BWW Review: MATILDA at Fort Wayne Civic TheatreFebruary 17, 2020Matilda opened with a bang at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre this weekend, with plenty of chances left to see this whimsical musical. Christopher J. Murphy directs the production in collaboration with the Fort Wayne Youtheatre (with music direction by Eunice Wadewitz and choreography by the Fort Wayne Dance Collective's Mandie Kolkman).
BWW Review: Genesis Outreach's CHOIR BOYOctober 31, 2019Attention, Fort Wayne: you have one more weekend to see CHOIR BOY at the Parkview Physicians Group ArtsLab, as part of Genesis Outreach, Inc.'s 2019 Gala. There are two reasons why you should make time to see this play. Number one: all proceeds go directly towards Genesis Outreach and assisting homeless and in-need individuals in our community. And number two: this is one heck of a show. So much so, in fact, that I'm still thinking about it almost a week later.
BWW Review: SWEENEY TODD at Fort Wayne Civic TheatreSeptember 19, 2019If you're smart, you'll grab your tickets for the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre's SWEENEY TODD: THE DEMON BARBER OF FLEET STREET while they're still available, because by all rights, they should sell out faster than Mrs. Lovett's meat pies (once she adds their secret ingredient, that is). SWEENEY TODD, the well-loved and appropriately-macabre Sondheim musical about a barber who embarks on a murderous rampage in order to get revenge for the mistreatment of his wife and daughter, has one more weekend in Fort Wayne under the direction of Leslie Beauchamp with music direction by Ben Wedler and assistant direction by Christopher J. Murphy.
BWW Review: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at the Fort Wayne Civic TheatreAugust 1, 2019Walking into the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre's production of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, I had absolutely no idea what to expect. I watched the 1968 movie exactly once in my childhood, and all that I remembered was having nightmares about the Childcatcher. That said, I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the show. Whether people decide to see it out of a love of old-fashioned musicals or whether they're looking for a fun afternoon or evening with their kids, chances are high that audience members will delight in this whimsical production.
BWW Previews: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at Fort Wayne Civic TheatreJuly 24, 2019Get ready to fly high at the Fort Wayne Civic Theatre's summer musical, opening this weekend. Following up from last year's crowd-pleasing and high-energy production of NEWSIES, this year's fare is the family-friendly CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG, based on the beloved 1968 film and with music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman.
BWW Review: WEST SIDE STORY at Fort Wayne Summer Music TheatreJune 22, 2019'Could it be? Yes it could. Something's coming, something good, If I can wait,' sings Tony in the famous Leonard Bernstein number. Well, something good's already here in Fort Wayne this month. What is it, you ask? This year's Fort Wayne Summer Music Theatre cast, playing their own version of WEST SIDE STORY this weekend and next at South Side High School.
BWW Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND at Three Rivers Music Theatre is a MUST-SEEMay 1, 2019I was lucky enough to be able to attend the opening night of Three Rivers Music Theatre's ONCE ON THIS ISLAND last weekend, and let me tell you, this production is special. In most local Fort Wayne productions, you hand over your ticket, sit down, watch as the lights go down, and take in the show; the lights come back on, and you walk out, typically satisfied. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that. But this show offered so much more, and now that I've experienced it, I don't know that I'll ever be satisfied with anything less.