All stories by Jason Mannino on BroadwayStars

Tuesday, December 17, 2024

Theater Review: THE 39 STEPS (Coachella Valley Rep) by Jason Mannino

39 STEPS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION Adapted by Patrick Barlow from John Buchan’s novel and Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film, The 39 Steps is a comedic thriller blending spy drama, physical comed…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:11AM
Saturday, November 30, 2024

Theater Interview: CATHY MORIARTY (appearing in “I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers” – The Bent in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

A RAGING CAREER — NO BULL Palm Springs’ The Bent is presenting John Logan’s one-woman play I’ll Eat You Last: A Chat with Sue Mengers starring Academy Award-nominee Cathy Moriarty a…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:44PM
Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Theater Review: LOOT (Desert Ensemble Theatre, Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

LOOT IS A HOOT Loot is Joe Orton’s darkly comic masterpiece that eviscerates societal norms and exposes the hypocrisies of authority figures with razor-sharp wit. Two young men, Hal and De…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:14PM
Tuesday, November 12, 2024

Theater Review: NEXT TO NORMAL (CV Rep in Cathedral City) by Jason Mannino

ABNORMALLY REAL CV Rep opened it’s 24/25 season this past week with a triumphant production of the rock musical Next to Normal, ably directed by CV Rep’s Artistic Director Adam Karsten.�…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 11:11AM
Sunday, November 3, 2024

Theater Review: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Palm Canyon Theater) by Jason Mannino

OOH LA LA FOR LA CAGE AUX FOLLES With songs by the incomparable Jerry Herman, bookwriter Harvey Fierstein once again broke ground after his Torch Song Trilogy with La Cage aux Folles. It wa…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 11:04PM
Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Cabaret Review: MOSTLY BROADWAY (David Burnham, CV Rep) by Jason Mannino

On July 25, CV Rep concluded its terrific 2024 Summer Cabaret Series with American singer-songwriter-actor David Burnham’s delightful cabaret, Mostly Broadway. Burnham, a Broadway vet, joy…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 05:13PM
Monday, July 8, 2024

Theater Review: BYE BYE BIRDIE (Palm Canyon Theatre) by Jason Mannino

HELLO HELLO BIRDIE! Waxing nostalgic about the 1950s is never out of style as Palm Canyon Theatre ably proves with their current production of Bye Bye Birdie running through July 14. Bye Bye…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:43PM
Friday, July 5, 2024

Cabaret Review: KEN PAGE (Coachella Valley Repertory Theatre) by Jason Mannino

HE HAD US ALL ON THE SAME PAGE Ken Page is a marvel. It would be reasonable to start and finish this review with that sentence. He has been a powerful presence in stage, film, and cabaret fo…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:46PM
Thursday, June 27, 2024

Cabaret Review: THE LIFE AND LOVES OF A BROADWAY BABY (Melissa Errico at CV Rep in Cathedral City) by Jason Mannino

WE LOVE YA, BROADWAY BABY Enchantress Melissa Errico mesmerized in her new cabaret, The Life & Loves of a Broadway Baby. presented by CV Rep. Errico sets her life to the Broadway songs t…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:48PM

Theater Review: STRAIGHT TO THE HEART — A TRIBUTE TO THE LEGACY OF RODGERS & HART by Jason Mannino

A REVUE THAT GOES STRAIGHT TO THE HEART AND SOUL This past weekend, one of our boldest theater companies in the Coachella Valley, Dezart Performs (Dezart), launched a new program called Caba…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 09:23PM
Thursday, June 13, 2024

Theater Interview: JASON GRAAE (Appearing in His New Cabaret “Graavitas” at CVRep on June 20, 2024) by Jason Mannino

Jason Graae is a frisky clown. — The New York Times What can be said about musical comedy actor and funny man Jason Graae? Well, first, his last name is pronounced “Grah.” Second, thir…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:04PM

Theater Interview: WAYNE BRYAN (Co-Creator, Director and Host of “Straight to the Heart, A Tribute to the Legacy of Rodgers & Hart” at Dezart by Jason Mannino

STRAIGHT FROM HIS HEART Dezart Performs has always been one of the most ambitious, bold and successful theater companies in the Coachella Valley. Now the company is planning a new state-of-t…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:00AM
Thursday, May 30, 2024

Recommended Cabaret Series: SUMMER CABARET SERIES, JUNE 2024 (Coachella Valley Rep) by Jason Mannino

COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY’S SUMMER CABARET SERIES of music, charismatic personalities and theatre insider stories galore continues through in June with Tony Award® nominee and ‘Broadwa…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 01:23AM
Thursday, May 16, 2024

Theater Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA (Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

SEE THE LIGHT Palm Canyon Theatre (PCT) opened a glorious production of The Light in the Piazza last Friday, and it’s sensational. Based on the 1960 novella by Elizabeth Spencer, the m…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:59AM
Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Recommended Cabaret Series: SUMMER CABARET SERIES, MAY 2024 (Coachella Valley Rep) by Jason Mannino

CV REP’S 2024 SUMMER CABARET SERIES STELLAR LINE-UP FOR MAY A summer of great music, charismatic personalities and unspoken  theatre insider-only stories galore starts when COACHELLA VALL…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:42AM
Monday, May 6, 2024

