Theatre 40 in Beverly Hills always brings us something interesting, and this time, it’s the U.S. premiere of prolific Canadian playwright Norm Foster’s three-character comedy, Lakefront.

Daniel Leslie and Mouchette van Helsdingen. Photo by Eric Keitel, as is the one above.

For once, I’m going to tell you the premise of the play because, even though it’s totally funny, it may not be for everyone. The play takes place over one weekend, in a cabin in Canada where a couple of seniors who barely know each other are planning to have sex. So I’m either attracting you or warning you, depending on whether or not you’re a fan of hearing abut senior sex for a couple of hours.

The sixty-eight-year-old woman, (played by pretty Mouchette van Helsdingen,) and the seventy-year-old man, (played by Daniel Leslie,) had met recently, and decide to go away for a couple of days to have sex to remind themselves that they can still be attractive. Or something like that. However, unless the seniors are Pierce Brosnan and Sharon Stone, this is not my kind of topic. But I was already a fan of a few of Norm Foster’s other seventy-five plays, so I never even checked-out what it’s about before I went. All I knew was that it was sure to have a bunch of laughs, which it did.

As a matter of fact, I brought along my friend Marc, because I felt that he could really use a laugh right about now, (his precious dog had very recently passed away,) and he loved the show! He laughed the entire time; the evening at Theatre 40 was exactly what he needed.

I had seen Mouchette and Daniel in other plays before, and reviewed them favorably, and they’re equally good in this one. But the best parts of the play are when Michael Gabiano, as the nutty, naive cabin-keeper of sorts, Duane, shows-up! The action picks-up every time he enters! After his first scene, the audience knows what’s coming with each knock on the door.

Mouchette van Helsdingen, Michael Gabiano, and Daniel Leslie. Photo by Eric Keitel.

The only issue I have with the acting is that Daniel keeps trying, with little success, to do a Canadian accent-–because the writer is from that country, and therefore the play takes place there—but it’s sooo distracting. The poor man tries so hard, but he’s not really very close to it. It would be better if he would use it for just a bit, like when he says the word “sorry,” which is quite often, but he’s trying to do something weird on words such as “have” and “cabin,” and that’s just confusing. Mr. X’s family is from Canada, so I’ve spent a lot of time there, including living in Mississauga, Calgary, and Edmonton, (love their humongous mall!,) for little bits, and Toronto for one whole summer while he was starring in the National Tour of They’re Playing Our Song, and I never heard anybody talk the way that this guy does. And, when only one character who lives in that same area has an accent that’s supposed to be native to that area, it works even less.

But I enjoyed the experience overall. Lakefront features yet another excellent set from Jeff G. Rack. Marc said to tell you that he got the setting of the play right away, just from seeing the set design!

The set, before the show, with the main lights off, yet still fabulous! Photo by Karen Salkin.

I always appreciate special little touches, and in the case of Lakefront, it’s that there is mainly Canadian music in-between the scenes. One time it was Gordon Lightfoot singing If You Could Read My Mind, then there was Murray McLauchlan’s Revelation, and also a few instrumental chords of a Neil Young song.

The play did get a tad long, which is not the fault of this theatre—I believe that they have to do it as written. I feel that it should end with a little scene about tea; that would be a charming conclusion.

And, as much as I’m a fan of Foster’s writing, in general, I don’t get the title of this one. Yes, it takes place in a supposed “lakefront” cabin, but that’s about it. There is one tiny bit in the script about that location, but nothing more. And that brief mention is definitely not significant to the narrative. It’s absolutely no big deal—I’m just sayin’.

Here’s one little tip about your visit to Theatre 40 this summer: It’s freezing in the theater, which is good if you are in need of air-conditioning in this heat. It would be less expensive for you to buy a ticket and spend time in there than to go to a mall for their A/C and wind-up buying a bunch of unnecessary junk! But I strongly suggest that everyone definitely bring some heavy clothing when you go. One little woman in the front row was not only wearing heavy pants, a shirt, and a sweater, but she brought one of those wintery puffy jackets, and put it on within five minutes! This will explain the temperature in there: I was so cold that I was envious of the actress’ winter wardrobe! I kept wondering if I could be fast enough to run up on stage and grab her coat between scenes! So heed my warning to dress in layers.

Lakefront running through August 23, 2026
Theatre 40  241 S. Moreno Drive, Beverly Hills
310-364-0535 www.theatre40.org

Mexodus is quite possibly the best show I’ve ever seen! (And between reviewing theatre now and growing up in New York, I’ve seen at least thirty shows a year since I was about two!!! I saw three last weekend alone!)

And please know that no matter how many superlatives I use in this review, Mexodus is even better than I can possibly portray! Everything about it is fascinating! Here’s how much I loved it—I’m absolutely sick that Mr. X missed it! If I had known exactly what was to come, I would have insisted that my krump dancing bae go with me. (But my friend Jeanine, who got that honor in his place, keeps saying it’s “so amazing!” And, trust me, hip-hop is far from her thing. She’s doing a role on a TV hospital show now, and she said that she was thinking about the show so much in her “hospital bed” on set the day after the opening that she fell asleep doing so! A crew member had to wake her!)

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Photo by Jeff Lorch, as is the one above.

I actually almost turned down the invitation to Opening Night of Mexodus because I was, as usual, overbooked for that weekend. But I adore the Pasadena Playhouse, so I changed my schedule around, even though the title and image on the invitation did not really make clear what I would find there. But as soon as I did a bit of research on this show, I could not wait to see it. It’s just two guys, Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson, (who also wrote the script and all the music!!!,) yet it’s won several Best Musical awards in New York! I could not imagine how that was even possible.

And now that I’ve seen it, I have my answer. I can’t remember ever before witnessing so much creativity from just two humans! It’s literally mind-boggling. I rarely call anything “amazing,” but in this case, that word is not even good enough!

Besides what we’re seeing on the stage, my head spins from picturing them conjuring-up this entire show! So much work went into it. I can absolutely see why Mexodus was the season’s most award-winning off-Broadway musical. (Sidebar: The cute girl sitting next to me told me that her brother, who lives in New York, had missed the show there, so he flew out here to see it!)

