Your knees won't buckle when you enter Belk Theater to see LOVE NEVER DIES, Anthony Lloyd Webber's long-awaited sequel to The Phantom of the Opera. There's no gleaming chandelier looming ominously over ticketholders in the front rows, nor will you see any nooks or gargoyles spanning the stage prosce... (more...)
Theatre Charlotte's PETER AND THE STARCATCHER was more enjoyable to me than either the Broadway or the touring versions - partly because I've finally discarded the expectation that the Peter Pan prequel would deliver on Neverland's enchantment.... (more...)
Brand New Sheriff's production of ECLIPSED reaffirms that Danai Gurira is a force to be reckoned with as a playwright as well as a Marvel Universe action hero.... (more...)
As Disney's megahit reaches its 21st Broadway birthday, we're not asking each other anymore if you've seen THE LION KING. Instead we're apt to ask how many times you've seen this unparalleled spectacle or, more nostalgically, 'Do you remember your first time?'... (more...)
Laura Eason isn't misleading or overpromising with her title, SEX WITH STRANGERS, but it's a pleasant surprise to encounter as much brains as body heat... (more...)
Cirque du Soleil has been on a bumpy road in recent years with such dubious spectacles as Delirium and Paramour, but they've regained their zany, surreal, and mesmerizing swagger - and how! - with CORTEO, a smashing epic triumph.... (more...)
Some of the jests of THE BOOK OF MORMON are starting to show some wear, but the buffoonery, vulgarity, and bold tastelessness still satisfy, and the dance ensemble on this third Charlotte go-round - along with Casey Nicholaw's choreography seem more brilliant than ever.... (more...)
Choreography isn't as eye-popping in CPCC Summer Theatre's NEWSIES as the Broadway version was, but the hero's role and all the colorful elders are performed on the same lofty level as the impressive set design.... (more...)
Who is or isn't prejudiced or racist is part of the cargo in Branden Jacob-Jenkins' APPROPRIATE, but the playwright also dissects what makes families tick and malfunction.... (more...)
It takes decades for tragic losses and separations to turn around to bliss in Steve Martin's BRIGHT STAR, but there's plenty of sparkling bluegrass music along that rocky mountain road.... (more...)
Trotting out its third different opening scene, GREASE still doesn't have its artistic act together, but it still delivers mindless, guilty, and politically incorrect pleasures in abundance - with double scoops of sock hop nostalgia.... (more...)
Hamstrung by a libretto that sidesteps Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' and 'Mountaintop' speeches, Douglas Tappin's I DREAM sustains audience enthusiasm with a powerhouse Opera Carolina cast.... (more...)
Charlotte's Off-Broadway takes a homespun approach to Matt Lyle's BARBECUE APOCALYPSE that makes it seem more real than it did in 2015. So does the absence of a rational adult in the White House.... (more...)
Whether you love 'em or hate 'em, the more you know about Shakespeare and Broadway musicals, the more SOMETHING ROTTEN will have you laughing out loud.... (more...)
While the crises of THE MERMAID HOUR seem more overblown than they did two years ago at Actor's Theatre, director Laley Lippard and her design team have brought fresh beauty and transcendence to the non-binary protagonist's aspirations.... (more...)
Pennsylvania rubes visiting the Big Apple supply old-timey laughs to THE HUMANS, but the Twin Towers and Hurricane Sandy also lurk in Stephen Karam's drama.... (more...)
Charlotte Symphony continues to shine in modern repertoire, but RITE OF SPRING: REINVNENTED was extra special as Charlotte Ballet also put its best foot forward.... (more...)
Only slightly rushed, Katori Hall's THE MOUNTAINTOP arrives in style at its divine and visionary destinations in Actor's Theatre of Charlotte's production, directed by April Jones.... (more...)
With her country-rich voice, Desi Oakley keeps the Southern heart of WAITRESS beating despite the silly lagniappe of the script and the tour's overmiked production.... (more...)
CPCC Theatre's EVITA sports spectacular sets and costumes along with a regal, enigmatic leading lady who can belt, but they need to fix the audio for the leading men.... (more...)
Chameleonic sports agent Liz Rico has the game to land top NBA prospect Freddie Luna straight out of high school, but KING LIZ will need fresh moves keep her phenom from self-destructing... (more...)
A father and son have plenty to sort out in the wake of Mom's death in Meridith Friedman's THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE, while the son's gay lover wonders which of the two is behaving more childishly.... (more...)
Sasha Janes strays too far from his comfort zone in his new piece, but CharBallet's INNOVATIVE WORKS features stunners by Robyn Mineko Williams and Myles Thatcher... (more...)
Somewhat muted and diluted at cavernous Ovens Auditorium, the touring company of SCHOOL OF ROCK is as talented and high-energy as their Broadway counterparts - reminding us that Andrew Lloyd Webber can truly rock.... (more...)
BWW Review: New Horror and Grotesquerie as Phantom Moves to Coney for LOVE NEVER DIES
BWW Review: Fleet Buffoonery Conquers Enchantment in PETER AND THE STARCATCHER
BWW Review: Panther Star Shows Us a Grittier Africa in ECLIPSE
BWW Review: Pride Rock Remains Strong in 'Rafiki Tour' of THE LION KING
BWW Review: SEX WITH STRANGERS Is a Steamy, Brainy Brew
BWW Review: CORTEO Wows, Charms, and Sweetly Dazzles in Arena Remount
BWW Review: BOOK OF MORMON Remains Spectacularly Hilarious
BWW Review: Earthbound NEWSIES Charms With Punk Hero and Youthful Fervor
BWW Review: APPROPRIATE Sports Multiple Meanings and Graveyards
BWW Review: Long Sufferings Redeemed by Pure Longings – and Bluegrass Music – in BRIGHT STAR
BWW Review: Break Out the Mindless Nostalgia With CP's Re-Engineered GREASE
BWW Review: Tappin Music Carries the Night – at the Knight – in Opera Carolina's I DREAM
BWW Review: Homespun BARBECUE APOCALYPSE Improves With Age
BWW Review: Egg-spressive Brothers Cook Up SOMETHING ROTTEN for Elizabethan Stage
BWW Review: Time's Up for Heavy Drama in THE MERMAID HOUR, but the Lyricism Lingers On
BWW Review: Comedy and Dread Haunt THE HUMANS in Lower Manhattan
BWW Review: New RITE OF SPRING Showcases the Best of Charlotte Symphony and Ballet
BWW Review: Actor's Theatre Brings THE MOUNTAINTOP Down to Earth – So It Can Soar
BWW Review: WAITRESS Frequently Betrays Its Southern Heart With Loudness and Silliness
BWW Review: Lucia Stetson Brings a Regal, Enigmatic EVITA to CPCC
BWW Review: Landing the Next LeBron Is Step One in KING LIZ -- but Can She Keep Him in Line?
BWW Review: People Messing With Other People Keep THE LUCKIEST PEOPLE Lively
BWW Review: The Truly Innovative Dances of Charlotte Ballet's INNOVATIVE WORKS Are Mesmerizing
BWW Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK Sports Heavy-Metal Vulgarity
BWW Review: Amid a Record Cold Wave, Nosky Brings the Heat of VIVALDI'S FOUR SEASONS
