Palm Springs Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 14

BWW Review: Shakespeare's History Plays Become a Zany STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY
by Ellen Dostal - November 02, 2015

One of the things Independent Shakespeare Co. does exceedingly well is communicate Shakespeare's text to audiences who may have little or no background with Shakespeare in a way that they can understand it. And since an audience member rarely comes back to see another production when they haven't ha...

BWW Review: Desert Theatreworks Presents a Top-Notch Production of STEEL MAGNOLIAS
by Audrey Liebross - November 02, 2015

Desert Theatreworks, in Palm Desert California, has mounted a top-notch production of STEEL MAGNOLIAS. The acting is Broadway-quality, and the sets and costuming are also superb....

BWW Review: ANNIE, A Perfect Example of Optimism's Staying Power
by Ellen Dostal - October 17, 2015

s I was waiting for my theatre guest to arrive at the Pantages Tuesday night for the opening of ANNIE, a school bus pulled up. Within seconds, a gaggle of little girls spilled out onto the sidewalk shrieking in anticipation and taking pictures of the sparkly marquee on their smart phones. They were ...

BWW Review: MAN COVETS BIRD and Delivers Magic at 24th Street Theatre
by Ellen Dostal - October 01, 2015

You can tell when a theatre company cares about its audience, especially when that audience is largely made up of young people. It doesn't talk down to them and it doesn't assume they will only understand the obvious. Instead, its directors take the time to seek out work that is worthy of engagement...

BWW Review: Desert Rose's LOOT is a Bizarre, Irreverent Hoot
by Audrey Liebross - September 29, 2015

LOOT, a 1965 satirical farce -- a bizarre, dark parody of an English drawing room comedy -- by British enfant terrible Joe Orton, is a difficult production. Desert Rose Playhouse, in Rancho Mirage, California, pulls it off. Excellent acting and directing result in a great deal of hilarity....

BWW Review: MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL Leaves the Crowd Laughing and Dancing at Riverside's Fox Performing Arts Center
by Audrey Liebross - September 28, 2015

MENOPAUSE THE MUSICAL-THE SURVIVOR TOUR is a great deal of fun. Each bouncy number has plenty of clever lyrics and deliberately silly choreography to keep the audience laughing. It is almost impossible not to clap and dance along with the performers as they perform such antics as playing instruments...

BWW Review: Desert Theatreworks Mounts a Brilliant, Must-See Production of DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE
by Audrey Liebross - September 21, 2015

Palm Desert's Desert Theatreworks has mounted a must-see production of Sarah Ruhl's edgy, comedic, metaphysical play, DEAD MAN'S CELL PHONE.The director has created such a visual and musical feast that it doesn't matter if anyone understands the story, any more than it does with a ballet....

BWW Review: Candlelight's IN THE HEIGHTS Is a Winner
by Don Grigware - August 18, 2015

Lin-Manuel Miranda's Tony and Grammy Award-winning show In the Heights had a lot to shout about when it played Broadway in 2008...in fact, it still does. First of all, it's a musical with and about Latinos - way overdue -plus it has a terrific book with a heartwarming storyline about a closely knit ...

BWW Review: GOD'S MAN IN TEXAS Charismatically Commands Your Presence and You Must Go
by Gil Kaan - August 17, 2015

In GOD'S MAN IN TEXAS, multi-hyphenate David Rambo has written a very smart and involving script on the inner workings of a successful Baptist church empire.  Rambo also quite ably directs his trio of highly skilled actors in a firmly-reined, tight, well-crafted production. All three actors adeptly ...

BWW Reviews: Witty NO HOMO Provides a Thoroughly Entertaining Tale of a Misconceived Bromance
by Gil Kaan - August 10, 2015

In NO HOMO, playwright Brandon Baruch has written a very funny, smart and realistic script on the perceived misconceptions of Ash and Luke's relationship.  Their respective siblings and their friends think the two admittedly hetero guys really cohabitate as lovers and not just roommates. Jessica Han...

BWW Reviews: THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA is a Beautiful Production, Well Worth the Trip from the Coachella Valley and Inland Empire
by Audrey Liebross - August 10, 2015

The new touring production of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, currently playing at the Segerstrom Center in Costa Mesa, is a must-see. The music, costumes, and sets are hauntingly beautiful and the performances are generally superb. Katie Travis, as Christine Daae, is a standout....

BWW Reviews: CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC Lyrically Teaches Racism 101
by Gil Kaan - August 03, 2015

If, for some inexplicable reason one didn't know, the world premiere of Citizen: An American Lyric  will make it a point to educate you that racism exists. The multi-awarding winning book of poetry of the same name by Claudia Rankine, on which Stephen Sachs has adapted, will reinforce the many insta...

