Tag: theatre-2023

🎭 Absorbant Subversion | “The Spongebob Musical” @ CSUN / Woodland

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The Spongebob Musical (CSUN)In my last theatre writeup before the pandemic hit (Passion, at Boston Court, on 3/8/2020), I wrote “Next weekend brings the MRJ Man of the Year dinner (and The Wild Party at Morgan Wixson). The 3rd weekend of March brings Marvin’ Room at Actors Co-op (FB) ; and the last weekend brings Spongebob Squarepants at the Dolby Theatre/Broadway in LA (FB) and the MoTAS/TBH Seder. ”

Well, The Wild Party was finally mounted by the Morgan Wixson in September 2022, and Marvin’s Room was finally remounted by Actors Co-Op in Februrary 2022. The MoTAS seder that year was cancelled. And as for our little Sponge? Well, COVID killed the tour and the engagement was cancelled. I was disappointed, as this is a show with great music (each song has a different rock artist) and a wonderful theme. Yeah, it was broadcast on Nickelodeon, but it wasn’t quite the same.

So when I learned an internet friend would be performing in a production of Spongebob up in Woodland CA, we decided to be spontaneous. We planned a weekend vacation to visit friends in Davis, and drove up to see the show and visit friends. However, I hadn’t restarted the writeups yet, so it never got written up.

Fast forward a few months. I discovered that the Theatre department of CSUN (Cal State Northridge) was planning to do Spongebob. If you aren’t familiar with CSUN Theatre, they are one of those unsung gems. I’m not talking about VPAC The Soraya.  I’m talking about the theatre department: the academic training ground for actors. Just as CSUN has one of the top-notch jazz and music training programs (in fact, we’re seeing one of the products of that program tonight: Gordon Goodwin and the Big Phat Band), it also has an excellent theatre training program, training actors for both TV and stage. We’ve seen some remarkable CSUN Theatre over the years, including Bat Boy, Hair, and Edges. So I set a reminder, and then booked our tickets to see Spongebob again. This would be a compare and contrast: How does a small regional theatre’s production of Spongebob compare with one from a strong theatre department. So this writeup covers both productions.

Now, if you aren’t familiar with The Spongebob Musical, it is very subversive. On the surface, you’re probably going: “Spongebob? Singing and dancing? Why? Isn’t this just for kids?”. The reality is that the show features original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A., Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! At The Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I., as well as songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. If you haven’t heard the cast album, you should give it a listen. The plot touches on xenophobia (fear of the outsider), distrust of science, the ultimate value of science, women in science, climate change, and the power of friendship and positive thinking. The show works on multiple levels: The kids see a silly sponge and a starfish; the adults enjoy the music and the deeper story. So are you ready, kids?

The Spongebob Musical (Woodland Opera House)The plot of The Spongebob Musical is summarized as “When the citizens of Bikini Bottom discover that a volcano will soon erupt and destroy their humble home, SpongeBob and his friends must come together to save the fate of their undersea world!” The show opens with an introduction to the denizens of Bikini Bottom. Tremors indicate the undersea volcano will erupt. The town leadership just wants to hold meetings. The evil Plankton sees this as an opportunity for an evil plot. Spongebob and Sandy the Squirrel think it can be solved with science. Patrick wants to help, but soon becomes the object of worship for a school of sardines. Squidward just wants to be on stage, and Mr. Krabs just wants to make money. But after some adventures, science and friendship triumphs.

As I said, silly, but with a good message.

So how did the two companies do?

We saw the show first at the Woodland Opera House in August. This was a regional production, with community actors. My memory of the show is less fresh, but a friend was in the show as Patchy the Pirate (and he did a great job). What I do remember from the show was that their Spongebob, Erik Catalan, was excellent. I remember they did a great robotic Gary. I remember that, for their limited resources, they did a very creative staging. I also recall liking their Sandy and Patrick.  Although there is a credit for a musical director and conductor in the program, there are no credits for members of the band.

CSUN’s production was very strong. I really liked their Patchy the Pirate (Joshua Sandoval), who did double duty as Mr. Krabs. He was out in the audience about 1/2 hour before, warming them up, joking around, playing with the kids. He set the tone exceptionally well. Performances were very strong, especially Casey Davis (Spongebob), Mo Tandrow (Patrick), and Arely Vianet (Sandy). I didn’t like their Plankton (Jack Shepherd) as much, as he was very hard to hear with his overplay of the accent. Scenic and props were good, although I preferred the robotic Gary to the simple puppet that CSUN used. The Mt. Humungous in their set more closely resembled the Broadway production. CSUN had a real band, and live music is always special.

The Spongebob Musical seems to have exploded in popularly: It is fun to do, and allows the production to be creative. There’s not a lot of technology required other than a strong Foley board, and the language doesn’t require cleaning up. So although the Woodland production is long closed (their current production is Damn Yankees, though May 5), and the CSUN production is practically sold out (there are some seats for this afternoon; the final performance this evening is sold out), I’m sure there will be a production near you at some point. It is worth seeing.

