Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 31

BWW Reviews: Standing Room Only Productions' NEXT TO NORMAL is Strong But Uneven
by David Clarke - February 02, 2014

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's wildly popular hit musical NEXT TO NORMAL is back on Houston stages, and audiences are packing the house. Last seen in the summer of 2012 at Stages Repertory Theatre, the almost entirely sung through musical is being produced by Standing Room Only Productions at Obsidian ...

BWW Reviews: Classical Theatre Company's DOCTOR FAUSTUS is Chillingly Mesmerizing
by David Clarke - February 01, 2014

Boldly re-envisioning classical drama is the mission of Classical Theatre Company, and their production of DOCTOR FAUSTUS, written by Christopher Marlowe and adapted by Timothy N. Evers, is theatrical magic that Houston audiences can savor. The company is breathing vibrant life into the playwright's...

BWW Reviews: Alley Theatre's FREUD'S LAST SESSION is Stimulating and Absorbing
by David Clarke - January 30, 2014

The Alley Theatre's production of Mark St. Germain's Off-Broadway smash hit FREUD'S LAST SESSION is a skillful exercise in crisp, engaging theatre. The play had its World Premiere in 2009 at Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts, where it became the longest-running show in that theatre's history...

BWW Reviews: Theatre Suburbia's UNDER A COWBOY MOON is a Light-Hearted Play
by David Clarke - January 28, 2014

Theatre Suburbia, Northwest Houston's longest-running all volunteer playhouse, is ringing in the new year with a production of local playwright Carl Williams' UNDER A COWBOY MOON. The light-hearted comedy takes place in the small west Texas town of Spitwhistle, where there really are only cowboys, l...

BWW Reviews: Society for the Performing Arts' FORBIDDEN BROADWAY Has Plenty of Bite
by David Clarke - January 26, 2014

One of my favorite memories from my last visit to New York City was seeing FORBIDDEN BROADWAY: ALIVE AND KICKING during previews at the 47th Street Theatre. As a fan of theatre and everything Broadway for a majority of my life, I relished the opportunity to be in attendance for a performance of the ...

BWW Reviews: Stark Naked Theatre Company's FAITH HEALER Creates Skeptics and Believers
by David Clarke - January 26, 2014

When it comes to theatre in Houston, I find that Kim Tobin and Philip Lehl, Co-Executive Directors at Stark Naked Theatre Company, only program plays that everyone should see. Thus, when they announced Brian Friel's FAITH HEALER, a play I was unfamiliar with, I began to immerse myself in any scrap o...

BWW Reviews: Theatre Under the Stars' WE WILL ROCK YOU is High-Voltage Entertainment
by David Clarke - January 23, 2014

Theatre Under the Stars is rocking the new year with the National Tour of Ben Elton's book musical WE WILL ROCK YOU, which proudly boats the songs of Queen as its score. The show had its world premiere in London in 2002, and celebrated its 10th anniversary on May 14, 2012 at London's Dominion Theatr...

BWW Reviews: Encore Theatre's AGNES OF GOD is Gripping and Emotional
by Kristina Nungaray - January 21, 2014

Encore Theatre is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a season of "Classic Works from the Past Seasons." Proving that they are well capable of tackling complex pieces, they are sailing into 2014 with John Pielmeier's AGNES OF GOD. The play, which opened on Broadway in 1982 and eventually inspir...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's US Premiere of THE PASSENGER is Brilliant
by David Clarke - January 20, 2014

Houston Grand Opera is kicking off 2014 with the most harrowing and exhausting evening of opera I have ever experienced, and as an audience member I couldn't be more thrilled. If you're simply looking for entertainment, you'll be better off seeing RIGOLETTO (the other opera being performed in repert...

BWW Reviews: Society for the Performing Arts Rocks Houston with ELVIS LIVES
by David Clarke - January 19, 2014

The National Tour of ELVIS LIVES is touted as an "unforgettable multi-media and live musical journey across Elvis' life," and it delivers. The two act show is made of four sets, or acts, that feature Elvis at key points in his career. Featuring finalists from Elvis Presley Enterprises' worldwide Ult...

BWW Reviews: Main Street Theater's INTO THE WOODS is Splendidly Beautiful
by David Clarke - January 17, 2014

When it comes to modern musical theatre, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine's INTO THE WOODS is definitely among the most beloved. The show had its world premiere in 1986, opened on Broadway in 1987, and won the 1988 Tony Awards for Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress in a Musical in a year that ...

BWW Reviews: The Alley Theatre's OTHER DESERT CITIES is both Fun and Dysfunctional
by Kristina Nungaray - January 16, 2014

We have all survived the holidays and have welcomed in a new year. Just in case Thanksgiving and Christmas didn't give you your fill of dysfunctional family drama, The Alley Theatre is kicking off 2014 with their production of Jon Robin Baitz's OTHER DESERT CITIES. Named Outstanding Play by the Oute...

BWW Reviews: Constantine Maroulis Rocks Houston with Solo Cabaret Concert
by David Clarke - January 11, 2014

New York City has 54 BELOW, Broadway's living room, where big name acts do acclaimed intimate cabaret concerts. Since it's inception, I have longed for a similar experience in my neck of the woods. Producer Tyce Green, along with Houston's The Music Box Theater, is gifting Houston audiences with the...

