DALLAS THEATER REVIEWS

Fortunately, for one weekend only, the gods of Uptown Players and Turtle Creek Chorale present a worthy 'concert version' that shouldn't be missed....

Well, DFW, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas with lights lining tree limbs, crowded mall parking lots, and holiday show ads stuffing mailboxes like they were stockings on December 25th. Still, even the grumpiest Grinch will have a hard time ignoring the "Sparklejollytwinklejingley" cheer s...

Like THE WIZARD OF OZ or CINDERELLA, PETER PAN is the kind of story reinvented as frequently as is it remembered. In a story packed with pirates, Indians, fairies, and flying, Peter's plan to never grow up is relatable to every kid and every kid-at-heart alike. In its newest incarnation, PETER PAN 3...

Somehow, it seems unfair to call Dixie Longate a 'drag queen.' Sure, she's an over-the-top personality in a tall wig and high heels, but her act is so much more than glitter and gossip (of which there is plenty). Her new show, NEVER WEAR A TUBE TOP WHILE RIDING A MECHANICAL BULL AND SIXTEEN OTHER TH...

Last night, at The Firehouse Theatre in Farmers Branch, the smash-hit Disney musical MARY POPPINS opened to a packed house. With an eager cast of nineteen singers and dancers, the recently converted industrial building was overflowing with energy and enthusiasm....

I think it's safe to say that everyone, by now, has heard that the hills are alive with THE SOUND OF MUSIC. The Broadway musical, which starred Mary Martin in 1959 (and Julie Andrews on film six years later), is easily one of the most familiar titles in the musical theater catalog. With family audie...

The timeless musical FIDDLER ON THE ROOF has moved audiences to 'happiness and tears' for more than five decades in theatres all over the world. The current production at Casa Mañana seemed to arouse those same emotions in theatregoers on opening weekend, even if this particular production isn't up...

In a way, theatre is a bit like pizza: a good slice is heavenly; but often, even a bad pizza is better than no pizza at all. On the other hand, sometimes the best pizza can turn into mediocre leftovers when you microwave it after it's sat around. On stage, sometimes the same can be a true…even the...

Last Friday, at a restaurant in downtown Dallas, the cast of Broadway's newest hit musical, MOONSHINE: THAT HEE HAW MUSICAL, celebrated their crowd-pleasing opening night amidst cocktails and cheers. Except it wasn't the celebration of their Broadway opening night they were celebrating: it was a par...

In 1964, HELLO DOLLY opened on Broadway, starring a relatively unknown, 43-year-old Carol Channing as the lead. Reviving the show in 1978, 1981, and 1995, Channing's personality is almost synonymous with the title character. With the demanding role requiring someone with a true star quality, many ce...

As the hot Texas sun starts to cool off, and school buses are back on the traffic-lined roads, one thing is clear: summer is nearly over, and fall is right around the corner. Just as Pumpkin Spice Lattes begin flowing at Starbucks, Texas Ballet Theatre welcomes in the new season with DRACULA, now on...

Growing up on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, cotton patches were nowhere to be found, and 'gospel' was hardly a part of my vocabulary. When I learned of COTTON PATCH GOSPEL at Theatre Too (the black box stage at Theatre 3), I must admit I was prepared to judge (and avoid) the show based solely on its titl...

When HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH opened off-Broadway in 1998, I'd just entered high school. As a teenage theatre geek in Massachusetts, my only available resources were local theatres, and the few Broadway cast recordings sold at the local mall, so I remained oblivious. When the 2001 movie was later p...

Often, we enter the theatre hoping to be moved, inspired, or educated. Other times, we go simply for the entertainment, and why not? Over at the Irving Arts Center, Mainstage Irving-Las Colinas and their cast of CURTAINS offers exactly that: a fantastic night of pure fun!...

Over in Addison, WaterTown Theatre has had a nearly invincible season. With stellar performances of BONNIE AND CLYDE, ALL MY SONS, and even the new work THE SPARK, the past ten months have been exciting and successful for the first-rate group. As their season finale, however, SWEET CHARITY fails to ...

Famous con artist Frank Abagnale Jr. managed to pass himself off as a pilot, an ER doctor and a lawyer between the ages of 15-21 before finally getting caught. Although he never tried his hand as an actor, Frank Jr.'s biography, CATCH ME IF YOU CAN, created dramatic opportunities for two other young...

Not only is OKLAHOMA! celebrated as the inaugural collaboration between theatre icons Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, but it's also credited as the first "book musical," a musical play where the songs and dances are fully integrated into the context of the show. Based on its reputation a...

Like most theatre enthusiasts, I've always enjoyed Stephen Schwartz's score for PIPPIN, with "Magic To Do" and "Corner Of The Sky" easily being my favorite songs. That being said, the original production of the show (which, admittedly, I knew only from the VHS recording of the original Broadway cast...

My first experience with LES MISERABLES was in 1996, as a tween performing in my school's musical review. While most other kids learned the material and moved on, I saved my pennies for the cast recording, memorizing the show word-for-word. After moving to New York in 2004, my work provided me with ...

Everyone knows Cinderella. As one of the Brothers Grimm's most retold tales, this story made its way through the years from the pages of books to the stage and screen. So, it may come as a surprise that, in 2013, after dozens of successful movies (several of them musicals) and a handful of star-stud...

Before Broadway celebrated hit jukebox bio-musicals like JERSEY BOYS, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL or even MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET, a little show opened in 1989 called BUDDY: THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY. Written about the famous singer's short-lived career as a successful twenty-something-old music icon with signatu...

The lively Dallas/Fort Worth theatre scene thrives due to the many local artists working for little more than applause. While not every production can be a home run, it's always nice to see a company attempt to create something new and unique. With MAN OF LA MANCHA at Artes de la Rosa, kudos are due...

As the understudy to leading man Dan Deluca, Michael Ryan, the temporary Newsie leader, triumphs at Winspear Opera House!...

As a preteen in 1992, thanks to a 'free week' of The Disney Channel, I became an expert on the working conditions of the 1899 newsboys of New York, and their famous conflict with newspaper giants William Randolph Hurst and Joseph Pulitzer. I also discovered a love for musical theatre, as I watched t...

Known for its challenging music and intricate lyrics, written masterfully by musical theatre icon, Stephen Sondheim, INTO THE WOODS is a staple among theaters across the country. With nearly two dozen famous fairy tale characters, the show challenges audiences to think beyond 'happily ever after,' a...