What a great show this is! We Angelenos are so lucky to get to see this incredible presentation. This review may be a tad long because I feel there’s no quick way to really convey its magnificence!

I’ve been a fan of the acrobatic troupe Diavolo since I first saw them on America’s Got Talent nine years ago, so I’m thrilled that I finally got to witness their brilliance in person. Actually, “in person” is downplaying the experience because it’s more like “face-to-face”—this show is more up-close and personal than a Tinder date!!! (I’ve never had one, of course, but I’ve heard stories.)

Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

I’ve been taking my friend Marc to shows for eight years now, and this is the first one about which he said, “It’s a ten out of ten!” He continued exclaiming as we exited, declaring Diavolo’s Escape to be “engaging,” “intriguing,” and “fantastic,” all of which I agree with. And more!

For those of you who aren’t aware of Diavolo, it’s a company of the most amazing daredevils/dancers/acrobats/gymnasts/general athletes. And it’s all helmed, conceived, and choreographed by one man—Founder and Creative Director, Frenchman Jacques Heim, who also choreographed Cirque du Soleil’s Kà in Vegas.) (He started Diavolo thirty-four years ago, which is a tad confounding because he doesn’t look much older than that!)

Photo by Karen Salkin.

I cannot imagine how anyone in the world is able to come up with this amazing artistry! I have heavy-duty and complicated dreams just about every night, but have never come close to seeing anything like any of these movements in them. Diavolo deserves every superlative and accolade in the world. I had written an early note while I was watching the show stating that it was all “very creative,” which turned out to be the understatement of the decade!

As much work as it all is, and years of training it must take, I imagine all the uber-difficult moves must be great fun for the young athletes for them to perform. No wonder there’s zero body fat among the twenty or so of them.

The performers are all excellent, of course, (or they wouldn’t be in this troupe—there’s no room for slouches here,) but I had a possibly strange favorite. (Strange only because it didn’t involve the danger that’s inherent in Diavolo’s repertoire.) It was champion roller-skater, Chance Becker, whose solo opened the second half of the program. He didn’t do any tricks; he just presented beautiful and emotional skating so close that I felt like he and I were doing a pas de deux!

Aaron Franco and Madison Moser. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Chance was followed by Aaron Franco and Madison Moser doing an actual pas de deux of a contemporary dance number, centered around a door, of all things. As much as I adored all of the show, I was pleased to see more dancing in the second half.

One girl, Kate Dougherty, appeared to me to be doing much of the heavy lifting. (By that I mean the climbing and jumping within an inch of her life!) I later discovered that she’s also the company’s Associate Choreographer. So she choreographed herself to take those risks! Just like I choreograph myself to sit on my couch and watch sports every day! Twins.

The entire cast makes the audience feel secure. Marc and I were lucky enough to be sitting in the ichiban seats—front row center–yet we never once felt in danger ourselves, (except maybe from the hard-work-induced sweat.)

And these athletes don’t just tumble around willy-nilly—they work on many creative contraptions. The first one reminded me of monkey bars. One looks like an old-fashioned British locomotive. Another features multiple slides. And the breathtaking finale showcases their signature giant half-moon-shaped structure, which looks sort-of like a pirate ship that these extreme daredevils jump on and off in different ways. While it’s moving!!! What a finale!!! The whole production is never-ending feats of strength and balance and grace and derring-do. Even the toilet paper rolls in the bathroom are stocked artistically!

Photo by Karen Salkin.

The accompanying music is also perfect. And well-chosen, such as using Another Brick in the Wall as they build and take apart a wall. The music is never intrusive; it only adds to the enjoyment of what we’re witnessing.

Even the venue is intriguing. Escape takes place in a very special space that has a “Joe sent me” feel to it. It’s Diavolo’s very own warehouse studio, which they call “L’Espace.” The location is adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, but the area is its own hipster situation.

Jacques greets everyone, first outside the venue and then again inside the “theatre,” and explains a bit about what is to come. (And he keeps advising the audience, “Two more minutes,” until each half begins, even though it’s more like ten or fifteen more minutes. But it’s all good—the audience is buzzing the entire time.)

The show itself is only seventy-ish minutes, but prepare to spend about two and a half hours on the premises. The night I was there, it started pretty late, but it didn’t matter because the audience was entertained with an interactive experience, which happens every night. And then there’s an even bigger one after it ends. On the night I was there, everyone who participated looked to be loving trying-out some of the equipment, so I do regret a bit that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities. (As I was leaving, the man who sat behind me rushed over to say that he thought I’d be the first one to try it. I have no idea why, but perhaps he saw me in the circus back in the day!) So wear whatever you like, but I suggest you leave the high heels and mini-skirts at home, in case you want to participate.

The apparatus that reminds me of monkey bars. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Diavolo’s Escape is appropriate and fun for all ages; there’s absolutely nothing offensive or scary about it. (Oh—except for worrying that the athletes might get hurt.) It’s an equally wonderful family, friend, or date night.

And now I have a couple of words of caution for you. First is that I’ve been told that on hot days, it can get stifling in there. However, very thoughtfully, the company provides little cordless fans for the guests to borrow during the performance, and bottles of water are always complimentary there! What a perk! But I advise you to dress in layers. I wore a thin tank top as my bottom layer, but my always-hot self was totally comfortable with a thin turtleneck and sweater on top of it! (It was a sixty-degree night, though.)

The other is a soft warning for my fellow back pain sufferers: Since the action takes place on the same floor as the three rows of audience seats, and I was sitting in that fabulous first row, my own back felt all the performers’ landings. I spoke with several other audience members at intermission and afterwards, and they either didn’t notice the vibrations or weren’t bothered by them, so if you don’t have a broken back, as I do, you’ll be fine. But if you are in a similar situation to mine, maybe bring a little cushion. Or instead of fans and water, ask them to give you a couple of Tylenol and a back brace!

Here’s one last very important note: Even more than the extreme enjoyment of beholding all this greatness is knowing that your ticket purchase helps support the Diavolo Veterans Program, which is explained thusly: “The mission of the Veterans Program is to utilize Diavolo’s unique style of movement as a tool to help restore veterans’ physical, mental, and emotional strengths through workshops and public performances in communities all around the country.”

Now for all reasons, go see Diavolo’s Escape! Perhaps even more than once, as I plan to!

Diavolo’s Escape running through June 14, 2026
E’space Diavolo
616 Moulton Avenue, near DTLA
www.diavolo.org/escape

So my new bestie, the intelligent Gigi, and I went to the new Ruskin Theatre in Santa Monica the other night to see this one-week-old play, and we could not have had a more yin-and-yang theatre experience.

Photo of Santa Monica Airport by Gitanjalie Misra.

We loved the venue, and that entire location, but felt quite the opposite about the play, Blue Kiss.

