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BWW Reviews: CHARLEY'S AUNT Plagued by Pacing Problems
By definition, a farce is a light theatrical work in which highly improbable plot situations, exaggerated characters, and slapstick are used for humorous effect. Brandon Thomas's play CHARLEY'S AUNT (1892) is a classic example of farce. Farce requires a certain level of comic timing. In farce, the h...
BWW Reviews: PRIVATE LIVES as Bubbly and Giddy a Delight as Fine Champagne
Noel Coward's plays are, for the most part, theatrical souffles: the ingredients are very simple and, when handled correctly, are deliciously light and tasty; however, in the hands of the inexperienced, they can turn out to be a mess best thrown away. I am happy to report that in the case of PRIVATE...
BWW Reviews: Sam Bass Offers Charming, Quirky Look at Family With TABLE SETTINGS
There isn't much to say about the idea of the American Family that hasn't already been said, but as Table Settings proves, it's not what you say but how you say that matters. The joyous comedy, written by James Lapine and directed by Frank Benge, ops for episodes and sketches rather than a linear p...
BWW Reviews: Fantasies Come True! AVENUE Q is BACK at Austin Theatre Project
I've seen three productions of Avenue Q in my life, all of them ranging from the Broadway national tour to a local community theater performance, to Sunday's matinee performed by the Austin Theatre Project. Bottom line: Avenue Q smart, funny, and relatable show. It's crude, sometimes a bit cringe-wo...
BWW Reviews: Treat Your Inner Child to PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
Theatre, more than any other medium, has the ability to create magic and seldom has more magic been created on a stage than in the Zach Theatre production of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. While the production is advertised as suitable for ages 6 and up, it is the adults who are in for the real treat wi...
BWW Reviews: Austin Opera's Star-Crossed Lovers Shine in ROMEO & JULIET
Without a doubt, Gounod's ROMEO & JULIET is one of Austin Opera's finest productions, and they have assembled a cast of the highest caliber. Paired with a gorgeous set, costumes and staging, this is not a production that one would want to miss. 'If music be the food of love, play on.'...
BWW Reviews: DNA is a Jet-Black Comedic Exploration of Consequence
'What's more important, one person or everyone?' That is the question at the center of Dennis Kelly's darkly comedic and chilling play, DNA....
BWW Reviews: Here I Go Again! MAMMA MIA! is Still Irresistible
"Mamma Mia- here I go again" weren't just familiar song lyrics I was thinking of when I walked into Bass Concert Hall Tuesday night. No, it was also literal thinking going through my head. Why? The opening night of Broadway in Austin's Mamma Mia! was my fifth time seeing the production. From seeing ...
BWW Reviews: MAURITIUS is a Witty, Smartly Staged Dark Comic Delight
Having grown up in the world of numismatics (coin collecting) and philately (stamp collecting) I was probably in a rarified group in the audience by knowing just what a Mauritius was. It doesn't matter if you don't know anything though, because the playwright, Theresa Rebeck, gets the audience where...
BWW Reviews: SISTER'S CHRISTMAS CATECHISM: MYSTERY OF THE MAGI'S GOLD is a Laugh Riot
Vicki Quade and Maripat Donovan created a one-woman show called LATE NIGHT CATECHISM back in 1993 which was based on the pair's experiences growing up Catholic in Chicago and on parochial school stories they heard from their families and friends. The show holds the record for the longest running rel...
BWW Reviews: SUFFER THE LONG NIGHT is a Riotously Funny Evening of Farce and Laughter
SUFFER THE LONG NIGHT belongs to that class of backstage comedies like NOISES OFF and FASHION: THE MUSICAL where the audience sees an actor playing an actor who is playing a character in a show. SUFFER THE LONG NIGHT first debuted in 2008 in Los Angeles and this production marks the first time it ha...
BWW Reviews: Climb Aboard Bass Concert Hall's ANYTHING GOES Before it Says Bon Voyage
In a little town known as New York City, on a tiny street known as Broadway, the Roundabout Theatre Company took the 1930's Cole Porter classic Anything Goes and revived it on the Great White Way. Starring Tony Winner (soon to be two time Tony Winner) Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney, Broadway's sweet...
BWW Reviews: Ballet Austin's THE NUTCRACKER Proves Its Place as Austin's Resident Holiday Tradition
If there was ever a timeless holiday tradition, specifically in the world of performing arts, it is The Nutcracker ballet. In fact, one of my first memories of the theatre was seeing the Houston Ballet with my mother and grandmother at the age of 8 (and hadn't seen it since). Whether you go for the ...
