A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Little King of Norwalk’

Latino Theater Company returns for their fall season with a laugh out loud hit in Israel López ReyesThe Little King of Norwalk, now having its world premiere at the Los Angeles Theatre Center. Not only is this play a meaningful tribute to Chicano identity, it is a love letter to the city of Norwalk wrapped up in a hysterically wacky film noir with a touch of magical realism and a nod to Nikolai Gogol‘s The Inspector General.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘West Side Story’

For as long as I can remember, I have loved the classic 1961 West Side Story film. But after watching the opening night of the staged musical at the LA Opera, I have come to the realization after all these years that while still delightful, this musical is a severely outdated product of its time and may need to dance off into the sunset.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Torera’

Having its Los Angeles premiere and performing for the first time in Outside In Theatre’s new ArtSpace home, Monet Hurst-Mendoza’s Torera is an auspicious beginning for the theatre company in their new home as it is a deeply gorgeous play with an astounding lead performance from Melissa Carvajal and its beautiful quiet moments that stayed with me long after the play ended.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Fly Me to the Sun’

Having its west coast premiere at The Fountain Theatre, Brian Quijada‘s Fly Me to the Sun is a unique take on the identity play that incorporates puppetry in a late night TV show format. While it needs some significant dramatic muscle flexed into it throughout to give it more of a definitive shape, it is a hilarious and deeply moving journey into a boy’s efforts to understand more of his Salvadoran heritage in the most imaginative ways.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Breaking the Frame: Two Solo Shows on Art and Identity’

For four performances only, the Japanese American National Museums Democracy Center is presenting two Asian American solo performance shows that complement each other in their commentary on how their identity affects their art during these current times.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Motherf**ker with the Hat’

When I first read the Stephen Adley Guirgis’ The Motherf**ker with the Hat many years ago — having seen numerous productions and acting class scenes from this text — I was instantly a huge fan due to its fast paced crass dialogue and serious global majority representation represented on stage. Now? It is still a fast paced crass play but one that has revealed its unfortunate outdated cracks.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘& Juliet’

& Juliet, now performing in Los Angeles at the Ahmanson Theatre on their national tour, is a bombastic jukebox musical combo of Shakespeare and ‘90s and 2000s pop music that will leave a gigantic smile on your face when you leave the theatre.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Some Like It Hot’

I’ve always considered the 1959 classic Some Like It Hot starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon as one of the greatest comedies of all time and certainly one that was well ahead of its time, particularly for its very last scene. So to only just find out that there was a Broadway adaptation of this film AND that it won four Tony awards was a huge (and belated) surprise. Fortunately, after seeing it for the very first time at the Hollywood Pantages in this Some Like It Hot national tour, this adaptation not only maintains the spirit of the film but it expands upon it in every single delightful way.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Berta, Berta’

There are many exciting elements at play with the west coast premiere of Angelica Chéri‘s Berta, Berta at the Echo Theater Company with a talented cast composed of Kacie Rogers & DeJuan Christopher and director Andi Chapman (who I’ve been a stalwart fan of for years).

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‘Superman’ and The Quest For Palestine

Over here at The Nerds Of Color, Mike Manalo has done an astounding job covering the James Gunn version of Superman and, like him, our opinions are aligned that this is a Superman film for the ages. While there were many things to nitpick, there was undeniable energy and hope that coursed through the film, driven by the excellent David Corenswet. But while watching the film, I could not help but notice that the central conflict between the fictional countries of Boravia and Jarhanpur bore a striking resemblance to that of Israel and Palestine. We’re going to talk about this allegory exclusively, so come with me on this journey!

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Yankee Dawg You Die’

If you’ve ever studied Asian American theatre history, Philip Kan Gotanda‘s Yankee Dawg You Die is one of the pinnacle scripts written in the ‘80s that made an indelible mark in its all too real and comedic analysis of what an Asian American actor goes through in Hollywood.

