theatre – Page 2 – Observations Along the Road

🎭 Who Told Them About My Family? | “Sukkot” @ 6th Act / Skylight

Posted onSunday, January 28, 2024Tuesday, January 30, 2024AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

Sukkot (Sixth Act at Skylight) Let’s get the fanboy out of the way first. I saw Elim Garek in a play today. Well, Andy Robinson, but I could figure it out. It was everything I could hope for, and it was the icing on the cake of a great play.

So, going back to the start. I’m always on the lookout for Jewish-themed plays for the Live Theatre group at our synagogue (which I coordinate). I don’t want only plays focused on the holocaust or bad things, but I want plays that will stimulate the mind, and get the group thinking about Judaism. So when the North Hollywood facebook page posted about the upcoming play Sukkot being done by the 6th Act Company at Skylight Theatre, I knew I had our next show. I coordinate the group, and off we went to the show. It was a very successful outing.

Sukkot, by Matthew Leavitt, tells the story of the Sullivan family. Patrick, the father of three adult children, has just lost his wife to cancer. He was raised Catholic, but she was Jewish. The unveiling of her marker, marking one year after the death, is coming up. It lands on Sukkot, the Feast of Booths. For those unfamiliar, this is when Jews build open-air structures in their yards and eat and sometimes sleep in them, symbolizing the booths that the Jews escaping Egypt slept in in the desert. It is notable for being the only holiday where Jews are commanded to rejoice.

So, to try and rediscover joy, Patrick builds a sukkah in his back yard, and has all his children who are coming out for the unveiling “live” in the hut. This serves as the central focal point for the story. In turn, we meet the children: Asher, who has been living with Patrick taking care of his mother while she died of Breast Cancer. He is unemployed. Mairead, who has a husband and two children, lives in St. Louis, and is a gynecologist. The youngest, Eden, who lives in the Pacific Northwest and does children’s entertainment. Unsurprisingly, the children are very different from each other, and have the sibling squabbles we all know.

The show is at point hilariously funny and deeply inciteful. We went with a group, and I think everyone saw elements from their families or their children in the characters. As an example, for me it raised the question I’m debating now: Should I retire, and what will I do with myself when I retire? But the show delves into much more: relationships between children, relationships between parents and children, parents raising children differently, dealing with life and illness, dealing with elderly parents, realizing parents are people too. I saw my mother-in-law in the show; I saw my wife’s siblings; I saw my parents. Somehow they turned a camera on everyone’s family.

I’m not going to spoil the details of the story with further details of plots specifics, but I think all the characters grow and learn. There are some important points that come from show. First is that family may fight and squabble, but when a family member needs help, they usually come together. I think a more important message was on the meaning of Sukkot. One character observes that the only time we get unquestioning positives is when we get married, or right after we die. We don’t hear the latter. So Sukkot should be the time we rejoice in each other, and tell people the good things about them. Thinking good about people at least once a year isn’t a bad thing.

The performances were remarkable. I’ve already mentioned Andy Robinson, who played Patrick. There were times I could see Garak there, but his characterization of the father was nuanced and fun to watch. All of the other cast members—Jonathan Slavin (Asher), Liza Seneca (Maired), and Natalie Lander (Eden)—were equally compelling characters, played well. Show like this remind one of how special live theatre is for the Los Angeles community. These were all top grade actors, and here we get to see them, in an intimate theatre, doing what they love best: acting on the stage. This is small theatre—they aren’t doing this for the money. They are known in the industry—they don’t need the exposure. They are doing this for the love and perfection of the craft, and it shows.

The writing of the show was strong, and there were points that reminded me of Moonlighting, with the overlapping dialogue. But Leavitt created compelling characters and story, and there were only a few “ouch” moments. Some of those came from some characterizations of Jewish practice that might grate for a Jewish group; others were mentions such as “UC Fresno”, which is wrong in many ways (there is a UC Merced, and a Cal State Fresno, and they are different things). But overall, this was great.

Sukkot. Written by Matthew Leavitt; Directed by Joel Zwick. Cast: Andy Robinson _{Patrick Sullivan}; Jonathan Slavin _{Asher Sullivan}; Liza Seneca _{Mairead Sullivan}; Natalie Lander _{Eden Sullivan}. Production and Creative Team: Mark Mendelson _{Scenic Design}; Douglas Gabrielle _{Lighting Design}; Christopher Moscatiello _{Sound Design}; David Elzer, Demand PR _Publicity; Michelle Hanzelova-Bierbauer _{Graphic Design}; Rich Wong _{Stage Manager}.

Sukkot plays for one more weekend at the Skylight Theatre (until Feb 4^th), over on Vermont S of Franklin, near Skylight Books. Tickets are available through the Sixth Act website; discount tickets may be available through the usual suspects. This was a really interesting play, and I strongly recommend it.

♦ ♦ ♦

Administrivia: I am not a professional critic. I’m a cybersecurity professional, a roadgeek who does a highway site and a podcast about California Highways, and someone who loves live performance. I buy all my own tickets, unless explicitly noted otherwise. I do these writeups to share my thoughts on shows with my friends and the community. I encourage you to go to your local theatres and support them (ideally, by purchasing full price tickets, if you can afford to do so). We currently subscribe or have memberships at: Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson Theatre; Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages Theatre; Pasadena Playhouse; Geffen Playhouse (Mini-Subscription); 5-Star Theatricals. We’re looking for the right intimate theatre to subscribe at — it hasn’t been the same since Rep East died (it’s now The Main, and although it does a lot of theatre, it doesn’t have seasons or a resident company), and post-COVID, most 99-seaters aren’t back to doing seasons (or seasons we like). I used to do more detailed writeups; here’s my current approach.

