Review: TENDER RAIN at Syracuse Stage
by Dan and Julie Izzo - May 8, 2023
Syracuse Stage is currently offering a world premiere play by resident playwright Kyle Bass. Tender Rain is an intriguing play and certainly stimulated hours of discussion on our drive home. It took time to unravel the events of the play's past and untangle the complex character relationships, like unsnarling knots out of a fine gold chain.
When Musicals Reference Musicals
by Jennifer Ashley Tepper - May 7, 2023
This month, the reader question was: I’ve heard Shucked parodies a lot of musical tropes w/ references to Oklahoma!, The Music Man, etc… We’ve seen that a lot on Broadway lately - Something Rotten, Mean Girls, Bad Cinderella, Be More Chill, etc… It seems to be becoming more and more popular - when did it start, why do audiences love it?
Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET at New Theatre & Restaurant
by Alan Portner - May 1, 2023
MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET has returned to New Theatre & Restaurant after a five-year absence. For fans of early 1950s Rock N Roll music, finding a great production of the QUARTET is equivalent to stumbling upon the Holy Grail while flashing on their teenage years. MDQ is entertaining.
Review: PRIVATE LIVES at Independent Shakespeare
by Tracey Paleo - Apr 29, 2023
When you get right down to it, Amanda and Elyot are two people with the enormous blind side of being drawn to one another yet destined to hurt one another; walking a fine line between love and hate, desire and aversion.
Review: New Production of THE KING AND I is Simply Glorious at the La Mirada Theatre
by Michael Quintos - Apr 28, 2023
Presented by McCoy Rigby Entertainment, this beautiful, mesmerizing, Broadway-caliber production of THE KING AND I has all the ingredients of a great revival done right, from its dazzling visual and technical components to the vibrant musical magic created by both its rousing orchestra and the talented artists that make up its superb ensemble cast.
XANADU, SPRING AWAKENING, and More Set For Skylight Music Theatre's 2023-2024 Season
by Stephi Wild - Apr 26, 2023
Artistic Director Michael Unger has unveiled Skylight Music Theatre's 2023-2024 season at an in-person and livestreamed event from the Cabot Theatre featuring musical selections from the shows to be presented in Skylight's upcoming 64th season. Unger was joined by Skylight performers and an on-stage band.
Review: THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater
by Jared Fessler - Apr 24, 2023
What did our critic think of THE PAJAMA GAME at Artistry Theater? A classic tale of boy meets girl, and girl wants a raise - wait, that's not how it goes! Sid and Babe will show you exactly how it goes, as they manage romance and work on opposite sides of a labor dispute at the Sleep-Tite Pajama Factory.
Silent Faces' GODOT IS A WOMAN Will Embark on UK Wide Tour
by Stephi Wild - Apr 21, 2023
Following hugely successful runs at Pleasance Theatre and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Godot is a Woman interrogates permission, patriarchy and pop music in a comical response to the gender restrictions put upon Waiting for Godot.
Review: INTO THE WOODS at Titusville Playhouse
by Joseph Harrison - Apr 9, 2023
In the skilled and creative hands of Titusville Playhouse, INTO THE WOODS is fresh and fantastic – with all the familiar elements, yes – but with a current sensibility and a unique aesthetic that made me feel like I was seeing this show for the first time again.
GODSPELL, CLUE, and More Set For Blackfriars 2023/24 Season
by Stephi Wild - Apr 5, 2023
Blackfriars Theatre has announced its 2023-2024 Season, commemorating 74 years of locally-produced theatre in downtown Rochester, NY! The 74th Season boasts a powerhouse line-up of entertaining and engaging stories, transporting audiences from pristine 18th century estates of French artistocrats to the seedy underground nightclubs of 1930s Germany.
David Merrick's Big Announcement: The Infamous Opening Night of 42ND STREET
by AJ Hunsucker - Apr 8, 2023
Have you ever wondered what was the most dramatic night in Broadway history? Well, boy, do I have a story for you! The year: 1980. The show: 42nd Street. I sat down with the show’s lead, the iconic and peerless Lee Roy Reams to get the true story straight from someone who was actually there that momentous evening.
Forte Theatre Company Announces 2023-2024 Season
by Stephi Wild - Mar 15, 2023
Artistic Director Randall Dodge and Executive Director Brenda Dodge have announced Forte Theatre Company’s 2023-2024 Season, which will be performed at the Saber Center for the Performing Arts in Franklin.
Kane Kalas Releases His Rendition Of Frank Sinatra's Classic, “Luck Be A Lady”
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 27, 2023
Kane Kalas is a modern day Renaissance man. In addition to being a professional poker player, Kane has had tremendous success as a cryptocurrency and stock market investor, and is known for singing the Star Spangled Banner and God Bless America at Philadelphia Phillies games, including at last season's World Series. He recently dropped a new single; a swinging cover of Sinatra's hit, 'Luck Be a Lady.'
HOME, I'M DARLING Will Embark on UK Tour Next Year
by Stephi Wild - Nov 17, 2022
This new production of Home, I'm Darling opens at the Theatre Royal Windsor on 25 January 2023, prior to the play's first extensive national tour. Leading the cast are BAFTA award winner Jessica Ransom (Doc Martin, Armstrong and Miller, Horrible Histories) as Judy, Diane Keen (Doctors, The Cuckoo Waltz) as Sylvia and Neil McDermott (Eastenders, The Royal) as Johnny, with further casting to be announced.
Review: TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Shea's Buffalo Theatre
by Michael Rabice - Nov 9, 2022
The beloved diva took to the Shea's Buffalo stage as the Broadway musical TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL opened to wild audience approval last night. The icon of soul and later rock & roll has her life told through another one of those bio-musical retellings, using the Tina Turner catalog of hits as a score.
Binge Free Festival Kicks Off This October
by Stephi Wild - Aug 15, 2022
Santa Monica Playhouse has been a cultural treasure in the seaside community for 62 years. Now, the Playhouse is giving love back with its Seventh Annual Binge Free Festival, three weeks of free performances, workshops, and music in Santa Monica's ONLY fringe festival. The BFF's primary focus is on Santa Monica and Los Angeles-based artists, but there will be exciting international artists on view as well.
BWW Review: CATF's THE HOUSE OF THE NEGRO INSANE is a Riveting, Mind-Blowing Experience
by Andrew White - Jul 11, 2022
Terence Anthony's offering at this year's Contemporary American Theater Festival, 'The House of the Negro Insane,' will sweep you up in a tornado of emotions and deliver a few gut-punches as well, with riveting characters whose challenges make our own problems look as trivial as that fly landing on your picnic blanket. A polished piece of playwriting, this piece-now finally launched, after the long COVID hiatus-should find its place on stages across the country.
ANNIE, BLUEY'S BIG PLAY, and More Announced for Family Discovery Series at Kimmel Center
by A.A. Cristi - Jun 9, 2022
The Kimmel Cultural Campus has announced the returning Family Discovery Series for the upcoming 2022-23 season. In its 7th year, the lineup includes kid-friendly favorites and re-envisioned family classics, curated to appeal to the littlest growing arts lovers. Packages and single tickets to select shows in the 2022-23 Family Discovery Series go on sale TODAY, Thursday, June 9, 2022.