2018 ASCAP FOUNDATION MUSICAL THEATRE WORKSHOP BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The ASCAP Foundation Musical Theatre Workshop, now presented in a new partnership with Universal Theatrical Group, has returned to The Wallis in Beverly Hills this February. This workshop pioneered by Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Prince of Egypt, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) provides […]

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 […]

INTERVIEW: ROBOT TEAMMATE BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO This summer Robot Teammate delighted audiences at the Hollywood Fringe Festival with their original musical Turbulence, winning: Best Musical, Best World Premiere, Outstanding Songwriting and the Critics Choice Award. Now this L.A. born musical is invited Off-Broadway to participate as part of the Fringe Encore Series at the SoHo Playhouse. Turbulence! is set at […]

INTERVIEW: MAX VERNON BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Step into the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1970’s with Max Vernon’s new musical The View Upstairs. The new musical premiered the The Lynn Redgrave Theater last spring and will have its West Coast premiere at Celebration Theatre this fall. This heartfelt musical is inspired by attacks against the LGBTQ community […]

INTERVIEW: BONNIE GLEICHER BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO I’ve only met the talented composer/lyricist Bonnie Gleicher once on a Skype session to discuss her ongoing musical The Little Things, and now months later she’s completed her fourth musical Addy & Uno. In addition to Gleicher (music/lyrics), the new musical is a collaboration with Nava R. Silton, Ph.D. (book), […]

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: TURBULENCE! BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Robot Teammate has returned to this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival with their latest original musical Turbulence! and they’ve hit the mark once again. When it comes to original Fringe musicals, Robot Teammate sets the standard, and the standard is high. Turbulence! is a perfect example of the group’s ingenuity for […]

REVIEW: COMIC-CON THE MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUEVANO Writing a new musical is a long journey and most musicals rarely make it to a staged production, at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival the musical Comic-Con the Musical made it. Creators Laura Watkins and Nicholas David Brandt have brought L.A. audiences a close to first full version […]

INTERVIEW: LAURA WILEY BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Pianist, producer and composer Laura Wiley, the mind behind last year’s fringe festival parody Winter Is Coming brings us a hilarious new crossover parody musical Buffy Kills Edward: A Musical Romp. On the 20th anniversary of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this new musical answers the question: what would happen if the cast of Buffy […]

INTERVIEW: EMILY DECKER BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Emily Decker, musical theater veteran, and improv performer with a Master’s in Social Work, brings her original musical Trixie: The Musical to this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. This world premiere takes therapy and mental illness to the stage in a positive light featuring a book and lyrics by Emily Decker and music co-written with […]