Upcoming Theatre – Next 90ish Days:

February: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at CTG/Ahmanson; Marvelous Wonderettes – Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild; The Wiz at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
March: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Fat Ham at Geffen Playhouse.
April: Funny Girl at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu (🎫 Pending) at Canyon Theatre Guild; Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks; Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre.
May: Hands on a Hardbody at Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse (🎫 Pending); Girl from the North Country at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; The Play That Goes Wrong at Canyon Theatre Guild (🎫 Pending); Jelly’s Last Jam at the Pasadena Playhouse.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

There are a few shows for which announcements have crossed my transom that may be of interest: The CSUN Theatre Department in Northridge will be doing the Spongebob Musical in April 2024. We really wanted to see this when it was on tour in 2020, but the tour was killed by COVID; we did drive up to Woodland CA to see a friend in a community theatre production of it. It is a great show about science and climate denial. Charles Stewart Howard Playhouse in Woodland Hills will be doing Hands on a Hardbody in May 2024. CSH announced this back in 2020, but it was killed by COVID; I’m glad to see it will be back (and with a friend in the cast, even). Morgan-Wixson Theatre in Santa Monica has announced their Mainstage 2024 Season, and it includes Bat Boy the Musical running Sept 28 through October 18. We saw Bat Boy back when CSUN did it in 2014; it is a wonderful musical about how a society treats outsiders. Conundrum Theatre Company will be doing Urinetown The Musical in mid to late March 2024 at the Broadwater; this is a great musical, but we can’t fit it into the schedule (nor does my wife care to see it again). However, if you haven’t seen it, it is worth seeing.

ETA 24-01-30: I also just learned about a theatre company in Fullerton, Maverick Theater. They are doing Evil Dead: The Musical , which is a hoot if you’ve never seen it (we’ve seen it twice). They also have some interesting other stuff on their season, and we might drive down for Santa Claus Vs The Martians in November.

Second: Broadway Dallas just announced their season. I like to look at the announcements of other “presenting houses” (i.e., regional theatres that specialize in touring productions) to get an idea of what will be coming to Broadway in Hollywood or the Ahmanson. Broadway Dallas’ season included the following shows that haven’t yet been in Los Angeles: Shucked; Back to the Future – The Musical; & Juliet; and Life of Pi. Other shows that I know will be touring are a new remounting of Beauty and the Beast (lukewarm on this, but I’m sure it will be at least an option at Broadway in Hollywood) and the recent production of Parade. According to Playbill and some other sources, other upcoming tour productions (that haven’t been announced for the LA area) are Kimberly Akimbo; the new revival of Sweeny Todd; A Beautiful Noise; Some Like It Hot; and New York, New York. I hope How to Dance in Ohio tours, but perhaps there will be a regional mounting; Harmony should be seen and I also hope it tours, but we saw it in a pre-Broadway version almost 10 years ago.

🎭 The White House is a Farce | “POTUS” @ Geffen Playhouse

Posted onSunday, January 28, 2024Sunday, January 28, 2024AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

POTUS (Geffen Playhouse) The West Wing was never like this. Or, perhaps given some recent presidents, it was — and it was covered up well. After all, I’m sure the White House staff is great at covering up from the gaffes of the President. One thing is definitely for certain—this wasn’t like last week’s train wreck. For unlike last week where it was clearly a you either loved it or didn’t get it affair (and we weren’t alone on that — Stage and Cinema talked about how the show “devolves into a self-indulgent tangent that meanders without direction”; whereas McNulty at the Times talks about how “irony and egotism are blended like a fine Bordeaux”), POTUS, or more properly POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive, currently at the Geffen Playhouse through February 25, was uproariously funny. This is a show well worth seeing.

POTUS tells the story of seven women in the White House, all of whom are working or in the orbit of the President of the United States (POTUS). This POTUS doesn’t correspond to any particular POTUS, although he clearly is an amalgam of quite a few of the recent inhabitants of that position. I can think of certain recent POTUS (POTUSes? POTII?) that were clearly the model for the playwright, Selina Fillinger, although they are never named. But the focus of this story is not the specifics of the man (who is never really seen), but the women behind him and how they deal with the consequences of his actions. These women are: Harriet, his Chief of Staff, Jean, his Press Secretary; Stephanie, his Secretary; Margaret, his wife; Chris, a reporter; and Dusty and Bernadette, two women more in the personal orbit of the man.

The show opens with a SNAFU where the President refers to his wife with a slang term sure to upset … and the situation devolves from there into a broad farce. That this show is a farce means a number of things theatrically. First, it means that the show is not intended to have meaningful character arcs or show character growth (do the characters grow or learn anything in Noises Off or The Play That Goes Wrong?). Second, the character archetypes are painted with a broad, almost caricatureish brush, somewhat stereotypical even. This means that they are clearly not intended to be fully realistic portrayals of real competent women. They are women designed for the comedy potential of the positions, with certain characteristics overdrawn for the humor. For a farce, one needs to suspend that belief. Farces are rarely realistic.

After all, a President would never fuck up. A President would never call people names. A President would never do things that would insult and offend our allies. A President would never fool around with other women while in office. A President would never have siblings whose behavior would embarrass the office. That would never happen, right? The President’s office would never be a farce, right?

I won’t spoil the plot of this show, as that could rob the show of a lot of the humor (which is in the discovery of just how fucked up this POTUS is). I will say that the cast of the show is remarkable, and are spot-on in terms of both timing and comic characterization. I’m not sure I can single out one performance over any of the others; they were all great. Jennifer Chamber’s direction was impeccably timed (again, something that is key for any farce to succeed), and worked well to bring out humor.

This show is well worth seeing.

A few last notes, before the credits: First, if you choose to park next door in the parking lot under the Chick-Fil-A, be forewarned. It is a horrid lot, with really tight turns. Do remember to pay at the pay machines before you go to your car to leave. Make life better for others. It took me a half-hour to clear that lot because of the clueless folks who waited to pay until they were at the gate, and then couldn’t figure out that the credit card goes in a different slot from the ticket. Second, it was really sad to drive up Westwood Blvd to the theatre and see all the empty storefronts. When I went to UCLA in the late 1970s, Westwood was this vibrant student town with quirky shops and great restaurants. It then got mall-ified, and then greedy landlords jacked up rents and priced distinctive shops out. Now it is empty, and doesn’t serve anyone. It’s sad, and the landlords need to realize that it is better to have someone in your storefront paying a moderate something, than an empty storefront with an unrealized potential that may never happen.

POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive. Written by Selina Fillinger. Directed by Jennifer Chambers. Cast: Ito Aghayere _Chris; Alexandra Billings _Margaret; Lauren Blumenfeld _Stephanie; Shannon Cochran _Harriet; Celeste Den _Jean; Jane Levy _Dusty; Deirdre Lovejoy _Bernadette. Understudies: Lorene Chesley _{Margaret / Chris}; Joy Donze _{Stephanie / Dusty / Bernadette}; Desirée Mee Jung _Jean; Elaine Rivkin _Harriet. Production and Creative Team: Brett J. Banakis _{Set & Video Design}; Samantha C. Jones _{Costume Design}; Elizabeth Harper _{Lighting Design}; Lindsay Jones _{Original Music & Sound Design}; Emily Moler _{Assoc. Director}; Julie Ouellette _{Fight Director}; Amanda Rose Villarreal _{Intimacy Director}; Olivia O’Connor _Dramaturg; Darlene Miyakawa _{Production Stage Manager}; Colleen Danaher _{Asst. Stage Manager}; Phyllis Schuringa, CSA _{Casting Director}. This is not a tour of the recent Broadway production; it is a local Geffen remounting of the show.

POTUS continues at the Geffen Playhouse through February 25. Tickets are available through the Geffen Playhouse Website; discount tickets are likely available through the usual places. Note that the show has very strong language and themes, and is not for children.

♦ ♦ ♦

Upcoming Theatre – Next 90ish Days:

January: Sukkot at Sixth Act/Skylight Theatre.
February: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at CTG/Ahmanson; Marvelous Wonderettes – Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild; The Wiz at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
March: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Fat Ham at Geffen Playhouse.
April: Funny Girl at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu (🎫 Pending) at Canyon Theatre Guild; Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in TO; Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical at CSUN Theatre.

On the Theatrical Horizon:

🎭 A Narcissistic Exercise | “Kate” @ Pasadena Playhouse

Posted onSunday, January 21, 2024Sunday, January 28, 2024AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

Kate (Pasadena Playhouse) Color me unimpressed. Color me confused.

I guess I should have been warned when Kate’s name was everywhere around the theatre, and her image was everywhere, and she was posing the lobby wanting people to ignore her. Her image was all over the men’s room, ferrchristssake. Then there’s her “Statement from the Artist”, which includes this: “The theatre requires a sacred corporal exchange – a sense-based modality of transference that demands physical presence.” WTF?

This was an exercise in a person wanting to be on display, who was seemingly in love with her own image.

On display she was, for 85 long minutes.

Perhaps I wasn’t her audience. Perhaps I just don’t get her humor. There were folks in the audience laughing uproariously. I laughed about 3 times, overall. She reminded me of Conan O’Brien, someone else who I don’t find funny at all. She was all exaggerated facial expressions, self-examination, and pointless dialogue. It is a form of humor I don’t understand.

The NY Times wrote of this show, when it was in New York,

Impatient, stylized, cerebral, Berlant’s comedy has never been for all markets. Nearly a decade ago, my colleague, Jason Zinoman, an early champion, described her as “not to everyone’s taste.” Marc Maron, on a recent episode of the WTF podcast, introduced her this way: “She’s an odd presence. But funny.” Her comedy resembles an infinite recursion, a hall of mirrors in which the reflections rarely flatter.

Note: The NY Times link is one of my “Gift Article” links, so you can read the whole thing. It does a good job of explaining what she is doing, although not everything mentioned is in the Pasadena Playhouse lobby. As they put it:

…she is a comic for all the girls out there who think too much… The confessional solo is a hallowed form downtown; Berlant desecrates it from every side. She plays with its creeds the way that a cat might toy with a mouse — teasing, batting, swiping, mauling. […] how you respond to “Kate” may have to do with how much you enjoy seeing theatrical tropes savaged. … The accents, the miming, the assumption of multiple characters, the buildup to some terrible trauma, all are satirized here.

So I understand now what she was trying to do. It still didn’t land with this audience goer. Listening to some of the folks as we left, we weren’t alone. Yet there were others for who it landed in a way they understood. I just don’t get what they saw.

But there are many things in this world I don’t get. #include <political-reference>

Kate certainly wasn’t for this theatregoer, who tends to prefer traditional stuff. I’m not a standup comedy person (I don’t go to comedy clubs). I’m not into the avant guard or overly expressionistic comedy. I just don’t know what to make of this, other than it wasn’t something I liked, or would care to see again. Sometimes, theatre hits it out of the park. Sometimes, they get a base hit. Sometimes, they swing and miss, and swing and miss, and swing and miss, and ….

If Kate Berlant and her style is your thing, enjoy. We didn’t.

One additional note: The program for Kate is a similarly narcissistic, with her picture plastered everywhere. Hell, her show starts with the projected background showing links to her Amazon series, and showing her IMDB credits. But the creative team bios? Those are relegated to a QR code. That’s really poor form; a trend I don’t like. Websites go away or are reorganized away; printed program are a record of shows forever. I pay for my tickets; I should get a program with bios. There’s an Equity logo on this show; Equity shouldn’t put up with this. As a side note: The code takes you to https://pasadenaplayhouse.ihub.app/c/kate/feed?postTypeId=whatsNew .

Second note to the Pasadena Playhouse: That’s the other problem with QR codes: You have no idea where you are going — and unless you have your scanner set up to not automatically take you there, they are a cybersecurity nightmare. Well, even if you do, they are, because you can’t assess whether is a website is safe based on a URL alone. You also disenfranchise your audience (in that it is difficult to scan a QR code that is embedded within an online program) , and QR code programs encourage audiences to play with their phones during a show. Traditional printed programs, please.

Warning: There is an intense strobe light sequence in this show. Be forewarned if you insist on going to this show, and you are at all sensitive.

Kate. Runs until February 11. Tickets available through the Pasadena Playhouse, and likely through your favorite discount source.

Cast: Kate Berlant (Kate).

Above the Line Production: Kate Berlant (Writer); Bo Burnham (Director)

Below the Line Production and Creatives: Dots (Scenic Design); Amith Chandrashaker (Lighting Design); Palmer Hefferan (Sound Design); Lindsay Jones (Stage Manager); Brad Enlow (Technical Director / Production Supervisor); Davidson & Choy Publicity (Press), David S. Franklin (Asst. Stage Manager).

