The American Broadway musical has seen quite the evolution since the 1927 introduction of SHOWBOAT, widely considered the blueprint for using song and dance to advance a story’s plot. Over the years, audiences and technology have grown so sophisticated that 2025’s Tony Award winner for Best Musi…
What did our critic think of SUFFS at Orpheum Theatre Memphis?…
The 2025–2026 season at Playhouse on the Square could be summed up in one word: Renaissance. The overall quality of the productions, the size of the audiences, and the standard of excellence have all finally returned after suffering noticeably from the far‑reaching effects of the Covid pandemic.…
What did our critic think of BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at Orpheum Theatre Memphis?…
In this ever‑evolving technological revolution, people seem increasingly desperate to stand out. We now have 24/7 intimate access to what anyone, anywhere in the world is doing, thinking, or feeling. And in an almost futile attempt to feel special, hyperbolic language has become the norm.…
You likely learned the rhyme in school. If you are a history buff like I am, you know the names of each wife of King Henry VIII. And now this popular musical is back at the Orpheum, after first making HERstory in Memphis in November of 2023. Nearly 3 years later, the show is just as fun, just as vib…
Stephen King may be crowned the “King of Horror,” but his body of work stretches far beyond scares, encompassing dramatic classics like, “Stand By Me,” “The Green Mile” and “The Shawshank Redemption.” Audiences devour the novels, the films, or both—but notice what’s missing from …
Make this make sense: take a handful of successful Swedish pop songs from the 1970s, hand them to a British creative team to build a stage musical set on a Greek island, give it a commonly used Italian exclamation (“Mamma Mia!”), and watch it become an American phenomenon.…
What did our critic think of THE SOUND OF MUSIC at Orpheum Theatre Memphis?…
The city of Memphis is 63% African American. The nation’s first Black newspaper began here under the leadership of Ida B. Wells. The 1968 Sanitation Workers’ Strike brought Martin Luther King Jr. to this city, leading to his assassination and dramatically accelerating the national civil rights m…
30 total · showing 11–20
Music by Marc Shaiman, Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Book by Mark ODonnell and Thomas Meehan. Based on the John Waters film.June 7 30, 2019 Directed by Jordan Nichols and Travis BradleyAll American Musical. Its Baltimore in 1962 and Tracy Turnblads dream is to be on...
1776 (on the Lohrey Stage)Music and Lyrics by Sherman Edwards, Book by Peter StoneMarch 8 - 31, 2019 Directed by Cecelia WingateHistorical Commentary. A seminal event in American history as the nation is ready to declare independence... if only our founding fathers can agree...
Little Women In the Next Stage Based on the Novel by Louisa May AlcottFebruary 8 24, 2019 Adapted and Directed by Jason SpitzerA Period Romance. Four sisters live with their mother in New England as their father is away serving as a chaplain in the Civil War. The family recently...
A Touching Classic. Scout, a young girl in a quiet Southern town, and her brother are being raised by their father, Atticus, and their housekeeper. Set in 1935, Scout’s curiosity and inconvenient presence creates some sanity in a hard fought situation in the community as the...
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Next Stage Music and Lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheiken with additional material by Jay Reiss November 2 – 18, 2018 Directed by Cecelia Wingate Fast-paced and Funny. Mid-pubescents (played by adults) vie for the spelling...
From Bram Stoker’s Novel, Adapted by William McNulty October 12 – 28, 2018 Directed by Jason Spitzer Wild and Shocking. Professor Van Helsing and his brave comrades hunt to destroy the profoundly evil Count Dracula. But the Count is exceedingly resourceful, employing superhuman...
By Tracy Letts Directed by Jerry Chipman Pulitzer Prize Drama. The large Weston family unexpectedly reunites after Dad disappears and their Oklahoman family homestead explodes in a maelstrom of repressed truths and unsettling secrets. Mix a pill-popping, scathingly acidic...
By David Javerbaum Directed by Cecelia Wingate A God-Forsaken Comedy. Mysteries of the Bible are revealed while answering the existential questions that have plagued mankind since Creation — in just 90 minutes. The One with the first and last word on everything sets the record...
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison Book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar Directed by Jordan Nichols American Musical Parody. A man appears on stage and puts on his favorite record: the cast recording of a fictitious 1928 musical. The recording “comes to life” and...
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An Enemy of the People The Circuit Playhouse (9/11-10/04) |
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Mean Girls Playhouse in the Square (8/21-9/13) |
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A Swingin' Christmas Cabaret Tennessee Shakespeare Company (12/04-12/20) |
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Clown Bar Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis (9/24-9/26) |
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Rigoletto The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts (10/24-10/24) |
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The 10th Annual FREE Shout-Out Shakespeare Series: Love's Labor's Lost Tennessee Shakespeare Company (9/25-10/18) |
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Emerge: New Student Dance Works Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis (3/26-3/27) |
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Rent Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis (10/29-11/01) |
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CLUE Orpheum Theatre (9/15-9/20) |
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Titanic Department of Theatre and Dance, University of Memphis (4/22-4/25) |
