Lynn Beaver - Page 4

We all know the fairy tale Rapunzel from childhood, but Jeremy Rashad Brown and Deanna Belardinelli give RAP UNZEL an update, hip hop style at Scottish Rite Theatre in cooperation with Brown Boy Productions and the effect is enchanting.

The Georgetown Palace Playhouse brings us silly Christmas fun from across the pond with FARNDALE AVENUE HOUSING ESTATE TOWNSWOMEN'S GUILD DRAMATIC SOCIETY'S PRODUCTION OF A CHRISTMAS CAROL by David McGillivray and Walter Zerlin, Jr, based on the work by Charles Dickens. In the United Kingdom, Christmas 'panto' is an annual holiday tradition. Panto is of course short for pantomime and includes send ups of fairy tales (or other well known stories) with over the top characters and lots of audience participation. The Georgetown Palace production, directed by Jonathan Young contains all of these elements and more.

James Goldman's bitingly witty play A LION IN WINTER has been a favorite of mine most of my life. Written in 1966, this show has everything in my opinion; warring family, a larger than life king, a queen who is, arguably, the most famous woman in history, grasping, greedy princes, all wrapped up in a real life, high stakes game of thrones. The biggest plus is some of the best dialogue ever written for the stage, and roles that are on every actor's bucket list. As a devotee of medieval history, A LION IN WINTER, is quite simply my cup of tea. The legendary Plantagenet family known as the 'Devil's Brood' on stage at the same time? It doesn't get better. Unfortunately The Wimberley Players production is sadly lacking in the passion that runs through the veins of Goldman's work like life's blood.

Theatre at its best holds up a mirror to society, showing us our triumphs and failures in equal measure. But once in a great while there comes a production that holds up that mirror and sees into our very soul. SIGNIFICANT OTHER by Joshua Harmon and performed by a stellar cast at Trinity Street Theatre is just such a show.

Austin's ZACH Theatre pulls out all the stops to create a spectacular production of the crowd favorite DISNEY'S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST.

Southwest Theatre Productions (SWTP) has gained a reputation for bringing new, meaningful plays to the Austin stage. With its productions of CAGES, IF I FORGET and THE OTHER PLACE, producers Kat Sparks and Jan Phillips have shown their range in presenting thought-provoking material with excellent production values. ALABAMA STORY by Kenneth Jones is SWTP's best production to date and shows just how far the all female company has come.

Recreated from John Wilkes Booth's personal prompt book, The Hidden Room in conjunction with The Harry Ransom Center present a hybrid version of RICHARD III that hasn't been seen on stage since 1864. Gloriously reborn from the pages of history, this is the villain king like you've never seen him before.

Gilbert & Sullivan Austin has a long, glorious past of traditionally amazing shows. Unfortunately their current production of RUDDIGORE is a mixed bag and doesn't come off as well as it likely could.

Different Stages has a reputation for bringing excellent theatre to the Austin stage and THE BOOK OF LIZ is no different. Supreme silliness and laughs galore fill the performance space at Trinity Street Theatre for the space 90 minutes of great, quirky entertainment.

Theatre Synesthesia scores again with three short pieces by playwright Casey Wimpee. Directed by America Archer, and acted by a talented quartet of actors the evening of theatre is filled with a poetic rhythm that is awe inspiring and compelling.

The Georgetown Palace Theatre has a reputation for doing the big, classic musicals, those huge shows that are barely contained within the walls of the Springer Stage. In contrast 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE is a modern show with an ensemble cast of just nine actors (a very small cast by Palace standards) it certainly overwhelms in entertainment value.

The current production of UPSTAGED at the Back Pack is absolutely one of the most creative, surprising and entertaining pieces of theatre I've seen in years.

Austin Opera never fails to dazzle, but their current production of LA TRAVIATA is so incredibly stellar, superlatives fail to describe its glittering pageantry.

I admit freely that I'm a huge fan of silly. I love English television comedy most because the Brits have a way of making fun of themselves in the most outrageously ridiculous situations, they never take comedy seriously. The Georgetown Palace Playhouse's production of DEARLY DEPARTED, while far from British, takes a page from the same book of silly with a no holes barred approach to laugh out loud theatre.

YANKEE TAVERN by prolific playwright Steven Deitz, is a labyrinthine journey through the mind of conspiracy theorist Ray (Bill Karnovsky). Through all the crazy scenarios Ray spouts, there may just be a kernel of truth.

The Baron's Men are well known for their faithful presentations of the works of William Shakespeare. They have, for years, treated the Bard's plays with a fulsome reverence, including strict adherence to Elizabethan period costume and traditional interpretation of material. This production is an abrupt about-face.

Classic stage spectacle, MAME by Jerome Lawrence and Robert Edwin Lee with lyrics by Jerry Herman, makes its way to the Georgetown Palace Theatre to take away the winter blues and get your toes tapping.

Fledgling company Filigree Theatre brings its second production, A DELICATE SHIP, to Santa Cruz Theatre running from February 15th thru 25th. Unfortunately this play sinks not far from shore.

What is reality? What comprises our perception of what is true? What is memory, and what happens when our sense of self and our world is challenged by others? Written by Florian Zeller and translated from French by Christopher Hampton, THE FATHER explores the shifting reality of title character Andre (David Jarrott).

Austin producer Robert King and The newly re-opened Ground Floor Theatre presented an original work; THE VOICES OF DANNY HATHAWAY for an extremely limited run of just two performances. Normally we don't review such short runs, but having seen King's first original theatrical effort, FOR THE LOVE OF MAHALIA, which I loved, and I was intrigued by his concept.