♦ ♦ ♦

Upcoming Theatre – Next 90ish Days:

January: POTUS, or Behind Every Great Dumbass are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive at the Geffen Playhouse; Sukkot at Sixth Act/Skylight Theatre.
February: Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at CTG/Ahmanson; Marvelous Wonderettes – Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild; The Wiz at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages.
March: One of the Good Ones at the Pasadena Playhouse; Million Dollar Quartet at 5-Star Theatricals; Chicago at Broadway in Hollywood/Pantages; Fat Ham at Geffen Playhouse.
April: Funny Girl at CTG/Ahamanson Theatre; Renaissance Pleasure Faire; Xanadu (🎫 Pending) at Canyon Theatre Guild; Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band at BofA/Kavli Theatre in TO.

🎭 The Theatre Carol. No, Not THAT Carol

Posted onSunday, December 24, 2023Sunday, December 24, 2023AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

In the seasonally-appropriate classic A Christmas Carol, Scrooge is haunted by the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. I, too, am haunted, but by the ghosts of theatre writeups from the past and present… and potentially of the future, if I don’t change things.

I’ve been attending theatre since 1972, when I saw The Rothschilds at the LA Civic Light Opera at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. I didn’t start writing things up until I got my Livejournal account. It started out as a few paragraphs when we would go see a show, as a way of encouraging my friends to go to the shows. Over time, the writeups grew — to the point where they were taking me up to 3 hours to write, and the theatres thought I was a theatre critic and would send me press information.

OK, I’ll admit I was flattered by the last part. But I insisted a wasn’t a critic. Just a theatre lover, writing up things to share with my friends. I had no critical training other than attending shows. I was just a cybersecurity guy who liked live theatre. But the time to write up a show after seeing one was growing. It was a lot of work to link to every artist. I couldn’t think of things to say when I was seeing the same show for the fourth or fifth time (The Sound of Music — I’m looking at you). Weekends also got crazy, with live theatre almost every weekend; and sometimes two shows on a weekend. It was turning my wife off of performances, and I’ll admit it was tiring trying to keep up.

Then COVID hit. We all stopped attending live performance.

As theatre came back, we started attending shows again. Our initial position going in was: Subscriptions only. This meant our Center Theatre Group, Broadway in Hollywood, Pasadena Playhouse, 5-Star, and Actors Co-Op subscriptions, plus anything interesting at the Soraya. We didn’t go to fringe. This was our plan throughout 2021 and 2022.

I initially did writeups, but my heart was no longer in it. The effort just got to me.

In 2023, we slowly attended a few more shows. We added some Jewish-themed shows with our Live Theatre Group at our synagogue, which I coordinate. But the write-ups didn’t return.

This brings us to 2024. What am I going to do going forward with respect to theatre and writeups? Here’s the plan:

Attendance

We plan to continue attending theatre. We subscribe at the Ahmanson, Broadway in Hollywood, 5-Star Theatricals, and the Pasadena Playhouse. I’ve dropped Actor’s Co-op down to the “specific show” level — their return has been show, the shows haven’t grabbed me, and their Christological bent has always bothered me. We’ll still keep an eye on them, as we do most intimate theatre in LA, but I still haven’t found a company that equals the late, lamented, Rep East Playhouse. We’ll be adding specific shows we haven’t seen before and are of interest — I know there are two shows we’re planning to see at the Geffen (POTUS and Fat Ham), and we plan to see 3-4 shows from the Canyon Theatre Guild season. I want to add more non-musical comedies and dramas.
We plan to add more live musical performance to the mix. My wife is a bit musical-ed out (I know, how can that be?), so we plan to add more jazz and band pieces, as well as dance and some folk artists. Art is important in your life, no matter the form. For example, we have tickets to Gordon Goodwin and the ~~Big~~ Little Phat Band at the Kavli at coming up.
We haven’t decided yet on Fringe. Part of that depends on our COVID comfort level, and part of that depends on our June schedule. Fringe can be exhausting, and Karen may not have the stamina to Fringe.
Some shows won’t be “we” but “me”. In other words, if it is something Karen doesn’t want to see, I won’t be dragging her. Some things she might go see alone as well. This will typically apply to shows outside the subscriptions.

Writeups

The writeups, as I did them in the past, probably won’t return. It is a lot of work to do all links to every artist and creative (and it makes Google suspicious of me). Further, I think performers have moved away from the model of having their own websites (although they should) and having FB pages. Now its Instagram this and Tik-tok that and Twitter/X and …. The goal of the linking was to enable people to find artists and connect. I might do it in specific cases.
My focus is going to be on observations regarding the story/book, and to highlight specific performances of note. You can use my recent writeups of MJ and A Christmas Story as examples.
I reserve the write to skip story analysis, especially for “old chestnuts” that everyone knows but that subscriptions bring us. For example, I know that Peter Pan is upcoming at Broadway in Hollywood, and Sound of Music is on the 5-Star 2024 season. Not much to say about those. Similarly, I may not do a detailed synopsis, but instead may point to one online.
The goals of the writeups is to share what I’ve seen, perhaps encourage (or discourage) you from seeing a show, and to share my fun of attending. I don’t want the writeups to feel like a burden.

Lastly, what haven’t I written up. Here’s the theatre we saw since my last summary writeup in May 2023:

