Jackie Houchin
I write human interest stories and business profiles, cover school and local events, and do the occasional investigative reporting for a local weekly newspaper in Tujunga, California, often accompanying the stories with my own photographs.
I review books for Mystery Scene, The Strand, and Crimespree magazines. And I review stage plays and musicals for Community, Experimental & Noho theaters and CLOs.
Visit my newly launched "News & Reviews" website at: www.jackiehouchin.com
Contact Information
Articles by Jackie
July 02, 2009
A complex comedy-drama about a country song and the lives (and loves) of the people connected with it.
June 27, 2009
An award-winning musical parody of "The Fellowship of the Ring" with extraordinary comic appeal; more than a spoof, more than a lampoon, it's a festival of fun!
June 26, 2009
An annual Roadster Exhbition & Swap Meet at the LA Fairplex, put on by the Los Angeles Roadster Club, and featuring show-quality pre-1937 roadsters.
June 24, 2009
A Pulizer Prize winning romantic drama about a brilliant University mathematician who slips grop genius to madness, and those who care for him and survive.
June 13, 2009
Sisters in Crime mystery writers discuss their books and writing craft at a Burbank Public Library event.
June 10, 2009
A charmingly re-telling of the old Fairy Tale classic, with music, songs, and several delightful "extra" characters to please young audiences.
June 03, 2009
Fidelity and loyalty triumph over treachery to assure that love will prevail in one of Shakespeare's most complex and romantic later plays.
May 31, 2009
A classic romantic-comedy musical about young couples falling in love and looking forward to a life in the new state of Oklahoma.
May 28, 2009
A children's book about a "dorky" young boy, who is SO annoyed about the way people use sayings and espressions that aren't literaly true, that he sets out to disprove them all.
May 25, 2009
A heart-warming, family comedy about a young man trying to break away from his boisterous but loving immigrant grandparents.
May 18, 2009
"EARLY RODDERS," a group of car enthusiasts meet Saturday mornings for coffee, car talk, and a little showing off. They welcome spectators to join them at these FREE events.
May 15, 2009
A Fine Arts Show Opening at the Towns-Burr Gallery in downtown Burbank features the work of six artists in various mediums.
May 01, 2009
A funny play about an eccentric family who show that money isn't everything, that family and true love will trump all.
April 28, 2009
A heavy-metal rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber "loosely" based on the last 7 days of the life of Jesus Christ; will be offensive to some.
April 21, 2009
A hilarious comedy about a not-so-truthful young lawyer, and what happens when his lies begin to find him out.
April 19, 2009
A one-woman, three-act play in which Sybyl Walker performs a dozen roles, each character a victim and survivor of the elusive thing called Love.
April 01, 2009
Who really discovered the secret of life? A true story about English biophysicist, Rosalind Franklin's photograph that revealed the structure of DNA
March 23, 2009
Short Story workshop inspires writers to write and submit stories to a new anthology.
March 18, 2009
A one-woman/one-act play about an 'English as a Second Language' teacher and her students, celebrating Women's History Month
March 12, 2009
William Inge's 1953 Pulitizer Prize winning romantic-drama about love and life on a hot Labor Day weekend in the Midwest.
March 06, 2009
An Irish comedy-play with songs, written by Ray Bradbury, and telling a variety of stories about working-class Irishmen who congregate for friendship and cheer in Heeber Finn's Pub.
February 26, 2009
A delightful new musical comedy about the joys and surprises a middle-aged couple face when they try an Internet dating site to find that "perfect match."
February 22, 2009
"The Illustrated Bradbury" - inspired by Ray Bradbury's book, "The Illustrated Man" - is a delightful one-man play depicting ten of the author's over 500 published stories.
February 17, 2009
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a swashbuckling romantic musical full of the glory and intrigue of the French Revolution and the pomp and wealth of the English court.
February 13, 2009
How a "field trip" to the live-action Theatre40 Production of "The Manor" motivates Sisters in Crime crime writers to create short stories for their new anthology.
January 28, 2009
A musical comedy about three young mothers who form a band and get their break at a PTA talent show, then go on to fame and glory with their "domestic" style of rock 'n roll.
January 28, 2009
A bawdy, boisterous tongue-in-cheek parody of a children's nursury rhyme that's traditional British slapstick comedy dating from Shakespearean times.
January 23, 2009
Talented portrait painter and illustrator, Tom Smith, exhibits seasonal cartoons and caricatures on store windows in Sunland and Tujunga.
January 20, 2009
A delightful play about five young Latino men who think their dreams will come true if they could just buy a wonderful white suit.
January 19, 2009
A hilarious comedy-mystery about an almost-competent Detective, his clever wife, and a puzzling murder aboard the Bounding Main.
January 06, 2009
Neil Simon's classic romantic comedy about a young newlywed couple who discover and solve the challenges of life and marriage...after the honeymood is over.
December 07, 2008
A heartwarming and nostalgic musical, with a universal theme of Tradition that cuts across barriors of class, nationality and religion, leaving audiences crying tears of laughter, joy and sadness.
