Charlotte Theater Reviews

Review: TURANDOT at Belk Theater
by Perry Tannenbaum - April 22, 2024

Yes, a grand opera was inserted at Belk Theater as the clock or calendar was winding down! Around the world, Callas, Nilsson, and Sutherland are among the divas who have graced the powerhouse role of TURANDOT, and Franco Zeffirelli's production at the Met is as revered for its stateliness and splend...

Review: CATCHING THE MOON at Children's Theatre Of Charlotte
by Vickie Evans - March 25, 2024

'CATCHING THE MOON' at Children's Theatre Of Charlotte is an awesome depiction of a very impactful figure in African American history, Marcenia Lyle, aka Toni Stone....

Review: The Broadway Stage Play THE MOUNTAINTOP Debuts at Theatre Charlotte
by Vickie Evans - February 17, 2024

The Mountaintop is an interesting spin from the mind of Katori Hall of a fictitious conversation between Dr. King and a maid named Camae in the Lorraine Motel the day before his assassination. I find her creativity and imagination very vivid and enlightening indeed especially since it did have some ...

Review: CONFEDERATES Makes Its Debut in Charlotte, North Carolina at The Arts Factory
by Vickie Evans - February 12, 2024

Confederates is a thought-provoking stage play that depicts two women - a slave and professor, on similar journeys....

Review: BNS PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS AUGUST WILSON'S 'THE PIANO LESSON' at The Parr Center
by Vickie Evans - February 06, 2024

The Cast Of BNS Productions' adaptation of August Wilson's 'Piano Lesson' was absolutely superb which facilitated the outstanding presentation of an intriguing storyline....

Review: COMPANY at Blumenthal Performing Arts
by Perry Tannenbaum - November 27, 2023

Injecting diversity, switching genders pell-mell, and even gifting us with a gay couple, Marianne Elliott's overhaul of Stephen Sondheim's COMPANY isn't more illuminating or revelatory than the 1970 original. But the horseplay and the gay wedding-day shenanigans are wildly entertaining - and the sup...

Review: THE INTRICACY OF THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at Three Bone Theatre
by Vickie Evans - November 21, 2023

The acquisition of knowledge is important to me. Before this production, I knew nothing about The Lehman Brothers and their capitalistic pursuit. After the production, which was three-hours long, I thoroughly knew their evolution from shop owners to investment bankers and their integral role in the ...

Review: BRIAN CULBERTSON BRINGS HIS TRILOGY TOUR TO CHARLOTTE, NC at Knight Theater
by Vickie Evans - November 17, 2023

Music is a soother of the soul. Seeing Brian Culbertson in person is such a jubilant experience. The melodious display of jazz, R&B, Funk, and Soul bought theater patrons so much joy that was expressed in dancing, singing, and toe-tapping....

Review: SPEAKEASY TAKES A 'SOULFUL RIDE' at Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Booth Playhouse
by Vickie Evans - November 15, 2023

Speakeasy is a good modern dramatization that reminds me of the days of Blaxploitation fiims and African American sitcoms....

Review: PHILLIP JOHNSON RICHARDSON RETURNS 'HOME' TO CHARLOTTE, NC IN THE PRE-BROADWAY REVIVAL OF 'THE WIZ'
by Vickie Evans - November 09, 2023

Excellent Show! First time as a theater reviewer that I had no criticism at all. Every aspect of the production (cast, music, costumes, set, choreography, etc.) was EXCEPTIONAL....

Review: FUNNY GIRL at Blumenthal Performing Arts
by Perry Tannenbaum - October 20, 2023

They haven't fixed the clunky storytelling or finally used actual Fanny Brice material, but FUNNY GIRL still scores big when it comes equipped with an electrifying lead and a top-notch cast....

Review: TIRED SOULS: THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT at Children's Theatre Of Charlotte
by Vickie Evans - October 10, 2023

Mike Wiley, The Playwright, cleverly foretold the story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by randomly choosing audience members to portray historic African American heroes. It was entertaining, but not as full-scale and visual as the productions I am accustomed to....

