Our little game of Political Survivor abruptly expanded to the House of Representatives last week, with potentially explosive results. Speaker John Boehner

Let’s say you’re a hotshot movie producer and I’m this schlub of a writer who thinks he’s bringing the next

Unlikely heroes unite against an unknown making its way through the underground of New York and perhaps

People are funny. In the way we keep making the same mistakes. Even when we're conscious of our tendency to run

Set in suburban New Jersey in 1985, Red Oaks centers around college student David Meyers—a young man at a crossroads

In Eugene O'Neill's Anna Christie the sea defines all things; the characters, their lives, their past, and their destinies. It is

Jesus Christ Superstar is a great show. Lyrics by Tim Rice, and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and for my

"Nothing Bad – A Werewolf Rock Musical" has spun the 1987 vampire film, "The Lost Boys" by way of the

How rare a thing; a thinking man's sci-fi both stimulating and satisfying. Penned by Jerome Bixby known for such works

...

First a bit of Irish history. The Black and Tans were a force of mostly former soldiers enrolled in the

Round One has begun, a first clang! in the bruising prize fight that Donald Trump’s presidency threatens to become. It’s

The American election season never ends with the election. Not anymore. Nailing the president-elect for reneging on his second-biggest campaign promise

Terrifying in some circles, hotly desired in others: the party divided by a populist revolution and defeated by an electorate

I've turned so many people on to this show and have never heard any regrets. The best is my brother

Billed as an exploration of music and magic "Incantesimo" relies heavily on the ability of music to take us into

Wake up you princes of Westeros. Stay alert you Mother of Dragons. Justice is sweet. Justified vengeance is better. HBO released

In his latest recorded musical venture, Grammy-winning jazz pianist Billy Childs takes on the music legacy of Laura Nyro–and the

For me, the internet can be like standing in line at the supermarket. Oh, those tabloids! My eye is also

Mrs. Elizabeth Handy, wife to the “Father of the Blues” W. C. Handy, lay critically ill on the street outside

In James Cougar Canfield’s historical play Ladies in Waiting: The Judgement of Henry VIII the “ladies” in question are the

Donald Trump knew that he lost the third debate long before it was over. As he seems to know, finally,

Memories from a long ago hit spark flames between Lucious and Cookie and ignite the passionate encounter we've been waiting

Who's your favorite? Time to decide! My best guess as to who ends up on the high ground would be: Team Stark

In the U.S. recently: Pope Francis. Chinese President Xi Jinping. Russian President Vladimir Putin. And a political zombie—yet another threat

ShoWorks Entertainment has traveled from South Africa to stage two offerings at the Fringe, both written by South African playwright

Ana Lily Amirpour's intelligent and superbly crafted film A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is definitely a world view

Actually, “muttered” does no justice to the chanting and booing that echoed like city noise down an abandoned alleyway as

The Bravest Show of the Summer goes to: The Honorable Woman. Series creator Hugo Blick's masterful eye created a world of

For a complete medal tally for all 60 viewed by this contributor see click HERE.  Below is a The TVolution

With the return of Sherlock premiering on New Year’s Day, this past week, BBC Worldwide and Fathom Events will present

Irish playwright Martin McDonagh speaks fluent Grand Guinol, but speaks it with the lilt of Galway. The importance of this has

The Robey Theatre Company and Los Angeles Theatre Center have partnered for the staging of "Dr. Du Bois and Miss

The old elephants in the room for Republicans—racism, sexism, disdain for the poor (to name a few)—are no longer invisible

It is surprising how a vocal style dating back before the 1500s can still strike one as so immediate. Such

A HORSE WITH A VIEW Last year Christopher Piehler delighted audiences with Reserve Champion, an autobiographical tale of how as a

Sarah Manning is the key. She is brave, brash and ballsy. It’s one or a combination of these traits that

"Silent Sky" in its final weekend at Long Beach's International City Theatre, is a well-crafted feel-good evening in the theatre. 

"How to Love Your Dictator: Olga & Ludmila’s Guide to Fascism" is an American broadcast of the popular Russian talk

The Leftovers jumps deep into a mass of angst gurgling inside nearly everyone 'left' untouched after what may have been

...Not even close. Primaries are the tribal councils of this metaphorical Survivor season. That’s because opinion polls and voting are not the same

Cyanne McClairian’s one woman show, I Died

Matt Chait’s Disinherit the Wind opens quite nicely, with a depiction of Bertram Cates (Chait), a neurobiologist giving a lecture

The November 13 Paris attacks changed the trajectory of our 2016 presidential election, and not for the good. I know

In the real world April means springtime and showers. In HBO time, it means winter is coming. In the land

From Space.com: Overall, dark energy is thought to contribute 73 percent of all the mass and energy in the universe. Another 23

An advisor to Donald Trump recently explained the candidate’s multiple (and conflicting) positions on most issues with: Words don’t matter. Wow,

WHEN TO WATCH: Pick a broadcast network and watch the nightly news. Any day. Or pick a cable network opinion-veiled-as-news

The Hollywood Fringe Festival's Week One Diary—Part III is all about the Bard who is nicely represented this year with a

"Chimera Bella," with cinematography by James Delhauer, is described as “an acrobatic journey”; I saw little proof of either.

The train metaphor was spot-on when Trump was unstoppable. And it would be easy to call what’s happening now a

There are plenty o' football games variety and specials to eyeball on this weekend of final holiday visitations, but there

Yesss! We’re finally back to our ersatz Survivor season. We’ve endured months of chest pounding and breast beating on the beach, with

Forever Flamenco, have I said it once?  Have I said it twice?  I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve

What do you think? Have your say HERE: #Savetwinpeaks14251

It's nearly here

Take a sneak peak at my experience on the red carpet for the Los Angeles, California movie premiere of The

"Ascent" features the talents of dancer Adam Kerbel and Taiko drummer Shih-Wei Willie Wu in a fusion piece that displays

Well, here we are at about the mid way point in the Fringe. So far 31 shows seen and 23

In the Good Old Days that Donald Trump talks about at rallies, jackboots are apparently the style. And I say “are”

I love speaking to a kindred soul whose passions are rooted in another field different from mine. It always fascinates

The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015 has drawn to a close. The following is the Medal Tally for the 57 Shows I attended: 13

Talk about being overly optimistic. My previous TheTVolution post seems positively Pollyanna-ish. The headline read: "The Voice Finally Acknowledges Songwriters."

…and the biggest problem with democracy is that every damn fool gets one vote. You heard me right. The metric

Next Fall by Geoffrey Nauffts is a stunningly sincere and heartfelt drama that is sure to move any audience. That may

This 10th episode delivers a surprising Didn't-See-That-Coming moment: Just when it seemed that Jamal is all set to step up to

Playwright Adam Peck's "Bonnie & Clyde" brushes aside the legendary elements of the Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow story, putting

The tunes in "Save Me a Spot" were both charming and moving, and wisely limited to ten in number.

I hate writing "bad" reviews for shows. Hate it. Don't get me wrong, I will bring out the ol' file and

Here you have reviews of two shows The Princes of Kings Road at the Neutra Institute Museum and Gallery, and Café

During Empire Entertainment's famous white party, Lucious reminds Jamal that music is the truth. So Jamal explains his sexual preference

Once upon a time there was born a brilliant musician. Leon Russell. A Poem Is A Naked Person gets close to

There were Poirots before him. There will be Poirots to follow. Right now, for over seven hundred and fifty million

Okay, a quick side bar. My mother came to Los Angeles in the early '50s as a single parent. She was a

A man brings his guitar and a cooler out to the beach, and as he faces the setting sun tries

Beheadings– Fratricide - Infidelity - Parricide – Rebellion - The swain of Avon – And toe tapping ditties. One must admire the chutzpa Michael Shaw Fisher displays

"Blue," by filmmaker Charles Huddleston, is not a complex plot. It’s a pretty straightforward morality tale wrapped in the landscape

For Daniel Holden, danger lurks not just behind shadows, but in the harsh light of day; often prancing down the

THE PLATINUM MEDALS: BRIGHT SWORDS THE LEGEND OF BOBBY DARIN: AN UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY SIMON CORONEL: GLITCHES IN REALITY TIANANMEN ANNIE NO TRAVELER: A COMEDY ABOUT

Under the direction of Giovanna Sardelli, solid performances command the stage, in a new work by Rajiv Joseph; author of

Can the lightening in the bottle that was the essence of the limited special event of True Detective, Season 1

And when chemotherapy fails, what’s left—Kryptonite? There’s no easy cure for the cancer that is metastasizing in the Republican Party right

The Democratic field has lost half since we last spoke. Not the Republicans, the Democrats! Joe Biden: gone, even if

When I first heard news of a weekly series set in hip hop and R&B music industry with a predominately

In "Ashlee Olivia Presents E.A.R.T.H.A.," Ms. Jones delivers an exceptional performance of an exceptional performer

“I was trained as a classical musician, so my approach to theater comes from a different perspective than most playwrights.”

The family that fights together stays together—or at least becomes more tolerant of each other—could be the subtitle for Episode

Well we’re off to the races, Hollywood Fringe 2016 has opened, and here is the first handful of reviews for

Now we know. The Game's Episode 5 delivered—as promised—the identity of The Mole. Clever writing, this, from series creator Toby

If The Honorable Woman was the bravest Freshman Drama of Summer 2014, Extant was the Most Surprising. Academy Award winner Halle

Conceived, written and produced by Linden Waddell — who also performs, with Miller directing — Hello Again! The Songs of

Political Survivor: USA. This show plays almost continuously, with an ever-changing cast, on many shows and many networks. I discovered the

Not only will I tip my hat to The Coeurage Theatre Company, but if you don't tip your hat as

"The Spidey Project" has been one of the most popular shows at Fringe 2017 and it’s easy to understand why

This is a lovely little documentary about the history of American ventriloquism over the last 70 years. While not comprehensive

Last year, I wrote that In The Flesh was not your typical zombie apocalyptic tale. Those of you who watched

The film opens with a laconic, heart rendering simple and sincere shriving, "I'm sorry. I know that means little at

Let's imagine one could take a heaping jigger of Citizen Kane, another of Blade Runner, pour in a dash of

Queen Latifah stars as the legendary Bessie Smith whose talent and perseverance resulted in her becoming an iconic "Empress of

Let us talk the lowest of high concept. Take the most obnoxious representatives of our society’s ills: A woman (Rebecca Larsen) obsessed

Welcome to Springtime TV Madness: Sarah Manning faces off against manic Castor Clone Rudy (Ari Millen) aka "Scarface." Watch "The Weight of this

Walking Dead, Season Five

Suffering from Copper withdrawal yet? No worries. Another period-based crime thriller is just around the bend. Lying in wait down

This is actually a treatment, the longer form that follows a successful pitch …because a treatment is longer and lots

Wendy Graf has written an intelligent, craftsman work about an idealistic All American Girl seeking to convey her love of

The movie Jurassic Park removed an intriguing side plot from Michael Crichton’s novel of the same name, that I think applies directly

The Boundless Artists Theatre Company has presented Fringe audiences with a production of the fairy tale The Little Mermaid, which

I haven’t teased you with a Survivor metaphor in months. Well, the last time someone got voted off the island was in

Starting June 1st and running throughout the entire month Hollywood Fringe 2017 will be offering up 356 shows; all vying

Two more clips released from HBO with hints at what we can expect this coming season: Cersei Lannister all but threw

A life lacking passion is paralysis. The particular focus of that passion counts for beans. Take your pick: Video Games, Persian rugs,

In the 1998 film Bulworth, Warren Beatty played a disillusioned politician who puts out a contract on himself, and then feels

CURSED “MY ROAD TO HOLLYWOOD” is an Ear Wax Medal Winner I write this without the least rancor towards Ms. Mendoza. I

The Republican side of this primary season, nearing its final throes, is playing out like a vintage horror movie that

Just for a bit of fun: Emmy Speech Master Class featuring Parker Posey Be sure to suscribe to the TV Academy's You Tube

With a solid reputation for superior dramas, PBS's Masterpiece Theatre has undoubtedly been a hard act to follow. Now its

In Part I, we celebrated two dazzling effects of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s landmark musical Hamilton: with his theatrical retelling of our

The intended purpose of this monthly column is to bring to the attention of cinema junkies those odd and typically

"He was looking for someone else, you say—someone who was not you?" "He was looking for little Miles." A portentous clearness

I can always appreciate Long Beach's International City Theatre even when I don't necessarily enjoy a particular production. Case in point

Whether a Bill Nighy fan or a David Hare follower, tune in to PBS, Masterpiece Contemporary, for Part II of

Even the best magicians never actually do magic—they give you a believable illusion that they are performing the impossible. Mostly,

Back in the days of the Soviet Union, there were two official newspapers: Pravda (“The Truth”) and Izvestiya (“The News”). A

The peaceful dawning has come and gone. This day is like a long breath of air that has been held

I'm a huge fan of The Voice, let me say that to begin. The elements of the blind auditions that

There have been three truly great social humorists in American history, Mark Twain, Will Rogers and Jon Stewart. The least

Above: July 18, 2017 MSNBC screen grab. At you thought he couldn’t look stupider! Let’s be truthful about the reason that