So what could this be about really, you might ask? I feel that there’s no way to describe the show that will do it justice, but I’ll try. It does actually have a story. It’s a tale of two men who come together in Mexico in 1851 through the Underground Railroad of that era. Nygel plays Henry, a runaway American slave, and Brian is Carlos, the Mexican man who saves him. That historic lesson is very important, of course, especially in these times when so many minorities are being heavily discriminated against in this country once again. I worry every time I don’t hear from any of my non-Caucasian pals for a couple of days.

Nygel D. Robinson and Brian Quijada. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

But it’s the jaw-dropping massive talent of these guys that’s the reason to see the show. Besides all the writing of the narrative, music, and lyrics, and the outrageous musicianship, (they each play multiple instruments, including Brian on…accordion!; and Nygel even appears to be a concert pianist!,) the guys are funny and serious and poignant actors. They literally have enough talent for about forty people each. Hey buddies-– leave some for the rest of us!

Adding to the excellence is that the performers are enjoying themselves as much as the audience is! Brian is also basically the emcee of the proceedings, and he’s charming. He asked if we were ready to “get lit,” which it appeared that the younger-than-usual audience was. And they’re both cute, which does not hurt. The two of them must have been the life of every party as youngsters. (And now, as well! Never since I saw Mr. X on stage as a teenager, and knew right away that I wanted him in my life, have I wanted to be friends with the actors/musicians I’ve seen in a show before!) [Auxiliary note: I met Nygel’s girlfriend at the fun afterparty, and she’s beautiful, too!]

I was a fan of just their voices and music, even when I didn’t understand the words. One amazing aspect of what they do is layer each instrument’s sound, building all the music from scratch at each performance right in front of our eyes. It’s mostly hip-hop, but there’s actually a touch of other styles along the way—some soul, gospel, traditional Mexican, a bit of blues, and even that tiny bit of classical piano I mentioned before. (I would have loved to hear Nygel play even more of that!) It’s all totally my kind of music.

And, for once, I was far from the only person bopping to the music! I was happy to see that audience movement. It was actually sort-of hard to stay in my seat except for the fact that I wanted to watch the guys even more than to dance myself!

Brian Quijada and Nygel D. Robinson. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

I do have to admit that I couldn’t really follow the story at first. (Perhaps that’s because my aural comprehension has gotten a tad lazy due to using closed captions on TV.) But after about fifteen of the ninety minutes, I got the narrative, and was all in. But I enjoyed it all from the get-go because of the incredible music and the energy of the duo performing it.

I also appreciated much of the dialogue, both amusing and heavy. Brian’s character pointed-out that as a people, “we are taught to separate.” Spot-on. And one of them said, “It’s not safe anywhere,” as the character in 1851—ring any bells for these days?

One line that especially struck me was, “What are you doing with the days that your ancestors have earned you?” That was just one sentence in the middle of all of it, but it really hit home. Clearly, this duo is doing the absolute most with their days!!! You know when people ask what you bring to the table? Well, these guys built the table!

This is how good Mexodus is—for once, I’m not even going to equate it to a story from my own life! There is no comparison. (How’s that for a recommendation???)

Of course, Brian and Nygel can’t do everything by themselves, so they had David Mendizábal direct it, (he also did the tiny bit of costuming there is,) and Tony Thomas choreographed the bit of movement. (The crowd went wild when the guys did literally one second of Kid ’n Play’s famous move!) I also have to give props to “looping systems architecture and sound designer” Mikhail Fiksel, who won a Tony for the also-fascinating Dana H., (which I reviewed here, if you want to see what else this guy can do: itsnotaboutme.tv/news/theatre-dana-h.)

To sum up, if you love great music, and are a fan of talent, you have got to see Mexodus!

Brian Quijada, (in the cowboy hat–note the shoes!,) and Nygel D. Robinson, (in the shades,) at the afterparty, surrounded by pals and admirers. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I have to add a couple of props for the Pasadena Playhouse itself. One is that they always provide little bottles of ice cold water for the audience on hot days. You have no idea how much I appreciate that. And my friend pointed-out that there is plenty of room between the rows for people to get by without stepping on your feet, which is also a pleasure. So go see this show there already! You have only two more weeks!

Mexodus running through August 2, 2026
Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena
626-356-7529 www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

Do not miss this Broadway-quality show, from 5-Star Theatricals! We’re very lucky to have it in SoCal!!! It’s perfect for absolutely everyone! But you have only this weekend left to see it.

The rest of the images do not do the production justice, so please don’t judge by them.

There’s soooo much to say, all good, about this The Wizard of Oz, so this review may be a tad long. But I need to laud every single cast member and aspect of the production. This is one I really wish was not such a limited-time production because otherwise, it could, and should, run for years! And for perhaps the very first time, I have not one negative thing to say!

First let me declare my complete love of the classic film version of The Wizard of Oz. So, even though I love all the presentations I’ve seen from 5* Theatricals, I was a tad skeptical this time because I could not figure out how they could possibly do this story as a live production—there are so many parts of the film that I thought could not be recreated on a stage. So I’m thrilled that they stayed as close to the movie as possible. Such a gargantuan effort is needed to do this show right, and 5-Star Theatricals went beyond!

My usually very critical self would not change even one little thing about it. The performances are all excellent, which rarely happens. The music is great, the costumes are stunners, the sets are a surprise delight, and all the special touches are spectacular surprises. The direction, choreography, and musicians are spot-on. And it’s fun from the get-go, when a real live Toto runs across the stage!

Most impressive is that they do basically the entire movie just about word-for-word. (And believe me, I know that script! It’s Mr. X and my romantic movie! Don’t ask.) My friend Doug enjoyed the show with me on opening night, and said, “When you do a story that everybody loves, you have to be careful to not try to reinvent the wheel and create something completely new. It’ll lose its charm. And this company has done a very good job of paying homage to the story with a creative adaptation for the stage, which carries all of the film’s original charm.” So we were happy that they didn’t change anything except having Auntie Em and Uncle Henry play two of the characters in Dorothy’s dream, which they don’t in the movie. I give full credit to director Richard Israel for all of that.

