
Tuesday, September 19th, 2023
A black teenager comes of age to both heartbreaking and heartwarming effect in JuCoby Johnson’s How It’s Gon’ Be, a dramatic stunner as universal as it is specific, and the latest must-see from Echo Theater Company.
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Since 2007, Steven Stanley's StageSceneLA.com has spotlighted the best in Southern California theater via reviews, interviews, and its annual StageSceneLA Scenies.
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