Review: THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG is Rightfully Funny at La Mirada
by Michael Quintos - January 30, 2025
Overall, the show is an expertly-crafted piece of unapologetically silly live comedic theatre that demonstrates the power of precision in the guise of 'random' chaos. By blending slapstick humor, meta-theatrical elements, and sheer physical comedy-laced energy, this theatrical enterpris creates an u...
Review: Tony-Winning Musical KIMBERLY AKIMBO Amuses at OC’s Segerstrom Center
by Michael Quintos - January 27, 2025
Winner of 5 Tony Awards including Best Musical, this quirky musical comedy with an intentionally-diffused serious undertone continues performances at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through February 2, 2025. A generally entertaining show with lots of laughs in spite of its title charact...
Review: South Coast Repertory Presents WISH YOU WERE HERE
by Michael Quintos - January 20, 2025
Directed by Mina Morita, the play—an emotionally-absorbing drama with sprinkled bits of comedy—is, at its core, a poignant exploration of deep friendships, colored by a devotion to cultural and religious identity and the fears of displacement and upheaval set against the backdrop of Iran's political...
Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE Musical Tour Zooms Into Segerstrom Center
by Michael Quintos - January 01, 2025
A riotous, mostly silly, but also sometimes laughably odd theatrical entity, this touring production of this enjoyable, endearingly-familiar stage musical adaptation of the hit 1985 sci-fi comedy is definitely a fun time—but mostly due to its visual wow factor. For those who cherish the original fil...
Review: Jason Alexander Leads Outstanding FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at La Mirada Theatre
by Michael Quintos - November 15, 2024
Led by a brilliant performance by Jason Alexander, this lively, emotionally-grounded, classic-leaning staging still somehow manages to feel fresh, reinvigorated, and much more searing than prior iterations.This latest SoCal-area revival of the landmark 1964 musical—here directed by Lonny Price—is, a...
Review: South Coast Repertory Presents World Premiere Play JOAN
by Michael Quintos - November 11, 2024
Featuring a remarkable, gutsy performance by Tessa Auberjonois as the legendary comedienne, JOAN is an absorbing and hilarious new work that also feels like an on-going work-in-progress. The world premiere production continues performances at South Coast Repertory through November 24, 2024....
Review: Eric McCormack and Laura Bell Bundy Reunite for OC Cabaret at Segerstrom Arts
by Michael Quintos - October 24, 2024
Eric McCormick and Laura Bell Bundy recently stopped by Segerstrom Center of the Arts to present the OC debut of their cabaret show “A Blonde, A Brunette, and Some Duets: From Primetime to Sondheim,” a fun and cheeky night of silly songs and even sillier stories for a limited three-night engagement ...
Review: Musical Theatre West Presents Spirited AIN'T MISBEHAVIN'
by Michael Quintos - October 23, 2024
Structured as a non-stop song-and-dance revue without any dialogue, the Fats Waller tribute musical relies on its spunky live band and its crazy-good, five-person cast to sing a songbook filled with (mostly) joyful and (some) sorrowful jazz tunes. The show continues through Nov. 3, 2024 at the Carpe...
Review: Chance Theater Presents OC Premiere of Dark Comedy GLORIA
by Michael Quintos - October 11, 2024
Offering a sharp and multi-layered commentary on modern workplace culture, unchecked ambition, and the public-stoked commodification of trauma, playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' intriguing play GLORIA—a riveting new dark comedy that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize—is currently having its OC p...
Review: South Coast Repertory Presents LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS
by Michael Quintos - October 04, 2024
For SCR's impressive, must-see local revival, the show gets a hyper-hybrid treatment that combines nostalgic elements inspired by the original but infused with 21st-century sass and sensibilities. Alongside its visual splendor, the show also features a superb ensemble cast, resulting in a blissfully...