REVIEWS Archives - Page 8 of 264

The Liar

I myself am not a fan of stiltedly “period,” ribald farces—but this one won me over rather quickly. Some of this may be due to Ives’ adaptation, but I’m more inclined to give credit to Director Rutherford’s direction and the cast’s performances that kept the acting grounded even in the midst of the patently ridiculous. Josh Hambrock’s Dorante is remarkable: he gets into his role body and soul with the sweat and agility of a boxer, blotting his brow between rounds of his full-contact performance. Other notables include Michael Hagedorn, the father, whose eyes and face are a book on acting credulity; and Megan Delay, who plays two twins of polar personalities with comedic gusto—and quick costume changes.

Tom Williams

The Firebirds Take the Field

The cast has the cheerleaders smartly doing cheers as well as being typical teenage girls. We see the parents are determined to believe that the problem can not be either an emotional or psychological one due to the stigma of a ‘mental problem’ would have on the girl’s future. Kathy Bowan (Tara Mellon) believes that toxic waste and pollution are the root causes.

REVIEWS Sally Jo Osborne Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Motherhood Out Loud

A series of monologues broken into 5 chapters, 14 writers and 20 stories later the
diverse actors play many different characters and explore topics from the labor of childbirth,
adoption, gay parenting, first dates, graduations, military mom, and aging parents.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Not About Nightingales

At the warden’s office, we meet Jim Allison (Brandon Greenhouse) the trustee with ten years in the prison who has educated himself with “big words.” When Eva Crane comes aboard as the warden’s secretary, sparks start flying between Jim and Eva. Boss Whalen (Jim Spencer) is a pure evil soul who delights in torturing the cons in between drinking and womanising. He has his eyes on Eva but before that can happen the cons start a hunger strike.

Music Reviews Opera REVIEWS

Tom Williams

The Perfect American

Glass, however, ultimately offers us a sympathetic perspective on Disney—and one not difficult to accept. Disney struggles with accepting his own death and preserving his legacy—a legacy we see (and to this day experience) grow larger than the man who inspired it. While he envisions his name growing as renown as Jesus and Muhammad, Disney laments how “Disney,” as the name of his brand, has usurped his individual identity. His remedy for death and obscurity is to be cryogenically frozen, so that he may yet survive and come back as a figure of hope to proclaim that even death is not an end to the dream.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

3C

3C attempted to be a perky funny mock of Three’s Company with two weirdly dysfunctional girls living in Santa Monica that need a third roommate to pay expenses so they take a guy as their third. In order to appease their landlord, they have him play as a gay man. But Nick Mikula, as Brad, never convinces anyone that he could possibly be gay. His friend Terry (Steve Haddard) continues to invite him to discos to meet easy girls.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Shakespeare In Love

The dynamic of Will casting his Romeo by Thomas Kent (Kate McGonigle disguised as a man) and eventually falling for Kent once hs discovers that Kent is really Viola de Lesseps, a star-struck want-to-be actor. Problem: Will is married and Viola is committed to marry the irrepressible Lord Wessex (Dennis Grimes). This doomed romance fuels the play with clever plot twists that are hilarious. We also hear some famous lines and scenes for Romeo & Juliet including sword fighting scenes and the famous dying scenes.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Disney’s Aladdin First National Tour

Told with a manic staging and tuneful fun dance numbers including the extravaganza show-stopper number “Friends Like Me,” we are impressed, invigorated and entertained. This show is pure glitz with modern pop cultural comic references presented by a cute genie, a charismatic Aladdin and a host of determined supporting players. This is a fluff piece designed to appeal to fans of the animated film yet also designed more for lovers of Broadway musicals. At 2 hours, 30 minutes, Aladdin may not be for all children?

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Marry Me A Little

. Marry Me A Little has been updated with the help and blessing of Sondheim to include songs cut from the final versions of Follies, A Little Night Music and Company among others. Based on a concept from Craig Lucas and Norman Rene, the original idea was filled with songs from early Sondheim projects such as Saturday Night, The Girls of Summer, Evening Primrose and Road Show.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Circle Mirror Transformation

Circle Mirror Transformation is a quiet and subtle study of broken lives—not unlike a condensed time-lapse of the imperceptible migration of landmasses across the oceans. It is not the raucous dramas of the 20th century with defined and high-stakes conflicts. The stakes and conflicts here are personal and hidden, like an iceberg below an ocean surface (if I may stretch the geographical analogy just once more).