So let’s do the positives first. If you don’t know, the Ruskin Group Theatre is smack dab in the middle of the…Santa Monica Airport!!! That’s why I love it so much. I’ve always found that place fascinating, so I was thrilled to introduce it to Gigi, who concurred. She had never been there before!

The good news continues with the theatre being so accessible. All the parking is free and only a few steps from the entrance. The lobby personnel could not have been more pleasant and accommodating. We learned there are actually two new theatres in that same upgraded space; Blue Kiss is playing in the smaller sixty-seat one. (The old one right next door to the premises is now closed.)

The theatre was packed on Saturday night, which made us feel that we were in the right place.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

And the best news of the night is that the entire south side of the airport, which includes the Ruskin, the Museum of Flying, and the restaurant, (which was totally happening that night,) is staying put when the other side, with the hangars and planes, gets torn down in early 2029 to become a park! Finding-out the total plan really cheered me up because I had thought that the entire charming area would be gone.

So we went into the play with the happiest of attitudes. But we came out feeling, as Gigi so aptly put it, “heavy.” Not only is the story a bummer, nothing about the production is very good. The audience we saw Blue Kiss with just slunk out of there the second it was over, which signifies the opposite of an uplifting or enriching theatre experience. (At the previous handful of plays I recently reviewed, everyone had such a good time that they all hung around for a long time after, happily chatting away. And two of the plays were dramas about murder! But they were so good that they garnered those positive feelings among the audience.)

Suffice my description to say that Blue Kiss has just two actors, (playing an SAT tutor and his new female student,) there are sooo many holes in the script, and it takes forever to get to what the supposed intrigue is.

Carolina Rodriguez and Casey Morris. Photo by Amelia Mulkey, as is the one at the top of this review.

Mercifully, it’s only eighty minutes long. But it feels much longer. I kept checking the time. We both said that it seemed about three times longer. Gigi said it “dragged,” which is kinder than how I would have put it, so I’ll leave it at that.

There is a surprise (or two) along the way, but it takes forever to get to them. The slow pace is maddening. We both kept wondering what the narrative is supposed to be about.

The two actors do something so annoying—they say a line and then it feels like they silently tell each other, “your turn,” as opposed to having a natural conversation. And the writing makes no sense in several places, such as having the guy go to the off-stage kitchen to make tea, when there is absolutely no reason for his absence in the main room. And then, after he’s been out there for a few minutes and comes back on stage, he tells the girl that he has to go start the water. So what was he doing to make the tea for those two minutes in the kitchen if he wasn’t heating up the water??? How else do you make tea, no matter what method you use to heat it up?

And I could not for the life of me figure-out why the girl needs dirty hair for her character. From the second she entered, I kept thinking that would have something to do with the mystery I felt had to be coming, (like that she’s a homeless person, and not even a student,) but it’s never explained.

The set. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Another head-scratcher is that when the student, whom the tutor had never met, rings his bell, he quickly hides a picture of him with his brother. Why would he do that?! I assumed that the photo was of his girlfriend, and maybe the girl at the door was really an online date or escort whom he didn’t want to know about his relationship. (Those scenarios might have been more interesting, actually.)

And what is up with the title? I feel like they’re trying to do what Glass Menagerie did with the term “blue roses” for “pleurosis,” (which is an incorrect term for “pleurisy.”) As Blue Kiss plodded on (and on,) I began to wonder what the title means. And then we find-out that once, long ago, the tutor’s kid brother had thought that the name “Lucas” was “blue kiss,” but that child-specific error doesn’t really mean anything to the story.

But there is some good news coming down the road for the Ruskin’s new Arts Center. It will host outdoor music events this summer. And, in that unique location, they should be special!

Blue Kiss running through May 17, 2026
Ruskin Group Theatre, Audre Stage
2800 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica
(310) 397-3244 www.ruskingrouptheatre.com

Being that Mr. X and my romantic movie is The Wizard of Oz, (long story for another time,) and after seeing two of Muse/Ique’s previous productions, I felt compelled to see their new show, Back To Oz, at the Mark Taper Forum. (But Mr. X stayed home that night, so I could take my friend Roz because I knew she would love it. And it was actually the first time that she ever told me I was right about something! Thanks, Muse/Ique!)

We both, (along with the entire audience we saw it with, I’m sure,) suggest that everyone mosey on over to downtown LA next weekend to see the show. (It’s your last chance for this one.)

The finale, with all the singers along the front. Photo by Karen Salkin.

If you’re not familiar with Muse/Ique, it stars a wonderful orchestra headed by Artistic and Music Director, Rachael Worby, who shares the background on each piece we’re about to hear, and on the headline topics, in general. She imparts more musical and historical information in the brief ninety-minute shows than a professor in an entire semester! As we were leaving, Roz declared, “I thought it was a brilliant way to teach an audience the history of the film and the composing of it.”

They do a few shows per year, each one featuring a different category, not just of music genre, but of area of interest. And we whimsy fans are all lucky that this one is music from, or related to in some way, The Wizard of Oz. Yay us!

Part of the fun for me is that this was my third Muse/Ique show, in two different venues, and it was my third different visual view of the proceedings. And each one is interesting. All seats at the semi-intimate Mark Taper Forum, where this run is taking place, are superb. I love that place!

Michal’s Group. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Before I tell you about the actual show, I have to tell you how fun the entire experience is before we even enter the theatre! Right in front, on the Music Center Plaza, there’s a bar with full beverages and snacks, (including sandwiches.) And Muse/Ique always has a local combo playing music outside; this time it was Michal’s Group.  And since it was hot out that day, they even provided lovely white parasols for us to use as we mingled outside. Roz and I loved it all.

As to this show, Back To Oz, the action begins with a rousing rendition of A Brand New Day from The Wiz, performed by the orchestra and a fabulous gospel group, DC6 Singers Collective. I told Roz that I wanted to party with them after the show!

In addition to that group, we’re treated to a trio of guest artists: Carmen Cusack, LaVance Colley, and Nathan Granner. They’re all fabulous singers, but having reviewed Carmen in musicals twice before, I really wanted to hear her again. I’m happy that she’s the one who sang Somewhere Over the Rainbow. (When I reviewed Carmen in the musical Bright Star eight years ago, I wrote, “…the number one reason to see it is the star, the luminescent Carmen Cusack. She is the Bright Star! That girl can sa-ang! No wonder she doesn’t have a big booty because she sings her ass off in the show!” And this show proved how right I was back then.)

And you’ve never heard these songs sung with such an excellent operatic voice as Nathan possesses. It must be fun for Nathan as well as the audience because I don’t suppose the much-working tenor gets to perform popular tunes such as these very often.

