Phoenix Metro Theater Reviews Page 3

Review: THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - July 03, 2023

Arizona Theatre Company’s production of THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE ends on a high note, proving that, even in the absence of good writing, you can’t beat the charm and appeal of drag! The show runs through July 16th at the Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix AZ....

Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - June 25, 2023

Cassandra and Kiel Klaphake, the visionary forces behind Arizona Broadway Theatre, have delivered a winner with their refreshingly revisited production of THE WIZARD OF OZ, directed by Ken Urso and featuring Jasmine Bassham as Dorothy. Runs through July 11....

Review: HAIRSPRAY at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - June 24, 2023

HAIRSPRAY returns to Gammage Auditorium through June 25th offering audiences a welcome revisit to the original Broadway staging of one of the most frequently produced musicals of the 21st century. Ben Brantley’s 2002 NY Times Broadway review said HAIRSPRAY is 'as sweet as a show can be without tooth...

Review: THE PROM at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - June 18, 2023

Director Michael Barnard brings his flare for musical staging in a brilliant well-cast production of THE PROM. Runs through July 9th at The Phoenix Theatre Company....

Review: THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE Caps Solid Season at Arizona Theatre Company
by Robert Encila-Celdran - June 13, 2023

Well, Georgia is back. Flamboyant as ever, she blazes a familiar trail like a captive hedonist spoiling for a bog splurge. To an anxious audience, there's nothing like a good dose of sassy uproar to nurse grievances and bear the cost of delayed gratification....

Review: NEXT TO NORMAL at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre
by Herbert Paine - June 05, 2023

Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre’s NEXT TO NORMAL, directed by Chris Chavez, is a captivating production about a mother’s bipolar disorder and the effects of her illness on her family. The well-cast show runs through June 11th....

Review: BIRTH OF A MURDERER at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre
by Nathaniel Jones - June 05, 2023

Darian Lane’s Birth of a Murderer at Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre does a masterful job of Birthing a story that entertains and brings a jarring discomfort that still holds its audience....

Review: I CAN'T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE at Chinese Theatre
by Herbert Paine - May 30, 2023

Susan Morgan Cooper's documentary, I CAN’T GIVE YOU ANYTHING BUT LOVE, renders a candid and illuminating homage to one of the luminaries of The Great American Songbook ~ Jimmy McHugh. The film will be screened on June 27th at the Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, CA....

Review: BEN BUTLER At Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - May 22, 2023

Richard Strand's BEN BUTLER highlights a seminal moment in the march to emancipation. Now on stage at Don Bluth Front Row Theater in Scottsdale AZ through July 8th, the play, directed by Lee Cooley and featuring an outstanding cast, is a compelling profile of courage....

Review: BYE BYE BIRDIE at Hale Centre Theatre
by Herbert Paine - May 21, 2023

Director/choreographer Cambrian James delivers a nostalgically delightful production of BYE BYE BIRDIE, featuring a knockout performance by Michala Montaño as Rosie. At Hale Centre Theatre in Gilbert AZ through July 1....

Review: A SOLDIERS PLAY at ASU Gammage
by Nathaniel Jones - May 19, 2023

The National Tour of A Soldier’s Play at ASU Gammage is magic, being led by not only the sensational Norm Lewis but also a fantastic cast, telling a story that although set in a time and place nearly 80 years ago, is also one that still mirrors realities our communities face today....

Review: PRIVATE LIVES at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - May 15, 2023

Lots gets lost in Arizona Theatre Company's production of Noël Coward's PRIVATE LIVES. Runs through May 28th in Phoenix at the Herberger Theater Center....

Review: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - May 14, 2023

The show stopping performance by triple threat Nathan David Smith seals the deal on Arizona Broadway Theatre's rousing production of DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, directed by Clayton Phillips and featuring an outstanding ensemble. The show runs through June 4th in Peoria, AZ....

Review: LIKE HEAVEN at The Bridge Initiative
by Herbert Paine - May 09, 2023

The Bridge Initiative's production of Elaine Romero's LIKE HEAVEN, directed by Samantha Wyer Bello is a stirring and entertaining focus on one woman's quest for self-fulfillment. Runs through May 13th at Estrella Mountain Community College in Avondale, AZ....

Review: SWEENEY TODD at Greasepaint Youtheatre
by Herbert Paine - May 07, 2023

Outstanding performances by a gifted group of young thespians are featured in Greasepaint Youtheatre's production of SWEENEY TODD, running through May 14th at the Stagebrush Theatre in Scottsdale, AZ....

Review: THE ROOMMATE at Theatre Artists Studio
by Herbert Paine - April 28, 2023

The must-see production of Jen Silverman's THE ROOMMATE, directed by Patti Suarez and featuring the stellar performances of Debra K. Stevens and Jodie Weiss, runs through May 7th at Theatre Artists Studio in Scottsdale, AZ....

Review: A CHORUS LINE At The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - April 10, 2023

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of A CHORUS LINE, directed by Jeff Whiting runs through May 14th: It's 'not just a handsome production; to date it’s the standout of the current season.'...

Review: PRU PAYNE at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - April 03, 2023

PRU PAYNE, directed by Sean Daniels and featuring Mimi Kennedy and Gordon Clapp ~ Arizona Theatre Company's emotionally powerful production of Steven Drukman's play runs through April 16th at Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix....

Review: RESPECT: THE MUSICAL at Black Theatre Troupe
by Herbert Paine - March 27, 2023

Black Theatre Troupe's lively and innovative production of RESPECT: THE MUSICAL, directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, runs through April 9th....

Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - March 26, 2023

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's production of STEEL MAGNOLIAS features an outstanding ensemble of six seasoned actresses, under the caring and keen direction of Cheryl Schaar. Runs through April 29th....

Review: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Herbert Paine - March 22, 2023

Southwest Shakespeare Company’s ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, co-directed by Producing Artistic Director Debra Ann Byrd and Tina Packer and featuring Cynnita Agent as the queen of the Nile, is a modest if uneven production, featuring periodic flashes of acting brilliance. Runs through April 1st at the Mesa ...

Review: Mimi Kennedy, Gordon Clapp Dazzle in World Premiere of PRU PAYNE at Arizona Theatre Company
by Robert Encila-Celdran - March 14, 2023

Mimi Kennedy renders an imperious and brassy Pru Payne (her public moniker). She's a renowned intellectual, feared for her trenchant criticism and scathing takedowns of mediocre aspirations (a faint redolence of critic Michiko Kakutani's public feuds with John Updike and Norman Mailer et al). Pru ex...

Review: School of Theatre, Film and Television Sets Shakespeare Tragedy in American South
by Robert Encila-Celdran - March 08, 2023

...

Review: BRONTË Underscores Hardship and Genius of Literary Icons
by Robert Encila-Celdran - March 05, 2023

Teale's dramatic conceit - a seamless juxtaposition of present reality and childhood memories - makes for an engaging theatrical form that justifies the Brontës' epic narrative....

Review: DISNEY'S FROZEN NATIONAL TOUR at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - March 01, 2023

What did our critic think of DISNEY'S FROZEN NATIONAL TOUR at Gammage Auditorium?...