Most definitely not. I don't believe Miss Rigby has even performed outside of the U.S. (in theater, that is).

Jekyll And Hyde Revival @ La Mirada Theater in La Mirada, CA

This was a preview of the new Broadway revival of Jekyll and Hyde, starring Constantine Maroulis (American Idol winner), Deborah Cox, and Teal Wicks. I was not previously familiar with the show, other than knowing the song "This is the Moment". I knew it got pretty bad reviews when it first premiered, and honestly? I can see why. The whole book felt disjointed and was difficult to follow. I did genuinely enjoy some of the songs though.

As for this particular production, I was very impressed with the vocal talent of all three of the leads. The duet between Emma (Wicks) and Lucy (Cox) was definitely the show stopper. I was also thoroughly impressed with Mr. Maroulis, having never heard of him before (I don't watch "Idol"). Despite the impressive talent, I wasn't digging the overall look of this production (not that I had anything to compare it to). Some of the set designs, particularly the pub/whorehouse, were silly looking. I understand that it was called "The Spider's Web", but did we really need the stage to resemble a spider? There were ropes coming out of the sage that were attached to chairs. It was bizarre. The laboratory was basically shelves of test tubes hanging from the ceiling. The "Confrontation" included many projections of Hyde and fire on the walls, as well as pre recordings of his voice. It was a cool concept, but it definitely felt a little tacky in execution. It was visually chaotic. There was a lot of usage of mirrors and facades, which was neat in that it played with the idea of inner and outer appearances. But the overall flavor of the show was a poor mix of modern and gothic, with a rock edge. It didn't work- it needed to pick one theme and stick with it.

Overall, the show was a mess, with a few stand out moments and genuine talent. I'll probably look more into the music. 2.5/5

Stomp @ The Segerstrom in Costa Mesa, CA

This is actually the second time I've seen Stomp. I've never actually payed to see it, LOL. Anyway, for those unenlightened, it's a show centered around making rhythms with everyday, insignificant items you'd find around the house- brooms, newspapers, fold up chairs, trash cans, etc.

I think what I admire most about this show is that it's nothing but raw talent. Aside from one set and wonderful lighting, it's nothing but men and women, dressed in everyday clothing, making music with everyday items. No stage tricks. No set changes. No fancy costumes. No score. No songs. No dialogue. Just scene after scene of people making rhythms. Boring? For my friend who I attended with, it was. I, however, was thoroughly impressed with the raw energy and talent. At an hour and a half with no intermission, it felt like just enough. It didn't drag, and I was actually taken by surprise when it ended (wasn't expecting it end there!). But after the curtain call, people were shouting for an encore. So they came back out and led us in making our own rhythms. The audience absolutely ate it up, which certainly heightened the experience, and allowed me to ignore the fact that my friend was not enjoying it. Oh well, it wasn't her thing. Entertainment is certainly subjective.

An enjoyable evening. 4.5/5

Book of Mormon @ The Pantages in Los Angeles, CA

Fantastic music. Offensive humor. Memorable characters. Proceeds went to the Actor's Fund.

It was f!cking awesome, what else were you expecting?

5/5!

Peter Pan and Wendy -Stadsteatern Stockholm
(Its always great fun to have familiar faces in the cast that knows youre name, isnt it?)

Oh this was an great show where they took a step back from the "minimalist" theathre thats so popular today and filled the entire show with a feast for the eyes, in that sence it was somewhat simular to Wicked.

The cast was great and good directed, even thou I lacked a better use of the higly skilled musical artists that I know at least some of the cast can handle, I wouldnt mind Peter to have one or two more songs and I would also ad more songs for Mikaela and Wendy, specially Mikelas (Lisette Paglers) dance and song talents wasnt utilised to the full extent that I know she is capable off, but given that she plays a young kid I can imagine its hard to give her to many strong dance numbers.

But overall I am very happy with the show and its well worth seeing if youre nearby, and its even got a lot to offer adults as well as being a feast for kids. Go and See!

