DERBY DINNER PLAYHOUS

by Taylor Clemons - December 05, 2025

Original musicals that aren’t based on movies are becoming all too rare these days. Most of the fare tends to be adaptations of popular films, and these musicals can vary in quality. However, every once in a while, something fresh or unique breaks through and becomes a success. It makes me so happy ...

by Taylor Clemons - October 17, 2025

I’m happy to report that Water for Elephants has come out swinging - Not since the 2013 revival of Pippin has there been so much acrobatic work onstage at Whitney Hall!  Based on the novel and film of the same name, this brand new circus-centric musical is now embarking on its national tour, with ea...

by Taylor Clemons - October 16, 2025

Last night’s performance of The Notebook at the Arnoff Center for the Arts in Cincinatti felt like an evening I spent feeling the gambit of emotions. And that lingered long after I left the theatre....

by Taylor Clemons - September 13, 2025

What did our critic think of BACK TO THE FUTURE at Aronoff Center?...

by Taylor Clemons - August 26, 2025

In 2017, Come From Away quickly took Broadway and theatre lovers by storm. After its Broadway run and two successful national tours, the rights have finally become available, and it’s unsurprising that Derby Dinner Playhouse would be the venue to take on its return to the Louisville/Southern Indiana...

by Taylor Clemons - April 24, 2025

Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet might be the most well-known story ever. It is taught in schools across the globe, constantly performed, and countless adaptations have made the story of these famous star-crossed lovers a truly timeless and valuable piece of media....

by Taylor Clemons - March 28, 2025

Peter Pan is a classic story I venture to think most people know: the story of three siblings whisked off to Neverland by a boy who won’t grow up, where they have adventures and fight pirates. The Disney version is the most famous, but the stage version has been performed for decades. A new national...

by Taylor Clemons - February 22, 2025

What did our critic think of URINETOWN at Derby Dinner Playhouse? What is Urinetown? For the purposes of this review, I’m going to be referring to the musical, not the place. Urinetown premiered on Broadway in 2001 and was an early, popular example of meta-satire in the Broadway musical landscape. I...

by Taylor Clemons - February 22, 2025

What did our critic think of MOULIN ROUGE at Whitney Hall At KPA?...

by Taylor Clemons - February 20, 2025

What did our critic think of KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Aronoff Center?...