THEATRE news, REVIEWs,
& interviews
OH, MARY! at Broadway San Diego
The humor of 'Oh, Mary!' is queer and crass, dark and campy, and somehow manages to be both completely ridiculous and to make you wonder what will happen next.
GOOD NIGHT, OSCAR at North Coast Repertory Theatre
'Good Night, Oscar' is full of comedy, music, celebrity, addiction, mental illness, ambition, and the uncomfortable bargain between an artist and an audience that wants to consume his genius, and this production at North Coast Repertory Theatre handles it all with impressive performances and empathy.
BEGIN AGAIN at The Old Globe
'Begin Again' at the new musical The Old Globe has plenty of heart, terrific performances, and a theatrical imagination that makes making music feel almost tangible.
COME FROM AWAY at Moonlight Stage
Come From Away is a show about the ripple effect of kindness. You do not have to save the world to make a difference. Fred Rogers famously told us to “look for the helpers.” Perhaps that is why this particular musical continues to feel so welcome: In a world that can sometimes feel determined to remind us of everything that divides us, Come From Away is two hours honoring those who did exactly that.
DEAR EVAN HANSEN at Cygnet Theatre
Cygnet Theatre’s 'Dear Evan Hansen' cast is terrific; the technical elements are beautifully integrated, and the emotions land exactly where they are meant to. You may or may not have some issues with the story, but Cygnet has made a production that gives audiences plenty to feel and discuss on the way home.
OUR LADY OF THE SAN DIEGO CONVENTION CENTER at TuYo Theatre
Our Lady of the San Diego Convention Center centers these experiences with care and humor, giving audiences a chance to know these migrant girls and what they experienced as children by capturing their fears, friendships, faith, and small moments of joy instead of as statistics or political talking points. TuYo Theatre’s production reminds us that their stories deserve to be seen, heard, and remembered.
MENSA at OnStage Playhouse
There is no magic equation for solving political division, or for fixing a culture that increasingly seems to prefer arguing at one another rather than actually talking. Mensa doesn’t pretend to have that answer, but it does offer a nice opening to start the conversation.
ROCK OF AGES at San Diego Musical Theatre
San Diego Musical Theatre’s 'Rock of Ages' is a delightfully ridiculous blast of ’80s hair-band camp filled with talented performers, big vocals, energetic choreography, a live band, and enough rock ’n’ roll to make the audience feel like they have accidentally wandered onto the Sunset Strip in 1987.
GUYS AND DOLLS at Moonlight Stage
This 'Guys and Dolls' makes one thing very clear: at Moonlight, the audience wins.
WE WILL ROCK YOU at New Village Arts
In many ways, I am the target audience for We Will Rock You. I love Queen, I love theatre, and I love me some questionably bad sci-fi plotting. And yet, even I found myself wondering how much I was willing to overlook for the sake of the music.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING at The Old Globe
'Much Ado About Nothing' is funny, energetic, musical, and remarkably approachable. Is it a millennial fever dream?Maybe, but everyone was having a great time.
DIVE BAR TIME MACHINE at Blindspot Collective
'Dive Bar Time Machine' is about love, joy, community, and the simple pleasure of being in a room together. Come ready to have fun; after all, sometimes the best time machine is a great song.
THE FAIRY TALE MONOLOGUES at Riot Productions
“The Fairytale Monologues” possesses an interesting idea and genuine potential while championing voices too often left out.. It may still be finding its final form, but this is a fairy tale worth continuing to tell.
“HA HA HA HA HA HA HA” at La Jolla Playhouse
“Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha” at the La Jolla Playhouse presents a uniquely bespoke performance to every audience, making it nearly impossible to summarize, but wonderfully easy to watch bloom in front of your eyes. It's weird, and that’s wonderful.
CYRANO at The Old Globe
Funny, charming, and quietly heartbreaking, CYRANO at The Old Globe reminds us that the greatest obstacle to love is often believing we're unworthy of it.
Interview: Delia Mejia is a Princess of Her Own Making in THE FAIRY TALE MONOLOGUES at Riot Productions
Interview with Delia Mejia's about her Princess in "The Fairy Tale Monologues," creating a role from the ground up, challenging the classic damsel-in-distress trope, and why audiences may discover that fairy tales still have new stories left to tell.
Interview: Christopher T. Miller on giving Fairy Tales a New Sound in THE FAIRY TALE MONOLOGUES at Riot Productions
Interview with Riot Productions' “The Fairy Tale Monologues” music director and accompanist, Christopher T. Miller, about the evolution of the score, the musical influences behind the production, and how live accompaniment becomes an active part of the storytelling.
THE FAMILY ALBUM at La Jolla Playhouse
“The Family Album”, the moving and wonderfully entertaining world premiere musical at La Jolla Playhouse, reminds us that while every family's story is unique, family dysfunction is a language everyone speaks.
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS at Broadway San Diego
When 'Water for Elephants' embraces the magic of the circus—the impossible made possible through acrobatics, illusion, movement, and extraordinary puppetry—it is absolutely captivating.
ARCADIA at Cygnet Theatre
Beneath its intellect, 'Arcadia' beats a heart that reminds us that even as the universe moves inexorably toward disorder, people continue to love, to learn, to dance, and to search for meaning. Cygnet's elegant production embraces that paradox, leaving audiences with plenty to ponder long after the final waltz.