Put a Little Drama in your Life
KPBS AIRDATE: JULY 14, 1999 (MUSIC: “Everything’s Coming up Roses”) Seems like everything’s coming up Sondheim. Under the moon or under the stars, you can hear the work of the brilliant composer/lyricist, Stephen Sondheim. You can virtually trace his evolution. Moonlight Amphitheater is presenting “Gypsy” and Starlight Musical Theatre is taking us “Into the Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: JULY 7, 1999 You might not think that mathematical theory would make for a very good dramatic theme. But “Arcadia” may be playwright Tom Stoppard’s most brilliant creation. Both on the stage and in the mind, the play occurs simultaneously on many levels. It might be a bit too complex for some folks, what with its references to Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: JUNE 30, 1999 Cops, Catholics, death, filial devotion, mothers, marriage – how many sacred cows can you skewer in 2 hours’ time? In the warped world-view of Joe Orton, the number is limitless. Orton’s outrageous 1965 comedy was originally entitled “Funeral Games,” but the English literary bad-boy of the ‘60s finally settled on “Loot.” Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: June 25, 1999 It was an incredible season on Broadway. Not that there were any musicals to write home about, but this was a banner year for straight plays. In my recent trip back to my hometown, I had one heckuva time trying to choose what to see. First, there were all the men to contend with: Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: JUNE 23, 1999 If you want a peek at the dark underbelly of our nation, you have two dramatic vantage points this week. Check out Sledgehammer Theatre or the Fritz, both fiercely exploding the American Dream and the American myth. The myth of the Wild West. And the myth of America the melting pot, the benevolent watchdog, the Read More →
KPBS AIRDATE: JUNE 16, 1999 What IS it with the seventies? It was a ridiculous decade while it was going on: outlandish outfits, moronic music, stupid sitcoms. So why on earth should it be immortalized – not just in ONE mindless musical revue, but TWO – within the past eight months! First came “Polyester,” from the Green Room Read More →
“San Diego is a hotbed of theater. Every year, I see 200-250 productions. This is fertile ground for new work. In addition to the prodigious local talent, theatermakers from around the country come here to premiere their latest creations. San Diego sends more shows to Broadway than nearly any other city in the U.S.”
-Pat Launer