Tara Howard

What did our critic think of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Desert Theatreworks?

For folks of “a certain age” (which I am not telling if I do or do not fall into that category), prolific songwriter and performing artist Carole King provided what could be the official soundtrack to their adolescence.  For those who have not quite crossed that age threshold, you would be surprised how well her music has endured and firmly taken its place in the American songbook, speaking to multiple generations with songs of hope, love and all that comes after.

Several things rush to mind in the thoughts of the prolific theatre-goer when a Neil Simon production is promised: smart & funny being chiefly amongst them.  Both are on tap at Desert Theatreworks in their current production of Simon’s “Plaza Suite”.  A collection of three vignette scenes connected only by locale, Room 719 of Manhattan’s once opulent Plaza Hotel, and the ramifications of love (gaining it, losing it and being frankly terrified by it). 

Desert Theatreworks has done a fabulous job with its final presentation of the season, THE LAST FIVE YEARS, a one act, two-character, mostly sung-through musical by Jason Robert Brown. Mr. Brown's take on the disintegration of a marriage, which unfolds before the audience's eyes and ears in eclectic musical styles, is emotionally powerful. The music, performed live by a keyboard and violin, and the superb on-stage performances in the production, help make this one of the most memorable shows I've seen.

Desert Theatreworks showcases its talented cadre of singers, dancers, and comedic actors in its current production, the musical comedy JIMMY BUFFETT'S ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE. Director Lance Phillips and musical director Douglas Wilson have done a superb job with this jukebox musical that features Buffett's tunes. A cast of twenty dances enthusiastically to excellent original choreography by rising Coachella Valley star Anthony Nannini, and impressively pulls off both sweet folk rock songs and belted numbers. The performances and strong visuals from the designers result in an enjoyable, cheerful evening, with numerous stand-out moments.

Michael Stuhlbarg and Fritz Weaver star in the Atlantic Theater Company's New York premiere production of David Mamet's new adaptation of Harley Granville Barker's play The Voysey Inheritance, which opened on December 6th after beginning previews on November 15th