All Entries Tagged With: "randall gray"
The Theater of Relativity
A few days ago a conversation broke out on the Bigcheap List (still gotta join it to see it!) around the topics of theater criticism, self promotion and professionalism, among other things. I found this to be a very good thing. What started the conversation, however, was not. It initially began when someone from the company Stages [...]
The Bizarro World of Randall Gray
I was going to let this one go. I really was. I swear. If you missed it, as this week’s Critique of the Week (COW) I posted an absolute lashing from longtime Pasadena Star News and Stage Struck Review critic Frances Baum Nicholson on the show Doctor, Doctor!, a brand new offering from the brand new company [...]
SMOKE AND MIRRORS (ROAD THEATRE): 96% – SWEET
SWEET “Smoke and Mirrors” handily demonstrates Selznick’s conquest of his own greatest fear — being a nobody. Perhaps his greatest trick of all: making boredom completely disappear. Philip Brandes – LA Times SWEET This is a fabulous show for kids of all ages. Don Grigware – BroadwayWorld SWEET Fans of his work on stage and [...]
BEND IN THE ROAD: 84% – SWEET
BITTERSWEET In this tepid new musical adaptation of Anne of Green Gables by co-writers Benita Scheckel and Michael Upward, the songs are fine, if forgettable; the dialogue is forgivable in its stiltedness because it is, after all, a musical; and the narrative a little long and tiresome throughout before being sped up near the end. [...]
THE BAT (THEATRE 40): 63% – BITTERSWEET
BITTERSWEET The piece has enough plot for three plays, but it’s too leisurely in unfolding. Director Martin M. Speer might have been wise to generate more speed and energy, particularly in the early scenes. Neal Weaver – Backstage SWEET The payoff was worth the wait. Audrey Linden – LA Examiner SWEET Directed by Martin M [...]
ALL YOUR HARD WORK: 80% – SWEET
BITTER The evening is so typical of an average theatergoing experience lately: one actor does well, the other does not; the script has interesting dialogue, but the overall play doesn’t give reason for its existence; great direction at times, but missed opportunities at others. But when the overall theatrical experience is a near-miss, it’s forgotten [...]
JEKYLL AND HYDE (DOMA THEATRE): 94% – SWEET
SWEET Although this musical rendition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has often received mixed reviews, I found DOMA’s production thoroughly entertaining (if too loud). Elyse Cook – Stagehappenings SWEET But for this strong revival of Jekyll & Hyde, under the skillful direction of Marco Gomez, praise [...]
SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD: 46% – BITTER
SWEET Each song is a stand alone experience that transports the audience to a realm of hope and guiding light. Serita Stevens – LASplash BITTERSWEET DOMA Theatre Company presents a mixed bag of vocal talents backed by a bang-up band in Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown’s “Songs for a New World,” an hour-and-45-minute theatrical [...]
THE TURN OF THE SCREW (VISCERAL COMPANY RE-MOUNT): 96% – SWEET
SWEET A splendid production that is very well directed by Dan Spurgeon, written by Jeffrey Hatcher, and based on a classic ghost story by Henry James, The Turn of The Screw defies all theories that excellent theater productions cannot be done in small black-box facilities. Randall Gray – The California Theatre Critic SWEET But it’s [...]
A FEW GOOD MEN (RATMO): 90% – SWEET
BITTERSWEET He has assembled a fine cast, but the awkward scene changes undermine the rhythm and pace of the piece, one important speech is virtually obliterated by the sound of moving furniture, and another is drowned out by over-loud sound effects. Neal Weaver – Backstage SWEET Staying true to founder Kenne Guillory’s unofficial motto “Go [...]
TROILUS AND CRESSIDA (PORTERS OF HELLSGATE): 87% – SWEET
BITTER Alas, real frottage might have been more interesting to watch than this straightforward staging, handicapped by an ensemble largely incapable of expressing the language. Jason Rohrer – Stage and Cinema SWEET The play has an abrupt ending, some unanswered questions and characters with whom it is difficult to sympathize. Yet The Porters have handled [...]
CAUGHT: 87% – SWEET
BITTER Proponents of same-sex marriage will encounter in David L. Ray’s dramedy “Caught,” no challenge to their beliefs or exception to the sunniest of feelings. Visual artist Troy (Will Beinbrink) struggles a bit with the closeted impulses of attorney fiance Kenny (Corey Brill), but it’s a negligible impediment to wedded bliss. Every cause needs cheerleaders, [...]
BLITHE SPIRIT (A NOISE WITHIN): 100% – SWEET [UPDATED]
SWEET “Blithe Spirit” has been a surefire crowd-pleaser since its 1941 London premiere, and its imaginative revival at A Noise Within should sustain the average. Noel Coward’s deathless “improbable farce” about a second marriage sent haywire by the first wife’s ghost receives an engrossing account, agreeably quirky, reliably stylish. David C. Nichols – LA Times [...]
CAMPAIGN: 25% – Bitter [UPDATED]
BITTER Of course, after they initially clash, Malloy falls hard for Mann’s campaign manager, Steve Meyer (Travis Dixon), and vice versa. That amour underscores what is intended as timely political satire. But despite a few laughs along the way, the show seems stale, with retro musical numbers that sound like they’re being channeled from the [...]
STATE OF THE UNION: 89% – Sweet [UPDATED]
SWEET Though the piece supposedly revolves around Matthews and his choices, in this production it is Harner’s charismatic housewife who garners the spotlight, transforming this stolid message-vehicle into lively human drama. Fischer, a bit stiff, appears every inch a captain of industry but is less convincing as a man of integrity. Elizabeth Herron scores as [...]
THE WEB: 67% – Sweet [UPDATED]
SWEET Under Matt Wells’ astute artistic direction, needtheater’s 2008 production of Fatboy won the company three LA Weekly Theatre Awards and last year’s Mercury Fur scored them an Ovation Award nomination for Best Ensemble. Whether lightning will strike a third time for The Web is anyone’s guess. On the other hand, if the company can [...]
ELEVATOR (Extended Run): 92% – SWEET [UPDATED]
SWEET The comically existential set-up is hardly new, but despite a series of sit-com-simple resolutions, Leoni, who also directs, invests the production with ample wit and high-gloss style. The excellent cast includes Alex Rogers, Mikie Beatty, Karlee Rigby and Rachael Page. Erica Katzin shines as a plus-size temp who is trying to figure out her [...]