(Seated, L-R) LaVance Colley, Carmen Cusack, Nathan Granner, and Rachael Worby standing on the right. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I loved seeing that when LaVance Colley was singing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, the gospel singers who were sitting on the stage were totally feeling it. And when he finished, as the audience jumped to its collective feet, I noticed they were even crying! I think everybody in the Mark Taper Forum that night was verklempt* over that performance. *[“Verklempt” is a Yiddish word meaning overcome with emotion or choked-up, both of which we all were that night!] Roz said that she felt like she was “in on a Broadway hit when the standing ovation happened for him!”

I had been expecting music solely from The Wizard of Oz plus The Wiz, but we got a much more mixed bag than that.  I was surprised by some of the selections, such as the old classic It’s Only a Paper Moon, (two-thirds of whose writing team wrote the songs for The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,) and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, though they were appropriate to the topic.

I had wanted to hear more of The Wiz, because shockingly, I’ve never seen it, neither the movie nor the show. (How is that even possible?) But it all worked out because I had totally forgotten that Wicked could be in that group of songs that pertain to the Wizard of Oz. So to hear the two most famous ones, For Good and Defying Gravity, was a total bonus. Carmen’s rendition of Defying Gravity, (which she’s done many times starring as Elphaba in the first National Tour of the show,) actually made me cry. So I suggest waterproof mascara for everyone who sees it next weekend. (Along those lines, I still can’t believe that I got chills from the assemblage singing the goony The Wonderful Wizard of Oz near the beginning of the presentation; it was that magical.)

Part of the Muse/Ique orchestra. Notice the two members of the DC6 Singers Collective on the top left, who are totally feeling the music. I love that! Photo by Haoyuan Ren, and courtesy of Muse/Ique, as is the one at the top of this review.

But Muse/Ique productions are about soooo much more than just playing the famous music. The whole thing is a cornucopia of interesting information. In this case, we learned things such as that L. Frank Baum’s iconic book, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was published one hundred twenty-six years ago! And that Ira Gershwin is actually the uncredited composer who added the coda, “If happy little bluebirds fly beyond the rainbow, why, oh why can’t I?,” to Somewhere Over the Rainbow!  Who knew? Along with those juicy tidbits, we got to feast our eyes on a beyond-special tuba, (a long story goes with it, but you’ll have to see the show yourselves to learn it,) played by orchestra member P. Blake Cooper.

Me being the visual-oriented person I am, I’m always especially fascinated by Muse/Ique’s slides and video clips that accompany the tales. And the ones for Back To Oz are the best visuals they’ve ever done! I want a copy of all of them. Let me tell you—that took an inordinate amount of research from staff of the organization!

On a similar note, I was thrilled to see that LaVance Colley was rocking the most gorgeous red sparkly shoes, (like Dorothy’s famous ruby slippers,) and Carmen wore a sparkly silver top for the occasion. I, of course, dressed in that vein, as well. I polished my nails emerald green, (in honor of the Emerald City,) and, after about an hour of digging through my vast wardrobe, came up with a green top and tons of green jewelry. I did all that just to amuse myself, actually, but I was happy to see the performers were of a similar mind. I was glad to discover that I was not the only fun one there.

One thing I realize that I admire about Muse/Ique is that when it’s over, it’s over. They finish the final number, and then all the musicians come downstage and they bow ensemble. They just get on with it; no posturing for more applause and an already-planned encore.

The ensemble bow at the end of the show. Notice the famous tuba in the middle! Photo by Haoyuan Ren, and courtesy of Muse/Ique.

Roz speaks for both of us when she says that Ease On Down the Road, (which I add is exactly what we did afterwards,) from The Wiz “was a spirited way to send the audience home, singing along long after the show.”

I heartily encourage everyone to see this show this coming weekend. And then to check-out Muse/Ique’s entire schedule. (I’ve brought three different pals to the trio of Muse/Ique presentations that I’ve seen myself, and all three have declared that they now want to see everything from them from here on out! Roz says, “We’re grateful they have more and different programs all the way to October this season.” So that you get to see them, as well, please click here to check-out their upcoming schedule: www.muse-ique.com.)

Muse/Ique: Back To Oz running through April 26, 2026
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org/shows-tickets/taper/2025-26/museique-back-to-oz

This is one theatre column you won’t read anywhere else because…it’s entirely composed of personal reflections from my own life! I saw the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, English, last week, and although it’s about an ESL classroom in Iran of all places, for me it conjured up more experiences in my own life than any other entertainment before it! How’s that for surprising?!

A student with the teacher, Marjan. in the play English. Photo by Kevin Parry.

I had written about them in the first draft of my review of the play, but as they, and the actual review, were getting way too long, I decided to split it up into two articles. The play review is here: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-english-at-the-wallis, and this one is about the instances from my own life that English made me reflect on while watching it. I hope that reading about mine will do the same for you.

They’re in no particular order. Here goes:

~ I’ve always been fascinated by foreign languages. Out of my entire high school of five thousand students, (don’t ask,) I was considered one of the top thirty language “scholars,” and was therefore given the opportunity to study Latin in addition to my course load of French and Spanish. (You’ve never heard Latin spoken until you’re had your ears assaulted by it with a Brooklyn accent!) All I remember of it now is “Agricolae aquam portant.” (“The farmers carry water.” How often do you think that sentence comes up?!)

~ To follow-up on that thought: I had just told Mr. X this story the day before I saw English, and then a situation in the show—that the students were required to speak English only—let me know how prescient I am! Here ’tis: Even though I was one of those top language students I mentioned, I felt like a fraud; French and Spanish had lost me when they got to the pluperfect tense. By the end of senior year, I was done with them.

One of the classic Spanish novels I had to read in college. And just like this description of it, the book is all in Spanish! Oysh.

But I was required to take a foreign language for my major in college, and the number of terms one had to take was determined by a placement test. For the first time in my life, (and most likely only time,) I thought of cheating, so I semi-jokingly asked my friend Dawn to take the exam for me, so that she’d place the highest and I would have to take only a single semester of Spanish. But then she pointed-out that it wouldn’t be the gift I thought it would be; it would indeed mean that I would have to take only that one semester, (as opposed to four,) but because it would be the top-level class, all the reading, speaking, and exams would be done solely in Spanish!!!

So, I took the placement test for myself, (which I’m sure I would have wound-up doing, anyway, being the rule follower that I still am,) and…I placed the highest! So, in that one college term of Spanish class, I basically understood…nothing. It’s a miracle that I passed.

