THE BALD SOPRANO (CITY GARAGE): 92% – SWEET

David E. Frank in “The Bald Soprano: A Christmas Anti-Play” at City Garage in Santa Monica. Credit: Paul M. Rubenstein.

BITTERSWEET
The City Garage staging of Eugene Ionesco’s midcentury absurdist farce “The Bald Soprano: A Christmas Anti-Play” has all the ingredients for intoxication but goes down like one of Sally’s Shirley Temples – it’s a classic but lacks a certain kick.
Charlotte Stoudt – LA Times

SWEET
It’s an early and classic example of theatre of the absurd that takes a linguistically wild swipe at middle class propriety.
Sarah A. Spitz – Santa Monica Daily Press

SWEET
And as director Frédérique Michel demonstrates in this steadfastly enjoyable revival, it’s still good for a load of laughs.
Lovell Estell III – LA Weekly

SWEET
The cast delivers Ionesco’s mad little play easily and stylishly (having served in Michel’s ensemble for many years, they know how to give the director exactly what she wants).
Willard Manus – Total Theater

SWEET
Kudos to the solid company of performers, who are savvy enough to trust Michel and the material and get full mileage out of everything they collectively bring to the party.
Jennie Webb – Backstage

SWEET
Michel and Duncombe along with their talented cast have given us a first rate staging of one of the classics of modern theater. If you’ve never partaken of “The Bald Soprano” you couldn’t do better than this staging for your introduction to Ionesco’s miniature maddening masterpiece.
Ernest Kearney – Working Author

THE BALD SOPRANO
City Garage
Building T1, Bergamot Station
2525 Michigan Avenue, Santa Monica
November 1-23, 2012: 8:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
November 30-December 23: 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 4 p.m. Sundays
Tickets: $25, Pay-What-You-Can Sundays; (310) 453-9939
Running time: 65 minutes