Michael Quintos - Page 9

A quieter, more down-to-earth musical-but done so with a bellowing musical prowess thanks to book writer and lyricist Brian Crawley and composer Jeanine Tesori-VIOLET explores the multiple layers of feelings associated with being and living life as an 'other' within an environment that promotes (and unfairly rewards) societal normalcy and uniformity-and all the baggage that comes with it. The delicate yet still poignantly powerful 1997 award-winning off-Broadway musical continues its regional premiere production (based on the 2014 Broadway revival) at Orange County's Chance Theater in Anaheim through March 4, 2018.

For the most part, the brief Orange County return of the Tony Award-winning musical smash KINKY BOOTS---which continues its quick week-long stop at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through February 11---pretty much preserves its hard-to-escape fabulousness. Its current incarnation as a non-Equity bus-and-truck tour---now presented by Troika Entertainment, but retains many of the original's main elements---only feels slightly different from previous productions you've likely seen. The musical's endearing narrative, its vibrant main characters, and the ear-candy confections concocted by pop superstar Cyndi Lauper all combine to showcase a fun and genuinely lovable musical that celebrates living one's authentic self… triumphantly.

Luckily for some of us who don't have the luxury or the time to simply catch every show that Tony Award-winning musical superstar Kristin Chenoweth does in New York City, she is a prolific touring artist, opting often to bring her sweet and sassy singing self to audiences around the world via enjoyable solo concerts that beautifully showcase her vocal chops and her charming persona. Playing to a packed house this past Saturday, February 3, 2018 at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, it is no wonder that her new-to-Orange-County show, simply titled AN INTIMATE EVENING WITH KRISTIN CHENOWETH was met with expected enthusiasm. Mixing material old and new from her diverse and personally-curated repertoire of Broadway, classic standards, hilarious cabaret, and Christian gospel music, Chenoweth once again delivered. Armed with effortless comic timing, superb musical acting, and a voice that can make grown men cry, Chenoweth is a treasure and remains to be so in these 'intimate' concerts.

Witty, enchanting, and joyously self-referential, the original film version of SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE fantasizes a story involving a young, virile William Shakespeare in his prime, who quells a bout of writer's block by secretly romancing an engaged lady named Viola---which apparently becomes the inspiration for the Bard's infamous star-crossed tragedy 'Romeo and Juliet.' The plot of the film remains fairly intact in Lee Hall's mostly delightful if slightly diluted stage adaptation, now continuing performances in a gorgeous-looking new regional production at Orange County's Tony Award-winning theater South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through February 10, 2018. This spunky love letter to the theater is chockfull of stagecraft-insider amusements and fun-to-find Shakespearean Easter Eggs that both aficionados and casual fans will appreciate. But, shockingly, despite the spectacular production values and the beguiling, gusto-bathed performances of its large ensemble cast, this stage adaptation somehow loses some of the inescapable romanticism that is so much more prevalent in the original film.

Still one of the most the most unique and thrilling live theatrical offerings you will ever experience, THE CAR PLAYS has once again parked themselves at the Julianne and George Argyros Plaza at Segerstrom Center for the Arts for another highly-anticipated round of claustrophobic, stopped-in-traffic high drama or amusing hilarity. Produced by Moving Arts under Creator/Artistic Producer Paul Stein, THE CAR PLAYS is again presented as part of Segerstrom Center's annual popular 'Off Center Festival,' its celebration of unique and avant-garde musical and theatrical acts. Because 'seating' is literally limited, there are only so many spots available to take in this incredible site-specific theater experience, which explains why it has been extended an additional weekend---through February 3, 2018---to meet the high demand.

Despite my well-earned affection for the Tony-winning 1998 Roundabout Theatre Company production of the classic Kander and Ebb Broadway classic CABARET, I still found myself vigorously entertained by McCoy Rigby Entertainment's flashy and buoyant new 2018 regional production of this theatrical staple, under the solid direction of Larry Carpenter and featuring spectacular musical performances from its lead cast. This deliciously bawdy but at times sneakily ominous musical continues performances at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through February 11, 2018.

