Sandy Rustin's The Cottage takes the best of a classic British farce, folds in some more contemporary ideology, and comes up with something so incredibly funny, Noel Coward would not have imagined it. It's onstage now to September 27 at Alleyway Theatre and it's a superb way to launch its 46th season, with a good … Continue reading The Cottage: What’s Old is New Again and it’s Hysterical
Cherie Messore Reviews
Dreamgirls is Vibrant!
It all starts with a dream...and for a trio of talented girls in the 1960s, their dream was to sing and be heard and blaze a new trail for Black women in the music industry. That's the story behind Dreamgirls, an extravagant, exuberant musical that's kicking off the theatre season at Shea's 710. The 1981 … Continue reading Dreamgirls is Vibrant!
Wait Until Dark Lights Up With Tension
Wait Until Dark, on stage now at the Shaw Festival (Festival Theatre), is a griping psychological thriller and is exactly the type of show you expect to see on this venerable summer schedule. The Frederick Knott classic is a deliciously deceitful and twisted plot, where Susan, just a year into her marriage to Sam, is … Continue reading Wait Until Dark Lights Up With Tension
Killer Laughs at Shaw Festival
The world premiere of Murder-on-the-Lake, among this season's Shaw Festival offerings in Niagara-on-the-Lake, is part improv show, part send-up to the traditional drama we love, and out-of-the-box murder mystery party game that were all the rage of the '90s. In brief, it's an absolute hoot and quite the surprise on the traditional NOL stage. I … Continue reading Killer Laughs at Shaw Festival
Family Turmoil at ICTC
Spoiler alert: Props Designer Diane Almeter Jones needs some star billing for the prolific amount of stage blood she created for Irish Classical Theatre Company's production of Crocodile Fever. It's everywhere in the second act, in every shape, viscosity, and application. Yes, I'm the squeamish sort, so Theatre Companion had a firm grip on my … Continue reading Family Turmoil at ICTC
Dial M for Marvelous for RLTP at Shea’s 710
Two things struck me right off as I settled into my seat at Shea's 710 for the Road Less Traveled Production's staging of the class Dial M for Murder: will younger audiences know what Dial M actually means? (in the olden days, rotary phone numbers began with a word or name and the Wendice home … Continue reading Dial M for Marvelous for RLTP at Shea’s 710
Witch is Beguiling at Road Less Traveled
Witch (by Jen Silverman) is on stage now at Road Less Traveled Theater, and while the program identifies it as a dark comedy, it really is a study in DEIB – diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging – with some very witty asides hidden inside a look at family and community. Elizabeth (Wendy Hall) is shunned … Continue reading Witch is Beguiling at Road Less Traveled
Laughs Aplenty in Something Rotten
Sometimes you just need to laugh. And laugh again. And find solace in the silliest of things and delight in well-performed singing and dancing and storytelling. And there’s no time like now to enjoy all this and more at MusicalFare Theatre and its regional premiere of Something Rotten. The story is about as far-fetched as … Continue reading Laughs Aplenty in Something Rotten
Harrowing Story Beautifully Told at JRT
Sometimes the most evocative way to tell a story is to keep it simple. One actor, a table, one (versatile) costume, and a mesmerizing, powerful script is all you need. Layer in some breathtaking audio cues and compelling lighting and you have Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, beautifully presented now by the Jewish … Continue reading Harrowing Story Beautifully Told at JRT
Extra, Read All About It, Newsies on Stage at 710
D’Youville Kavinoky Theatre is kicking off its season at Shea’s 710 Theatre with a jubilant production of Disney’s Newsies. If you were a fan of the original 1992 film or saw the Broadway or touring production, you know what a treat the Alan Menken/Jack Feldman score is with Harvey Fierstein’s book. Team Kavinoky assembled a … Continue reading Extra, Read All About It, Newsies on Stage at 710
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