Broadway Show Reviews & Critics' Ratings - Page 2

A fresh off the boat Jewish immigrant from Bavaria stands in awe of the musical box that in New York City in 1884. All he can repeat is Baruch Hashem (Blessed be God) and is amused when an immigration officer changes his name so easily from Chaim to Henry. This man is Henry Lehman who, along with his two brothers will create a financial firm that figured prominently in American history prior to its spectacular collapse triggering the largest financial crisis in history.

MY PAD MET WEBBER is an enthralling theatrical experience starring ANDRé SCHWARTZ, celebrating the timeless works of Andrew Lloyd Webber. The production features Schwartz's powerful interpretations of Webber's most beloved songs, blending moving storytelling with beautiful music.

The collaborative nature of so many creative artists allowed this production to showcase fun new technology that helped this story come to life in such a playful way.

Tony Danza was all grace and charm at his solo show Standards and Stories on May 28. The actor, best known for his roles on TAXI and WHO'S THE BOSS also has a deep love for American standards, which he demonstrated at the show’s opening night. Danza has two more performances at 54 Below – you can catch him Friday May 31 and Saturday June 1.

The breadth of Sondheim's work all have one thing in common: the thumbprint of the musical artist that is Stephen Sondheim. Once you see enough of his shows, however, you start to notice the diversity in the stories. West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happens on the Way to the Forum, and Sweeney Todd, just to name a few, are all vastly different tales. Add to the list another Sondheim classic, but told in a whole new way, and you have the revival of Company currently on its national tour and the latest show to make a stop at the Buell Theatre.

Miriam Battye’s hilariously brutal and dark dissection of modern relationships - from tentative beginnings over a pint to their varied ends - returns to Soho Theatre for its second run in less than a year. 

What did our critic think of NICKELODEON THE SPONGEBOB MUSICAL at Texarkana Repertory Company?

I often think that are lives are marked in core memories, much like how they are pictured in the movie Inside Out. Moments in time that stand out from the rest: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you had the chance to tell the story of your childhood, what moments would make the cut? In the latest show coming out of the DCPA Theatre Company, one playwright puts their core memories on display in Where Did We Sit on the Bus?

The world premiere musical “TL;DR: Thelma Louise; A Dyke Remix” playing at Diversionary Theatre is a dynamic, irreverent, and funny punk musical that contemplates questions of queer representation, who gets their happily ever after, and what that even looks like from a highly entertaining feminist and queer perspective. 

Everything invites you to go with the flow. The music, lights, and atmosphere absorb you into the deep cosmos of Bowie's world. It’s like you’re soaring through the air and doing it without effort. When music plays, it seems like gravity doesn't exist. Great vocals combined with the ease and lights make the experience intense and smooth.

Based on Charlotte Brontë’s 1847 novel of the same name, Jane Eyre follows a young orphan who is put in the unfortunate care of her cruel Aunt Sarah and cousin, John Reed, as per her uncle’s dying wish. After spending six years at Lowood School for Girls, Jane leaves and is shortly after hired as a governess at Thornfield Hall. There, she meets Mr. Edward Rochester, thus beginning her passionate and heart-wrenching journey of love, loss, and the struggles of morality.

Alfred Hitchcock’s classic spy thriller, The 39 Steps, brilliantly and hilariously recreated for the stage as the smash-hit Olivier and Tony Award-Winning Comedy, is back out on a UK tour after nearly 10 years in London’s West End, taking Broadway by storm, playing in 39 different countries across the globe, and delighting over 3 million people worldwide with its quintessentially plucky spirit and dashing sense of fun.

It's not a seamless transition from screen to stage, but it works well enough and, sadly, it still resonates with a truth albeit in a very different world

Dark and as twisted as the rollercoaster at the center of the story, RIDE THE CYCLONE is a wonderful carnival ride of music, imagery and movement.

Leeds based Northern Ballet always pack a punch when they visit London every May, and this time was no different, with Massimo Moricone’s slick and captivating Romeo and Juliet. This year’s touring production held extra poignancy, with the costumes and set requiring full restoration and repair from a devastating warehouse flood in 2015.

The Phoenix Theatre Company's edition of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, directed and choreographed by Staś Kmieć, is good and quite entertaining. In its own right, it follows the tradition of the Broadway musical ~ brisk, easy to consume, emotionally uplifting, and endowed with a highly talented ensemble.

What did our critic think of SUOR ANGELICA at Out Of The Box Opera?

The Song of Fortunio and Mesdames de La Halle are part of the collection of satirical works by the German composer who became a reference in the creation of operettas. Recitals will be performed by the Opera Academy and the Youth Orchestra of Theatro Sao Pedro, with stage direction by Ines Bushatsky and musical direction by Andre Dos Santos.

“Most theater companies choose their plays. Grottesco’s reveal themselves.” Thus begins the director’s notes for Theater Grottesco’s Two Artists in Prison, now playing at Teatro Paraguas’ Second Stage space. The play, co-directed by Grottesco Founder John Flax and Apollo Garcia Orellana, takes place in a dystopian future where artists are locked away at the hands of an authoritarian regime. The prisoners are forced to tell their captors stories on a daily basis; if they are entertaining, they get to remain, if not, the consequences are dire. Two Artists in Prison runs through June 9th.

Center Repertory Company closes its 2023-24 season with a stunning production of the Tony Award-winning Kander and Ebb masterpiece Cabaret. Artistic Producer Markus Potter helms the finely tuned production with a stellar ensemble, marvelous musical direction and a supporting technical crew that confirms Center Rep as a powerhouse Bay Area theatre troupe.