December 01, 2008
Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit and four determined spirits set the stage for Scrooge to mend his miserly ways in this traditional Christmas musical for the whole family.
November 29, 2008
The classic Christmas tale of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge, adapted by Larry Davison and featuring Old English carols, folk dances and original music.
November 14, 2008
An edgy, thought-provoking set of plays about murder, guilt and forgiveness.
November 11, 2008
SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
by Shari Shattuck
New York, Signet, 2008,
Paperback, $7.99
In this sequel to Eye of the Beholder, psychic Greer Sands is again forced to use her clairvoyant abilities to help find a killer and to protect the people and the environment she loves.
November 11, 2008
Sherlock Holmes gets a run for his "deducing" money, with Dr. Watson's sharp and clever wife in a serious of mystery stories.
November 03, 2008
An Winter Holiday Mystery Anthology donated by thirteen talented authors will benefit Toys for Tots charity.
November 02, 2008
Assistance League of Pasadena and Flintridge Volunteers provide school uniforms to needy Pasadena Unified School District kids.
October 23, 2008
The tragic tale of twin boys who are separated at birth, only to be reunited by a twist of fate and a mother's haunting secret
October 12, 2008
A spooky comedy about two spinster sisters living in the swampy bayou, a weird woman with strange stories and a shocking confession, who visits them one dark night.
September 29, 2008
Book two in the Bargain Hunters Network mystery series - a little humor, a little romance and a whole lot of fun
September 22, 2008
Bloodhounds, trained to find lost pets, are featured on the new Animal Planet series.
September 13, 2008
A one-woman performance of the life of poet, Emily Dickinson by Kate Randolph Burns
September 12, 2008
---Theatre Review
The Glendale Centre Theatre has faced the challenge of producing the special-effects-heavy, "PHANTOM" on their theater-in-the-round stage and come out triumphant.
September 03, 2008
A Handwriting specialist uses her skills to solve a murder.
August 30, 2008
A ghostly love story between a Pulizer Prize winning novelist and her deceased lover
August 29, 2008
A new comedy play about the paranoias of crime in our neighborhoods.
August 04, 2008
Brigadoon is a romantic musical-comedy Broadway hit about a mystical village that appears only one day in one hundred years.
July 16, 2008
"Did our faith kill our child?" Where do you turn when your faith is at odds with your heart?
July 16, 2008
A new way to save money and get uber-fresh produce delivered weekly.
July 01, 2008
A new, bawdy, comedy-farce at the Lizard Theater that's full of madcap misunderstandings and mistaken identities, sure to "crack up" any audience
June 30, 2008
"A big city, a love story, danger, and a mystery with more curves and twists than the Pasadena Freeway; Film-Noir fans will love this play.
June 09, 2008
Thousands of "cherry" street rods on display at the Los Angeles County Fairplex in Pomona
May 25, 2008
Singing, tap-dancing and special effects all a part of the stage version of MGM's mega-hit musical, "Singing in the Rain."
May 11, 2008
Four new tales of the macabre in this popular mini-play series.
May 07, 2008
A romantic comedy about a Jewish girl whose parents want her to mary "a nice Jewish boy" preferably a doctor, and how her "simple" ruse backfires.
May 06, 2008
This charming play is based on the Academy Award-winning screenplay by Maurice Richlin, from the smash film starting Doris Day and Rock Hudson.
April 21, 2008
Ray Bradbury's classic science fiction story about burning books and supressing individual liberties.
April 13, 2008
A nun is dead, a priest is imprisoned, and the TRUTH is on trial.
March 05, 2008
The story of how a convicted felon chooses to serve his sentence in a mental hospital and manages to irrevocably change the lives of the patients while sacrificing his own.
February 25, 2008
A new play by the author of "The China Syndrome" opens at Fremont Theatre in Pasadena, inspired by the true story of a 19-month Steelworkers Strike and the union local who went abroad to negotiate with the fugitive owner only to find himself in prison for murder.
February 04, 2008
Rosemary Lord recounts Hollywood lore and history form her beautifully illustrated and narrated book.
January 27, 2008
Three delightful plays by Ray Bradbury enacted at the Fremont Theatre in South Pasadena.
January 23, 2008
A well-plotted mystery of murder, intrigue and treason, set in Key West and Havana.
January 16, 2008
A hilarious comedy-farce about a couple of actors who get into trouble impersonating women. Think... "Some Like It Hot!"
December 30, 2007
Theatre Review by Jackie Houchin
The Glendale Centre Theatre opened its 2008 season with one of the funniest shows they've ever produced.
December 18, 2007
Toni Bayley is a parent and a member of the PTA at Mountain View Elementary School.
December 18, 2007
The Knightsbridge Theatre is wrapping up the year with two well-known Christmas plays.
December 18, 2007
The Knightsbridge Theatre has opened a wonderfully authentic production of "A Christmas Carol" playing weekends through December 23.
December 12, 2007
The Ray Bradbury Pandemonium Theatre Company opened last weekend with the world premier of “Ray Bradbury’s Noel” - a guest production at the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena.