2011 Theater reviews
See more reviews: 2013 | 2012 | 2010
9:20 AM AKST, December 7, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'South Pacific' from Florida Theatrical Association
The great American musical "South Pacific," for decades relegated to high-school and community theater, shone again in 2008 in a glorious Lincoln Center revival.
1:16 PM AKST, December 6, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'The Diviners' from Beth Marshall Presents
The mournful strains of that heartland hymn "Amazing Grace" sound over the drab-colored set as "The Diviners" opens. The somber music sets the tone. For this is a land of mourning, a place where townsfolk mourn their burned-down church, a mechanic mourns his drowned wife, and a preacher mourns his faith.
1:54 PM AKST, December 5, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) from Bay Street Players
2:44 PM AKST, December 30, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'The Screwtape Letters'
I couldn't resist getting in one last theatrical experience before 2011 becomes a memory so I headed over to the afternoon performance on the closing day of "The Screwtape Letters" at Orlando's Plaza Live. And I'm glad I did.
6:59 PM AKST, December 1, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'Sleigh' from PB&J Theatre Factory
Remember the old movie "Sunset Boulevard" about fading silent-movie star Norma Desmond?
1:51 PM AKST, December 4, 2011
THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE
Theater review: 'A Tuna Christmas' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Visiting eccentric old friends and relations is part of the bustle of this time of year for many of us. And that's what a trip to the little town of Tuna, Texas, feels like. Two busy actors play an entire community of small-town folk — male and female, young and old — in the holiday comedy "A Tuna Christmas," the latest from Orlando Shakespeare Theater.
8:18 PM AKST, November 18, 2011
Theater review: 'Anything Cole!' from Winter Park Playhouse
Is it possible to listen to the words of Cole Porter and not break out in a grin?
9:08 PM AKST, November 17, 2011
Theater review: 'Gem of the Ocean' from Theatre UCF
The protesters of the Occupy movement might find it surprising that they have something in common with the characters of August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean."
1:32 PM AKDT, October 17, 2011
THEATER REVIEW
Theater review: 'Phantasmagoria II' from Empty Spaces Theatre Co.
All the essential ingredients are in place for a good fright in "Phantasmagoria II," an evening of spooky storytelling and dance from Empty Spaces Theatre Co(llaboration): Classic tales of dread, creepy music, bizarre dancing and dramatic narrators weaving their spell in flickering light.
9:29 AM AKDT, November 2, 2011
Theater review: 'The Addams Family' from Florida Theatrical Association
Charles Addams' cartoon creations are still creepy and kooky as described in the lyrics of their 1960s sitcom. They remain fond of the color black, instruments of torture, bumps in the night and screams of terror.
7:17 PM AKDT, October 20, 2011
Theater review: 'The Drowsy Chaperone' from Mad Cow Theatre
"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a love letter to the good (and the bad) of musical theater told through the eyes of one devotee, speaking for all the fans of the genre.
October 1, 2011
Theater review: 'The Fantasticks' from Seminole State College
"The Fantasticks" holds the record as the world's longest-running musical, thanks to the original off-Broadway production that played 42 years. A community-theater staple since, it's now back off-Broadway with a revival that opened in 2006.
1:56 PM AKST, November 11, 2011
Theater review: 'A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas' from Orlando Repertory Theatre
The elves at Orlando Repertory Theatre have been working overtime on staging and lighting, and the results put a dollop of holiday magic into "A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas," directed by Rob Anderson.
12:33 PM AKST, November 15, 2011
Theater review: 'Quilt: A Musical Celebration' from Breakthrough Theatre
A lot has changed since the early days of the AIDS epidemic but what remain the same are the emotions that surround any death: anger, grief, regret.
7:27 PM AKDT, October 14, 2011
Theater review: 'God of Carnage' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Maintaining a polite veneer around others is what makes us "civilized," yes? But what if the gloves come off?
8:46 PM AKDT, September 23, 2011
Theater review: 'Next Fall' at Mad Cow Theatre
There was a time when people were taught not to discuss religion and politics in polite company. (Of course these days, the two topics so often seem to be the same.)
8:40 PM AKDT, October 7, 2011
Theater review: 'A Wrinkle in Time' from Orlando Repertory Theatre
Madeleine L'Engle's teen sci-fi classic "A Wrinkle in Time" is full of strange planets, mysterious creatures and amazing sights.
12:27 PM AKDT, October 12, 2011
Theater review: 'Looking for Normal' from Breakthrough Theatre
Jane Anderson's "Looking for Normal" is on its surface a story about a man who after 25 years of marriage confesses he wants a sex change. But deeper than that, it's a story about how we cope with life's curveballs and most important, how we love.
8:37 PM AKDT, October 13, 2011
Theater review: 'Altar Boyz' from Florida Theatrical Association
Oh, remember the good old days — the late 1980s and early '90s — when you couldn't turn on MTV without seeing five clean-cut guys crooning innocently about love or ripping through some fancy footwork? It was the giddy era of Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block, and that is the teen-dream universe that "Altar Boyz" spoofs with deadly — and deadly funny — accuracy.
5:47 PM AKDT, September 25, 2011
Theater review: 'The Sweetest Swing in Baseball' from Rollins College
Playwright Rebecca Gilman wants to say a lot in "The Sweetest Swing in Baseball," the dark comedy that's opening the Annie Russell Theatre season at Rollins College.
8:30 PM AKDT, September 10, 2011
Theater review: 'Avenue Q' from Theatre Downtown
Manhattan's fictitious Avenue Q might be a rundown thoroughfare but Theatre Downtown's production of the Broadway musical "Avenue Q" is top-notch all the way from A to Z and back again.
