REVIEW: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND BY RYAN LUÉVANO The musical Once on this Island may not be a household name like West Side Story or Wicked, however this show, with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty, takes audiences to an exotic island in the Caribbean boasting messages of goodwill and […]

THE PASADENA SYMPHONY: IN REHEARSAL Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 6 “Pathétique” and Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO There’s no audience in the vast auditorium and not a tuxedo in sight. The orchestra files in wearing their street clothes from a long day of teaching, practicing, performing in studio and whatever else occupies […]

REVIEW: HALLELUJAH, BABY! BY RYAN LUÉVANO Making a career in the performing arts has always been a challenge, now imagine trying the same thing as a minority in a time when equality does not exist. That’s the basic premise the 1967 musical Hallelujah, Baby! (music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Adolph Green and Betty Comden, […]

TOP THEATRE PICKS STILL PLAYING: 1) THE LAST FIVE YEARS  La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, JANUARY 21 through SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12 Imagine witnessing the last five years of one of your failed relationships played out on stage for all to see—that’s what the Jason Robert Brown musical The Last Five Years accomplishes. The show written in 2001 is […]

REVIEW: THAT LONG DAMN DARK BY RYAN LUÉVANO It’s not often that a play is able to successfully transcend the limits of the stage and venture into cinematic territory, and even more so in a tiny black box theatre. Ashley’s Rose Wellman’s new play That Long Damn Dark does just that. This West Coast premiere presented […]

2017 ASCAP FOUNDATION MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP (DAY 2) By RYAN LUÉVANO While the first evening of the workshop only offered a sampling of the musicals presented, the second evening featured a 45-minute presentation of the musical The Ballad of Brightwater (Book, Music and Lyrics by Matthew McCollum). This musical was given a full reading, complete with […]

2017 ASCAP FOUNDATION MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP (DAY 1) By RYAN LUÉVANO Whether you’re writing, planning, or just contemplating writing a musical, every February, alongside Valentine’s Day, the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshop is here for you. Composer/ lyricist Stephen Schwartz continues to lead the workshop hosted at the exquisite Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts—and […]

REVIEW: THE LAST FIVE YEARS BY RYAN LUÉVANO Imagine witnessing the last five years of one of your failed relationships played out on stage for all to see—that’s what the Jason Robert Brown musical The Last Five Years accomplishes. The show written in 2001 is directly inspired by Brown’s failed marriage to Theresa O’Neill. Audiences […]

2016 Ovation Awards Exclusive BY RYAN LUÉVANO The 27th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Tuesday, January 17 at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center. Thirty-five awards were bestowed upon 19 different Southern California theatre companies. The ceremony was hosted by Alexandra Billings, and this year’s presenters […]

REVIEW: ZANNA DON’T BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Step into the topsy-turvy land of the sugary 2003 off-Broadway musical Zanna Don’t, by Tim Acito and with additional lyrics and material by Alexander Dinelaris, now playing at Chromolume Theatre. In this high school musical spoof homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is a taboo. So when a […]