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RECENT THEATRE AND OTHER PERFORMING ARTS REVIEWS
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"DYING CITY" AT THE ROGUE MACHINE: MEH (05/24/2013 11:51:31 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) When a play relies on a clever device, the result is only as strong as its own conceit. Shinn’s approach is novel, but the impetus driving the action should not be the literary gambit supporting the main thrust of the story. The machinations cannot be so transparent that one in essence can see the nuts and bolts of a playwright plying away at pretence. There’s a risk of being gimmicky.
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THE KISS METHOD…KEEP IT SIMPLE SMART IN “YEARS TO THE DAY” (04/26/2013 08:12:06 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) The world premiere of Allen Barton’s two-hander play epitomizes the KISS Method (otherwise known as ‘keep it simple stupid’) but in this case it is actually quite smart. Smart enough not to need any window dressing in the sense of a set beyond a table and two chairs; smarter still, director Joel Polis wisely keeps both men’s butts in seats almost throughout the 90 minutes. The script is also smart enough to hold the audiences’ attention because the actors Jeff LeBeau and Michael Yavnieli dig into their characters with gusto and realism, sniping at each other while maintaining a precarious balance of friendly rapport given the simple but logical premise.
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BETTY HUTTON: HOT DOG! (04/12/2013 01:03:05 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Diane Vincent, a professional Lucy Ricardo impersonator, treats her subject like an adoring fan. The love and affection for Hutton is unquestioningly evident, especially Vincent’s foreword in the program which carefully sidesteps exactly what this show is, “a musical tribute to the songs of Betty Hutton” (underlined for emphasis). Fair enough but the attempt produces only fair results. Vincent does not attempt to recreate the persona of Hutton in any largely recognizable way.
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WOLVES: A VERY BLOODY FAIRY TALE (04/05/2013 02:29:08 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Steve Yockey’s world premiere at the Celebration Theatre mightily attempts to incorporate the romanticism of a love story between two men and a wolf that brings retribution in blood and fear. It is a mildly interesting concept but for all its intrusive narrating throughout and convenient exposition that does little to illuminate the whiny, neediness of a lonely man in a big city attached to faithless couch-hopper, the deeper connotations are completely absent which is imperative for these storybook stock characters to connect beyond the superficial setup.
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GET THEE TO “PARADISE”…Y’ALL WILL HAVE A GOOD TIME, YA’ HEAR (03/29/2013 10:48:15 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) The world premiere of a kicky bluegrass musical at the Ruskin Group Theatre in Santa Monica delivers corn spun humor and wit with the refined subtleness of biscuits and gravy, but it leaves you feeling full and satisfied in spite of the hackneyed storyline and clichéd hillbilly characters.
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RUNNING TO STAND STILL: "TRAINSPOTTING" (03/22/2013 Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Aboot fuckin time n aws thit, likesay, director Roger Mathey remoots his belter 2002 production based oan the novel by Scottish punter, Irvine Welsh. Ah’m warnin youse this isnae fir ivir one. It’s two hours ay radge addicts gittin high oan skag between shaggin wi skuddy burds but no the catboys, (whae is a bit ay a slag off fir the mantovani’s but whit kin you dae), n harsh language. Fir those whae already ken whit ah’m sayin n huv no stoaped readin this yet, thin ya jist need tae git up off ay yir arse n shee it because it is a night ay total licentious enjiyment.
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THE MAN AND THE IMAGE IN “UNDISPUTED TRUTH” (03/21/2013 Theater Review in Hollywood by Kelly Hargraves) There is the man and the image. There is the guy in the ring, the guy in the acclaimed biopic from a few years back and then there is the guy sitting on a stool under a spotlight on the stage of The Pantages Theater. It’s as unlikely a place to imagine seeing world champion boxer Mike Tyson as any but this is what makes so many want to see him. We need a chance to understand this brutal fighter, thoughtful brain and gentle soul. And that is what "Undisputed Truth" is all about.
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BLURRED LINES BUT SHARP ACTING: "SEXSTING" (03/08/2013 01:21:32 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) For those who avidly watched Dateline’s voyeuristic and creep-ridden To Catch a Predator, “Sexsting” by Doris Baizley and Susan Raffanti offer a variant on this theme where the bad guy isn’t so easily pigeon-holed and the good guy isn’t so easily innocent. It makes for uneasy theater, deeply fascinating, tinged with blurred lines of entrapment, ethics and friendship.
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ANTI-NORTON THIS! “THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY OF STEVE JOBS” (03/08/2013 11:36:05 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) The virus I refer to is Alex Lyras in Mike Daisey’s controversial “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” at Theatre Asylum. A byte sized piece of prop-theater, Daisey’s monologue attracted critical attention both for its questionable verity and for its fearless reproach of one of technology’s greatest Goliaths’, the late Steve Jobs.
