REVIEWS BY Archives - Page 14 of 215

Pygmalion. Shaw’s most popular play was written in 1912 and first performed in 1914. It became the great musical My Fair Lady in the 1950’s that used much of the original Shaw script including much of the dialogue in the song lyrics. Pygmalion, in its initial script, had a different ending that many producers and Shaw himself changed several times. This production used Shaw’s original ending which may be a surprise to My Fair Lady and fans of the 1930’s film of Pygmalion. Kudos to Remy Bumppo for sticking to the initial ending. They did use a framing device that has an older Eliza visiting Higgins’ Whipple Street flat after his death in the lat 1940’s. This didn’t effect Shaw’s ambiguous ending.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Sally Jo Osborne Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Disney’s – The Little Mermaid

Without question, The Little Mermaid at Paramount is no less than astounding! Based on the 1989 Disney film and original story by Hans Christian Andersen, this show is directed and choreographed by Amber Mak, music direction by Tom Vendafreddo and the beautiful under-seas puppetry design by Jesse Mooney-Bullock, fantastic costume design by the amazing Theresa Ham. This tale will appeal as much to adults as it does to children.

Music Reviews MUST SEE Opera REVIEWS Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Don Quichotte (Don Quixote)

Jules Massenet’s (1842-1912) Don Quichotte is “comédie-héroïque” with sweepingly lush score composed in 1909-10 while the composer was ill and after he has a failed opera (Bacchus). Don Quichotte features a lighter take on the idealistic, delusional knight and his squire Sancho than the 1964 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha. Both are excellent takes on Cervantes’ classic.

REVIEWS Sally Jo Osborne Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

A Christmas Story: The Musical 2016

This production comes complete with town bullies, a frozen flag pole and a very commanding school teacher (Kayla Boye). This is a larger than life production on a fairly small stage and yet the cast of 26 pulled it off seamlessly. Creative use of the staging takes us into the kitchen most of the time after all, that is where most of the action is happening. The most exciting of holiday dinners gets destroyed when disaster strikes and they end up eating out at a Chinese restaurant which the only place open in town. Who knew that little brother Randy liked noodles so much?

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Finding Neverland – 2016 National Tour

After many changes, Finding Neverland, opened on Broadway in March 15, 2015 and closed on August 15, 2015 playing to 62% of capacity – losing much of the $20 million production cost. Upon closing, Finding Neverland played 33 previews and 565 performances. Executive produced Harvey Weinstein (the film producer of many hit films) makes his lead producer debut on Broadway with Finding Neverland. After only a four month run it is now touring the USA and is now playing at the Palace Theatre until December 4, 2016. While there are some fine moments, especially with the four boys, Finding Neverland comes of as an over-staged and over-produced musical filled with unremarkable and unmemorable songs in a overlong show (2hours, 40 minutes) filled with sentimental fluff.

MUST SEE REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Roz and Ray

Karen Hartman is foremost political playwright with the skills to take a human crisis and make that into a powerful drama as she blends the struggle of two people to keep folks alive during a crisis from a new medical problem. Hartman weaves a most personal view from a father who struggles to keep his twin hemophiliac boys alive and their dedicated doctor who prescribes a new miracle drug to solve the ‘clotting factor’ that is needed to stop bleeding. Effectively using a documentary style to explain about hemophiliac and how medical science advances treatment as pharma companies create a product to eliminate the need for blood transfusions

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Turtle

The storyline is wacky as it plays out as a long “so what moment.” Molly (Emily Tate0 is a housewife whose world is very small. She spends her days with her tender aged two children. She has her kids watch PBS nature documentaries such as those about turtles. At night she watches TV with her husband Sloan (Drew Johnson), a good loving guy and a moderate Republican. Molly follows politics but she is not obsessed as her Republican in-laws. Molly is content with her life – she appears a happy person in her small world.

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

We meet the outspoken, studious, and ever-dependable Mary Bennet (the spirited Emily Berman). Miss Bennet is the middle sister who’d rather read a scientific book that socialize. She doesn’t have any of the romantic escapades that her sisters enjoy. That Christmas, Mary meets a nerdy, studious young Lord, Arthur de Bourgh (a fabulous tern by Erik Hellman) who mirrors Mary’s interests and lifestyle. Is de Bourgh only an intellectual match for Miss Bennet or is there love in the air?

REVIEWS Theatre Reviews Tom Williams

Tom Williams

King Charles III

British playwright Mike Bartlett’s very British comedy-drama, King Charles III, is both a ‘could happen’ future history and a satire of the British monarchy. This compelling play appeals more to the English than to American audience sensibilities. Bartlett imitates Shakespeare’s language with blank verse and rhymed couplets in contemporary words. He finds ways to match his characters as classic Shakespearean players. Written in 2014 before major events in England (and the current US election) King Charles III opens with the death of Queen Elizabeth II after a more than 60 year reign.

London Reviews REVIEWS Saul Reichlin Theatre Reviews

Tom Williams

Fire and Phoenix

In this captivating drama, playwright Kate Glover has brought back the time and place, capturing not only the immensity of the event, but also the sometimes shocking human dramas it produced. Director Kenneth Michaels makes full use of the generous Bridewell Theatre stage, itself a victim of the fire back then. Unusually, the play consists of 22 short scenes, and while this does provide a framework for coverage of a wide number of issues, it does make the structure of the evening somewhat fragmented and stop start. However, (apart from a tendency in some to ‘ face front and play to the gallery’) the highly committed company overcome this with a dedication and relish for the meatiness of their roles and the unfolding story.