BWW Reviews: Street Corner Arts Stages Powerful and Moving WAITING FOR LEFTY
WAITING FOR LEFTY was written in 1935 by Clifford Odets. The play is, and was written as, an immersive piece of theatre. It is, ostensibly, a meeting of cab drivers who are gathering to plan a strike. As an audience member, you become a part of that meeting. While the meeting is going on, we are ex...
BWW Reviews: THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE Offers Cautionary Tale About the Power of Educators
THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE is a 1961 novel by Muriel Spark and a 1966 stage play, based on the novel, by Jay Presson Allen that was turned into a film in 1968. Miss Brodie, a teacher at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls in Edinburgh, states her motto: 'I am in the business of putting old heads o...
BWW Reviews: THIS WONDERFUL LIFE is an Evening of Masterful Story Telling
Simply said, Martin Burke delivers masterful story telling in a tour de force production of THIS WONDERFUL LIFE. In the course of the evening, Mr. Burke singlehandedly tells the story of "It's a Wonderful Life" playing all the characters… twice. He, aside from narrating, portrays some 29 different...
BWW Reviews: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY by Katie Forgette Ultimately Disappoints
If an example existed to explain the value of copyright laws, Katie Forgette's SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY might well be it. Since the copyright has expired on the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson they are now in the public domain and authors other than the originator...
BWW Reviews: RECKLESS by Craig Lucas is Both Ponderous and Pointless
RECKLESS, by Craig Lucas, wants to be a black comedy. The script, written in a cinematographic style, poses some serious problems in staging. For something so paper thin to work, the audience needs to go on the same nightmare downhill sleigh ride as the protagonist. We need to feel as buffeted by th...
BWW Review: ZACH Offers Sweet Family Fun with A YEAR WITH FROG AND TOAD
Given the incredible talent of the show's creators, creative team, and cast, it's crystal clear why A Year With Frog and Toad has such a wide appeal to such a wide audience. There's not an unlikeable thing about it. For any parents wishing to expose their young children's to theater, Frog, Toad, a...
BWW Reviews: Austin Opera's A MASKED BALL Takes a Backseat to Previous Productions
I have always loved opera companies that have the ability to evolve and recreate productions for modern audiences. Typically, Austin Opera always rises to meet this challenge, but regrettably, in this production they miss the mark. Despite some standout performances, A MASKED BALL falls short becaus...
BWW Reviews: Movie Fans, Rejoice and Broadway Fans, Recover- DIRTY DANCING Brings the Screen to the Stage
If you follow the theatre scene of Austin, Texas at all, then you've most likely seen or heard something related to Dirty Dancing the Musical at Bass Concert Hall. The signage, the posters, the advertisements, even the ticket listings bill the production as a musical. As a part of Lexus' Broadway in...
BWW Reviews: CARRIE is a Bloody Good Time
Look up "Broadway Flop" on Google, and Carrie is bound to be the first title to show up. Though the material still is a bit rough around the edges, Austin Theatre Project's staging of Carrie manages to straddle the show's unintentional line between camp and seriousness while finding a compelling st...
BWW Reviews: PEER GYNT Has Strong Cast But Competing Visuals
The history of Peer Gynt is now almost as legendary and epic as the story itself. Henrik Ibsen based his epic piece of theater on the Norwegian fairytale of Per Gynt (Ibsen gives Per's first name an extra vowel), a young man who has a slew of misadventures involving trolls and other mythical creatu...
ACL Coverage: Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue is a mix of hip-hop beats, rock and jazz and were a big hit at this year's ACL Festival....
ACL Coverage: The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers entertain audiences from college students to baby boomers at ACL Festival 2014...
Videos
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John Cameron Mitchell: Hedwig 25th Anniversary Movie Tour Emo's Austin (8/05-8/05) |
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The Fat Gator Weekend 2 Day Festival Lake Walter E. Long (6/06-6/07) |
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And Then There Were None Georgetown Palace Theatre (8/21-9/20) |
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'Light': A Solo Chinese Play of Family and Hope(5/28-6/6) Dougherty Arts Center (5/28-5/28) |
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Guns N’ Roses Globe Life Field (9/09-9/09) |
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The Robber Bridegroom The Alchemy Theatre (5/29-6/14) |
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Jack Johnson at Germania Insurance Amphitheater Germania Insurance Amphitheater (8/29-8/29) |
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Swan Lake by International Ballet Stars in Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall (4/03-4/03) |
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Destination by George Ayres Trinity Street Playhouse (5/14-5/31) |
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The Book of Mormon (Non-Equity) Bass Concert Hall (6/08-6/13) |
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