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“SMOKE AND MIRRORS” – AN ALCHEMY OF MAGIC, HOPE AND HEART (03/01/2013 12:57:02 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) The multi-dimensional show touches on a myriad of emotions without any guile and sleekness. It is at times, almost raw, spontaneous and chockfull of unexpected surprises. For those expecting to see a well-oiled machine of wizardry prowess, the kind that dazzles in its elusive trickery, “Smoke and Mirrors” brings spectacle but with tender feeling and a soulful longing.
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“COMPLETE” CREATES ITSELF BEING SMART…MAYBE TOO SMART (03/01/2013 12:51:22 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Andrea Kuchlewska’s West Coast premiere at The Matrix is an intellectual calisthenics for the etymologically obsessed (see Grammar Nazi), stylishly directed by Jennifer Chambers and bolstered by an outstanding cast. Yet, for all the wit and wordplay ping-pong between a pair of academic linguists, who ironically cannot express their feelings, the discourse smoothly but didactically veers from the semantics of language to the bastion of self-help in the form of est.
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NO GOY: “WHEN YOU’RE IN LOVE, THE WHOLE WORLD IS JEWISH" (02/15/2013 09:45:33 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Apparently, all a show needs to sell out and earn early extensions is name recognition, as in the case of director, Jason Alexander, and dated material targeted for a specific audience. Voila! Producers Danny Gold and Billy Riback should be commended on their sure-fire brand of successful packaging with “When You’re in Love, the Whole World is Jewish” that is pure bupkes.
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HOLY CRAP! "DIRTY FILTHY LOVE STORY" IS PACKED WITH LAUGHS (01/25/2013 12:22:54 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) If you’re in Hollywood this weekend and want to see something that you can laugh about over drinks and dinner afterwards with your friends—this is a damn fine choice. It’s definitely an icebreaker date night play and if you’re worried about what your prospective companion will think about that mystery stain on the carpet or the stacks of dishes in the sink when you bring them back to your place, then see this and you’ll look like a neat freak by comparison.
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CATHY RIGBY AS “PETER PAN” FLIES BACK TO THE PANTAGES (01/17/2013 07:21:17 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Former gymnast, Cathy Rigby’s 40-year career playing a boy, who refuses to grow up, flies back to the Pantages, amid all its glitter and glib nuances. Holding the astounding record for the longest-portrayal of the title role, what this production lacks in ingenuity is made up for in Rigby’s significant incarnation. She is Peter Pan.
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A SNEAK PEEK AT THE 53RD ANNUAL L.A. COUNTY HOLIDAY CELEBRATION (12/19/2012 11:37:14 AM Theater Review in Downtown LA by M.R. Hunter)
We got a sneak peek in the rehearsal halls at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Saturday, Dec 1 and to our amazement, this is the only time for groups to come in for a quick run through. What we discovered was almost more amazing than the actual extravaganza itself gifted by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors…all of this must come together in a single day.
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A CHEEKY HOLIDAY ONE-MAN SHOW: “IN HEAT IN HOLLYWOOD HO HO HO!” (12/12/2012 01:47:17 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) For those seeking more adult entertainment with such shows like “Bob’s Holiday Office Party” and “Santasia” already under their belts, Trudell’s boisterously forthcoming expose is a fast, frenetic interlude akin to watching a little kid tear through his Christmas gifts at mach speed.
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ELEVATOR REPAIR SERVICE'S "GATZ" A MONUMENTAL EVENT AT REDCAT (12/05/2012 Theater Review in Downtown LA by Kelly Hargraves)
Since seeing actor Scott Shepherd in The Wooster Group's HAMLET a few years ago, I thought I could listen to him read the phone book…
Well, I almost did just having sat through the Elevator Repair Service's 8 1/2 hour rendition of F. Scott Fitzgerald's THE GREAT GATSBY at the REDCAT.
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“AVENUE Q”: FOUL, FUZZY AND F**KING FUN…FOR ADULTS (11/16/2012 12:31:14 AM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) Finally! A musical that takes us back to childhood by reminding us how to get through the daily crap and bullshit with peppy numbers, cheerful animations and cute, cuddly talking heads. DOMA Theatre Company’s 2012 season closer lands them on firm footing, (ironic with its menagerie of legless characters), in an intimate setting that compliments this kind of show and rivals the bigger venues with its up-close and personal effect.
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BLACK WOMEN: STATE OF THE UNION - TAKING FLIGHT AT KATSELAS (10/31/2012 02:42:27 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) It is not a show just for women. It is not a show for the racial minority. It is a show about the human experience told by women, performed primarily by women and deserves our attention.
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BEFORE REALITY TV THERE WERE SHOWS LIKE THESE:
“YOU CAN’T TAKE IT WITH YOU” (10/25/2012 02:46:58 PM Theater Review in Los Angeles by M.R. Hunter) It’s difficult for classics to compete with the deluge of crap bombarding us on every flat screen. Isn’t it nice when something doesn’t rely on f-bombs, histrionic meltdowns, catfights and shameless exploitation to still be funny, relevant, touching and voyeuristically satisfying? That’s what “You Can’t Take It With You” at Antaeus provides which is more than I can say for my TV Guide. Tune into this show and give the sleazy, self-obsessed anti-heroes a rest for one night.
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