May 20 | “A New Brain” @ LGBT Center (Celebration). A wonderful intimate production of a show I had heard but never seen. We really enjoyed this.
May 27 | “A Soldier’s Play” @ Ahmanson. Deeply moving. A great drama.
Jun 10 | “Bernadette Peters in Concert” @ Pasadena Civic (Pasadena Playhouse). For someone her age, a remarkable show. I wish she had done more from Mack and Mabel, but this was a Sondheim Special.
Jun 17 | “Tina” @ Pantages / BIH. A biographical jukebox. Strong performances and dance.
Jul 1 | “Into the Woods” @ Ahmanson. A spectacular performance, perhaps the best I’ve seen of this Sondheim gem.
Jul 15 | “Beetlejuice” @ Pantages / BIH. Quite a fun show, very different than the movie. Enjoyed it quite a bit. No, we didn’t see Lauren Boebert.
Jul 22 | “Cinderella” @ 5-Star. Not much to say.
Jul 29 | “Stew” @ Pasadena Playhouse. Interesting, but the story had some problems.
Aug 6 | “Tevye in New York“. A one-man show, done in a backyard, about the adventures of Tevye after he left Russia. Based directly on the Sholom Aleichem story, not the musical. TAS Live Theatre group.
Aug 12 | “Peter Pan Goes Wrong” @ Ahmanson. Side-splittingly hilarious, and Bradley Whitford was remarkable.
Aug 19 | “Spongebob Squarepants – The Musical” @ Woodland Opera House. A friend was in this production, so we drove up to Davis for the weekend. I’ve been wanting to see this; it was the first COVID theatre casualty. A wonderful show; see it if you can. Speaking of that, CSUN will be doing Spongebob at the end of April 2024.
Sep 9 | “The Sound Inside” @ Pasadena Playhouse. Interesting drama, with an ending I didn’t expect.
Oct 14 | “Oliver” @ 5-Star. Sorry to say, but we left after act 1. The show just didn’t grab me; perhaps I wasn’t in the right headspace for it.
Nov 4 | “Inherit the Wind” @ Pasadena Playhouse. A strong and very timely production.
Nov 11 | “Tom Paxton” @ McCabes. Tom is still one of the best folk singer-songwriters out there. Now with added Don-Juans.
Nov 25 | “70 Girls 70” @ Group Rep. A show I’ve been wanting to see forever; the music just makes me happy. Now I can put Boom Diddy Boom in context. But the story is non-sensical. Still, a fun show with fun performances.
Dec 16 | “A Christmas Story” @ Ahmanson.
Dec 23 | “MJ – The Musical” @ Pantages/BIH

At the present time, January will bring “Kate” at the Pasadena Playhouse, “POTUS” at the Geffen, and “Sukkot” at the Skylight Theatre (The 6th Act). February brings Matthew Bourne’s Romeo and Juliet at the Ahmanson, possibly The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On at Canyon Theatre Guild, and The Wiz at the Pantages/Broadway in Hollywood.

🎭 The Man Behind the Flash | “MJ – The Musical” @ Bway in Hollywood

Posted onSunday, December 24, 2023Sunday, December 24, 2023AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

MJ - The Musical @ Pantages [This is another abbreviated write-up. More on write-ups going forward, as well as a year or more of theatre in review, later this week. Who remembers the line-eater bug these days?]

Last night, we saw “MJ: The Musical” at Broadway in Hollywood/Hollywood Pantages last night. A few observations about the show:

Start by letting this sink into your head: Michael Jackson’s music is oldies music. Remember a few weeks ago I commented, after a visit to a Bob’s Big Boy in Northridge, how their playing music from the 1950s felt off; it was like when I was growing up in the 1970s they were playing music from 1915. The 1950s was oldies music during the 1980s and 1990s. Grease (the movie) came out in 1978. So for kids in the 2020s, music from the early 90s is just about as old. Hence: Michael Jackson is oldies; it is classic pop of today. Watch minds explode.

Going into this show, I was torn. I liked the music of Michael Jackson (although I was never an obsessed fan — I was a different generation). But Michael Jackson has the same problem as Bill Cosby and Woody Allen and so many others: How do you separate the talented artist from the tortured soul who was alleged to (and quite likely did) so many problematic things. Although I have a large collection of Bill Cosby humor albums acquired in the 1960s, I no longer listen to them. I probably won’t until after he dies. I avoid Woody Allen films, as I don’t want to profit the man. Michael Jackson has similar problems, but he is gone. The owners of his music catalog benefit from this show; his children may benefit. A little better, but still a little uncomfortable.

That brings me to the gloved elephant in the room: Does the show address the allegations, or how he died? The answer is that it doesn’t. It’s is set at the time of the start of the Dangerous Tour. There are indications that he’s being hounded by personal questions (that are never stated). There’s brief discussion — but no exploration — of his dependence on pain killers. But that’s about it. I truly debated titling this writeup “Pay no Attention to the Man-Boy Behind The Curtain”, but that would have made the title too long.

So what perception of Jackson comes through? His perfectionism. His dedication to the music and the art. HIs dedication to dance. His putting art above the money, and performance above profit. His desire to do good for others. His shaping through the abuse of his father, Joseph. As for Jackson’s origin story, well that comes through only superficially. We don’t see the conflicts, if they exist, between his brothers. We learn nothing about the relationship of Jackson and his sisters. We learning nothing about the person that was Michael Jackson; we learn only the image he wanted … sold to the public.

This is not to say that the show was bad. But if you go in expecting to learn something significant about Michael Jackson, you’ll be disappointed. This show, much likes Jackson himself, focuses on the image. “Bad” is only a song. There’s flash and sequins and sparkle and (pay no attention to the man behind the curtain) and music and sub-woofers and dance and dance and dance. It’s a Thiller, where the monsters aren’t real.

The performances were spectacular. The dancing was astounding. The music brought back memories.

But the story was focused on Jackson as the artist, with only glimpses of the person underneath the facade.

As this is an abbreviated writeup, I’m not listing the cast and creatives. Special mention should go to Roman Banks _MJ, for his nailing of the sound and movement of Michael Jackson, to Ethan Joseph _{Little Michael}for his powerhouse voice, and to Kellie Drobnick _{Tour Dancer}, who for whatever reason just kept catching my eye.

One additional thought: As I watch productions, I think about what additional life they will have. I can see shows like Come From Away being done at the regional, or even the high school level. I can see revivals and reinterpretations. As for MJ? I can’t see this being done at the High School level — they won’t find students who can do this. At the regional level, perhaps only in select levels. But the production design would be hard to duplicate with the intense projections. Further, duplicating this era at the regional or high school level might be hard, especially props and costumes. This tour might be it. I’d be interested in your thoughts about the the future life of this musical.

MJ: The Musical runs until January 28, 2024 at the Pantages Theatre.