Becky Lythgoe and Hannah Sedlacek, not in the costumes from the show. (L-R) Tom Anawalt, Lucas Alifano, Hannah Sedlacek, and Eric Stanton Betts. Photo by Veronica Slavin, as is the one at the top of this review.

This production even includes a fabulous musical number, The Jitterbug, which was part of the original movie before it got cut. So that was a really fun surprise, even to me, (who did not know of that omission before,) especially because it’s the big production number. They do all the original song lead-ins, as well.

This version features a very attractive cast, all the way around, even the Wicked Witch! I love that casting directors Michael Donovan and Richie Ferris had the foresight to cast someone as pretty as Becky Lythgoe in that role. She’s so wonderfully wicked that you don’t even notice her looks, though—just her comedic evilness. I know her a bit in real life, and now may never look at her the same way in person again.

And I’m happy to report that I loved the trio of Dorothy’s new pals: Eric Stanton Betts as the Scarecrow, Lucas Alifano as the Tin Man, and Tom Anawalt as the Cowardly Lion. Their portrayals were all exactly right. But my fave was a surprise to even myself—it’s the Cowardly Lion! We, the public, always look for actors to make roles “their own,” but in the case of this musical, the movie is perfection, so I really wanted the characters to not be reinventions, especially for the children who will look to this show as their introduction to the classic story. And Tom is as close to giving us the full charm of Bert Lahr as one can! I absolutely adored him!

(L-R) Tom Anawalt, Lucas Alifano, Hannah Sedlacek, and Eric Stanton Betts. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

The most beautiful voice belongs to Cassandra Marie Murphy, as Glinda, The Good Witch. (She also plays Auntie Em, though I didn’t realize that until the end.) [Note: I love talented couples, so I have to point out that both “witches” have equally talented husbands in real life! Cassandra’s is actor John Shartzer, who has been my favorite actor in a few productions I’ve reviewed in recent years; I wish he was in every show! And Becky’s hubby is also one of my favorite people—fabulous producer and writer, Kris Lythgoe. I wish that everyone was as clever, and especially lovely, as he is! “Search” all of their names in this e-zine to see past positive reviews I’ve written about the work of the quartet of them.]

In a slight twist, Mike Baker, who also plays Uncle Henry, is the most charming Emerald City gatekeeper. I still haven’t reconciled that both characters are the same actor! Noah Kaplan is splendidly comedic as Professor Marvel and The Wizard. And my pal Doug gave immediate props to Hannah Sedlacek for her understated Dorothy and her sweet singing of the iconic Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

Something that does not happen often in shows is that a few ensemble members catch our eyes. But it definitely did in this one! As a ballet lover, I literally gasped when ballet dancers Samantha Bell and Jacob Ray did just a few gorgeous moves. As much as I love this The Wizard of Oz, I literally wanted to just freeze it for a moment and watch these two magnificent dancers for a few hours! Choreographer Clarice Ordaz was wise to feature them.

And then, as the “munchkins” were dancing, my eyes kept being drawn to one of them. It was Bayley Tanenbaum, who was not doing anything crazy to make me notice her, but I just did. And then, just as I was making a note of that, Doug whispered the very same thing, telling me,“That girl is very charismatic.”

(L-R) Hannah Sedlacek, Becky Lythgoe, and Cassandra Marie Murphy. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

Actually, everyone in this show is excellent, even the kids in the ensemble. None of them are obnoxious, or looking like they’re just kidding around up there. They all give it everything they’ve got, and appear to be having the time of their lives doing so. What a marvelous opportunity 5-Star Theatricals is providing for these youngsters!

This is how enthralled with the show I was—for perhaps the first time ever, I forgot to take curtain call photos because I was applauding so fervently! I feel bad about that because I really did want to show you the entire superb cast! (So you’ll just have to see the show for yourselves this final weekend.)

Now let’s get to the technical aspects of this The Wizard of Oz. The entire production is incredibly well done, and features so many fun visuals.The sets are all beautiful, and the costumes are colorful and spot-on. The famous ruby slippers are downright dazzling! (And I should know—I have two pairs myself! I wish I had thought to wear them to opening night.)

Doug pointed-out that the colors of the set and costumes get vibrant when Dorothy’s house lands in Munchkinland, to emulate that the movie goes from black-and-white to color at that point. Brilliant!

Hannah Sedlacek and Eric Stanton Betts. Photo by Veronica Slavin.

And they do the yellow brick road in such a clever way. I was looking down to write a note about something else at that point, and I heard the entire audience ooh and ahh, so I looked up and saw it. And was immediately impressed.

Every bit of the show is so creative—the flying, the monkeys, the poppies, the guards. Even a trio of crows in the background of If I Only Had a Brain are a great addition to the proceedings.

On a slight personal note, I chuckled knowingly when Auntie Em told one of the farmhands, “You want fun, go join the circus.” But I can tell you from experience, (because I was in one as a teenager,) it’s not that much fun. Trust me on that.

Before the show begins, 5-Star Theatricals’ Executive Director, Cindy Murray, ends her brief “welcome” speech, with “There’s no place like the theater,” which is a lovely riff on the famous line, “There’s no place like home,” that Dorothy says at the end of the show. I love that full-circle situation.

I desperately want Mr. X to experience this wonderful The Wizard of Oz because he had to miss the opening, so I’ll be seeing it again this final weekend. I hope you all do the same, especially the children of SoCal, or you’ll be seriously missing out!

The Wizard of Oz running through July 19, 2026
Bank of America Performing Arts Center’s Fred Kavli Theatre
2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd. Thousand Oaks
805-449-2787 www.5startheatricals.com

On the way to Opening Night of Primary Trust at the Mark Taper Forum, my friend asked me what genre of show this would be. I never check-out the promos before I see something, so I had no idea. But I replied hopefully that I believed it was a comedy, even though I was just guessing. So when it began with a lot of laughs, I was happy that I hadn’t fibbed. Most of it is very funny. But its raison d’être is extremely serious. And touching. (A line near the end states, “Even though we lose everything, in the end, it’s the finding that’s important.” What a lovely concept!)

