Dallas Review: Casa Manana Presents “The Buddy Holly Story”
“Under the spacious Casa dome, director Parker Esse crafted a high energy, gripping performance which skillfully told the story of an iconic American rock and roll legend.”
Review: Theatre Frisco Presents “A Little Night Music”
Under the direction of Neale Whitmore, the talented cast and crew of Theatre Frisco crafted a vibrant and dynamic performance of Stephen Sondheim’s celebrated work, “A Little Night Music.” Their stunning production sprung to life with a high octane array of rich vocals and sleek choreography wrapped in the deep textures of romance and intrigue.
Review: The Rose Table Presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” Dinner Party
Lovers of theatre, food, friendship and the joy one can find by fusing the three, should head over to The Rose Table and see first-hand how they can craft a space to bring more magic into their daily lives.
Review: Wandernook Theatre Presents “The Addams Family”
The bright, sunny and hot Texas summer afternoon suddenly grew chilly, dark and gloomy as the cast of Wandernook Theatre’s production of “The Addams Family” took the stage. Together, cast and crew, under the direction of Amanda Durbin, resurrected one of our favorite, ghoulishly-macabre families from the grave.
Review: “The Armor Plays: Cinched & Strapped” at Theatre Three
Theatre Three once again showed that they have their finger on the pulse of the performing arts in DFW with a dynamic production of the relevant, poignant and thought-provoking work, “The Armor Plays: Cinched & Strapped.”
Review: “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” at Richardson Theatre Centre
Lunatic Theatre Company combined forces with Richardson Theatre Centre to bring “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” to life in an exciting Texas stage debut. The talented cast and crew they assembled delivered a highly-entertaining, dynamic performance exploring the role of racial bias in America and its ability to prematurely extinguish the blossom of young love.
Review: “The Producers” at Casa Manana
In Casa Manana’s capable hands, under the direction of Courtney Young, the talented cast and crew of “The Producers” crafted a show steeped in Mel Brooks’ signature style and backed it with turbocharged choreography and precision comedic timing.
Review: “Bright Star” at Firehouse Theatre
FARMER’S BRANCH, TX - Firehouse Theatre turned up the heat in the local theatre scene with their scorching-hot regional premiere of the celebrated Broadway musical, “Bright Star.” The phenomenally-talented cast assembled here crafted an intimate, genuine and engaging production infused with a perfect balance of wide-eyed optimism, young love, heart-wrenching tragedy and inspiring redemption.
Review: “Xanadu” Presented by MainStage Irving-Las Colinas
The eclectic musical comedy, “Xanadu,” rolled in under the sparkling disco lights on the MainStage Irving-Las Colinas stage and delivered a passionate, upbeat and entertaining performance. Based off the lackluster 1980 film of the same name, the comedic musical, “Xanadu,” spins the tale of a talented Venice Beach, California artist, “Sonny Malone,” who, in the midst of a creative slump, inadvertently garners the attention of the Nine Greek Muses of Olympus.
Review: “Daddy’s Dyin’...Who’s Got the Will?” at Richardson Theatre Centre
Richardson Theatre Centre’s production of Del Shores’ play “Daddy’s Dyin’...Who’s Got the Will?” delivered an intimate, well-rounded and entertaining performance. The Dallas-FortWorth-area audience in attendance quickly connected with the cast’s portrayal of a 1980s-era family from the small town of Lowake, Texas. Here, siblings reunite for the first time in years to spend a few last days with their ailing father who recently suffered a debilitating stroke.
Review: “Oswald” at Firehouse Theatre
The story of the infamous figure of Lee Harvey Oswald is of particular interest here just outside of Dallas, Texas. Over half a century ago, he became a household name not just in Texas, but across the world for gunning down the 46-year-old President in downtown Dallas. After the Kennedy assassination, the details of Oswald’s life were dissected, analyzed, and sensationalized to the point where few, including his widow, actually recognized the man they thought they knew.
Review: 'Raptured' at Theatre Three
Praise be to Theatre Three for serving up a divinely-entertaining comedic feast for the soul in “Raptured.” Not only is this show chock full of deliciously dark humor and non-stop hilarity, it is dripping with double entendre and crowd-pleasing innuendo.
Review: Garland Civic Theatre Presents “Nunsense”
To most of us, nuns appear to be quiet, reserved, pious members of the Catholic religious community who devote themselves to a life of solitude, simplicity and humility. However, in Dan Goggin’s “Nunsense,” the good sisters of Hoboken offer a glimpse of the all-too-human, often amusing, frailties lurking beneath the veil. Garland Civic Theatre’s production channeled these underlying qualities into fun song and dance numbers and hilarious physical comedy which delivered a high-energy, uniquely-entertaining and praiseworthy comedic romp.
Review: “The Wizard of Oz” at Casa Manana
Casa Manana’s production of, “The Wizard of Oz,” delivered all the wonder, magic and energy which has made this story a celebrated part of the American stage and screen tradition for multiple generations. Together, the show’s dynamic cast and crew took the audience on a remarkably-authentic journey down Oz’s yellow brick road while incorporating just the right mix of modern creative elements to make it truly shine.
Review: “Gruesome Playground Injuries” presented by Millennial Poison Theatre Co.
The two-member cast of Millennial Poison Theatre Company’s inaugural production of the visceral love story, “Gruesome Playground Injuries,” at Richardson’s intimate Core Theatre delivered an energized, compelling and authentic performance. Fueled by equal portions of pain, passion and playground injuries, stars Michael Breath Jr. and Shelby Priddy wove together an introspective story of a maturing friendship and love which can withstand the physical and emotional pain life often throws our way.
Review: The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents Leslie Odom, Jr.
The success of Broadway mega-hit, “Hamilton” likely drew a majority of the audience into the expansive Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center for an evening with Leslie Odom Jr. However, shortly into his performance with the dynamic Dallas Symphony Orchestra, it became apparent that Odom’s silky-smooth voice and versatile style transcends well-beyond the score of “Hamilton” to soar high into the stratosphere of onstage vocal talent.
Review: 'Once on this Island' at Firehouse Theatre
Firehouse Theatre’s production of the Caribbean-inspired, Little Mermaid adaptation, “Once on this Island,” enchants with uptempo, dynamic and heart-wrenching performances. Through spirited choreography and well-harmonized vocals, the talented cast breathes a gust of warm tropical air into Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty’s story and music.
Review: “ComedySportz” at the Comedy Arena
The bright glow of the Comedy Arena was a welcome escape from an otherwise dark and damp night in downtown McKinney, Texas. Inside, warm laughter was in store for the audience who chose to spend an evening with the talented improv team onstage performing in “ComedySportz.”
The format for “ComedySportz” is simple, yet incredibly engaging and entertaining. Experienced comedians with quick wits divide into two teams, red and blue, and go toe-to-toe in a knock-down-drag-out, good-spirited, high-energy improv battle. Competitors earn points by swaying the audience to vote for their team by serving up ample portions of hilarity, physical antics and more.
Review: “FoxFire” at Theatre Three
We all give lip service to slowing the pace of life to craft a more genuine “smell the roses” experience. In the meantime, we robotically consume over-caffeinated, over-priced, lattes, complain about gridlock traffic and politics while ingesting never-ending streams of social media, sitcoms and talking heads. Does the pace and focus of modern life enhance its meaning, or are most of us missing out on something more authentic?
Theatre Three’s production of “FoxFire” delivered a genuine and inspired performance exploring this time-honored debate of “tradition” versus “innovation” with quiet sophistication and grace. Audiences here found a comfortable, welcoming space for an introspective journey examining where we’ve come from and where we’re heading.