Erin Kong

Fun Home relays the story of Alison Bechdel, a cartoonist who wrote a graphic memoir that serves as the basis for the musical. Fun Home explores Bechdel's life and her relationship with her father, a closeted gay man.

Satirical works tend to resurface during trying social and political times, and Mesa Encore Theatre's production of Urinetown timing is impeccable. Urinetown takes place in a dystopian-esque world, where due to a severe drought, private toilets are banned by the government, and citizens can only relieve themselves via costly public toilets.

Childsplay kicks off their summer with the rockin' Wonderland: Alice's Rock & Roll Adventure, a reinvented production of the treasured stories by Lewis Carroll, written by Rachel Rockwell with a score by Michael Mahler.

Change can be jarring. The contemporary worldwide rise of populism demonstrates the backlash of the older generations against the new social current. Stray Cat Theatre's Hir showcases this social metamorphosis through the implosion of a nuclear family and its identity politics.

While Jones may seem like the typical, cliched tale of the Athlete/Frat Boy who found his true self through theatre and the performing arts, Jones is anything but average. He relays his backstory with ease, with the kind of calm rare for an actor his age. But his laidback nature should not be mistaken for complacency--every word Jones says is calculated and purposeful. This is a young man who knows his words are important, and knows the art of storytelling extends even off the stage.

While Matilda the Musical is silly, it is by no means lighthearted--rather, it is full of dark twists, and strong social messages about the cruelty of society, and the imagination that suffers because of it. The national tour of Matilda the Musical is based off of the classic children's novel by Roald Dahl, with book by Dennis Kelly and lyrics by Tim Minchin.

A Very Hairy Javelina Holiday has been in workshop for several years, and made its official debut at Childsplay Theatre this winter. With book and lyrics by Jenny Millinger, music by Todd Hulet, and based on the books by Susan Lowell, A Very Hairy Javelina Holiday is a family-fun treasure appropriate for all audiences.

This Quentin Tarantino-style black comedy is written by Arizona native playwright and actor Ron Hunting, and runs through December 10 at Stray Cat Theatre for its world premiere. 'Anything You Hear and Only Half of What You See' is a dark, yet hilarious delight, driven by plot twist and turns that leaves the viewer engaged throughout its entirety.

This national tour of The Sound of Music, is delightfully delectable, and most importantly different. Rodger and Hammerstein's much-loved The Sound of Music is the tale of postulant Maria who is hired as a governess for the militaristic Von Trapp family. The movie portrayal starring Julie Andrews leaves big expectations looming over the cast and crew, yet amidst huge pressure this production shines.

Reliving the innocence of youth comes only second to the joy of watching children experience theirs. Childsplay's production of Junie B. Jones Is Not A Crook is based off of the beloved book series by Barbara Park, featuring the hyperactive, imaginative Junie B. Jones as the star.

Phoenix Theatre's Liberace! tells the story of a lonely closeted man, former child prodigy pushed by his working-class overbearing father, who somehow became the highest-paid entertainer in the 1980's, and responsible for inspiring the eccentric styles of cultural icons today. His death made a spectacle by a less-than-kind coroner, Liberace takes the stage once more to explain and defend his life decisions with compassion and grace.

Watching the story of 'The Last Five Years' is like watching a train wreck in slow motion. You know the impending tragedy, yet it is impossible to look away. It is a love story that is heartbreakingly relatable and incredibly painful to watch. 'The Last Five Years' is told through the eyes of Jamie Wellerstein, a novelist, and Cathy Hiatt, an aspiring actress. Cathy tells the story in reverse-chronological order, beginning with their break-up, and Jamie tells the story in chronological order from when they first fall in love.

Who does someone become when their memories fade? When they can no longer do the things they love, when they can no longer remember the names of the ones they loved? In 'The Velocity of Autumn,' 79-year-old Alexandra grapples with her impending mortality, and the slow, but inevitable loss of the nimble, creative woman she was in her youth.

A/C Theatre Company takes the reigns from creators Steven Cheslik-deMeyer, Tim Maner, and Alan Stevens Hewitt, and depicts LIZZIE: The Musical, a phenomenon with head-banging rock music, haunting four-part harmonies, and refreshing feminist motifs. Directed by Kim Richard and Tim Shawver, A/CTC's production of LIZZIE evades the risk of falling into standard rock concert format, transcends typical musical theatre, and perfectly presents a jarring portrayal of a normal girl groomed into an axe-wielding murderess.