Lamb’s Armchair Travelogue Leaps Off Stage

Around the World in 80 Days featured

Jules Verne’s story, Around the World in 80 Days, has been dismissed as an adventure tale aimed at boys, but it has proven to hold appeal for audiences of all ages. That appeal continues as Lamb’s Players Theatre mounts the West Coast premiere of Laura Eason’s adaptation of the novel.

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Catalina Maynard a Powerhouse in ion’s Julia

ion Theatre’s Claudio Raygoza has created Julia, a world premiere version of August Strindberg’s Miss Julie. His creation contains a cup of its original author, two cups of Tennessee Williams, and a pinch of Mexican telenovelas. And, in his title character he’s given company stalwart Catalina Maynard a bitch-goddess role worthy of her considerable talents.

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Satire Tonight in The Exit Interview

You’ve probably guessed that we’ve got a satire going here, and, in fact, there’s quite a few laugh-out-loud lines. There’s also some pretty good send-ups of media conventions, some references to Obama and Romney that will be dated in six weeks, a funny “debate” about religion, and a lot of references that theatre insiders will catch. In fact, if audiences for The Exit Interview could consist entirely of other actors, it would be uproarious.

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Contemporary Pippin Performs Well But Casts No Spell

Wendy Maples

The opening number of Pippin, Stephen Schwartz and Roger O. Hinson’s 1970s-era musical, is titled “Magic To Do.” Invoking magic in the opening number sets a high bar to jump, and Diversionary Theatre’s production, while solid, doesn’t rise to the level of magic. It has become fashionable to re-think Pippin, whose score by the composer…

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Underpants Fall in Fine Production at North Coast Rep

The Underpants

Think Steve Martin and what comes to mind is likely to be smart, literate comedy that will make you think while you’re having a laugh.  That, and banjos. Banjos do turn up in Mr. Martin’s adaptation of Carl Sternheim’s 1910 sex comedy, The Underpants, but they’re only talked about. Which is what you can say…

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Intrepid’s Midsummer Life Could Be a Dream (sha boom)

A Midsummer Night's Dream, The Musical

If you enjoyed MixTape, which just started its third year of performances downtown, or if you liked Mamma Mia, the ABBA sensation that’s still going strong in New York and on tour, you have a good chance of liking Intrepid Shakespeare Company’s production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Some of you are undoubtedly scratching your…

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