Opening the Curtain

There’s a thrill to watching a form take shape. The joy of discovery, the thrill of seeing a thing take shape before your eyes. And, if you have a hand in it, the pride of creation.

KCRW's longtime producer, host and cheerleader Matt Holzman, who died Sunday, only texted me once about my reviews.  Matt Holzman is the reason I'm at KCRW.

The email came from a friend: a play on Zoom, Friday, 5 pm Pacific, the day after California began to shelter in place. I logged on skeptically.

At the most fundamental level, the theater connects artists with an audience at one time, in one space. That's about presence.

The show "Home" begins with a magic trick. When you walk into the theater, you see an empty stage.

"Frankenstein" is a major work and a major leap for Four Larks: it’s a dark and visually stunning play but it's also a concert, opera, musical and a dance piece all in one.

Every couple of years LA's intimate theaters produce a musical that gives the big theaters a run for their money. Right now it’s IAMA Theatre Company's "Found: A New Musical."

Did you ever have a nerdy friend in high school?