UNDER THE BIG TOP AT SANTA MONICA PIER

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...

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...

by Tracey Paleo - January 27, 2025

In SLEEPING GIANT, it was clear I was witnessing more than a metaphor about the continuing evolution of MAGA. And it was all too frightening....

by Evan Henerson - January 25, 2025

The production’s thrifty staging directed by Judith Hendra for Topanga Actors Company feels stagnant instead of urgent, indifferent where it could have been thought-provoking....

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...

by Harker Jones - January 21, 2025

The themes in DEATH OF A SALESMAN are universal and timeless, though that doesn’t mean they always resonate. Firmer direction and better sound would have elevated this production so that it landed with more heft....

by Evan Henerson - January 02, 2025

This deceptively dark world premiere, co-produced by People with Plays Productions and the Road Theatre Company at the Broadwater Studio Theatre, is not one for those looking to 2025 with visions of sunny skies ahead....

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...

by Jonas Schwartz-Owen - December 17, 2024

Lear deBessonet’s rollicking production of Once Upon A Mattress brings festive glee to the Southland....

by Evan Henerson - December 15, 2024

The mixture this time around is entertaining if not the company’s A-game. HOME ALONE-LY HEARTS CLUB, while providing plenty of laughs, feels thin…thin on merriment, thin on satirical edge and certainly thin on script....