PHOENIX THEATER REVIEWS

Six ladies find strength in their friendship through good times and bad....

Thoroughly charming performances by Kathlynn Rodin and James D. Gish highlight The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of DADDY LONG LEGS, running through July 18th....

Vivid, lyrical, and loving! Ellie Dylan and Sky Dylan-Robbins's ON OUR OWN ISLAND steps courageously into the domain of dying and death. A film that is both an endearing and emotional homage to a husband and a father by his wife and daughter and a deep dive into a process that for many remains daunt...

In a compelling and consciousness- (and conscience-) raising documentary, Emmy-winning film maker Shannon Kring's END OF THE LINE: THE WOMEN OF STANDING ROCK chronicles the courage and years-long ordeal and unwavering determination of the women of the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation to protest the p...

Originally produced in 1977, the play catalogs the common acting adventures and technical mishaps that continue to age well: incidents and anecdotes on and off the stage that only seasoned thespians can truly appreciate. Nevertheless, it serves audiences a healthy dollop of good-natured laughs, than...

In QUEEN BEES, director Michael Lembeck has translated producer Harrison Powell’s and writer Donald Martin’s vision into a work that buzzes with a smooth and gentle tone of familiarity and romance. A thriving honeycomb of performances, thanks to the presence of veteran actors Ellen Burstyn, Ann-...

A bold and refreshing initiative by USC School of Cinematic Arts claims the title of Welles’s legendary stage production, VOODOO MACBETH, for a full-length film that chronicles the making of the staging. The film is scheduled for showing at the Sedona International Film Festival (June 12th-20th)....

THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD THE WAY is The Parkland Project's emotionally powerful, emotionally charged, and illuminating testimonial to a new generation of leadership committed to social change. Scheduled for screening on June 13th at the Sedona International Film Festival ~ at Sedona Performing Arts Ce...

The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production is buttressed by a solid technical crew. It’s cohesive enough to support the herculean effort of Ms. Debra K. Stevens, who wields an impressive command of a voluminous text while practically staging a tutorial on how storytelling ought to be paced. She gi...

Caren Zucker and John Donvan's IN A DIFFERENT KEY strikes chords of compassion that elevate understanding of and connection with the autistic community. Official Selection at the 2021 Sedona International Film Festival....

With DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS, Hale Centre Theatre treats the East Valley to an exquisite production of a rarely produced musical gem. It's delightful from moment one and impeccably staged by director/choreographer Cambrian James. It's full of skilled performances, but the design elements might be th...

This factual and fantastical online production from @arizonatheatre ends all too soon. #catchit https://bit.ly/3uvLpj4...

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre debuts their new venue with ORSON WELLES, a one-man theatrical biography of the acclaimed actor/filmmaker. It’s a pleasant 80 minutes featuring Keath Hall’s expert performance of an unambitious script. ...

In SHINOBU, Hsuan-Yu Pan gives vibrant sound and imagery to the art form of flute-making. THe short focuses on the continuity of tradition over time and space in shaping not only one’s cultural identity but also the identity of the cultures of which they become a part. Since its premiere in 2018, ...

Is it not so that two of the key ingredients in shaping identity, building community, and cultivating civility are food and the arts? Indeed, the habits of the heart emanate from these divine humanistic expressions. Hsuan Yu Pan, a Taiwanese-raised, New York City-based documentarian, simply and exqu...

On April 28, 2021, Arizona Opera, in partnership with Tucson Desert Song Festival, presented an online recital by dramatic tenor Bryan Hymel and pianist Michael Borowitz. They opened their streamed recital with the lyrical aria, 'Ombra mai fu” from Handel’s opera Xerxes. Sung by Xerxes I of Pers...

In a show that may have worn out its Heavenly stage welcome, the Saving Grace of Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of NUNSENSE, is embodied in an ensemble of five artists who render performances that rise above the script. Thankfully, through the ninety-some minutes of show time, a heavenly host...

Rogue Theatre's season finale, AS YOU LIKE IT, delivers old-fashioned comedic romp. In Tucson, runs through May 9th....

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of MY WAY is music in the key of Sinatra ~ a show filled with vitality and class that flies one to the moon! Featuring commanding performances by Trisha Ditsworth, Matravius Avent, James Gish, and Jessie Jo Pauley. Runs through May 23rd....

In THE GIRL SITTING HERE, writer and director Azadeh Nikzadeh gives a human face to the adverse consequences of a practice that has become a legal loophole for prostitution and sexual exploitation....

The impact on American theatre of N. Richard Nash's THE RAINMAKER, a mid-century, self-described Romantic Comedy, is primarily found in its formidable presence (exceeded only by OUR TOWN) in any and all monologue and scene-study books. The leads, 'Lizzie' and 'Starbuck', are ever present at audition...

Arizona Theatre Company presents Lauren Gunderson's autobiographical tour de force, THE HEATH, under the direction of Sean Daniels and featuring Gunderson and John Larroquette. THE HEATH is a play that must be heard to be seen for the fulness of its lyricism, revelatory power, and humanity....

Chemistry and balance! Two key ingredients that are (oddly!) in short supply in Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre’s current production of THE ODD COUPLE, directed by Virginia Olivieri. Simon’s brilliant lines and zingers are there to be uttered, but the execution stumbles. The show runs through A...

Five richly talented singers rock the stage in Arizona Broadway Theatre’s production of SHOUT! THE MOD MUSICAL, Phillip George and David Lowenstein’s 2004 tribute to the solid gold singles of the ‘60’s. Directed by Seth Tucker and featuring five fab singers, the show runs through April 18th...

Elaine Romero's brilliant and stirring work-in-progress, THE DALAI LAMA IS NOT WELCOME HERE, directed by Maren Maclean Mascarelli and featuring a stunning performance by Brenda Jean Foley, now streaming through March 28th on The Bridge Initiative: Women+ in Theatre Facebook page. The latest offering...