All stories by JAMES HEBERT on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

New York critics not having a (disco) ball at Broadway premiere of La Jolla Playhouse-bred Donna Summer musical by James Hebert

New York critics have some things to say about the La Jolla Playhouse-bred musical “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” whose Broadway production opened Monday. And few of those things ap…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 03:18PM
Friday, April 20, 2018

Shakespeare takes the cake (or cookies) as Old Globe celebrates Bard's birthday Saturday by James Hebert

What do you give a guy for his 454th birthday? A party is always good, which is what the Old Globe Theatre has in mind for tomorrow (April 21) as it pays tribute to that house playwright, th…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 04:50PM
Wednesday, April 18, 2018

His name is Edred Utomi — but you can call this San Diego-sprung actor Alexander Hamilton by James Hebert

When last seen in San Diego, Edred Utomi was rocking a bright-red wig and an ungainly, podlike costume as a somewhat anonymous ensemble member in “Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christ…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 11:00AM
Tuesday, April 17, 2018

In the wings: SDSU visits 'Anna in the Tropics' by James Hebert

SDSU’s School of Theatre, Television and Film is reviving “Anna in the Tropics,” Nilo Cruz’s lyrical but seldom-staged 2003 Pulitzer winner, set in a Florida cigar factory circa 1929…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 07:00PM
Saturday, April 14, 2018

Old Globe's 'The Wanderers' a thoughtful exploration of complex bonds by James Hebert

It’s not easy making an arranged marriage fly — between people, or between paired relationships in a play. The course of Anna Ziegler’s probing world-premiere work “The Wanderers,”…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 05:00PM
Friday, April 6, 2018

What's hitting San Diego's stages in April? by James Hebert

A quick look at some highlights from the coming month’s performing-arts openings in the San Diego region: Soul Doctor Through April 22. Lyceum Theatre, 79 Horton Plaza, downtown. 619.544.1…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 09:00PM

Old Globe Theatre's world premiere 'Wanderers' weaves together disparate stories by James Hebert

The last time the fast-rising playwright Anna Ziegler was at San Diego’s Old Globe Theatre, it was with “The Last Match,” the story of an intense rivalry between two top tennis pros. N…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 12:00PM
Monday, April 2, 2018

'Men on Boats' a wild and surprising ride at New Village Arts by James Hebert

An actor shouting “Line!” is normally about the last thing you want to hear during a play. But in “Men on Boats,” it’s not a desperate request for what to say next: It’s a charac…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 05:15PM
Thursday, March 29, 2018

San Diego Rep's 'Beachtown' an engaging stage for democracy by James Hebert

Be warned: Once you see “Beachtown,” it may forever ruin how you view run-of-the-mill municipal meetings — what with their distinct lack of entertaining politicians, fired-up citizens …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 05:10PM
Wednesday, March 28, 2018

La Jolla Playhouse's WoW series taps new work by UCSD playwright Naomi Iizuka by James Hebert

A work by the longtime head of the University of California San Diego’s graduate playwriting program will receive its world premiere next month as the next project in La Jolla Playhouse’…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 03:00PM
Monday, March 26, 2018

Vanessa Y. Davis takes reins at touring presenter Broadway/San Diego by James Hebert

The curtain is rising on new leadership at Broadway/San Diego, which has announced that Vanessa Y. Davis is now general manager of the local touring-show presenter. Davis succeeds Joe Kobryn…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 07:30PM
Sunday, March 25, 2018

Spring arts 2018: Meet theater artist Nadia Guevara by James Hebert

When you hear Nadia Guevara describe herself as “a hippie to the core,” and talk of how her “entire adult life has been a series of happy accidents,” you might be tempted to conclude…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 08:00AM
Tuesday, March 20, 2018

Old Globe's 'American Mariachi' gives women a voice in a musical tradition by James Hebert

For the characters at its center, “American Mariachi” is a story of people defying bias and cultural expectations in pursuit of a dream. For the five women portraying those characters, i…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 06:00PM
Tuesday, March 13, 2018

'King Charles III' a royal coup for Coronado Playhouse by James Hebert

There’s all sorts of political and personal intrigue coursing through “King Charles III,” Mike Bartlett’s boldly imaginative, blank-verse play about the near future in Great Britain.…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 02:30PM
Friday, March 9, 2018

A decade later, Cygnet tuning in to 'A Little Night Music' once again by James Hebert

“Send in the clowns,” goes the title line from the most famous song in “A Little Night Music.” And when Cygnet Theatre first staged the show a decade ago, artistic director Sean Murr…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 02:30PM
Tuesday, March 6, 2018

Michael Rosenberg departing as managing director of La Jolla Playhouse by James Hebert

Michael S. Rosenberg is stepping down as managing director of La Jolla Playhouse to take on the same job title at the McCarter Theatre Center in New Jersey, the Playhouse announced Tuesday. …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 07:30PM
Sunday, February 25, 2018

Chances are 'This Random World' will charm you at North Coast Rep by James Hebert

