ORLANDO THEATER REVIEWS

When you think of great children stories involving fruit there's a lot of apples and bananas, but there is only one peach. The final show in Orlando Shakes' Children's Series is the Roald Dahl classic JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. Perfect for elementary school students on spring break, this adaptation ...

How do you cram 50 hit songs, over 90 characters, and 25 years of history from one of music's most important companies into a dramatically satisfying, two hour and 45 minute musical? The answer is, you don't; but based on the enthusiastic response to MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, playing at Orlando's Dr. Phil...

Winter Park Playhouse prides itself on being the home of feel-good musical theatre in Central Florida, and their traditional slate of familiar titles and standard-centric revues almost always has you leaving with a smile on your face. However, with their current show, A DAY IN HOLLYWOOD/A NIGHT IN T...

In the last two years, Orlando's Mad Cow Theatre has assumed the mantle as one of the Southeast's leaders in producing 'Science Plays.' In addition to their Second Annual Science Play Festival, which begins Friday, February 27th, the Church Street theatre recently premiered Anna Ziegler's affecting ...

One of the great benefits of having a professional Shakespeare company in town is that they are able to invest in productions of some of the Bard's works that don't often get produced at traditional theatres. While Orlando Shakespeare certainly produces great plays not found in the First Folio, the ...

'Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.' For many, those words are the definition of what a love story should be about. However, in Theatre UCF's play '(a love story),' which runs through March 1st, three intertwining tales chronicle all of the fevered, ...

Let me start this review by saying that I generally like everything that I see; at least to a certain degree. I can usually find some redeeming artistic moment of any production to tide me over when the work as a whole isn't up to par. However in SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW, running through March 1st at the Dr...

One of the reasons that I especially enjoy going to quality collegiate theatre is that, while these programs want to have as many people in the audience as possible, for obvious exposure and financial reasons, they are far more focused on presenting interesting and challenging works that prepare the...

Theatre production company Beth Marshall Presents' latest play at the Garden Theatre is an exceptionally challenging one; for artists and audiences alike. One would be safe to assume that with a title like DOUBT: A PARABLE the play will focus on the varying ways in which one can experience the emoti...

More often than not in the coverage of war, while we are presented with ghastly images, the focus is on the larger strategies and total body-counts of battle. We rarely hear the harrowing stories of the innocent lives destroyed by conflict; even less frequently do we see how war impacts those who br...

To some audience members THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR may not be the most familiar of Shakespeare's comedies, but after seeing this production it now stands in my top three. Orlando Shakespeare always does a great job keeping the material fresh and accessible to all audiences. THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDS...

Everyone has read Harper Lee's classic American novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, which explains the sold out crowds flocking to see Orlando Shakespeare's live adaptation. It is a luxurious production that ships audience right into 1930s southern life. As with all great stories the ones that leave a last...

Artful Events and Gen Y Productions partner to bring Orlando audiences Cabaret at The Abbey. Sitting comfortably in the venue of this space, Cabaret feels so intimate that it makes me wonder why it took so long for Cabaret to be mounted in this venue....

The linguistics king of the stage, Mr. Stoppard is known for composing some of the most verbose plays ever produced on stage. The Coast of Utopia, a 9 hour, three play epic about Pre-Revolution Russia serves as a prime example of such loquacious writing....

Have you ever dreamt of traveling to exotic lands? Discovering new and uncharted territories? Coming face to face with some of nature's most dangerous creatures? If you answered yes to any of these questions, a membership into one of the most exclusive clubs in London could be just the thing for you...

Admittedly, I am not in the target demographic for Disney's musical NEWSIES, running through February 1st at Orlando's Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. This musical, which concluded its two-and-a-half year Broadway run last fall, has inspired a legion of young, female fans who have dubbe...

Your last name doesn't have to end in a vowel to know that there has ever been a cooler group of people to walk the earth than the Rat Pack. In The Winter Park Playhouse's latest show, THE RAT PACK LOUNGE, Frank, Dean, and Sammy (do they even need last names?) get a second chance to bring their uniq...

As December steamrolls into the station, we are reminded, over and over again, with tv ads, a 7 mile radius of traffic surrounding the Mall at Millenia, and tepid temperatures that the holidays are here. Despite all that, what causes the most turmoil with the holidays is that terrifying F-word. Fami...

It's the holiday season again and while it seems A CHRISTMAS CAROL is performed every year there are always variations that set each production apart. This year Orlando Shakes' Jim Helsinger adapted the classic Dickens tale bringing a fresh take on a well known story....

The Garden Theatre hosts the world premiere of CHRISTMAS BY COMMITTEE, written by Orlando's own Rob Winn Anderson. The show features an original plot and brand new music. CHRISTMAS BY COMMITTEE is a great start to the holiday season and a wonderful way to support a growing Orlando theater community....

In the summer of 1998, as part of my high school's drama club, I made my first trip to New York City. Over the course of seven days, I saw eight musicals, both on and Off-Broadway. While I was already a devout musical theatre fan, seven of those eight solidified my love for the art form, while one l...

"Be curious, not judgmental" these are not just wise words for a theatre critic, but for anyone planning on attending Mad Cow's production of I AND YOU playing through December 14th. Playwright Lauren Gunderson's new play, which was featured at Orlando Shakes 2013 PlayFest, is about hope and faith a...

Animals creep me out. There, I said it. People often ask why I'm not more of an animal person. No longer will I have to search for the words to express my deep, unsettling feelings towards even the most cuddly of housepets. Perhaps the root cause for my emotional trauma is never being able to fully ...

One of the most magical places that I have ever been is Grover's Corners, New Hampshire. It's not a fancy place, just a simple town in which people go about their business, but are always willing to stop and chat about the weather. Grover's Corners is the epitome of a way of life that has long since...

It's always refreshing to see what our new up-and-coming playwrights are producing. Especially in an Orlando theatre season that is jam packed with iconic musical remountings. On November 1st - 3rd Orlando Shakespeare presented the 8th annual PlayFest: a celebration of new plays....