EMPIRE PERFORMANCE STUDIO

by Evan Henerson - April 19, 2024

KING HEDLEY II is the eighth and quite possibly bleakest play of August Wilson’s Century Cycle. Pasadena’s A Noise Within is committed to producing the entire cycle, and ANW’s production, under the direction of frequent Wilson helmsman Gregg T. Daniel, wrestles with it valiantly....

by Amanda Callas - April 19, 2024

Stalin’s Master Class is enthralling, darkly funny, awkward, and thought-provoking about the eternal tension of politics vs art, censorship vs thought, modern art vs people’s tastes, groupthink vs ingenuity, and popularity vs quality. ...

by Michael Quintos - April 19, 2024

More like one elongated impromptu jam session than a typical musical, Musical Theatre West's new production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET doesn't involve a complex storyline, but instead focuses on imagining what it must have been like to be in the room where music history happened. The resulting concer...

by Harker Jones - April 18, 2024

Ritt raises questions about the ethical and moral quandaries of employing AI to replace humans in a distinctly human space — art — but they aren’t pointed enough to really spark conversation or suggest insights, settling instead for an amusing if slight glimpse into the near future....

by Melissa Heckscher - April 14, 2024

Dog-lovers will lap up every minute of this 90-minute comedic dog stunt show that first premiered on America's Got Talent....

by Melissa Heckscher - April 14, 2024

Anything that makes you think is worth watching. And so Ophelia — in all its memory lapses and uncomfortable places — is worth it. Just bring a friend so you have someone to help you put the pieces together when it’s all over. ...

by Evan Henerson - April 12, 2024

Huzzah James Ijames’ FAT HAM. Bless its softness, its savory juiciness, its wit and its ostentation. And its Juicy! Hooray for the clothes, the music, the unabashed delight that this whacked-out literary homage enjoys in wrestling with Shakespeare’s existential conundrums and deciding, screw it! let...

by Michael Quintos - April 10, 2024

A talented collection of Broadway vets led by Tony winner Betty Buckley gathered together for a one-night-only concert 'A BROADWAY BIRTHDAY: SONDHEIM, LLOYD WEBBER, AND FRIENDS' at Segerstrom Concert Hall on March 28, 2024 to celebrate the legacy—and coincidental same birthdate—of musical theater ro...

by Harker Jones - April 08, 2024

FUNNY GIRL is a gold standard that has endured through the ages and the production that just hit downtown Los Angeles is a rollicking and heartfelt success....

by Amanda Callas - April 02, 2024

In its second hit run at the Whitefire Theatre with many sold out shows, this historical comedy-drama is unbelievable but true, laugh-out loud hilarious, and brilliantly thought-provoking....