Real life isn't easily split into two categories, comedy and drama. It's a mixture of joy and grief, often at the same time. Every Brilliant Thing captures that perfectly. The one-man show tells the story of an unnamed man whose mother tried to commit suicide multiple times. In an effort to show her... (more...)
Sonia and Vernon are a classic case of opposites attract in Beef & Boards' season opener They're Playing Our Song. The romantic comedy is great for anyone feeling nostalgic for the late 1970s. The decade specific choreography and costumes play such a prominent role, it's hard to imagine the story at... (more...)
The assumption when you take your seat for THE BOOK OF MORMON is that you will laugh, perhaps even laugh a lot, but that is far from the truth. You are much more likely to be in physical pain from full-belly laughing for nearly the entire show. Trey Parker and Matt Stone did an exceptional job using... (more...)
The first impression created by THE BOOK OF MORMON does not necessarily scream 'timeless themes,' but Corey Jones, who plays the General in the second national tour, begs to differ. The musical is the brainchild of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the creators of South Park, a duo expected to deliver hil... (more...)
Don't miss the final performance of “SLEIGH!, DASHING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS WITH HMC!” at Yardley Hall Johnson County Community College on Sunday December 9th. Conducted by Dustin S. Cates, Artistic Director of the Heartland Men's Chorus, and accompanied on piano by Robert Lamar Sims the chorus puts ... (more...)
It was our pleasure to be invited to review CIRCUMSTANTIAL HOLIDAYS by local playwright and director Christine Kruze, and we have to say that we came in with a certain amount of skepticism. That was a huge mistake on our part because the production was nothing but fun from start to finish.... (more...)
Many of us are sure to feel a surge of nostalgia as we recall the days when Dr. Seuss' beloved children's books graced our shelves. But nothing quite evokes that feeling as much as DR. SEUSS' HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! THE MUSICAL.... (more...)
'Elf the Musical,' that is playing at Beef & Boards this past holiday weekend, left this reviewer longing to go home and watch the 2003 movie that inspired the traveling musical. But, that's not because I was disappointed.... (more...)
As one might be able to guess from the title, The Mutilated is not a holly jolly Christmas story. The Tennessee Williams play is set in New Orleans and follows two frenemies who cross paths on Christmas Eve. The pair, Trinket and Celeste, are both broken souls with their own secrets. Gigi Jennewein ... (more...)
Tucked away in the newly renovated space behind the 924 Gallery downtown is the new gorgeous Cabaret. The space, formerly a warehouse and then a roller skating rink, is now a beautiful gem. Intimate tables sit close to a stage that hosts stars straight from Broadway. The theatre moved into its new l... (more...)
Education and race: there aren't too many issues that are more divisive in our country at the moment. The Indiana Repertory Theatre's current Upperstage production, Pipeline, tackles them both. The 90 minute play keeps a frantic pace as Nya, a public school teacher, finds out her teenage son has got... (more...)
Don Quixote, the infamous errant knight questing to save those in need and fighting windmills because he sees giants in their frames. He is a familiar character to most of us. Man of La Mancha is a classic musical inspired by the Spanish story. Beef & Boards' current production of the show features ... (more...)
Three men claiming to be Sherlock Holmes are being held in an asylum on an island. The famous detective's trusty sidekick, Dr. Watson, must make his way to the remote isle to identify the true Sherlock. The Indiana Repertory Theatre's season opener is a twisty mystery that keeps you guessing until t... (more...)
Bright Star is a bluegrass musical with a big heart. Written by banjo-playing renaissance man Steve Martin and Edie Brickell, the show is set in the hills of North Carolina in the 1940s with flashbacks in the 1920s. It is at times playful and at others steeped in nostalgia. There's a large ensemble ... (more...)
Many of us find ourselves caught up in the hubbub of daily life, constantly being pulled this way, then that. It becomes so easy to lose your way and forget that there can be more. BRIGADOON calls to us out of the misty forest to remember a simpler time, when life was focused on living and loving.... (more...)
When you go to a Broadway revue or a show featuring a mixture of performance types, you usually expect it to be good. You don't expect what had the pleasure to witness on Monday night.... (more...)
The Lion King is one of the epic Broadway shows that everyone should see at least once in their life. It's also one of the few stage productions based on a Disney movie that actually works. They never make the mistake of many movie-to-stage adaptations: sacrificing the heart of the story for the spe... (more...)
It seems impossible to improve upon a classic, but the touring company of THE LION KING has managed just that. It has shown that classics become so for a reason, and they can still take on new life in the hands of a talented director and cast.... (more...)
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.... (more...)
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.... (more...)
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... (more...)
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... (more...)
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... (more...)
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... (more...)
BWW Review: EVERY BRILLIANT THING Is Filled with Beautiful Moments at the Indiana Repertory Theatre
BWW Review: MURDER BALLAD Slays at Footlite Musicals
BWW Review: 1970s Rom Com Still Woos at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
BWW Review: BOOK OF MORMON Rings the Doorbell at Clowes Memorial Hall
BWW Review: Timeless Themes, Hilarious Package: Corey Jones on THE BOOK OF MORMON at Clowes Memorial Hall
BWW Review: The Heartland Men's Chorus Brings SLEIGH! DASHING THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS WITH HMC! To Yardley Hall for one night only
BWW Review: CIRCUMSTANTIAL HOLIDAYS at The Cat
BWW Review: HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS: THE MUSICAL Steals Hearts at Old National Centre
BWW Review: ELF THE MUSICAL Spreads Christmas Cheer at Beef & Boards
BWW Review: NoExit Performance Provides an Immersive Experience in THE MUTILATED
BWW Review: BETSY WOLFE: ALL BETS ARE OFF at The Cabaret
BWW Review: PIPELINE Tackles Education and Race at Indiana Repertory Theatre
BWW Review: MAN OF LA MANCHA Sparks Hope at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
BWW Review: HOLMES AND WATSON Keeps Audiences Guessing at the Indiana Repertory Theatre
BWW Review: BRIGHT STAR Shines at Phoenix Theatre
BWW Review: BRIGADOON Dazzles at Footlite Musicals
BWW Review: THE LION SINGS TONIGHT at The Cabaret
BWW Review: THE LION KING Wows at Broadway Across America
BWW Review: THE LION KING at Old National Centre
BWW Interview: THE LION KING Becomes a Servant King
BWW Review: RAINMAKER Makes a Splash at Buck Creek Players
BWW Review: CRY IT OUT at Phoenix Theatre
BWW Review: MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET Brings History to Life at Beef & Boards Dinner Theatre
BWW Review: FORBIDDEN BROADWAY opens the new District Theatre
BWW Review: SILENT SKY Shines Bright at Summit Performance Indianapolis