If you could diagram the intertwined lives of the people in Steven Dietz’s inspired “This Random World,” it might look like one of those M.C. Escher drawings where lines somehow connec…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 03:15PM
Friday, February 23, 2018

Hitting the waves with San Diego Rep's 'Beachtown' mayor Jason Heil by James Hebert

It’s true that “Beachtown,” the audience-interactive work that has its world premiere at San Diego Rep next month, is what could be called an “immersive” work of theater. That does…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 11:00AM
Wednesday, February 7, 2018

With fresh look at 'Uncle Vanya,' Old Globe bringing something new to the conversation by James Hebert

The plays of Anton Chekhov form a pillar of world drama, second maybe only to the works of mighty Shakespeare in importance and influence. But the thing about pillars is, they’re a little …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 05:00PM
Saturday, February 3, 2018

La Jolla Playhouse's 'The Cake' has a real-life social controversy in the mix by James Hebert

Bekah Brunstetter is not a big fan of turbulence. At least of the literal kind. The last time the playwright was in San Diego, for the Old Globe’s 2013 production of her dark comedy “Be …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 11:00PM
Thursday, February 1, 2018

'Vietgone' a funny and forceful story of love and loss at San Diego Rep by James Hebert

It’s an irrefutable truth, a basic principle of human existence: Things just go better with ninjas. Not that “Vietgone” necessarily needs their help. Qui Nguyen’s bursting-with-perso…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 05:00PM

In the wings: Brit lit meets New York romance at OB Playhouse by James Hebert

Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” gets put through the modern-romcom mixmaster in “I Love You Because,” the off-Broadway chamber musical about to hit the stage in Ocean Beach. Th…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 12:00PM
Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Herbert Siguenza steps into directing with magical-realist 'Cloud Tectonics' by James Hebert

You can hear the voice-acting talents of Herbert Siguenza in the current hit movie “Coco,” and you’ve been able to witness his talents as a stage actor and writer for decades now via h…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 11:00AM
Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Kristin Chenoweth's gravity-defying career brings her to San Diego this week by James Hebert

In the 21 years since she made her Broadway debut in the musical “Steel Pier,” Kristin Chenoweth has won both a Tony Award (for “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown”) and an Emmy (for…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 03:00PM
Friday, January 26, 2018

San Diego Theatre Week returning for a third go-round by James Hebert

You could argue that every week is theater week in San Diego — one of the most active theater towns in America, with a reputation that stretches to Broadway and beyond thanks to the new wo…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 12:00PM
Wednesday, January 24, 2018

San Diego Rep's 'Vietgone' rides into history both personal and political by James Hebert

Qui Nguyen wrote “Vietgone” more or less on a dare. From his own mother. Who, as it happens, the play is pretty much about. The kicker is, the playwright’s mom has yet to see the piece…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 09:00PM
Tuesday, January 23, 2018

'Last Wife' brings a fascinating figure to vivid life at Cygnet by James Hebert

England’s King Henry VIII made for a notoriously nasty husband: If you were a wife of his, chances were one in three you’d get your head lopped off eventually. But in Kate Hennig’s bra…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 06:00PM

In the wings: San Diego Musical Theatre comes full circle with 'Monty' by James Hebert

A decade ago last May, San Diego Musical Theatre launched with a production of “The Full Monty,” the movie-based musical about steelworkers who moonlight as amateur strippers. The compan…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 01:00PM
Sunday, January 21, 2018

'Earnest' director gets reacquainted with the importance of Oscar Wilde by James Hebert

The distinguished director-actor Maria Aitken might be a bigger name in Britain than she is on these shores. But if you saw what she did with the ingeniously amusing Hitchcock ode “The 39 …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 12:00PM
Saturday, January 13, 2018

Does San Diego theater matter? by James Hebert

The biggest thing happening in San Diego theater at the moment — actually, the biggest in quite a few moments — isn’t really part of San Diego theater at all. It’s the touring produc…

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 08:00PM
Wednesday, January 10, 2018

'Hamilton' captures thrillingly the triumphs — and trials — of a patriot and a nation by James Hebert

Rewind your mind to a time when America was less a country than a concept, a wild surmise birthed in bloodshed and steeped in dreams of sweet freedom. And then consider the unlikely triumph …

SOURCE: The San Diego Union-Tribune at 07:30PM

All that Chat

2024-2025 BROADWAY SEASON
Jun 05, 2024: Home - Todd Haimes Theatre
Jul 11, 2024: Oh, Mary! - Lyceum Theatre
Jul 30, 2024: Job - Hayes Theater
Sep 12, 2024: The Roommate - Booth Theatre
Nov 14, 2024: Tammy Faye - Palace Theatre
Dec 12, 2024: Cult of Love - Hayes Theater
Dec 19, 2024: Gypsy - Majestic Theatre
Mar 17, 2025: Purpose - Hayes Theater
Apr 01, 2025: Glengarry Glen Ross
Apr 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic