Phoenix Metro Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 16

BWW Review: ONCE ON THIS ISLAND at ASU GAMMAGE. The Jewel of the Antilles becomes The Jewel of the East Valley.
by Nathaniel Jones - March 05, 2020

If I could just write a?oeThis show was perfect. The enda?? for this production, I would. It would be the simple truth for a show so breathtaking, that trying to put words on this page is near impossible. There are no words that I could type that would truly encompass what is the Magnificence of ONC...

BWW Review: RICHARD II at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - March 01, 2020

Richard II was crowned King at a young age and his immaturity ultimately causes his downfall when his Crown is threatened by his cousin, Henry Bolingbroke....

BWW Review: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - February 26, 2020

2 couples head into a forest and get caught in the middle of a magical prank that leads to disastrous and hilarious results....

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at GAMMAGE AUDITORIUM
by Timothy Shawver - February 23, 2020

BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING STORY is the most earnest jukebox musical to date. The chord progressions and resolutions felt like being at an oxygen bar. It's ripe with nostalgia, fascinating for its window into 1960s pop and rock music, and spirit lifting for its recording of a beautiful human life...

BWW Review: MASTER HAROLD... AND THE BOYS at Arizona Theatre Company
by Tim Shawver - February 20, 2020

Arizona Theatre Company's current production hits the mark as a historical reminder and, through masterful performances by its cast of three, depicts institutionalized racism's capability to destroy even the most loving relationships....

BWW Review: THOMAS HAMPSON at Song Of America: Beyond Liberty
by Maria Nockin - January 29, 2020

At the University of Arizona's Centennial Hall. on January 28, 2020, the Tucson Desert Song Festival presented Thomas Hampson, baritone, with Lara Downes, piano, and the Beyond Liberty Players: Stephen Buck, synthesizer; Judy Kang, violin; Jesus Morales, cello; and Alex Laing, clarinet; The show lib...

BWW Review: MEG JO BETH AMY & LOUISA at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - January 27, 2020

Little Women is arguably one of the most recognizable pieces of literature, and meg jo beth amy & louisa provides an intimate look into the creative experience of Louisa May Alcott....

BWW Review: SUMMER: THE DONNA SUMMER MUSICAL at ASU Gammage is Hot Stuff
by Nathaniel Jones - January 09, 2020

Astonishing is a word some would use to describe something amazing they witnessed. In most cases and with most shows this word would suffice. However, what I saw on December 7th, 2020 at ASU Gammage does not just surpass this simple word, it stamps it into the ground. SUMMER: The Donna Summer Musica...

BWW Review: BLACK NATIVITY at Black Theatre Troupe Brings Us The True Meaning of Christmas
by Nathaniel Jones - December 09, 2019

Remarkable, astonishing, captivating, all words that couldn't begin to describe what I witnessed at The Black Theatre Troupe. It is one thing for a show to move you to tears by its message, but this production has the ability to do much more. The Black Theatre Troupes production of Black Nativity mo...

BWW Review: LUCKY STIFF at Arizona Regional Theatre
by Lee Cooley - December 09, 2019

Following a rousing October run of BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON, Arizona Regional Theatre (ART) has mounted Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens' LUCKY STIFF -- a two-act, 17-song whodunnit which has been a favorite of Valley venues over the years....

BWW Review: AMERICAN PSYCHO is Killer Fun at Stray Cat Theatre
by Seth Tucker - November 16, 2019

BWW Review: AMERICAN PSYCHO is Killer Fun at Stray Cat Theatre Stray Cat's name has become synonymous with high quality productions and American Psychos is a bloody, glistening example of why....

BWW Review: THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE at Mesa Encore Theatre
by Timothy Shawver - November 13, 2019

Mesa Encore Theatre's current production of Gilbert and Sullivan's THE PIRATES OF PENZANCE pushes the already campy comic opera....

BWW Review: BREAKFAST WITH MUGABE at Black Theatre Troupe Explores the Lines of Spirituality and Mental Health Through the Eyes of a Controversial Man
by Nathaniel Jones - November 12, 2019

Tackling roles that involve the depiction of historical figures can be a mountainous task. For most, it takes research, time, and great direction to execute. The same could be said about mental health. They are enthralling when mastered, captivating audiences as the drama unfolds. The flawless cast ...

