Palm Springs Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 11

BWW Review: PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT at Palm Canyon Theatre
by Stan Jenson - October 30, 2017

Three cross-dressing entertainers bringing mirth and mayhem to a desert. Has there ever been a show more destined for Palm Springs? The production of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert currently playing at Palm Canyon Theatre, deserves every full house, every standing ovation, and every word of enthus...

BWW Review: THE WOMAN IN BLACK at Desert Theatreworks
by Stan Jenson - October 21, 2017

There's nothing like a creepy tale told well for these cool October nights, and Desert Theatreworks delivers with The Woman in Black. This two-hander is the second-longest running non-musical in London, and still scaring British audiences today....

BWW Review: Desert Rose's VANYA & SONYA & MASHA & SPIKE is Brilliantly Presented.
by Audrey Liebross - September 27, 2017

Desert Rose Playhouse has opened its 2017-18 season its sixth with a brilliant production of Christopher Durang's simultaneously literary and loony 2012 comedy, VANYA & SONYA & MASHA & SPIKE (VSMS), which Durang has likened to taking Chekhov scenes and characters and whirling them around in a bl...

BWW Review: Recontextualizing Architecture as Art in Pacific Standard Time LA/LA's CONDEMNED TO BE MODERN
by Ellen Dostal - September 15, 2017

While watching Crystal Sep lveda perform during the opening of Pacific Standard LA/LA's Condemned To Be Modern exhibit, I couldn't help but think of a quote by Frank Lloyd Wright: 'Space is the breath of art.' Poetic in its simplicity, it is an observation that is particularly eloquent when consider...

BWW Review: DTW's Production of ANNIE is a Winner for Adults and Kids Alike.
by Audrey Liebross - September 11, 2017

Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) rip-roaring production of the Broadway musical, ANNIE, is a winner. The cast (both grown-ups and children), perform their roles with heart and expertise, resulting in a fabulous, feel-good presentation that all ages can enjoy....

BWW Review: The Pure Joy of MUSE-IQUE's Summer of Sound: GLOW/TOWN
by Ellen Dostal - August 31, 2017

It's official. I have a new favorite thing, and it is called MUSE/IQUE. You would too if you'd been in the audience for GLOW/TOWN, the third in a 3-part series celebrating Motown and its roots Saturday night at Caltech. From the structure of the program to the sophistication of the environment, Arti...

BWW Review: Backstage Antics Abound in Indie Film OPENING NIGHT
by Ellen Dostal - July 30, 2017

Every theatre production comes with its share of backstage drama. One Hit Wonderland, the Broadway musical comedy depicted in Gary De Leon and Greg Lisi's indie film OPENING NIGHT is no exception. Sex, drugs, and crazy characters collide in this rousing tongue-in-cheek comedy full of splashy product...

BWW Review: The Palm Canyon Theatre Reaches New HEIGHTS With Current Production Of Tony Winning Musical
by David Green - July 14, 2017

As a diversion from my standard, oft-critical observations of professional theatre, this column serves as less of a "review" and more of a LOVE NOTE to the Palm Canyon Theatre and the cast and creative team of their current stage production, Lin Manuel Miranda's IN THE HEIGHTS, playing through Sunda...

Theatre in Historic Places: A Ballerina in the Desert's Legacy Lives On at AMARGOSA OPERA HOUSE
by Ellen Dostal - May 31, 2017

The last place you'd expect to find a ballerina is in the middle of the desert; in a bustling city center full of people to fill an audience, yes, but in Death Valley Junction population less than 20? No, in this cultural hot spot, art is found in the shifting sands and sunset-washed mountains where...

BWW Review: Desert Rose Mounts a Hilarious Production of CLARK GABLE SLEPT HERE.
by Audrey Liebross - May 08, 2017

Director Jim Strait's wit shines in Desert Rose's CLARK GABLE SLEPT HERE. The script needs pruning, but the dialogue flies most of the time, as do the audience's guffaws. The two women in the cast have the juicy roles, and make the most of them. The audience will have fun at this raunchy play....

BWW Review: CV Rep's LATER LIFE is an Engaging Play, Expertly Presented
by Audrey Liebross - May 02, 2017

CVRep is currently presenting an engaging production of A.R. Gurney's one-act dramedy, LATER LIFE, directed by theatre veteran Luke Yankee, making his CVRep debut. All four cast members, each of whom has an impressive list of credits, are a pleasure to watch, as they expertly use their voices, bodie...

BWW Review: Desert Theatreworks Presents a Fabulous Production of NEXT TO NORMAL in its New Venue
by Audrey Liebross - April 25, 2017

Desert Theatreworks' (now resident in the Indio Performing Arts Center) production of the musical tearjerker NEXT TO NORMAL is a must-see. The uniformly superb cast performs their roles with spirit and empathy, and they all display lovely singing voices....