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Los Angeles Theatre, Let’s Talk About Palestine

To the Los Angeles theatre community, I love you and I adore you. I’ve been part of you for the past 15 years and despite the many challenges I have come across when it comes to meaningful representation and opportunities, I will always cherish the countless memories we have experienced and will continue to experience together as an artist and as a critic. But I think it’s time we desperately need to talk about the one subject that you have been avoiding for so long — Palestine.

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N Lite’s ‘Mfinda’ is Coming to Anime Expo 2025

In what will be the first of many coverage pieces for this year’s upcoming Anime Expo, media company and anime studio N Lite will be hosting a special panel to share more about the forthcoming anime film Mfinda!

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘My Brother’s Keeper’

Theatre is a fascinating beast where unlike the medium of film and television, theatre can never be replicated and a performance on one day will not quite be the same on the next. And when there’s only five? Such is the case for Bethesda Repertory Theatre‘s My Brother’s Keeper, a deeply moving and intimate piece about brotherhood and embracing one’s identity that also shines a much needed light on the Latino LGBTQIA+ community.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Hamlet’

With the promise of Center Theatre Group‘s Hamlet (both adapted and directed by Robert O’Hara) being bold and daring for the new generation, it is odd to say that despite a very able and entertaining cast and some novel ideas, this production could do without the first half entirely and leave just the second half. And even then, it still doesn’t quite fulfill the promise of being bold or daring. Was it entertaining? Sure. Was it necessary? No.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Chinese Lady’

As a script, Lloyd Suh‘s The Chinese Lady has been a fascinating play that caught my attention since its world premiere back in 2018. It is an extremely dense and repetitive piece yet it has many moments of profound insight and depth that pierces through the much slower first half.

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‘The Phoenician Scheme’ is Charming Yet Predictable

One thing is for sure, Wes Anderson will keep repeating the same signature formula he has honed and defined over the years and film lovers and movie stars will flock to whatever he has to offer. Such is the case for his latest, The Phoenician Scheme, which stars Benicio Del Toro and a whole cast of his usual favorites alongside some newcomers like Riz Ahmed and Mia Threapleton.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Life of Pi’

Throughout my teenage years as well as adulthood, I have never read Yann Martel‘s Life of Pi or seen the 2012 Ang Lee film adaptation so coming into the Broadway touring production of this staged adaptation at the Center Theatre Group here in Los Angeles was a wonderful surprise with a truly meaningful diverse ensemble cast, incredible puppetry and visuals, and a moving story (which has been beautifully adapted for the stage by Lolita Chakrabarti) that makes you question how you look at your own life.

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Lexi Alexander Returns to Filmmaking with ‘Absolute Dominion’

A fact that doesn’t get nearly distributed far enough is that Lexi Alexander was the very first woman to direct a Marvel film with the ultra violent and ultra delightful Punisher: War Zone back in 2008.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Staircase’

Having its world premiere at the South Coast Repertory, Noa Gardner‘s The Staircase is a deeply personal play that brings Hawaiian identity and folklore to the spotlight. Directed by Gaye Taylor Upchurch, the music, folklore storytelling, and its message are wonderfully integrated with the efforts for authentic Hawaiian representation realized to full effect.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon’

It is only fitting that the opening night of The Delicate Tears of the Waning Moon on May 3rd at the Latino Theater Company landed on World Press Freedom Day because this extraordinary and devastating work of art written by Rebeca Alemán (who also plays the main character) is an unforgettable tribute to journalism and to all the journalists who have lost their lives telling the truth. This is a play that is so startling and spellbindingly beautiful that it will stay with you long after you leave the theatre.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Last Play by Rickérby Hinds’

One of the most common (and perhaps overused) playwrighting tropes I’ve often seen on stage is a meta play about a writer figuring out what the play is all about. This trope becomes explored once again with the world premiere of Rickérby HindsThe Last Play by Rickérby Hinds at the Latino Theater Company, where Hinds presents the possibility of this play being his last play where he brings back characters from his previous works to guide him through his writer’s block.

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A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Just Like Us’

Launching the 40th anniversary season of Latino Theater Company is Just Like Us, a rather timely play written by Karen Zacarías, inspired by a bestselling book by Helen Thorpe, and directed by Fidel Gomez.

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