Filled with one amazing powerhouse vocal performance after another, ONE HAND, ONE HEART: ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF BERNSTEIN is a musical theater lover's treat of a concert, celebrating the legacy of one of music's most influential musicians and composers of the last century, Leonard Bernstein. Featuring unforgettable classics from WEST SIDE STORY, ON THE TOWN and WONDERFUL TOWN plus lesser-known gems from CANDIDE and 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVENUE performed by a non-stop barrage of very, very talented people, the celebratory concert continues performances at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts' intimate cabaret space, the Samueli Theatre in Costa Mesa through January 20.

Featuring a remarkable, awards-worthy, tour-de-force performance by actor John Tufts that will easily win you over no matter what your personal tastes or beliefs or politics may be, this admirable new regional production of Doug Wright's Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning play I AM MY OWN WIFE---beautifully directed by Jenny Sullivan---continues performances at the Laguna Playhouse through January 28. Emotional, spiritual, and impressively staged, the play is one of these unique theatrical experiences that genuinely deserves your attention.

The silly, family-friendly fun of those British-borne Pantos are back for a third holiday season in row at Orange County's Laguna Playhouse, this time with a story wrapped around the infamous tale of a smart-aleck street urchin (Jason Gotay) who discovers a magic lamp hiding a genie that grants wishes. Filled with slapstick humor, cleverly repurposed pop songs, and a seemingly endless parade of dad jokes, Lythgoe Family Panto's amusing new production ALADDIN AND HIS WINTER WISH continues its playfully droll run through December 31. Campy and whimsical in the most G-rated way possible, this playfully safe yet still irresistibly entertaining musical comedy is all just silly, mirthful fun designed to keep kids enthralled and their parents snickering.

In a rarity that doesn't happen too often here in Southern California, a brand new national tour of a recent hit Broadway musical has arrived first in Orange County in advance of a much longer sit-down engagement in Los Angeles. And, boy, is this one a marvelous gift from the comedy gods! Behold, ladies and gentlemen, the merry awesomeness that is SOMETHING ROTTEN!, the multi-Tony Award nominated musical comedy that kicks off Segerstrom Center for the Arts' 2017-2018 Broadway series! A delightful, seemingly non-stop conveyor belt of wit, hilarity, and outrageous high-jinks, this extremely funny 2015 original musical comedy will continue to slay audiences (in a good way) through November 19, 2017 in Costa Mesa.

Riding the wave of renewed interest in August Wilson's 10 play, American Century Cycle, South Coast Repertory has one particular Wilson drama on their sonar at the moment: GEM OF THE OCEAN, the riveting, epic-sized 2003 drama now continuing at the Costa Mesa theater through November 11. An exquisitely rendered, mesmerizing production superbly directed by Kent Gash and featuring a truly impressive, excellent ensemble cast, SCR's new regional production of GEM OF THE OCEAN combines a bountiful interweaving of historical references, personal and emotionally-tinged character confessionals, and mystical, magical elements to fashion one of the most fascinating and engaging works of drama I have experienced in this Tony Award-winning regional theater.

Peter Quilter's unfiltered, devastatingly intense play, END OF THE RAINBOW, recounts the final months leading up to the death of one of the world's most iconic, treasured stars, Judy Garland, in her lowest depths of despair as she attempts a 'comeback' on the London stage. Now back in Southern California in a thrilling new regional production at the La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts through November 12, this 'play with music' under the excellent direction of Michael Matthews and featuring a powerful, breathtaking performance from Angela Ingersoll showcases a can't-look-away implosion of a beloved icon whose battles with her personal demons make her a relatable human being with real, tangible problems.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's first Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical, IN THE HEIGHTS is now on stage in a brand new Broadway-caliber regional production presented by Musical Theatre West at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through November 5. Told as a series of interweaving vignettes about the highs and lows---and the dreams and realities---of life in the Washington Height neighborhood of New York City, IN THE HEIGHTS offers audiences a very likable glimpse into a specific multi-generational Latinx experience that not only feels fresh and new but also feels remarkably relatable no matter what background you come from. Miranda---armed with first-hand knowledge of living in such an enclave and with the obvious imbedded DNA of a musical theatre aficionado---easily made the material both universally appealing and yet refreshingly unique. In its own way, seeing IN THE HEIGHTS now feels very much like looking back at an earlier piece of work from a now more evolved artist and seeing signs of the burgeoning genius still to come---and just how far that genius really grew.