Review: MJ, THE MUSICAL 'Started Somethin' at Belk Theater
by Vickie Evans - October 07, 2023

As a fan of Michael Jackson, 'MJ, The Musical' showcased the behind the scene genius of Michael in the preparation of the 'Dangerous' tour....

Review: A SOLDIER'S PLAY at Free Reign Theatre
by Vickie Evans - September 07, 2023

'A Soldier's Play', Presented At Free Reign Theatre, Rock Hill, SC, Was Brilliant And As Equally Exciting As The Movie Adaptation, 'A Soldier's Story'....

Review: Boney James Makes a 'DETOUR' To The 'Queen City' At Knight Theater
by Vickie Evans - August 14, 2023

Boney James performed to a packed house of fans at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center's Knight Theater. I absolutely loved EVERY MOMENT of the 90-Minute soulful jazz serenade....

Review: SIX THE MUSICAL at Blumenthal Performing Arts
by Perry Tannenbaum - July 08, 2023

What did our critic think of SIX THE MUSICAL at Blumenthal Performing Arts?...

Review: I AND YOU at Theatre Charlotte
by Perry Tannenbaum - June 22, 2023

Within a restrictive two-hander format, Lauren Gunderson hatches a surprise beyond my imagination in I AND YOU, parlaying the pleasures of Walt Whitman, John Coltrane, and Jerry Lee Lewis along the way....

Review: ONLY AN OCTAVE APART at Spoleto Festival USA
by Perry Tannenbaum - June 12, 2023

Starring Anthony Roth Costanzo and Justin Vivian Bond, ONLY AN OCTAVE demonstrates how much we've changed - and how much we haven't - since Carol Burnett and Beverly Sills first sang the song in 1976, one year before Spoleto arrived in Charleston. But what about 2011, when Taylor Mac strutted onstag...

Review: THE BOOK OF LIFE at Spoleto Festival USA
by Perry Tannenbaum - June 03, 2023

Kiki walks the walk in reacting to the 1994 Rwandan genocide, offering healing to both survivors and perpetrators while building anew in the ruins....

Review: AN ILIAD at Spoleto Festival USA
by Perry Tannenbaum - June 03, 2023

David O'Hare's AN ILIAD can be taken as one man's distillation of Homer's ancient oral epic, or as one of many, many possible Iliads that could be written about the wars that plague mankind....

Review: The Third Annual BIPOC Playwrights Festival Chooses a Finalist at Comedy Arts Theater of Charlotte
by Vickie Evans - June 01, 2023

THE THIRD ANNUAL BIPOC PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL CHOSES A FINALIST at Comedy Arts Theater Of Charlotte? The event was presented to a sold-out audience. It was a delightful event that showcased four well-written staged readings written by playwrights of color....

Review: THE GLORIOUS WORLD OF CROWNS, KINKS AND CURLS at The Arts Factory
by Perry Tannenbaum - May 11, 2023

Written for a streamed production in 2021, Keli Goff’s CROWNS, KINKS AND CURLS needed some alterations for a live staged presentation, and Three Bone Theatre has solved most of those tailoring problems admirably. When Goff comes to Charlotte for a talkback, she'll see the rousing ambiance she has cr...

Review: PETER PAN at Knight Theater
by Perry Tannenbaum - April 28, 2023

The new Charlotte Ballet production of PETER PAN, choreographed by Christopher Stuart, is the most inclusive and politically correct I've seen, retaining sets and costumes from previous editions while completely changing the music. Plenty of delightful surprises and only one SOS: it's a no-fly zone....

Review: CLUE at Matthews Playhouse
by Perry Tannenbaum - April 20, 2023

With deft direction that plumbs the depths of silliness in turning a Parker Brothers board game to farce, Jill Bloede weds the flimsiness of the 1985 film's plot with a divinely flimsy set populated by precision actors scurrying around amid flawless transitions and scene changes, lifting Sandy Rusti...

Review: INTO THE WOODS at Blumenthal Performing Arts
by Perry Tannenbaum - April 14, 2023

The new Broadway revival of INTO THE WOODS, now touring with a significant portion of the New York cast, dispels the too-clever-by-half aftertaste I've experienced in previous productions and bares Stephen Sondheim's heart in an affecting tribute to the late master....