BWW Review: THE CHRONICLES OF BEEBO BRINKER at Desert Ensemble Theater
Pulp fiction got its name from the low-quality, pulpy paper the stories were printed on, not the content. However, 'pulp' became synonymous with trashy, back alley reading punctuated with cheap sensationalist thrills, fast-paced plot lines and bad writing. Tell that last bit to John Lange (aka Michael Crichton), Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, and Dashiell Hammett (The Thin Man, and Sam Spade) who have all had off-shoot careers in pulp.
BWW Reviews: The Engeman 'Produces' a Sensational PRODUCERS
I want to express the deepest gratitude to the director, Igor Goldin, for not directing his actors into a corner with this show. Each and every person onstage had a story to tell, and not just some façade to put on: a worry I typically have when viewing a comedic musical. Even each member of the ensemble had fantastic individuality and characterization that it makes one wonder whether an ensemble needs to necessarily “blend together” – which, in fact, is quite difficult not to do when the show decks out its actors in outrageous costumes that make Betsy Johnson and Alexander McQueen look (I won't be forgetting you, anytime soon, Sausage Dress…). Though, it's the joint effort between the lead players and supporting players that create magic on that stage, and this cast did just that.