Susan Haldeman

Review: THE SMELL OF THE KILL at Stageworks Theatre

Michele Lowe’s calculated and chilly dark comedy The Smell of the Kill premiered at the Cleveland Playhouse in 1999. It later transferred to Broadway to the Helen Hayes Theatre in 2022 where it played only 40 performances.

FST's 22-23 Winter Mainstage Series Opens With Hit Broadway Musical, SOMETHING ROTTEN!

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) kicks off its 49th Winter Mainstage Series with Something Rotten!, a hit musical comedy that was nominated for ten Tony Awards, including Best Musical.

Cast Announced For ThinkTank Theatre's BOOZY BROADWAY Cabaret

ThinkTank Theatre has announced casting for Boozy Broadway, a cabaret hosted by their season sponsor, Dark Door Spirits. 'Boozy Broadway' consists of a mix of classical and contemporary toe-tapping, broadway musical numbers and jazz standards, with some fun audience participation moments that's sure to be “fun for the whole family! (and Booze if you're old enough.)”

BWW Review: Ken Ludwig's MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS at Stageworks Theatre

Murder on the Orient Express a stage adaptation of the Agatha Christie novel was written and adapted by Ken Ludwig and premiered in New Jersey in 2017. Based on the Christie novel that was first published in the United States in February 1934, and originally published under the name Murder on the Calais Coach. The twisted plot is full of a wild cast of characters. As Poirot puts it, “It was like a painting by Pablo Picasso.” We open the play in Istanbul at the Tokatlian Hotel, as we meet Poirot we understand he is due in London in three days' time due to the delivery of a telegram, and he runs into his old friend Bouc. His friend then arranges a trip on the Orient Express which he is the owner, and the two climb aboard with Poirot hoping he makes it to London on schedule. Upon boarding the Orient Express one by one Poirot meets an oddity of characters much like boarding a train to Carnival. As the train departs the station amidst the snowy conditions like an onion we see the layers of each of the passengers peeled back one by one.

Last Chance To Vote For The BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards; LIGHTS, STAGE, SING CABARET Leads Best Musical!

This is the last chance to vote for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

Final Weeks To Vote For The BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards; Broadway Everyday Star Theater's LIGHTS, STAGE, SING CABARET Lead Best Musical!

Time is running out to vote for for the 2021 BroadwayWorld Tampa Awards! The 2021 Regional Awards honor productions which had their first performance between October 1, 2020 through September 30, 2021.

BWW Review: DR. RIDE'S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE is an Out of This World, Feel-Good, Euphoric Knockout at Jobsite Theater

In 1983, Sally Ride, or as proclaimed in the play, “She should be called Dr. Ride,” an Astrophysicist became the first and youngest American woman in Space aboard the Orbiter Challenger. Liza Birkenmeier’s play is not about Sally Ride, even though her name is mentioned throughout the 85 minutes. However, under the veil of the ’80s in St. Louis, Missouri we meet four women living out their lives and by a matter of opinion telling stories that boldly go where none of them have gone before so to speak. At its heart, Birkenmeier’s script is compelling, enlightening, and stunning from top to bottom, a true marvel of live theatre. In her script, we get to meet characters that are not as often displayed on-stage, and that is what makes this show so endearing. Being that this show is set in the 80’s smartphones, and other things like social media, don’t exist yet; which renders the compelling humanity shown throughout the script. It’s a breath of fresh air as we learn of these women, and how they may or may not enjoy their current way of life, and yet so different in a matter of opinions and lifestyle they are all one and the same.

Photos: DR. RIDE'S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE at Jobsite Theater

Jobsite Theater presents DR. RIDE’S AMERICAN BEACH HOUSE, Oct. 1 – 10, 2021.

BWW Review: Turkey Creek Collective Presents the Local Premiere of the Odd and Moving (I AM) NOBODY'S LUNCH

It's a cabaret, with songs both bouncy and torchy, but it’s more than that.  It’s like a quirky collage, a found object performance piece. And there's nothing else quite like it.

BWW Review: SNOOPY: THE MUSICAL is a Delightful Trip Down Memory Lane With an Extremely Talented Cast at ThinkTankYAE

Familiar faces, familiar characters, and a familiar red dog house with a delightful white beagle and a fleeting yellow bird make up the musical sequel to the ever so popular You’re a Good Man Charley Brown. This time the tables are turned on Charley Brown and the gang and we hear the story of Snoopy and the many comings and goings of a dog’s life centered around the kids in the neighborhood. Georgia Mallory Guy and team have assembled an All-Star cast complete with an Adult ensemble and a Young Actors Ensemble. The Adult ensemble play the parts of the characters and the young ensemble make up the chorus, but there is not a weak link in the entire company, all coming together for a swiftly paced two hour trip down memory lane. Complete with 15 toe-tapping numbers, Snoopy and his lovable gang will have you smiling from ear to ear with delight by the end of the show.