Oklahoma Theater Reviews

BWW Review: 3rd Act's HAMLET is Wondrous Strange
by Adrienne Proctor - May 16, 2022

3rd Act Theatre Company closes out Season 3: UNKNOWN with the re-imagined, gender-bent, immersive HAMLET. Now through May 28th, Dakota Lee Bryant directs this superb cast in Hamlet's tale of revenge. Kathy Skaggs stars as Hamlet and she's supported by a cast who are ready to recite Shakespeare, dual...

BWW Review: Lyric Theatre's got the beat with HEAD OVER HEELS
by Adrienne Proctor - April 19, 2022

Lyric Theatre returns to indoor performances! Back at The Paula Stover Stage in the Plaza district, Head Over Heels is a welcome home celebration for theatre patrons. Decked out in vibrant colors, the cast of eight performs music of The Go-Gos to the story loosely based on Arcadia by Sir Philip Sidn...

BWW Review: UCO Opera's THE CONSUL Is a Haunting Tale of Caution
by Adrienne Proctor - April 05, 2022

UCO's opera department offers a cautionary tale. The Consul tells the story of one family trying to escape a country they can no longer call home. Though it ran on Broadway in 1950, it brings to mind current images that are seen on the news every night. Parallels to refugees and the bureaucratic sys...

BWW Review: Pride and Culture are on display with Lyric's DISTANT THUNDER
by Adrienne Proctor - March 29, 2022

Lyric Theatre's latest New Work is the Native musical DISTANT THUNDER. Distant Thunder tells the story of Darrell Waters. The young lawyer returns home to a community he doesn't remember and re-learns about his heritage, regaining new friendships and relationships along the way. Native culture is al...

BWW Review: UCO's SWEENEY TODD Cuts Deep
by Adrienne Proctor - March 07, 2022

UCO and Broadway Tonight's production of SWEENEY TODD: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a haunting and spooky telling of Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece. The wronged Sweeney Todd and the opportunistic Mrs. Lovett are two of the most beloved antiheroes in Musical Theatre history. This production ho...

BWW Review: TITANIC THE MUSICAL at Howard Theatre At Heritage Hall
by Theresa Bertram - March 02, 2022

As I walked through the parking lot of Heritage Hall's Howard Theatre, 1800 NW 122nd Street, in Oklahoma City, I knew TITANIC THE MUSICAL was a fitting show to see as I climbed over the literal ice bergs to get to the door. Just prior to the show dates Feb. 24-27, an ice storm came across southern U...

BWW Review: A BRIEF ENCOUNTER Moves Seamlessly at Jewel Box Theatre
by Kevan Dunkelberg - February 20, 2022

'Immersive' is one of those non-specific buzzwords that gets slapped on shows from time to time that could mean anything. There are undoubtedly more specific and meaningful words, and they could probably all be used to describe Jewel Box Theatre's production of BRIEF ENCOUNTER....

BWW Review: OKC Broadway twists and turns with reimagined OKLAHOMA! Revival
by Adrienne Proctor - January 27, 2022

The re-imagined version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's OKLAHOMA! is dark and twisting. It's controversial to say the least, and it makes its national tour stop now through January 30th at the Civic Center. OKC University alum Sasha Hutchings leads the dynamic and diverse cast in this modernized take o...

BWW Review: No requiem for DEAR EVAN HANSEN
by Adrienne Proctor - January 14, 2022

The national tour of Dear Evan Hansen makes its OKC stop at the Civic Center now through Jan 16th. When Evan's classmate commits suicide, his friends and family are left grappling and searching for answers. Evan constructs a friendship that never really existed between the two, and as the lie gets b...

BWW Review: ELF THE MUSICAL is a jolly good time!
by Adrienne Proctor - January 02, 2022

Elf The Musical is a jolly fun, heartwarming holiday tale for the whole family. Poteet Theatre inside St. Luke's United Methodist Church presents this musical on their cozy stage in downtown Oklahoma City. Buddy Hobbs grows up at the North Pole, and soon discovers he's not one of Santa's elves at al...

BWW Review: OKC Broadway's MEAN GIRLS is so fetch!
by Adrienne Proctor - December 29, 2021

OKC Broadway presents MEAN GIRLS now through January 2nd. Tina Fey's 2004 sleeper hit movie became a Broadway musical in 2018, and launched a national tour prior to the COVID pandemic in 2019. The live adaptation has fun choreography and a rocking score. The cast of professionals rock out in Broadwa...

BWW Review: Lyric Academy's SPONGEBOB is More Than A Simple Sponge
by Adrienne Proctor - December 17, 2021

The Thelma Gaylord Academy brings live theatre back to The Plaza District! The Academy students bring their A-game and impress with their portrayal of this genuine rock musical. With music from David Bowie, Sara Bareilles, and many more, SPONGEBOB proves himself to be more than just a simple kitchen...

