Theatrical Reviews
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” by John Heimbuch (WEST COAST PREMIERE)
“it’s a performance that never stops moving with a tongue-in-cheek delivery and a high energy level…the play spins around the note perfect characterizations of Garcia’s nervously energetic Ichabod and Gray’s coyly confident Katrina.” - HALLOWEEN EVERY NIGHT
“Silence! The Musical Parody of the Silence Of The Lambs” (OC PREMIERE)
“Vivaciously Vulgar! Uproariously Funny! Jaw-Droppingly Outrageous! Offensively Hilarious!”
“….the deadpan comic performance of Kalinda Gray, who plays Clarice, is among the more subversively funny moments..” - THE SHOW REPORT
“…Director Jack Millis’ production is graced by one of OC’s finest performers, Kalinda Gray, as Agent Starling….” - OC WEEKLY
“Kalinda Gray is one of OC’s outstanding stage talents, and her performance is a gem here. Her voishe is alwaysh hilarioush, and her physicality and blank expressions are priceless.” - OC THEATRE REVIEWS
"KING KONG: Eighth Wonder of the World” (world premiere)
"....“Kalinda Gray’s performance as the out-of-her-depth-but-still-giving-it-her-all actress is beyond reproach…” -- ORANGE CURTAIN REVIEW
“Brian Newell might have pulled off the eighth wonder of the world with his latest Maverick Theater production, King Kong. Clever, engaging, and most importantly fun, it stirs not only a new appreciation for the classic 1933 film, but for local live theater as well. Gray, Zelhart and the rest of the cast have infused their roles with a sense of whimsy and joy that keeps the audience engaged and the plot moving at a sprint all the way. - HALLOWEEEN EVERY NIGHT
"EVITA" (directed by Martie Ramm/1979 Original Broadway Cast - as Eva Peron)
"No Crying Over This Excellent Evita"
"....“Evita” is a hypnotic spectacle to behold: beautifully choreographed numbers with stellar acting by the cast....the Kalinda Gray-helmed performance witnessed was a remarkable and breathtaking experience. The role is doubtlessly both vocally and physically taxing, and songs such as “Rainbow High” and “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” both dazzle and deeply move the viewer, as does her portrayal of the enigmatic and inspirational First Lady." -- ORANGE COUNTY TRIBUNE
“A stunning stage achievement!”
“…As the lead role, Kalinda Gray is simply captivating throughout the entire production….the performances given by both Ms. Gray and Mr. Rowley are harrowingly beautiful as Eva laments for the life she could have lived, had she not pursued fame and glory.” — THE SHOW REPORT
"THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW” (as Magenta)
Check out Halloween Every Night’s promo on the show HERE!
"Thoroughly Entertaining"
"....a brilliantly continued tradition….a night of theater you will never forget!” - BROADWAY WORLD
“‘Rocky Horror’ Shows A Bit Of Cheek!”
“From Kalinda Gray’s confident and dazzling opening number as Magenta, it really feels as much like a concert as a typical theater production. Experiencing The Rocky Horror Show live at the Maverick is a lot like seeing a 1970s glam rock band. It’s infectious rock ’n’ roll fun, a feast for the eyes and ears, and certain to upset your parents. But it’s also a hell of a lot more fun than the movie will ever be….the cast is really strong throughout, infusing their performances with zeal and a genuine sense they’re having fun.”
"PETER AND THE STARCATCHER"
"A perfectly cast Kalinda Gray.." -- OC WEEKLY
"The brilliant Molly is much like our own era’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Gray’s proactive, never-say-die Molly is ever the proper British lass and ever heroic.." -- OC REGISTER
"A surefire pleasure....a most welcome return to the Orange County stage for Kalinda Gray. She captures Molly’s smarts and bravado effortlessly." -- OC THEATRE REVIEWS
"Kalinda Gray as Molly gives an absolute memorable performance - embodying a 13 year old girl, Gray does so with charm, innocent wit, adolescent mannerisms and the comedic authenticity of a wonder filled teenage girl." -- OC THEATRE REVIEWS
"CANDIDE" (world premiere at Sacred Fools Theater)
""...outstanding on every level are the indefatigable, and impeccably hilarious performances by the entire cast especially Kalinda Gray and David LM McIntyre who drive the extremes of the story." -- GIA ON THE MOVE
"GOODBYE MARILYN" (world premiere)
"Kalinda Gray is luminous as Marilyn Monroe.." -- BACKSTAGE WEST
"AVENUE Q" (west coast regional premiere)
BEST ACTRESS OF 2012 - BROADWAY WORLD (Kalinda Gray as Kate Monster)
"..As perfectly staged as an intimate-theater musical can be...the Empire Theatre fits Q to a T, Theatre Out’s oh-so-talented young cast giving their Broadway/National Tour predecessors a run for their money..."
