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"Building on the late Michel Woolworth's original concept, Dan Berkowitz and Shirley Hillard have written a fun musical parody with the music and lyrics of Wayne Moore. Although toward the end the story line of There's No Place Like Hollywood at the Stella Adler Theater is shakier than the San Andreas fault, the sight gags and one-liners, all performed with campy enthusiasm by a talented ensemble, make this a fitting tribute to tourism and Tinseltown. A star-struck tourist from Kansas named Dorothy (Beth Malone) gets a knock on the noggin in front of Mann's Chinese Theater, and she begins a strange journey. Toto's nowhere to be seen, and the evil witch is now an agent (Eric J. Olson) with a casting couch, and the play soon strays off the yellow brick road. Dorothy's not trying to get home, she's trying for a star-making movie role. The people she meets along the way include Hollywood luminaries from the past and present - Douglas Fairbanks (Jeff Griggs), Mary Pickford (Amy Collett), Theda Bara (Melissa Brandzel), Nelson Eddy (Scott Davidson) and Jeanette McDonald (Anette Michele Sanders), Barbra Streisand (Brandzel), Woody Allen (Olson) and many more. The plot collapses into short sketches - some as transitions between musical numbers and the many costume changes. Still, the Carmen Miranda (Clay Adkins) number "Bananas" is well worth the price of admission. Adkins also appears as a flesh-baring Cher. These roles and all the impersonations benefit greatly from Valentine Hooven's witty and well-executed costume design. Rick Sparks keeps the pace snappy and the choreography humorous. This show amounts to an irreverent admiration of the faults, folly and glamour aspects - both real and false - of Hollywood. - Jana J. Monji THE L.A. TIMES

"There have been many musical send-ups of Hollywood over the years, perhaps the best of the crop being Billy Barnes' wonderful Movie Star and of course la creme de la creme, San Francisco's legendary Beach Blanket Babylon. (Beach Blanket Babylon Goes To The Stars in particular.) Now the incredible Rick Sparks has waved his magic wand over There's No Place Like Hollywood - The Musical at the Stella Adler Theater in Hollywood. This revue shines big and bright thanks to a very talented team and should have a long and healthy run. With lines like 'Think big!' and 'It's not who you are, but who you seem to be'. the audience knows from the get-go what a fun-glorious evening is ahead of them. With book by Dan Berkowitz and Shirley Hillard and snappy music and lyrics by Wayne Moore. ...Hollywood is a campy outing without pretensions and of genuine quality. Valentine Hooven has designed well over 100 exquisite costumes, which the actors change in and out of with unbelievable speed. Alec Grayman did a fine set design of the exterior of Mann's Chinese Theater. What makes this kind of show click is the timing and skill of its ensemble, and all meet the challenge with panache. They all hit the spotlight several times in a dazzling array of characterizations. Heidi Godt, fresh and intelligent, heads the cast as naive Dorothy Higgins, visiting Hollywood, the land of her cherished movie idols. Dressed like Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, with noticeably different red sneakers, this Dorothy is knocked unconscious during an earthquake in front of Mann's on Hollywood Boulevard and is transported through time to the Golden Years of Hollywood. She makes the rounds as an extra and runs into Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, Theda Bara and Rudolph Valentino, Jeanette McDonald and Nelson Eddy, a show-stopping Shirley Temple (with a visual that must be seen to be believed) and Mae West as you've never seen her before, played to the hilt by Stephanie Andersen, best remembered for her recent outstanding appearance in bare at the Hudson Mainstage. Andersen also raises the roof with 'Listen To Mammy' as the memorable Hattie McDaniel. Patti Diamond does a fabulous Bette Davis (almost up to par with the late, great Charles Pierce), viciously attacking Snow White, played by Amy Collett, who also pops a few diet pills as Judy Garland, and Clay Adkins does one hilarious turn after another, especially a knockout Carmen Miranda singing 'Bananas'. Melissa Brandzel makes a terrific Streisand and Scott Davidson a very funny Nelson Eddy and W.C. Fields. Davidson dons a shower curtain for an unforgettable Alfred Hitchcock. David Barnathan is a right-on-target Woody Allen and the agent we all love to hate. Jeff Griggs has the perfect body for Tarzan and creates an authentic cowboy image for Gary Cooper. His scene-stealer is Marlon Brando who just will not share screen time with the ever-tuneful Julie Andrews. Every now and again the show makes a statement about the disenchantment of Hollywood. 'Be Careful What You Wish For' shows the lonely, often eerie side of being a legendary star like Marilyn Monroe or James Dean. 'The Bottom Line' proves sadly just how much money counts - and not artistry - in today's cinematic world. These relevant moments add to the enjoyment and do not prevent the laughs from coming in this delightful romp. Rick Sparks' creativity is astounding, and this latest endeavor is pure gold. Let's hope it runs forever!" - Don Grigware VALLEY SCENE

