The musical is touring nationwide and is currently playing at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, CA, until September 27. It will head to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, from November 10 to 22, 2026.

Portraying the lead, Jacob Jankowski, is Zachary Keller, whose credits include the regional premiere of John Proctor Is the Villain (Studio Theatre), A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Signature Theatre), along with And Then There Were None (Drury Lane Theatre). TV credits include Shameless, Law and Order, and Chicago Med.

“It was an interesting experience, and I think you touched on it,” Keller said. “There’s something for everyone in this thing. There are life-size puppets, there are acrobats flying through the air, there are dance numbers, and there’s great music by PigPen Theater Co. And on top of that, it’s really a heartwarming story. The rehearsal process was really interesting because we would all be off in different rooms learning different things.”

With so many moving parts in the show, one of the most intriguing parts of this production is Rosie the elephant.

“It starts off where you just see an ear, because that was the first thing that Jacob remembers noticing about Rosie, and then you see the trunk,” the performer explained. “That was the second thing, like once the trunk hugged Marlena, that was a big step. And then you see the legs once Rosie finally starts being able to understand Jacob, and then you finally see the whole elephant itself.

“So it’s a memory play in that way, and that’s why some of the other puppets, they’re not complete puppets. You have just the tiger head, or you have just the lion head. You have just the zebra head, so you don’t remember the whole thing. That’s kind of how memory is sort of fragmented. You can’t remember all the specific details, but I thought that was a fascinating take.”

Audiences most likely won’t see the same type of show twice thanks to the different rotations of acrobats.

“The show is shifting, and if you come to see the show twice, more than likely you’re going to see a different show, at least in terms of the tricks,” Keller said. “So it’s interesting in that way.”

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We had the chance to chat with Harry Francis, who portrays LeFou, about his character’s dedication to Gaston, preparations for each night’s performance, and what would happen if Gaston was gone from his life.

Check out the full video interview below:

“For me, LeFou only has a place in society in that town if he’s connected to Gaston,” Francis tells Nerd Reactor. “If people are buying drinks and they’re at the tavern, LeFou has people talking to him. He has a social life because of him being next to Gaston, being tied to Gaston. Gaston just loves the fact that he’s got someone for free who will just do whatever he wants for him, and there’s a bit when he sends me off into the woods to do his hunting for him, basically, he knows that no matter what, I will do whatever he says.”

Beauty and the Beast is a story known by many, and that includes the fate of Gaston. However, what happens to LeFou after the end of the tale?

“For me, if I’m attached to him, then people talk to me, then I’ve got some kind of personality because of him, which makes me sad, wondering what LeFou’s life is like after Gaston dies, because I think he would be a very, very lonely. I don’t think anyone would talk to him anymore. I think I think everyone would be done with him.”

About Disney’s Beauty and the Beast: The Musical

Disney’s Beauty and the Beast returns to the stage and brings back members of the original creative team to bring the fairy tale to life.

In the national tour, Belle is played by Kyra Belle Johnson, Fergie L. Philippe as Beast, Stephen Mark Lukas as Gaston, Danny Gardner as Lumiere, Christina Rose Hall as Mrs. Potts, Javier Ignacio as Cogsworth, and Harry Francis as LeFou.

Beauty and the Beast: The Musical is now playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles until September 6. It is headed to Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA, from September 22 to October 11, 2026. Tickets are available at beautyandthebeastthemusical.com/tickets.

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I had the chance to interview Nella Cole, who portrays Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII’s second wife. Her song “Don’t Lose Your Head” is a high-energy pop track that captures her story, drawing inspiration from Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne.

“This show was a dream of mine, and Anne Boleyn was my dream role,” Cole tells Nerd Reactor. “So I first learned about it, I think, during the pandemic. Everything was closed, but I found out about Six and started listening to the music, and I became obsessed.

Cole has a background in pop music and commercial dance, so Six was definitely a musical that would have everything she would love.

“Six definitely blends all of my skills together,” she explained. “As soon as I got familiar with it, I was like, ‘I have to be in this show.’ And then it was a journey of going in and auditioning. And then you don’t hear anything, and then they bring you back again. It’s a lot of callbacks. It’s a lot of rounds. It just took a couple of years. I’m just coming back and getting to know the team and everything. Finally, I got the call that I got Anne Boleyn, and it was just a dream come true.”

The tale of the six ex-wives of King Henry VIII is known to many British. The saying, “Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived,” is a popular saying among them.

“I think what’s interesting is Six has become so popular in the States, but it’s not our history,” she said. “So there’s a lot that we kind of miss that goes over our heads. But when we have team members who are from the UK, and we get to hear from them, it’s like a completely different thing in the UK. The history of the six wives is super prominent in their upbringing, and they learn about it in school. We open our show, you know, the first lyrics are divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. And I didn’t know that’s like a chant that they say in England, growing up to remember the six wives. So it’s totally different here in the States, but people have embraced it, and they love it.”

For Six the Musical tickets at Segerstrom, you can click on the link here.

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Los Angeles residents can check out the show now until September 7 at the Ahmanson Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. If you’re in the Orange County area, Segerstrom Center for the Arts will host the show starting September 9th.

In this story, Juliet decides not to kill herself. This gives her a new goal on what to do with her life. Portraying the titular character is Rachel Webb, and when you hear her sing, you’ll understand why she was picked for the part.

“Being a part of & Juliet is empowering,” Webb tells Nerd Reactor. “It is simply empowering. Juliet’s story is empowering, specifically in the end, but it’s a journey that I think everybody can connect to.”

Portraying William Shakespeare and Anne are Teal Wick and Corey Mach. The two act as a bickering husband and wife, and Anne inserts herself into the new story of Juliet, with William as a reluctant participant.

“Songs are verse and Shakespeare’s writing is verse,” Wick said. “It’s not just a coincidence that Max Martin’s pop songs and William Shakespeare go so well together. What is William Shakespeare other than the pop writer of his time? They didn’t have pop music back then, but they had theater, which was the forum for popular culture. And what is pop music but the forum for our popular culture? So we just showed that Shakespeare and Max Martin are the same.”

Nick Drake portrays May, Juliet’s best friend and someone who wants to fall in love. There are uplifting themes, and the comedy helps make May relatable.

“& Juliet is the greatest, funnest show that you’re ever gonna see in your lifetime,” Drake exclaimed. “We have the luxury of singing Max Martin songs, songs that you know already, songs that you play in your shower, songs you play in your car, songs you dance to at your parties with your friends.”

Kathryn Allison plays Angelique, Juliet’s nurse. Her character shows audiences that it’s never too late to fall in love.

“The fact that I get to sing Britney Spears and P!nk every night is wild,” Allison said. “With my little allowance that I got as a kid, P!nk’s debut album was the first album I ever purchased with my own money. So it’s just really a full-circle experience.”

Tickets for & Juliet are available at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles and Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa, CA.

And if you can’t get enough of & Juliet, you can check out tour costumes and Broadway props from the musical at the Grammy Museum in Downtown Los Angeles. & Juliet: The Music of Max Martin and Friends pop-up exhibit will be on display from Wednesday July 23, through Monday, October 27, 2025.

Tickets are available at https://grammymuseum.org/exhibit/juliet-the-music-of-max-martin-and-friends/.

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The over two-hour concert was composed and arranged by Jeremy Zuckerman with a live orchestra that brought the music to life in front of the Orange County audience. There are the traditional live orchestra instruments including the violins and clarinets, and they are joined by special instruments like the taiko and erhu. There were four vocalists serving as the choir, two for the masculine voices and two for the feminine voices. They’ve helped to enhance the orchestral performances from singing to chanting.

Each character gets their own highlight piece including Aang, Sokka, Katara, Zuko, The Kyoshi Warriors, Jet, and more. There are many fan-favorite characters and groups in Avatar: The Last Airbender and the crowd went wild for many of the characters and moments including the romance between Sokka and Suki and Sokka and Princess Yue.

Aang Becomes the Ocean and Into the Nighttime Sky

My highlights included the dramatic performance of “Aang Becomes Ocean” and the somber track “Into a Nighttime Sky.” Both were emotional, with the former being sad and angry and the latter being peaceful and sweet.

The most tear-jerking moment for me was the performance of “Leaves from the Vine,” a song sung by Mako, who voiced Iroh in the animated series and passed away in 2006. The orchestra performed with a lot of heart and at the end, there was an “In memory of Mako.” (I’m listening to the song right now as I’m typing this and I’m already tearing up.)

One of the funniest moments during the concert was the performance of “Secret Tunnel.” The vocal is taken from the series, but the instrumentals are brought to life by the orchestra epically and hilariously. The crowd was ecstatic when it was introduced, and it was a triumphant way to end the concert.

If you still want to catch Avatar: The Last Airbender in concert in California, tickets are available for Riverside, Sacramento, and San Luis Obispo at https://www.avatarinconcert.com.

Featured image credit: Nerd Reactor

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Shrek the Musical follows fan-favorite characters including Shrek, Fiona and Donkey. The limited engagement is only available at Segerstrom for five performances at Segerstrom Hall from November 22-24, 2024.

Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (book) are back for their first collaboration with the reimagined production and new original direction and choreography by Danny Mefford (Choreographer, Dear Evan Hansen).

