Though Kim’s Convenience, now having its run at Center Theatre Group, is enjoyable in its many funny and touching moments, Ins Choi‘s 2011 play is very much outdated in its necessity to showcase Korean identity and culture that is completely catered to white people.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Kim’s Convenience’”
The Los Angeles independent remounting of Rajiv Joseph‘s Guards at the Taj (the last one was in 2015 at the Geffen Playhouse) is a strikingly well done and hauntingly relevant production that also utilizes fantastic genderbent casting and an endearing post finale that credits all crew involved, a practice that is rarely ever seen in theatre.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Guards at the Taj’”
When I first heard that the Paranormal Activity franchise has been adapted into a staged production, I was immensely skeptical of its scare factor on stage and that there was a worthy story to be told that can hold on its own. But in a shocking turn of events, Paranormal Activity: A New Story Live On Stage has defied all my expectations as a genuinely engaging and terrifying experience that will absolutely delight all horror/thriller fans and newcomers alike.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Paranormal Activity’”
Boston Court Pasadena’s production of The Night of the Iguana by Tennessee Williams opened on September 11. Set at the Costa Verde hotel in a quiet Mexican village in 1940, at the cusp of Hitler’s advancement on Europe, the rarely staged play tells the story of Episcopal clergyman Reverend Shannon (Riley Shanahan), who is in constant anguish as he questions his faith, God, and his choices, all while on the hotel property of Maxine Faulk (Julanne Chidi Hill) who recently became a widow.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘The Night of the Iguana’ at Boston Court Pasadena”
Pasadena Playhouse’s production of Jonathan Spector’s Eureka Day, opened on September 10. The Tony Award-winning play follows a group of PTA parents at a private elementary school in Berkeley, CA, in the Fall of 2018, as they attempt to navigate a mumps outbreak at the school.
Continue reading “NOC Review: ‘Eureka Day’ at Pasadena Playhouse”
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.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Motherf**ker with the Hat’”
There is a special kind of joy to be had when I learn about a theatre company for the first time mixed with a certain kind of strange embarrassment when that said theatre company has been around for over thirty years. This is the case with The Robey Theatre Company, which was organized in 1994 and co-founded by Ben Guillory and Danny Glover.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Last Night at Mikell’s’”
Ever since the world premiere of Lauren Yee’s Cambodian Rock Band at the South Coast Repertory back in 2018, there have been nothing but hype and rave reviews as it quickly became an immensely successful and popular production that had many others take place around the United States, with its most significant ones being at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Signature Theatre in New York.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Cambodian Rock Band’”
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child finally arrives in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre, and for what I watched at opening night yesterday, the jaw-dropping wonder of seeing the incredible special effects and experiencing the fantastic soundtrack by Imogen Heap cover up the over-the-top forced acting from most of the main cast and the rushed blitz pace of the first act.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’”
In the early days of the internet, online gamers didn’t have the best social reputation. There were plenty of these negative stereotypes of gamers and geeks/nerds back in the day. Geek and gaming culture weren’t seen as popular back then as they are now.
Continue reading “Popular Web Series ‘The Guild’ Becomes a Musical with One-Day Only Performance”
I’ve come to realize that the longer I’ve been reviewing theatre, the more exasperated I get in reviewing works written by dead white men when there are so many incredible and undiscovered global majority artists out there.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’”
It was quiet enough to hear your own heartbeat as the room darkened to a pitch black inside the small room with its angled roof, inside Matrix Theater on Melrose.
Continue reading “‘A Good Guy’ is David Rambo’s Examination of Gun Violence and Morality”
This is a relatively unknown fact but beloved and renowned late actor Alan Rickman was a co-editor and director to My Name Is Rachel Corrie, a powerful play based on the diaries and emails of activist Rachel Corrie, who was killed by an Israeli soldier when she was aged 23.
Continue reading “Brooklyn Premiere of ‘My Name is Rachel Corrie’”
It’s not often I encounter a play that clocks in at over three hours and when I do, it better be gosh darn worth it with the play’s writing, acting, and directing at the top of its game. Fortunately, the new Pasadena Playhouse production of Cyrano de Bergerac (by Edmond Rostand and freely adapted by Martin Crimp) directed by Mike Donahue earns its long stay by imbuing you with such crackling energy and wit that burns all the way through, never leaving you bored or restless.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Cyrano de Bergerac’”
This will be my first time reviewing a production of Rogue Artists Ensemble and in advance, I was told to expect “hyper-theater,” a form of theater that utilizes original, immersive, multi-dimensional experiences to tell their stories. With the partnership of Los Angeles LGBT Center, Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular certainly lived up to this art form while also being a fascinating play that is all parts ambitious, messy as hell, unapologetic, and heartfelt.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Happy Fall: A Queer Stunt Spectacular’”
With The Brothers Size now performing at the Geffen Playhouse, this production kicks off the inaugural season of Geffen Playhouse Artistic Director Tarell Alvin McCraney whose play (that he also wrote) currently celebrates its 20th anniversary in the intimate Audrey Skirball Kenis Theater.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Brothers Size’”
I’m going to cut to the chase but Handala, a 2024 Hollywood Fringe Festival scholarship recipient, may be one of the most important theatre works of our generation. This solo performance show is not only a celebration of Palestine but it does something that is so badly needed right now: to give humanity and soul to the Palestinian people while loudly declaring that there must be freedom and liberation.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘Handala’”
The 77th annual Tony Awards premiered last night on June 16, 2024 at Lincoln’s Center David H. Koch Theater, hosted by Ariana DeBose. What a night full of performances from Broadway’s hottest shows this season and first time Tony award nominees and winners!
Continue reading “The 2024 Tony Awards Winners”
I want to say this right from the start that I am not a particular fan of the solo performance format whatsoever as most of them tend to overly indulge in the identity aspect without any ounce of humor or ability to tell a story. Yet I understand the need for such a format because it is the simplest and easiest format to mount in the theatre world while still being able to showcase an actor’s ability.
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘I Sell Windows’”
It is always a pleasure to review any productions at A Noise Within because more often than not, they constantly deliver bold works of art from all aspects in the creative department. This is to be the case once again for King Hedley II, an incredible rendition of August Wilson’s ninth play in his ten-part Pittsburgh Cycle series.
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Latino Theater Company and Playwrights’ Arena present the world premiere of an epic World War II odyssey inspired by an astonishing, little-known true story.
Continue reading “‘Mix-Mix: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy’ to Open Next Month in L.A.”
Los Angeles theater survives and thrives on community collaboration now more than ever. In conjunction with AAPI Heritage Month, Chalk Repertory Theatre will present the world premiere of PANG SPA directed by Reena Dutt in collaboration with EST/LA’s world premiere production of TWO STOP directed by Tracey A. Leigh.
Continue reading “Chalk Repertory & Ensemble Studio Theatre/LA Present World Premiere Companion Productions”
I’m not exactly the biggest fan of Shakespeare so for me to go out of my way to review a Shakespeare play absolutely requires that it has a meaningful diverse cast with global majority actors in significant parts (with the director preferably being global majority as well).
Continue reading “A Los Angeles Theatre Review: ‘The Winter’s Tale’”