Brett Cullum

I mean, my influences growing up? I went through a phase of everything was jazz! And it had to be old-school jazz! When I was about twelve or thirteen, I went to a yard sale. I found this CD. It was actually a tape. Billie Holiday, Lena Horn, Sarah Vaughn, Ella Fitzgerald. I'd never heard of any of them, and I just poured over it and studied the nuances of their voices.

I'm so extraordinarily proud of this with the work that Lonnie has done and the work that Larissa FastHorse has done in our new book! They've really taken out the racist stuff, and they have given an opportunity for Indigenous voices to be heard loud and clear by Indigenous actors. They also took advantage of the opportunity to elevate female voices in the show.

Are the superheroes really simply the spirits that Prospero conjured on the island? Could Fathom City have been taken over by Dr. Cannibal (an anagram for Caliban) because he fled and tossed his books into the sea? Is this a sequel, a salute, or a sardonic spoof of Shakespeare’s work?

Sometimes, a play does what no other artistic medium can do. It can feel intimate, immediate, and alive. CRY IT OUT from MILDRED’S UMBRELLA is one of those living productions that feels like you are watching three real women deal with being a mother and looking at how that is going to affect every aspect of their lives.

ESTHER thrilled the audience at the George, who gave it a rousing standing ovation. I suspect A.D. PLAYERS knows its audience, and they have given them a show that dazzles people who have come in the right context. It was not shown if the struggle of scripture versus spectacle was an issue for them as it was for me. If you love exquisite dancing and good singing. If you admire a company that does all of this in service of an Old Testament heroine, then ESTHER is a sure bet.

She was a woman of resilience and a very strong personality who fought for everything that she had! She is this woman who just came through a lot but loved her music and loved her family. She was resilient beyond belief and could live to see the flowers given to her. She's a whole lot of woman!

No matter what side of the aisle you fall on, this is a fascinating tribute to a legal lady who taught us all what it means to be both feminine and ferocious. To quote a previous BROADWAY WORLD critic, it is “a must-see.” And in these days, right before the election of 2024, it is imperative to consider what Ruth is saying.

I think I was a kid who really wanted to do theater, and I didn't have the theatrical opportunities in front of me to do that. I went to college for theater. I have a degree in theater. I didn't move to New York City like I wanted to because of 9/11. I had to create my own opportunity. And that's kind of my life story. I was kind of carving out and creating my own space, and drag was always the method with which I did that.

Jason Nodler is the CATASTROPHIC THEATRE's founder, director, and artistic guide. The company was formally launched in this current incarnation in 2007 and rose from the ashes of INFERNAL BRIDEGROOM PRODUCTIONS.

People are like, “How do you keep doing it? It's like so many words, 90 min for two years!” I say it is because you can never learn enough. You could never get tired of it! All that feeds into my performance.

Well, I have no idea where Sherry came from. I just remember my roommate at the time was doing my wig. He did the makeup; he styled me. He did everything. I did nothing, and I just looked in the mirror. I was like. Oh, she looks like a “Sherry.”

It’s an amazingly intimate and unforgettable experience that covers topics such as racism, women’s issues, and artists’ rights. And did I mention it’s a whole lot of funky fun that will have you clapping and cheering along the way?

What did our critic think of FUNNY GIRL at BROADWAY AT THE HOBBY CENTER?

You know, I think what really worked for me is that I didn't have much knowledge of FUNNY GIRL. I saw the movie once when I was a teenager, and funny enough, my boyfriend and I were on vacation with his family when his mom told me that I would play Fanny Brice!

Occasionally, you see a show that renews your faith in what the arts do, like seeing The Color Purple in a field. It’s a show that reminds you why people love musicals. THE COLOR PURPLE from The Garden Theatre and the Sankofa Collective is just such a thing. It has heart, soul, and some of the best local talent you will ever see.

MELVILLE AND HAWTHORNE makes for an intriguing evening of theater that made me want to run back home and pull out MOBY DICK and perhaps THE BLITHEDALE ROMANCE and start my summer reading. As a student, I never knew of this possible affair between two literary giants.

The play follows the year and a half that authors Herman Melville and Nathaniel Hawthorne spent living only a mile away from each other in the Berkshires. At the same time, Melville wrote and developed the novel MOBY DICK (which he dedicated to Hawthorne). The show is based on historical facts and will play from August 1st through August 10th.

As soon as those credits were rolling, I texted him and said, “Hey, let's have a meeting next week. What if we did COLOR PURPLE this summer?” And lo and behold, he was texted back, “That's the show that I wanted to speak to you about!” It's a perfect gel for THE GARDEN THEATRE artists and Sankofa artists.

It’s about the power of imagination and fear. Main Street Theater in Rice Village has resurrected this gothic ghost story just in time to chill down a rather hot and humid summer.

The stage does not bind the performers, and the show remains an immersive experience like no other. It is akin to climbing into a cart at the Disney amusement park and turning in an E-ticket for an all-out assault on your senses. Kids will love it, and the adults will marvel at the elegant design.