BWW Reviews: Slater, Ferguson, Robinson, and Co. Bring Hilarity to SPAMALOT at the Hollywood Bowl
by Michael L. Quintos - August 01, 2015

Definitely one of this current millennium's funniest stage shows, the world-famous Hollywood Bowl certainly chose wisely in its decision to stage the hit musical comedy Monty Python's SPAMALOT as this year's all-star annual summer stage musical spectacular, which was welcomed with plenty of sustaine...

BWW Reviews: A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a Night to Remember
by Ellen Dostal - July 31, 2015

Baby boomers don't normally show their approval at the theater by leaping to their feet and giving standing ovations during a performance… unless they happen to be seeing A NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN at Pasadena Playhouse. The power of remembrance combined with the powerhouse performances of Mary Bridg...

BWW Reviews: Brilliant BENT Revival at Taper
by Don Grigware - July 30, 2015

When Bent first premiered in 1979 its persecution of gays in Nazi Germany was a real eye opener. This was before the onset of AIDS...in the first scene, the depiction of Max's (Patrick Heusinger)one night stand and his gay relationship with a dancer could have been taken right out of contemporary We...

BWW Reviews: New Compact HAIRSPRAY A Rousing Winner at OC's Chance Theater
by Michael L. Quintos - July 27, 2015

Bravo to Chance Theater for taking on this mainstream hit and making it actually feel like a fresh, awesome little indie. Now playing through August 9, the latest offering from Orange County's bold, award-winning regional theater company is their own 'intimate' theater re-staging of HAIRSPRAY, the 2...

BWW Reviews: 3DT's Eye-Popping TARZAN Musical Swings into the OC Jungle
by Michael L. Quintos - July 24, 2015

OC's award-winning regional theater company 3-D Theatricals' latest effort is a remarkably admirable, visually-stunning iteration of Disney's TARZAN® THE MUSICAL that defiantly dazzles and entertains despite the inherent, unavoidable shortcomings of its licensed source material (a problematic book a...

BWW Reviews: Musical Theatre West Revisits the Glorious Feeling of SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
by Michael L. Quintos - July 24, 2015

As the cliche goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. That is perhaps partly the philosophy behind the rather faithful stage adaptation of the gloriously wonderful movie musical SINGIN' IN THE RAIN, now once again charmingly replicated in a smile-inducing local production at Musical Theatre West that...

BWW Reviews: The Touring Company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA Raises $10,000 for BC/EFA and The Actors Fund with its Magnificent Cabaret in LA.
by Audrey Liebross - July 23, 2015

The touring company of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA performed a magnificent self-produced cabaret titled OSCAR UNMASKED, consisting of performances from Oscar winning songs and scores. In addition, audience members had the chance to bid on three items in a live auction. The cabaret raised about $10,000 ...

BWW Reviews: Shakespeare Orange County Offers a Multicultural ROMEO & JULIET
by Ellen Dostal - July 20, 2015

As an attempt to increase its cultural relevance, involve the community, and expand its audience base, Shakespeare Orange County's ROMEO & JULIET is an admirable venture. Directors Mike Peebler and John Walcutt have integrated several hometown groups to appeal to its neighboring communities: the Vie...

BWW Reviews: 3-D Theatricals' TARZAN THE MUSICAL is a Swinging Success
by Ellen Dostal - July 15, 2015

TARZAN THE MUSICAL is the latest winner in a string of ambitious musicals by the Dawson producing team at 3-D Theatricals (Gretchen, Daniel, Jeannette and T.J.). Perhaps it isn't surprising that a family run company would know the kind of heart it takes to bring to life a Disney adventure musical ab...

BWW Reviews: JOSEPH Rocks Candlelight Pavilion
by Don Grigware - July 14, 2015

Considered Andrew Lloyd Webber's first official musical in the late 60s, in spite of the fact that it really took off after Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has within itself a miraculous power to entertain and inspire...especially the young among us who dare to d...

BWW Reviews: A Classy SINGIN' IN THE RAIN at MTW
by Don Grigware - July 14, 2015

To those newer generation theatre and movie fans who do not remember 1952's blockbuster hit film Singin' in the Rain, directors Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, screenwriters Betty Comden and Adolph Green and costars Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Debbie Reynolds all contributed to making it the smash that...

BWW Reviews: Deliriously Funny ADAM & EVE AND STEVE Comes to NoHo
by Don Grigware - July 14, 2015

Adam & Eve and Steve/written by Chandler Warren/musical composer: Wayne Moore/directed by Ronnie MarmoTheatre 68 at/NoHo Arts Center/through August 30 A humorous take on the biblical version of creation as told through the rantings of dueling Beelzebug and God is the award-winning world premiere ...

BWW Reviews: SHIV Nearly Transports You to Other Worlds
by Gil Kaan - July 13, 2015

The west coast premiere of Aditi Brennan Kapil's Shiv receives a simply gorgeous mounting at the Theatre @ Boston Court. Amazing just how far, with the proper elements, your imagination will allow you to go....