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LIZZIE: The Lizzie Borden Rock Musical
Music by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer & Allan Stevens Hewitt Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-deMeyer and Tim Maner Book by Tim ManerPresented by Imprint Theatreworks
Runs through 11/16/2019
Reviewed by Stacey Upton,
Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN
Crisp. Vital. Passionate. These are all apt words to describe the outrageous, outstanding Regional Premiere of “Lizzie,” being staged in the delightful venue that is the Bath House for the final show of the second season for Imprint Theatreworks. It’s a must-see production. This musical marriage of the tale of Lizzie Borden – you know, the pent-up girl of the nursery rhyme who gave her mother 40 whacks with an axe, and when she was done, gave her father 41 – with a fabulous rock score sung by four immensely talented women wowing us with their voices is one that works on every theatrical level. It’s a full-on, all-in, very fun journey that shows us a bit of the backstory of Lizzie and her sister Emma and the perfectly awful set ...
RAZZ
By Mitchell ParrackPresented by Ochre House Theater
Runs through 11/16/2019
Reviewed by Mildred Austin,
Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN
It seems famed dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse is a limitless source of revelation, inspection, reminiscence, recreation, reinvention, reexamination and reincarnation via varied venues. Through the internet we can watch him dance with various partners including his most famous, Gwen Verdon, who was also his wife at one time. We can also view others dance to the genius and complex movement of his choreography. Motion picture tackled a thinly veiled projection of him in ALL THAT JAZZ and more recently television's FOSSE/VERDON series on FX television presented an intimate insight into the manic genius that was Fosse.
Ochre Theater is offering yet another vision of this tormented man in RAZZ, written and choreographed by Mitchell Parrack, who also offers to us his version of Fosse in music snippets and short ...
THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE TRAGIC LIFE AND TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF JULIA PASTRANA THE UGLIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD
Written by Shaun PrendergastPresented by Lakeside Community Theatre
Runs through 11/16/2019
Reviewed by Chris Hauge,
Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! KINDLY DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER RING AT LAKESIDE COMMUNITY THEATRE! STEP RIGHT UP AND MARVEL AT THIS FREAK OF NATURE, THIS ABBERATION OF EVOLUTION, THIS IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE OF SIGHT AND SOUND AND THEATRICAL ACCUMEN THAT IS THIS PRODUCTION OF SHAUN PRENDERGAST’S HEARTBREAKINGLY BEAUTIFUL PLAY “THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE TRAGIC LIFE AND TRIUMPHANT DEATH OF JULIA PASTRANA THE UGLIEST WOMAN IN THE WORLD”! SEE IT PERFORMED BY A DEATH-DEFYING AND TALENTED CAST, WHO TAKE US ON JOURNEY THROUGH JULIA’S HISTORY WHILE ACTING COMPLETELY IN THE DARK!
The audience enters the theater and encircles the set designed by Mike Straub & Nicole Denson. We are at the Circus, more specifically, the freak show. Colored canvas billows above us. The base of the stage is circled with ...
IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY
By: Ray CooneyPresented by Theatre Frisco
Runs through 11/17/2019
Reviewed by Genevieve Croft ,
Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN
What a tangled web they weave on stage at Theatre Frisco in their newest serving of comedic farce in “It Runs in the Family,” by Britain’s master farceur Ray Cooney. Set in a hospital (a doctor’s lounge to be exact), “It Runs in the Family” contains the usual assortment of fruit and nut characters running in and out of doors, lies, mistaken identities, and sexual innuendo. The perfect formula for any comedic farce.
While I consider the farce to be one of the most difficult styles of comedy to tackle, director Sherri Small was able to carry the performance out with fantastic staging, spot on comic timing, and over-exaggerated and bombastic characters. Ms. Small led a medium size, but tight ensemble cast who were synched and worked well together. The ...
CATS
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Based on “Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats” by T.S. Eliot Additional Lyric material written by Trevor Nunn and Richard Stilgoe, “Memory” lyric written by Trevor Nunn, based on poems by T.S. EliotPresented by Dallas Summer Musicals
Runs through 11/17/2019
Reviewed by Stacey Upton,
Associate Critic for John Garcia's THE COLUMN
CATS is an iconic musical. It is the winner of 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, it holds the record of 4th longest-running musical on Broadway with 18 years of performances, and it’s been turned into a soon-to-be-released film. The tour that Dallas Summer Musicals is presenting at the Music Hall at Fair Park has a wonderful ensemble that boasts standout singers and dancers. The overall production design is a delight, with colored party lights stretching into the audience and inviting us into the magical Jellicle Cat Ball that is about to take place. The stage is covered with oversized and climb-able junkyard items, with a large full moon and stars bathing the stage in an appropriately magical blue light. As the musical begins, out of the dark, bright green cat ...