Candidates, hang yourselves! Nobody does it better than you. The victories scored by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the April

A Mexican Trilogy: An American Story, a multi-award winning work by Evelina Fernández is fiercely ambitious, thoroughly and intelligently mounted

Hollywood Fringe 2016 is better than ever and continues on for two more weeks: dance, artistry, plays. There's also plenty

At the top of where the Angel’s Flight Trolley once deposited its riders (and hopefully will again one day), nestled

Who wouldn't be excited to see what the producing team, who gifted viewers with the much lauded Entourage, has in

The last time the Tap Overload Company came to the Hollywood Fringe, my review of their show "Office Beat" was

Well, I suspected I was going to like "Finally, Some Privacy" Aimee Levey’s one woman show, for Fringe 2017, when

For the most part, Korean cinema has not rung the dong for me. I Saw the Devil (2010) Kim Jee-woon’s brutal and

The personalities with whom playwright, Steven Vlasak populates “Nights at the Algonquin Round Table” are some the most acerbic wits,

Well Hello Dolly! Without even needing a warm-up band or an opening act, the music starts, the lights come

The surest way to appreciate Steven Berkoff’s Hairy Ape now playing at the Odyssey Theatre Ensemble is to have acquaintance

"Secret Honor, The Last Testament of Richard M. Nixon" is a torrential tirade spewed by a scotch-soaked Richard M. Nixon,

Meg Miroshnik’s The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls is a frequently poetic, consistently absorbing mishmash of Paglia’s pronouncements, Bettelheim’s theories

When Stephen Colbert coined the word "truthiness" in 2005, he meant "

The Goodwill store outlets are a treasure trove for the adventurous DVD hunter. After extended practice I can breeze through the

If not for a twist of fate and a bit of luck we might never have been witness to David

Just as we were about to yawn and say pass the potatoes please, three unique Points of Play in The

For those of you unaware of the fire storm unleashed on Colin Mitchell, former editor of Bitter Lemons, L.A.’s ground

With hardly an exception the American Experience historical programs are gems. That the dumb heads in congress have succeeded in

"An Evening With John Wilkes Booth" by Clinton Case and Lloyd J. Schwartz (who also directs), presents a solid and

What can be said about A Haunted House 2? My, it is rare to see such a testament to mediocrity.

Schadenfreude [shahd-n-froi-duh] noun. Satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else’s misfortune. Serve it up ice cold! Tribal Council finally arrived. Two of ’em.

A few weeks back, Molly Ball wrote in the Washington Post about the 2016 Presidential Campaign’s “…rich irony that America's

Playwright Michael Leoni’s characters connected with the audience to an intense degree, and yet

There are a number of events and venues here in L.A. which I maintain are under appreciated. I’m talking about

If you're not excited about the return of Matthew Rhys on The Americans tonight on FX, then you haven't been watching.

Whatever had you Sherlocked from Hello, one thing is not up for debate… we all want the duo back for

Obama’s had a great couple of weeks politically, but he’s still gone as of January 20, 2017. That leaves a

Jack Lukeman has a voice that feels like a friend’s hand on a troubled shoulder.  From his 1995 debut album

We love Angela Lansbury. And PBS announced today, "She's ba-a-a-ck." Dame Lansbury with Michael Gambon will head the cast in

"My Janis," at The New Collective during Fringe 2017, is not actually a play. It is a moment

• With the title, Out, Damned Spot, you probably would've expected the sixth episode to keenly focus on eldest son

Sometimes, someone posts something on Facebook that is of intrinsic value. The following thought-piece—published here with the author’s permission—is such

If that be the fashion of your dreams then I say hold on to those dreams

"Comic-Con The Musical" celebrates that Mecca of Nerd-dom, The San Diego Comic-Con International aka Comic-Con. Four magical days every

These days, every comedian and commentator seems to be paraphrasing Bette Davis in All About Eve: “Fasten your seat belts,

What: BBC America’s Psychological Detective Thriller— One Night, Three Hour Movie Event TVolution Quick Take Summary: We thought we’d seen the

One of the high points for me in Fringe 2015 was the Proboscis Theatre Company’s La La La Strada! An

The Tragedy of JFK (as told by Wm. Shakespeare) is cleverly conceived, beautifully acted and stylishly staged. (If this review

In "The Sacred Beasts" for Hollywood Fringe 2017, writer/director Chris Wollman has mined a particularly rich vein of historical gold

Heck

Well, the ninth of June, the official kick off for Hollywood Fringe 2016, is quickly approaching. Like some huge lumbering

Okay

Office Beat: A Tap Dance Comedy playing now at 2016's Hollywood Fringe: A review

Now I’ve seen some truly remarkable acting at this year’s Fringe, but here are two amazing ensembles that stand out

"Kinsherf’s Coat" harkens back to one of the Sixties most lamentable losses – “The Happening," which was was an indiscernible

Wendy Williams stops by Books and Books in Coral Gables to sign her new book Ask Wendy. How you doin'?

