111 stories by "Michael M. Landman-Karny"
THE JAZZ AGE MEETS OPERA IN LA OPERA'S SEXY COSI Mozart's Così fan tutte started with royal scandal. In 1789, Emperor Joseph II commissioned the opera after a partner-swapping scandal sho…
A WHISPER THAT ECHOES There are plays that knock you over with intensity. And there are those that seep in, settle under your skin, and stay there long after the lights come up. Adam Szymkow…
YOU GO, GIRLS! San Diego's theater scene is about to get a jolt of excitement as The Old Globe prepares the pre-Broadway world premiere of Regency Girls, a bold and hilarious new musical com…
A SHAKESPEAREAN WESTERN MUSICAL? DON'T WORRY, IT MEASURES UP The wild west sizzles with song and chaos in Desperate Measures, the rootin'-tootin' Wild West musical shinin' bright at Internat…
IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE THE SUN DOESN'T COME OUT, SEE THIS NATIONAL TOUR OF ANNIE If the sun will come out tomorrow, somebody better tell this production. The national non-equity tour of A…
ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. HIS NAME IS ALEXANDER ROBERTSON. At the tender age of 26, Alexander Robertson has made a mark on Broadway as a co-producer with his current show roster including Cabaret…
BACON SIZZLES If you're in search of a play that simmers with tension before scorching the stage with raw, emotional fire, English playwright Sophie Swithinbank's Bacon, currently searing au…
THE END OF THE WORLD COMES WITH A COFFEEE BREAK There's something eerily familiar about the way Michael Redfield and Hugo Armstrong zip and unzip their parkas in Will Arbery's haunting new p…
A MUSICAL PAIRING WRITTEN IN THE STARS Jason Robert Brown, the revered composer-lyricist who is considered by many as the natural successor to the late great Stephen Sondheim, graced Samueli…
LA CAGE: STRIPPED OF ITS FEATHERS In Sam Pinkleton's well-intentioned but ultimately discordant revival of La Cage aux Folles at the Pasadena Playhouse, that old showbiz maxim about the show…
BRAVO, AVI! As part of a SoCal tour, Israeli Mandolinist Avi Avital and San Francisco's Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra stopped at at Soka University Concert Hall on Sunday, Nove 10, 2024. Th…
JASON ALEXANDER ISN'T FIDDLING AROUND " HIS POIGNANT PERFORMANCE GROUNDS THIS REVIVAL In Lonny Price's revival of Fiddler on the Roof, Jason Alexander's performance as Tevye stands out as th…
A WELL-PLAYED PIANO Though the surface plot of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson is fairly simple " an estranged brother and sister argue over whether to sell or keep a beautiful piano that h…
PLAYWRIGHT MARTIN CRIMP HAS A NOSE FOR UPDATES Martin Crimp's Cyrano at the Pasadena Playhouse is nothing short of theatrical alchemy. This bold reimagining of Edmond Rostand's beloved class…
The San Diego Symphony delivered a night of sheer enchantment on Friday, August 23rd, with Sondheim Tonight! A Celebration of Genius. Held at the stunning Rady Shell at Jacobs Park, this con…
A RIVETING TALE OF ART AND IDEOLOGY AT ITS FINEST In Tom Jacobson's Crevasse, playing at the Victory Center Theatre, the curtain rises on a fractured world where art, love, and propaganda in…
MUSIC, MEMORY AND MORTALITY: THE MAGIC OF JELLY'S LAST JAM In the resplendent realm of musical theatre, Jelly's Last Jam has once again ascended to prominence. Recently produced as a concert…
BUILDING BONDS OVER BREAD AND BUTTER In the evocative narrative of Miranda Rose Hall's The Sandwich Ministry, " which opened last Saturday at Skylight Theatre " the audience is invited to pa…
UNDERWEAR TYCOONS AND AERIAL INTRUSIONS: THE UNRAVELING COMEDY OF MISALLIANCE So, you stroll into the theater, right? You see this fancy conservatory set up, all English manor-style, and you…
BRINGING BACK ROSAS' BLOOM The inaugural presentation of the Latino Theater Company's 2024 season, Ghost Waltz stands as a testament to the company's commitment to groundbreaking theatrical …
Galilee 34 blends the divine and profane in its exploration of early Christianity Eleanor Burgess, a prolific playwright whose works have graced numerous stages (The Niceties, Wife of a Sale…
SHAZAM, KAZAN! So, have you heard? Lainie Kazan's 60s tunes are now just a click away on all those streaming sites. We're talking the kind of songs that make you want to break out in a drama…
THE BOYS ARE BACK AND BETTER THAN EVER In the never-ending array of jukebox musicals that have lit up Broadway's vibrant landscape, Jersey Boys shines like a brilliant star. Premiering in 20…
WITH A MAGICAL IMBALANCE, THIS KISS IS MORE LIKE A PECK In the world of theater, revivals and adaptations often serve as a bridge between eras, illuminating how the sensibilities of one time…
WOOF! WOOLF WORKS WORKS! Virginia Woolf's novels have had a profound impact on literature, inspiring adaptations in ballet and opera. These adaptations face the unique challenge of capturing…
