Jeff Davis - Page 8

Woe to anyone who shoots their eye out, for not being able to see A Christmas Story: The Musical at the Woodlawn would be a tragedy. Though their 2012 non-musical production of the classic Holiday film was joyous, this version is superior.

Bust out the egg nog. Sam Bass Community Theatre's currently celebrating the Holiday season with an unconventional Christmas comedy, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge by acclaimed playwright Christopher Durang. A musical parody of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge asks what if Mrs. Cratchit wasn't so goody-goody and was instead a angry, stressed out modern-day American woman who wanted out of her harsh 1840s London life.

At some point while I was en route to see Let it Be Christmas, I couldn't help but laugh. Here I am, an atheist who grew up in a half-Jewish/half-Christian household, going to see an original musical based on the nativity and featuring music by the Beatles, a band featuring John Lennon who once said 'We're more popular than Jesus.' Oh, and the show's in a church. So to recap, I'm an atheistic half-Jew going to a church to see a show about Jesus featuring songs by a band who claimed to be more popular than the savior himself.

Tomorrow night, Street Corner Artists, one of Austin's newest theater companies, will close their production of the hilarious new comedy, The North Plan.

Forget ringing bells. Every time Martin Burke takes the stage, an angel gets its wings. If you think I'm exaggerating, go see This Wonderful Life at ZACH Theatre. The zany one man version of It's a Wonderful Life is easily one of the most entertaining and inventive holiday shows you will ever see.

It's tough to think of a production in the Austin area that's been as hyped as Ballet Austin's current production of The Nutcracker. Now in its 51st year, this year's show features new sets and costumes, the first time in over a decade that Ballet Austin's Nutcracker has received such a makeover. Though the designs cost a pretty penny, I'm not sure they enhance the show as much as they could. Nevertheless, the incredible performers and outstanding choreography aren't hampered by them, either.

With The Austin Holiday Project, Austin Theatre Project closes out their first full season with their first original show. While it might not be as flashy or extravagant as other holiday offerings, its phenomenal cast and intimate, personal vibe make it a show to add to your Christmas list.

When it comes to the Golden Age of Broadway, there are few shows that are as accessible and wildly entertaining as Guys and Dolls. Since it's debut in 1950, the musical has graced Broadway six times, and there are now reports of a film remake. If the film is half as entertaining as the current production at The Playhouse, audiences will be pleased. The Playhouse's Guys in Dolls is vibrant, joyous, and entertaining from beginning to end.

While Arbery does a damn good job at illustrating the limits of virtual conversation and cleverly uses text jargon in his dialogue, the piece does fall into the trap I was warned about. If the point is that the characters can't fully connect through social media, will the audience have the same problem connecting to the characters and their story?

Last year, I saw Penfold Theatre Company's annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play for the first time. I loved the show and gave it a rave review. My reaction this year is no different. Now in its 3rd year, Penfold's It's a Wonderful Life is just as delightful as ever.

Original musicals are tough to come by nowadays. For every mammoth hit like Wicked or Book of Mormon, there's a short-lived flop like First Date or Glory Days. And then there are shows like Memphis that wind up somewhere in the middle. The show picked up 4 2010 Tony Awards, including Best Musical and Best Score, and had a nearly three year run on Broadway. That's not bad, but judging by the current national tour currently playing Bass Concert Hall, Memphis deserved much better. With an exhilarating blues and rock score, breathtaking choreography, and more than a few astounding performers, Memphis is a massive crowd-pleaser.

There's a lightning-in-a-bottle quality that permeates Steel Magnolias. With a cast that includes Sally Field, Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Daryl Hannah, Olympia Dukakis, and Julia Roberts, it's no surprise that the film version was such a hit and continues to be an enduring classic. But the true power of Steel Magnolias is its story and themes of the bonds between women, and that's exactly why City Theatre's production of the play is such a success. Director Andy Berkovsky and his incredible cast of six aren't interested in replicating Sally, Dolly, Shirley, Daryl, Olympia, and Julia. They're interested in creating original characters with deep friendships.

There's nothing like a good murder mystery, and writer Agatha Christie certainly made a career out of them. But while Christie penned 66 detective novels and several plays, I stop short of calling her an expert at the mystery genre. While mystery depends on surprises, Christie often uses conventional devices, and that's the only problem with Austin Playhouse's otherwise stellar production of And Then There Were None. While the company gives it their all, there's a lingering feeling that you've seen this before.

When December rolls around, it's customary for theater companies to scramble around for Holiday-themed fare. As beloved as Holiday shows are, it's refreshing when companies like Different Stages mount something decidedly in opposition of the trend. With its strong and hysterically funny production of Arsenic and Old Lace, Different Stages essentially defines how to successfully pull off counter-Holiday programming in Austin.

Original pieces of theater are a tricky business. For every well-crafted, well-received new work, there are countless others that are less successful, to put it mildly. The Fault, a new drama by UT-Austin M.F.A. candidate Katie Bender, falls into the second category. While Bender does have a few interesting idea and glimmers of a strong central character, the ideas and the play as a whole feel unfinished, underdeveloped, and tediously dull.

Last night, Blue Lapis Light, Austin's renowned aerial Dance Company, opened Remake Home. The two night event, which closes this evening, is produced by Blue Lapis Light's youth outreach program, Youth Taking Flight. Youth Taking Flight focuses on teenagers and uses movement to instill confidence and open students to new paths of listening and learning.

In the final number of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, the world's favorite blockhead and his iconic pals reflect on what happiness is. In a moment that mixes existential philosophy and childlike curiosity in a way that only Charles Schultz can do, the Peanuts gang determines that happiness is as simple as finding a pencil or three kinds of ice cream.

Anyone who's seen a production of Peter Pan, or at least one of the televised versions starring Mary Martin or Cathy Rigby, knows that there's a moment late in the evening in which Peter turns to the audience and begs everyone to clap their hands if they believe in fairies. It's a moment that easily measures the success of the production. If the show isn't connecting with the audience, Peter's pleas are met with a smattering of golf claps. But at the Georgetown Palace, that iconic moment is met with deafening applause and cheers.

In a time when Broadway caliber shows are defined by falling chandeliers, witches that literally defy gravity, and a swinging Spiderman with a $70 million budget, it seems that audiences may expect and want more than a simple set and small cast. But when that simple set and small cast are just right, the effect can be breathtaking, as is the case with the current National Tour of Godspell.

On their website, Paper Chairs describes their latest production, Murder Ballad Murder Mystery as "part existential whodunit, part slapstick haunting, and part ramshackle hoedown [that] investigates the many ways and whys we carry out a death sentence." I didn't see the existential pieces or the ruminations on the death sentence when I caught a performance on Thursday night, but quite frankly, I don't care. Murder Ballad Murder Mystery is a disjointed, non-linear, and nonsensical spoof on the western and musical genres, and I loved every wacky moment of it.