Broadway hit explores themes of identity, trauma and healing. From left, Ishan Panjabi, Sol Joun, and Doshima Iyorlu. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. by Anne Reid When "Jagged Little Pill" premiered on Broadway in 2019, audiences embraced its unflinching examination of addiction, racism, identity and the complicated realities that often exist beneath the surface of seemingly perfect lives. Now Chance Theater is bringing the Tony Award-winning and Grammy Award-winning musical

Putting on a Very Happy Face Bruno A. Satalino and the ensemble of Bye Bye Birdie. Photo courtesy of The Phantom Projects Theatre by Anne Reid Rock-and-roll fever is set to sweep through Phantom Projects Theatre at La Habra Depot as “Bye Bye Birdie,” one of Broadway’s most beloved musical comedies, arrives with laughs, lively dance numbers and timeless charm. Directed and choreographed by Alan M-L Wager, the Tony Award-winning musical follows the chaos that erupts when rock-a

Celebration of Shakespeare’s Friendship and Legacy From left, Genevieve Kauper, Kelly Franett and RigelKent Paden. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad. by Anne Reid Director Amanda Hallman has wanted to stage “The Book of Will” since the moment she first read Lauren Gunderson’s play. After years of waiting for the rights, that vision is finally coming to life at Curtis Theatre through Begins And Ends With A, the production company Hallman co-founded with producer and costume desi

A diner, a wide-open road, and a story that proves even the smallest places can hold the biggest hearts. From Left, Rachel Williams and Sadie Black. Photo courtesy of Dylan Cranford. by MaryAnn DiPietro American Coast Theatre Company is heading somewhere a little quieter this summer, somewhere with porch swings, mountain air and the kind of stories that sneak up on your heart. The company invites audiences into the small town of Gilead, a place where folks know your name and

A picture-perfect 1950s dream, a life styled to perfection, and the moment the fantasy starts to slip. From left: Shane Murphy, Jeremy Krasovic, Taylor LaBarbera, Charlie Massey, Sarah Jane Finch, Mary Price Moore. Photo courtesy of Eric Modyman By MaryAnn DiPietro At first glance, it looks like perfection. But in “Home, I’m Darling” at Cabrillo Playhouse, that polished facade is only the beginning. In a production that leans into both nostalgia and nuance, director Hilary Pe

Two teenagers confront identity, belonging and change in post-9/11 New Jersey. From left, Vicky Yvonne and Spike Pulice. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. by Anne Reid Where were you born? Where did you grow up? For most people, those questions are answered without much thought. In Martyna Majok’s “Sanctuary City,” opening May 1 at Chance Theater, they carry real weight. Set in Newark, New Jersey, in the years following 9/11, the play follows two teenagers known simply as B an

An innovative reimagining of a classic Christie mystery. From Bottom Left; Clockwise: Sawyer Reece Maier, Paul Burt, Holly Jones, Abel Miramontes, Shawn Plunkett, Noah Chin, Tanya Raisa, Catalina Tan, Emily Hood, Olivia Oakley. Photo courtesy of Katelyn Abaya by Anne Reid Just after midnight, a snowdrift brings the Orient Express to a halt, stranding its passengers in the dead of winter. By morning, one of them is dead: an American tycoon found in his compartment, stabbed ei

Four women. One truth. And the dangerous cost of carrying it. From left, Kallie Pong, Megan Sigler, Juliet Fischer and Rori Flynn . Photo courtesy of Shinshin Tsai . by MaryAnn DiPietro At Chance Theater, the stage becomes a crossroads of memory and consequence. In “The Messenger,” written by Jenny Connell Davis and directed by Katie Chidester, a nonlinear drama unfolds as the stories of four women, decades apart, speak into the same restless space. “Four interwoven monologue

A Musical That Dares You to Hear Women’s Voices From left, Mariah Martin, Arianna Nelson, Danielle Heaton and Mads Durbin. Photo courtesy of Ophelia's Jump Productions. By Shannon Cudd Ophelia's Jump Productions’ upcoming musical “In the Green” is a rarely produced show that will stimulate your brain and challenge you to think about a new subject matter.“ In the Green” tells the origin story of Hildegard von Bingen, a German Catholic Benedictine abbess and polymath during the

A riotous Renaissance comedy that’s rip-roaring fun. From left, Spike Pulice and Taras Wybaczynsky Jr. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad and Jon Infante. By Anne Reid The Curtis Theatre is about to be taken over by ruffs, tights, tap shoes and an avalanche of theatrical inside jokes as “Something Rotten!” takes the stage in a collaboration between Southgate Productions and the City of Brea. Set in the bustling world of Renaissance England, “Something Rotten!” centers on Nick an

When the Truth Won’t Stay Buried From Top Left: Feyara Bellefleur, Zion Aguilar, Lars Toler, Sophia Gonzalez. From Bottom Left: Jarid McCarthy, Josh Causley, Mae Montgomery, and Rosa Sandoval . Photo courtesy of Lizzy McCabe. By MaryAnn DiPietro Family reunions are rarely clean and simple, and in “Bug In Mouth Disease,” the sharp, dark yet funny new play making its world premiere, the secrets are undeniably messy. Produced by The Larking House, “Bug In Mouth Disease” arrives

A quiet, heartfelt love story and joyous musical journey. From left, Emma Laird and Morgan Hollingsworth . Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. by Anne Reid At a moment when the world feels increasingly fractured by grief, isolation and uncertainty, the musical “Once” arrives not as an escape from reality but as a gentle, deeply human response to it. With a book by Enda Walsh and music and lyrics by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová, “Once” is based on the Academy Award-winning f

Reimagining our founding document through four generations of extraordinary women Aubrey Saverino (Photo Courtesy of Doug Catiller) By Anne Reid The role of the Constitution today is being challenged like never before, so it seemed like the perfect time to focus on the document itself and examine the living context in which it resides in American life. For director Katie Chidester, it is deeply personal and why she’s thrilled to direct the Tony-nominated and Pulitzer Prize-f

From left, Rose London, Kathleen Switzer, and Stacy Castiglione. Photo courtesy of Francis Gacad. Tracy Letts’ 2008 masterpiece makes its...

From Left: Emma Magbanua, Naya Ramsey-Clarke, Kayley Stallings and Linda Bard. Photo courtesy of Doug Catiller. History gets loud: the...

From Left: Magan Tran, Shelby Perlis, Emma Laird, Genevieve Kauper (Photo by Francis Gacad) Begins And Ends With ‘A’ Productions Unveils...

From Left: Darri Kristin, Amberlin Morse & Stacy Castiglione (Photo by Michael Serna) A blistering, steel-hearted tale hits the stage in...

Albert Park and Michelle Krusiec in “The Chinese Lady” at Chance Theater. Photos by Doug Catiller A Powerful, Poetic Play Based On The...

Friendship, Grief, and Growth-- Ten Years in the Telling By Harrison Tate-Pascua Ten years after its initial conception, The Larking...

From Left: Elijah Munck, Scott Roberts, Dyan Hobday-Smith, Rachel Williams and Kristin Cortines (Photo by Bella Chrastina and Amanda...