Theatre Reviews

This is Irish storytelling rich in little details and zany personae distinctly told from the memories of kids struggling to make sense of their world during the bombings and killing in Belfast.

Thoroughly Modern Millie boasts a fine score by Jeanine Tesori and Dick Scanlan that echoes the sounds of the 1920’s Jazz Era. Based on the 1967 Oscar-winning film of the same name, Millie takes audiences back to the height of the Jazz Age, when “moderns,” including a flapper named Millie Dillmount

The action is furious as Dinny’s tight control over his sons is compressed into their ritual play-within-a play as we slowly learn by Dinny left Ireland and why his son’s won’t dare leave him as they are confined to their flat.

Those who enjoy unique, even quirky theatre, will embrace Frankenstein and the labors of promenade staging. The younger audience members were thrilled with concept and the story—that is always a good sign.

Heimann cast the fabulous Danielle Brothers as Don Quixote. Brothers has the intense acting chops necessary to play the eccentric ‘knight.’ She also has the lower register to effective land her powerful songs. Excellent decision. Heimann filled the show with outstanding character actors equally adept as actors and singers.

Remy Bumppo Theatre Company, under James Bohnen light touch, have mounted a heart warming comedy filled with three of the most lovable characters. This is both a ‘buddy’ play and a comedy of manners involving three seniors confined to a soldiers’ retirement home.

Days To Come is a harbinger of the film noir genre of a murder mystery. In this dark play, we witness illicit love, power struggles for the family business and for the establishment of worker’s rights as they strike for better wages.

Leave it to Jackie Taylor to come up with a quasi-religious theme to show case terrific gospel, R & B, blues, and smooth ballads tunes from the likes of The Temptations, The Beatles, Stevie Wonder, The Isley Brothers, Paul Simon and Curtis Mayfield.

The gusty Promethean Theatre Ensemble shows why they are a young theatre troupe worthy of note with Ed Rutherford’s ambitious and finely imagined stage adaptation of Beagle’s 1968 novel, The Last Unicorn. Director Rutherford’s staging has hints of Mary Zimmerman’s style as story theatre containing use of masks, puppets and highly theatrical movements including songs, physical comedy and narration.

The New Colony theatre company has a marvelous world premiere drama now running at the upstairs at the Royal George theatre. This show is not your run-of-the-mill relationship drama. Not by yards! Calls to Blood is as 80 minute, tightly drawn and well directed (by Andrew Hobgood), relationship drama that starts out with a typical situation. Jacob (Gary Tiedemann) and Alison (Sara Gitenstein) are a perforct married couple of six years. The indeed do love each other, they get along terribly well and life is perfect for them.