So let’s delve further into this Pulitzer Prize-winning play, which is an interesting combination of very funny, very sadly serious, and a bit too slow at times. Go figure.

(L-R) James Urbaniak , Petey McGee, and Ugo Chukwu. Photo by Knud Adams.

Actually, I really wasn’t sure what it’s about until almost the end. So I just went with the entertaining journey. It’s basically the story of how one man copes with the pain of loss and loneliness. Despite the inherent sadness along the way, (to me, anyway, because I always want people to have friends,) Primary Trust is filled with laughs. And excellent performances from all four of the actors.

Petey McGee does the heavy lifting admirably as Kenneth, who I believe is never off the stage, except to change an item of wardrobe! (The character often does not complete a thought, à la Charles Barkley discussing basketball, so I’m used to it. But I’ve never seen it in a play before!) Ugo Chukwu is his bestie, Bert, who any of us would be lucky to have, with his humor and charm, and most importantly, care of Kenneth. James Urbaniak plays a trio of comic roles, and is very funny in all of them. And the only female, Rebecca S’Manga Frank, basically steals the show, playing all the waiters and waitresses at a bar, which is Kenneth’s “favorite place on earth,” and all the customers at the bank that Kenneth eventually works at!

And let’s not forget Luke Wygodny, the lone musician who unobtrusively provides all the low-key background music, (which he composed!) He plays keyboard, cello, and guitar, and keeps ringing a possibly important bell throughout, although I still can’t find anybody who really understands its purpose. (I’m surmising that it either stands for passage of time, or that Kenneth needs to stop talking about something. Or that the production just wants to annoy us.)

Petey McGee and Rebecca S’Manga Frank. Photo by Jeff Lorch, as is the one at the top of this review.

I love a play that gets right to it! Primary Trust begins with the brilliant line, “This is what happened,” and just goes from there. (I’m actually a bit jealous about that smart start—I wish I had thought of that when I was doing my TV show, instead of the insipid sing-song, “Hi, welcome to my show.” I may have to do a new television endeavor now just to steal use that opening line!)

There are so many aspects one could discuss about this deep-yet-charming play: psychological effects of childhood trauma, what friends are and mean, what that bell signifies, the multiple meanings of the title, what small-town life was like before cell phones, and my fave—how important kindness is. But I’m leaving it up to each individual theatergoer to figure it all out for themselves.

Petey McGee as Kenneth and Ugo Chukwu as the best imaginary friend ever! Photo by Jeff Lorch.

I’m actually, and not jokingly, more interested in this aspect: You know I hate telling you anything about the action of a show, especially when part of it is a fun surprise. But this revelation happens pretty soon after the start, and it’s important to the story, (and to mine, as well,), so here it is: Kenneth’s bestie, Bert, is…imaginary! I love it. That’s the best kind of friend! Even though Kenneth is thirty-eight in this tale, he and my four-year-old self have that in common. But I had two of them—brother and sister duo Peter and Diane Kosher. Well, I actually had four—Big Peter and Diane and Little Peter and Diane. The “littles” and I had deep conversations on my red toy phone every night before I went to sleep. And the “bigs” and I had financial meetings in the bathroom, with my father’s checkbook! (Boy, those were the days.) So I totally understand this character, and I thank playwright Eboni Booth for those great memories. (Yet they’re not distant ones—somehow, the Koshers come up in convos with Mr. X every few months!)

Adoring miniatures and dollhouses, I loved Marsha Ginsberg’s set of smaller-than-in-real-life buildings. There was the Primary Trust Bank, of course, the bar Wally’s, a church, and the one I loved the most, (but didn’t understand the location of,) an ice cream shop on top of another building, (which I deduced because of the soft serve cone at the top.) I could live in that fictional town! And a big shout-out to the person responsible, (perhaps lighting designer Masha Tsimring,) for the snow effect near the end—it took my breath away. (Actually, don’t avert your eyes for even one second during the entire presentation or you’ll miss something.)

The set before the show begins. Notice the placement of the instruments in the bottom front. Photo by Karen Salkin.

I rarely write about, or even think about, the direction of a show, but during this one, I made a note that it’s “well-staged” by director Knud Adams. Even the placement of the musician—on stage, right in front of the first row of the audience, so that we can all still see him a bit, but not really notice him much—is spot-on.

But at an hour and forty-five minutes with no intermission, Primary Trust feels just a tad too long. Perhaps the ending monologue, though incredibly powerful, should be a bit quicker; such long pauses between sentences aren’t necessary. There are two other super-slow bits, but they are comedic ones, and the long time to get them done is what makes them hilarious—an old lady counting out one penny at a time to the bank teller, and a waiter bringing full drinks to the table without spilling them. Those both drew the biggest laughs of the night when I saw the show.

The beginning of the “snow scene.” Rebecca S’Manga Frank and Petey McGee. Photo by Knud Adams.

Outside of the length, there are only two minuscule auxiliary bits about Primary Trust that bothered me a smidge. At one point, Kenneth says, “Me and my friend…“ That is soooo wrong, and it’s like nails on a chalkboard for me to hear it. I’m sure it was a choice for the character, but I’m always happy to take the opportunity to share a little grammar lesson. The correct thing is to put yourself second, so the proper sentence structure is, “My friend and I…” did whatever. Or it happened to “my friend and me.” It used to be only really uneducated people who said it wrong, but, very sadly, nowadays that egregious error seems to be constantly made by somewhat intelligent people, too. How is that happening?!

The other slightly bothersome moment for me was that although I was seated way up at the top, (which is a wonderful sightline at the Taper, by the way,) I could smell and feel the smoke from the one on-stage cigarette! (It didn’t smell like an herbal one to me.) And the odor was so strong that at first I thought that someone in the row behind us had lit up! (However, one of them recorded the whole show! Shame on them.) But the smoke smell dissipated quickly enough to not cause an asthma attack, so I just got over it. I’m mentioning it simply because it was a curious situation for a theatre these days.