BWW Review: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST at ZAO THEATRE Gives us a Show That's Roughly the Size of a Barge
by Nathaniel Jones - November 10, 2019

When it comes to theatre and Disney fans alike, the stage production of Beauty and the Beast is a staple. For many a performer, the chance to personify the characters we've grown up with is a lifelong dream, envisioning our selves dawning the gown, the fur and claws, or not so reluctantly beating on...

BWW Review: ANASTASIA National Tour Impresses All Ages at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - November 02, 2019

The first clue that ANASTASIA was going to be different than what I expected was a note on the title page reading, “Inspired by the Twentieth Century Fox Motion Pictures.” Plural? A savvy journalist, I quickly asked Siri to bring up the imdb page for “Anastasia”. Turns out Fox made ANASTASIA twice, ...

BWW Review: MACBETH at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - October 28, 2019

Macbeth and his wife are determined to ascend to the throne. Following a prophesy that comes true, Macbeth will do whatever it takes to keep the throne. Macbeth murders everyone he perceives to be a threat to his throne and loses his grip on reality as he does so....

BWW Review: THE MYSTERY OF IRMA VEP at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - October 28, 2019

Lord Edgar has a new wife, but his connection to his dead wife, Irma Vep, threatens to destroy his new relationship and his career as an Egyptologist....

BWW Review: ARIZONA OPERA STUDIO CONCERT at Mon Orchid Gallery
by Maria Nockin - October 15, 2019

On Monday October 14, 2019, Arizona Opera and its Valley Friends presented a concert of arias by the Marion Roose Pullin Studio Artists at the Mon Orchid Gallery, a small hall with excellent, if somewhat live, acoustics. As a rule, AZ Opera chooses six singers and one pianist to be their studio arti...

BWW Review: FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE PARODY MUSICAL Slays at All Puppet Players (WARNING: Explicit Language)
by Seth Tucker - October 14, 2019

FRIDAY THE 13TH: THE PARODY MUSICAL Slays at All Puppet Players. Guttural, laugh out loud, wipe the tears away kind of funny with jokes as fast, furious, and perfectly obnoxious as a jackhammer. Warning: Explicit Language....

BWW Review: THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA Soars at Arizona State University Music Theatre And Opera
by Seth Tucker - October 09, 2019

Everything comes together with a swell of vitality in Arizona State University Music Theatre and Opera's production thanks to stars Mary Ott and Kathlynn Rodin, Music Director Greg Paladino, and Director Robert Kolby Harper....

BWW Review: LADIES IN WAITING: THE JUDGEMENT OF HENRY VIII at Southwest Shakespeare Company
by Emily Noxon - September 25, 2019

King Henry had an insatiable desire to continue the Tudor dynasty. His legacy remains in the women he wronged and murdered in order to obtain this goal which ultimately fell to a female heir. His wives shaped his legacy and they won't let him forget it....

BWW Review: INTO THE WOODS at Mesa Encore Theatre
by Lee Cooley - September 10, 2019

It's not be the most lavish production, but it's got a lot of chudzpah. If you're a Sondheim fan who's not adverse to long and sometimes less than pitch-perfect performances, then pack a lunch and get your tix! https://bit.ly/2lGsKT8...

BWW Review: THE GREAT GATSBY at ZAO THEATRE is a Spectacular Show 'Old Sport'
by Nathaniel Jones - August 22, 2019

It takes a lot more than the actors' performance to make a great show. Along with the acting, a spectacular set and visuals, Lighting and sound, and staying true to the material are cogs that set one well-oiled machine of a show apart from the others. Zao theatres production of The Great Gatsby is a...

BWW Review: THE BOOK OF MORMON Testifies at Gammage Auditorium
by Timothy Shawver - August 09, 2019

Appearing at Tempe's Gammage Auditorium for the third time since 2015, THE BOOK OF MORMON is gaining momentum as it tours....

BWW Review: THE WEDDING SINGER at DESERT STAGES THEATRE Parties Like It's 1986
by Nathaniel Jones - July 21, 2019

When you think of a group of young performers doing a musical, most people enter with the assumption of low quality and newbie type talent. This largely stems from the mindset of not believing young folks can put in the same hard work as any other seasoned professional. However, when you take a grou...