John Ballinger

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including a Solo Show About Polka. Yes, Polka

Lynnmarie Rink's one-woman (not counting her band) show about her life as a polka star is this week's pick of the week. It's called Wrap Your Heart Around It, and it's being performed at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. Also, recommendations for Theatricum Botanicum's new work Merlin: The Untold Adven ... More >>

Theatre to See in L.A. This Week, Including One Actor's Excursion into Peruvian Drugs

Michael Kass' one-man show, Ceremony, about his journey to spiritual enlightenment via Peru, is this week's pick of the week. For all the latest new theater reviews, and this weekend's theater listings, see below. This week's theater feature, on the shadows that govern our lives, looks at Shakespe ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including an Unlikely Oscar Winner

Henry Ong's new play Sweet Karma, based on the life of a Khmer Rouge survivor and his tragic death on the streets of L.A., is being performed at Burbank's Grove Theatre Center, and is this week's pick. For all new theater reviews, plus this weekend's stage listings, see below.This week's theater fea ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including an Ionesco Vaudeville Musical

This week in L.A. theater, Ionescopade, the vaudeville musical based on Eugene Ionesco's plays, was our pick of the week, while Alcestis at the Boston Court also got a "Go." All new theater reviews are below. As Steven Leigh Morris is on vacation this week, our stage feature is a piece on L.A.'s bo ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Watson and Holmes, Together Again

This week in L.A. theater, Jamie Robledo's Watson and the Dark Art of Harry Houdini was our pick of the week, while ModRock at the El Portal also got a "Go." All new theater reviews are below. Our stage feature is an interview with Val Kilmer about his new Mark Twain solo show at the Kirk Douglas T ... More >>

ModRock

A Pair of Two-Person Shows, One Starring Comedy Couple Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally

Annapurna and Years to the Day, Reviewed

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Japanese War Brides Musical Tea, With Music

A musical about World War II war brides, Tea, With Music, for which the author, Velina Hasu Houston, has added songs and music for this production, is our Pick of the Week. For all new theater reviews, see below. This week's stage fature looks a couple of plays aiming to be light fare: Micha ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Jeff Goldblum as a Writing Teacher

Starting this week, we will now include our listings of all ongoing shows, below the new reviews, to help make it easier for you to decide which shows to see this week.The writing of neurologist Oliver Sacks has inspired a new work at Theatre @ Boston Court in Pasadena -- Kathryn Walat's Creation. S ... More >>

Justin Love

Stage Raw: Camino Real

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE ON THE BREAK OF NOON, AND CRACK WHORE GALORE -- LIVE!NEW PARTNERS ​CalArts teams up with the Theater @ Boston Court to present CAMINO REAL  (reviewed here on Tuesday) at the Pasadena theater. Photo by Ed Krieger. Another new pa ... More >>

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Theater Reviews: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mr. Kolpert, Aftermath

Also Stealing Buffalo, Firehouse and more

Stage Raw: Mr. Kolpert

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE ON SPIDER-MAN, ON BROADWAYNEW REVIEW GO MR. KOLPERT ​Photo by Charlie Fonville What to do when you're settled, successful and sociopathic? For bored couple Sarah (Lauren Olipra) and Ralf (Tommy French), the answer is, terrorize Sa ... More >>

Ken Roht's Same-O, A 99¢ Only Electric Ballad

THEATER REVIEWS: A CHICAGO CHRISTMAS CAROL, EXIT 10, THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, OUR BEDS ARE CROWDED

Also, The Stories of Cesar Chavez, Traveling Carnival Freakshow, West Side Story and more

Stage Raw: Traveling Carnival Freakshow

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWSSTAGE FEATURE on three plays in NYC NEW REVIEW GO TRAVELING CARNIVAL FREAKSHOW ​Photo by Chelsea SuttonIf Tod Browning and the Brothers Quay had collaborated on a stage version of The Island of Dr. Moreau, the results might have resembled this whim ... More >>

Stage Raw: Robert Ellenstein memorial on Monday

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS and OPENINGS THIS WEEKSTAGE FEATURE on three plays in NYCROBERT ELLENSTEIN REMEMBERED​A memorial service for Robert Ellenstein has been set for Monday, December 5, 2 p.m. at Theatre West, 3333 Cahuenga Blvd. West, Los Angeles 90068. Ellenstein was ... More >>

Stage Raw: Schmutizen Deutche Kabarett

COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSNEW THEATER REVIEWS and OPENINGS THIS WEEKStage FEATURE on Randy Newman's Harps and Angels, and NET's L.A. Micro-festNEW REVIEW GO SCHMUTZIGEN DEUTSCHE KABARETT ​ Photo by Amanda Marquardt This latest, late-night creation from sardonic, surrealist director-choreogr ... More >>

The Projectionist

Theater Reviews: Land of the Tigers, The Projectionist

Also, The Devil With Boobs, Clown Show for Bruno and more

Stage Raw: Land of the Tigers

CLICK HERE FOR COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGSLAND OF THE TIGERS IS THIS WEEK'S PICKLand of the Tigers Photo by Jon Beauregard Noises OnCool Cats and Hot ActorsAct 1 of the Burglars of Hamm's hilarious and thought provoking comedy, Land of the Tigers, outlandishly crosses Cats with Planet of the Ape ... More >>