And now, here’s the best news of all. If you’re an Empath, as I am, you’ll be glad to know that Primary Trust has a happy ending, even though at times along the way it may not look like that will be the case. So you can just relax and enjoy it all. But bring a tissue. Or two.

Primary Trust running through June 28, 2026
Mark Taper Forum 135 N. Grand Ave.
213-972-4400 www.centertheatregroup.org

I’ll get to my review of the actual play, (which, spoiler alert, is another winner for this venue,) in a minute. But I must discuss a few auxiliary things first.

There are several wonderful repeat aspects of this Theatre 40 offering, Crossing Delancey. The best is that once again, they’ve produced an excellent show, with an up-to-the-challenge cast. And, as always, Jeff G. Rack has designed a perfect multi-location set, perhaps even outdoing himself.

Jeff G. Rack’s set. Photo by Karen Salkin, as is the one above.

And then, on the negative side, it was freezing in there the day we went. It used to always be very cold in that theatre, (they don’t control the temperature—they’re at the mercy of Beverly Hills High School, which Theatre 40 is enchantingly underneath,) and then in March, the temp was perfect. And now in May, it’s back to freezing again. So I advise to dress in layers. (At intermission, my rarely-bothered friend had to go back to the car to get a coat!)

But the most egregious problem, for at least the third show in a row, is the awful stage lighting. As I’ve said before, the dark lighting makes the audience tired, and it hurts our eyes. The previous play there was an old Agatha Christie mystery, so I can understand a bit why they thought constant darkness was appropriate, even though it was torturous to those of us who were trying to see the presentation. But this one takes place in 1988 New York City, so there’s no need for the stage to be so poorly-lit. In Lighting Design 101, colleges teach us that the most important thing in that field is to design lighting that makes it easy and comfortable for the audience. I guess that Derrick McDaniel, who did the lighting here, was absent that day. If this continues, I may have to start bringing a flashlight to future shows there!

Now back to the happier stuff. Crossing Delancey is a play from 1985, which then became a 1988 movie starring Amy Irving. It features a Jewish girl and her grandmother in New York City at that time, and even though I’m Jewish from Brooklyn, I had never seen either rendition before. I can’t speak for the film, but this play is entertaining. It’s about the grandma fixing-up her granddaughter with a nice Jewish man, through a matchmaker no less. I honestly can’t imagine anything like that happening there in the ’80s, outside of perhaps the Orthodox community, (which I believe is the only way young singles meet each other in that branch of Judaism.) So the premise of the play was a tad odd to me. (Then again, I’ve spent only three months in my life, since I was fifteen, without a boyfriend, so I never had a need for fix-ups, from anybody!)

(L-R) Ari Hagler, Sharron Shayne, and Holly Sidell. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

As you can see, I have a few tiny issues with the story; however they have nothing to do with this production—those are all on the original playwright.

But the performances are all first-rate, and it’s a sweet and humorous tale. The whole presentation is fun. I do have to admit that, though I enjoyed it, I didn’t laugh that much, (honestly, perhaps because I was freezing,) but the rest of the audience did. There was a packed house last Sunday, which I believe included a big Jewish group, which is a great idea for a fun activity to do with a bunch of your pals. But I promise you that any ethnicity will appreciate the humor and love story. It translates across religions. My far-from-Jewish friend loved it! And at intermission, I overheard a woman tell her friend, “I adore this show!”

I’ve heard that the movie isn’t that funny, but this version is mined for optimum laughs, which is a good thing. The grandmother is basically a caricature of a Jewish grandmother. I’ve never seen one like that in my life, but Sharron Shayne’s portrayal is amusing, and the audience I saw the show with loved her. Also spot-on is Amy Tolsky as the matchmaker. She’s uber-believable as her hilarious character!

(L-R) Amy Tolsky, Ari Hagler, Sharron Shayne, (in the background,) and Holly Sidell. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

One of my favorite things about this production is that there’s real quality music in-between scenes. Several songs are by The Roches, including the old school tune, Come Softly to Me, which was originally done by The Fleetwoods in 1949!

There’s a lot of clever repartee in the Crossing Delancey script. In one scene, the girl is late to a date with the pickle man, (because she was on an earlier date with someone else,) and she asks the guy, “Don’t you want to know why I’m late?,” to which he replies, “Will it make me happy to know?” She answers, “No.” So he says, “Then why should I ask for unhappiness?” I love that. (But how is he Jewish—we all want reasons to complain!) (Wait a second—something similar once happened to me when I was teen! One of my suitors had stopped by my house when I wasn’t home, so I asked him later if it was for a good reason, and he answered no. So I told him that I didn’t want to hear it then. But it’s haunted me ever since, even though I already had a new boyfriend. What could he have possibly wanted?)

I must say that at first, the story didn’t ring true that she could suddenly be attracted to this guy, even after they kiss. But then I remembered the true tale of a friend of mine, not as far back in the day as this play, but definitely many years ago. She was dating a guy named Mike; he was attractive enough, but she was not attracted to him—he was just one of her several suitors. Then one day, she was in her car, talking to Mike through her open window, when he asked, “Are you ever going to kiss me?!” And then, before she could answer, he leaned down, grabbed her face, and threw the mac on her! Telling me about it, she said, “Kah, I almost had a heart attack!” I asked, “That bad?,” to which she answered, “No! Now I’m in love with him!!!” And they’re married now! So I guess a kiss can do that for some people.

Holly Sidell and Matt Landig. Photo by Alyssa K. Liu.

In case you’re not aware of this, Theatre 40 is the most affordable experience, especially for the quality they give you. The shows are always excellent, (well, once they get a good lighting designer, they will be again,) it’s sooo comfortable in there, it’s incredibly easy to get to, and all the parking is free! And right outside the underground entrance! And very cleverly, because the wannabe paramour in this show is a pickle man, they serve complimentary pickle slices at intermission! All those reasons, coupled with yet another good production, are why you need to see Crossing Delancey.

