REVIEW: LA OLLA BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO What would you do if you found a pot of gold? How would you be changed? These are the questions answered in the Latino Theatre Company’s world premiere of La Olla by Evelina Fernandez based on the Latin play by the early Roman playwright Titus Maccius Plautus. What […]

REVIEW: THE REVISIONIST BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Most know actor Jesse Eisenberg for his memorable roles in The Village, Zombieland, and The Social Network, but what most are not aware of is his second career as an American playwright. The Wallis Annenberg’s West Coast premiere of Eisenberg’s third play The Revisionist, which premiered in February 2013 […]

REVIEW: DREAMGIRLS BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The Dreamgirls phenomenon continues at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts this spring. Opening in 1981 at the Imperial Theatre, and winning six Tony Awards, this showbiz musical follows the story of a young female singing trio from Chicago called “The Dreams” as they navigate the murky waters […]

REVIEW: CASA VALENTINA BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO A group of men go into the woods and transform themselves into the beautiful dolled-up women they are inside—the West Coast premiere of Harvey Fierstein’s Casa Valentina could not be more timely. Although this play is set in the 1960s the issues addressed are evermore present in our […]

REVIEW: BROKEN FENCES BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The Road Theatre Company continues its 2015-2016 25th anniversary season with the West Coast premiere of the play Broken Fences by Steven Simoncic. The play takes place in a neighborhood on Chicago’s deep West Side where gentrification driven by aggressive capitalism is forcing long-time residents out to make […]

REVIEW: ROMEO AND JULIET BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Of the 37 plays written by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet is still a household name after 400 years. Everyone knows the plot of this tragic story: boy meets girl, boy and girl fall in love, boy loses girl, and boy and girl die, the end. However, […]

REVIEW: A CLASS ACT BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Musical Theatre Guild brings us an evening to remember, the life of composer-lyricist Edward Kleban as portrayed in the musical A Class Act. This quasi-autobiographical musical is based the life of Edward Kleban who died at the age of 48 in 1987 and is best known for […]

REVIEW: CLOSER THAN EVER BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO International City Theatre opens its 2016 season with the updated musical revue Closer Than Ever by Richard Maltby, Jr. and David Shire. The revue is a collection of songs that are presented in a continuous manner and explores a multitude of issues in the modern world. These […]

REVIEW: DREAM BOY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Celebration Theatre presents the LA premiere of Dream Boy, based on the novel by Jim Grimsley. This play by Eric Rosen skillfully adapts the content, themes and characters of novel into a play that is beautifully natural, raw and captivating on stage. Dream Boy is a poignant tale […]

REVIEW: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO A tale as old as the 18th century, a favorite Disney movie and Broadway’s ninth longest-running production in history—Beauty and the Beast the musical as presented by 3D Theatricals is an enchanting night at the theatre for the whole family. All the songs, characters and more […]