All stories by Tony Frankel on BroadwayStars

Friday, March 14, 2025

Off-Broadway Review: HAVE YOU MET JANE GOODALL AND HER MOTHER? (Ensemble Studio Theatre) by Tony Frankel

WIT, WONDER AND WILD CHIMPS Embarking on a theatrical safari at the Ensemble Studio Theatre (EST), I stumbled upon a wildly witty gem tonight that rivals the most exhilarating of jungle adve…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:53AM[SHARE]
Friday, March 7, 2025

Theater Review: FROU-FROU: A MENAGERIE OF SORTS (Boston Court in Pasadena) by Tony Frankel

A MENAGERIE GONE MAD"IN THE BEST WAY Boston Court has never been a company to play it safe, and John Anthony Loffredo's world premiere of Frou-Frou: A Menagerie of Sorts is no exception. Ins…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:47AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: BAT BOY: THE MUSICAL (Open Fist) by Tony Frankel

OPEN FIST'S BAT BOY SINKS ITS TEETH IN " AND DOESN'T LET GO Bat Boy: The Musical has returned to Los Angeles with a vengeance. This outrageous comedy/horror Off-Broadway musical, which or…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:25AM[SHARE]
Sunday, March 2, 2025

Theater Review: WEST SIDE STORY (The Nocturne Theatre) by Tony Frankel

The Nocturne Theatre's West Side Story proves that "professional community theatre" can still hit you in the gut like a Broadway-caliber production. With a book by Arthur Laurents, music by …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:09PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: I LOVE YOU BECAUSE (Chromolume Theatre at the Zephyr Theatre) by Tony Frankel

I COULD'VE LOVED YOU BECAUSE Chromolume Theatre's production of I Love You Because at the Zephyr Theatre tries to charm, but struggles under the weight of a broad acting style and a perplexi…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:12PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 28, 2025

Highly Recommended Concert: FINN, THE MUSICAL (Stars in the House Fifth Anniversary at Town Hall, NYC) by Tony Frankel

THE MUSICAL FINN SWIMS TO TOWN HALL AFTER A STORMY SEA OF KENNEDY CENTER PIRATES TOSSED IT OVERBOARD The show they tried to sink is coming back stronger than ever. Finn, the vibrant family m…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:56PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Theater Review: ALABASTER (Fountain Theatre) by Tony Frankel

RUMINATING ON RUMINANTS As a way to heal from recent tragedies, Alice (Erin Pineda), a big-city photographer, visits June (Virginia Newcomb), a reclusive artist on a small farm in Alabaster,…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:01PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: TARANTINO: PULP ROCK (CineVita) by Tony Frankel

THE SHOW WITH A BEAT TO A PULP INT. CINEVITA " NIGHT You walk in, and boom! You're hit with this electric vibe, like stepping into a Tarantino flick"one minute, you're feeling cool, the next…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:57AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: TWELFTH NIGHT (Antaeus Theatre in Glendale) by Tony Frankel

WHAT PRODUCTION, FRIENDS, IS THIS? After a ship wreck, Viola and her twin, Sebastian, land on different shores, each fearing the other has perished (consider them separated at surf). And by …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:55AM[SHARE]

Theater Review: AVENUE Q (Wisteria Theatre, North Hollywood) by Tony Frankel

FURFECT Peter Pan never grew up. Likewise Alice in Wonderland, the Hardy Boys, Freddy the Pig, Nancy Drew, or Huck Finn. It's a pity that people do: Why must grown-ups leave behind innocence…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 01:18AM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 25, 2025

Theater Review: JERSEY BOYS (Musical Theatre West) by Tony Frankel

GET READY TO ENBOY YOURSELF Jersey Boys has been around long enough that you might assume it's just another jukebox musical, cranking out hits for an easy nostalgia trip. But that's never be…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:01AM[SHARE]
Friday, February 21, 2025

Theater Review: OKLAHOMA! (Valley Opera and Performing Arts at El Portal in North Hollywood) by Tony Frankel

WHAT A RELIEF: OKLAHOMA! IS OK WITH VOPA The real stars of Oklahoma!, presented for two weekends only by Valley Opera and Performing Arts (VOPA) at the El Portal Theatre, are"no surprise"Ric…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:39PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Theater Review: NOISES OFF (Geffen Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

ONE COULD GO ON AND ON, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A LITTLE OFF Ah, Noises Off, the ever-reliable theatrical farce that's been delighting us for decades with its impeccable timing, pratfalls, and, of …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:03AM[SHARE]
Friday, February 14, 2025

Theater Review: SONDHEIM'S OLD FRIENDS (Pre-Broadway Engagement at The Ahmanson in Los Angeles) by Tony Frankel

SONDHEIM MERRILY ROLLS ALONG, BUT OLD FRIENDS DOESN'T ALWAYS BOUNCE When a show is billed as a tribute to Stephen Sondheim, expectations are sky-high. His music isn't just a collection of so…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:55PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

Concert Review: LET'S MISBEHAVE: THE SONGS OF COLE PORTER (New York Pops) by Tony Frankel

MY HEART BELONGS TO THE NY POPS The New York Pops' Let's Misbehave: The Songs of Cole Porter was filled with many of Porter's best-known songs: "Night and Day," "I Love Paris," "My Heart Bel…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:54PM[SHARE]
Friday, February 7, 2025

Theater Review: WICKED (National Tour) by Tony Frankel

STILL A WICKED GOOD TIME The stage musical Wicked is is now Broadway's fourth longest-running show"surpassing Cats; productions continue to sprout up globally in many languages; and last yea…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:30PM[SHARE]
Friday, January 31, 2025

