By Mimi Sells

February 20, 2026

I’ve never used the words “scintillating repartee” in a review before but I’m pulling out all the stops this time! The Recipe is an evening of delectable dialogue, snappy timing and remarkably engaging acting. If you think you know Julia Child, the master French chef of PBS fame, you’ll discover the unlikely early life of a groundbreaking, larger than life icon of cookery.

In her youth, the gangly Julia was always the buddy, never the babe. An overly tall, blunt and straight talkier in an age where women’s ambitions were limited to “hatch, match and dispatch,” Julia yearned for a bigger life.  The scenes of these early years are filled with smart conversation, wicked humor and general hilarity.  

But when Julia meets Paul Child, something new brews. There’s a pairing that creates sheer magic and comedic chemistry.  Think Bogart and Bacall, Lucy and Desi, Fred and Ginger. Julia and Paul discover love and longing during government assignments in Ceylon.  I don’t want to give it away but “opium” has a moment you won’t forget. I totally fell in love with Christina Kirk as Julia and Norbert Leo Butz as Paul. Their odd couple matchup is a match made in theatrical heaven!

From Ceylon, we move to Paris where Julia discovers food–as in French food– and her life is forever changed.  As was ours.  From cooking classes at the Cordon Bleu to her collegial creation of a cookbook, we watch our heroine fight for her right to be more than a household cook making mediocre meals.  

From laugh out loud scenes to moments of agony, the audience is enthralled in this briskly paced play under the direction of Lisa Peterson. The small, hugely talented ensemble cast moves from persona to persona through stage and costume changes happening right before our eyes.  The stage is, in fact, a character in the play. Through screens and props, it sleekly transformed from college dorm to posh brasserie to a skillet-bedazzled kitchen dreamscape. 

Of course, recipes, meals and cooking are integral to this tasty theatrical experience. You will be amazed at the creativity in staging those scenes that left no crumbs on the floor or odor on your clothes but only a lasting taste of joy.  

The Recipe script was written by acclaimed Playwright and Actor Claudia Sheer. It is based on the book Dearie by Bob Spritz.

Playing at the La Jolla Playhouse through March 29, you may have to beg, borrow or steal to get the limited tickets still available to this nearly sold out, extended run.  It’s worth trying!  It’s the best show we’ve seen in a long time and we see a lot.