Ironic, isn’t it? We’ve endured eight years of haters excoriating Barack Obama for his use of teleprompters, and a year of repeated

A one-woman-show on Barack Obama’s mother

"There are so many sounds I still want to make, so many things I haven't yet done." B.B. King   The summer of

I really love theatre that boldly goes where no ensemble has gone before. In the past William A. Reilly and Gary

Netflix is shooting out product faster than the bullet train. The Jason Bateman starrer, "Ozark," streaming now, is sprinting toward

Coming Soon!!

When the bar is set as high as writer/director David Hare and thespian extraordinaire Bill Nighy (yes, I am biased)

THE GOLD MEDALS: ANNABELLA BOOZE, BALLS AND BLUEGRASS THE DEVIL YOU SAY RESERVE CHAMPION REVOLUTIONARY LOVE THE THREE MUSKETEERERS: CLOWNS WITH SWORDS THE BRONZE MEDALS: FIFTY SHADES OF

"It was like the eve of a battle; the hearts beat, the eyes laughed, and they felt that the life

In the hands of the right actors "The Complete Works of William Shakespeare," by playwrights Adam Long, Daniel Singer and

From the first moments of "Mary’s Medicine," currently running at the Complex Theatres during Hollywood Fringe 2017, playwright/director Matthew Robinson

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends We're so glad you could attend Come inside! Come inside! There behind the

American Falls by Miki Johnson is a lovely and touching piece of writing. It is a work about time and history,

Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel drew its inspiration from a 2012 article in The New Republic concerning the assault

Four Chords and a Gun at the Bootleg Theater, which relates the stories of when The Ramones worked with Phil

There's a lot of hot to the touch TV to watch these days. Only a few shows on the buzzed

Please believe me when I tell you that Julia Migenes is an amazingly talented performer. She originated the role of Hodel

When I think that political discourse has hit a new low--twice a week these days--I sometimes remind myself of the

The Hollywood Fringe Festival 2015: Final Tallies & Reviews HOUSE OF RABBITS CHARIVARI IN VOYEURVILLE (Platinum Medal) House of Rabbits Charivari in

Panos Vlahos, making his U.S. debut at Hollywood Fringe (2017) in “Mistero Buffo,” combed three pieces from the last half

Rectify creator Ray McKinnon had a seed of an idea: "I was just interested in the life of a man

For the first decade of this century I didn't pay much attention to the music business. After close to 30

In 'Class' getting ready for Fall Prom is more than finding a pretty dress and matching corsage. (BBC America)

In deciding to watch this documentary it doesn't matters greatly if you support capital punishment or oppose it. This is

Hollywood Fringe, Week One —Part IV  The main stays of any Fringe are the solo performances; one-man shows, one-woman, one-whatever shows.

A lot of us who respect Barack Obama’s eight years in the White House want to curl up and hibernate

In an isolated study room, set off in a forgotten wing of a cavernous comprehensive school tucked away in a

It took several tries before I could finish this Charles Krauthammer article about the Republicans squandering their “victory” over the so-called mainstream

A USEFUL LIFE IN C MAJOR David Wheatley has four degrees in music and composition. He has an impressive background in stage

THE GOLD MEDALS: ANNA IN THE DARKNESS LA LA LA STRADA NELL GWYNNE – A DRAMATICK ESSAYE ON ACTING AND PROSTITUTION SHAKESPEARE'S LAST NIGHT

Noel Coward’s Hay Fever at Theatre Palisades is a wonderfully delivered comedy of manners. Laughs and folly spring from the

Do not be fooled by the title, One of the Nice Ones. There is nothing “nice” about Erik Patterson’s play. Point

Admittedly, I'm not a music streaming customer. While I channel some (but not most) of my entertainment through my computer,

Sunset Baby is an intelligently written play with a superb cast that positively gleams from those benefits which blesses any

There have been a number of performances that will travel with me for quite some time during Hollywood Fringe 2017…