REVIEW: MAESTRO BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The name Leonard Bernstein may not be a household name today, but 40 years ago it was acclaimed and known worldwide. Bernstein was a true Renaissance man as an accomplished conductor, pianist, author, educator, librettist, television star, and the composer of symphonies, iconic film scores and American musical classics. […]

REVIEW: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS  BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The 80s musical Little Shop of Horrors, which these days is widely performed in high school, community theatres and colleges across the country, has been given a fresh reimaging by The B Productions at the NoHo Arts Center. Director Brianna McDonnell sets this show in the […]

REVIEW: BLUEPRINT FOR PARADISE BY RYAN M LUÉVANO It’s frightening when a work of fiction bears an all too familiar resemblance to what’s happening in our current society, this is the case of Laurel M. Wetzork’s new play Blueprint for Paradise. In this electrifying play, based on true events, we see the story about a […]

REVIEW: HELLO DOLLY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO 3D Theatricals proves that the musical Hello Dolly is still going strong long after the original Broadway production opened at the St. James Theatre over fifty years ago. Here the musical is reinvigorated with fresh and imaginative contemporary productions values and a stellar cast that bring this Jerry […]

REVIEW: RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The name John Dolphin is far from a household name and what he did is just as obscure, yet when this mere blip of history is brought to the stage as in Recorded in Hollywood, the dots of past and present ultimately connect—if only for the show’s duration. The musical, […]

REVIEW: LIBERTY A MONUMENTAL NEW MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Liberty A Monumental New Musical tells a delightful story of this iconic monument that’s a symbol of American freedom with a reverence for history, but doesn’t quite reach the top in terms of dramatic artistry and compelling storytelling. However, the musical does give Americans and […]

REVIEW: DREAMLAND BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Another L.A. born musical has recently surfaced at the NoHo Arts Center for a brief weekend run. The musical, Dreamland by John Francis Smith (Emmy Award winner as head writer and co-executive producer of Young and the Restless) and his daughter Asia Ray Smith, tells the story of an […]

REVIEW: ALL THE BEST KILLERS ARE LIBRARIANS  BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Anyone who loves a good assassin movie will appreciate the premise of Bob DeRosa’s new play All the Best Killers Are Librarians. The plot concerns a shy librarian named Margo who meets a man who hires and trains the best assassins, convinced she is […]

REVIEW: ALIEN VS. MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The battle between alien and musical theater characters continues at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival as the infamous musical Alien Vs. Musical is back with a new and extended version. Creators Erik Przytulski and Steve Troop have developed a piece that’s both the product of the edgy […]

REVIEW: THUG TUNNEL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Original musicals are one of the most difficult things to write and in the case of Hollywood Fringe, sometimes just as difficult to sit through. This is because often writers simply are not aware of the intricacies involved in writing a good musical—this is a especially a challenge […]