Michael Quintos - Page 6

To close out its 55th season, Orange County's Tony Award-winning South Coast Repertory is mounting David Henry Hwang's intriguing and mysterious play M. BUTTERFLY, using the playwright's much more layered and riveting 2017 Broadway revival as its source material. Marked assuredly by powerful, gripping performances, this admirable OC staging---directed with clarifying precision by Desdemona Chiang that continues through June 8 in Costa Mesa---keeps you at the edge of your seat, as it unpacks a story filled with wobbly uncertainties and vague declarations. A beautifully complex production that echoes sentiments of gender conformity/fluidity crossed with geopolitical issues that still resonate in today's ever-changing world, M. BUTTERFLY---particularly with this strong new update instituted by the original playwright himself---is definitely worth seeing.

In the latest North American touring production of what continues to be one of Broadway's laudable theatrical staples, FIDDLER ON THE ROOF's amiable patriarch Tevye is now being played by Israeli-born actor Yehezkel Lazarov, who gives the iconic role a fresh, less geriatric delivery that still shines with old-world charm, nuanced depth, and a down-to-earth, relatable persona. Lazarov--who leads this touring non-Equity iteration of the Bartlett Sher-directed 2015 Broadway revival--provides just one of the many reasons to reacquaint yourself with this enduring stage classic, now finishing up its limited engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts through May 19, 2019. Sill lively and emotionally poignant--and quite relevant and timely to see through the lens of the uneasy times we live in--the stage musical offers a safe, if slightly sanitized view into the lives of poor Jewish families in turn-of-the-century Russia where the looming assault of pogroms are about to threaten their very lives and existence.

The specific highs and lows---and all the cloudy, uneasy details in between---of a failed relationship are all picked apart and analyzed by a pair of distressed former lovers in British playwright David Hare's absorbing 1995 play SKYLIGHT, currently on stage at Anaheim's Chance Theater through May 19, 2019. Directed with an appealing yet captivating casualness by Chance Theater's own artistic director Oanh Nguyen, this excellent, beautifully-acted new local revival of the Olivier and Tony Award-winning drama focuses on a pair of deeply flawed individuals who have been trying their best to move on separately with their respective lives despite the deep scars that continue to haunt them. After three years apart, could a resuscitation of their past relationship be the key to put them both back in the right frame of mind again---or is their love unsalvageable?

In playwright Kevin Artigue's riveting and thought-provoking new two-person play SHEEPDOG---which finishes up its World Premiere run at Orange County's South Coast Repertory through May 5, 2019 as part of the theater's annual Pacific Playwrights Festival---the ripped-from-the-headlines plot point that finds a young black man being fatally shot by a white police officer becomes an added layer of troubling complication to an already shaky relationship between two genuinely good, aspirational people who are deeply in love---who also happen to be an interracial couple both employed as police officers. A love story rattled by external forces, the play posits the question of whether it is even possible for two people---or at least these two specific people---to carry on a successful romantic relationship while having this specific kind of a job and also while each identifies with one of two separate communities with a long tragic history between them. SHEEPDOG tackles the subject with grace and open-mindedness and therefore makes it one of the most powerful and provocative new plays to come out this season.

If you are wondering whether it's necessary for you to have seen Qui Nguyen's critically-acclaimed 2015 play VIETGONE in order to enjoy its superior new sequel POOR YELLA REDNECKS, then don't worry too much about it. This incredibly funny, incredibly innovative, and incredibly well-acted follow-up is, by itself, a singular, superb stand-alone gem. All those loud laughs you're hearing in Costa Mesa for the past few weeks? They're all likely coming from South Coast Repertory, where this entertaining and thought-provoking must-see sequel is currently being presented in its first full World Premiere production through April 27, 2019 as part of the Tony Award-winning theater's annual Pacific Playwright's Festival. I truly cannot recommend this play-with-music enough.

If you were fortunate enough to be one of the many who caught the touring production of the Tony Award-winning musical DEAR EVAN HANSEN during its Southern California stops at L.A.'s Ahmanson Theatre or, more recently, at O.C.'s Segerstrom Center of the Arts this past January, then you, no doubt, would remember Broadway veteran Aaron Lazar, the handsome and very talented man tasked with the role of Larry Murphy, the distant but distraught father to a suicidal teenager. The role has earned him much-deserved universal praise, not only for such a thoughtful, searing acting performance but also for his obvious singing prowess. Those powerful pipes were on full display this past weekend, where Costa Mesa's Segerstrom Center once again played host to Lazar, this time for a splendid solo cabaret set entitled BROADWAY TO HOLLYWOOD that entertained audiences for three nightly performances, April 11-13.

Musical Theatre West's entertaining, high-energy new production of CATCH ME IF YOU CAN---which continues performances at the Carpenter Center for the Performing Arts in Long Beach through April 14, 2019---is, for the most part, a sleek, stylish, and abundantly entertaining piece of theater, filled with nostalgic fun and features a plucky anti-hero at its center whose bad behavior can both be seen as terrible and worth cheering for in his sheer audacity and skill. Despite its flaws, the show is a worthy trip back in time, especially with the presence of its two terrific lead actors Jacob Haren and Jeff Skowron as the teenage con artist and the FBI agent chasing him.

Remarkably glitzy and broadly amusing, the delightful stage version of Disney's ALADDIN is a fun, lively, and entertaining repackaging of the originally fun, lively, and entertaining animated film classic, which will please both fans of the original and those in the mood for a great big dazzling (and bedazzled) Broadway musical. While this Casey Nicholaw-helmed big-budget extravaganza of dazzling sights and sounds is quite a faithful adaptation in terms of storyline and tone, the stage version abandons the impossible things it couldn't remotely replicate from the animated movie, but instead smartly utilizes the limitations of---and the unique qualities of---musical theater to produce a show that is, astonishingly, still an overall satisfying sensory treat. The show's national tour continues its three-week engagement at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA through March 23, 2019.

The national tour of the hit stage adaptation of Disney's ALADDIN has finally arrived in Orange County, playing a three-week engagement at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through March 23, 2019. The talented, terrifically nimble actor that can currently be found in the title role wearing the signature vest-no-shirt-parachute pants garb is Clinton Greenspan, who agreed to answer 20 Questions from BroadwayWorld's OC correspondent Michael L. Quintos.

Many have, of course, heard of the infamous Lizzie Borden, a young woman, who was charged with---but later acquitted of---the brutal axe murders of her father and stepmother in 1892. Strong curiosity and speculation remain til this day about the tragic events that took place more than a century ago, resulting in countless retellings of Borden's story using a variety of different mediums---everything from movies and television to literature and, yes, stage works. The latest iteration of her story is, arguably, its most out-of-the-box depiction yet: LIZZIE THE MUSICAL, an engaging, ferociously explosive punk rock opera first presented in 2010 and is now having its regional premiere performances at Chance Theater in Anaheim through March 3, 2019. While certainly not the definitive retelling for the Borden scandal, the show itself is an entertaining show elevated by a quartet of fierce women with a lot of feelings to express.

Currently a welcome, much-lauded presence in each city it visits, the top-notch first national tour of the multi-award-winning 2017 Broadway musical COME FROM AWAY---currently enchanting audiences at OC's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through February 17---is just the kind of timely show our splintered nation needs to experience right now: a heartwarming, winningly-presented collection of true stories that showcase the unvarnished beauty of human kindness and, ultimately, the absolute best examples of selflessness and generosity that seem rare these days. COME FROM AWAY is also a genuinely entertaining, enthusiastically rousing, and beautifully-staged theater piece that overflows with amiable grace, appealing music, and swiftly-paced criss-crossing stories that capture your attention right from the get-go.

Admittedly, after experiencing South Coast Repertory's potent and captivating new production of SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET, I'm hard pressed to remember the last time I was both this deeply moved and this excitedly riveted by Stephen Sondheim's macabre tale of a murderous barber hell-bent on exacting revenge. A curiously odd but strangely engrossing show peppered generously with dark humor, tragically-romanticized notions, and contrasting serious overtones, SWEENEY TODD's latest iteration in Orange County---now on stage in Costa Mesa through February 16, 2019---is a thrilling, quite distinctive new reinvention, that feels like a fresh pop-up play put on by a traveling Vaudevillian troupe that time-travelled from the past to give us modern audiences a live cautionary reenactment of a Penny Dreadful story that may just be too strange not to be true.

As most people know with live theater, there is an underlying risk in promoting that a specific star will be there at every single performance, as advertised in a specific project. Unfortunately, that's simply not realistic nor is it always going to be the case, due to a multitude of factors beyond anyone's control. To those worried about a future date in the national tour's run in which they will have to miss Ms. Buckley in the title role for any reason (which was recently the case during several days of a week-long engagement in Costa Mesa), I have two words for you: don't worry. As bummed as I was not being able to see Ms. Buckley's long-anticipated take on Dolly Levi (and I really really wanted to see Ms. Buckley), her admirable understudy Ms. Sheridan is a terrific, wonderfully game substitute. But as much as Ms. Buckley was, perhaps, a huge draw for many to come check out yet another production of this timeless classic, what audiences will end up experiencing as a whole when they stay is just as equally important a reason to see this brand new revival. Be sure to stick around and behold the wonders of this genuinely entertaining musical classic-from its unforgettable score and visual appeal, to its laugh-inducing silliness and cheeky fun.

