photo credit: Amber Scott
Originally a novel by Jane Austen, the play Sense and Sensibility follows the lives of the Dashwood sisters as they maneuver the social complexities of the upper class in late 1700s England. While this play’s formal speech and historical realism begs a certain degree of patience and maturity in its’ viewer, Costa Mesa Playhouse’s production of Sense and Sensibility is heartfelt and sympathetic.
Local playwright Anders Hosek does not lack ambition. To create a night of theater about the themes of affection, reflection, and connection, he staged two of his original works: The Saguaro Dove and Love In The Mirror.  One is an apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic survivor story. The other is a fairy tale. Both are love stories. Continue Reading
Childhood is where everything begins. Those early moments can change so much in a person’s life. It’s an area of storytelling ripe with possibility. This new work by Playwright Simon J.O. Martin explores these possibilities, the happy and the sad moments. It was almost like watching a modern-day Peanuts-but no Snoopy. Just Charlie and his imagination. Continue Reading
photo credit: Jayson Antonio
Disney, Disney, Disney — is it possible to escape the Mouse when you live down in Orange County? I think it’s possible, but it’s very difficult. If you’re not into Disney, you most likely have a friend who is and who, in the last few years, didn’t watch a Marvel movie. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast is one of the most popular movies of all time, coming out during the  Disney Renaissance Era of Disney along with other big hits like The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Aladdin. The popularity of these movies led to stage adaptations. Cypress College takes on the stage version of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast with a lot of heart, some gorgeous lighting moments, and a very open storybook design. Despite some uneven performances, this show has some claws.
(photo credit: vanguard uni)
It was a dark and stormy night, but I ventured forth to the Lyceum Theater to see The Drowsy Chaperone. I’m glad I made the journey. Cold, rainy, and windy as it was outside, everything was red hot on stage. Continue Reading
Taken from the press release:
February 11th, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Music Man By Meredith Willson and Franklin Lacey is coming to Irvine High!
Irvine High School is proud to present the hit sensation The Music Man this spring at 4321 Walnut Avenue, Irvine, CA 92604.
The Music Man follows con man Harold Hill on a quest to organize and lead a boys band. He scurries around selling innocent townsfolk band instruments and uniforms but with his little musical knowledge, Harold plans to skip town before he has to give his promised music lessons. Strait-laced librarian and piano teacher, Marian Paroo, sees right through him. When he agrees to help her younger brother overcome his awkwardness, Marian finds herself falling for him. Being a charmer, he risks getting caught in his scheme to win over her heart. This story is told through some of the broadway hit songs which include: “Seventy-Six-Trombones,” “Marian The Librarian,” “Pickalittle (Talk-A-Little),” and “Gary, Indiana.”