"In the tradition of Forbidden Hollywood and other satiric spoofs of the entertainment industry, another musical parody comes along, playing in the most perfect of spots - Hollywood Boulevard and Highland - in the heart of the already-in-process, new and improved Hollywood. The night I saw it, there was a movie premiere across the street, and fans with cameras were lining up to see their favorite stars entering the theater. It made the perfect backdrop for the very charming, often funny There's No Place Like Hollywood. This time, Dorothy Higgins of Kansas (Heidi Godt) has arrived at Mann's Chinese Theater to ogle the footsteps of those great Hollywood legends. While her Aunt Mable and Uncle Walter get on the tour bus, she stays behind and is hit on the head by a brick from an earthquake. Whirling back and forth in time, she is surprised to discover all of her favorites from the movies. Starting with Charlie Chaplin, and the 20's, she moves forward through movie history encountering the likes of Mae West, Fred Astaire, W.C. Fields and Woody Allen. Director/choreographer Rick Sparks (Down South and They Shoot Horses, Don't They?) paces this paean to filmdom with a leisurely, affectionate tone. The ensemble, each singing and dancing in multiple roles, are terrific. Using every inch of the intimate theater space Sparks stages colorful and amusing production numbers. "Jeanette And I' is a cute Jeanette McDonald/Nelson Eddy phone conversation. Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr and Betty Grable deliver 'Pin-Up Girl'. Hattie McDaniel cautions 'Listen To Mammy'. Studio heads, agents, gossip columnist Louella Parsons - they all show up. Some truly hilarious moments are provided by Clay Adkins (Beach Blanket Babylon) as Elvis and Carmen Miranda in costumes by Valentine Hooven. His over-the-top renditions are four-grin performances. Other cast members - Stephanie Andersen, David Barnathan, Melissa Brandzel, Amy Collett, Scott Davidson, Patti Diamond and Jeff Griggs - all are endearingly enthusiastic in their various roles. From Judy Garland to Snow White, Cary Grant to Tarzan, a lot of ground is covered. There is even a Busby Berkeley production number worthy of the master. This is a whole lot of fun. Writer/producer Shirley Hillard says, 'My hope is that There's No Place Like Hollywood will become to L.A. what Beach Blanket Babylon is to San Francisco and Forbidden Broadway is to New York. Years ago my best friend Michael Woolworth and I dreamed of a musical that would capture the magic of Hollywood and would become the kind of long-running show that tourists and locals alike would enjoy seeing over and over.' I wouldn't be surprised." - Melinda Schupmann SHOWMAG.COM

"Every day, star-struck young hopefuls like Dorothy Higgins of Kansas come to Hollywood in hopes of making it big in show biz. They may traipse up and down the Walk Of Fame instead of the Yellow Brick Road, as Dorothy's namesake did, but they're still looking for their own version of Oz right here in Tinseltown. Director Rick Sparks helms this slight, 90-minute musical (music and lyrics by Wayne Moore) that spoofs The Wizard of Oz for its excuse of a plot line (book by Dan Berkowitz) while it satirizes some of the biggest stars in Hollywood history. Sparks also choreographs the show, which runs the gamut from 'Pin-Up Girl', a saucy Andrews Sisters-esque number with those most patriotic of morale boosters Rita Hayworth, Hedy Lamarr and Betty Grable, to 'Sci-Fi Movie', a doo-wop takeoff on the infestation of bad 'B' creature features in the 1950's, to 'The Bottom Line', an N'SYNC parody sung by a bunch of egocentric twenty something studio execs fixated on increasingly grotesque formula films to build their mega-empires. Sparks clearly went for actor/singers more than impersonators, which was probably not only fair but the sanest choice. With dozens upon dozens of stars being represented (some simply as cameos; others in full scenes and musical numbers), he and casting directors Donovan & Hardwick would likely still be trying to cast had he focused on getting impersonators who could do multiple characters, as well as carry off the acting and vocal requirements. Instead we get strong singers - notably Patti Diamond, who does a mean, ear-splitting Jeanette McDonald, and Heidi Godt as the eager, wide-eyed Dorothy, who gets hit on the head during an earthquake while visiting Mann's Chinese Theater (set design by Alex Grayman) and dreams up this journey to stardom - and mostly respectable acting heightened by Sparks' hefty sense of good-natured fun. Star impersonations range from merely marginal (Stephanie Andersen's understated Mae West and David Barnathan's flimsy Woody Allen) to pretty darn good (Diamond's hilarious Bette Davis and Amy Collett's sexy but sorry Marilyn in the show's cautionary number, 'Be Careful What You Wish For') to outright silly camp (Clay Adkins doing a drag Carmen Miranda). Special credit goes to Valentine Hooven for beautifully filling in the recognition gaps with his amazing array of colorful costumes, gaudy get-ups, and crazy coiffures, helping us to immediately identify characters. Located as it is at the Stella Adler Theater, smack dab in the heart of Hollywood, There's No Place Like Hollywood is perfectly situated for the tourist trade, which will undoubtedly be its bread and butter. Or it could be more. After all, it is Hollywood. And it is Dorothy. And a girl can dream, can't she?" - Terri Roberts BACKSTAGE WEST

