OJAI ART CENTER THEATRE - YOUTH BRANCH

by Evan Henerson - October 16, 2024

With a packed Taper house, a stage full of hot young singer/dancers performing, signing and middle fingering their hopes and disillusionments into an iconic rock score; yeah life doesn’t suck too much. Neither does this production, although ironically, here’s wishing that that the experience could h...

by Harker Jones - October 16, 2024

The beloved story of dreamers and lovers in late ’80s New York is marred by poor sound and a band that drowns the players out....

by Melissa Heckscher - October 14, 2024

While the show’s darker ending may leave younger audiences a bit shell-shocked, there’s no denying the infectious energy of this production. The songs, the performances, and the fun all come together in a show that will have you humming 'Bop sh-bop' long after the final curtain....

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...

by Evan Henerson - October 10, 2024

From the second we enter the Morgan-Wixon, ushered in by black cowl-clad members of the Cult of Bat Boy; from the moment we see that pointy-eared effigy strung up to the rafters, we’re primed for two plus hours of four alarm horror camp....

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...

by Evan Henerson - October 04, 2024

Read BroadwayWorld's review of A Good Guy at Rogue Machine at The Matrix Theatre. Learn more about the production! ...

by Michael Quintos - October 02, 2024

As silly and nostalgic as one might expect, the stage musical adaptation of MRS. DOUBTFIRE—based on the beloved 1993 hit film—has finally arrived to say 'hellooooo' to audiences at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, where its national tour stop featuring Tony nominee Rob McClure cont...

by Harker Jones - October 01, 2024

Tom Jacobson’s script is a razor-sharp warning of how easy it is for history to repeat itself with long, dark shadows stretching across our country again....

by Andrew Child - September 29, 2024

In a meticulously scripted and carefully crafted medley of songs, the performers highlighted the highs and lows of their careers, illustrating their individual paths to Hairspray and sharing anecdotes of their vastly different lives since the closing of the show....