🎭 Guns, Elves, and Christmas | “A Christmas Story” @ Ahmanson

Posted onSunday, December 17, 2023Sunday, December 17, 2023AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

If you noticed, I haven’t been writing theatre reviews of late. My last full review was of Ghosts at the Odyssey Theatre, back in October 2022; there was an explanation why in a post from May 2023. This may be changing — watch for a post before the end of the year. But last night we saw A Christmas Story at the Ahmanson Theatre, and it is just crying out in my head for some … observations. This won’t be a full writeup.

So what did I think of A Christmas Story (book by Joseph Robinette, Music and Lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, based on the motion picture of the same name)? Suffice it to say that I saw this simply because it was part of the Ahmanson season, and once was enough for me. The performances were good, and there were a number of laugh out loud moments, but ultimately it wasn’t timeless. Perhaps this is because I’m not Christian and the nostalgic Christmas has no special place in my heart. But I think there are a number of deeper problems with the show as a whole that I wish to opine about.

As noted, I’m not a Christmas person, and generally not a Christmas musical person. My favorite is still A Mulholland Christmas Carol, which I saw back in December 2012. More recently, I really enjoyed the version of A Christmas Carol that the Ahmanson did back in December 2021 with Bradley Whitford. But most Christmas musicals I can take or leave, and most fall into the leave category. White Christmas and Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas (soon at Broadway in Hollywood) — I’m looking at you. There are various reasons for this indifference, but it generally falls down to the fact that nostalgia falls flat with me. This harkening back to snow, and hearth, and gifts, and the magic of Christmas pass evokes little. It seems to miss the point of the holiday.
There is one modern Christmas musical I do like: Elf, which I last saw at the Canyon Theatre Guild in December 2019, and is currently running there through Dec 23 2023. Elf is filled with joy and exuberance; and it has memorable and hummable songs that you can enjoy hearing out of the context of the story. It is a movie that called out for musicalization; there were elements of the story where you could easily see the characters bursting out into song. I contrast that with A Christmas Story, where you ask yourself: Why? The movie itself was fine as a nostalgia piece, but the scenes and incidents didn’t cry out “make me a musical”. In many ways, the Christmas Story musical was more a series of vignettes than a significant story with a through line, and characters that grew and changed over the story. I’ll gladly see Elf again; for A Christmas Story, once was enough.
Another problem with A Christmas Story: The Musical is its setting. The audience for which 1940s Indiana has any meaning is rapidly dying away. Literally. The adults from the 1940s are dead; the kids from the 1940s will be within the next 5-10 years. The time and places, and the memories from this story will be increasingly foreign to Gen X, Y, and Z. What are department stores? I thought Santas were in shopping malls, and toys were at Walmart? What are these mail-in contests? There is just increasingly little that will invoke memories. That will limit the stage life of this musical, which will be propped up by endless showings of the movie. Other Christmas stories of this time period: It’s a Wonderful Life or White Christmas, have more staying power because they don’t play on nostalgia (and let’s not mention Here’s Love, which is just a musicalized Miracle on 34th Street).
Additionally, there is the issue of the object at the center of A Christmas Story: The Musical: A gun, specifically a Red Ryder BB Gun. which you can still get today. Only in America would you have a musical celebrating a gun; perhaps that makes this musical play better in those parts of America that yearn for a return to 1950s America, 1950s values, and a culture where guns are a part of life. Yes, we know phrases like that are dog whistles today, and I’m sure those notions weren’t in the mind of Jean Shepard when he wrote the original short stories, or in the minds of the movie makers. Yet themes get perverted by our times — and I feel this theme won’t resonate long term with the youth of today.
Where does the notion of bribing children for being good all year come from? Was it added to Christmas by the parent’s lobby? It’s certainly not in Christian theology as I understand it, where the reward for being good is an eternity in Heaven with Jesus, not Tinker-Toys. Is this notion the Protestant equivalent of Yom Kippur, given that they did away with Catholic Confession? These are the thoughts that go through my head during a Christmas musical.
The musical captures all the major stories and points of the movie: all those scenes you remember. But with the musical, you ask yourself: Why was this included? What do these scenes due to advance the story or grow the characters? Story-wise, you could drop the flagpole scene, or all the hullaballoo about “A Major Award”, and the story would progress equally well. Again, this shows why this was not a movie that called out to be a musical; or if it was to become one, it needed radical rethinking to build it into a proper musical book of its own. Buddy the Elf had a journey. DId Ralphie?
This is not to say the show was bad. There were some laugh out loud moments — in particular, the dogs (Reba and Jethro) with the turkey. The tap numbers were spectacular (and special kudos to Addalie Burns for the tap specialty. I enjoyed the Christmas dinner scene. The performances were strong, and it looks like the show (which is a tour) cast locally (although the “tour” seemingly had only one stop, and appears to be a remounting of the 2021 tour for Los Angeles). I noticed quite a few local cast, with draws from past 5-Star Theatrical, MTW, McCoy Rigby, Actors Co-Op, and such productions. But it was ultimately “donuts for dinner” (a phrase from [Title of Show], referring to something that seems like a good idea at the time, but is filled with sugar and in the end leaves you hungry).

Should you go see A Christmas Story: The Musical? I think it depends on your views on Christmas, and Christmas nostalgia for Christmas in 1940s white-break America — the land of Hallmark and Great American TV Movies. Once was enough for me.

Don’t be surprised if I have thoughts next week, when we see MJ – The Musical. Going in: I can easily see why one would want to build a jukebox musical out of the MIchael Jackson catalog. But given Jackson’s personal history, I find the notion of the biographical approach (and one that really only presents the good) to be puzzling. He’s gone, and the funds support his kids, and the song rights holders (i.e., Sony, if I recall correctly), so it is less cringe-worthy than buying a new Bill Cosby album, but still… Next week, we shall see.

You can also expect a post before the end of the year regarding theatre reviews going forward. Yes, I’ve been attending theatre through 2022 and 2023 — just not writing about it. The old-style reviews took just too much work (even this one took a couple of hours). I’m debating picking up the review mantle again, but they won’t be as detailed. At least that’s the intent, but who knows with the way I write.

🎭 So Where Are The Theatre Reviews?

