REVIEW: WITH LOVE AND A MAJOR ORGAN BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO In our techy-world where we use text messages, emails, skype and apps to connect with other people, true face-to-face communication can be challenging for some, making the creation of deep connections even more problematic. In Boston Court’s West Coast premiere of Julia Lederer’s play, […]

REVIEW: THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL  BY RYAN M . LUÉVANO Following its three-show run at the Underground Theatre during this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival, Contempo Productions is back with an extended run of the swashbuckling adventure musical The Scarlet Pimpernel. This unfamiliar musical, with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, is […]

REVIEW: THE VIEW UPSTAIRS BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Earlier this month I interviewed Max Vernon, the creator of the new musical The View Upstairs, that’s currently having its West Coast premiere at Celebration Theatre. About his show, Vernon said, “The musical [. . .] contrasts two different eras of gay life, and questions if we’re […]

REVIEW: A TALE OF TWO CITIES BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Whether you’ve read Charles Dicken’s epic novel A Tale of Two Cities, or not, you’re likely familiar with the novel’s opening lines: “It was the best of times. . .” and if you’re even more well versed, you may also know the last line too: […]

REVIEW: HONKY TONK LAUNDRY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Jukebox musical aficionado Roger Bean, creator of the worldwide and off-Broadway hit The Marvelous Wonderettes, along with the sequels Wonderettes: Caps & Gowns, Winter Wonderettes, and Wonderettes: Dream On, brings LA audiences Honky Tonk Laundry. In this LA premiere Bean tackles the country western music of some of the […]

REVIEW: ON THE TWENTIETH CENTURY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO As a frequent theatergoer in Los Angeles I’ve sampled many of the cities theater buildings so when I saw that Proof of Doubt Closer Theater company was producing the musical On the Twentieth Century at the Pan Andreas Theater I was curious. I’ve never heard of […]

REVIEW: BORN FOR THIS BY RYAN M LUÉVANO Opening The Broad Stage’s 2017-18 is the new musical, Born for This, a show that could be more aptly named: “BeBe Winans’ Life in Concert,” as the autobiographical musical gives more the impression of a concert rather than a dramatic musical. That being said, the highlight of Born […]

REVIEW: OUR GREAT TCHAIKOVSKY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO People all over the world are familiar with the music of Tchaikovsky from his iconic ballet scores, symphonic works to his works for piano—his music is unmistakable and brilliant. However, many are likely unfamiliar with the fact that he lived in fear for all of his life […]

REVIEW: OKLAHOMA! BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The musical Oklahoma! by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II was know as the “musical heard ‘round the world” in 1943 as it was the first full realization of the new concept of the “book musical” (where the music and dances are woven tightly into the dramatic structure of […]

REVIEW: NICKY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO When we think of plays by Anton Chekhov lengthy dramatic works come to mind. Even when Chekhov was commissioned to write a comedy in 1887 he instead wrote a four-act drama entitled Ivanov. Now Coeurage Theatre Company brings a world premiere adaptation of Chekhov’s Ivanov, entitled Nicky to the […]