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BWW Reviews: Zilker Theatre's LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS is Big on Entertainment
Anyone who's seen any of the annual Zilker summer musicals in Austin's Zilker Park know that, though the productions are free to the public, the entertainment value and quality are always top-notch. Zilker's 55th annual production, Little Shop of Horrors, does not disappoint. This is a dazzling, c...
BWW Reviews: Breaking String's THREE Turns an Old Classic into a New One
Adaptations are a tricky business. Staying too close to the source material may make the audience wonder why the material was adapted in the first place, and straying too far may seem disrespectful (everyone involved in Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, that one's directed at you). But occasionall...
BWW Reviews: Trinity Street Players' SUNSET LIMITED A Complex Dialogue on Religion
An hour and a half of two men sitting in a small apartment discussing religion doesn't scream "riveting theatre," but under the right circumstances, anything is possible. Case in point: Trinity Street Player's current production of The Sunset Limited. While the show may not be action packed, it i...
BWW Reviews: Cool Cats of SummerStock Austin Celebrate Jazz with SWING!
Summertime in Austin seems like the perfect place and time for a happy-go-lucky musical celebration of jazz music and swing dance. At least SummerStock Austin thinks so, and I whole-heartedly agree. Their production of Swing!, a dazzling and energetic musical revue, is absolutely astonishing and c...
BWW Reviews: UpRise! Productions' RAISIN IN THE SUN Shrivels Due to Avant Garde Treatment
There are some things in the arts that I never expect to see. One is Harvey Firestein covering a Josh Groban song. Another is Lindsay Lohan winning an Oscar. And another is an avant garde production of A Raisin in the Sun. Well, I guess 2 out of 3 ain't bad....
BWW Reviews: Sam Bass Takes Gangsters from Gruff to Goofy with BUGSY MALONE
If there's any lesson to be learned from the slapstick musical Bugsy Malone, now playing at Sam Bass Community Theatre, it's that gangsters are adorable. Who knew? Armed with some silly string guns and custard pies, Bugsy Malone softens the gangster genre to cute, sweet, and fun family entertainme...
BWW Reviews: Bob Fosse Magic Comes to Austin with PIPPIN
Tackling a show like Pippin takes some major cojones. The original Bob Fosse production featured an iconic, Tony Award winning performance from Ben Vereen and was the first Broadway musical to feature the work of composer/lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The current Broadway revival of Pippin just won f...
BWW Reviews: SummerStock Austin Presents Tuneful, Joyous BREMEN TOWN MUSICIANS
Theatrical shows for children are a dime a dozen, but children's theater productions that can also please adults are as rare and unique as the musically inclined animals in The Bremen Town Musicians. The exuberant musical-one of SummerStock Austin's three offerings currently playing in repertory at...
BWW Reviews: Hyde Park Theatre Keeps Austin Weird with THOM PAIN
If Thomas Paine is the author of Common Sense, then Thom Pain must be the author of Common Nonsense. Thom Pain (based on nothing)-a rambling, absurd, existential monologue now playing at Hyde Park Theatre-is an enthralling and joyously quirky piece of theater that is meant to be experienced and enj...
BWW Reviews: City Theatre Presents Mesmerizing STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Given the reputation and respect that the play has earned in the 60 plus years since its debut, any theater company producing A Streetcar Named Desire should go into it with some trepidation, but there's no sign of any in the City Theatre's exceptional production....
BWW Reviews: Austin Encore of Theater Under the Stars' CHORUS LINE is Wrinkled & Crooked
Late in A Chorus Line, the brassy Sheila states, 'God, when it's over do I need a drink!' I hear ya, girl. Judging by the guy to my left who spent the show playing on his phone, the woman to my right who was more interested in her bracelet and the musician in the pit who I saw reading a book, I'm ...
BWW Reviews: 7 Towers Theatre's THE PILLOWMAN is a Gripping, Chilling Theatrical Event
The Pillowman is one of those theatrical events that seldom comes along. It's sinister, sadistic, haunting, and while it may not be pleasant, it is entirely unforgettable....
BWW Reviews: Georgetown Palace Brings Classic Broadway to Austin with THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES
As Georgetown Palace's production of The Will Rogers Follies proves, a few rope tricks, corny jokes, and leggy showgirls wearing next to nothing will always please a crowd....
BWW Reviews: ONE NIGHT WITH JANIS JOPLIN is a Rocking Good Time
"Texas is okay if you want to settle down and do your thing quietly," Janis Joplin once said, "but it's not for outrageous people, and I was always outrageous." Janis must have forgotten about Austin, because One Night with Janis Joplin, the Broadway-bound Janis Joplin musical now playing at the Za...
BWW Reviews: Austin Playhouse Triumphs with TRIUMPH OF LOVE
While regional theatres often lean towards staging Tony winning, crowd pleasing musicals, occasionally one may boldly look towards a show that is off the beaten path and lacks a trophy cabinet full of awards. Austin Playhouse has done exactly that with their current production of Triumph of Love an...
BWW Reviews: DIXIE'S TUPPERWARE PARTY is a Fun, Frivolous Night Out
One person shows are a notoriously hard sell, unlike Tupperware's famous airtight bowls. I doubt anyone ever thought of combining the two with the notable exception of Kris Andersson, the writer and star of Dixie's Tupperware Party, now playing at the Long Center for the Performing Arts. Though at...
BWW Reviews: Megan Hilty Kicks Off ZACH Theatre's Top Concerts Series
Megan Hilty took the stage at the ZACH's Topfer Theatre in Austin on Tuesday, June 18th in the first of many one night only concerts featuring Broadway stars, and the blonde bombshell kicked off the series with a smash....
BWW Reviews: City Theatre's MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING Features Strong Leads but a Few Flaws
It's no secret that Shakespeare's plays are among the most challenging for actors and directors to tackle. The language is dense and the plot is often complex, making it difficult for modern audiences to connect with the play. While some productions easily rise to the occasion, there's something a...
BWW Reviews: SECRET GARDEN at St. Edwards University is Haunting and Beautiful
The last few times I've seen a production at St. Edwards University's Mary Moody Northern Theatre, I've had to remind myself that I'm viewing a show featuring a cast of mostly college students. Every time, the production is of professional quality, and their current production of The Secret Garden ...
BWW Reviews: Acting Soars as Writing Falls in NEXT FALL
The reasoning behind staging a Tony Nominee for Best Play is quite easy to understand. Plays that have either been nominated for or won a Tony are easily marketable to the public. Still there is that occasional Tony nominated play that is a complete head scratcher, a play so poorly written it's ba...
BWW Reviews: Jaston William's BLAME IT ON VALENTINE, TEXAS is Hysterical and Poignantly Touching
The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston hosted Jaston Williams, of GREATER TUNA fame, on Saturday, June 15, 2013 for two command performances of BLAME IT ON VALENTINE, TEXAS. BLAME IT ON VALENTINE, TEXAS, one of four one-man shows crafted by Jaston Williams, had its World Premiere on February 14, 20...
BWW Reviews: PRINCESS IDA Produced by Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Austin is Hysterical and Current
There's certainly a reason why the works of Gilbert and Sullivan have remained a fixture in popular culture for nearly 150 years. Their operas are fun, frivolous, and tinted with social and political satire. Though Princess Ida, their eighth operatic collaboration, may not be as well-known as some...
BWW Reviews: REEFER MADNESS is So Funny, It Should Be Illegal
Sometimes there's nothing as hysterical as hysteria. That's the main premise of Reefer Madness, currently produced by Doctuh Mistuh Productions, a musical satire about the dangers of marijuana. The show, which splits its run between the Spiderhouse Ballroom and the Dougherty Arts Center, is an abs...
BWW Reviews: Penfold Theatre's SHIPWRECKED! Is a Rousing Family-Friendly Adventure
There are some occasions where the family fare is so well-presented that one can't help but be enchanted and enthralled. Penfold Theatre's current production of Shipwrecked! is one such occasion where children and adults are entertained and inspired by the brilliant stagecraft and the talented perf...
BWW Reviews: Creators of The 50 Shades Parody Deserve a SPANKing
It doesn't get much more disappointing than Spank! The Fifty Shades Parody, an incredibly misguided spoof of the equally misguided novel Fifty Shades of Grey, where every joke is predictable, expected, bland, and punctuated by ferocious dry-humping....
Videos
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Destination by George Ayres Trinity Street Playhouse (5/14-5/31) |
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The Unknown Tour Julie Rogers Theatre (11/07-11/07) |
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The Book of Mormon (Non-Equity) Bass Concert Hall (6/08-6/13) |
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Disney’s Newsies Bastrop Opera House (9/04-9/27) |
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Austin City Limits Music Festival: Weekend One – 3 Day Pass Zilker Park (10/02-10/11) |
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Erma Bombeck: At Wit's End Austin Playhouse (5/22-6/07) |
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The Robber Bridegroom The Alchemy Theatre (5/29-6/14) |
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Stage Blood by Charles Ludlam The VORTEX (6/26-7/11) |
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& Juliet Bass Concert Hall at the University of Texas in Austin (7/14-7/19) |
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Seared Austin Playhouse (6/05-6/28) |
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