You can find more information on the Woodland Opera House at their webpage. Their 2025 season has some interesting shows: Amalie is a good show and not often done; Something Rotten is loads of fun; and The Prom is a great show with a great message.

You may be able to purchase tickets to CSUN’s production at their Spongebob Page. The upcoming Fall season doesn’t have much of interest to me: Argonautika, Guarded, Wit, and Dialogues of the Carmelites. Most of the shows I don’t know; I saw Wit way back in 2008 at REP East. We’ll see what the Spring Semester brings when it is announced.

———

The Spongebob Musical. Based on the series by Stephen Hillenburg. Book by Kyle Jarrow. Original songs by Yolanda Adams, Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Sara Bareilles, Jonathan Coulton, Alex Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, The Flaming Lips, Lady A., Cyndi Lauper, John Legend, Panic! AT the Disco, Plain White T’s, They Might Be Giants, T.I. and songs by David Bowie, Tom Kenny, and Andy Paley. Musical Production conceived by Tina Landau. Additional lyrics by Jonathan Coulton. Additional music by Tom Kitt.

CSUN Cast: Casey Davis SpongeBob Squarepants; Mo Tandrow Patrick Star; Ashton Bianchi Squidward; Arely Vianet Sandy Cheeks; Joshua Sandoval Eugene Krabs / Patchy the Pirate; Cayla Rose Guili Pearl; Jack Shepherd Plankton; Emily Gomez Karen / Ensemble; Duncan Allan Perch Perkins / Ensemble; Jeremy Thompson Foley Artist / French Narrator; Georgia Ryan Bikini Bottom Mayor / Ensemble; Haley Josten Mrs. Puff / Ensemble; Gisele Lajevardi Old Man Jenkins / Ensemble; Jules Thompson Larry the Lobster / Ensemble; Jaycee Luther Security Guard / Ensemble; Arabella Roman Electric Skate / Ensemble; Alexandra Carreron Sardine / Ensemble; Angel Cole Sardine / Ensemble; Danny Magana Sardine / Ensemble.

CSUN Orchestra: Greg Nabours Conductor / Lead Pianist; Andrew Hudson Keyboard 2; Nicholas Ferrante Lead Guitar; Leola Gravley Percussion; Daniel Neufeld Percussion / Drumset; Alizah Chao Violin; Andrew Krenzinger Violin; Zachary Pickens Bass.

CSUN Production and Creative: Directed by Garry Lennon. Musical direction by Greg Nabours. Choreographny by Luke Arthur Smith. Completing the team: Mark Mendelsohn Scenic Design; Elizabeth A. Cox Costume Design; Hope Kozielski Lighting Design; Julia Pinhey Sound Designer; Joshua Payuan Cruz Asst Director; Whitney Kim Stage Manager; Vincent Shnaider Prop Lead Designer; Veronica Guiterrez Prop Asst Designer; Sam Sintef Production Lead Coordinator; Michael Roman Technical Director; Branden Sandoval Asst Tech. Director; Dan Weingarten Department Chair.

Woodland Cast: Erik Catalan SpongeBob Squarepants; Shane Burrows Patrick Star; Ernestine Balisi Sandy Cheeks; Alexander Quiñonez Squidward; Eddie Voyce Mr. Krabs; Marie Campbell Pearl Krabs; Ahlani Santos Plankton; Karen Fox Karen; Scott Griffith Larry the Lobster; Travis Lindquist Patchy the Pirate; Omar Huerta Perch Perkins; Marie Nearing Bikini Bottom Mayor; Jeff Nauer Old Man Jenkins; Ruby Schwerin Buster Bluetang; Danny Beldi, Naomi Catalan, and Honey Creer The Electric Skates / Ensemble; Vinn Christianson, Sheccid Donatt, Erin Doolittle, Lynsey Goldberg, Trey Reeves Ensemble; Trey Reeves Narrator.

Woodland Production and Creative: Directed and Choreographed by Staci Arriaga. Musical direction and conductor: Kay Hight. Rounding out the team: Josh Hilliard Production Manager; Lou Anderson, Kelly Lynn Jordan Stage Managers; Anna Walton Asst Stage Manager; Paul ZIndel Lighting Designer; Gabby Garcia Sound Designer; Marcia Gollober Asst Sound Designer; Mark Deamer Scenic Designer; Denise Miles Costume Design; Diane Haas Prop Master; Cameron Fuller Technical Advisor.

♦ ♦ ♦

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 / ♣ Music / ◊ Other Live Performance – Next 90ish Days (⊕ indicates ticketing is pending):

On the Theatrical Horizon:

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. 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.  I also just learned that Jason Alexander will be doing Fiddler on the Roof , directed by Lonny Price, at La Mirada in November. Lastly, I saw on FB that Chromolume Theatre may be returning in late 2024 or early 2025. They always did some interesting musicals that were rarely staged. Interesting….

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The Theatre Carol. No, Not THAT Carol

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

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.

 

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

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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.

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So Where Are The Theatre Reviews?

Posted onAuthorcahwyguy

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
  • November 2022
  • 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
  • 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.

 

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