-- STAGESCENELA
"...a blast - loud, raunchy, and insanely funny."
-- Eric Marchese, OC REGISTER
"THE HOBBIT" (world premiere)
"..Magnificently reflected...Kalinda Gray's Storyteller doesn't just narrate the story, she enacts it. She seems as much invested in - and enchanted by - the outcome as the audience, so much so that the entire story seems to emerge from her imagination..."--THE HUFFINGTON POST
"Putting the finishing touches on this staging is Kalinda Gray's stylized, highly theatrical portrayal of "the Storyteller." With her flowing blonde locks and precise, British-inflected diction, Gray functions as our guide into a world that's shrouded in mystery and almost always bone-chillingly perilous. (She also gives voice – that is, thundering growl – to Smaug, a huge puppet requiring more than a dozen operators.)..."-- THE OC REGISTER
"As lavishly spectacular as Jackson’s cinematic treatment of The Lord of the Rings played on the big screen, it still didn’t capture Tolkien’s distinct voice and the richness of his language. Gray’s adaptation does so splendidly....the fact that this production not only tells Tolkien’s epic adventure well, but also captures his idiosyncratic omniscience and literary heft makes it deserving of the box-office success it has garnered." -- THE OC WEEKLY
"The all-important element here is the underlying, fablelike tone, bolstered by the production team's impressive visual and technical effects and by wonderfully detailed characterizations that combine acting, costumes, and puppetry. As such, the cast is superb...don't be fooled by this venue's small size: Maverick's "Hobbit" staging is a triumph of production.." --BACKSTAGE WEST
"THE PRODUCERS" (Orange County premiere)
Best Production Of The Year, OC WEEKLY
"...Whether singing, dancing or generating laughs, the Maverick's leads, supporting characters and chorus are top-notch...Gray captures kittenish Ulla's daffiness, charming mangling of English and sex appeal, which she has in spades. She's eager to please – especially Leo, and their fling is genuinely sweet." -- THE OC REGISTER
"..(Gray is) the threshold over which future Ullas must pass." -- HUFFINGTON POST
"Amazingly, the Maverick Theater’s production of The Producers maintains much of the entertainment value of its big stage, big budget predecessor, thanks in large measure to Brian Newell’s able direction, tour-de-force lead performances, and Brooks’ absolutely hilarious book....Kalinda Gray is a delightfully adorable (and petite this time around) Ulla.." -- STAGESCENELA
"Director Brian Newell and company confirm their statuses as the best musical-comedy producers in Orange County with this one...when packaged in a production that fires on every cylinder—like this one—it’s absolutely great entertainment...Kalinda Gray makes a marvelously sexy turn as Ulla..." --OC WEEKLY
"CABARET" (directed by Judy Norton)
Nominated for numerous LA Theatre awards/Winner of the Garland Award for best choreography, Goldstar Pick/Roar Of The Crowd Winner, Backstage West Critic's Pick
"...An unmitigated triumph, surpassing many previous high-profile renditions...Gray skillfully illuminates the tragicomic contradictions of Sally, a woman-child prone to repeating her mistakes..with this shimmering effort, the three-year-old Musical Theatre of Los Angeles stakes its claim as a theatrical force to reckon with." -- Les Spindle, BACKSTAGE WEST (Critic's Pick)
"Kalinda Gray is valiant as Sally Bowles.." -- LA TIMES
"Raw, energetic, sexy, sensationally performed...the lovely Kalinda Gray is absolutely convincing as Sally Bowles.." -- STAGESCENELA
"A pure delight from start to finish!" -- EDGE Magazine
"Truly delightful, a high-energy, sexy treat."-- Robert Machray, BlogCritic
"Gray touches a skewed naivety in her characterization that makes her role particularly poignant. " -- ShowMag
"...Kalinda Gray’s rendition of Sally Bowles, the 19-year-old English leading lady of the Berlin nightclub around which the play revolves, delivers a crushing performance...the orgastic energy that the cast brings to the stage is unparalleled..." -- Daily Trojan
"URINETOWN: THE MUSICAL"
Backstage West's Critic Pick, LA Garland Award Nomination for Ensemble Cast, OC Register's Annual Top 10 List for Theater)
"..The cast is bookended by one of local theater’s most seasoned talents—Christopher Spencer as the sinisterly manipulative Boss Hogg of the play—and two of its brightest young talents, Kalinda Gray and Shaun Leslie Thomas as the earnestly dopey young lovers whose lives change most during the proceedings..." -- OC WEEKLY
"..He's well-matched with Kalinda Gray who, as ingénue Hope, treads a delicate line of milking the material for its camp value without pushing things overboard—a hallmark of this cast..."-- BACKSTAGE WEST
"..Kalinda Gray's Hope is a good-hearted, ditzy blonde who flips easily between light camp and conventional musical-theater ingénue...."-- OC REGISTER