LOOKING FORWARD: THE FUTURE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN L.A. INTERVIEW: Armina LaManna Founding Artistic Director Imagine Theatre BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Now almost a year into the ongoing pandemic our fond memories of live entertainment seem to be waning—and too much so for my liking. Just like that rare blue moon we saw this […]

LOOKING FORWARD: THE FUTURE OF THE PERFORMING ARTS IN L.A. INTERVIEW: caryn desai Artistic Director of International City Theatre BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Now almost a year into the ongoing pandemic our fond memories of live entertainment seem to be waning—and too much so for my liking. Just like that rare blue moon we saw […]

REVIEW: THE IMMERSIVE NUTCRACKER FÊTE BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO When we think of The Nutcracker, Tchaikovsky’s ballet comes to mind as it’s the most famous adaptation of this E.T.A. Hoffmann story. However, for anyone who’s been on social media this holiday season, “The Immersive Nutcracker Fête” by Fever also comes to mind. Billed as “the most […]

REVIEW: WEED SHOP THE MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO We are currently in a renaissance of new musicals—it’s a new golden age of musical theater. Perhaps, like Oklahoma was in 1942, Hamilton was the shot heard ‘round the world announcing that musicals are cool again. It also let producers know that there’s money to be made if […]

INTERVIEW: ANTHONY GRUPPUSO BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Storybook Theatre is in its 35th consecutive season of providing wholesome family entertainment, produced under a union (Actors Equity) contract, making it the oldest local company to do so. All of its shows are tailored to young children (ages 3 to 9) and their families. Currently playing is The […]

REVIEW: BURIED CHILD BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO I remember picking up Sam Shepard’s play Buried Child from the, now closed, Samuel French Bookshop on Sunset Blvd., a couple years ago. Then upon reading this strange, dark and humorous play, I remember thinking: What just happened? Who are these people? How could a whole family be so […]

BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO New York City is considered the mecca of musical theater which makes sense given its history with the genre that goes all the way back to operetta. Thus, it comes as no surprise that there are countless venues and organizations that provide an outlet for new musicals to present their work. […]

INTERVIEW: CASEY CHRISTENSEN AND JENNIFER GOODMAN BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Ten years in the making, conceived by Jennifer Goodman, Casey Christensen (book and lyrics), celebrity vocal coach Rachael Lawrence’s (music) musical Life in Boobs will have its debut at Second City Hollywood. The musical deals with the journeys many women face with their boobs, from training […]

REVIEW: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO 1964 was a great season for Broadway—it included Funny Girl, Hello Dolly!, Man of the Manchaand Fiddler on the Roof, the revival of which is having its Orange Country debut at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts. It’s hard to believe that Fiddler is now fifty-five years old. Yet even so, […]

REVIEW: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Opening the 2019 season for Domino One Productions is the swashbuckling play with music Peter and the Starcatcher adapted for the stage by Rick Elice. This play tells the story of how an unnamed orphan boy becomes the beloved Peter Pan we all know and love. Starcatcher also […]