A powerful, emotionally-riveting, dynamically-staged original stage musical, DEAR EVAN HANSEN is a truly incredible, phenomenal show that I happily admit-in just a few years of its existence-has quickly become one of my favorite Broadway musicals of all time. Not only does it feature gorgeous, memorable songs from Oscar winners Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, it also has a simple but notably layered and impactful book by Steven Levenson that encourages deeper, meaningful discourse long after the end of the show. Even more remarkable is that the show presents a troubled but empathetic title character that demands so much from the extraordinary Ben Levi Ross-the actor tasked to bring him to life-that you are left in awe at his performance's sheer tenacity and brilliance. Thankfully, it has finally arrived at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts, where the Tony Award-winning musical's first national tour continues its much-too-brief two-week engagement through January 13, 2019 in Costa Mesa.

As with each passing season, 2018 proved to be another exceptional year for theater not only in Souther California in general but also in Orange County---my home base. This year, the OC finally welcomed the debut of what has become this century's most awarded and most renowned stage musical ever about the Founding Father etched regally on the 10 dollar bill. Meanwhile, So. Cal. enjoyed a powerful surge of new stage works that explored Asian-American experiences, a positive step forward in the presentation of diverse voices we seldom hear from on the stage. A pair of touring musicals---both opening in the O.C. in early 2019---made such an impact in their Los Angeles engagements for me personally that I had to include them in my list, even though I have not 'officially' reviewed the productions for print. With that said, here is my 'Best of 2018' from Orange County and adjacent locales nearby---a mixture of outstanding shows and brilliant performances that made a lasting, memorable imprint in my theatergoing experience this year.

While watching Chance Theater's brand new OC-premiere of EMMA: THE MUSICAL--Paul Gordon's charm-filled 2007 stage musical adaptation of Jane Austen's beloved 1815 novel--I noticed a welcome sensation that took over me throughout most of the production… I could not stop smiling. Delightfully appealing and positively buoyant in a great many aspects, this wonderfully witty and quite beguiling production--directed with engaging gusto by Casey Long--continues performances at their Cripe Stage in Anaheim through December 23, 2018.

The cheeky PG-rated fun of British Panto, courtesy of Lythgoe Family Productions, returns for more holiday silliness at Orange County's Laguna Playhouse, this time with BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A CHRISTMAS ROSE, which continues through December 30, 2018 in Laguna Beach under the direction of Sheldon Epps. Fun, light-hearted, and a much-needed far-from-serious break from reality, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: A CHRISTMAS ROSE is wonderful family treat the whole family can enjoy for the holiday season.

Can you recall the last time you were truly enamored by a stage musical? Well, that is exactly what transpires while watching the all-together endearing hit Broadway musical WAITRESS, which continues its national tour stop at Orange County's Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa through November 25, 2018. Like the warmest of embraces, the yummiest of comfort food, and the most cherished camaraderie of dear friends or loved ones, WAITRESS is, overall, quite an adorable, extremely likable show. Even its forgivable flaws are trounced by its irresistible delicacy and its winsome machinations.

As our divided country hurtles towards the all-important mid-term elections, it is becoming increasingly harder not to feel even a bit disenchanted with it all, as we surrender to the feeling that our political system seems to be unfairly rigged. Right smack at the center of the action are people who call themselves lobbyists---people who are hired (and are paid handsomely) by a business, an industry, or a cause to persuade government officials or even promising electoral candidates to support that specific business, industry, or cause that employ them. This is the sphere that surrounds Sarah Burgess' timely new play KINGS, which is now continuing its West Coast Premiere performances at Orange County's South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa, CA through November 10. Interesting, intriguing, but slightly too tame and a bit of a promising work-in progress, the play basically presents what most of us already know about the lobby-friendly political arena: in order to stay in 'the game,' you have to be willing to play within it.

Thank goodness my lack of knowledge of Russian playwright Anton Chekhov's library of theatrical plays and fictional stories didn't prevent me from enjoying Christopher Durang's wildly hilarious, Chekhov-inspired VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE, a modern-set play that won the Tony Award for Best Play back in 2013. Apparently filled with casual allusions to past Chekhov works---from character names and one-off references to thematic motifs---the play does offer, at its core, a laugh-a-minute comedy about a dysfunctional trio of siblings trying to face the apparently troubling onset of middle age…and the possibility that they may not have done enough in their lives to deem it a satisfactory one. This undeniably funny production continues at Orange County's Tony-winning regional theater South Coast Repertory in Costa Mesa through October 21, 2018.