BLANK

posted on July 13th, 2010 at 10:58 AM by Steven Stanley


If it takes guts merely for an actor to stand up in front of an audience and play a role, imagine how much more courage is required when there’s no one else on stage to be his safety net—and the role that he’s playing is himself.
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posted in Hollywood/West Hollywood, Solo Performance, WOW!

LIFE COULD BE A DREAM

posted on July 13th, 2010 at 10:11 AM by Steven Stanley


When Roger Bean’s Life Could Be A Dream opened at Los Angeles’s 99-seat Hudson Theatre last summer, I wrote, “Don’t be surprised if the show is still running a year from now. Rave reviews and enthusiastic word-of-mouth should guarantee full houses and standing ovations for months to come.” 
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posted in Musical, Orange County, WOW!

[title of show]

posted on July 10th, 2010 at 2:24 PM by Steven Stanley


In the spring of 2004, New York City writing partners Hunter Bell and Jeff Bowen sat down to create a new musical in just three weeks, that being precisely the period of time remaining before the New York Musical Theatre Festival’s submission deadline. Joined by friends (and fellow performers) Susan Blackwell and Heidi Blickenstaff, the quartet met the deadline with a 90-minute musical about itself, from its first spark of inspiration to its opening night on Broadway.  As for the show’s title, having rejected such candidates as Festival Of Dreams, Your Arms Too Short To Write This Musical, and RENTT (with two t’s), the creative team decided to stick with what was on the application form: [title of show]. And wonder of wonders, their dream became a reality. 
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posted in Musical, San Diego County, WOW!

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE

posted on July 10th, 2010 at 2:21 PM by Steven Stanley


Every musical theater aficionado has his or her own pet shows, ones that can be seen again and again without ever losing their appeal, especially when new performers put their stamps on favorite roles. My own personal favorites include The Last Five Years, The Light In The Piazza, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, all of which I have reviewed in numerous productions since StageSceneLA’s 2007 premiere.
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posted in Musical, San Diego County, WOW!

HELLO, DOLLY!

posted on July 9th, 2010 at 2:11 PM by Steven Stanley


When was the last time you saw a production of Hello, Dolly!?
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posted in Musical, Orange County, WOW!

OPUS

posted on July 8th, 2010 at 2:09 PM by Steven Stanley

Tales of rock bands’ acrimonious breakups are the stuff of legend—think Smashing Pumpkins, The Doors, Talking Heads, Pink Floyd, and of course The Beatles. Michael Hollinger’s Opus, now in its Los Angeles premiere at the Fountain Theatre, makes it clear that the world of classical music is no less volatile—and perhaps even more so.
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posted in Drama, Los Angeles, WOW!

BEYOND

posted on July 6th, 2010 at 2:03 PM by Steven Stanley


Beyond is like nothing you’ve ever seen before in a Los Angeles theater—a spectacular blend of glitz, glamour and feathers galore, Paris via Las Vegas transported to NoHo, replete with statuesque sequined dancing showgirls, aerialists soaring above the stage, gorgeous costumes, and did I mention feathers?
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posted in Musical Revue, North Hollywood, WOW!

THE WHO’S TOMMY

posted on July 3rd, 2010 at 2:00 PM by Steven Stanley


The Chance Theater tackles its most ambitious musical yet with The Who’s Tommy. Under Oanh Nguyen’s inspired direction, the resulting production is quite possibly the Chance’s most thrilling musical ever, topping even last year’s Hair for visual and audio excitement.  With state-of-the-art sound, lighting, and video design and a couldn’t-be-better cast, The Chance’s The Who’s Tommy (quite a mouthful) achieves the nearly impossible. It replicates the rock concert/rock theater experience in a 49-seat house.  Spectacle and intimacy in equal measure—I can’t recall another show quite like it.
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posted in Musical, Orange County, WOW!

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