~ I began my review of English with this little appropriate parable, which I making more in-depth here: After years of being a fan, when I finally met the very outgoing French Olympics-medalist figure skater, Philippe Candeloro, I was thrilled, but a tad surprised by how quiet this wild man was in person! Our mutual friend, Michael Collins, introduced us, and we all embarked on a night of club-hopping, during which Philippe was still not very communicative. And then, at about 2AM, he asked if we could stop into a local French restaurant because he was pals with the owner and some of the staff. They were closing, but threw the doors wide open for Philippe. And they all spoke French and laughed for the next half hour or so. And then…Philippe was a new man! He became the huge personality I had always seen on TV.

Olympic medalist Philippe Candeloro and Karen Salkin. Photo by INAM staff.

As we left, he rubbed his hands together and exuberantly asked me, “Where to next?” At almost three o’clock in the morning! When he had a performance the next afternoon! But, of course I said, “Oui, oui,” and we continued on to very late night, or very early morning, breakfast, where he became a chatterbox. And we’ve been friends ever since. (The funny thing is that he calls me “Miss Talks-A-Lot!” So, in deference to his language, I sign my missives to him “Mademoiselle Parle Beacoup.”)

Equally important to our friendship, that one small episode with Philippe taught me the value of one’s native tongue. I share it whenever I can.

~ Another thing I have in common with the play English is that I was a teacher once upon a time. I come from a family of them. My mother was an English teacher and my father was the Chairman of the Speech Department in a famous New York High School that he actually had attended as a student! I guess he loved that place because he was also the President of the Alumni Association. And just about everyone in my fam is a published writer, as well. [Photo at the top of this page is of Karen Salkin in one of her family’s classes back in the day. Photo by May Rose Salkin.]

I was offered a couple of jobs over the years to teach English as a Second Language, (ESL,) but just could never fit it into my crazy schedule. However, I try my hardest to teach actual English-speakers how to speak better all the time. (If I hear one more person say “me and him,” I’m going to go mad!) But, sadly, people would rather sound like idiots. Oh well. I’ll keep trying.

~ Penultimately, in relation to the play, I made my first Iranian friends when I was just a teenager, in my first summer session of college at URI, and I honestly thought the main dude was a Persian Prince! I still remember his name—Hormadz Naficy. When his family flew out to see him, and invited me for dinner, I felt like a princess. When I moved to LA the following summer, I met more Persian guys, including one who became my first doctor out here.

I have never thought of people from other countries negatively, and I appreciate the knowledge they’ve brought to my life. So to see what Orange Hitler is putting everyone through during his reign of terror is incredibly painful. Not just for me, but for all the normal people in the world. (And yes, I did have to go there.)

This is the only pic of Laura–Marjan–that I could find right now. It’s from a collage that a friend made for me, of my posse, a long time ago. Original photo by Jeanine Anderson.

~ And this last one is a semi-mind-blower: In my twenties, I had a good friend in LA who, out of the blue, changed her name from Laura to Marjan. And…she was a plain little American southern belle! So, she was far from Iranian. I had never heard of that name before, and had not even since then, but now, in English, not only does the main character possess that moniker, but so does the actress who plays her! Wow. I guess that wonders really do never cease.

I love when Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills does Agatha Christie plays! Judging by the appreciative audience my friend and I were a part of, I have a feeling everyone does!

I also love anything written by Agatha Christie, and no one does her plays better than Theatre 40! I’m always grateful to the producers for bringing her work to us.

(L-R) Todd Andrew Ball, Lee Grober, Diane Linder, David Hunt Stafford, and Katyana Rocker-Cook. Photo by Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez, as is the one above.

In this case, I had never even heard of The Unexpected Guest before! (I was just relieved to discover that it is not about me.) I looked it up when I got home from seeing it, and it turns out there’s never been an American or British movie of it, which explains my nescience. So this is an absolutely wonderful experience that this theatre is affording us, and I’m heavily suggesting that you drop whatever else you’re planning to do this weekend, and go see it because it’s the last weekend for this intriguing offering. (I’m so sorry to be telling you about it so late in the run, but I hadn’t had the time to see it until this past weekend myself.) I have only one quarrel with the production, and that is the lighting, but I will tell you about that in a little bit. First I must tell you of all the positives.

The acting of the entire nine-person cast is spot-on; we know exactly what each person’s character is. And that makes it so much more difficult to figure out who the killer is, which is so fun. My pals and I kept changing who we thought it was! And there’s a lot of humor throughout, as well, which is always a bonus in a whodunit.

Riley Introcaso and Katyana Rocker-Cook. Photo by Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez.

As good as all the actors are, I must say that the action really picked up for me when Riley Introcaso, as the deceased man’s emotionally-disturbed (to put it mildly) brother, Jan, came on, with his tons-of-energy character. I have a feeling some may think he’s a tad over the top, but as a former teacher, I’ve definitely seen kids like this before. Actually, Riley and Nick Trafton, as the police sergeant, are my two faves, and no—not because they’re young guys, but rather due to that they made me laugh the most.

Lee Grober, as the “unexpected guest” himself, is the impetus for all the action, and then the glue that holds it together; he does so admirably. And I must also give a shout-out to Eve Sigall, the grande dame of the cast, who plays the mother of the deceased man so realistically that, at one point, I thought she was coughing as herself, instead of as the sickly character! I almost ran up to the stage with a bottle of water for her!

On the technical side, Jeff G. Rack’s set is perfect, as always; it really sets the mood right from the get-go. The second the lights come on, (well, a tiny bit of light, actually,) we feel familiar with the location. By the way, I absolutely detest dead animal heads on any wall, but in this case, since the murder victim had been a big hunter, they were semi-necessary to the story. So I just tried not to look up that far.

Diane Linder and Eve Sigall. Photo by Gabriel Tejeda-Benitez.

Now, here’s the only negative in the entire presentation, not just for me, but also for the several people I spoke with. And it’s a big one. I understand that shows like to design the stage lighting to set the scene the way they envision it. Heck, even I studied lighting in college, (and dated my professor, to boot, so I knew the art even better,) so I appreciate the effort, but this is theater, not real life, and we want to see the actors, not notice the lighting, especially in a bad light! (See what I did there?)

The lighting in the first half hour or so of The Unexpected Guest is soooo dark that my friend said it was hurting her eyes and putting her to sleep. And that’s exactly what I was going through, as well. Of course, Theatre 40 is not the only theater that is guilty of this, so all venues have to stop all the uncomfortable “artistic” lighting. They need to think of the eye health and comfort of the audience members. We beg of them.

There is one tiny situation with the cast that confused me a bit. I don’t know why they chose to have a real actor sitting there deceased for so long because we never see the front of him. What if the guy needs to sneeze or cough? They could’ve just had a blowup doll in a wig. Because he’s an actor, I kept thinking that the character was going to wind-up being alive, which made me not pay enough attention to the rest of that first very important scene. So don’t make the same mistake when you see it.