Stage Raw: Photograph 51

THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY AWARDS, HOSTED BY JAKE BRODER AND VANESSA CLAIRE SMITH (OF LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA) IS HAPPENING  AT THE EL REY ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, MONDAY NIGHT MARCH 30. DOORS OPEN AT 6:30 P.M.,  AND NO IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO RSVP OR BUY TICKETS.BRODER AND SMITH ... More >>

Stage Raw: Grease

L.A.DRAMA CRITICS CIRCLE AWARDS TONIGHT AT EL PORTALL.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS TWO WEEKS FROM TONIGHT AT THE EL REYPURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS ON MARCH 30TH; HERE ARE THE NOMINEES GREASE at the PantagesGrease Photo by Joan MarcusNEW REVIEW GREASE Born of NBC's re ... More >>

Stage Raw: Before Kirk Douglas Forgets

PURCHASE TICKETS TO THE 30TH ANNUAL L.A. WEEKLY THEATER AWARDS ON MARCH 30TH AT THE EL REY; HERE ARE THE NOMINEES. BEFORE I FORGETKirk Douglas in Before I Forget. Photo by Craig Schwartz The gift in Kirk Douglas' one-man show, Before I Forget,  that opened over the weekend in the theater name ... More >>

Stage Raw: Getting Physical

DRACULADracula is this week's Pick. See review by pressing the Continue Reading tab at the bottom of this section. (All New Reviews are embedded within the Comprehensive Theater Listings.) Photo by Michael Lamont GETTING PHYSICAL Two bills of physical comedy are being performed at Sacred Fool ... More >>

Stage Raw: Monsters and Prodigies

Reviewed this week: Pippin at the Mark Taper Forum; Jack Chandlers' new comedy-mystery, Murder on the Bounding Main, at Sierra Madre Playhouse; a dance-rock fusion, Vibrating Sun, at Unknown Theatre; Los Angeles Theatre Ensemble's staging fof Macbeth; Echo One-Act Festival at Stage 52; Furious Th ... More >>

Stage Raw: Unpronouncable

THEATER AWARDS UPDATE Here is the complete list of NOMINEES for the 30th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards, being held Monday, March 30 at the El Rey. Admission for nominees is free; nominee RSVPs are now being accepted at (310) 574-7208. Tickets for guests and members of the public go on sale ... More >>

Stage Raw: The Biggest Thank You Ever Given

The Biggest Thank You Ever Given I'm thunderstruck and deeply moved by the outpouring and quality of your appreciations to me in your emails and in the comments to Friday's posting on the elimination of the L.A. Weekly's Theater Editor position. What a privilege: to read all that, to have served ... More >>

Stage Raw: Arts Freeze

ARTS FREEZE FOR THE HOLIDAYS In a cost-cutting measure, the Los Angeles Unified School District has frozen district funds until the state legislature returns to Sacramento in January to sort out the State budget gridlock. Arts for L.A. has been quick to point out that the freeze includes existin ... More >>

Stage Raw: New Troupes on the Block

NEW TROUPES ON THE BLOCK Under the umbrella of Cornerstone Theatre Company, a new company called Teatro Jornalero Sin Fronteras (Day Laborer Theater Without Borders) launches at the Hollywood Community Job Center, 5669 De Longpre Avenue; December 20 at noon. The 15-member troupe will voice the s ... More >>

Stage Raw: Babes in Toyland

BABES IN TOYLAND is this week's Theater Pick. Writes Tom Provenzano: "While visions of nutcrackers and victorian misers dance through the yuletide entertainment listings, this production offers a delightful alternative. Forty kids, age 9 to 19 romp, through Alice Hammerstein-Mathias and William M ... More >>

Ken Roht's 99 Cent Only Calendar Girl Competition

Ken Roht's 99c Only Calendar Girl Competition

Theater Reviews: My Trip Down the Pink Carpet, Scrooge Must Die!

Plus, A Grand Guignol Children's Show, A Chicago Christmas Carol and more

Stage Raw: Your Source for Free and Discount Theater Tickets

FREE AND DISCOUNT THEATER TICKETS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW Plays411 is offering FREE & Discount Tickets: You only pay $3.50 Service Fee, or Half-off where indicated. Advance Reservations only: Go to: plays411.com, then select the show, use Promo Code: "LETMEIN" (unless otherwise instructed ... More >>

Stage Raw: Leslie Jordan's Trip Down the Pink Carpet

This Week's Theater Pick Leslie Jordan's Autobiographical Trip Down the Pink Carpet If a zest for life is infectious, there's probably no more delightful a carrier than Leslie Jordan. A diminutive stage, film, Emmy Award-winning TV actor, and fugitive from the Bible Belt, Jordan regales us ... More >>

Stage Raw: Cocks of the Walk

COCKS OF THE WALK The same people who brought us Naked Boys Singing are at it again -- this time showing considerable more restraint with a musical revue subtly named Hangin' Out -- described as "a celebration of the human body . . . exploring different aspects of nudity in song and dance." Now ... More >>

Welcome to Our Party

The 27th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards

The Lawees Are Coming; The Lawees Are Coming!

Our nominees for the 27th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards

Young American Grows Up

The 20th Annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards

Our 20th Annual Theater Awards Nominees