Review: PURITANI Is Bel Canto Bliss with Oropesa and Brownlee under Armiliato's Baton
by Richard Sasanow - January 07, 2026
The Met’s new production of Vincenzo Bellini’s I PURITANI made its debut on New Year’s Eve, but I caught up with it at its third performance on January 6. I was glad I did--because it offered a cast with staggering singing abilities in four major roles that offered major demands, along with at least...
Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON at ASU Gammage
by Herbert Paine - January 07, 2026
In a theatrical era where standing ovations are dispensed like party favors, THE BOOK OF MORMON at ASU Gammage on its opening night elicited a reaction that felt less like polite approval and more like an arena rock concert. Audiences weren’t just clapping, they were erupting, unable to contain thei...
Review: BACK TO THE FUTURE: THE MUSICAL at Ohio Theatre
by Paul Batterson - January 07, 2026
Comedian John Mulaney has famously raised a few uncomfortable questions about BACK TO THE FUTURE — why a teenager is best friends with a decades-older nuclear scientist, why no one uses a time machine for anything meaningful, and why the story hinges on Marty nearly romancing his own mother....
Review: SHUCKED at Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis
by Jared Fessler - January 07, 2026
At first glance, Shucked doesn’t seem like a show that should work. A Broadway musical about corn, packed with puns and country music, sounds like it might wear thin fast. But during its stop at the Orpheum Theatre, this touring production proves that beneath the dad jokes and folksy charm is a surp...