Crossing Delancey running through June 21, 2026
Theatre 40  241 S. Moreno Drive,  Beverly Hills
310-364-0535 www.theatre40.org

Three years ago, I saw Ain’t Misbehavin’ at the same location as I did this past weekend—the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center—and produced by the same company—Ebony Rep. I loved it then and I loved it again now! It’s a very limited run, so do not miss it! Very sadly for us Angelenos, there are only eight more performances!

(L-R) Chester Gregory, Marty Austin Lamar, Connie Jackson, Natalie Wachen, and Ledisi. Photo by Craig Schwartz, as is the one at the top of this review.

Because the production was perfect last time, I was happy to discover that almost nothing about the presentation, (once again directed by Wren T. Brown and choreographed by Dominique Kelley,) had changed, save for two new performers and one new musician.

The extremely talented cast is made up of returning artists Marty Austin Lamar, Connie Jackson, and Natalie Wachen, along with new members of the quintet, Chester Gregory and Grammy-award winner Ledisi, who will be appearing on Broadway in the Fall in the new musical Wanted, which is based on a true story of Black twin sisters who became outlaws in 1893. (I have got to see this one—it sounds like a movie I did years ago, Brothers in Arms, about a gang of Black outlaws in that same period! Don’t ask. But, yes, my character does get killed.)

Chester Gregory and Marty Austin Lamar. Photo by Craig Schwartz.

All five performers are beyond excellent, but my personal fave was Chester Gregory. When I saw him in Dreamgirls at the Ahmanson sixteen years ago, (wow—for both of us!,) I wrote, “The person who stole the show for me, though, was Chester Gregory as James Thunder Early.” And, with his nutty dance moves, especially in The Viper’s Drag, (aka The Reefer Song,) he did the same here.

The show itself, which won the 1978 Tony award for Best Musical, is wonderful. Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a “revue,” so there’s no story to it—it’s simply fabulous music and singing, with very clever movement and occasional special choreography, and gorgeous voices from the five-person cast!

It features the music of Fats Waller, along with songs by other composers and lyricists that were popularized by Fats. (He wrote the music for the classic title tune, of course.) On the way to the theatre on Saturday night, my friend Lisa told me that she’s not a fan of that genre of music, but wanted to go just to spend time with me. (Smart girl!) However, she wound-up loving the show! How’s that for an endorsement?!

The songs span 1922 to 1943. About half are well-known, with the rest being lesser-known tunes that are fun surprises. There’s a perfect mix of serious and comic songs, upbeat ones and ballads, and a few with creative dance moves.  (The performers themselves are also a great assortment of voices, physicalities, and personalities.)

The whole Ain’t Misbehavin’ cast during the fun curtain calls. Photo by Karen Salkin.

In addition to the title tune, there are classics such as The Joint Is Jumpin’, Honeysuckle Rose, and I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter, an experience I’ve actually lived. (The next lyric after the title is, “And make believe it came from you.” I actually used to do that exact thing as Mr. X in our first few years together! I was in charge of sending all the Christmas presents to his co-stars, and he told me to send myself what I wanted, as well. But I always made the “greetings” to me things like, “My dearest darling, I love you with all my heart!” And signed his name to them! And then kept the cards that arrived, in case I ever needed proof! Which I always do.)

The Ain’t Misbehavin’ Opening Night audience went nuts for all the numbers, especially the couple that we participated in, (such as the hilarious Fat and Greasy,) but there were two obvious hits of the night. First was the hilarious Your Feet’s Too Big, sung by amazingly light-on-his-feet Marty Austin Lamar. I love that song, possibly because that is something no one can ever say about me. (A masseuse once started laughing when she got to my feet, and explained that her mirth was due to my “cute little cartoon toes!”)

The audience went absolutely berserk for the musical’s very serious penultimate number, Black and Blue. The lyrics about racism are so powerful, and this cast really sold their meaning, in five-part harmony, to boot.

The on-stage band. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Since the show is all music, I must also give props to the on-stage musicians: Musical Director William Foster McDaniel on piano, along with returnees Land Richards, Keith Fiddmont, and Fernando Pullum, and newbie Weldon Scott. After the prolonged standing ovation from the very appreciative Opening Night audience, the classy among us even stayed until the band finished playing so we could applaud them on their own.

And I was happy to see the same set as in 2023, which was the last one designed by the late John Iacovelli. The setting of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is a cocktail party in a brownstone in Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, and that’s exactly what we saw on stage. I actually can attest to how perfect the set is because I was lucky enough to see one real such place in New York when a friend inherited it from very old relatives who had kept it exactly as is. I could feel all that history coming from the stage.

The late John Iacovelli’s final set. Photo by Karen Salkin.

Lastly, I must give two auxiliary shout-outs: Ebony Rep has come up with the most beautiful and impressive programs ever! They’re true keepsakes. And the theatre itself has the most perfect sightlines. Even a man rocking a big hat did not annoy me! (Much.)

To sum-up, this latest rendition of Ain’t Misbehavin’ is an uber-worthwhile evening (or afternoon) of theatre. So I highly recommend it to everyone. And remember, there are only eight more performances, so do not drag your feet, “too big” or otherwise, on this one!

Ain’t Misbehavin’ running through June 8, 2026
Nate Holden Performing Arts Center

4718 West Washington Boulevard Los Angeles
323-964-9766 www.ebonyrep.org   

The packed assemblage on Opening Night of the classic musical, Brigadoon, at the Pasadena Playhouse, was the absolutely most appreciative audience ever! It was wonderful to be a tiny part of it. And it was great to see that the crowd wasn’t made-up of only people who one might expect to enjoy a show from 1947—we were very diverse in terms of age and career. I personally knew guests who were over forty years apart in age, including actors, singers, lawyers, teachers, accountants, etc. It was the most fun pre-show mingling.

Photo by Karen Salkin.