The lovely set. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As to Theatre 40 itself, I always tell everyone that it’s the easiest cultural experience in this entire city! The location is in the least busy part of Beverly Hills, there’s free underground parking just a few steps from the entrance, it has good sightlines on all three sides, a nice staff, and the most affordable snacks in town! And it was good to see so many young people there this time, such as my new besties, Natasha and Matthew, especially on a beautiful Sunday afternoon! And everyone was having a wonderful time.

So I recommend that you go there yourself this weekend, and enjoy The Unexpected Guest while you have this chance.

The Unexpected Guest running through April 19, 2026
Theatre 40  241 S. Moreno Drive,  Beverly Hills
310-364-0535 www.theatre40.org

Many years ago, I was a big fan of the very outgoing French Olympics-medalist figure skater, Philippe Candeloro. So when I met him through a mutual friend, and we club-hopped all night, I was surprised that he was so quiet. And then, at 2AM, he asked if we could stop into a French restaurant to see the owner and staff he knew, and after he talked with them in their mother tongue for about only twenty minutes, he was a new man! He became the bubbly personality I had always seen on TV.

That one night taught me a major lesson about language and what it means to everyone in the world to be able to claim their identity by speaking their native one. I reflect on that experience quite often, actually.

(L-R) Ava Lalezarzadeh, Babak Tafti, Marjan Neshat, and Pooya Mohseni. Photo by Kevin Parry, as is the one above.

So I was happy to discover that the Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated play, English, now playing at the Wallis, is sharing that same sentiment in this high-quality show direct from Broadway. It stars four-fifths of that original cast—Ava Lalezaradeh, Pooya Mohseni, and Tony-nominated actresses Tala Ashe and Marjan Nashat—along with new guy Babak Tafti.

To be completely honest, despite me having been a teacher, and my parents being English and Speech teachers, (so language has always been a big part of my being,) I was hesitant to see anything that might be serious these days. As most people I know are, I’m upset enough by what is happening in Iran right now, in real life, that I didn’t know if my mind could handle a fictional tale set in that country. However, because English is playing at the Wallis, my favorite theatre, (which has never disappointed me,) I knew that I shouldn’t miss it. And neither should you. (And I was glad to see a longer-running show from them, which they used to do quite often, as opposed to their recent mainly one-to-three night events.)

On the surface, English is a character study of the lives of five semi-strangers, with lots of humor. Digging deeper, it’s really a very thought-provoking piece on how language affects people’s lives, which is a universal experience. And it’s perhaps more relevant now than when it began in New York a few years ago due to the lunatic in the White House who is threatening Iran that their “whole civilization will die!”

As hard as this will be for me to do, I’m going to try to review the excellent play and performances I witnessed on Opening Night of English, and leave politics out of it. After I cool down for a moment. (And, in a separate column this Friday, I will be featuring some personal reflections that the scenario brought up for me, including a more in-depth look at that first night with Philippe that I referenced at the top of this review, and my own experience in a “Spanish only” class. Not fun. For anyone! You’ve never heard Spanish, French, and Latin till you hear them spoken with a Brooklyn accent! Shockingly, a play that takes place in Iran reminded me of more events in my own little very American life than any other entertainment ever has!)

Tala Ashe and Marjan Neshat. Photo by Kevin Parry.

The hour-and-forty-four minute (with no intermission) play is set in a classroom in Iran in 2008, and features the teacher and four disparate adult students who are studying for a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL.) Each character’s reason for being there is different and equally interesting, as are the actors who play them. My favorite, (and perhaps everyone’s because she’s the funniest,) is Tala as Elham, the girl who hopes to move to Australia and become a doctor. The character would be my bestie in real life.

I’ve known Iranian people since I was a teenager, and never thought that their accents made them lesser. Actually, it was quite the opposite—I thought the first guy I knew at URI was a Prince because of the lovely way he spoke! So it’s hard for me to really feel what these people in the play would be going through almost twenty years ago. But the script and actors sell the situations.

The playwright, Sanaz Toossi, implements a very clever device to help the audience along the way. During class, the students are supposed to speak English only, (it’s even declared in big letters on the whiteboard at the front of the classroom, so that the audience knows it, as well,) but as in all foreign language classes everywhere, the learners can’t help but to revert back to their own tongue every now and then. So, to let us non-Farsi speakers in on the distinction, when the characters speak English, they have thick Iranian accents, and when they are speaking Farsi, they actors speak in unaccented English. It took me a second to realize what was happening—I thought that Ava, the young actress, had just gotten nervous because it was the opening, and forgot to use her accent for the play!  But after that first minute, it worked beautifully.

Ava Lalezarzadeh, using Ricky Martin for Show & Tell. Photo by Kevin Parry.

As good as the presentation is, I have to admit that there are three issues I did not understand. Firstly, I don’t get why at least two of the students indicate that they need to pass that test. If reasons were given along the way, I missed them. I believe that in the U.S., English as a Second Language, (ESL,) classes are just for the students’ own reasons, and are not required for anything official. (I’ve been asked to teach those classes myself, but I’ve always been afraid that I talk too fast for anyone to follow. Even native English speakers have trouble with my speed on occasion.)

The second one, (which my friend Marc absolutely cannot let go,) is that one of the students doesn’t show up again about halfway through, and none of us know why. We were really hoping that it would be explained by the end, but it does not. And I hate having it left up to our own interpretations, especially since Marc calls me with a new theory every few hours!

Lastly, in the final scene, Elham is in the classroom alone, drawing on the board, when Marjan, the teacher, comes in, and tells Elham that her classroom is across the hall, and says her own new one is comprised of young students. And then Elham admits she did pass the test, with flying colors, so why is she still there, when her plan was to go to Australia to study medicine? And even if she decided to stay put in Iran, what is she still doing in the school and why a new class? We thought that perhaps she was teaching it, but wouldn’t Marjan have known that she was doing so? I’m so confused.

But none of that takes away from the excellence of the play, which is interesting throughout. Even though English does get a tad lengthy for just one act, I never checked the time. So I suggest you just go with the flow and enjoy it.

This is the front of the cube that’s in the middle of the dark stage before the show begins. Then it turns to reveal the classroom. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Marsha Ginsberg’s set is basically a giant cube in the middle of the stage; it’s just one classroom, with the outside visible in a couple of scenes in front of it. To make it more interesting, the whole thing moves a bit from scene to scene, so every section of the audience gets a different angle each time. I liked that usage, except for one giant column on one of the corners which obstructs some audience members’ views of the actor speaking on occasion. If that post is necessary to hold up the set, okay, but otherwise I think that future productions should lose it.

However, also on the technical side, the interstitial music is perfect. It really adds to it, as does the sporadic background music.

