MADISON THEATER REVIEWS

?A mesmerizing cascade of light, fog, and draperies send audiences into the colorful Land of Oz at the Fireside Dinner Theatre. Without the sudden Technicolor shock that the film has to offer, the stage adaptation must always concoct a way to conjure their twister to transport their heroine into her...

Cultivating a night of two shows that really show the drastic differences between how men and women deal with uncomfortable situations, the Sun Prairie Civic Theatre presented "A Night of Bridge and Beer" this past weekend. Featuring two one acts, The Coal Diamond by Shirley Lauro and Lone Star by J...

"…the plot revolves around the lives of the four March daughters - Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy - and follows their triumphs and tragedies as they grow up, fall in love, and face life." Per the playbill comes a simple, but altogether truthful, analysis of the lengthy goings on of Louisa May Alcott's cl...

The story itself begins to unfold as two people sit side by side in an imagined car. Not looking at one another at first, but they begin to interact intimately. It isn't until Liz Angle, as Li'l Bit, halts the physicality that Edric Johnson, as her Uncle Peck, will actually make eye contact....

?There's always some sort of debate regarding Scott Walker brewing in Madison. Despite what anyone thinks of him as a politician, there is a fairly large disdain for the man in the artistic community. This could not be clearer than in Broom Street's newest production written by former Wisconsinite B...

Every once in a while there is a performance that is completely open ended. Where every audience member walks away with a different sense of what happened, what it meant, and why it mattered. That is the case with a series of scenes entitled Beta Blockers, produced by Left of Left Center at TAPIT/Ne...

It seems fitting that Strollers Theatre would open one of The Bard's greatest comedies on Valentine's weekend as love is all around in Twelfth Night. Rekindled by the 2006 film She's the Man, this Shakespearian romantic romp is oozing with mistaken identity and heartsick characters. With some of th...

The Frequency off of West Main St. in Madison can give newcomers an eerie vibe. It's been well used in its time as a music venue and was the perfect spot for the latest Are We Delicious revue. Complete with indoor umbrellas, creepy little mummified trinkets, sage, a rosary, cloaking devices, and si...

Snippets of commercials and bygone television shows played throughout the thirty minutes prior to curtain. Cast upon draperies, the images were often distorted, seemed to be surrounding what a televised family life should be - all before ending with scenes from the day when President Kennedy was ass...

February 5th, amongst the cheering and hooting of the nerds in the next room at the Brink Lounge, was the 7th performance for a group of ladies in their monologue series entitled That's What She Said. Despite the pre-gaming for the Comic Con attendees, there were some powerful performance pieces goi...

Shattered glass. Upon entering the playing space inside of Bartell Theatre, audiences are confronted with shadowy lights, created by the gobos, that very closely resemble shattered glass. Or, perhaps, razor blades - but who can tell? That's the point of Erik Gernand's play The Beautiful Dark - ever...

'This play is difficult to talk about. On purpose," is how director Brenda DeVita's note in the playbill for her newest production begins. DeVita's brevity in her directorial note is a tribute to the sensitive nature of The Other Place as well as a testament to her talent as a director. The Other P...

Out on East Washington Ave lives a company of performers who perform acts of immense proportions- shows whose titles are unknown, obscure, and often totally absurd. In sixty minutes or so (in the late night Friday showcase at any rate) audience members are bombarded with spur of the moment comedy th...

It comes as no surprise to the inhabitants of Madison that a play should arise, an original production no less, that holds a political charge. In a city so focused on the rumblings of politics or making a change, an artistic protest is nothing to shock the masses. When the message outweighs the pol...

No, you don't need to get your eyes checked. If you happen by Overture Center before January 11th and see a bouncy redhead pestering a suave Cuban man while sporting the grimace of a beloved television star - follow her. I Love Lucy Live on Stage is 'filming' in front of Overture's live studio audi...

What can a group of talented writers and performers do with a Christmas theme? Surprisingly more than a spoof on good ol' Charlie Brown or a reenactment of The Nativity - no one can be quite sure what will take place at an original performance. When Impresario Tony Trout took the stage clad in an ...

During the holidays, no family is perfect - the royal family headed by King Henry II of England is certainly no exception. James Goldman's The Lion in Winter focuses on Henry II and his bizarre family dealings at his 50th Christmastide. Henry must finally declare who will be his heir, let his wife ...

Encore Studio for the Performing Arts is used to forcing its audiences to think - to see things in a different light, in another person's shoes, or to simply re-evaluate their own lives. The newest show, written by Executive Director KelsyAnne Schoenhaar does all of that during a season that is wrou...

Nothing says Christmas like watching Mommie Dearest descend the stairs in four inch heels, a robe, sheer pantyhose, and a smug grin of self-satisfaction.This holiday tradition is true, however, for the members of the Crawford family in StageQ's recent production of Christmas with the Crawfords writt...

What better way to inaugurate a theater than to put on a show with the pizazz of Mary Poppins. A name made famous by Walt Disney who based his film off of the written work of P.L. Travers. The Broadway musical is a crowd pleaser for certain with a great deal of help from a cast phenomenally chosen t...

Anyone familiar with the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat would know that it's one part kitschy and one part pure entertainment. It's meant to be a fun and over the top Broadway hit -frankly, there's nothing wrong with the quality showmanship required for this particular musical...

As one can imagine, an opera created by Ludwig van Beethoven is likely driven by intricate musicality. That assumption would be completely accurate as the plot is fairly simple and the characters are of common theatrical stock. Though these observations are true, Madison Opera's recent production of...

Though it is only November, before Thanksgiving no less, Christmas is in full swing at The Fireside Dinner Theatre. When audiences received holiday dishes before the curtain rose, they were provided with both warm hospitality by the staff as well as well named dishes. The Snowflake Salad, for ins...

Moises Kaufman is not a household name- a playwright, teacher, and creator of a new wave of theatre perhaps, but unknown to the majority of audiences. This journalist is particularly fond of the work of Mr. Kaufman and has difficulty finding performances of his masterpieces. Why? Moises Kaufma...

The Fireside's production of Les Miserables is a dream of which I've always dreamed....