By Carol Davis LA JOLLA, California —Reality T.V. has never made it to the top ten of my favorite things to watch. However, I do like watching documentaries, especially when I find them informative and offer a new outlook on an old subject that I may or may not have already have formed an opinion. [...]
By Leah R. Singer SAN DIEGO –The 19th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival kicked off last week with a host of different productions. This year’s festival, which runs through June 7, features everything from baseball to Klezmer to Spanish language performances. Todd Salovey, who has been the Jewish Arts artistic director [...]
By Cynthia Citron BEVERLY HILLS, California — In my view, it’s cause for rejoicing when a play is beautifully written and is performed by actors who are at least as brilliant as the writing. Mostly because it doesn’t happen all that often. Two new shows demonstrate what I mean. Love Struck, which opened at the [...]
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — Before I went off to see the latest incarnation of the Kander and Ebb musical Chicago now playing for a limited run at the Civic Theatre downtown, I reached for my trusty CD of the movie soundtrack. Big mistake. In my mind’s eye I saw every scene and smiled [...]
SAN DIEGO—Just recently the curtain came down on Cygnet Theatre’s critically acclaimed Parade, Alfred Uhry’s historical musical drama depicting the story of Leo Frank and the lynching that led to his untimely death after being falsely accused of raping and killing young Mary Phagan. Frank managed an Atlanta pencil factory where Phagan was brutally murdered on the [...]
By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES — “A review is something I read before I see a play. A critique is something I read after,” actress Deidrie Henry said. She was responding to a question about the distinction between reviews and criticism posed by LA Stage Alliance CEO Terence McFarland, who was serving as moderator of a [...]
By Carol Davis CHULA VISTA, California— Remember that fictitious place Rydell High? That’s where the Jim Jacobs & Warren Casey 1959 high school musical Grease happens. The musical debuted in Chicago in 1971, quickly moved to Broadway where it ran for 18 years and 3388 performances. Grease was made into a movie in 1978 starring [...]
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—OK, You want some respect, ladies? Head down to the San Diego Repertory Theatre and pop in to Dorothy Marcic’s Respect, A Musical Celebration of Women and you will get an earful! Four local and highly respected musical talents, Nancy Snow Carr, Leigh Scarritt, Lisa H. Payton and Kelsey Venter sing [...]
By Cynthia Citron LOS ANGELES– I can’t rave enough to adequately convey my excitement and admiration for the new adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac that opened this week at the Fountain Theatre. Written by Stephen Sachs and directed by Simon Levy, this brilliant Cyrano is performed by the extraordinary actors of the Deaf West Theatre. [...]
By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—Suzan-Lori Parks’ 2002 Pulitzer Prize winning TopDog/UnderDog marks the end of a remarkable season for ion Theatre Company that has produced some amazing theatre over this season. I say ‘the best for last’ with hesitancy because this season at ion was full of wonderful surprises and excellent theatre and to tag Park’s [...]