Theater Interview: JASON REALE (Now Appearing in “The Lincoln Debate” at Palm Springs Cultural Center) by Jason Mannino

The Bent, in partnership with Palm Springs Cultural Center, is completing its second season with a revival run of the play that launched the company in December, 2022: Terry Ray’s The Linc…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:45AM

Theater Review: OKLAHOMA! (Desert Theatricals) by Jason Mannino

THERE’S A BRIGHT, GOLDEN HAZE IN THE DESERT As the audience sat under a gorgeous golden sky with incessant desert winds, Jordan Killion sang “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’” in his stu…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:00AM
Sunday, April 21, 2024

Theater Interview: TERRY RAY (Writer Appearing in “The Lincoln Debate” by The Bent at Palm Springs Cultural Center) by Jason Mannino

A RAY OF LIGHT ON THE RAIL SPLITTER The Lincoln Debate, the hit show by Terry Ray that launched The Bent theatre company in 2022, is having an encore run at Palm Springs Cultural Center from…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 01:06PM
Tuesday, April 16, 2024

Theater Review: MR. PARKER (Dezart Performs in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

GET A PARKER TICKET Michael McKeever’s newest play Mr. Parker, under Randy Brenner’s sublime direction is Dezart Performs’ final production this season running through April 21. McKeev…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:54AM
Sunday, April 14, 2024

Theater Review: NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT (CVRep) by Jason Mannino

NICE WORK! CVRep is closing its 23/24 season this month with a bewitching production of Nice Work If You Can Get It running through April 28th. Like other “new” Gershwin musicals includi…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:59AM
Sunday, April 7, 2024

Theater Review: DAMN YANKEES (Desert Theatricals) by Jason Mannino

DAMN, IT’S GREAT Desert Theatricals hits another home run this weekend with their contagiously joyful production of Damn Yankees at Rancho Mirage Amphitheater running through Sunday, April…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:49AM
Sunday, March 31, 2024

Theater Interview: BRENT BARRETT (Now Appearing with The Four Phantoms in Concert) by Jason Mannino

An extravagant celebration of the iconic music of Broadway and more, The Four Phantoms in Concert brings together — you guessed it — four actors who have played the lead role in The Phan…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 03:21PM
Friday, March 22, 2024

Theater News: SCRIPT2STAGE2SCREEN (Final Season Announcement) by Jason Mannino

SCRIPT2STAGE2SCREEN TO DROP ITS FINAL CURTAIN Script2Stage2Screen, the theatrical group that has produced staged readings of original works since 2010, has confirmed that this 2023-24 season…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 03:00AM
Saturday, March 16, 2024

Theater Review: THE WOMAN IN THE MIRROR (Revolution Stage Company in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul. — George Bernard Shaw With Avenue Q, Mid-Century Moderns, and The Boy Band Project, Palm Springs’ newest p…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 08:31PM
Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Theater Review: ELLIE (Desert Ensemble Theatre, Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

NEW PLAY ELLIE SHOWS ITS UNDERBELLY Desert Ensemble Theater (DET) is one of the boldest and few Coachella Valley companies committed to creating new work and producing envelope-pushing plays…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:47AM
Thursday, March 7, 2024

Theater Review: A CASE FOR THE EXISTENCE OF GOD (Dezart Performs in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

A CASE OF GREAT THEATER It is rare to see intimate, loving friendships between straight and gay men both in life and on stage. In A Case for the Existence of God, running at Dezart Performs …

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 06:16PM
Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Interviews: STEVE YOUNG & WAYNE BRYAN (Creator and Director of INDUSTRIAL STRENGTH BROADWAY; World Premiere at The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert by Jason Mannino

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED WHEN BROADWAY WAS HIRED BY A TOILET COMPANY A few years back I discovered a fascinating theatrical vehicle referred to as the “industrial musical.” These were musi…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:59AM
Tuesday, January 30, 2024

Theater Review: THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT (Desert Ensemble Theatre at the Palm Springs Cultural Center) by Jason Mannino

ALTERNATIVE FACTS This past weekend Desert Ensemble Theater kicked off 2024 with The Lifespan of a Fact, a poignant and funny play by Jeremy Kareken, David Murrell, and Jordan Farrell. Based…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 03:03AM
Friday, January 26, 2024

Theater Review: SORDID LIVES (Palm Canyon Theatre in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

HEARTBREAK AND HILARITY IN FULL DISPLAY Palm Canyon Theater has launched into 2024 with a revival of Del Shores’ uproarious and heartfelt Sordid Lives. The playwright himself introduced th…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 06:32PM
Tuesday, January 23, 2024

Theater Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME (Dezart Performs in Palm Springs) by Jason Mannino

WHAT A GREAT SHOW CAN MEAN TO YOU Dezart Performs kicked off 2024 this past Friday with a compelling production of Heidi Schreck‘s What the Constitution Means to Me. When I saw the direct-…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 12:41AM
Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Theater Review: BRIGADOON (Palm Canyon Theatre) by Jason Mannino

MUSICALS LIKE THIS OCCUR ONCE EVERY 100 YEARS Palm Canyon Theater (PCT) launched its 23/24 theater season here in Coachella Valley this past Friday evening with the opening of Lerner and Loe…

SOURCE: stageandcinema.com at 02:59AM

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 10, 2025: Smash - Imperial Theatre
TBA: Titanic
TBA: Ragtime