Lea Salonga in Concert @ The Rene and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Costa Mesa, CA

She's a phenomenal talent and a beautiful woman. I loved her sense of humor and charm. My first impression of her was that she's a lot more powerful in person that on any recording I've heard of her.

But, unfortunately, she only sang one song from Miss Saigon. That was a massive letdown, as that's what I was most looking forward to. I also wanted her to sing "Memory" just to prove me wrong (I was not at all impressed with her in that role based off of the clips on Youtube). I don't understand why she couldn't have sung any of the love duets, as there was a male accomplice. Sigh.
She sang some Les Mis, but not IDaD. I don't like "On My Own", and "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables" was a bit ....unexpected. Nonetheless, they were beautiful renditions. But three showtunes was definitely not enough. Of course she sang "A Whole New World" and "Reflection", which was very neat. The other songs I had never even heard of, but they were certainly sung nicely.

So overall, I was glad I went, but she didn't exactly deliver what I wanted.

I'm a tad behind on some reviews!

Anything Goes @ The Ahmanson, Los Angeles, CA

This was a couple of months ago so I'm slightly fuzzy on some details, but it was fabulous! Rachel York as Reno Sweeney was a real treat, the role was well acted and sung. The dancing and choreography was infectious and the orchestra fairly large (15 piece, if I recall correctly). Just a ton of fun all around. 4.5/5

War Horse @ The Segerstrom, Costa Mesa, CA

My favorite aspect of this show was the scenery and stage effects. WOW. The lighting was unbelievable. Visually, it was a very attractive show. I had some trouble following the plot a bit, missing out on a few details, but not enough to ruin the experience. The puppets were neat, but you already knew that! My only dislike was the amount of gunshots- there were way too many! Every time a character pulled out a gun, I held my breath. You could almost feel the tension from the entire audience as well. I thought everyone's accents were pretty accurate, though the mom's was a bit shakey at times. But I'm nitpicking. Overall it was a breathtaking show! 4/5

Fiddler on the Roof @ The Cerritos Performing Arts Center, Cerritos, CA

Most people have seen this show (it was my first time), so I don't feel the need to talk too much about the story and music. Of course the music is classic and well-loved. The story is well known. It's a good show.
Now that brings me to this particular tour. I am NOT a fan of Troika Entertainment after seeing their cheap, half-assed version of Cats (which I like to call "Cat"), so I was slightly concerned about this production coming in. I will give credit where credit is due: the actors and actresses were perfectly fine. Robert L. Summers II was a hilarious Tevye, and my brother- who dislikes musicals- couldn't get enough of him! The sets were not very exciting, but worked. BUT THE ORCHESTRA! Here we go again with the Troika cheap-ass 5 piece orchestras! This is just unacceptable. They really bastardize good music with their synthesizer heavy bands. What a disappointment that was! The music was still beautiful, but that band barely did it any justice.
So did I like the show? Yes. Did I like this particular production? Not so much. 3/5

Billy Elliot @ The Segerstrom, Costa Mesa, CA

I have not seen the movie, so I have no idea how faithful the stage version is to the original source material. But that's not important I suppose. I'm not sure how I feel about this show. I found the music really underwhelming and obnoxiously loud. I'm not sure if that was the venue or what, but I had a headache by intermission. The only songs I liked were "Electricity", "Solidarity", and "Merry Christmas, Maggie Thatcher". The story was difficult to follow, so I'll need to go back and read a synopsis, though the ending was heartwarming. The cast was good all around, no complaints there. The accents were fantastic!!! I enjoyed the dancing the most, but then again, I love watching any dance. The Swan Lake scene completely took me out of the show, I was utterly mesmerized. Now the set, I dunno. It just seemed a little all over the place. Some of the scenes didn't work for me. But it wasn't too big of a deal. I'd say, overall, I enjoyed it as a whole piece, but it didn't hold my attention consistently throughout. So I'll give it a 3.5/5