SOUTH BEND THEATER REVIEWS

It's hard not to be totally blown away by the Elkhart Civic Theatre's current show, Guys on Ice. The musical opened on March 4th, and will continue until this weekend, and I can almost guarantee that it is probably sold out....

This past weekend at the South Bend Civic Theatre, Aladdin Jr. opened with two different young casts: the Abu cast and the Iago cast. I had the privilege of seeing the Iago cast, which is the older of the set. While I won't go into great detail about the plot because there is still a final weekend o...

This past weekend, the Clay High School Fine Arts Department opened and closed the show The Curious Savage with two different casts of students and two different interpretations by two different directors. I saw the first cast which was comprised of two seniors, five juniors, and four freshman and d...

The Music Man opened Friday the 29th of January at The South Bend Civic Theatre with no detail spared on trying to make the classic musical come to life. The musical, whose book, music, and lyrics are by Meredith Willson with the story by both Willson and Franklin Lacey, became an instant hit in 195...

This past weekend at South Bend's Clay High School, the musical Working by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso, based on the best-selling book of interviews with America's work force by Studs Terkel, took to the stage for three performances and absolutely earned their standing ovations! Comprised of doze...

When you hear the title A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens, it is hard to not instantly recall the timeless story of Ebenezer Scrooge and the Christmas Spirits that visit him to try and turn him from his wretched ways. However, sitting in the audience of the sold out opening show for South Bend C...

After thinking a while about what funny pun with plant terminology I could use to describe exactly how I felt about the musical Little Shop of Horrors, now playing at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center at Notre Dame for the weekend, I realized the only appropriate words are found in the title abov...

The Addams Family, currently playing at the Elkhart Civic Theatre, has been doing so well in terms of audience feedback and attendance that they already have a sold-out-run. They've even had to add extra performance dates!...

All of these small things can be frustrating for any patron but I'll tell you this: once I sat down and saw the sheer excitement shared by both children and parents alike (albeit, the parents were undoubtedly a little overwhelmed!), I was ready to enjoy myself just as much as they were. The ambiance...

After recently moving to South Bend, IN, and being an aficionado of all things artistic, I was eager to jump into the theatre scene here and see what a seemingly small town could offer for someone who just left Orlando, FL, one of the larger entertainment locations in the world....

This past Wednesday and Thursday, South Bend was graced with the National Tour of "Beauty and the Beast" presented by NETworks. By far one of the best Disney animated films of its time, "Beauty and the Beast" presents the tale of a princess who is smart, confident, and doesn't need saved by Prince C...

The Knights of the Round Table brought a hilarious production to the stage at the South Bend Civic Theater on March 14, 2015. Monty Python's Spamalot was opened on the South Bend Civic stage on March 13th, and will continue to run until April 4th. This zany musical brought great humor, acting, and v...

On Saturday February 28th, I had the privilege to travel to Valparaiso, Indiana to see the third weekend of "Les Miserables" at the Memorial Opera House. This sung through musical based on the novel written by French Poet and Novelist, Victor Hugo, brought the house down with the amazing vocals, and...

On February 27, 2015, the Premier Arts located in Elkhart, Indiana opened the musical, "Harriet The Musical" for the world to see for the very first time. This new musical, with an all-local creative team, impressed the audience with its original score, and original book. This musical presented a Hi...

Penn High School sure brought those dancing feet in their performance of '42nd Street'! After two cancelations, and a lot of cold weather, The Penn High School Theater Department finally opened their 2015 Spring Musical, '42nd Street' on Saturday February 21st. Even with the diversity and challenges...

Greeting audiences with a familiar New York City backdrop painting framed in a gorgeous white paneling and seasonal decor, the touring production of "Miracle on 34th Street: The Musical" doesn't offer much beyond its original seasons' greetings. Despite a strong, talented cast, the musical only offe...