INDIANAPOLIS THEATER REVIEWS

We had the honor to speak recently with one of the stars of the upcoming production of THE LION KING that is coming through Indianapolis shortly for Broadway Across America. Gerald Ramsey is portraying the iconic character of Mufasa and has done so for a few years now....

A period of intense drought hardly seems the breeding ground for either hilarity or romance, but RAINMAKER somehow manages to make a drought the perfect setting for both. Its fast-paced dialogue and intense characters help it strike a balance of fun and thought-provoking moments....

Six week after giving birth I braved the outside world with my daughter for the first time completely on my own. We went to a breastfeeding support group at a local hospital. I was completely overwhelmed, sleep-deprived and somehow managed to get lost in the winding corridors. The adventure ended wi...

In 1956 Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins spent one evening jamming together at Sun Studios. The group was referred to as the 'Million Dollar Quartet' and the recording became famous. Years later a musical was made to commemorate that famous night and the show is on stage...

When the Theatre on the Square closed the Indy theatre community couldn't help but worry and speculate about what would happen next. It breathed a collective sigh of relief when the building was saved. Now named The District Theatre, the Mass Ave space opens its doors with the musical Forbidden Broa...

There's a new theatre company in town and its inaugural production is not to be missed. Summit Performance Indianapolis, co-founded by Lauren Briggeman and Georgeanna Smith Wade, opened Silent Sky at the Phoenix Theatre this past weekend. The play by Lauren Gunderson tells the true story of the astr...

Once you've read past the words 'happily ever after,' the book typically closes and all is right with the world. But INTO THE WOODS takes that idea and turns it on its head. Haven't you ever wondered what happens beyond those three words? Is the prince really that charming? Does the death of an enem...

It may have been 20 years since RENT first took Broadway by storm, but there's a clear reason why it's earned a 20th anniversary tour. It resonates with truths that echo through all decades, not just the one in which it was created....

DOGFIGHT seems to imply a ring of competitors, lots of sweat, and probably a few black eyes. But in this frolicsome musical it means an all-out brawl…about who has the ugliest date. This, combined with a trio of 'bad boys,' makes DOGFIGHT a real treat for viewers who visit Buck Creek Players....

Here's the premise, it's 1963 and the night before three soldiers are about to be shipped off to Vietnam. They've decided to hold a dogfight, a marine tradition where each guy tries to find the ugliest date possible. The winner takes the pot and the girl is never the wiser. Eddie Birdlace (Patrick D...

'Womanhood shouldn't always mean motherhood.' The line from Tom Horan's new play about the invention of the birth control pill is sure to start some interesting conversations. Horan is the Phoenix Theatre's playwright-in-residence and this is the world premiere of The Pill. The show is performed by ...

What do you do when an author dies before his work is finished? You make it into a 'choose your own adventure' musical of course! Audience goers get the rare experience of choosing not only the murderer, but also which lovers end up together and who plays the detective in the Actors Theatre of India...

Indiana Repertory Theater closes its season with the slamming of the door, or rather many slamming doors, in Noises Off. I'll admit that farces don't tend to tickle my funny bone, but this one is an exception to the rule. It rises above the general stereotype of mistaken identities and slapstick (th...

If you don't know the "Mean Girls" meets "Harry Potter" story line, WICKED is a remixed version of the goings-on before the movie, "The Wizard of Oz" and the majority of the story takes place prior to Dorothy's arrival. The story is told as a flashback by Glinda as Ozians celebrate the death of the ...

If you enjoy the old Hollywood, the one full of glamour and beautiful people and genuinely great dancing, then SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is all of that-plus a healthy dose of humor! SINGIN' IN THE RAIN is a musical theater classic and therefore a mite intimidating to take on because expectations will be s...

When the play you're about to see is a murder mystery called "And Then There Were None", you know there will be a body count. The deliciously dark Agatha Christie novel comes to life on the stage in the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre's current production. Unlike most of its shows, this one is held i...

Music and plot are so closely intertwined in Appoggiatura, that you can't mention one without the other. Even the title reflects this, it means: a grace note performed before a note of the melody and falling on the beat. The play, part of a trilogy written by playwright-in-residence James Still, fol...

It is a simple act to overlook those beneath you as you go about your daily life, eager to get to the next appointment or entertainment. All of this hubbub is a distraction from what goes on in the alleys and dark areas where you'd rather not look. But if you manage to 'look down,' you'll see and me...

In the world of healthcare, the topic of insanity is often pushed into a corner and left to fester on its own. This sometimes sinister area of medicine can show both how much humanity we have and how little is left in us when confronted with the frailty of others. These deep and dark subjects permea...

One bride, one mom, and three potential dads all on one Greek island; the premise of Mama Mia! might seem silly, but its playful absurdity provides the right framework for a musical built around ABBA songs. Beef & Board Dinner Theatre's current production captures that spirit and runs with it....

When the name Jane Austen is bandied about, one does not necessarily think slapstick comedy. However, somehow Kate Hamill has adapted SENSE AND SENSIBILITY to be a vehicle for uproarious laughter, to the delight of the audiences at the Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre in Carmel....

I think we all felt the earth move a little bit at Clowes Hall this week. Beautiful, the musical of Carol King's life, is on stage now. The singer/composer famous for hits like 'It's Too Late' and 'You've Got a Friend' had a incredible career and the musical chronicles her rise to stardom in the 196...

A Raisin in the Sun, the seminal work of playwright Lorraine Hansberry, tells the story of Walter Lee Younger and his family. Their dreams and plans have been thwarted and yet a ray of hope remains in the form of a life insurance check which could provide a new future for all of them. The Indiana Re...

A rock musical, excellent vocals, intimate venue, what more can you ask for? Zach and Zack Productions newest offering, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, premiers at the Epilogue Playhouse tonight. The show hits all the right notes with a powerful lead performer, a perfect space, and audio and lighting tha...

Beef & Boards Dinner Theater kicks off its 45th season with Greater Tuna . The show is set in a small Texas town in the 1980s where a bevy of local rednecks live. Playing more than a dozen characters, Eddie Curry and Jeff Stockberger perform the entire show....