In Rachel Bonds' beautifully-acted and cleverly written new play CURVE OF DEPARTURE---now finishing up its too-brief World Premiere run at Orange County's South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through October 15---characters are confronted with unexpected events that forces them to make such choices for themselves that affect not only their own lives but the lives of those intimately tethered to theirs. As they each grapple with potentially life-altering decisions, we as audience members---in the span of 80 mesmerizing, uninterrupted minutes---grow to care about these fictional (but wonderfully realistic) people and, therefore, empathize and feel their struggle alongside them as they try to make reasonable pro-and-con arguments. We become so invested in what each person is dealing with that we're all hoping that ultimately every single one of them will end up satisfied and, at least, a little bit content with their respective decisions no matter which path(s) they choose to follow.

In its admirable Orange County premiere production directed by Marya Mazor, Chance Theater presents an intimately-staged version of Nina Raine's thoughtful, award-winning 2010 play TRIBES, now playing through October 22, 2017. This comedic drama which centers around a young deaf man caught between his hearing family and a new hearing impaired girlfriend asks: is it possible to choose one tribe over another, knowing what each brings to the table?

In a new, incredibly enjoyable regional revival of the Tony Award-winning AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' - THE FATS WALLER MUSICAL SHOW, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts is presenting one of the most rousing, rip-roaring iterations of this musical treat, under the informed direction of one of the show's original cast members, Ken Page. In his hands, this McCoy-Rigby Entertainment production is energized by a consistent barrage of spectacular musical performances that are exuberantly performed and are wonderfully appealing. If you're looking for pure, buoyant, musically-thrilling entertainment in its most delightful form, then look no farther than this excellent production which continues performances in La Mirada, CA through October 8.

Though the Tony Award-winning musical adaptation of writer/director John Carney's well-liked indie film ONCE is a musical that this reviewer has liked quite a bit from past productions, it took seeing South Coast Repertory's brand new regional production---now on stage in Costa Mesa through September 30---for this reviewer to not only like it, but to truly adore it. From casting to staging and everything in between, SCR's enjoyable new mounting, under the astute direction of Kent Nicholson, is somehow much more emotional, thoughtful, and remarkably riveting than past touring productions. And though, yes, it is essentially the same source material, SCR's exquisite new iteration of this small, but genuinely endearing musical is by far the gold standard of how this show should look and feel in any and all future productions.

A cross between a murder mystery and a psychological drama told with a high-tech showmanship flair, the intriguing touring production of Simon Stephen's Tony Award-winning play THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME now in Costa Mesa at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts through September 17 is a quirky, captivating exercise in theatrical inventiveness. Uniquely structured, visually stunning, and yet remarkably approachable, this play is a prime example of what a great live theater experience can bring to an audience willing to jump in for a different kind of ride.

If you're looking to get a definitive Janis Joplin biography/musical (in the vein of the Carole King musical BEAUTIFUL), then you may be disappointed with A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN, the short-lived 2013 Broadway musical. More akin to a tribute concert rather than actual musical theater, a new regional production of the show continues at the Laguna Playhouse through September 10. But wait… don't dismiss the show quite so fast. Despite a lack of a real narrative, the production boasts some incredible, standing ovation-worthy musical performances, particularly from Kelly McIntyre who plays the title role and her four 'muses' played by the ultra-talented foursome of Sharon Catherine Brown, Tawny Dolley, Carol Hatchett, and Amma Osei. These ladies alone are reason enough to go see this production!

Riveting, powerful and beautifully poignant at every step, FUN HOME—the Tony Award-winning musical based on Alison Bechdel's 2006 autobiographical graphic memoir—is one of those rare, great stage musicals that represents an astonishingly unique point-of-view that is somehow miraculously universal and inclusive at the same time. Armed with a moving, deeply personal story that's filled with heartache and heartbreak, yet with still plenty of room to be profoundly heartwarming, the musical's truly excellent national tour production continues performances at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through August 6.