Posted onSaturday, May 20, 2023Saturday, May 20, 2023AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

You may have noticed I haven’t posted any theatre reviews since August. Perhaps you’re thinking that I’ve given up going to the theatre. For the record, we’re still going to a lot of theatre. I just haven’t had the urge (or the time) to do the reviews. Each review typically takes on the order of 3 hours, by the time I work up the graphics, investigate all the links, and do the research. Often, they are for tours that really aren’t impacted in any way by a little seen review. Additionally, I’ve had a lot of other stuff going on, so often by the time I can get to the review, the show has closed and moved on, and I’ve forgotten a lot of the specifics.

I may go back to writing reviews for shows that I have strong feelings about, or are particularly noteworthy. But in the absence, here’s what I’ve seen between the last review and now, and some basic thoughts. Through the end of 2023, we’re still working under the temporary rule that we’re going to shows that are part of our subscriptions, unless there is something strongly noteworthy that we want to see, and we won’t do more than more than one show on a weekend. That will likely change in 2024.

October 2022
- The Addams Family (5-Star Theatricals): This is always a fun show, and 5-Star did a great job.
- To Kill a Mockingbird (Broadway in Hollywood): This was an excellent production, and Richard Thomas was really strong as the lead. Very timely.
November 2022
- 2:22 A Ghost Story (Ahmanson Theatre): Really good, with some unexpected twists.
January 2023
- Mean Girls (Broadway in Hollywood): A fun show that appeals to a particular demographic. No particularly memorable songs. A few good gags. Not sure this needed musicalization.
March 2023
- Sunday in the Park With George (Pasadena Playhouse). I haven’t seen this in ages, and it was a wonderful production of the show.
- The Human Comedy (Actors Co-Op). I was familiar with the musical version (although I had never seen it). Although long, this was a really good production and we both enjoyed it.
- The Secret Garden (Ahmanson Theatre). A very moving production, minimally staged. The adaptations for this new version were interesting.
- Ragtime (5-Star Theatricals). I just love the music from this show, and this was a sumptuous production.
April 2023
- Yaacobi & Leidental (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble). This was a strange show. You can tell the author did not like women, and it gave an off-taste to the overall piece. In the absurdist realm.
- Tornado (Actors Co-Op). Still Running until 5/28. A really strong show, about the aftermath of an Oklahoma tornado. I liked it more than I expected I would.
- 1776 (Ahmanson Theatre). This is the new all-female adaptation of the 1969 musical. I really liked it. It made you look at things a bit differently, and it allows many to see themselves as part of the ongoing revolution. I loved the new orchestrations, and wish they had done a cast album.
- A Little Night Music (Pasadena Playhouse). Still Running until 5/28. I had never seen this before, although I knew some of the songs. A really wonderful and sumptuous production with strong performances. Go see it.
May 2023
- Hairspray (Broadway in Hollywood). Still Running until 5/21. This is the non-equity tour, with Nina West as Edna. We really enjoyed this. Lots of energy in a familiar “feel good” show.
- Six (Broadway in Hollywood). Still Running until 6/10. This was last week’s show, and was a load of fun. Don’t expect a plot — think of it like a rock concert.

Tonight we’re seeing A New Brain from Celebration Theatre at the LGBT Center; next week is A Soldiers Play at the Ahmanson; and we’re seeing Bernadette Peters in Concert three weeks from now. We have no plans to do the Hollywood Fringe Festival this year: that’s primarily due to Karen still having mobility issues and our weekends being full. You should.

Will I go back to reviewing? Possibly. All it takes is a show that makes me want to tell the world about it.

Haunting is such a Strong Word | “Ghosts” @ Odyssey

Posted onSunday, October 9, 2022AuthorcahwyguyLeave a comment

Ghosts (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble) There are many reasons we go to see a show. Often, it is because the show is part of a subscription series. Sometimes, it is because it is something we have heard of and want to see. Occasionally, it is a recommendation or the urging of a publicist, or because the subject is just so intriguing. But the last reason is the most fun: because someone we know is involved in the show. In the case of Ghosts, currently running at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble, the assistant director is a friend of our daughter. We’ve known this young man since he started doing theatre in 7th Grade, and we’ve seen him grow and excel in his career. When our daughter mentioned he was doing a show at the Odyssey, we just had to get tickets.

Now, that’s not to say we were going into the show blind. I had been sent material from the show’s publicist (I’m on a bunch of mailing lists due to this blog). But the title and the description didn’t catch me; I’m not one for spooky shows. I was familiar with the playwright, Henrik Ibsen, from A Dolls House; however, I had never heard of this. The version performed was adapted by Richard Eyre.

Well, I guess we were going into the show blind after all.

Ghosts tells the story of the Alving family. Looking over the summary of the plot on Wikipedia, I think they capture it as well as anything I could do:

Helen Alving is about to dedicate an orphanage she has built in memory of her late husband. Despite his affairs, Mrs. Alving stayed with him to protect her son Oswald from the taint of scandal and for fear of being shunned by the community.

In the course of the play, she discovers that Oswald (whom she had sent away to avoid his being corrupted by his father) is suffering from syphilis that she believes he inherited from his father.[a] She also discovers that Oswald has fallen in love with her maid Regina Engstrand, who is revealed to be the illegitimate daughter of Captain Alving and is therefore Oswald’s half-sister.

A sub-plot involves a carpenter, Jacob Engstrand, who married Regina’s mother when she was already pregnant. He regards Regina as his own daughter. He is unaware, or pretends to be, that Captain Alving was Regina’s father. Having recently completed his work building Mrs. Alving’s orphanage, Engstrand announces his ambition to open a hostel for seafarers. He tries to persuade Regina to leave Mrs. Alving and help him run the hostel, but she refuses. The night before the orphanage is due to open, Engstrand asks Pastor Manders to hold a prayer-meeting there. Later that night, the orphanage burns down. Earlier, Manders had persuaded Mrs. Alving not to insure the orphanage, as to do so would imply a lack of faith in divine providence. Engstrand says the blaze was caused by Manders’ carelessness with a candle and offers to take the blame, which Manders readily accepts. Manders in turn offers to support Engstrand’s hostel.