"What a joy! This rollicking, wacky, campy 'movie biz' musical is jam-packed with talent, loaded with laughs and tons of fun! Under the savvy, sassy direction of Rick Sparks, this entire high-energy cast of nine entertain and amaze as they riotously impersonate and poke fun at countless 'stars' of days gone by. The caliber of talent flying at the audience with the speed of a bullet is AWESOME! ... the quicksilver cleverness of the script proved to be a huge crowd pleaser. This has the makings of a long-running HIT show. Just wait till you catch Clay Adkins in his spectacular show-stopping number as Carmen Miranda! (He also plays Chaplin, Presley, and Astaire. He's quite a talent.) 'Forget your troubles ... come on, get happy' ... See this delightful extravaganza!" - Pat Taylor - Nite Lights - THE TOLUCAN TIMES/CANYON CRIER

"There's no show quite like There's No Place Like Hollywood ... a musical satire that pokes loving fun at Hollywood and some of its biggest stars. And it's a delight from the moment a modern-day Dorothy from Kansas comes to Hollywood to become a star ... As the decades race forward, dozens of movie legends that Dorothy has long idolized magically appear and sweep the young woman into a series of hilarious song and dance adventures. There's lots to like in this fast-moving, intermission-less 90 minutes. See it before it closes!" - Archie Rothman MORE THEATER

"There's No Place Like Hollywood, now at the Stella Adler, shares unmistakable parallels to Joe Patrick Ward's The Grave White Way. Both are cabaret-generated show-business revues, both feature estimable talent in the creative and performance departments, and both are redolent of cheesball camp humor. Henceforth, apples and oranges. White Way skewers Broadway stinkers by self-contained textual means, only specifically referential in the pasticherie; in Hollywood the parody is cemented upon actual icons and trivia, with content the generalized factor. Dan Berkowitz and Shirley Hillard's libretto accesses The Wizard Of Oz for scenario, MAD Magazine for tone, cruise ship attraction for structure. Under Robert Brandzel's solid musical leadership, Wayne Moore's intentionally generic, faintly interchangable songs vary from adequate to admirable. Rick Sparks, recamped from the Depression -era marathonage of They Shoot Horses, Don't They?, directs and choreographs in vintage expresso-powered manner. The spiffy physical production creates a near-Fauvist view of Tinseltown, with Alex Grayman's set, Frank McKown's lighting and Valentine Hooven's costumes all effective. Heidi Godt is most appealing as Oz's Dorothy figure, woven through a refreshingly nontraditional company. Clay Adkins, Stephanie Andersen, David Barnathan, Melissa Brandzel, Amy Collett, Scott Davidson, Patti Diamond and Jeff Griggs all present notable singing pipes and dancing stems, and considerable gleeful abandon ... like its counterpoint across town, with refinement of material and judicious pruning, There's No Place Like Hollywood has every reason to achieve cult status. - David Nichols IN MAGAZINE