It did surprise me a bit that there were sooooo many people who appeared to be fans of the old school Lerner and Lowe musical. I’ve referenced Brigadoon in at least a handful of previous columns, (as I sometimes do in life,) and I felt like I was the only person who had ever even heard of the show before! And, actually, even though I had seen just about every classic musical by the time I was eight, (mostly in summer productions, and thanks to my very cultured New York parents,) I had seen only the Gene Kelly and Cyd Charisse film version of this one.

Karen Salkin and Nina Herzog enjoying the photo op on the Pasadena Playhouse patio. Photo by Julia Manis.

But I guess the Pasadena Playhouse crowd is a classy one because absolutely everyone was into it, as well they should be. I usually feel alone in my love of old musicals; it often seems to me that the Hamilton and Hell’s Kitchen crowds have sort-of shunned that era of Broadway shows. They are dated, but classics still. So everything about Opening Night made me happy, (including getting to finally try Pie ’N Burger food, courtesy of their truck, with lovely personnel, on-site at the afterparty!)

For those of you who know nothing about Brigadoon, (and prefer that I do all the research for you,) the title is the name of a mysterious village in Scotland. And the kicker is that…it appears for just one day every hundred years! (I know.) The logistics of that situation have hurt my brain my entire life, wondering how the inhabitants get food, meds, etc. But I’ve got to let it go because it’s a fictional tale. And, actually, the residents go to sleep after one long day, and when they wake-up, it’s just another day to them. They’re not allowed to interact with the outside world, (think of M. Night Shyamalan’s The Village a bit,) so they have no concept of a century having passed. (They know that it did because of some deal that an elder had made back in the day—my friend Nina and I missed the explanation because the person behind us was heavily coughing on us through that entire monologue, and we didn’t have masks! So our minds were elsewhere right then.) And then two guys from New York happen upon Brigadoon on that one day, and one falls in love with a woman from this village. And most of the action plays out in just that one day!

Betsy Morgan and Max von Essen. Photo by Jeff Lorch, as is the one at the top of this review.

The fantasy scenario is secondary to the lovely music, though. Brigadoon features songs with which many people may be familiar, even without realizing from whence they came, especially Heather on the Hill and Almost Like Being in Love. I can’t believe how many lyrics I still know. So how many times did my parents play that album when I was growing up?

Caring more about dance than any other art, I have to first laud the two fabulous individual dances in the show. The director, Katie Spelman, also did all the excellent choreography. Broadway’s original choreographer, the late great Agnes DeMille, (who received a big credit in the program,) would be proud of her.

I was so happy to see Kylie Victoria Edwards’ very balletic “love” number in the first act, (in the middle of the song Come To Me, Bend To Me.) It’s beautiful. And then Jessica Lee Keller’s uber-powerful “grief dance” in Act II is a stunner. Nina was so taken with the latter that I’m sharing her feelings about it: “One of the most impactful moments was a dance performed by a character described as being so consumed by grief over the death of her family that she had stopped speaking.Through extraordinary, innovative contemporary ballet—while releasing the most guttural, heartbreaking wail—she expressed what words could not. Tears streamed down my face. Grief is so close to the surface, and to see it danced through music was truly spectacular.” Yeah, what she said. I think most of the audience felt the same way.

Kylie Victoria Edwards and Daniel Yearwood. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

As to the music, it was lovely to hear all these aforementioned songs, which I’ve been enjoying since I was a little kid, sung so beautifully. And major props to the wonderful musicians, whose full sound was a joy. At the curtain call, the orchestra was revealed to be on the back of the stage, and they received thunderous applause. It was also interesting that at times, musicians playing flute, violin, cello, and some form of drum, were front and center, worked into the happy scenes.

The twenty-two person multi-talented cast did justice to the group numbers. The voice of Max von Essen, the male lead, got to me the most. Since I don’t read my theatre programs before the performances, I had not realized that I saw Max in Falsettos seven years ago, so I honestly did not expect that gorgeous singing voice to come out of him.

But as far as speaking voices go, you will find none better than that of Happy Anderson, the very funny male sidekick. I’ve never heard stage dialogue so clearly before!

Happy Anderson in the center. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

That brings me to something for which I must give kudos to just about the entire cast—they did convincing Scottish accents, with all but the barmaid being understandable. That’s quite the accomplishment for whoever the dialect coach is. (I couldn’t find a program credit for that helper.)

A nice surprise was six-time Emmy winner for Cagney and Lacey, Tyne Daly, as the grown-up who seems to be in charge of the village. (In the original show, the character is the male schoolmaster; I’m not sure exactly what her job is in this rendition.) The experience of seeing Tyne up there came full circle for me—the only other time I had seen her on stage was when I was a tiny child watching her in a summer stock production! (Yes, I do have one of those memories. It serves me well, but it can get lonely at times.)

The Pasadena Playhouse has the perfect size stage for this show, and Jason Sherwood did a superb job with the sets. And I appreciated the very subtle flicker of the over-the-proscenium lanterns from time to time.

Tyne Daly. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

Early on, before I even knew that this was a new adaptation of Brigadoon, I made a note that “the dialogue must have been heavily rewritten.” As entertaining as the new script is, I think I would have preferred to hear the original dialogue. Since the nutty story stayed intact in this production, I would have liked to know exactly what people considered to be amusing repartee back in the dark ages of the 1940s!

As much as I always roll my eyes at the hard-to-believe love story in Brigadoon, I actually know that it is possible because…I fell in love with Mr. X at first sight, without even meeting him! (That came the next night. And, much to his relief, I have never sung about my feelings.) I also fell in love with Los Angeles at that same time, and, even as a teenager, knew it would all seem like a dream when I went home in a couple of weeks. (I even told my mother back then that it would feel like Brigadoon!) So I did give up my entire New York life, (family, friends, boyfriend, college,) to stay here to stalk get to know Mr. X, with no knowledge of how to take care of my sheltered self. But, of course, it didn’t all happen in one day. (And, although being together for about a hundred years now, when asked how he fell in love with me, Mr. X claims he’ll “let [me] know when it happens.” Can you see why I love the guy?)

