By Thom deMartino Nature or nurture? Is evil learned, or is it possible to really be “born bad”? These are the questions posed by “The Bad Seed”, directed by Lenore Stjerne, and […]
A “Bad Seed” to die for at the WCP
“Producers”: one for the “cooked” books
By Thom deMartino It gives new meaning to the old adage, “It’s so bad, it’s good.” “The Producers” recently had its opening gala at Garden Grove’s Gem Theater (with a rousing introduction […]
“Lend Me a Tenor” is love and laughs
By Thom deMartino Maria Callas, an American-born Greek soprano, once said, “An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down … It starts in […]
A radiant “Star” at the Gem Theater
By Thom deMartino Tragedy is ubiquitous. Sometimes it feels like it would be so easy to slip under – drowning in the marshy depths of day-to-day hardships and heartbreaks that is the […]
“Dolly” shows its “meddle” at the Gem
By Thom deMartino She’s the one you go to, when you’ve got marriage on the mind. “Hello, Dolly” has just begun its run at the Gem Theater in Garden Grove: it’s the […]
Getting carried away by “Pirates”
By Thom deMartino What makes a truly classic work of art is the ability to withstand the test of time. Yet, for something as revered, loved – and arguably, dated – as […]
“West Side Story” explored at the Gem
By Thom deMartino “Go back where you came from!” shout members of the local Jets gang, at the members of the Puerto Rican gang, the Sharks. It’s a rallying cry of anger: […]
No crying over this excellent “Evita”
By Thom deMartino Progressive feminist, or master manipulator? Saint to the downtrodden, or conwoman with a taste for the finer things? Love for the common man and woman, or lust for […]
“Old Acquaintance” was not forgotten
By Thom deMartino With friends like these, who needs enemies? An assertive woman is not something new – though it has only been with the passage of time that they have been […]
“Disaster: The Musical” a fine catastrophe
By Thom deMartino Hey hey! Now boarding the S.S. Barracuda for your tour of the 1970’s: please enjoy your complimentary bellbottoms, platform heels, shag carpets and Lite-Brites. It’s something very new and […]
