Theatre Reviews Archives - Page 3 of 232

Besides being an authentic burlesque show with period perfect songs and raunchy humor, The Nance has a love story with NYC newcomer Ned (the winning Royen Kent) as the romantic lover of Chauncey. Anchored with several engeritic burlesque songs, dances and cornball humor, we experience the unique stage craft of the burlesque/vaudeville players who entertained a generation in the 20th century. Also woven into the show is the pursecution of gay men by the NYC cops at the behest of Republican, Mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia. We witness how careful gays had to be when meeting others as well as how indirect the sexy shows had to be so as not to be closed by the mayor’s office.

London Reviews MUST SEE Saul Reichlin Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Mirrors

All this wit and playwrighting skill allows Miss McMillan, herself a beautiful and wondrously expressive actor, a myriad of emotions to share, without ever inviting pity or sympathy. One actually smiles through her painful and intimate moments, for there is magic in the air and a uniqueness in this fabulous performance.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The School for Lies

As the action unfolds, all the elements of classic farce are in play. Stolen letters, mistaken identity, misunderstanding, false proposals, jealousy become a tug-of-war that results in silly, over-the-top comedy fueled by those zany couplets and rich physical antics make for a satirically funny farce. This comedy is saucy, sexy, and scandal ridden. Gossip, glamor and grossness dominates. This production suffers from too often the players either speak too fast or swallow the punchline or rhythm. Slowing down a tad would help.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The Bridges of Madison County

The Bridges of Madison County is the story of a Italian war bride, Francesca, who is saved from raveged Italy by an americal GI who marries her and takes he back to his farm in rural Iowa. Francesca and Bud (Bart Shatto) in 1965 have been married for 18 years and they have two children, Michael (Tanner Hake) and Carolyn (Brooke MacDougal) now teenagers. Bud is a good man despite being a bore-he is a typical farmer bent on raising his crops and providing for his family. Francesca loves him but she urns for more exciment in her life.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Ah, Wilderness! at the Goodman Theatre

We meet the Miller family – four children, the mother and father with an aunt and an uncle all surviving living together in an upper middle class Connecticut house. It is the 4th of July, 1906 in a time of pure innocence in America. The patriarch, Nat Miller (the commanding Randall Newsome) is a kind heart and understanding father while Essie (a winning Ora Jones) is the controlling old-fashion mother always looking out for her children. Sid Davis (Larry Bates) is Essie’s drunken brother who loves Lily Miller (the chaeming Kate Fry) Nat’s sister who refuses to marry Sid as long as he drinks.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

London Assurance

This wacky comedy is a near-farce with over-the-top characters that are lovable and unpredictable. Once many of the players slow down and speak a tad slower with stronger articulation, this smart comedy would garner even more laughs. Kingsley Day, Cameron Feagin and David Fink lead a ‘game’ cast of players totally committed to Boucicaust’s ambitious play!

Beverly Friend MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Skokie Theater

Each of the youngsters is deliciously and yet endearingly flawed:
perfectionist overachiever Marcy Park (Shana Dagny), athletic,
hormone-driven Chip Tolentino (Mark Yacullo), and very touchy, stressed
out William Barfee (Dustin Rothbart).

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Moby Dick 2017

Moby Dick is a harrowing and intoxicating adventure that explores revenge, obession, sea adventure and destiny. This Lookingglass production is, in my view, the finest show that Lookingglass has ever mounted! Seeing this physically challenging production will give you a glimpse into the depths that live staging to tell stories can achieve!. Hey, after seeing it, I could almost smell the salt air! Take those who never go to live shows to experience the grandure of the stage. They’ll be amazed!

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

The King and I 2017 National Tour

Rodgers and Hammerstein’s first production based on a true story opened on Broadway in March, 1951 with Gertrude Lawrence and Yul Brynner, racked up 1,246 performances in the initial run and Brynner did 4,625 performances over 34 years as the King plus the 1956 movie with Deborah Kerr. Full of timeless songs like “I Whistle a Happy Tune,” “Hello, Young Lovers,” “Getting to Know You” and “Shall We Dance,” The King and I is a Broadway classic that is the ultimate ‘feel good” show considered as the first true ‘theatre spectacle,’ The King and I opened the door for later scenically opulent shows.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

King Ubu

Things are looking pretty swell for King Ubu after the revolution, but once he begins extorting taxes from his citizens and killing off all contenders to his authority, Baseboard flees to Russia to enlist the help of the czar. War breaks out against the two countries, and the Russians and Fols meet upon a hill for a standoff in which soldiers portrayed by life-sized puppets flood the stage. The whole war sequence seems to last forever (in a good way)—until an immense stuffed bear charges in and nearly ends Ubu’s existence. He escapes, but his crown is lost and he and the missus must sail away into exile.