And I love that Ricky Martin’s song, She Bangs, even makes an appearance! So does a bit of the popular film Notting Hill. You’ll just have to see for yourselves how it all fits into English, which I strongly suggest that you do in these last two weeks of its limited run at the Wallis. I hope it gives all of us a better understanding of the power of language. (And please look at the back of the promo flyer on offer at the theatre—one side is written all in Farsi, which boggled my mind when I noticed how gorgeous that writing is!)

English running through April 26, 2026
Wallis Annenberg Theater For The Performing Arts
9390 N. Santa Monica Boulevard Beverly Hills
310-746-4000 www.thewallis.org

First things first—major congrats to Michigan for becoming this year’s NCAA Champions! That team truly deserved it, even if this Final with UConn proved trickier than the rest of their victories. They really were the best team in the March Madness college basketball tourney. (And a shoot-out to the ladies of UCLA, as well, for winning their women’s tournament over South Carolina.)

Yaxel Lendeborg looking serious after he got hurt. Photo by Karen Salkin.

That entire team did his part, but the stand-outs were little Elliot Cadeau, who won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award, (MOP,) and very injured Yaxel Lendeborg, who played despite serious knee and ankle injuries he sustained in the penultimate game.

So many people ask me why I watch every second of this three-week event. The answer is that in addition to loving sports, in general, and basketball in specific, I absolutely adore the many personal human interest stories. Just about every single player has a fascinating life tale.

But I hate that college teams don’t stay together anymore. Back in the day, I looked forward to seeing the same guys for four years. Now, the players change teams seemingly every year! Who do they think they are—me? (I went to four colleges, because that’s where life took me, and I recently found-out that because of that wandering, Mr. X assumed that I didn’t graduate! Is he nuts? I have two degrees! How did he think I was able to teach in public schools without graduating college?!) At the beginning of the tourney, I was actually a bit worried about my memory because I didn’t recognize anyone! No lie.

This is my DVR during March Madness! (Price Is Right is there only because a game went long!) Photo by Karen Salkin.

But I calmed down by the second round, when I had gotten used to this crop of players and coaches. And I enjoyed it all. Except for watching the losing guys be miserable. But the reality is that sixty-seven teams will lose because, of course, there can be only one final winner. That’s life.

And here’s a note to all sideline reporters everywhere in all sports: You need to stop saying, “Get over here!,” to the people you want to interview after a win. It’s soooo creepy. And rude. Many are guilty of it, but Lauren Shehadi is the worst because she always says it!

Lauren Shehadi on the right, interviewing the Arizona coach and players who had just won their game, despite looking so sad! Photo by Karen Salkin.

I wish I could claim authorship of this alliterative quote, but it was studio analyst Clark Kellogg who said March Madness is “a mosaic of magic and memories and moments.” I love that guy! And I also appreciate that he’s always trying to keep the peace on the panel, and move things along.

Now here are some of my thoughts as March Madness went on, in the order that they occurred:

Penn’s coach Fran McCaffery has a wonderful full circle story. He grew-up in Pennsylvania, played college ball at Penn, and now, over forty years later, after a long coaching career, he’s their Head Coach! Love that!

Illinois player David Mirkovic gave the most thoughtful, intelligent answers, despite not even being really fluent in English. (But he did start with “I mean!” Oysh.) One of his teammates even told him, “Great job” after one interview.

Braden Smith indicating he’s #1 now that he has the record for assists. Photo by Karen Salkin.

And how interesting that he’s one of five Balkan players on that team!

Georgia’s Jeremiah Wilkinson gave a perfect, intelligent break-down of his team’s performance at halftime in the first round. Good for him! And St. Louis’ Dion Brown did the same thing for his team.

There are many great monikers in the tourney, but the best name, for me, is Kingston Flemings, who plays for Houston. (For now—he’s a freshman who’s due to get drafted early.)

Virginia’s Jacari White has quite the difficult life story. So I’m very happy for him. What a nice kid! (He lost his hair at age seven, and then lived in a car with his father for three teenage years. Here’s the link to a full story about his life: www.basketunderreview.com/inside-jacari-w.)

Skyy Clark’s broken front tooth. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Duke Brennan of Villanova should become a commentator later in life. Or, at the very least, a coach. He’s very well-spoken and intelligent.

We got to see a thirty-three-year-old record be broken!!! Purdue’s Braden Smith broke Bobby Hurley’s assist record from Duke waaaay back in the day! (If you’re curious, Braden’s new record is 1,103 assists.)

You can see the tooth being knocked out! Photo by Karen Salkin.

A few minutes after I had made a note to “look up Themus Fulks of UCF to see his strange tooth,” (because, as good as his chompers mainly looked, one side tooth appeared to be a tad wanky,) the guy…knocked-out UCLA player Skyy Clark’s front tooth!!! By accident, of course. He felt awful. As do I because I feel like, somehow, it was my fault for doing some sort of writer’s voodoo.

Mr. X finally noticed what I’ve been saying for years—that UCLA coach Mick Cronin is a dick! Even to his players! (So is very famous coach Rick Patino, by the way. I guess that’s why both coaches’ first names have “ick” in them!)

Canadian teen, Olivier Rioux–what can he possibly be looking up at??? Photo by Karen Salkin.

Canadian teen, Olivier Rioux, who plays for Florida, is the tallest player ever, (for reals,) at 7’9”. And I just read that he’s going to transfer schools to get more playing time. What kind of nutty coach doesn’t regularly play a guy who’s almost 8’ tall???

Tiny (5’10”) Dominique Daniels from Cal Baptist was so fun! I love that guy! I think now everyone does. And he and his team have the most fun fan base.

Master P’s son, Mercy Miller, plays for Houston! Who knew?!

Virginia’s coach, Ryan Odom, gave a great time-out interview. He actually answered honestly, (which is rare,) and gave a perfect breakdown of what was needed from his team.

Malik Thomas of Virginia showed that humanity matters more than competition when he picked up a Tennessee opponent, little Chance Mallory, he had just knocked down by accident. I loved that! (Mr. X is the one who actually noticed it first.)

Alvaro Folgueiras and his ecstatic mother after a win. Get out the tissues! Photo by Karen Salkin.

This story made me cry. It was only the third time ever that Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras’ mother had seen him play in college; they’re from Spain. And you can tell he loves his mom more than anything. Through tears, (his and mine!,) he said, “My mom is there after fighting for me her whole life.”

UConn’s Alex Karaban has played in nineteen March Madness games over his four-year college career!!! Do you know how unusual that is?! That’s just insane!

As I indicated earlier, I can’t stand UCLA coach Mick Cronin, but against UConn, he received a technical foul late in the game, for no apparent reason. He clearly didn’t say a word, but was clapping at something the ref did, which we know was sarcastic. But, I was shocked to learn that the ref doesn’t have to tell why he tee-ed him up!!! What??? He should have to! Viewers want to know. Not fair.

