From left: Norbert Leo Butz (Paul Child) and Christina Kirk (Julia Child) in "The Recipe" at La Jolla Playhouse (Photo by Rich Soublet II) A commissioned work by Tony-nominated playwright Claudia Shear, La Jolla Playhouse’s world premiere of “The Recipe” tells the story of how rebellious Pasadena native Julia McWilliams became masterful French cook Julia Child, based on Bob Spitz’s 2012 book “Dearie.” Beginning with her time at Smith College, the two-act play covers Julia’s s

Ann Noble (Richard) in "Richard III" at A Noise Within (Photo by Craig Schwartz) A Noise Within theatre company has a knack for making old plays seem new. William Shakespeare’s historical tragedy “Richard III” is no exception, not least due to casting Ann Noble in the title role. Her performance as the ruthlessly manipulative would-be king is riveting, heightening our emotional investment in this gruesome tale of royalty behaving badly. Directed by Guillermo Cienfuegos with a

From left: Marianna Gailus (Sylvia) and Cillian O'Sullivan (Ted) in "Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia" at Geffen Playhouse (Photo by Jeff Lorch) Rising playwright Beth Hyland’s “Sylvia Sylvia Sylvia,” having its world premiere at Geffen Playhouse, is just what you’d want in a new play — ambitious and compelling in a well staged and performed production. Bringing to life poets Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes as they affect a current writer and her husband, the play challenges expectations in

From left: Gildart Jackson (Robert Shaw), Adam Poole (Roy Scheider) and Will Block (Richard Dreyfuss, under table) in Ensemble Theatre Company’s “The Shark Is Broken” at New Vic Theatre (Photo by Jason Niedle/TETHOS) Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s “The Shark Is Broken” — having its West Coast premiere by Ensemble Theatre Company under the direction of Pesha Rudnick in Santa Barbara’s New Vic Theatre — offers an honest, sharply observed behind-the-scenes look at the making of St

From left: Michael Dukakis (Nick) and Dylan Griner (Damon) in "Punish Me" at Hudson Backstage Theatre (Photo by Avi Kaye) Michael Dukakis’ world premiere psychological thriller “Punish Me,” directed by Monique Sorgen at Hudson Backstage Theatre, follows Nick (Dukakis), a Greek screenwriter who comes to Los Angeles chasing a dream that feels within reach. This desire feels almost certain when he meets Damon (Dylan Griner), a charismatic stranger who offers romance, access and

Eddie Izzard in "The Tragedy of Hamlet" (Photo by Carol Rosegg) You may know Eddie Izzard for comedic performances, which may be why she (Izzard’s preferred pronoun, according to the director’s note ) had to make very clear at the start of her one-person show “The Tragedy of Hamlet” that it is indeed a tragedy … albeit with some funny moments. Izzard’s performing genius is on full display in this show, delivering lines for 23 characters of William Shakespeare’s play, as adapt

Shara Kirby in "The Miraculous V: he Bizarre Awakening of a Virgin Witch" at Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre (Photo courtesy Shara Kirby) Shara Kirby’s “The Miraculous V: The Bizarre Awakening of a Virgin Witch,” directed by Kaylie Flowers and part of the “30-Minutes or Less Festival” at the Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre, is a one-woman show that’s funny, honest and way more layered than the title suggests. The short play follows V (Kirby), a Black, plus-sized, quirky virgin

Rick Simone-Friedland (Tennessee Williams) in "Kind Stranger" at Zephyr Theatre (Photo by Steven Simone Friedland) Conceived and performed by Rick Simone-Friedland and adapted and directed by Steven Simone-Friedland, “Kind Stranger” is a one-man memory play built entirely from playwright Tennessee Williams’ 1975 autobiography “Memoirs.” Set in New Orleans in the early 1970s, the piece moves through the highs and lows of Williams’ later years — the work, the fame that still li

From left: Alysha Deslorieux (Middle Allie) and Ken Wulf Clark (Middle Noah) in "The Notebook" at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre (Photo by Roger Mastroianni) If you are a fan of the 2004 film “The Notebook” or Nicholas Sparks’ 1996 novel on which it is based, you'll love “The Notebook: The Musical,” continuing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through Jan. 25. The musical conveys the story of Allie and Noah, two youthful lovers who first lose then find each other years later,