BWW Reviews: Theatre Southwest's HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES is Delightful, Light Comedy
by David Clarke - January 05, 2014

Prodigious playwright Alan Ayckbourn has been acclaimed for his craft many times during his lengthy career. Currently, Theatre Southwest is presenting his first really successful play HOW THE OTHER HALF LOVES. The 6 person comedy first debuted in 1969 at The Stephen Joseph Theatre in Scarborough, En...

BWW Reviews: Cone Man Running Productions' A SPONTANEOUS SMATTERING: HOLIDAY EDITION Puts the Ha Ha Ha in Happy Holidays
by David Clarke - December 22, 2013

Cone Man Running Productions and Obsidian Art Space's popular 24 hour play festival, A SPONTANEOUS SMATTERING, was given a seasonal spin for last night's holiday edition. Drawing a crowd of theatre diehards, family, and friends, everyone in attendance was curious to see what these skilled and talent...

BWW Reviews: Bayou City Performing Arts' TINSEL! SPAKLE! SHINE! A HOLIDAY GIFT is Equal Parts Exciting and Beautiful
by David Clarke - December 21, 2013

Bayou City Performing Arts (BCPA) is widely recognized in Houston for its inclusivity and diversity. The organization began in 1979 as the Montrose Singers, Inc. and has since expanded to include the Gay Men's Chorus of Houston (GMCH) , the Bayou City Women's Chorus (BCWC), and the Bayou City Choral...

BWW Reviews: 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL is a Raunchy Romp
by David Clarke - December 18, 2013

Premiering at the 2012 Edinburg Fringe Festival, 50 SHADES! THE MUSICAL edged out about two months before its competition, SPANK! THE FIFTY SHADES PARODY. 'The Original Parody' of E.L. James' blockbuster 50 Shades of Grey has received positive notices to rave reviews in Edinburg, Chicago, New York C...

BWW Reviews: MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals' FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS is a Effervescent Holiday Treat
by David Clarke - December 16, 2013

For one more weekend only, MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals is producing FOREVER PLAID: PLAID TIDINGS, the holiday themed spin off of Stuart Ross' 1990 Off-Broadway revue/jukebox musical FOREVER PLAID. In 1964, the four rising stars passed when they collided with a bus filled with Catholic schoo...

BWW Reviews: Main Street Theater's A CIVIL WAR CHRISTMAS: AN AMERICAN MUSICAL CELEBRATION is Brilliantly Crafted and Deeply Moving
by David Clarke - December 11, 2013

Every year, the holiday season is marked by gooey, theatrical mind-candy confections. The syrupy and saccharine spectacles fill audiences with joy and boil pots all over town. Yet, for 2013 Main Street Theater is taking a bold risk and producing the brilliantly crafted and deeply moving Houston Prem...

BWW Reviews: Stages Repertory Theatre's PANTO GOLDILOCKS is Double O'Fun
by David Clarke - December 09, 2013

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BWW Reviews: Theatre Under the Stars' ELF Offers More Sugar Than Substance
by David Clarke - December 09, 2013

ELF, a holiday themed musical, first opened on Broadway in 2010. With the 2003 motion picture of the same title starring Will Ferrell as source material, theatergoers all over were interested in the sugarcoated musical. Negative reviews lead to a re-tooling of the show, and it returned to Broadway i...

BWW Reviews: Cabal Productions' HUNTER GATHERERS Delights, Shocks, and Amuses
by David Clarke - December 06, 2013

Playwright Peter Sinn Nachtrieb has a distinctive and unique voice that makes for quality entertainment that encourages thought as much as it tickles our ribs. Currently, Cabal Productions is producing a hysterical production of his 2006 dark comedy HUNTER GATHERERS, which had a 2009 Houston Premier...

BWW Reviews: The Alley Theatre's THE SANTALAND DIARIES Delivers a Hearty Dose of Holiday Humor
by Kristina Nungaray - December 02, 2013

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, and while the hustle and bustle of the season is in full force, the Alley Theatre is presenting Houston audiences with the ultimate holiday treat. Back by popular demand, David Sedaris' cult Christmas classic THE SANTALAND DIARIES, adapted for stage by Jo...

BWW Reviews: Trebuchet Players' HAMLET is Appealingly Eclectic
by David Clarke - December 01, 2013

I can only imagine that one would be hard pressed to find someone who is not familiar with William Shakespeare's HAMLET. It is often produced in theatres and taught in many classrooms; however, this familiarity with the show doesn't make it any easier to being to life on stage. It is an ambitious un...

BWW Reviews: The Ensemble Theatre's DJEMBE AND THE FOREST OF CHRISTMAS FORGOTTEN is Entertaining, Feel-Good Musical Fairy Tale
by David Clarke - November 28, 2013

Just in time for the holiday season, The Ensemble Theatre is presenting the World Premiere of DJEMBE AND THE FOREST OF CHRISTMAS FORGOTTEN. The fairy tale features book, music, and lyrics by Carlton Leake and is directed and choreographed by Patdro Harris, the same team that brought us last season's...