BWW Review: It's Reigning Cats And Dogs In Palm Springs! Dezart Closes Its Season With A Very Warm And Funny CHAPATTI!
by David Green - April 04, 2017

Dogs and cats reign supreme  - and, in fact, are the catalyst for all of the action  - in Christian O'Reilly's warm and intelligent comedy CHAPATTI, the final production in Dezart Performs rather remarkable ninth season in Palm Springs. Dezart Performs, a long time 'best kept secret' in Coachella Va...

BWW Review: Sun City Shines in its Production of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF.
by Audrey Liebross - March 30, 2017

The Sun City Palm Desert Performing Arts Club has done a wonderful job with its annual musical for 2017, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF. Although the production ran for only one weekend, the club has other offerings coming up....

BWW Review: ABSINTHE L.A. Brings Sin City to Los Angeles, and It's an Instant Hit
by Ellen Dostal - March 24, 2017

It used to be true that what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. But not anymore. For the next five weeks, LA audiences will get a taste of Sin City right here in our own backyard, thanks to Spiegelworld's in-your-face adult-only production, ABSINTHE LA....

BWW Review: Desert Rose's SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES is an Emotionally Wrenching Experience, but a Must-See Production.
by Audrey Liebross - March 20, 2017

Prolific screenwriter and playwright Del Shores is perhaps best known for his series of plays about growing up gay in the South. In the semi-autobiographical SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES, now playing at the Desert Rose Playhouse in an excellent production, he describes the clash between his identities a...

BWW Review: CVRep's DISGRACED is Expertly Presented and Topical
by Audrey Liebross - March 20, 2017

Coachella Valley Repertory's DISGRACED examines identity and prejudice. It is expertly performed, timely, and searing and will almost definitely leave a lasting impression on theatregoers....

BWW Review: Desert Ensemble Theatre Presents an Expertly Acted World Premiere Play, Tony Padilla's LOVESPORT
by Audrey Liebross - March 20, 2017

Desert Ensemble Theatre Company (DETC) is presenting LOVESPORT, a world premiere play by Tony Padilla, DETC's founder and producing artistic director. He produced and directed LOVESPORT as well as writing the script. I recommend the show because the acting is excellent, and the script exhibits drama...

BWW Review: THE DROWSY CHAPERONE at Desert Theatreworks is Rip-Roaringly Funny
by Audrey Liebross - March 16, 2017

Desert Theatreworks (DTW) is currently presenting a howlingly funny, expert production of the musical farce THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, featuring brilliant performances and direction, and nonstop lunacy....

BWW Review: Not Man Apart's PARADISE LOST: RECLAIMING DESTINY Viscerally Recreates The Fall of Man
by Ellen Dostal - March 15, 2017

There's not a chance in hell that an audience member could fail to be engaged in Not Man Apart Physical Theatre Ensemble's latest new work, PARADISE LOST: RECLAIMING DESTINY. The company has found a tantalizing niche with its athletically rich dance, movement & sensory exploration of stories that li...

BWW Review: CIRCUS 1903 Recreates the Golden Age of Circus at the Hollywood Pantages
by Ellen Dostal - February 16, 2017

If Dorothy in THE WONDERFUL WIZARD OF OZ had run away from home and found this traveling circus instead of Professor Marvel and his crystal ball, she might never have gotten swept up in a twister and landed in Munchkinland. Instead, she might have become part of a new family, the kind that traveled ...

BWW Review: Coyote Stageworks Presents a Top-Notch Production of SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS
by Audrey Liebross - February 07, 2017

Loretta Swit, who played Hot Lips Houlihan on television's MASH, is appearing in Coyote Stageworks' SIX DANCE LESSONS IN SIX WEEKS at the Annenberg Theater, in Palm Springs. Ms. Swit and her co-star, David Engel, make up the cast of this two-person comedy. Their emotionally honest interaction and La...

BWW Review: Desert Theatreworks' 45 SECONDS FROM BROADWAY is Howlingly Funny
by Audrey Liebross - February 01, 2017

Desert Theatreworks' (DTW's) production of 45 SECONDS FROM BROADWAY is a hoot. Thanks to Lance Phillips-Martinez's imaginative direction and the Broadway-quality lead performances (backed by an able supporting cast), theatregoers are almost guaranteed to laugh their heads off....

BWW Review: Desert Rose's Gay Heritage Production - VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM, presented with SLEEPING BEAUTY OR COMA, is Non-Stop Insanity and a Great Deal of Fun.
by Audrey Liebross - January 23, 2017

Charles Busch's SLEEPING BEAUTY OR COMA and VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM are difficult plays to produce, but Desert Rose's director (Jim Strait) and its performers are up to the task. The double bill is the company's annual Gay Heritage presentation, which succeeds spectacularly....

BWW Review: CVRep Presents an Engaging Production of the Musical, BABY
by Audrey Liebross - January 23, 2017

BABY, now playing at Coachella Valley Repertory is a sweet, sentimental musical about a universal topic - pregnancy. Despite what I consider to be flaws in the book (by Sybille Pearson) and lyrics (by Richard Maltby, Jr.), the show is well worth seeing; David Shire's music is engaging and CVRep has ...