Orange County Theatre Reviews

Anaheim, podcast, The Chance Theater, Theater, Uncategorized Comments Off on OCR Podcast #8 Interview with the Creators of Claudio Quest @ The Chance Theatre in Anaheim – Podcast |

OCR Podcast #8 Interview with the Creators of Claudio Quest @ The Chance Theatre in Anaheim – Podcast

Interview with Writer/Director Marshall Pailet,  Writer Drew Fornarola and Choreographer Maxx Reed.

A new musical comedy that follows a very super hero, his less super little brother, and one butt-kicking princess, as the three embark on a mission to overcome killer eggplants, a love-starved platypus, and their own 8-bit existential crisis. Taken from the website 

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Review, Theater, westminster community theatre Comments Off on The Wisdom of Eve @ Westminster Playhouse in Westminster – Review |

The Wisdom of Eve @ Westminster Playhouse in Westminster – Review

Written by Patrick Chavis 

Most people remember this story as the film All About Eve (1950), which was nominated for 14 Academy Awards.  It went on to win six Oscars that year, including Best Picture. Even in recent history, very few films can say they’ve accomplished that feat.  When you have such well-known material, it’s almost guaranteed that the script is good, but it also intensifies the scrutiny of the material. All About Eve is iconic, and in the wrong hands, the play (which changed the title to The Wisdom of Eve and was created in the 1960s) has the potential to be dreadfully boring, overlong (as it runs 3 hours), and predictable.  I am pleased to report that this is not the case with the Westminster Community Playhouse’s performance. Continue Reading

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Costa Mesa, Musical, Review, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Uncategorized Comments Off on Magically Educational : Matilda @ Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa – Review |

Magically Educational : Matilda @ Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa – Review

(Photo by Joan Marcus)

Written by Alina Mae Wilson 

When I decide to take a child to the theater, there are two basic things I look for in the show –entertainment  and education.  Will they enjoy themselves, and will they learn something from the experience?  It has been awhile since I’ve seen a show meeting these criteria as successfully as Matilda.  This Tony Award winning musical is now playing over at Segerstrom in Costa Mesa, but there are only three more shows –so hurry. Continue Reading

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fullerton, Maverick Theatre, Musical, Review Comments Off on Beware the Plants : Little Shop of Horrors @ The Maverick Theatre in Fullerton – Review |

Beware the Plants : Little Shop of Horrors @ The Maverick Theatre in Fullerton – Review

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Review, Stagestheatre, Theater, Uncategorized Comments Off on Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike @ STAGEStheatre in Fullerton – Review |

Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike @ STAGEStheatre in Fullerton – Review

Written by Scotty Keister 

You don’t have to be a fan of Chekhov to appreciate “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” but it certainly adds icing to an already delicious cake. Now running at Stages Theatre, Christopher Durang’s 2013 Tony winner for Best Play is not only a hilarious homage to Chekhov’s four main plays (Uncle Vanya, The Cherry Orchard, The Three Sisters, The Seagull) but also a spoof of modern life, clinging to the past while the present tramples all over it. Continue Reading

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Musical, OCR Magazine, Theater, Uncategorized Comments Off on Shout Out to the Talented OC Set and Costume Designers |

Shout Out to the Talented OC Set and Costume Designers

(photo: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Written by Patrick Chavis 

Every year the OCR crew and I dedicate a lot of time to promoting our love for theatre (though nowhere near as much time as the people on stage or back stage of the performances we watch), which includes creating an annual magazine covering the theatre community in Orange County, CA.  So far we’ve released two magazines, which are free to the community.   Though the issues are not perfect we are pretty proud of what we’ve accomplished in the last two years. That being said, there is still room for improvement, and after being notified by a very trusted source, I’ve realized in the last two editions of OCR Magazine when we listed our favorite Set Designs and Costumes each year, we have forgotten to actually mention the people creating the sets and putting together the clothes, a huge misstep on my part, which will be rectified in future OCR Magazine editions and our regular reviews.  To start things off, see below for a list of the great designers whose work we marveled over during the past two years. For a full free copy of both magazines download a free copy @ https://theorangecurtainrev.com/magazine/  Continue Reading

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