Palm Springs Theatre Newsroom

What did our critic think of GOD OF CARNAGE at Palm Springs Cultural Center?

Bravo to Maestro Steven Hulsey and Director Adam Karsten. Brava to Choreographer Karen Sieber. Not a note of Andrew Lloyd Webber's brilliant score was wasted.

When my 8th grade English class read Oliver Twist, Charles Dickens’ exposé of the cruel and unjust treatment of the poor in Victorian London, I never dreamed it would become Lionel Bart’s poignant, award-winning 1960 musical Oliver. Alas, Broadway Theatricals’ delightful production just ended its March 7 to 9, 2025, run at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.

Dezart Performs (dezartperforms.org) presents FALSETTOS  directed by Dennis Courtney,April 18 - April 27 2025 at the Pearl McManus Theater in the Palm Springs Woman’s Club, 314 S. Cahuilla Road, Palm Springs.

What did our critic think of VICTOR / VICTORIA at Palm Canyon Theatre?

The 2025 Broadway Under the Stars summer season, opening June 12 and running through September 14, 2025. Check here for more details on the season.

What did our critic think of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING at Revolution Stage Company?

Girl groups have always been part of our culture. For me, it began watching The Andrews Sisters in old films, or sitting with my granny while she watched The Lawrence Welk Show, hoping that the Lennon Sisters would be on that week. So, Francesca Amari’s Ponytails, Chiffon & Shangri-la hits just right, providing us a look back at the girl groups who came after all the sister acts. 

With music and lyrics by Frank Loesser (Guys and Dolls) and a book by Abe Burrows, Jack Weinstock, and Willie Gilbert, How to Succeed blends clever comedy, show-stopping musical numbers, and timeless social commentary.

Pulling into the hi-desert with a head of steam, clash and clatter is Tennessee Williams' 1947 Pulitzer Prize winning drama 'A Streetcar Named Desire'.  Theatre 29 has staged a mesmerizing production under the astute direction of Gary Daigneault. The play, featuring Bobbie Breckenridge as the fragile and complex Blanche DuBois, Deacon Ledges as the brutish yet charismatic Stanley Kowalski, and Victoria Shupe as the conflicted Stella Kowalski, offers a compelling exploration of desire, illusion, and the harsh realities of life.

What did our critic think of VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE at Revolution Stage Company?

What did our critic think of FRANKENSTEIN: THE MUSICAL at Skylight Music Theatre?

The California Arts Council has announced a grant award of $17,499 to Desert Ensemble Theatre (DET) as part of its General Operating Support program during its 2024-25 fiscal year grant cycle.

DIETRICH, written by Willard Manus, starring Cindy Marinangel, Chicago Second City Conservatory graduate, directed by Glenda Morgan Brown and produced by Sea Angel Productions., LLC is based on a true story. Set in May 1960, the play takes place when the actress returned to the Berlin stage for the first time since fleeing the Hitler regime in the 1930’s. Inside her dressing room at the Tatania-Palast Theater, Dietrich weighs whether to go through with the live performance despite threats on her life by Nazi sympathizers who resented her for having spent much of World War II entertaining American soldiers on the front lines. To them, Dietrich is a turncoat; a traitor who deserves to be shot and killed on stage.

Registration is still open for Jazz Girls Day at Idyllwild Arts Academy -taking place from 9am to 4pm on Sunday, March 2, 2025 - a traveling masterclass that was founded by Dr. Colleen Clark. Learn how to attend.

What did our critic think of AVENUE Q at Revolutiion Stage Company?

Revolution Stage Company proudly presents Christopher Durang’s Tony Award-winning comedy Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike for six performances only, running February 17, 18, 19, 24, 25, and 26 at 7 PM. This production is directed by Trevor Biship-Gillespie, fresh off his acclaimed staging of Spring Awakening at Revolution Stage Company.

Sometimes I get to see a very good production of a very good play, and I go home feeling satisfied. As a reviewer, I sometimes have to see that same play again at another theatre with an entirely different cast and an entirely different directorial approach. It’s a bit like the remake of a classic. At first you wonder why it needs to be remade, and then having already seen what you consider the gold star, the outcome is less satisfactory. 

Experience the charm, wit, and music of one of Broadway’s most celebrated musicals as My Fair Lady graces the stage at Palm Canyon Theatre from February 7 through March 2, 2025.

Honky Tonk Angels is a high-energy jukebox musical review set at the iconic Grand Ole Opry, where the fictional country girl group, the Honky Tonk Angels, reunites for an unforgettable concert. Featuring a live band in true Grand Ole Opry style, this heartwarming and hilarious show celebrates the power of friendship, dreams, and country music’s greatest hits.

Dezart Performs will present the profound and gripping play GRAND CONCOURSE directed by Michael Shaw,February 28 - March 9 2025 at the Pearl McManus Theater.

Although Desert Theatricals announced a smaller season of specials at the Rancho Mirage Library, they're coming back strong with three crowd favorites, OLIVER!, HAIRSPRAY, and ADDAMS FAMILY.

What did our critic think of TRU at Desert Ensemble Theatre?Since I missed Chuck Yates’s award-winning performance of Jay Presson Allen’s TRU the first time around, I was thrilled to review the reprise of his solo show, playing through February 2, 2025, Desert Ensemble Theatre at the Palm Springs Cultural Center. From curtain to curtain the only character on that stage was Truman Capote—TRU—with all his idiosyncrasies, peccadillos, and charm.

What did our critic think of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA at Coachella Valley Repetory Theatre?Take it from the top: another charming and effective Jimmy Cuomo set that embraces the style and provides the backdrop for The Light in the Piazza. From the piano, Music Director Stephen Hulsey conducts the orchestra. We are transported to Florence, Italy, as statues come to life in Karen Sieber’s lovely, almost seductive choreography, performed by a remarkable Ensemble--leading into Adam Kersten’s lyrical production. His direction was a work of art.

Desert Theatricals has cast Oliver! and Hairspray at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheatre featuring local actors and others from LA, Orange, and Riverside County as well as Fort Lauderdale, FL.