PHOENIX THEATER REVIEWS

Mimi Kennedy renders an imperious and brassy Pru Payne (her public moniker). She's a renowned intellectual, feared for her trenchant criticism and scathing takedowns of mediocre aspirations (a faint redolence of critic Michiko Kakutani's public feuds with John Updike and Norman Mailer et al). Pru ex...

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Teale's dramatic conceit - a seamless juxtaposition of present reality and childhood memories - makes for an engaging theatrical form that justifies the Brontës' epic narrative....

What did our critic think of DISNEY'S FROZEN NATIONAL TOUR at Gammage Auditorium?...

Staging choices notwithstanding, Winding Road's production is a moving personal encounter. It recalls the existential confrontation we tend to ignore until we come of age: Do we choose love or fear? What happens if we compromise our mission for comfort and security? The proverbial clock nears midnig...

In its execution, a less than compelling and strategically misdirected production of Tennessee Williams's THE GLASS MENAGERIE is the current fare at Arizona Theatre Company....

SILENT LIFE: THE STORY OF THE LADY IN BLACK is Vladislav Kozlov's sweet homage to the silent film era and Rudolph Valentino and features the brilliant return of Terry Moore to the screen. One of the hits at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

EXPOSURE, Holly Morris's visually stunning account of an 11-woman expedition to the North Pole is one of the featured documentaries at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

BEING MICHELLE, Atin Mehra's eye-opening documentary about the injustices and limitations of law enforcement in its treatment of people with disabilities. As seen through the experience of Michelle Ricks. Screening at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

What did our critic think of AN AMERICAN IN PARIS at The Phoenix Theatre Company?...

Black Theatre Troupe received The August Wilson American Century Cycle Award, as they do its namesake more than justice. And in a time when representation is key, this theatre is and has always answered the call....

PATRICK AND THE WHALE, one of the featured documentaries at this year's Sedona International Film Festival, is an inspired and revelatory film about the unique attributes of the great Cetacean. It is a virtual feast of spectacular cinematography and sound recording that captures the gentle giants of...

Jeffery Lando's “psychedelic independent film,” LISSA’S TRIP, boldly incorporates new AI technologies and reflects dramatically on the individual’s quest for purpose in a milieu that challenges one’s relevance. The film is one of the features at the Sedona International Film Festival, whic...

An absorbing portrait of one of the most influential women photographers in the history of photography, UNVEILED: JOYCE TENNESON AND THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY is one of the featured films at this year's Sedona International Film Festival....

The 50TH Anniversary Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR ~ presented as a rock concert, with moments that truly excite and exhilarate, to be experienced in the way Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber had always wanted. At ASU Gammage in Tempe AZ through February 5th....

For the record, director Chanel Bragg didn't have to secure a movie star to manifest a compelling production of her own. She features a charismatic powerhouse in Lillie Richardson, who submits a resounding performance as the flamboyant matriarch. Ms. Richardson strides with regal confidence and spea...

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT ~ a play of consequence, superbly directed by Richard Powers Hardt and featuring stellar performances by Tom Koelbel, Jake Nichols, and Debra Rich, runs through February 5th at Theatre Artists Studio in Scottsdale AZ....

Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is playing at Gammage Auditorium through December 6th. The book has been re-imagined by the Academy Award winning screenwriter. He's crafted a satisfying theatre experience with his trademark crackling dialogue servi...

The importance of LA RUTA's subject needs to be seen and the story it tells needs to be known. Stray Cat Theatre presents this stunning and disturbing production through December 17th at Tempe Center for the Arts....

The full experience of Hale Centre Theatre's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL is captured in this review. Runs through December 26th....

So here we are with a loud reminder of our mortal limits - not to mention the 'acceptable' limits of a public joke and a brazen sexual encounter - as Ms. Feiffer regards our presumed taboos with a shrewd riposte. I'm reminded of H.G. Wells' famous denouncement of the 'irreverent laugh,' man's presum...

Chosen as its holiday season family special, this regional production of CINDERELLA, directed by Michael Barnard, is a prime example of the excellence that The Phoenix Theatre Company has developed over the years. Runs through January 1st....

FAIRWAYS TO HAPPINESS is Doug Morrione's intriguing documentary that opens wider the doors of perception about happiness and the pathways to realizing it. The film goes online (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play) on November 17th....

Directed by Ron May and featuring a pitch-perfect cast, The Black Theatre Troupe's production of Robert O'Hara's BARBECUE is a richly intelligent play and a definite must-see. Runs through November 6th....

A candid review of OKLAHOMA!, re-vamped and re-imagined for National Tour, currently playing at ASU Gammage, Tempe until Sunday, October 23. It is not the Rodgers and Hammerstein of your parents....