Bennett Stirtz’s still-glowing skin. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Bennett Stirtz still has great skin, a year after I first pointed it out, and so does much older Texas Tech coach, Grant McCasland.

Arkansas proved themselves to be true thugs in the Sweet 16 game against #1 Arizona. They were losing by twenty-three points, and started doing horrible things to their opponents. One guy got ejected, but two more really should have been, too. Douchebags.

Duke coach Jon Schuyer made me cry when he couldn’t even talk when asked about Caleb Foster playing in the Sweet 16 three weeks after foot surgery! That extreme accomplishment got us both choked-up.

Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter gave the least depressing losing coach speech I’ve ever heard! Good for him. I’m glad I rooted for him and his team.

This little girl in the stands is mirroring everything yours truly goes through during March Madness!!! Photo by Karen Salkin.

Studio panel host, Nate Burleson, can now add “and re-writer” to his credits. He kept making what Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith said understandable. Good for him. Their long-time co-panelist, Clark Kellogg, was probably happy to have the help!!!

Alex Karaban’s mom, in discussing how young men need to be prepared for the future, said, “At some point, the ball stops bouncing.” Brilliant. And English is not even her first language!

Good on Charles Barkley for bringing up how evil ICE is, in conjunction with some of the kids having immigrant parents. In this case, it was triggered by Karaban’s ‘rents.

I’m always happy when Grant Hill is on the call. He’s the most pleasant guy ever!

Just one of Charles Barkley’s ill-fitting jackets. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Danny Hurley (UConn) is one of only two coaches in history to have taken his team to multiple Final Fours with no losses. (The other one is Branch McCracken, who coached from 1930-1965!)

And to end on perhaps a shallow note, you know that I’ve always adored Charles Barkley, but now that he’s lost so much weight, I think it’s time for him to get a smaller suit jacket! Just sayin’.

Besides that this new play is really good, (and you have only one weekend left to see it,) I had the best overall time at the Electric Lodge Theater in Venice this past Sunday. So did the many audience members whom my New Best Friends and I kept running into after the show as we partied on famous Abbot Kinney Boulevard, just one block away.

Jessie Warner and Heidi Sulzman. Photo by Gus Frank, as is the one above.

More on all that fun later on, but first I must laud this entertaining short play, (it’s only seventy-six minutes, including an intermission!,) which is inspired by an interesting true tale; I suggest you research it after you see the show because it’s fascinating! (In a macabre way.)

All you really need to know about the premise of The Best Boarding House in Delaware is that it takes place in a boarding house in Delaware. (Duh—to both.) The year is 1983, and it begins with a visit from a resident’s niece who plans to move her aunt out of there. Knowing more than that might ruin it for you. I wish I had gone in with no knowledge of the plot because I feel that shows are always more interesting if you discover the journey for yourself.

And there are a few well-done surprises along the way. Even though I knew they might be possibilities, they still got me. My seat-mate said that my reactions to them were the best thing he’s ever seen in a theatre, so you know they really worked!

I don’t know how to classify the story. The Best Boarding House in Delaware is mainly a drama, but with a lot of humor, (which makes it basically a dramedy,) and it could alternatively be called a thriller or psychological drama or dark comedy. You’re just going to have to decide for yourselves.

Heidi Sulzman and Leigh Taylor-Young. Photo by Gus Frank.

Truth be told, I had opted to see the play only because Emmy-winning veteran actress Leigh Taylor-Young is in the four-female cast. I had never seen her work before, but, as she’s been uber-famous for just about my whole life, and I had actually met her a bunch of times a few decades ago, I really wanted to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to finally see her act. I believe she had just about retired some years ago, so this show was very lucky to have convinced her to return to the stage.

And let me tell you—that woman is still gorgeous! It’s unbelievable. I spoke with her after the show, (I’ll tell you about that in a few minutes, as well,) so I saw her up-close, and I promise you—Leigh looks at least twenty years younger than she is. Maybe even thirty years younger! And I’d kill to have her body. Which made me actually consider giving her a bad review, out of jealousy!

But I can’t even joke about that because Leigh is absolutely perfect in the role of the kindest, sweetest, most supportive woman one could ever imagine. Leigh’s character, Fiona, is the one resident in the titular senior boarding house. Every note in her performance rings true.

As for the rest of the cast, Heidi Sulzman, who does the heavy lifting as DeeDee, (or is it “Didi?”—there are no programs,) the old woman who owns and runs the boarding house, really sells her character, with no melodrama involved. That makes the action so real, (which as I said before, is!)

Michelle Gardner. Photo by Gus Frank.

Also real is Michelle Gardner as Shannon, the niece of the resident she’s come to take to her own home. She makes the most of her comedic lines.

The final cast member is Jessie Warner, who plays the judge in a “Best Small Business” contest that DeeDee enters. Not only is she excellent in her role, but I love her hair. Trust me, I’m going to try to copy it because when I let my hair be wavy, it doesn’t look anything like the gorgeousness of hers!

Michael Fitzgerald’s cluttered-by-design set is spot-on; I’m sure it took a lot of work. (Or maybe he just studied my living room. Can I sue?)

The set. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Writer/director Marja-Lewis Ryan did a great job with the entire production. And on a side note, her darling boyfriend, Joseph, really helped me with a crazy phone problem that night, and literally saved the day for me! Actually, everyone who works there was very pleasant.

Perhaps that pleasantness is why the venue was packed…on Easter! And I wore no make-up because I thought I’d be the only one in the audience on such a big holiday. That audience fullness is a testament to how good the play is; it must be creating quite the buzz. I hope I’m adding to it with this review because I’m highly recommending The Best Boarding House in Delaware.

But, a warning, though—it gets freezing in that theatre, so I advise you to bring layers. If I had had a blanket I would’ve been happy. The guy next to me told me at intermission that when I put my sweatshirt on, he knew I was cold. (As was he! Along with at least half the assemblage.) Then when I put the hoodie up, he knew I was even colder. But when I put a mask on my face with no one coughing around us, he knew that I was freezing! I’m glad that someone knew I was using a face mask solely for warmth.  And just to let you know for future reference, it works.

Now here’s my Leigh Taylor-Young story: A few decades ago, Leigh was roommates with my friend, Paul Ryan, in a big beautiful house in BelAir. I met Paul when I was doing my TV show, and he asked me to join his improv group. From there, a few of us became the Laugh Factory Players. So I was over at that house quite a bit. I actually think I was there more than Leigh! But anyhow, because she was so good in this play, I decided to stay to see her afterwards, and she was as gracious as she is beautiful. So I’m glad we reconnected for a moment.

