Theatre, Film & Broadcast

By Carol Davis CARLSBAD, California —It’s hard to believe that the very same playwright, Eugene O’Neill, who penned Long Day’s Journey Into Night, The Iceman Cometh, Morning Becomes Electra and Desire Under the Elms also is responsible for his one and only lighthearted comedy Ah, Wilderness. But then again, he was much younger and his […]

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO — Shout out another Hosanna or Mazel Tov to the gang at Cygnet. They’ve gone and done it again: producing a home run production of the Alan Menken (music) and Howard Ashman’s (book and lyrics) cult (gothic) musical The Little Shop of Horrors based on the film by Roger Corman

By Carol Davis LA JOLLA, California— While the La Jolla Playhouses Sleeping Beauty, Rose (Aspen Vincent), of the fairy tale of the same name, flutters her eyelids in an attempt to awaken (in a sleeping disorder clinic) after a nine hundred year slumber yours truly had everything she could do to keep her eyes from fluttering

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO –The last time San Diego audiences saw The Who’s Tommy performed locally was in 1992 when Pete Townshend (of the Who from 1962-1982) and Des McAnuff (former artistic director or the La Jolla Playhouse) staged its world premiere at the La Jolla Playhouse. The musical soon moved to Broadway in

By Carol Davis SOLANA BEACH, California—It’s hard tobelieve that North Coast Repertory Theatre will be celebrating its thirtieth anniversary season in September. Over the years, yours truly has watched this little theatre grow from a corner suite in the Lomas Santa Fe Shopping Center to its current location in a larger, more accessible space. With artistic

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—This past weekend had me settled in the Uptown/Hillcrest area catching two very different shows but both worthy of mention. Diversionary Theatre and Moxie Theatre have teamed up to mount the U.S. Premiere of Canadian playwright Michele Riml’s new play Poster Boys. Just down the street @ 6th and Penn Ion

By Carol Davis LA JOLLA, California—Some might call director David Schweitzer’s adaptation if Henrik Ibsen’s “Peer Gynt” entertaining and they would be right. Some will agree that’s it’s pretty weird and they would be right as well. Some might look for a hidden meaning under it all and they may find that exercise well worth

By Carol Davis CORONADO, California — The very first time I heard the sound track from the original album of Meredith Willson’s The Music Man was back in the good old days before surround sound, digital sound, discs, iPods, iPads, 3 D, and color TV (kinda /sorta). It was all on vinyl. A friend of ours

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO—San Diego Musical Theatre has just launched its third and final show of its second season with a fine production of the dance tribute to end all dance tributes to all dancers, A Chorus Line. In 1975 the Marvin Hamlisch (music), Edward Kleban (lyrics), James Kirkwood and Nicholas Dante (book) and

By Carol Davis LA JOLLA, California—-When Arthur Kopit gets an idea, you can pretty much count on it being a little off the charts. Take for example his 1963 movie Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama’s Hung You in the Closet and I’m Feelin’ So Sad based on the 1962 Off Broadway play that lasted 454

By Carol Davis SAN DIEGO— Calvin Manson founding father and artistic producing director of the Ira Aldridge Repertory Players is mounting his latest in a series of musicals bringing African American voices to the fore; most recently Raisin’ The Rent is now in production at the Lafayette Hotel downstairs in the Mississippi Room and it