REVIEWS 

The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals

I didn’t know what to expect when I attended “The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals” at the Main Theatre last night. I didn’t have the advantage that many people in the sold-out audience did, knowing about the other two shows in the StarKid series, or having watched the original cast on YouTube.

What I got was insane, intense, in-your-face, incredible, incorrigible, inconceivable, irrational music, dialogue, and choreography from an extremely talented ensemble cast, many of whom played multiple parts and made many quick costume changes.

I especially enjoyed Benjamin Cross as the slightly mad Professor Hidgens. What a voice! The same goes for Joshua Oscar, who soars through challenging vocals and cracks up the audience with his swivel chair choreography.

The story is simple: a meteor hits a small town on an island, and alien blue shite turns ordinary scenes into an energetic song and dance routine. It could happen. Only one man, Paul (a wonderful Matthew Deegan) and his barista girlfriend, Emma (stoically played by Phoenix Ever), have the sense to know that something is wrong.

Kudos to the director, Stephan Nieman, musical director, Robert Dunlap, and lead choreographer, Valarie Weld.

It’s camp and laugh-out-loud fun. The only problem is that there are only three shows left today, June 21, at 2 and 8 p.m., and a matinee at 2 p.m. on June 22. If you’re lucky, you can still get a ticket, but you’d better hurry. Contact the Main in Newhall for more information or get them at the door. 

Cold Sassy Tree

I have never seen an Opera more engaging and acted so well.

(Susan Fletcher, Hope Theatre Arts)

Indecent 

Saw @VoegelPaula’s fascinating Indecent @JW3London about Sholem Asch’s 1923 play God of Vengeance, for which the actors were arrested & convicted on the  grounds of obscenity. Stephan Nieman directs superbly – shout outs to Shahaf Ifhar, Sarah Sinizer-Hopkins @YanivYafe & Inbal Port 

(SUE ODELL, CDG CDA)

The music and chorography were wonderful and the violinist and clarinetist were brilliant musicians.

(Peter Lawson FHEA)

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

“Enchanting and Hilarious. The text was brought to life in a way I’d never seen before. Stephan’s AMND is proof you don’t need spectacle and riches to make excellent theatre; this black box production transported us to another world.”

(Max Sutherland) 4.5 Stars 

 Accolades’

Won Best in Season for Ron Parker’s Under the Influence

 Recognition by the FBI for his work at a crime symposium using Augusto Boal’s work. 

Graduated in 2018 from California State University Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in Theatre Arts Honors 

Co-Produced five successful seasons of a virtual zoom theatre festival called the SOS theatre festival.

Graduated with Merit from East 15 Acting School, (University of Essex)