Photo by Jeff Lorch.

You know I appreciate when an entertainment makes me think of something heavier, such as this world-applicable observation that Brigadoon’s timeline reminded me of. So I’m sharing how I came to the conclusion that time is different for each person. The briefest description is this: My friend Alicia was always late. I do mean always. On a busy day, we stopped at her house between events to heat-up chicken fingers for her kids, and quickly change outfits. The whole thing felt like it was taking no more than a half hour. But, as we left the house again, I looked at my watch, and it was…four hours later!!! I could not fathom how that happened. Another time, my friend Mitch took me to dinner before a Clippers game. I had never been to that restaurant before, so I had to study the menu, ask questions, (have ya met me?,) decide together what we wanted, have my slow self eat it all, get the specially-spiced nuts at the end of the meal, (which I ate, and savored, one at a time.) Then he paid the bill and I went to the ladies room, the whole while feeling terrible that we were going to miss the National Anthem and the start of the game because that entire shebang felt like it was taking two or three fabulous hours. But, from walking in to exiting, it turned-out to have been only…forty-five minutes! No lie.

So there’s my proof of the time and space continuum, which is why that hundred-years Brigadoon story doesn’t bother me as much as most irrational tales do. It doesn’t matter to the villagers what year it is—it just seems like the next day to them. How do they even have a calendar? The older people there must have been born before time was even calculated! (All that math is sooo confusing, even to my perfect-math-score-on-the-SATs self!)

Now that I’ve made your heads spin as much as mine, just go see this beautiful musical while the Pasadena Playhouse is offering the incredible opportunity. Just like Brigadoon itself, the chance may not present itself for another hundred years!

Brigadoon running through June 14, 2026
Pasadena Playhouse 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena
626-356-7529 www.pasadenaplayhouse.org

I have to be honest and tell you right upfront that this review might be partially affected by the fact that it was soooo freezing in the Odyssey Theatre on the Opening Night of Hymn that it was very hard to pay as much attention to the play as I always do. I’m pretty sure that the production is good, but my brain was half-frozen the entire time. Seriously, I kept eyeing a blanket that’s part of the set decorations, and wondering if I could run fast enough to grab it off the stage without being seen. (Strangely, that part of the set is never even used, although there are several items on it in addition to the blankets!)

Chuma Gault and Jason Delane. Photo by Cooper Bates, as is the one above.

The basic premise of Hymn, (which is revealed pretty early on in the hour and a half, so I’m not ruining anything for you,) is that a pair of fifty-year-old men discover that they’re half-brothers. They share a recently-deceased *father, but with very different upbringings. And the relationship grows from there. With ancestry-tracing kits being so popular these days, (not that these two sibs used any,) Hymn is a tale for everyone. (I always wish I would find a secret sibling, especially a long-lost twin. No joke.) *[Note: My analytical mind wonders if the title Hymn has a dual meaning. “Hymn,” of course, because the brothers meet in a church after the “legitimate” one has given the eulogy for their father, but also the play on words “him” because their entire newfound kinship is based on him—their sire. Just sayin’. Now I wish I was still in college to write a paper on it!]

Hymn began its life in London five years ago. I love British accents, which these actors—Jason Delane as Benny and Chuma Gault as Gil—do convincingly. But I don’t understand why the action could not have been moved to America for the run here. I’m just about positive that both actors are American, and it could be set anywhere in this country. The characters’ experience is universal. I kept waiting for London to figure into the story, but it never did, so that was a bit distracting. (I’ve since found-out that the play has been performed elsewhere in the States several times, all with the men being American. So now I really wonder why the Odyssey chose to make it unneccesarily British.)

Chuma Gault and Jason Delane. Photo by Cooper Bates.

The show opens with two monologues, and then the action finally gets going when the men meet. In all honesty, I’m not very interested in plays with only two characters, but Jason and Chuma do such a good job that I barely noticed it was a two-hander. And my friend Marc said that when they were talking to unseen characters, (such as a waitress and one’s son,) he totally believed it, so that added some depth.

Both actors are Black, (I can’t say African-American here, in case they are actually British,) so one might assume that the play is about the Black experience. But, I see it as simply a human experience. I feel that Hymn could also be performed by any two people of the same age, preferably around fifty, with no regard to race or gender. However, it’s good the way it is. So just go on the journey with them.

Chuma Gault and Jason Delane in the “Dump and Run Room.” (This just hit me–is there a dramatic reason the actors are always on their one side? I guess I DO have to go back to college to write this paper!) Photo by Cooper Bates.

Hymn is basically a serious play, with several good laughs along the way. My favorite bit of mirth is when the bros are going through boxes containing some of Benny’s nostalgic old items, (such as always-comedic M.C. Hammer pants,) in what I’m assuming is an attic, and Gil labels the area a “dump and run room.” That’s exactly what I’ve turned every room in my house into, so I totally identified. And now I finally have a fun name for what I’ve done to my place! I’ll thank playwright Lolita Chakrabarti for those bon mots every time I go through my own junk treasures.

By the way—Ms. Chakrabarti is the genius who adapted the novel Life of Pi into the gorgeous many-awards-winning play. So on that past success alone, although far from the spectacular production that Life of Pi is, you know that Hymn is a good one.

The entirety of Hymn is performed on one small set, but it manages to demonstrate about a half dozen different locations. Strangely, though, they never use that one area that’s set-up with those aforementioned coveted (by me) blankets, a portable piano, a chair, a stool, and some books. (So I could have borrowed a blanket! Or both.)

The set. Note the folded blankets next to that portable piano and chair on the upper right side. Photo by Karen Salkin.

As short as it is, Hymn would benefit from having about ten minutes cut. There are at least two monologues that could be much briefer or perhaps not there at all. We get the gist of each scene without it getting as wordy as it does. To me, the fun scene in that dump and run room is the only one that should remain totally intact.

But still, the show is a worthwhile one. Just remember to bring a parka!

Hymn running through June 14, 2026

Odyssey Theatre
2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd. WLA
310-477-2055 www.odysseytheatre.com

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

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