And as to my opening declaration of fun, this is what happened: The entire assemblage loved the show so much that everyone stuck around the lobby and entrance for a long while afterwards. We discussed what we had seen, took photos for each other, and greeted the amiable cast. A couple of guys even offered to help me find my car, which was possibly lost in the unfamiliar-to-me Venice neighborhood! When I finally left and walked to the corner, a lovely duo approached me to inquire about the notes I was taking during the show. We had such a good convo, (they had come to see Leigh, as well,) that we walked right over to Abbot Kinney and…they took me to dinner!!! We had the best time. (At least I did—they may be blocking me forever!) It hit me that in these days of life being more and more like Dateline, I’m amazed that we all trusted a stranger, especially after seeing the chilling The Best Boarding House in Delaware! But that’s what the show brought out in us all—a fun time! (And whether they want to be or not, Gigi and Sumit are now My New Best Friends. And they’re the first brother and sister pair upon whom I’ve ever bestowed that title, so I hope they cherish it for the brief time they’ll hold it; many others are vying for it at all times, so I have to switch it up when someone new deserves it. But someone will have to go far to beat-out these two.)

Now go see the play this last weekend! You’ll be glad you did.

The Best Boarding House in Delaware running through April 11, 2025
The Electric Lodge Theater
1416 Electric Ave., Venice
thebestboardinghouseindelaware.eventbrite.com

Once again, Easter comes right in the middle of Passover. How many fun foods can one girl eat in a week???

Which do I love more?

But I’m celebrating one extra “holiday” this week, as well. The first night of Passover, which was Wednesday, fell on the same day as my favorite day of the year. So do you know what that special day was? I can tell you the answer now without joking—it was April Fool’s Day! It’s the only day of the year that Mr. X tells me he loves me, (so he can get the words out of his system, but then take them right back, to keep me on my toes.) And that’s no joke. But I love it! (And a big thank you to all the gullible pals who I “got” once again this year!)

As for Easter, I totally hadn’t realized the date of that holiday this year, (it’s this coming Sunday, in case you all were out of the loop, too,) and had made plans to review a play that day! Wanting to always be reliable, I’m forging ahead with those plans, and hope that at least the audience members will be a tad festive for the holiday. I know that I will! (But will I choose to rock my “chick in a colorful basket” earrings or my yellow Easter e-word ones? How’s a girl to choose?)

A passover set-up at a seder I once went to. Photo by Karen Salkin.

The main reason that I care about Passover is to pay tribute to my heritage. And, okay, because I have affection for the special foods, too. (I first made my nutty—in both senses of the word—Tower of Matzahs recipe during the Pandemic Passover, and let me tell you—that odd dessert is delicious! It was even during the crazy time when I didn’t have the proper ingredients during that lockdown! If you want to give it a whirl yourself, here’s the recipe for you: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/recipe-tower-of-matzahs-recipe.)

Pretty Easter.

And the colors and camaraderie of Easter are what draw me to that special day. I’ve loved it ever since I starred in my third grade Spring play; at the end, I donned a flowered chapeau while the rest of the cast, (my classmates, of course,) serenaded me with a rousing rendition of In Your Easter Bonnet.

No matter what you do this week-end, if you’re a celebrant of either holiday, or both, I wish you the happiest Passover and the hoppiest Easter! (Goony of me, I know.)

Yes, I am ashamed to admit that I have been watching The Bachelorette since the pandemic lockdown. There wasn’t much else to do at the time, so please don’t judge me too harshly, (as I do myself!)  And then I started watching The Bachelor the next season. (But I held off on Bachelor in Paradise until 2023, when a very intelligent and successful show biz executive heavily suggested it to me, and Mr. X and I didn’t want to disappoint him.)

Taylor Paul, looking the best she possibly can, in an image from the show that we’re not going to get to see.

So I feel qualified to weigh-in on the inane situation that ABC finds itself in now with the newest creepy Bachelorette, whose fully-shot season they just had to cancel!

Taylor Paul was a stupid choice anyway. First of all, she wasn’t even a part of the franchise to begin with, as all other Bachelorettes have been. On top of that, she’s not even remotely attractive. At all. She looks like a washed-up old drugged-out harlot. As soon as we saw the (very many) promos for the upcoming rendition, Mr. X and I had already decided to not waste any time watching this season of the show.

If you don’t know this latest show biz gossip, here’s the tea: For some unknown reason, instead of booking one of the popular rejects from the former season of The Bachelor to be the new Bachelorette this season, the show hired this skank from Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives. I had never even heard of that show until this last season of Dancing With the Stars, when ABC took two of those “wives” to compete on the dance floor. So it must be popular among the idiots who watch reality TV. And that may be why The Bachelorette went against their own unwritten rules, and chose a divorced mother-of-three, (with two different men,) to vie for love with strange men. Who could have seen a debacle coming???

The answer is everyone, of course. But not like this. The situation is worse than any of us could have imagined.

Taylor Paul’s ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen.

So, after this entire season was already filmed, and about to start airing on March 22th, (with at least a month of seemingly non-stop promos!,) a popular website published a tape of Taylor attacking her serious ex-boyfriend, (and baby daddy,) Dakota Mortensen in 2023. She even threw heavy metal chairs at him! Even worse, her five-year-old daughter was in the room! And the kid got hit in the head by one of those objects!!! What is wrong with that woman???

She got arrested for alleged domestic violence back then, and was charged with misdemeanor assault, criminal mischief, and commission of domestic violence in the presence of a child. OMG, am I right? (In August 2023, she pleaded guilty to one count of third-degree aggravated assault, and was placed on probation for the next three years. The other charges were dismissed. But my research shows that the authorities are considering even more charges against Taylor Paul, stemming from second and third incidents!)

After that three-year-old video of the attack came to life on this March 19th, her upcoming season of The Bachelorette was cancelled, just three days before its premiere!!! A Disney Entertainment Television issued a statement announcing the cancellation, explaining, “In light of the newly released video just surfaced today, we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season of The Bachelorette at this time, and our focus is on supporting the family.” What family???

Taylor Paul, looking as confused as the rest of us are as to why she was ever chosen to be this season’s The Bachelorette!

So now the big question is: Why didn’t the show vet this stranger??? I always thought that everyone who applies to be on the show is investigated, so how did the ABC powers-that-be miss this major situation??? TMZ seems to have had no trouble uncovering the info and video, so why did ABC’s high-powered detectives not get the memo??? Or actually, why didn’t whatever channel Secret Lives Of Mormon Wives is on catch it, especially because that series didn’t begin airing until late 2024? And she and Mortensen weren’t married, so she wasn’t even a “wife!”

No matter who is to blame for that oversight, let’s all thank them for the reprieve we’re all getting from these low-life shows. Maybe the cancellation will be just what we The Bachelor franchise possibly-addicts need to break free! And let’s just hope that Taylor does not show up on the next Dancing With the Stars!