Phoenix Metro Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations

Review: THE RAINMAKER at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - March 23, 2025

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre's production of THE RAINMAKER is a heartfelt and intimate production that highlights the story’s enduring themes of self-worth and hope....

Review: PHANTOM at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - March 10, 2025

By now, the phrase Phantom of the Opera conjures one thing: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s juggernaut, a chandelier-crashing, organ-blasting spectacle that has been haunting Broadway since the Reagan administration. But Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s PHANTOM, currently at Arizona Broadway Theatre in Peoria ...

Review: JOHN PROCTOR IS THE VILLAIN Reframes An American Masterpiece
by Robert Encila-Celdran - March 05, 2025

Kimberly Belflower's writing blends academic fluency with the unfiltered energy of teenage argot. Crisp and emotionally charged, the script expertly transitions between scenes from The Crucible and the students' classroom debates, crafting a narrative that is as urgent as it is thought-provoking....

Review: THE CLEAN HOUSE at Theatre Artists Studio
by Herbert Paine - March 04, 2025

Theatre Artists Studio's staging of Sarah Ruhl's THE CLEAN HOUSE, captures the playwright's intention of a meditation on how people grapple with grief, love, and their own imperfections....

Review: MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S at Live Theatre Workshop
by Zach Wetzel - March 01, 2025

MURDER AT THE HOWARD JOHNSON'S is a laugh-a-minute comedy!...

Review: FETAL at Stray Cat Theatre
by Herbert Paine - February 24, 2025

Stray Cat Theatre’s production of FETAL is a necessary, gripping, and unforgettable theatrical experience—one that demands not only contemplation but also collective action and solidarity regarding reproductive rights....

Review: BLUES IN THE NIGHT at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - February 23, 2025

ATC's BLUES IN THE NIGHT: It’s about feeling - pure, raw, and undeniable...if you’re looking to be wrapped up in a night of sensational voices and music that hums in your bones, this is a show to get lost in....

Review: JERSEY BOYS at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - February 23, 2025

The Phoenix Theatre Company’s production of JERSEY BOYS is a toe-tapping, high-energy joyride through the unforgettable music of The Four Seasons....

Review: FRIDA at Ballet Arizona - A Bold and Breathtaking Portrait of an Artistic Icon
by Herbert Paine - February 16, 2025

Epic, bold, and elegant in design and execution, Ballet Arizona’s production of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s FRIDA is a sensory feast – impassioned, radiant, and breathtaking....

Review: SOME LIKE IT HOT at ASU Gammage
by Herbert Paine - February 12, 2025

It’s always a risk to transplant a beloved classic film to the stage, particularly when that film is one so thoroughly embedded in its time as SOME LIKE IT HOT. Yet this latest Broadway adaptation, now performing at ASU Gammage until the 16th, with kinetic direction and crowd-pleasing choreography b...

Review: CHURCHILL at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - February 10, 2025

By allowing Churchill’s reflections – his triumphs and regrets alike - to take center stage, David Payne delivers a performance that is complex, compelling, and deeply human. CHURCHILL - at The Phoenix Theatre Company - is a theatrical experience that lingers long after the final applause....

Review: RIPCORD at Live Theatre Workshop
by Zach Wetzel - February 09, 2025

RIPCORD is hilarious, heartfelt, and well-directed....

Review: CHASERS ~ From Sundance to Slamdance
by Herbert Paine - February 05, 2025

Erin Brown Thomas succeeds brilliantly in blending genres, crafting a nuanced exploration of how boundaries become movable in the face of ambition....

Review: Sultry, Soulful, and Spectacular: BLUES IN THE NIGHT Delivers at Arizona Theatre Company
by Robert Encila-Celdran - February 03, 2025

Curated in collaboration with musical director Sy Johnson, acclaimed director Sheldon Epps first staged BLUES IN THE NIGHT in 1980 as a musical revue. The show follows three women and one man, each offering a different take on love and loss. Structured around legendary songs by Bessie Smith, Duke El...

Review: WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME at The Invisible Theatre
by Zach Wetzel - January 25, 2025

This is a powerful and deeply relevant production!...

Review: CRONAN THE BARBARIAN at The Gaslight Theatre
by Zach Wetzel - January 13, 2025

CRONAN THE BARBARIAN is first-rate family entertainment!...

Review: THE LION IN WINTER at Order Chaos Theater Company
by Herbert Paine - January 12, 2025

Order Chaos Theater Company's production proves why THE LION IN WINTER endures. Beneath its medieval trappings lies a searing examination of power, love, and legacy that resonates across centuries. The strong ensemble and Webb's incisive direction illuminate the thorny complexities of family dynamic...

Review: HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION at The Inner Voice Studio
by Zach Wetzel - January 11, 2025

HADESTOWN: TEEN EDITION at The Inner Voice Studio is a powerful reminder of how great teen theatre can be. This production (which features three casts rotating shows) solidifies Tucson as a prime location for quality youth theatre...

Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at Saguaro City Music Theatre
by Zach Wetzel - December 29, 2024

THE WIZARD OF OZ is the perfect holiday treat!...

Review: SCROOGE! at Arizona Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - December 09, 2024

Arizona Theatre Company's SCROOGE!, directed by Matt August, offers moments of holiday cheer and showcases talented performances, making it an enjoyable seasonal outing....

Review: ROCK 'N' ROLL CHRISTMAS REVIEW at The Gaslight Music Hall
by Zach Wetzel - December 10, 2024

ROCK 'N' ROLL CHRISTMAS REVUE at The Gaslight Music Hall is in full swing! The show is a stocking stuffer of holiday hits that will have audiences singing and dancing out the door. This concert is an excellent way to ring in the season! ...

Review: KIMBERLY AKIMBO at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - December 06, 2024

KIMBERLY AKIMBO, the 2023 Tony Winner for Best Musical now visiting Gammage Auditorium, manages something remarkable - it finds the bittersweet spot between life's joys and sorrows, letting both exist without cancelling each other out. In an era where musicals often rely on spectacle and flash to ma...

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Hale Centre Theatre
by Herbert Paine - December 01, 2024

David Appleford, BroadwayWorld’s esteemed guest contributor, gives a glowing holiday tribute to Hale Centre Theatre’s inventive and inspiring production of the seasonal classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, directed by David Hale Dietlein....

Review: SWEAT at Stray Cat Theatre
by Herbert Paine - November 26, 2024

Stray Cat Theatre's production of SWEAT, directed by Chanel Bragg, achieves a remarkable balance between the intimacy and intensity of working class folks caught in the whirlwind of economic displacement. To this end, Bragg's ensemble delivers powerhouse performances....

Review: MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Herbert Paine - November 25, 2024

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of MIRACLE ON 34th STREET: A LIVE MUSICAL RADIO SHOW is a perfectly pleasant and heartwarming live theatre experience....