Broadway Opening: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (Sarah Snook at the Music Box Theatre) by Tony Frankel

A deal with the devil; eternal youth, for the ultimate price. The Picture of Dorian Gray is coming to Broadway's Music Box Theatre for  a strictly limited engagement 14-week engagement fo…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:29PM[SHARE]
Sunday, January 26, 2025

Theater Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (CV Rep) by Tony Frankel

A LUSH, ROMANTIC JOURNEY THROUGH LOVE AND TRANSFORMATION Since Adam Karsten's arrival as Artistic Director at CV Rep, the quality and consistency of the theater's productions have improved e…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 09:27PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 21, 2025

Highly Recommended Off-Broadway: LOS SOLES TRUNCOS (Repertorio Español) by Tony Frankel

NYC PREMIERE OF RENÉ MARQUÉS' LOS SOLES TRUNCOS René Marqués' seminal work, Los Soles Truncos, stands as a cornerstone of Puerto Rican classical theater. Written in 1958, the play …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:54PM[SHARE]

Highly Recommended Dance: MEMORYHOUSE (Los Angeles Ballet at The Wallis in Beverly Hills) by Tony Frankel

YOUR MEMORY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME With its gripping ensembles, intense partner work and evocative movement, Los Angeles Ballet's Memoryhouse tells personal and collective stories of l…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:33AM[SHARE]
Saturday, January 18, 2025

Off-Broadway Review: SYMPHONY OF RATS 2025 (The Wooster Group at The Performing Garage in Soho) by Tony Frankel

RATS AND POLITICS TOGETHER? WHO EVER HEARD OF SUCH A THING! In the wildly entertaining and mind-bending Symphony of Rats, which I had the pleasure of experiencing at REDCAT in Los Angeles la…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 12:05PM[SHARE]

Theater Review: DEATH OF A SALESMAN (Panic! Productions at The Colony Theatre in Burbank) by Tony Frankel

ARTHUR MILLER'S CLASSIC DONE TO DEATH AT THE COLONY THEATRE What cachet Arthur Miller's 1949 classic Death of a Salesman has in terms of power and artistry, nuance, subtlety and insight, is …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:50AM[SHARE]
Saturday, January 11, 2025

Theater Opening: 42 BALLOONS (North American Premiere by Chicago Shakespeare Theater) by Tony Frankel

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) will be presenting the North American premiere of the new musical 42 Balloons. From the multi-award-winning producers Kevin McCollum (Oh, Mary!, Re…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 11:13PM[SHARE]

Highly Recommended Concert: THE HOLLYWOOD MODERNISTS: The Second Golden Age of Film Scoring (Scott Dunn Orchestra at The Wallis in Beverly Hills) by Tony Frankel

STEP INTO HOLLYWOOD'S MUSICAL LEGACY Beverly Hills is about to become the epicenter of cinematic symphony. On Saturday, January 18, 2025, the Scott Dunn Orchestra makes its grand debut at Th…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 10:03PM[SHARE]
Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Theater Review: SANTASIA: A HOLIDAY COMEDY (Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks) by Tony Frankel

A LETTER TO SANTA Dear Santa: Well, what a year 2024 was. With the way things are going, I decided to count my blessings. So I'm writing to thank you for that pair of tickets to see Santasia…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 04:03AM[SHARE]
Thursday, January 2, 2025

Highly Recommended Theater: ELEANOR (Laguna Playhouse) by Tony Frankel

"You not only have a right to be an individual. You have a responsibility." " Eleanor Roosevelt Laguna Playhouse has announced that Mary Roosevelt, a direct descendant of Eleanor Roosevelt, …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:38AM[SHARE]

Off-Broadway Review: PEN PALS (Theatre at St. Clement's) by Tony Frankel

The holidays have faded into memory, and the bitter chill of winter days have settled in. But fear not " when the frost bites, the theatre offers warmth, and somewhere out there, a play is r…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:00AM[SHARE]
Saturday, December 14, 2024

Highly Recommended Theater: ANYTHING GOES IN CONCERT (Wayne Brady, J Harrison Ghee, Jinkx Monsoon; Pasadena Civic) by Tony Frankel

YOU'LL GET A KICK OUT OF THIS Oh, no, no, no. A musical in concert of this magnitude hardly ever happens in L.A., and Anything Goes in Concert at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium is shaping up …

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 07:59PM[SHARE]
Saturday, November 30, 2024

Theater Review: CAT KID COMIC CLUB (Tour at Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City) by Tony Frankel

Last year at this time, I saw the family-friendly and totally entertaining Dog Man: The Musical at the Kirk Douglas Theatre presented by TheaterWorksUSA in which comic book hero Dog Man, wit…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 08:12PM[SHARE]
Thursday, November 28, 2024

Highly Recommended Dance: TURING TESTS, APPLES AND QUEENS (Invertigo Dance Theatre at Caltech in Pasadena) by Tony Frankel

A FUSION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, MATHEMATICAL GENIUS AND FAIRY TALES CaltechLive's Opening Doors is a themed series of dance, music, and theater events on campus that showcase artists wh…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 03:51PM[SHARE]
Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Theater Reviews: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES; JOAN; FIRST DATE; CAROL COOKE DIED FOR MY SINS; BEING PIAF; RENT; A GOING AWAY PARTY PLAY (various theaters throu by Tony Frankel

WHAT'S YOUR STORY? In the "It's Not the Story, It's in How You Tell It" Department, an incredible number of shows I saw in the last month have incredible tales to tell, but falter in their c…

SOURCE: Stage and Cinema at 02:59AM[SHARE]

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