Tieisha Thomas News Today

Hats off to the sparkling ensemble of a '1776' revival that pinpoints the foresight and blind spots of the Founding Fathers.

What did our critic think of 1776 at Ahmanson Theatre? In contemporary theater - as in life - optics matter. A lot. Given current trends in theatrical programing, the musical 1776 would probably never get staged. Granted, Sherman Edwards and Peter Stone's 1969 take on the sturm and drang surrounding the Second Continental Congress's decision to form a new nation may be a patriotic Tony Award-winner.

Gender-bending, ethnically diverse revival '1776' — now at the Ahmanson — is a reminder that we don't have to be limited forever by the errors of history.

Downtown Urban Arts Festival will celebrate its 20th Anniversary with James Earl Hardy's B-BOY BLUES THE PLAY. Directed by Broadway World Award nominee Christopher Burris, performances will run June 3 - 25 at Theatre Row (410 W 42nd Street) as the centerpiece of the 2022 Festival.

The Shed, HERE, and Musical Theatre Factory will present Chronicle X by playwright, director, and performer Nia Witherspoon as part of Open Call at The Shed. Chronicle X is the first work in The Dark Girl Chronicles, a ritual-play cycle designed to crystallize in the collective memory the stories of Black women warriors against state violence.