From left: Joslynn Cortes (Tzipporah) and Diego Huerta-Guttierez (Moses) in DreamWorks "The Prince of Egypt: The Musical" at CASA 101 Theater (Photo by Steve Moyer) CASA 101 Theater’s production of DreamWorks’ “The Prince of Egypt: The Musical” excels especially in production design and choreography, delivering a fantastic experience of a biblical tale. The musical tells of Moses (Diego Huerta-Gutierrez), born to a Hebrew enslaved family in ancient Egypt who is sent away as a

Joanna "JoJo" Levesque (Tess) and ensemble cast in "Working Girl" at La Jolla Playhouse (Photo by Rich Soublet II) The 1980s seem to be having a moment today. High-waisted jeans, oversized blazers and “Stranger Things”’ quantum leap from Netflix to Broadway are just some of the ways the pre-internet decade is infiltrating our digitally saturated consciousness. Enter the exuberant “Working Girl” — La Jolla Playhouse’s world-premiere musical based on the 1988 film by Kevin Wade

From left: Philip McNiven, Rick Batalla, Matt Walker and Chelle Denton in the Troubadour Theater Company’s production of “Die Heart: The Director’s Cut” at The Colony Theatre (Photo by Ashley Erikson) Like the return of double-breasted suits with shoulder pads, Polaroid cameras and boom boxes, the 1980s are back on stage, too, as the Troubadour Theater Company (affectionally known as the Troubies) brings us the latest iteration of one of its famous mashups of well-known stori

Cast of first national tour of "Stereophonic" at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre (Photo by Julieta Cervantes) If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to produce a 1970s-era hit record, “Stereophonic” is the play that will take you there.   Written by David Adjmi and directed by Daniel Aukin, “Stereophonic” opened on Broadway in 2024 and received more Tony Award nominations than any other play to date, winning several, including Best Play.  Now at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre t

From left: Taya Ming and Nia Stephen in the National Tour of "The Enormous Crocodile" (Photo by Danny Kaan) As you enter the Kirk Douglas Theatre, you are handed a large foam peanut and greeted by smoke-filled soap bubbles that waft through the air. Eager children, peanuts in hand, scramble to pop as many bubbles as they can. Even from this pre-show, it’s clear that “Roald Dahl’s The Enormous Crocodile” will be filled with spectacle and interactivity.   This musical adaptatio

Written and directed by Billie King, “Brown Broadway: The Musical” follows Timothy Jackson (Jarrel O’Neil), a New Orleans musician carrying unresolved history into his new life in Los Angeles. As Jackson chases his dream, he becomes tangled in ambition, romance and a past that refuses to stay buried. The show positions Los Angeles’s Central Avenue as both backdrop and heartbeat, honoring its legacy as a cultural home for Black and brown performers. Promotional image for "Bro

From left: Maya Keleher (Alice Paul) and Marya Grandy (Carrie Chapman Catt) in "Suffs" at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre (Photo by Joan Marcus) Actress and composer Shaina Taub’s new musical “Suffs” couldn’t be better timed to perform at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. It’s about the early 20 th -century U.S. women’s suffrage movement, but Taub’s vibrant music and compelling lyrics ensure it’s not just a dry history lesson. Instead, this touring production’s powerhouse cast s

From left: Eiko Eisen-Martin (Dallas), Michael Rishawn (River) and Gail Bean (Jada) in "Table 17" at Geffen Playhouse (Photo by Jeff Lorch) Sometimes you just want good entertainment without any heavy messaging to weigh it down. Enter “Table 17,” actor and playwright Douglas Lyons’ rollicking romantic comedy set in a restaurant with tables on stage and no fourth wall. Thanks to dynamic acting, lighting and sound, “Table 17” keeps the audience laughing in sympathy and recognit

Directed by The Actors’ Gang director Chas Harvey and written by Harvey, Megan Stogner, Willa Fossum and Cihan Sahin, “Arrest the Clowns: Insolent Until Proven Guilty” promises to be “an action-packed nail-biter about a revolutionary freedom squad of buffoons who will stop at nothing to take down the elusive artificial intelligence LOLA and save the world.”   However, experiencing the play is more of a mixed bag of vaguely revolutionary rhetoric, profanity and the stale scent

From left: Alexander Hurt (Gregers Werle) and Nick Westrate (Hjalmar Ekdal) in Shakespeare Theatre Company's "The Wild Duck" (Photo by Gerry Goodstein) In the shadow of the White House, two plays by Henrik Ibsen are currently being staged that explore “truth” in different ways — “An Enemy of the People” at Theater J and “The Wild Duck” at Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). * At a Nov. 2 symposium sponsored by STC, Hayley Finn, the artistic director of Theatre J, talked about