REVIEW: THE GLASS MENAGERIE BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO For Tennessee Williams, his 1944 autobiographical play, The Glass Menagerie changed his life forever. Upon its premiere in Chicago, then its transfer to Broadway, William’s went on to become one of America’s most beloved playwrights. The motto “write what you know” comes to mind when discussing Menagerie—there are glimpses […]

REVIEW: RAGTIME: THE MUSICAL BY RYAN. M. LUÉVANO The Pasadena Playhouse’s first offering in 2019 is the American musical Ragtime: The Musical with a book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty—and what an offering. Ragtime is a big show on so many levels, thematically it deals with immigration, racism, white privilege, women’s […]

REVIEW: COME FROM AWAY  BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The musical Come from Away is a love letter to humanity, a reminder that when times are tough you can always count on people to help you weather the storm—especially Canadians. The “9/12” musical by Irene Sankoff and David Hein tells the story of what transpired when […]

REVIEW: VALLEY OF THE HEART BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Proclaimed by president Barack Obama for “bringing Chicano culture to American drama”, playwright Luis Valdez’s (most notably known for Zoot Suit) latest play Valley of the Heart brings both Chicano and Japanese culture to the stage. Based on Valdez’s life experiences as a child growing up […]

REVIEW: DEAR EVAN HANSEN BY RYAN LUÉVANO I remember when, the now six Tony-winning musical, Dear Evan Hansen first appeared on my radar when it inconspicuously opened Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theatre in 2016. Within a short time the musical started creating a profound buzz, followed by winning a profusion of theatre awards. Then just the next […]

REVIEW: TENOR BY NIGHT BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO With shows like Fresh Off the Boat and the recent summer hit Crazy Rich Asians the Asian community is more and more receiving representation in the entertainment industry which is a boon for all minorities. That being said, the recent original musical Tenor by Night that played […]

REVIEW: NATIVE GARDENS BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Karen Zacarías’ new comedy Native Gardens, now playing at the Pasadena Playhouse, is the perfect fit for this city’s perfectly tailored green lawns and gardening lifestyle that includes the celebrated Tournament of Roses Parade. The play directed by Jason Alexander proves that just how challenging it can be […]

REVIEW: MUTT HOUSE BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Singing and dancing canines are taking stage at the Kirk Douglass Theatre this month in the original musical Mutt House. This world premiere musical about dogs is created and written by Tony Cookson with music and lyrics by John Daniel, Tony Cookson, Robb Curtis Brown, and David O. The show features 18 […]

REVIEW: SWEET CHARITY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The theatre company formerly known as Reprise! (now Reprise 2.0) is back and better than ever serving up a sensational presentation of the classic musical Sweet Charity. For their inaugural season the resurrected theatre company has partnered with the UCLA School of Theatre, Film, and Television’s Department of […]

REVIEW: STAND DOWN THE MARCH BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO In the profusion of the over 100 works in the “ensemble theatre” category at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival, Naomi Brodkin’s play Stand Down the March is a diamond in the rough. The play was commissioned by Next Theatre of Evanston in 2011 and went on […]