ORLANDO THEATER REVIEWS

The 1980s are often remembered as the era of over-produced power-ballads, bright neon colors, ozone offending hair, superficial beauty, and obnoxiously shallow people. For better or for worse, TOTALLY ELECTRIC, Gen Y Productions latest musical, falls victim to many of the least desirable traits of t...

Since I left the Mad Cow Theatre after seeing the Sunday matinee of their newest show, TRIBES by Nina Raine, I haven't been able to stop thinking about the implications stirred up by the highly dysfunctional family at the center of this rich, thickly plotted drama. I have become slightly weary of ne...

There is something noble about earnestly attempting to do good, despite the overwhelming evidence that what you are embarking upon is almost certainly doomed to disappoint. Not only is that sentiment at the center of CARRIE THE MUSICAL, which Clandestine Arts is premiering in Central Florida through...

There is something killer going on in Orlando's theatre scene, and I mean that in the best possible way. Since debuting with a production of CABARET in January, Gen Y Productions has staged thrilling Florida premieres of two of New York's most buzzed-about new works, a risky proposition for a theatr...

Very little in life is as refreshing on a hot summer day as a nice, cool cucumber sandwich; a close second perhaps is a classic, breezy comedy in an air conditioned theater. Fortunately, Theatre UCF is bringing back both when their production of Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST returns ...

I silently shuffle ball-changed under my seat as I waited for the show to begin. Opening night of the 2015/2016 season in the Winter Park Playhouse, with its intimate setting and alluring lounge, promised to be a delight....

There is nothing more unnerving than growing up as the odd one. We all remember the weird kid in school, but what ever happen to that person? Although this show was written in the late 70s, there are themes that remain relevant throughout the decades. Young adults will always question what they are ...

I LOVE LUCY - LIVE ON STAGE is probably best suited for audiences that already consider themselves Lucy fans. While those who aren't necessarily fans will likely still enjoy the show, I don't think that they will appreciate this production nearly as much as if they grew up with Lucy and Desi coming ...

The vast majority of theatre, even straight plays, has an intrinsic musicality that has become an engrained part of the art form; characters speak with an expected rhythm familiar to regular theatre viewers, dialogue is paced with a conventional choreography to which the audience has grown accustome...

If you're looking for the perfect summertime family activity that does not involve standing in the blazing sun, then Orlando Shakes' THE FROG AND THE PRINCESS is exactly what you're looking for. This super silly show encourages giggling out loud and lots of audience participation, which young audien...

'Home' means many different things to many different people. For some, it is the physical structure in which they grew up; for others it is a town, state, or region; for others it is with the people that they care about most. No matter how you define the word, everyone is looking to find, maintain, ...

Now, running through September 6th, Mad Cow Theatre has brought to their stage an exemplary production of Norris' surprisingly funny CLYBOURNE PARK that is so full of intelligence, talent, and compassion that it can't help but engage Orlando theatre audiences in this discussion that has become vital...

'There is in every one of us, even those who seem to be most moderate, a type of desire that is terrible, wild, and lawless;' this ancient axiom is the crux of Orlando's newest, and most unique independent entertainment option, THE REPUBLIC, which opened last weekend after an award-winning beta run ...

Beloved theatre standards, tap-dancing sailors, chorines in sequins, a farcically silly plot; what more could you want from a Cole Porter musical? After winning three Tony Awards in 2012, including Best Revival of a Musical, the National Tour of ANYTHING GOES ends its delightfully giddy run at Orlan...

The French fairy tale made famous by Walt Disney Pictures in 1991 comes to life on the Dr. Phillips Center stage. Disney fans and musical theater fans alike enjoy the enchanting story, award-winning music and lighthearted humor. What better city to see BEAUTY AND THE BEAST than in Orlando home of th...

The classic musical PETER PAN flies into the 21st century with digitally mapped scenery in the Garden Theatre's final production of the season. PETER PAN is the perfect show for the Garden Theatre's technological endeavor because it is a familiar story to many audiences and has some good opportuniti...

Stephen Sondheim is the greatest writer that the musical theatre has ever known. Now, obviously, intelligent minds can disagree, but if you do, I'm sorry, you're wrong. From story integration, to compelling characterizations, to insightful and witty lyrics, to complex and engaging melodies, no one h...

At its best, GUYS AND DOLLS will transport you to another time and place. A place where career criminals wear colorful, oddly-patterned suits; speak with humorous, but non-descript accents; and live lives in which their marker is their more sacred than gold. This place is called Runyonland. Unfortun...

When the curtain hiding the big top is dropped after the opening verses of PIPPIN's first song, it reveals one of the most stunning visual tableaus you will ever see on stage. Acrobats, contortionists, clowns, and dancers line the colorful stage in a dazzling array of theatrical magic. However, as b...

SOUTH PACIFIC is a vintage Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that best resonates with a more seasoned audience, but it is the story of perseverance and love that transcends time....

While the Orlando theater culture continues to grow, it's obvious that when you think of Orlando you really think of our world-class theme park entertainment. SEA LION HIGH is SeaWorld Orlando's newest Sea Lion and Otter show and it does not fail to entertain and educate all at the same time....

There is a tradition in the American theatre popularized by some of our country's greatest playwrights; Eugene O'Neill, Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee and others. Though generally a product of the mid-20th Century, the trend was reignited in 2007 by Tracy Letts' riveting Tony and Pulitzer-winning ...

I have to admit, I have a significant gap in my pop culture knowledge. I have never seen the movie version of Philip Barry's play THE PHILADELPHIA STORY, which starred Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and Jimmy Stewart, and garnered six Academy Award nominations in 1940. While I have seen a stage prod...

There is a lot wrong with the central conceit of Marc Camoletti's farce BOEING BOEING, playing at the Garden Theatre through April 4th. Set in Paris in 1963, Bernard, an insatiable womanizer (likely with undiagnosed obsessive compulsive disorder) has figured out that the best way to reap the benefit...

A musical with Italian opera-inspired songs about a philandering middle-aged film director with writer's block, and the dozens of women that influence his life and work, does not seem like an obvious choice for a college theatre program to undertake. However, under the direction of Earl D. Weaver (w...