Madison Theater Reviews

Review: WHO'S YOUR BAGHDADDY? OR, HOW I STARTED THE IRAQ WAR at Music Theatre Of Madison
by Scott Rawson - August 21, 2023

What did our critic think of WHO’S YOUR BAGHDADDY? OR, HOW I STARTED THE IRAQ WAR at Music Theatre Of Madison?...

Review: SIX at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - August 02, 2023

What did our critic think of SIX at The Overture CenterI have been hearing the buzz that surrounds this musical for quite some time and was excited to see in it in the 2023 line up. It did not disappoint. Everything from the choreography to sound was amazing....

Review: SHINING IN MISERY at Capital City Theatre
by Scott Rawson - February 25, 2023

From “Carrie” to “The Bazaar of Bad Dreams”, Shining in Misery a King Sized Parody, covers it all. People from Castle Rock, Derry, and even as far away as Jerusalem’s Lot, are raving about this amazing show! Sponsored in part by World Premier Wisconsin, Capital City Theatre, has really embraced thei...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Wows At The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - February 22, 2023

 The last time I saw this show live I was a young man. It affected me on a very visceral level. That was back in 1993, the twenty-year celebration. Ted Neely and Carl Anderson starred as Jesus and Judas, respectively. Now, thirty years later, we are at the fifty-year celebration. I was a bit trepida...

Review: AIRNESS at Forward Theater
by Scott Rawson - February 06, 2023

I did not attend Foreword Theater’s Airness on Saturday with any intention to review the show. In fact, I said to my partner, “It will be nice to just see theater again without it being my job.” Yet here we are. The reason for the review is simple. I want you to see this show. did our critic think o...

Review: HADESTOWN at The Overture
by Scott Rawson - January 25, 2023

The dancing was well choreographed, although, many numbers were very similar, presumably noting the tedium of the underworld. The use of the rotating stage was well executed, and the overall energy was high. In the end, although disappointed by the book and lack of passion between the two main coupl...

Review: COME FROM AWAY at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - November 18, 2022

What did     These 12 actors have created the most perfect professional ensemble show I have ever seen. There was no stand out star of this show, there were no pro or antagonists. There was only circumstances and stories. Often reviewers say things like, “This is not a show to be missed!’ “Catch it ...

Review: MEAN GIRLS at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - September 01, 2022

From being homeschooled in the savannas of Kenya to attending North Shore High School, Cady Heron (English Bernhardt) has some huge adjustments to make. With the help of her new besties, Damian Hubbard (Ian Young) and Janice Sarkisian (Lyndsay Heather Pearce) she will embark on a new adventure. High...

Review: HAMILTON at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - August 11, 2022

There have been a million reviews of Hamilton, so you may wonder what could I possibly add? I wondered the same thing. Even as I write this I wonder, there is no real insight here. Everything you have read is true. “It’s amazing!” “5 Stars!!” “Brilliantly written and stage!” All the things. Yes, it ...

Review: AIN'T TOO PROUD at Overture Center
by Angie Stanton - June 16, 2022

What did our critic think? AIN'T TOO PROUD THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS follows the timeline of the Temptations, a Grammy winning group with 42 top ten hits, from conception as narrated by Otis Williams (Marcus Paul James) the group's founder and only surviving original member....

BWW Review: NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 at Four Winds Farm For Capital City Theatre
by Angie Stanton - June 14, 2022

What did our critic think? Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812 is not your typical musical. It is an immersive, emotional, raucous ride that I was thrilled to have witnessed. It is not, to say the least, your typical musical. In fact, it is an electro pop opera featuring a mix of rock, pop, so...

BWW Review: DEAR EVAN HANSEN at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - May 12, 2022

Dear Evan Hansen has been a long-awaited show for this reviewer and it did not disappoint. The show was inspired by the true story of Benj Pasek, the show's lyricist, who, after a high school classmate died of a drug overdose, witnessed classmates tell false stories of being part of the deceased stu...

BWW Review: THE PROM at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - March 23, 2022

The Prom is a hilarious romp about a very weighty and far-reaching issue. The issue of course is that actors are perceived as narcissistic and shallow. Well, that and a high school in Indian is canceling the prom so that out of the closet lesbian Emma (Kaden Keaney) won't attend....

BWW Review: NASSIM at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - March 10, 2022

I cannot imagine the bravery of the actor in last nights performance of NASSIM. The premise is simple. One actor on stage performing a never seen script....

BWW Review: HAIRSPRAY THE MUSICAL at The Overture Center
by Scott Rawson - February 25, 2022

Hairspray The Musical is based in 1962 Baltimore, the show answers the question, “Can a big girl with big hair and even bigger dreams, dance her way into changing the world?”...

BWW Review: FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at Overture Center
by Angie Stanton - November 19, 2021

After nearly two years, the Overture Center welcomes back Broadway touring shows. There’s no better show to usher in the new season than FIDDLER ON THE ROOF with its theme of tradition, and it was a roaring success....

BWW Review: ROUGH CROSSING at American Players Theatre
by Scott Rawson - July 05, 2021

It was another beautiful day up The Hill. Today’s picnic menu included canned cocktails (they’re better than you’d think), fried chicken and cholate mousse tort from an area café. It did not, unfortunately, include any Cognac....

BWW Review: AN IMPROBABLE FICTION at American Players Theatre
by Scott Rawson - June 17, 2021

Tonight’s festivities are especially exciting, James DeVita’s “An Improbable Fiction”! Six improbable Shakespearean characters hang out at The Boar’s Head Tavern during the plague...