Phoenix Metro Theater Reviews

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME At The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - April 16, 2024

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME, directed by Michelle Chin and featuring Kate Haas ~ a necessary and inspiring reminder of our nation's journey to freedom for all....

Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL at Hale Centre Theatre
by Herbert Paine - April 07, 2024

The cast of Hale's TITANIC THE MUSICAL, directed by Cambrian James, is a true ensemble, highlighted by Maury Yeston’s score, operatic in style and epic in scope....

Review: HOLMES AND WATSON at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - March 24, 2024

Under Lee Cooley's adroit direction, Jeffrey Hatcher's HOLMES AND WATSON is a fast paced and entertaining romp towards an entirely unanticipated climax....

Review: MJ THE MUSICAL at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - March 17, 2024

What did our critic think of MJ THE MUSICAL at Gammage Auditorium?...

Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - March 13, 2024

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSIC explodes with energy. Great production running through April 28th....

Review: SWEENEY TODD Strikes All the Right Notes at the Marroney Theatre
by Robert Encila-Celdran - March 07, 2024

I've just highlighted a long list deserving of recognition, if for no other reason than to remind audiences of the invisible force that fuels this pre-eminent theatre department. I'm aware of the unresolved public trauma caused by the university's decision to discontinue the program. Intentional or ...

Review: ROMEO ET JULIETTE at Arizona Opera
by Herbert Paine - March 05, 2024

Arizona Opera's revival of Charles Gounod’s ROMEO ET JULIETTE is, by all measures, a triumph of staging and performance. Following its performances in Phoenix, the production moves to the Temple of Music and Art in Tucson AZ (March 9th and 10th)....

Review: UNTIL THE FLOOD at Stray Cat Theatre
by Angela Kabasan-Gonzalez - February 28, 2024

What did our critic think of UNTIL THE FLOOD at Stray Cat Theatre? Attending a one-person play presents a unique theatrical experience, offering an intimate and immersive journey into the depths of a single performer's storytelling prowess. Yet, within this singular spotlight lies the allure and haz...

Review: TAD'S EMERGING WORLD – GLEN CANYON EXPOSED at Sedona International Film Festival
by Herbert Paine - February 28, 2024

TAD’S EMERGING WORLD is a moving homage to one of the nation's great national treasures. Directed by Dawn Kish, the film is one of the features at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

Review: ORDER MY STEPS at Sedona International Film Festival
by Herbert Paine - February 27, 2024

Filmmaker Augusta Palmer and screenwriter Kathryn Grant's ORDER MY STEPS is an emotionally powerful film about repentance and reconciliation, highlighted by Carla Brandberg's riveting performance. One of the featured shorts at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

Review: THE TRUTH ABOUT WINNIE RUTH JUDD at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Angela Kabasan-Gonzalez - February 21, 2024

What did our critic think of THE TRUTH ABOUT WINNIE RUTH JUDD at The Phoenix Theatre Company?...

Review: INTIMATE APPAREL at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - February 20, 2024

INTIMATE APPAREL: It is the great achievement of Arizona Theatre Company that Lynn Nottage's meditation on one woman's loneliness and desire is fully realized. Directed by Oz Scott, with a stellar ensemble, featuring Tracy N. Bonner's tour de force performance, the production is a must-see. Runs thr...

Review: DANCING THROUGH THE SHADOW at Sedona International Film Festival
by Herbert Paine - February 19, 2024

DANCING THROUGH THE SHADOW is a grand and tenderly told love conquers all story, a compelling history lesson, and a gripping tribute to one woman’s devotion and unquenchable thirst for freedom. Premiering at the Sedona International Film Festival on March 1st....

Review: THE PIANO LESSON at The Black Theatre Troupe
by Herbert Paine - February 13, 2024

THE PIANO LESSON is emblematic of August Wilson’s mastery in conveying the challenges of the African-American experience through words and richly drawn characters. Patdro Harris directs The Black Theatre Troupe's production with a keen eye to honoring these essential elements of Wilson’s artistry an...

Review: JOHN LOVES MARY at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - February 05, 2024

Under Diedra Celeste Miranda’s fast-paced, robust, and thoroughly entertaining direction, Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's production of JOHN LOVES MARY is a fun affair. The show runs through March 2nd....

Review: JAGGED LITTLE PILL at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - February 04, 2024

In a landscape flooded with jukebox musicals, (Four of them in this ASU Gammage season!) JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands out as the first artistically and socially responsible integrated catalog musical. It is a gem that deserves recognition....

Review: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - January 30, 2024

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY is a must see ~ a quintessentially American morality tale, directed by Rod Kaats and featuring knockout performances by Josh Clark, Michael Stewart Allen, and Michael Kary. Runs through February 11th....

Review: ON THE TOWN at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - January 21, 2024

BroadwayWorld Guest Contributor, David Appleford, reviews Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of ON THE TOWN and applauds it as an “undeniable triumph.” Runs through February 24th....

Review: THE OTHER PLACE at Theatre Artists Studio
by Herbert Paine - January 16, 2024

Sharr White’s THE OTHER PLACE benefits from Debra Rich's poignant and nuanced performance as the play's struggling protagonist. Theatre Artists Studio's production runs through February 4th....

Review: THE WIZ at ASU Gammage
by Herbert Paine - January 04, 2024

BroadwayWorld Guest Contributor, David Appleford, gives high marks to the pre-Broadway tour of THE WIZ at ASU Gammage through January 7th....

Review: SCROOGE! at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - December 10, 2023

Arizona Theatre Company's adaptation of SCROOGE! ~ the most notable element missing in this largely unsuccessful adaptation is any sense of a true Dickensian backdrop. Runs through December 30th....

Review: LES MISERABLES at ASU Gammage
by Herbert Paine - December 09, 2023

BWW Contributor Timothy Shawver's take on the North American Tour production of LES MISERABLES: A solid rendition of the epic musical and a talent showcase for performers and designers. Runs through December 10th at ASU Gammage in Tempe, AZ....

Review: POTUS at Stray Cat Theatre
by Herbert Paine - December 06, 2023

Selina Fillinger's POTUS, directed by Katie McFadzen, is fast-paced but leans too far into slapstick at the expense of nuance and its fuller potential at harpooning the patriarchy. At Stray Cat Theatre through December 16th....

Review: WHITE CHRISTMAS at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - November 30, 2023

The spirit of the Yuletide season is in full and pleasurable bloom at Arizona Broadway Theatre with the company’s sparkling production of Irving Berlin’s WHITE CHRISTMAS, directed by Rob Watson. The show runs through December 30th....

Review: ELF THE MUSICAL at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - November 25, 2023

A large dose of seasonal good cheer is precisely the kind of theatrical diversion that ELF THE MUSICAL fulfills in The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production, running through December 30th....