“Williamston Theatre offers an intense night at the theater with “9 Parts of Desire.” It’s the kind of work that is meaningful, one that fosters empathy and reminds those who have been gone from the theater for too long why we need it, why we need to be in the same room participating in a story that is a communal work of art.”

“When it comes to holiday classics, the recipe for success tends to contain dollops of laughter and a sprinkling of joyful tears. Williamston’s “This Wonderful Life” by Steve Murray has just the right mix to make their production a welcome return to their theater.”

“It’s a show that has always been over-the-top and ultra-aware of its role as a musical spoof. It never forgets there is an audience and never forgets that they are a performance.”

““The Jigsaw Bride” presents so many conundrums in ways that provide no easy answers. Who is right? Who is wrong? What happens when needs clash?”

““Legally Blonde” is always a fun, feel-good musical and the one at The Metropolis Performing Arts Center has much to recommend it, even if it falls short of all that it could be.”

“There is something about “Happy Days” that feels very 2021. Watching a woman sink slowly into an inescapable morass while being as determined as possible to stick to a routine, to keep a stiff upper lip and to remain calm doesn’t seem all that strange this year.”

“Farmer’s Alley reopened its indoor, in-person season with a production that testified to the courage of the human spirit, to its resilience, to the way everyone has persevered through hard times unique to each individual.”

“Theatre Nova has re-opened its doors with a thoughtful show that entertains while presenting challenging questions.”

“What the Blue Man Group show did on opening night was to welcome people back to what they had missed and to remind them that no matter how otherly someone might look, it is possible to share a community and to celebrate the world we share.”

“Sometimes what you really need from a night at the theater is to sit back with a smile, enjoy old favorites and leave humming or singing the songs from the night. It’s one reason why Mamma Mia is such a popular musical that can draw big crowds—as it did on the opening night of Music Theater Works production at their new venue, the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, north of Chicago.”

“Stamm is closing out Mason Street Warehouse’s season with a thoroughly enjoyable revue that not only delights—it makes one hungry for the return of musical theater.”

“SpongeBob Squarepants is a delightful, fun musical that manages to work for all ages. Younger attendees will love the color, the costumes, the huge dance numbers. Adults will appreciate the many layers in the script and the way the story could be torn right out of today’s headlines, only one that elicits humor and laughter rather than stress and groans.”

The script is more than a little flawed, but it has endured because it succeeds in pulling people into the world of the Deaf and articulating some of the conflicts and issues that are important to that community. It invites people to open themselves to a new level of empathy, something HSRT has gotten very good at doing.

“On Golden Pond” isn’t designed to challenge audiences who are already coming out of challenging times. Instead, it offers them a dose of familiarity, of resilience and of hope even in the face of mortality.

“Mason Street Warehouse in Saugutuck, Michigan is hosting “Dixie’s Tupperware Party.” It’s a wild night that manages to slip in a message amid the uproarious Tupperware demonstrations and audience participation.”

“‘Songs for a New World’ may not give us any answers, but it does invite us to reflect upon the challenges and rewards of moving into a new world and leaving the past behind us.”

“‘Every Brilliant Thing’, which Hope Summer Repertory Theatre (HSRT) has been producing this summer, explores the effect of a mother’s depression on her son—of what his life is like because of the physical, chemical, and emotional changes wrought upon him by a distant mother.”

“Overall, it was an evening of charming nostalgia, something Tibbits specializes in. It brought back memories for the adults in the audience and for the children introduced them to all the elements that has made Charlie Brown a constant in the lives of generations of readers and tv viewers.”

“Between committed actors willing to make comedic choices and the skills of the technical and artistic staff, “The Importance of Being Earnest” provides the audience with a night of laughter and the experience of one of Wilde’s best works.”

““The Fantasticks” is light, fun fare with just enough of a message to give one something to chew upon afterward. Tibbits creates a version of this classic musical that is theatrical and entertaining.”