From left: Hailey Truong and Michael Deni in "Into the Woods" at South Coast Repertory (Photo by Scott Smeltzer) Composer and lyricist Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s 1986 classic “Into the Woods” endures not only because it retells fairytales for adults, but because of Sondheim’s ingenious, harmonic music and clever, evocative lyrics. South Coast Repertory’s current production — excellently directed by Peter Rothstein with an invested and talented cast — does the musical

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