Kevin Shaw

Musicals about historical events are nothing new. From 1776 to EVITA to HAMILTON, such stories can be enlightening and inspirational. They highlight significant historical moments that many may not have known or appreciated.

Over the past decade, the theatrical landscape in Memphis has changed dramatically. While it remains a remarkably vibrant artistic community for its size, the highest-quality talent and productions seem to have abandoned Midtown entirely, setting up shop exclusively in East Memphis.

From 1918 to the mid-1930s, African American artists in the United States experienced a cultural blossoming known as the Harlem Renaissance-a period in which theatre, music and literature were created by (and often for) Black Americans.

What did our critic think of RUMORS at Theatre Memphis? RUMORS is about a group of upper-class New Yorkers (politicians, accountants and lawyers) gathering to celebrate Charley and Myra’s 10th wedding anniversary.

Having never seen the 2003 musical CAROLINE, OR CHANGE, I had a slight panic attack reading the program while waiting for this past Sunday’s matinee to begin at Playhouse on the Square.

During the 2023-2024 school year, more than 10,000 books were banned in public schools across the United States-a nearly 200% increase from the previous year. This was the highest number of book bans in a single school year. What was banned? Books about mental health, suicide, substance abuse, sexual well-being, and puberty were axed.

Jason Robert Brown, one of America’s most celebrated composers and lyricists of this new millennium, is currently enjoying a resurgence with two of his finest musicals. THE LAST FIVE YEARS, an off-Broadway hit that was later adapted into a film starring Anna Kendrick, is making its return to Broadway this year starring Joe Jonas and Adrienne Warren. Meanwhile, PARADE, which originally debuted on Broadway in 1998, had a triumphant revival last year starring Ben Platt and won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Playhouse On The Square running through December 22?

When A CHORUS LINE opened on Broadway in 1975, no one could have predicted that it would go on to earn the distinction of being the longest running Broadway show of its time. It ran for almost 15 years and played over 6,000 performances! Since then, five other musicals have gone on to pass that Broadway milestone (LES MISERABLES, CATS, WICKED, THE LION KING, CHICAGO).

What did our critic think of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Circuit Playhouse?

Musical theatre is known for showcasing the extraordinary. From GYPSY to MOULIN ROUGE to an ogre named SHREK, the most unusual protagonists imaginable are what are on display. Phantoms, witches, cats and even puppets (AVENUE Q) are what audiences have come to expect. Musicals are built for “transportation.”

Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a REAL character. And by real, I mean totally fake. According to his 1980 memoir and the 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio (directed by Steven Spielberg), this man claims to have worked as an assistant state attorney general, a Pan Am commercial airline pilot and a hospital physician-all without any formal training.

The directing/choreographic team of Jordan Nichols and Travis Bradley are back again to deliver the highest quality show one could ever imagine-professional or not. The sheer man hours that have gone into producing this mammoth production are clear at every turn.

A couple of months ago, newly elected Memphis Mayor Paul Young, in partnership with the African American Mayors Association, announced the launch of the Black Mayor’s Coalition on Crime which is an initiative to “harness the collective power of black mayors across the nation to fight crime.”

The recent college campus protests in America seem to have surprised and bewildered a lot of people around the world. Why do privileged students who can afford a college education risk being expelled or jailed over a conflict in Gaza? Graduations are currently being cancelled, people are being arrested and police with riot gear are on standby from New York to California. It’s almost unheard of.

What’s up with all these therapists’ offices masquerading as beauty parlors? Women walk into these places as broken shells of themselves and often walk out feeling on top of the world. Sure, they get their hair and/or nails done, but they get so much more than just that. They’re renewed.

For opera lovers around the world, Maria Callas was a gigantic figure well known for her unusual and daring performances. She was a singer who ruled the classical musical world for a large part of the 20th century and left an indelible mark with her talent and her larger-than-life personality.

What did our critic think of POTUS at Circuit Playhouse? As with any comedy, and farce particularly, timing is everything and it takes about half of Act I before the cast finds their rhythm and ensures the audience is keeping up with them. It’s a lot all at once.

What did our critic think of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Circuit Playhouse? On its surface, it’s difficult to articulate just how such simply drawn characters with simply framed personalities have endured for so long. Perhaps that’s the secret to Schulz’s “Peanuts Sauce”-simplicity.