REVIEW: RECORDED IN HOLLYWOOD BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The name John Dolphin is far from a household name and what he did is just as obscure, yet when this mere blip of history is brought to the stage as in Recorded in Hollywood, the dots of past and present ultimately connect—if only for the show’s duration. The musical, […]

INTERVIEW: JAMELLE DOLPHIN AND LOU SPISTO BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The new musical Recorded in Hollywood returns for L.A. audiences and receives an all-new production since its first incarnation as a 99-seat production in 2015. Broadway veteran Stu James (Benny in RENT, national tour of The Color Purple) will reprise the role of black entrepreneur […]

REVIEW: LIBERTY A MONUMENTAL NEW MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Liberty A Monumental New Musical tells a delightful story of this iconic monument that’s a symbol of American freedom with a reverence for history, but doesn’t quite reach the top in terms of dramatic artistry and compelling storytelling. However, the musical does give Americans and […]

REVIEW: DREAMLAND BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Another L.A. born musical has recently surfaced at the NoHo Arts Center for a brief weekend run. The musical, Dreamland by John Francis Smith (Emmy Award winner as head writer and co-executive producer of Young and the Restless) and his daughter Asia Ray Smith, tells the story of an […]

REVIEW: ALIEN VS. MUSICAL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO The battle between alien and musical theater characters continues at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival as the infamous musical Alien Vs. Musical is back with a new and extended version. Creators Erik Przytulski and Steve Troop have developed a piece that’s both the product of the edgy […]

REVIEW: THUG TUNNEL BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Original musicals are one of the most difficult things to write and in the case of Hollywood Fringe, sometimes just as difficult to sit through. This is because often writers simply are not aware of the intricacies involved in writing a good musical—this is a especially a challenge […]

INTERVIEW: Erik Przytulski and Steve Troop BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Last year the syfy comedy musical Alien Vs. Musical landed at the Hollywood Fringe Festival winning: Best World Premiere Production, Outstanding Songwriting and The Encore! Producers Award. Now creators Erik Przytulski and Steve Troop are back with a new and extended version of this blockbuster […]

Interview: Kat Primeau and Molly Dworsky BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Born out of a completely improvised idea Robot Teammate & The Accidental Party bring the collaborative musical Thug Tunnel to this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival. With a title like that the show’s plot does not disappoint, this epic dystopian story relates what happens when the […]

REVIEW: BROADWAY NOIR BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO One of the best things about the Hollywood Fringe Festival is that you can see a huge variety of theater works in all stages of creation from experimental, workshop, to a finished product. And time has proven that musicals always require more work-shopping than any other due to […]

INTERVIEW: DAVID ORRIS and DAVID HOLLINGSWORTH BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO Remember all those classic 80s films where nerds get super powers: Teen Wolf, Zapped, Teen Witch, The Toxic Avenger and Hunk? Well the new musical Invisible (book by David Hollingsworth and lyrics and music by David Orris) based on H.G. Wells The Invisible Man carries that tradition […]