Regional Roundup: Top 10 Stories This Week Around the Broadway World - 7/24; 'Awesome' INTO THE WOODS at The Muny, BUDDY in Raleigh and More!

By: Jul. 24, 2015
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This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Raleigh, Sacramento, St. Louis and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include an "awesome" INTO THE WOODS at The Muny, PETER PAN at Music Circus, and BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY in Raleigh, just to name a few.

East/Northeast

Toby's INTO THE WOODS

1. Baltimore: Editor Jack L. B. Gohn reviews a "strong" production of INTO THE WOODS at Toby's. He says, "As these pages evidence, I've reviewed quite a few productions at Toby's Dinner Theatre over the years; its current revival of Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's Into the Woods is the strongest of the lot." Read his full review here.

2. Boston, MA: Editor Jan Nargi reviews BELLS ARE RINGING in the Berkshires. She says, "The role of Ella is a tour de force that requires, above all, a gifted comedienne. She has to be goofy while also being 100% sincere. The role's originator, Judy Holliday, was the embodiment of those conflicting characteristics. Her humor was effortless, yet her vulnerabilities were always keen. Here Baldwin is lovely, but her physical comedy is much too broad. Ella's delightful self-effacing humor doesn't spring naturally from her. Too often Ella's lovelorn awkwardness is obliterated by even more awkward shtick.." Read more here.

Midwest

3. Chicago, IL: Editor Misha Davenport reviews "a divine BETTE LIVE AT THE CONTINENTAL BATHS." She says, "Caitlin Jackson has the daunting task of re-creating Midler -for which she is very much up to the challenge. Simply put, Jackson is divine as the Divine Miss M in a Jeff-worthy performance. Her Bette is a ballsy, take-no-prisoners performer. Some of the stage banter is taken from existing videos, but Jackson also proves adept enough to ad-lib here or there and is completely believable as her. The end result is less caricature and more of a well-rounded character." Read more here.

The Muny's INTO THE WOODS

4. St. Louis, MO: Editor Chris Gibson reviews "an awesome" INTO THE WOODS at The Muny. He says, "Rob McClure and Erin Dilly are a great pair as the baker and his wife, and you really root for them to follow through on the witch's instructions in order to reverse the curse. Heather Headley is exceptional as the Witch, lending a powerful voice and plenty of attitude to the role. Sara Kapner nearly steals the show with her sassy performance as Little Red Riding Hood, and Jason Gotay is delightfully dim as Jack, with local favorite Zoe Vonder Haar drawing numerous laughs as his perpetually frustrated mother." Read more here, and check out exclusive backstage shots here, production photos here, and a first look at highlights of the show here.

South

5. Raleigh, NC: Editor Jeffrey Kare reviews North Carolina Theatre's BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. He says, "This current production playing at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium through July 26th not only offers up a good time at the theatre, but also a very truthful showbiz story executed by playwright Alan Janes. It doesn't glorify how the entertainment industry works, it shows all the long roads of hard work that goes into making it big... It's thanks to director/choreographer D.J. Salisbury's fluid staging and Craig Stelzenmuller's bright, colorful lighting designs that at times, you really feel like you're at a 50's rock concert with Buddy Holly." Read more here.

West

6. Santa Barbara, CA: Editor Maggie Yates says "A BRIGHT NEW BOISE Offers a Dark and Beautiful Search for Meaning." She goes on, "Elements has produced a masterful work that straddles the line between the unchartable abyss of life's purposelessness and the joyful relief of stumbling upon moments of surprising humor within that indeliberate-yet-undeniable nihilism. Five great actors, one inescapable break room set: A BRIGHT NEW BOISE is a heartbreaking rendition of the greatest futility mankind can ever recognize within themselves--the comprehension of their own insignificance." Read more here.

PETER PAN

7. Sacramento, CA: Editor Harmony Wheeler reviews PETER PAN at California Music Circus. She says, "Staged in the round, "Peter Pan" showcases what must be some of the most fantastical and visually stunning design and effects seen yet by Music Circus audiences. Fly Guy Paul Rubin creates the smooth flight sequences that take Peter, Wendy, Michael and John over two aisles in addition to the stage. Scott Klier and Jamie Kumpf provide lovely shelves lined with toys, large island trees and underground roots. Jared A. Sayeg lights the stage with tropical reds, greens and other dramatic colors. Tinker Bell sees her best days yet with small bulbs that light up in the air. And old-style lights pay homage to historical theatre as they line the stage." Read her full review here.

8. Costa Mesa/OC: Editor Michael L. Quintos reviews 3-D Theatricals' TARZAN. He says, "In this, their latest exciting theatrical effort, 3DT has nonetheless produced a remarkably admirable iteration of TARZAN that defiantly dazzles and entertains despite the inherent, unavoidable shortcomings of its licensed source material. Thanks to the incredible combined efforts of the show's creative team of brilliant theatrical artisans, its richly striking orchestra, and its top-notch, super-talented ensemble cast, this local production has certainly earned all of our collective, well-deserved cheers." Read more here.

International

9. Germany: Editor Iris Moebius interviews book writer Christian Struppeck about his exciting new collaboration with Stephen Schwartz in Vienna - EMANUEL & ELEONORE. Check it out here.

National Tour Highlight:

10. New guest blogger, Siobhan O'Loughlin, blogs about her bathtub tour, BROKEN BONE BATHTUB. She says, "I originally started writing this piece of theatre with one hand, because my other hand was wrapped in a giant cast after I had a head-on collision with another female cyclist in the pouring rain at a very busy traffic circle on a shivering night in Brooklyn. My orthopedic cast technician told me to put a plastic bag over my cast when I needed to shower. Instead, I decided I'd just take baths, but I didn't have one in my Bushwick apartment." Read more on her first blog here.

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