DC Felton

There is a moment in the show that to me makes it worth the ticket price alone, and that is the rumble. With Taymor's direction and the use of soundscapes by Cody Spencer, lighting by Hana S.Kim and Brian MacDevitt, and movement by Jeff Kuperman and Rick Kuperman, it's a standout moment that people leaving the theatre won't soon forget.

While the music by Jeanine Tesori and the lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire were delightful to listen to, I had no clue what I was in for. The show's book by David Lindsay-Abaire made this one of the funniest musicals I had seen in a long time, which is surprising for a show about the main character facing a disease.

Part of the fun for me going into this show was that I was only familiar with one song. I was blown away by the beautiful songs, with music and lyrics by Ingrid Michaelson and co-orchestrations by Carmel Dean and John Clancy. There is something familiar in the music I can't place, which is so fitting for this show, as they talk about music being one of the last things forgotten.

Seeing productions like "Parade" come to Des Moines is an excellent reminder of why we do theatre, and why we see theatre. Each element of this show comes together beautifully to not just tell the story of Leo Frank onstage, but also to prompt us to consider how quickly we form opinions about people. The show is a moving experience that will leave you thinking long after the final curtain.

From the moment you walk into the Civic Center space, it's clear that you are in for a treat when seeing "& Juliet." From the set to the costumes, from the story to the actors who tell it, this show will have you on your feet dancing before it's done."

'Life of Pi' is a stunning theatrical adaptation of Yann Martel's beloved novel, reminding us to look at the stories we are telling or being told and decide what is true and what we want to be true. This is done on stage through the transformative set, the life-like puppets, and the phenomenal performances.

When thinking about the cast, there are two characters that people's minds go instantly to: Marty McFly and Doc Brown. The roles were played by Caden Brauch and Don Stephenson, respectively, on opening night. Caden does an excellent job of finding the moments we all expect to see out of Marty McFly while finding moments that he can make the character his own. One example of this is during "Johnny B Goode." We get to see him do some of the iconic moves from the movie, but it doesn't feel like he is replicating what was done in the film.

Visually, 'MJ: The Musical' is stunning to watch. Part of that comes from the vision of director and choreographer Christopher Wheeldon, who recreates some of Jackson's iconic moves and highlights some of Jackson's influences. The top of Act 2 taps into some of those dance influences, and it's amazing to see how each of his influences go into making some of Jackson's iconic moves. But the stunning visuals don't stop there. Costumer Paul Tazewell has been able to recreate many of Jackson's most iconic looks. We get to see Derek McLane's set, which seamlessly takes the audience on a journey between the rehearsal studio and Jackon's past, but also, at times, we break into Jackson's imagination. The lighting of Natasha Katz enhances all this and gives the show the feel we could be at a stop on the Dangerous Tour.

One of the things that made the performance so enjoyable was the cast. The night I attended, we had four understudies who all did a fantastic job. Those understudies were Alex Hartman as Emma and Mrs. Nadler, Sean Thompson as Florenz Ziegfeld, Bryan Charles Moore as ensemble and Paul and Mr. Renaldi, and Zoey Lytle as ensemble and Vera.

While the cast is featured throughout the show, a few had some of my favorite moments of the night. The first comes from Matt Rodin, who plays Jamie, a role reimagined for this production as a gay man getting ready to be married. At times, his take on the character has the audience in tears laughing, especially during the show-stopping 'Getting Married Today.' Another fantastic performance I have to talk about is Judy McLane as Joanne. Her interpretation of the character is a little softer than past performers, yet still gripping, especially during 'The Ladies Who Lunch.'

One of the things I enjoy about shows returning to the Civic Center is seeing which elements you see differently. One of them that stood out to me more this time was the excellent lighting of Howard Harrison. I love how intertwined in the show the lighting becomes. It's something you don’t always get to see sitting up close to the stage. I found it especially fun seeing how the lighting invites the audience in at the top of the show during the overture making the curtain look like it is flowing water. It also brings the audience in at the end for the curtain call and lets the audience know it is ok to join in the fun.

Visually this is an exciting show to watch. The scenic design by Hannah Beachler and projection design by Daniel Brodie beautifully work together to take the audience to all the fantastic places we get to visit through the show. The way they meld together allowed scenes like the tornado to elicit gasps from multiple people in the audience. The sets and projections, along with costume design by Sharen Davis, take us on a colorful journey while giving nods to different elements from past iterations of the story.

Part of the fun of seeing 'Beetlejuice' are the show's visual elements. From the moment you walk into the theatre, you are greeted by Kenneth Posner's dazzling lighting. The purple and green lights shining through the theatre set the mood for the strange and unusual show we about to see. Another fun element that draws the audience in is Peter Nigrini's projections. Some of my favorite moments with projections come at the end of Act One. These elements, along with the set design of David Korins and costumes by William Ivy Long, had the audiences screaming with delight.