Review: "Freddie Falls in Love" at the Joyce Theater
Upon the announcement that “Freddie” would join the Joyce Theater’s 2019 season, I was simultaneously overjoyed and apprehensive. How could this bubbly eccentric style translate to the formality of the Joyce Theater? How could Blackstone and a cast of primarily new dancers breathe fresh life into the show three years later? And how would audiences—both old and new—engage with “Freddie” today?
Review: "Rock of Ages" at Leeds Grand Theatre
While the show might not necessarily be to everyone’s tastes or suitable for younger viewers (unless they’ve been raised on glam metal, I suppose!), there’s no denying that ‘Rock of Ages’ makes for a loud and very fun time at the theatre.
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.
Off-Broadway Review: “Little Gem” at Irish Repertory Theatre
Despite the challenges of the script, the three fine actors transcend the material to offer glimpses into the often-undisclosed problems facing three generations of women caught in restrictive matrices of expectation and oppression. It was wonderful to see Marsha Mason’s craft coalesce the threads of the three women-in-waiting to a settling down to sleep and all that metaphor encompasses.
Review: “In the Penal Colony” at New York Theater Workshop’s 4th Street Theater
“In the Penal Colony” is not a play that you can fully absorb minutes after the curtain closes. This is a play that sinks in to your skin and stays there. A play that you feel before you even know why. Twenty-four hours after seeing the show, there are still things that I am working to uncover.
Review: Driftwood Creates a Rockin’ Fairy Tale with "A (Musical) Midsummer Night’s Dream"
Creating Shakespearean productions that are accessible and intriguing entertainment for people of all ages is a true challenge. To do it consistently for a quarter century, well, that’s another thing entirely. Yet, the Driftwood Theatre Group has been doing just that since 1995.
Review: “Because Of Winn Dixie” at Goodspeed Musicals
“Winn Dixie” wisely understands that real life is far more complicated and it doesn’t try to deliver easy answers. Its characters are real, flawed humans whose problems can’t be tap-danced away. Their demons won’t be cured tomorrow. It’s a good lesson for kids of all ages to learn, rolled up in a fun and charming package.”
Review: "Fool for Love" at Soulpepper Theatre
Truth be told, this 36-year-old script now appears as if it doesn’t have the same electric punch and jab it once had. That is not to say the performances are lacking because these four actors are top notch.
Review: “Romeo and Juliet” at Shakespeare in the Parking Lot
Rain could not stop this performance of one of Shakespeare’s most well-known plays. The crowd gathered, umbrellas raised, to see Shakespeare in the Parking Lot’s production of “Romeo and Juliet”. This very enjoyable production took the classic story and gave it an 80s/90s spin, with costumes from those decades bringing the characters even closer to reality and allowing us to relate to them more than we already could.
Review: "Miss Saigon" - National Tour (Los Angeles)
Cameron Mackintosh’s Broadway revival of “Miss Saigon” opened on Thursday, July 19 at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre. This version is especially poignant as Americans daily read and watch the political refugee crisis, as desperate people flee violence in Central America and other countries under our current administration.
Review: Theatre on the Ridge Presents "Tempting Providence"
If you feel like learning about the incredible woman who was known as “The Florence Nightingale of Newfoundland,” or you’re in the mood for a solid piece of theatre, head to Port Perry to see Theatre on the Ridge’s production of Tempting Providence.
Review: "The Play That Goes Wrong" at the Ahmanson Theatre
What I enjoyed about “The Play That Goes Wrong” by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields of Mischief Theatre Company is that it’s a play within a play. We are sitting in the audience watching “The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society" perform their newest murder mystery “The Murder at Haversham Manor.”
Review: "Cyrano", A Lively, Entertaining Frolic at The Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
Go see this novel interpretation of this classic tale about a man’s struggle to replace vanity, pride, and ignorance with grace, humility and intelligence. It is an ironic anecdote of missed opportunities, it reminds us that, after all, beauty is only skin deep.
Review: "Henry VIII" at Stratford Festival
As we left the auditorium, I heard some audience members behind me say this production was quite a historical lesson. A young girl and her father sat next to me. She turned to him at the end and said, “I understood a bit of what was going on”. I turned to both and thanked them appreciatively for their support of live theatre and for learning a bit of history.
You should come to Stratford and learn a bit about the history of the Tudors too.
Review: "Doggs Hamlet, Cahoot’s Macbeth' at The Potomac Theater Project
The Patomac Theater Project embraces their loony side with this production of Doggs Hamlet Cahoot’s Macbeth by Tom Stoppard, bringing life and heart to characters living in a world seemingly far more strange than our own.
Review: "Bloom: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable" by 4th Line Theatre
Beau Dixon asks some important questions in his Playwright Notes: ‘What does it take to reach success?’; ‘How do you determine success?’ and ‘What do you sacrifice to get you to the next level of success?’ Three extremely important questions which I wished we could have discussed with the playwright and the director post performance. In any event, ‘Bloom: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Fable’ is a worthy evening of theatrical entertainment. Get to see it if you can.
Review: “Mamma Mia!” at Ivoryton Playhouse
I enjoyed myself at Ivoryton’s colorful and spritely production, mostly due to a terrific cast and some very smart decisions by director/choreographer JR Bruno.
Review: "Twelfth Night or What You Will" at Shakespeare & Company
Walking into the theater the richly colored set, designed by Cristina Todesco, instantly brought the audience into a more modern Illyria than one they may have seen before.
Review: “Drinking Bird” at the New Ohio Theater
“Drinking Bird” is full of very relevant and well thought out ideas but the execution of those ideas never really gets out of lecture territory and I found myself longing for questions but only being given the one answer.
Review: 3P Productions' "tuesdays with Morrie" at the Capital Theatre
Beyond some of the stilted dialogue, this is an emotional evening demanding our attention reflecting on the issues of life and the inevitability of death.