Subscription packages and single tickets for the 2024-25 Broadway Season are available at scfta.org.

About Shrek the Musical

Synopsis: Based on the hit DreamWorks animated film, SHREK THE MUSICAL is a hilarious fairy tale adventure with a cast of vibrant characters and a ‘shrek-tacular’ score that’s perfect for the young and the young-at-heart! Our unlikely hero finds himself on a life-changing journey alongside a wisecracking Donkey and the feisty Princess Fiona who resists her rescue. Throw in a short-tempered bad guy, a cookie with an attitude, and over a dozen other fairy tale misfits, and you’ve got the kind of mess that calls for a real hero. Luckily, there’s one on hand…and his name is Shrek. It’s not easy being green, but this irreverently fun musical proves that beauty is truly in the eye of the ogre!

The tour cast features Nicholas Hambruch (Shrek), Cecily Dionne Davis (Fiona), Naphtali Yaakov Curry (Donkey), Timmy Lewis (Lord Farquaad), Jamir Brown (Pinocchio), Tori Kocher (Dragon), Kelly Prendergast (Gingy/US Fiona), Hope Schafer (Mama Ogre/Wicked Witch/Blue Bird), Riley Johnston (Pig/Knight/2nd Shrek US), Katherine Paladichuk (Teen Fiona/Peter Pan), Sage Jepson (Wolf/Shrek US), Cynthia Ana Rivera (Mama Bear/ Dragon US), Carson Zoch (Pig/Pinocchio Cover), Demetrio Alomar (Papa Ogre/Papa Bear), Ally Choe (Young Fiona/Ugly Duckling/Gingy US), Leon Ray (Pig), Casey Lamont (Female Swing), and John Cardenas (Male Swing). Harrison Roth is the music director.

Shrek the Musical performances are November 22 – 24, 2024:

• Friday at 7:30 pm
• Saturday at 2 pm and 7:30 pm
• Sunday at 1 pm and 6:30 pm

Segerstrom Center for the Arts (600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626)

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Les Misérables will be in Los Angeles for six weeks starting on August 1st and two more weeks in Costa Mesa from September 19 to October 1, 2023.

Tickets for Les Misérables are now on sale at Broadway in Hollywood and Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Les Misérables is a French musical with music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Alain Boublil that premiered in Paris in 1980, based on the 1862 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo (The Hunchback of Notre Dame). It was later adapted into the English language thanks to producer Cameron Mackintosh and premiered in London in 1985. Since then, it has become one of the most popular musicals ever to this day, with a musical film adaptation that starred Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway, and Eddie Redmayne.

Cameron Mackintosh said, “The phenomenon of Les Misérables never fails to astound me. No show in history has been able to continually reinvent itself and remain a contemporary musical attracting new generations of brilliant new talent, many of whom go on to international stardom. No show in the world has ever demonstrated the survival of the human spirit better than Les Miz, and it’s time to let the people sing again. We are all thrilled to be Bringing Her Home to you.”

About Les Misérables

Here’s the synopsis: “Set against the backdrop of 19th-century France, LES MISÉRABLES tells an enthralling story of broken dreams and unrequited love, passion, sacrifice and redemption – a timeless testament to the survival of the human spirit. This epic and uplifting story has become one of the most celebrated musicals in theatrical history.”

Audiences attending can expect to hear Boublil & Schönberg’s score including classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Bring Him Home,” “Do You Hear The People Sing?,” “One Day More,” “Master of the House” and many more.

Cameron Mackintosh’s new production of Les Misérables debuted in 2009 and has traveled across the world including North America, Australia, Japan, Korea, France and Spain.

Cameron Mackintosh’s production of LES MISÉRABLES is written by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg and is based on the novel by Victor Hugo. It has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer and original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird. Orchestrations are by Stephen Metcalfe, Christopher Jahnke and Stephen Brooker with original orchestrations by John Cameron.

The production is directed by James Powell and Laurence Connor, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo, with costumes by Andreane Neofitou, additional costume designs by Christine Rowland and Paul Wills, lighting by Paule Constable, sound by Mick Potter, projections realized by Finn Ross, Jonathon Lyle and Fifty Nine Productions, musical staging by Geoffrey Garratt, music supervision by Stephen Brooker and James Moore, and casting by Tara Rubin Casting.

The LES MISÉRABLES tour stage management team is led by Jack McLeod with Ryan W. Gardner, Claire Farrokh and Tiffanie Lane. The LES MISÉRABLES associate director is Corey Agnew, musical staging associate is Jesse Robb, resident director is Richard Barth and music direction is by Brian Eads. The company management team is Chris Danner and Elle Aghabala.

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