AUSTIN THEATER REVIEWS

I remember seeing the world phenomenon that is Cats back in the late 90s, and my response then could be summed up in four words: 'I didn't get it.' Sure, the set was cool, the costumes were fun, and the choreography was outstanding, but Andrew Lloyd Webber's score was among his worst and the 2 and...

There are two types of people in Austin: those who have seen a Trouble Puppet show, and those who have not yet seen a Trouble Puppet show. Regardless of which one you are, The Crapstall Street Boys is certain to be 75 minutes of pure entertainment....

Honesty may be the best policy, but it's not the most fun one. Thank God 16th century playwright Pierre Corneille and modern day playwright David Ives have an affinity for the truth-challenged. Ives's modern take on Corneille's classic French comedy The Liar is an exhilarating and side-splitting mix...

Whether at their best or worst, Erica and Ben are always honest and authentic, and that honesty and authenticity is what The Boys Next Door revolves around. As Tom Griffin's outstanding text requires that 'normal' actors play the four central roles, getting that sense of honesty is tough. The actors...

Upon entering Hyde Park Theatre for a chick and a dude's current production of The Whale, you get several clues about the central character of Charlie. His apartment, designed by Michael B. Raiford, is absolutely disgusting. Pizza boxes and KFC buckets litter the floor, and the couch, which has se...

Earlier this season, I did something slightly unorthodox when I attended and reviewed Bonnie and Clyde at McCallum Fine Arts Academy. Over the past months, I've been asked about that review on more than one occasion, and the questions have typically been regarding why I'd review a High School produ...

I had a very interesting experience in a theater the other night. I was sitting in one of Austin's traditional theater spaces waiting for a show to begin, and two ladies sitting directly behind me were talking about a different show, Circle the Wagons, The Exchange Artists' exploratory, original, s...

When Austin Shakespeare announced that their 2013-2014 season would feature a production of Othello, my immediate response was "Why?" After all, Austin's City Theatre produced the show just last season, and it was, as I mentioned in my review, "the highlight of the City Theatre's season."...

As part of a Jewish family, I have had to sit through my share of Passover Seders, some of which are more bizarre and uncomfortable than others. That said, a Seder between two once enslaved black men and their former owner just days after the end of the Civil War takes the matzo cake. Matthew Lope...

Wicked certainly has an interesting reputation among theatergoers. Some theater fanatics love the show. Others hate it. I've always found myself somewhere in the middle. Wicked certainly has both flaws and merits, but to those who only see its flaws, I have this observation to share. Of all the...

It's entirely appropriate that the first syllable of Audra McDonald's name is pronounced "awe." Anyone who's heard a recording of her voice knows how incredible she sounds, and anyone who's seen her in concert knows how engrossing she is. With her gorgeous, crystal clear soprano voice, incredible ...

It's astounding and a little sad that of all the things that have fallen out of style since the 1600s, hypocrisy isn't one of them. Thankfully though, comedy isn't one of them either. Both hypocrisy and comedy take center stage in St Edwards University's production of Tartuffe, an interesting and ...

It's rare for two plays by the same playwright to run simultaneously in Austin. It's exceedingly rare for two plays by the same female playwright to run simultaneously in Austin. That's why it's so surprising that there are two productions of Sarah Ruhl plays in Austin right now. As ZACH Theatre ...

I'm a sucker for plays that are so multifaceted that I feel I can't do them justice in a review. In the Next Room, or the vibrator play, now playing at ZACH Theatre, is without a doubt one of those plays. The comedy, written by Sarah Ruhl, is wonderful but exceedingly difficult to describe. It's ...

In 1996, several up and coming performers made their Broadway debuts in a show that would make musical theater history. The show was Rent and two of those performers were Adam Pascal and Daphne Ruben-Vega. Some very lucky Austin area Rentheads, myself included, got a chance to see the two reunite ...

There's a rather funny thing about relationships, whether they be friendships or romantic. We all know that they take hard work to maintain, but the best ones appear to require no work at all. While the unlikely chums in Richard Alfieri's dramedy Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks put in a painstaking...

If you decide to see Gidion's Knot, and you should, take this word of caution. Be prepared to feel punched in the gut. This play will hit you, demand that you think, and will put you through a fair share of pain. I guarantee that it's worth it. Gidion's Knot may be uncomfortable, but it's defini...

My apologies to Verdi and Mozart. No one does romance like Puccini. If you were lucky enough to catch Austin Lyric Opera's recent production of Tosca, I assume you'd agree with me. The production is easily among the best productions in ALO's recent history....

There's no doubt that People Will Talk About You Sometimes has good intentions, something I applaud and have no intention to criticize. The world premiere play from Poison Apple Initiative tries to tackle the topic of suicide and is inspired by 4.48 Psychosis, a performance art exploration of depre...

It's about time that the music of David Bowie gets a stage treatment, and it's no wonder that the inventive Andrea Ariel Dance Theatre clearly sees the potential to create a unique theatrical experience through Bowie's work. Part concert, part dance show, and part performance art, the world premie...

There's something about The Sniper's Next, a theatrical reinterpretation of Me & Lee, that is compelling and engaging despite the major implausibilities....

Any theatergoer knows that new works tend to be hit or miss. New works premiering at a fringe festival tend to be even more unpredictable. Yes, there are plenty of successful, well-respected plays that had their beginnings at a fringe fest, but thousands more premiere and are swiftly forgotten. M...

To all at The Hidden Room, I hope you know that you've accomplished the impossible. You've made me like Hamlet. I know there are millions out there who consider Hamlet to be the greatest tragedy of all time, but I on the other hand consider the act of viewing Hamlet to be the real tragedy. Honest...

If you go see W.K., the startling original play now playing at The Vortex, you may notice the following note in the program: "W.K. is a work in progress and we would love your feedback, thoughts, and ideas as we continue to develop the piece." Here's my feedback. Don't change a damn thing. As it ...

At the top of the second act of The Language Archive, a skilled linguist named George (Trevor Bissell) gives the audience a lesson in Esperanto, a universal language created in the late 1800s. In the span of about 2 minutes, we learn the Esperanto translations of 'I am loved,' 'I was loved,' and 'I ...