BY CARY GINELL The 1943 musical Oklahoma! was a touchstone in the history of Broadway theater. It marked the first of a series of groundbreaking collaborations between composer Richard Rodgers and…
BY CARY GINELL Just like a position player aspiring to become a manager in baseball, some actors feel compelled to try their hand at directing musicals some day. When it…
(Ventura, Ca)- Actor, director and dramaturg Chester William (Bill) Keeler, Jr. died on May 28, 2015 at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California. He had a heart attack on May…
BY CARY GINELL For many, the road to a career in theater has twists and turns that one doesn't always anticipate. Twenty-three-year-old Ella Bowen is currently on that road. As…
BY CARY GINELL Any production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Oklahoma! is a special event because of the groundbreaking show it was and continues to be. The original 1943 production set a…
REVIEW BY CARY GINELL As a theater critic, it sometimes gets tiresome seeing the same shows over and over again. After all, how many variations on The Sound of Music or Footloose can…
REVIEW BY CARY GINELL In their 1962 Cold War satire, "The John Birch Society," the Chad Mitchell Trio sings, "You cannot trust your neighbor or even next of kin /…
BY CARY GINELL When playing Ado Annie, the fickle, man-hungry hayseed in Rodgers & Hammerstein's Oklahoma!, Melanie Mockobey brings to mind another classic show business clown who got her start in musical…
BY CARY GINELL In 1983, Vanessa Townsell was a 22-year-old telephone operator who had dreams of making it big on Broadway. One day, on a whim, Townsell and a few…
From Panic! Productions: After a sold-out initial run in Thousand Oaks, Panic! Productions is bringing its hit production of Jason Robert Brown’s musical “13” to the El Portal Theatre in…