BWW Review: The Pollard Dazzles this Holiday Season with IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE: A LIVE RADIO PLAY
by Adrienne Proctor - December 01, 2021

The Pollard Theatre is taking part in the territorial Christmas festivities in downtown Guthrie. Finally returning after a major setback earlier this year, The Pollard offers their new favorite and a Christmas classic. It's a Wonderful Life tells the story of George Bailey and the glimpse of the wha...

BWW Review: Lyric's A CHRISTMAS CAROL is Classic Christmas Fare
by Adrienne Proctor - November 19, 2021

Lyric Theatre returns for the second year to their outdoor space at The Harn Homestead. COVID moved the show outdoors, and the success of the event in 2020 brought it back for this holiday season. The walkthrough experience takes the audience along with Scrooge on his Christmas Eve journey amongst t...

BWW Review: HONK! THE UGLY DUCKLING MUSICAL at Howard Theatre At Heritage Hall Honks it's Way Into Your Heart
by Theresa Bertram - October 02, 2021

Presented at Heritage Hall, the cast, which is a mixture of kids ranging from elementary to high school, could rival some universities. Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen 1843 story The Ugly Duckling, HONK! retails the classic through song and dance and a little tongue and cheek humor, fit for...

BWW Review: Luck would have it with 3rd Act's THE RED LAMP
by Adrienne Proctor - September 20, 2021

3rd Act Theatre Company opens season 3, UNKNOWN, with the comedy of errors The Red Lamp. This mysterious red lamp is supposed to bring good luck to anyone who lights it, and the family at the center of this tale could use all the luck they can get. The Red Lamp is the first of a full lineup of shows...

BWW Review: The Pollard Theatre Company Struts Into Season 34 with THE 39 STEPS
by Adrienne Proctor - August 12, 2021

The 39 Steps is a farcical comedic thriller. The play within a play concept works well here in this parody of the 1935 Hitchcock spy murder mystery. The cast of four play multiple roles in this post-pandemic reopener. The Pollard Theatre in historic Guthrie, OK is back and better than ever....

BWW Review: MATILDA THE MUSICAL is not for the faint of heart
by Adrienne Proctor - July 27, 2021

Matilda: The Musical is the stage production based on Roald Dahl's beloved children's classic. Matilda Wormwood is growing up with parents who don't pay attention to her and only think of themselves. She rises above, using her extraordinary mind and capturing the heart of her teacher along the way. ...

BWW Review: Upstage Theatre's I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE is Funny and Fun
by Adrienne Proctor - July 19, 2021

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is a musical comedy told in a series of hilarious and poignant vignettes. Upstage Theatre presents the updated 2018 version of this long-running Off Broadway comedic force. A strong cast of sharp performers keeps the show feeling fresh with every new scene, and...

BWW Review: HAMLET WITH PIRATES is Drunk Classics at its booziest and best
by Adrienne Proctor - July 11, 2021

3rd Act Theatre's Drunk Classics tour is back again for Summer 2021. With stops at breweries around the metro area, this year's production of HAMLET WITH PIRATES is boozy, decadent, and fun. It's laced with audience selected improv edits, a drunk performer, and all the beloved Shakespearean characte...

BWW Review: The Freeland Center returns to Cherry Tree Lane with MARY POPPINS
by Adrienne Proctor - June 29, 2021

Mary Poppins: The Broadway Musical is presented by The Freeland Center in the most delightful way! This nostalgic walk in the park features iconic musical numbers in the most classic of Disney productions. Patrons go fly a kite and make up silly words with Mary the Magical Nanny in this lovely produ...

BWW Review: GREASE is The Word at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma
by Adrienne Proctor - June 16, 2021

America's Musical GREASE is an iconic, nostalgic musical that brings memories and earworms in droves. Lyric Theatre's Summer Production is presented outside at the Bishop McGuinness High School football stadium. Go back to high school with Sandy and Danny, The Pink Ladies, The T-Birds, and some gorg...

BWW Review: Jewel Box Swoops in with THE VULTURES
by Adrienne Proctor - June 14, 2021

Murder, mystery, and mayhem are on display in Jewel Box Theatre's THE VULTURES. This ensemble piece features a will, a way, and a whacky family who's vying for the fortune and keys to the castle. Jewel Box Theatre's Award Winning play from 2018 comes to life, but not without controversy. The robust ...

BWW Review: Southern Plains Productions gets a running start with SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS
by Adrienne Proctor - May 24, 2021

SMALL MOUTH SOUNDS is a play of silence and seeking. It follows six campers on a Silent Retreat as they seek to understand themselves and each other. Southern Plains Productions, a theatre company born out of the COVID pandemic, presents their opening act at The Myriad Water Stage. The cast must dev...

BWW Review: 3rd Act's HEARTBREAK HOUSE is Witty and Wild
by Adrienne Proctor - May 10, 2021

3rd Act Theatre Company closes their excellent second season with HEARTBREAK HOUSE. This comical farce from 1920 follows the eccentric Shotover family in an impromptu dinner party in Sussex, at the dawn of World War I. These vapid and self-centered characters are fun to watch on stage. The superb ca...