HOUSTON THEATER REVIEWS

Ambition, love, why we do the things we do, all of these topics get drawn out into the ether between the jokes and name-dropping. It's a deep piece despite it just being a rave and rant about a famous lady who hoards her stuff....

LOVE NEVER DIES is an unmitigated disaster of epic proportions. The show is a study of what happens when someone in power values consumerism over content. It is a production propelled by run-amuck theatrical vanity, seemingly produced with the single intention of filling seats, backed by a marquee n...

Neil Simon's GOD'S FAVORITE does what I believe good theatre is intended to do: take a multifaceted, complex topic and present it in a humanized, relatable, and entertaining manner. This can take many forms, and GOD'S FAVORITE pinpoints perhaps one of my favorite forms of theatrical communication: f...

This iteration of the Tamarie Cooper Show explores the leading lady's emotional baggage, battle against minor depression, and all of the discarded bad ideas that the troop has come up with when they were in line at 4am at Taco Bell. In other words, business as usual for Tamarie and her cast of usual...

Never before have I stepped into a theatre, seen the curtain rise, and then heard the familiar notes of Kelis' 'Milkshake' ring out from the stage. While this song seems out of place for a theatrical context, The Ensemble Theatre's SISTAS showcases a home for it onstage, along with over thirty othe...

A DARKER SWAN LAKE GLIDES ONTO HOUSTON'S JONES HALL STAGE...

Despite its flaws, it's hard not to enjoy GUYS & DOLLS. The music is infectious, and the characters are memorable. This production isn't perfect, nor is it a rendition of the old classic; some attendees are bound to be startled or surprised by the modern twists. But if you know what you're getting g...

STRANGERER things take place at the 2004 presidential debate, when President George W. Bush and Senator John Kerry decide to murder PBS newsman and debate moderator Jim Lehrer. Absurdist playwright Mickle Maher's funny and farcical reimagining of the debate is as ambitious conceptually as it is com...

JIM LEHRER AND THE THEATER AND ITS DOUBLE AND JIM LEHRER'S DOUBLE is strange, evocative, terrifying, and hilarious. For audiences seeking something out of the ordinary, for those who welcome intellectual challenges, and for folks who want a really big laugh, buy a ticket today....

In this age of whiz bang computer generated spectacles like STAR WARS or the AVENGERS, it's nice to sit down and take science fiction back to its roots. REPLICA aims at the human condition, and recreates it a little too perfectly to make anybody comfortable. ...

What can one say about a 90-minute play in which every other line is a punch line, and the plot really doesn't matter? I guess I'll find out....

Within the first few seconds of Kim Tobin-Lehl's amusingly frenzied entrance onto the 4th Wall stage in SHAKESPEARE IN VEGAS, one word immediately crossed my mind-'authentic'. For the subsequent two-hour performance, authenticity remained to be a theme present in the developed characters, the feel-g...

There is no other company in Houston that is better equipped to handle his material, and this production cements that with ease. It is presented with a casual decadence that perfectly captures the world of the black American musician during this time....

THE GREAT AMERICAN TRAILER PARK MUSICAL has officially joined the ranks as one of my all-time favorite musicals. Set on 'this side of the tracks,' the show will steal your heart and make your face hurt with laughter....

Following a striking 150 Houston premieres, delivering top-notch, relevant, contemporary theater that spanned a variety of genres to the Houston area, Theatre LaB Houston recently opened their final production of Richard Bean's KISS ME....

The play presents an interesting dilemma - what if genetic testing advanced enough that you could tell your baby was going to be gay? Would a straight couple still be willing to have it?...

HAMILTON is inarguably fantastic. It is extraordinary in its ability to cross every boundary and connect with audiences from every background. It is a masterpiece, a true work of art. It is visually stunning, musically astounding and, from top to bottom, the very definition of theatrical greatness....

The quiet semi-autobiographical drama gives harsh treatment to narrow interpretations of family as well as those who see the pain and suffering of another human being as an opportunity for a good story....

The writer and director are to be congratulated for managing to tell the story fully in one 80-minute, no-intermission production....

THE GOVERNMENT INSPECTOR is a fluffy piece, but has real bite when we look across at our current state of political officials. It almost hurts to laugh so hard at the Russians....

It's not a reinvention, but a celebration of the classical musical that delivers familiar songs and themes. It is well worth coming to this CABARET where indeed… life is beautiful....

SMALL BALL is a farcical, fantastical and downright fabulous basketball musical that tells a very human story about loss, love, and finding a home....

EIGHTH DAY OF THE WEEK is a lovely portrait of what family means in the face of the unthinkable. It's a positive and affirming show that taps something anybody can relate to, the need for your family to understand exactly what you are facing....

DARK MATTER is a complex show that requires the audience make connections for themselves. It is challenging theatre presented by passionate artists who find ways to keep it light enough to be entertaining....

DAISY is an interrogation of the current political arena, which is fun to watch, even when a dubious argument is presented....