This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 21, 2026. From left: Amanda Karr (Eleanor) and Noah Wagner (Henry) in "The Lion in Winter" at Long Beach Playhouse. Photo by Mike Hardy. If you think your family is a piece of work, wait until you experience the dysfunctional royal household in “The Lion in Winter” in Long Beach Playhouse’s stellar production. Featuring a king, queen, three princes and a mistress holed up in a F

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 7, 2026. From left: Aaron Pelt, Andrew Laughery, Michael Taber, Cassie Korrie, Charles Massaro and Nate McFadden in "Tea with Shakespeare: The Merchant of Venice" at the Historic Bembridge House. Photo courtesy of Michael Taber. Perhaps the only thing that could make a Shakespeare play better is staging it in a historic Long Beach house with full tea service and, yes, maybe shor

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 7, 2026. From left: Bruce Nozick and Anna Van Valin in "Warsaw" at International City Theatre. Photo by Jordan Gohara. Sometimes the past is more intertwined with the present than you’d think, and more able to change it than you’d expect. “Warsaw,” a new play by Paul Webb — a British playwright who wrote the screenplay for the 2015 movie “Selma” — explores just that kind of hist

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on April 17, 2026. Scene from "Harvey" at Long Beach Playhouse. Photo by Mike Hardy. Long Beach Playhouse executive director Madison Mooney recently said that “Harvey” is just the sort of play we need right now. And she’s right. If you are among those trading your smartphone for a flip phone, resisting ChatGPT and wondering where common decency went, “Harvey” is all that rolled up i

This article was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on April 16, 2026. Ensemble cast of Musical Theatre West's current production of "In the Heights." Photo courtesy of the theater. Before his hugely successful musical “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote “In the Heights” — about a vibrant, close-knit New York immigrant community filled with songs and dreams, but also secrets. Musical Theatre West is currently staging the Tony Award-

International City Theatre’s production is poignant and funny. This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on February 26, 2026. From left: Will Riddle and Erika Schindele in "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" at International City Theatre. Photo by Jordan Gohara. The first play of International City Theatre’s new season — “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change” by Joe DiPietro with music by Jimmy Roberts — is an unexpec

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on February 19, 2026. From left: Monika Peña (Aldonza), Richard Bermudez (Don Quixote) and Reggie De Leon (Sancho Panza) in Musical Theatre West's "Man of La Mancha." Photo by Sujan Creative. Miguel de Cervantes’ 1605 novel “Don Quixote” tells the story of a nobleman who becomes a knight errant, traveling the land doing chivalrous deeds with his more realistic sidekick Sancho Panza —

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on September 4, 2025. From left: Ben Trotter (Torvald) and Ceili Lang (Nora) in "A Doll's House" at Long Beach Shakespeare Company. Photo courtesy of the theater. When Henrik Ibsen wrote “A Doll’s House” in 1879 Denmark, it was unusual in portraying a domestic tale of a husband and wife rather than distant heroes. In Long Beach Shakespeare Company’s current production, top-notch actin

This review was published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on September 4, 2025. From left: Timylle Adams (Tina) and Nandini Minocha (Aditi) in "Masala Dabba" at International City Theatre (Photo by Jordan Gohara) In Wendy Graf’s new play “Masala Dabba,” the mother of a 14-year-old girl is estranged from her own mother, who has just flown all the way from India — and has never met her granddaughter. Add an African American husband to the mix and the res

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on May 1, 2025. Bruce Nozick in International City Theatre’s “The Violin Maker.” Photo by Jordan Gohara. The actions of a single person can ripple outward to affect many — sometimes for better and sometimes for worse. International City Theatre’s “The Violin Maker” tells the story of how Amnon Weinstein, by intention and by chance, became a person who has uplifted thousands through h

This interview was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on March 6, 2025. Branford Marsalis. Photo by Palma Kolansky. The Branford Marsalis Quartet is set to perform for one night only at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on March 13. I had the privilege of speaking with Mr. Marsalis in advance of the event. Marsalis is widely regarded as jazz royalty and a master musician, his career extending into classical music recordings

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on Feb. 27, 2025 From left: Madison Miyuki...

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on Feb. 20, 2025. From left: Grant Hodges...

This review was originally published in the Long Beach Post , a nonprofit news organization, on Feb. 21, 2025. Chloe Strolia (Ferdinand)...

This article was originally published in the Long Beach Post, a nonprofit news organization, on Feb. 13, 2025. Michael Fabisch (Evan) in...

This review was published in the Long Beach Post on Jan. 30, 2025 DeRod Taylor in Long Beach Shakespeare Company's "Richard III" (Photo...

This story was published in the Long Beach Post on Jan. 3, 2025. The Helen Borgers Theatre at 4250 Atlantic Ave. is the home of the Long...

From left: Daniel A. Stevens (Hastings) and Louis Lotorto (Poirot) in "Murder on the Links" at International City Theatre (Photo by Kayte...

Before “The Double V” story begins, one of the actors steps forward as a Cal State Long Beach grad student to say how his grandfather...

The young and talented cast of Musical Theatre West’s (MTW) “Disney’s Newsies” – a feisty, fun musical with a Marxist message – makes...