When Regina and Oswald’s sibling relationship is exposed, Regina departs, leaving Oswald in anguish. He asks his mother to help him avoid the late stages of syphilis with a fatal morphine overdose. She agrees, but only if it becomes necessary. The play concludes with Mrs. Alving having to confront the decision of whether or not to euthanize her son in accordance with his wishes.

Watching the play, I was first amazed that someone could come up with a story and develop this way to present it. I’m an engineer by trade, and I envy those who are so creative they can see characters as rich as this, and figure out how to structure a story and dialogue and characters like this.

The play raises a number of interesting questions. I think the first is the question of obligation of children to parents. Are children obligated to take care of their parents, no matter how their parent has treated them. We see that in this play with Regina, and the question of whether she is obligated to serve her “father” or her employer. The play makes the argument (despite what the Reverend says) that children are not so obligated. Sometimes the treatment of the child is such that it abrogates any implicit care agreement. Essentially, if the parent couldn’t show or provide the appropriate care for the child, why should the child care for the parent.

The play also touches on the other side of the question: What must a parent do for a child? Is it the parent’s job to do anything the child wishes? Even to help the child commit suicide if the child’s pain is sufficient? That’s the question Mrs. Alving is faced with at the end of the play. There’s a similar question with respect to marital obligations: Is the wife obligated to defend the memory of the husband? In this case, it is determined that Captain Alving, despite his public recognition, was secretly beating his wife, sleeping with his maid, and all other sorts of degenerate behavior. Should the wife continue to publicly uphold the public image? Should the parish? What to do with the money acquired through this degenerate behavior?

So the central question of the play is that of obligation, and the power it holds over us.

The secondary focus of the play is an exploration of generational guilt. How much do the behaviors of the parent influence the child, otherwise known as “Does the apple fall far from the tree?” How much is Oswald’s life and behavior influenced by his degenerate father? Did his mother save him by sending him away, or did that just make it worse? And what about Regina: Did she suffer by having the truth of her parentage hidden?

As you can see, this play raised a bunch of interesting questions. As directed by Bart DeLorenzo, assisted by Quest Sky Zeidler, the story unfolded at a brisk pace and held the audiences attention. The single open space was divided into a bunch of rooms, with most of the action taking place in a sitting room areas. The story was exposed gingerly, and the performers did a good job of bringing the characters to life.

All of the performances were strong. We meet Viva Hassis Gentes (Regina Engstrand) first, a vivacious and playful young thing who one can see wants to move up and out of where she is living now … but most decidedly not with her father, played by J. Stephen Brantley (Jacob Engstrand). Brantley does a great job of showing both sides of her father–a drunk whom you might not trust, and a man who is trying to do good under meager circumstances. As the Reverend, Barry del Sherman (Reverend Manders) has an appropriately stern countenance, and did a good job of playing a religious man with some problems underneath.

I was very impressed with Pamela J. Gray (Helene Alving), as the mother. She brought a great energy and spirit to the role, and her performance as things came crashing down was astounding. Rounding out the cast was Alex Barls (Oswald Alving). He played the character well, but there was something in his look that didn’t mesh right for me. But still, it was an enjoyable performance.

The design team did a mostly good job of turning the flat stage of the Odyssey into the spaces required for the story, and projecting the correct mood and tenor of the piece. About my only quibble was John Zalewksi’s sound design. There was some constantly odd noise in the background that I later realized was supposed to be the rain, but only served to distract my attention. Other than that, the ambient noises were good. Frederica Nascimento’s Scenic Design created the spaces well, supported by the Scenic Art of Chris Bell. Lena Sands’ Costume Design seemed appropriate, and Christine Ferriter’s Lighting Design established the mood well — especially in the fire scenes.

Rounding out the production team were: Beth Mack (Stage Manager), Ron Socci (Artistic Director), Beth Hogan (Producer), and Josh La Cour (Producer).

Ghosts continues at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble through October 23, 2022. Tickets are available through the Odyssey website; discount tickets may be available through Goldstar.

❧

Ob. Disclaimer: I am not a trained theatre (or music) critic; I am, however, a regular theatre and music audience member (modulo the COVID break). I’ve been attending live theatre and concerts in Los Angeles since 1972; I’ve been writing up my thoughts on theatre (and the shows I see) since 2004. I do not have theatre training (I’m a computer security specialist), but have learned a lot about theatre over my many years of attending theatre and talking to talented professionals. I pay for all my tickets unless otherwise noted (or I’ll make a donation to the theatre, in lieu of payment). I am not compensated by anyone for doing these writeups in any way, shape, or form. I currently subscribe at Actors Co-op (FB), 5 Star Theatricals (FB), Broadway in Hollywood (FB), the Ahmanson Theatre (FB), and we have a membership at The Pasadena Playhouse (FB). We were subscribing at the Musical Theatre Guild (FB) prior to COVID; they have not yet resumed productions. We have also been subscribers at the Soraya/VPAC (FB), although we are waiting a year before we pick that up again. Through my theatre attendance I have made friends with cast, crew, and producers, but I do strive to not let those relationships color my writing (with one exception: when writing up children’s production, I focus on the positive — one gains nothing except bad karma by raking a child over the coals). I believe in telling you about the shows I see to help you form your opinion; it is up to you to determine the weight you give my writeups. Note to publicists or producers reading this: here’s my policy on taking comp tickets. Bottom-Line: Only for things of nominal value, like Fringe.

Upcoming Shows:

For right now, we’re pretty much sticking with shows that come as part of our subscriptions or are of interest through our memberships. Looking ahead for the remainder of 2022:, the rest of October will bring The Addams Family at 5 Star Theatricals (FB), and To Kill a Mockingbird at Broadway in Hollywood (FB). November brings 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre (FB). Lastly, December will bring Annie at Broadway in Hollywood (FB).

As always, I’m keeping my eyes open for interesting productions mentioned on sites such as Better-Lemons, Footlights, as well as productions I see on Goldstar, On Stage 411 or that are sent to me by publicists or the venues themselves. Want to know how to attend lots of live stuff affordably? Take a look at my post on How to attend Live Theatre on a Budget (although I know it is outdated and need to update it). Want to learn about all the great theatre in Southern California? Read my post on how Los Angeles (and its environs) is the best area for theatre in the Country (again, I need to review this for the post-COVID theatre landscape)!