Memphis Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: PETER PAN at Orpheum Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - November 29, 2024

These are some of the first lyrics that made me fall in love with musical theatre. I have been a fan of Peter Pan as long as I can remember, and was always jumping around my room, trying to fly. When I worked at Walt Disney World, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell were my favorite characters to work with, an...

Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Playhouse On The Square
by Kevin Shaw - November 23, 2024

What did our critic think of THE WIZARD OF OZ at Playhouse On The Square?...

Review: MOULIN ROUGE at Orpheum Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - October 30, 2024

Truth. Beauty. Freedom. Love. The Bohemian ideals combined with a spectacular medley of tunes, some incredible choreography, and a love story for the ages. ...

Review: THE SMELL OF THE KILL at Germantown Community Theatre
by Theresa Bertram - October 30, 2024

What did our critic think of THE SMELL OF THE KILL at Germantown Community Theatre?...

Review: THE MOUSETRAP at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - October 17, 2024

When A CHORUS LINE opened on Broadway in 1975, no one could have predicted that it would go on to earn the distinction of being the longest running Broadway show of its time. It ran for almost 15 years and played over 6,000 performances! Since then, five other musicals have gone on to pass that Broa...

Review: GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY at Orpheum Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - October 09, 2024

Let me start off by saying, never have I left the theatre feeling so confused. That, apparently, is to be expected from 'Girl from the North Country', the latest Orpheum Memphis feature. My companion turned to me and said, 'do you understanding anything that just happened?' And as we walked to our c...

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Circuit Playhouse
by Kevin Shaw - September 18, 2024

What did our critic think of WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at Circuit Playhouse?...

Review: WAITRESS at Playhouse On The Square
by Kevin Shaw - August 27, 2024

Musical theatre is known for showcasing the extraordinary. From GYPSY to MOULIN ROUGE to an ogre named SHREK, the most unusual protagonists imaginable are what are on display. Phantoms, witches, cats and even puppets (AVENUE Q) are what audiences have come to expect. Musicals are built for “transpor...

Review: MAMMA MIA at Orpheum Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - July 24, 2024

Mamma Mia... here we go again! The hit musical has returned to Memphis and is a fantastic ending of the 2023-2024 season. It's a smash hit but what makes it so popular? It might be the iconic tunes, featuring the music of pop sensations ABBA, or the themes of female empowerment, or the bright and fu...

Review: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN at Playhouse On The Square
by Kevin Shaw - July 03, 2024

Frank Abagnale, Jr. is a REAL character. And by real, I mean totally fake. According to his 1980 memoir and the 2002 film starring Leonardo DiCaprio (directed by Steven Spielberg), this man claims to have worked as an assistant state attorney general, a Pan Am commercial airline pilot and a hospital...

Review: RODGERS AND HAMMERSTEIN'S CINDERELLA at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - June 13, 2024

The directing/choreographic team of Jordan Nichols and Travis Bradley are back again to deliver the highest quality show one could ever imagine-professional or not. The sheer man hours that have gone into producing this mammoth production are clear at every turn....

Review: THE HOT WING KING at Circuit Playhouse
by Kevin Shaw - May 16, 2024

A couple of months ago, newly elected Memphis Mayor Paul Young, in partnership with the African American Mayors Association, announced the launch of the Black Mayor’s Coalition on Crime which is an initiative to “harness the collective power of black mayors across the nation to fight crime.”...

Review: YOUR ARMS TOO SHORT TO BOX WITH GOD at Playhouse On The Square
by Kevin Shaw - May 08, 2024

The recent college campus protests in America seem to have surprised and bewildered a lot of people around the world. Why do privileged students who can afford a college education risk being expelled or jailed over a conflict in Gaza? Graduations are currently being cancelled, people are being arres...

Review: STEEL MAGNOLIAS at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - April 30, 2024

What’s up with all these therapists’ offices masquerading as beauty parlors? Women walk into these places as broken shells of themselves and often walk out feeling on top of the world. Sure, they get their hair and/or nails done, but they get so much more than just that. They’re renewed....

Review: MASTER CLASS at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - April 12, 2024

For opera lovers around the world, Maria Callas was a gigantic figure well known for her unusual and daring performances. She was a singer who ruled the classical musical world for a large part of the 20th century and left an indelible mark with her talent and her larger-than-life personality....

Review: WICKED at Orpheum Theatre Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - April 05, 2024

I'll start my review by saying Wicked is my favorite musical of all time. I have seen it 10 times now, all in different cities, and each time left the theatre with tears in my eyes and my heart feeling a little lighter. This is the greatest example of how magical theatre can be, in my opinion. And m...

Review: POTUS at Circuit Playhouse
by Kevin Shaw - March 29, 2024

What did our critic think of POTUS at Circuit Playhouse? As with any comedy, and farce particularly, timing is everything and it takes about half of Act I before the cast finds their rhythm and ensures the audience is keeping up with them. It’s a lot all at once. ...

Review: YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Circuit Playhouse
by Kevin Shaw - March 22, 2024

What did our critic think of YOU'RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN at Circuit Playhouse? On its surface, it’s difficult to articulate just how such simply drawn characters with simply framed personalities have endured for so long. Perhaps that’s the secret to Schulz’s “Peanuts Sauce”-simplicity....

Review: MRS. DOUBTFIRE at Orpheum Theatre Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - March 14, 2024

What did our critic think of MRS. DOUBTFIRE at Orpheum Theatre Memphis?...

Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - March 14, 2024

What did our critic think of BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at Theatre Memphis? According to Executive Producer Debbie Litch, Theatre Memphis is in the midst of its most successful season since being founded in 1920! Can you even fathom what that means? It means more people are lining up to see ...

Review: LES MISERABLES at Orpheum Theatre Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - February 08, 2024

What did our critic think of LES MISERABLES at Orpheum Theatre Memphis? This will be the 10th time Les Miserables captivates Memphis audiences at the Orpheum Theatre and it is no less stunning than the previous performances. Based on the 1862 French novel of the same name by Victor Hugo, Les Miserab...

Review: A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Theatre Memphis
by Kevin Shaw - January 30, 2024

What did our critic think of A RAISIN IN THE SUN at Theatre Memphis? The fuel for the human spirit seems to be propelled by two things: Dreams and Faith. They sound like the same thing, but there’s a distinct difference. One is about seeing, and the other is about believing. Some people have faith w...

Review: CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Playhouse On The Square
by Kevin Shaw - January 28, 2024

What did our critic think of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY at Playhouse On The Square?...

Review: THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at Circuit Playhouse
by Kevin Shaw - January 27, 2024

What did our critic think of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at Circuit Playhouse?...

Review: COMPANY at Orpheum Theatre Memphis
by AniKatrina Fageol - January 04, 2024

Company returns to the Orpheum stage but it's likely not the show you remember! A 1970 muscial with music and lyrics by the late great Stephen Sondheim and book by George Furth, Company has been transformed since its revival, which is what Memphis audiences are witnessing this week. ...