"There's No Place Like Hollywood -- The Musical. If the Walk Of Fame stars could talk - or sing. An intricate composition of plot and character this is not. But the original musical by Dan Berkowitz and Shirley Hillard, with music and lyrics by Wayne Moore, never tries to be anything of the sort. What is does try to be is an entertaining look at the history of Hollywood through the eyes of a wide-eyed dreamer, and at that the show succeeds wonderfully. The framing device is simple: Dorothy Higgins, a tourist from Kansas wearing a blue and white dress (see the pattern yet?) comes to Hollywood to see the sights. She is an average girl with big dreams and a well-above-average grasp of historical Hollywood trivia (as a running gag, the other characters consistently poke fun at Dorothy's encyclopedic knowledge, but the audience sure appreciates it). When an earthquake hits, she is knocked unconscious, and a 90-minute hallucination (i.e. the rest of the musical) ensues. Dorothy and the audience are taken on a whirlwind temporal tour to meet the major icons of Tinseltown -- from Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford to Fred Astaire, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Jame Dean and even Cher. The show's cast is top-notch and director/choreographer Rick Sparks keeps the light-hearted fun in full swing the whole way through (along with some excellent help from wig designer Byron Batista and costume designer Valentine Hooven). A well-executed spectacle in the heart of Hollywood, this is a thoroughly enjoyable evening in the theater." - Devon M. DIGITALCITY.COM

"It's easy to write a review about this play. For starters, words like 'laugh riot' come to mind. Then add 'hilarious' and/or 'jocular' and finally use terms like 'sensational' or 'spectacular'. Then you'll get the idea. Star struck Dorothy, her Aunt Mabel (Anette Sanders) and Uncle Walter (Scott Davidson) touring the famous Mann's Chinese Theatre (remember when it was Graumann's?) and they get caught in one of L.A.'s infamous earthquakes. Beth Malone, who looks like a pixie (reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn), is terrific as Dorothy, from Kansas. The quake knocks her out temporarily, and when she awakens, she's back in the Golden Days of Hollywood. Her Oz-like fantasy starts with Charlie Chaplin, in a very clever skit where they talk in titles written on a screen-like placard. He advises her to get an agent if she wants to be a star, and poof! Eric Olson shows up as an agent, in a cleverly worked spoof of the Wicked Witch on a bicycle. The Yellow Brick Road becomes the famous sidewalk with the footprints, where she sees all her favorite stars, including a blank set of prints with no name. Along her Hollywood journey, Dorothy meets Theda Bara, William Fox, Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Valentino, Fred Astaire, Hattie McDaniel, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and many more, all of whom give her tips and hints to stardom. Jeff Griggs was super as Doug Fairbanks and super campy as Tarzan. Every character is a hilarious knock-off, with some especially devastating, like Garbo and Streisand (Melissa Brandzel). When Mae West and Louella Parsons are black, you know you're not in Kansas anymore. Stephanie Andersen gives a new meaning to the term "impressions" and was super in her spoof of Whoopi Goldberg. Clay Adkins is so far over the top, he redefines "overacting" and is nothing short of great as an effeminate early film director. His Carmen Miranda gives bananas a bad name, and is a much better Cher than Cher herself. He also outdoes Elvis by far! The songs by Wayne Moore gave the cast plenty of beefy material to chomp on, and the tunes has a healthy sprinkle of old, favorite themes. While every character is played for laughs, there are many clever inside spoofs, like when Liz Taylor can't remember her last name (she's had so many husbands) or like when a trio of divas (Bette Davis, Mae West and Greta Garbo) sing about how their bitchiness always helps them get their way. Woody Allen gets completely toasted by Eric Olson and Amy Collett is wonderful as Garland, and scarily close to La Monroe. Besides the hilarious characterizations, the lavish costuming by Valentine Hoover and the flashy sets by Alex Grayman, lighting by Frank McGown, sound by Parker Young and Byron Batista's stage management make the production work seamlessly. Rick Sparks' tight direction of this Shirley Hillard production keeps things moving in a brisk pace. The live music by Robert Brandzel and Dave Lofti is exactly right as they lead Dorothy through the Golden Era and beyond, meeting all her favorite idols and sometimes becoming an actress in famous scenes of the great. Eventually, Whoopi Goldberg emerges to show Dorothy the way back, ("...there's no place like Hollywood...") and when she awakes from her coma, she realizes it was all a dream - but how did her footprints and name get on the sidewalk at the Chinese Theater? If ever there was a show that pokes fun at Hollywood and offers a loving backward look at the legends who made Tinseltown what it is today, this is it! The rousing standing ovation was ample evidence that this play is probably going to be around a long time." - Jose Ruiz ENTERTAINMENT TODAY
 

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