8:51 PM AKDT, September 10, 2011
Theater review: 'Oedipus for Kids' from Renegade Theater
Renegade Theater's “Oedipus for Kids” presents a tragedy of a different sort: A ragtag trio of actors stage an obviously misbegotten version of the Greek myth to 6-year-olds. The audience, as the 6-year-olds, is encouraged to respond, mostly with quacking. (Don’t ask.)
12:32 PM AKDT, September 19, 2011
Theater review: 'The Mommies -- A Musical Blog'
Most everyone thinks his or her mother is unique. Whether the best, craziest, most aggravating or most loving, Mom is usually in a class all her own.
7:52 PM AKDT, September 15, 2011
Theater review: 'Satchmo at the Waldorf'
Bubbling under the clever monologues in "Satchmo at the Waldorf, and occasionally rising to the surface lurks a time-honored question of the arts, Is giving people what they want successfully entertaining them or selling out?
8:40 PM AKDT, September 21, 2011
Review: Cirque du Soleil's 'Dralion'
One of the beautiful things about Cirque du Soleil is how viewers can see as much story — or as little — as they want in a Cirque show's collection of artistically acrobatic acts.
8:45 PM AKDT, September 10, 2011
Theater review: 'Bouncers' from I.D.10-T Productions
“Bouncers,” from I.D.10-T Productions, a scrappy comedy about clubbing, starts later than most shows, at 9 p.m. (None of the cool kids go clubbing early, you know.)
2:20 PM AKDT, September 8, 2011
Theater review: 'Sideways Stories from Wayside School' from Orlando Repertory Theatre
How come my school days were never like this?
7:30 PM AKDT, August 20, 2011
Theater review: 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' from Winter Park Playhouse
It's probably clear from the title — "The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) — that if you like musicals, you'll like this show. If you prefer to make fun of musical-theater conventions — the divas, the plot repetition, the corniness — this nifty collection of song parodies has plenty for you, as well.
8:49 PM AKDT, August 20, 2011
Theater review: 'Steel Magnolias' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions
Late in "Steel Magnolias," Truvy the hairdresser says her favorite emotion is "laughter through tears."
9:04 PM AKDT, August 19, 2011
Theater review: 'Spring Awakening' from Greater Orlando Actors Theatre
The energy of youth is plainly apparent in the Greater Orlando Actors Theatre's production of "Spring Awakening." Characters don't just exit the stage — they race from it. Props are whisked on and off, actors crawl around the floor, one actor even manages double duty, acting in the show and playing guitar with the band.
10:14 AM AKDT, July 11, 2011
Theater review: 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' from Bay Street Players
The heroine of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" sings the praises of everything that's new, but there's an old-fashioned charm to this sweetly silly show that danced off with six Tony awards in 2002, including best musical.
7:39 PM AKDT, August 6, 2011
Theater review: 'Spring Awakening' from Breakthrough Theatre
Director Wade Hair has put together a polished production of the rock musical "Spring Awakening," the Broadway darling of the 2006-07 season.
7:27 PM AKDT, July 2, 2011
Theater review: 'Rashomon' from Mad Cow Theatre
In "Rashomon," three witnesses to a murder in Japan of long ago each present very different accounts of the crime.
2:13 PM AKDT, September 22, 2011
Theater review: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Here are two truths of comedy: Erudite witticisms retain their humor long after faddish expressions fade away. Oh, and a man in a dress almost always gets laughs.
7:44 PM AKDT, August 11, 2011
Theater review: 'Prelude to a Kiss' from Theatre Downtown
"Prelude to a Kiss" is a not-so-old-fashioned love story: Boy meets girl, they fall in love, marry within a few weeks — and then her soul changes places with that of an elderly man.
7:14 PM AKDT, August 5, 2011
Theater review: 'The Understudy' from Mad Cow Theatre
"I'm not bitter," explains the title character in thecomedy "The Understudy." In fact, he explains it repeatedly, you know, in that way that makes you doubt the truthfulness of that statement.
June 22, 2011
Theater review: 'Hair' from Florida Theatrical Association
For a show built around the most important concepts of real life — self-expression, freedom, love, peace — an air of unreality hangs over the Broadway touring production of “Hair.”
8:45 PM AKDT, May 17, 2011
Theater review: 'Shrek: The Musical' from Florida Theatrical Association
"I'm a bit bipolar," sings Princess Fiona in "Shrek: The Musical," a fitting sentiment for a show that seems much the same. One minute, it's delightfully entertaining; the next, it's dully plodding.
8:08 PM AKDT, June 30, 2011
Theater review: 'Veronica's Room' from UCF Conservatory Theatre
On the rare occasions I watch horror movies (always in the safety of my living room), I tend to yell at the characters on the flickering screen: "Don't go out there!" "Don't do that!" "Don't let it in!"
1:32 PM AKDT, June 17, 2011
Theater review: 'Media' from Empty Spaces Theater Co./Tod Kimbro
One of the criticisms of our media age is how it can isolate us as much as connect us. We're like voyeurs, watching others' problems on reality TV from afar. On Facebook and Twitter, we communicate in pithy phrases or even one word — "like" — instead of through heartfelt conversation.
7:30 PM AKDT, August 4, 2011
Theater review: 'Legacy of Light' from Mad Cow Theatre
I hesitate to tell you that "Legacy of Light" contains philosophical musings, references to Voltaire's "Candide," discussion of Sir Isaac Newton's science and a mini-lecture on dark matter.
8:59 PM AKDT, June 10, 2011
Theater review: 'Evil Dead: The Musical' from Theatre Downtown
The first thing to know about Theatre Downtown's "Evil Dead: The Musical": There is a splash zone.
8:37 PM AKDT, March 25, 2011
Theater review: 'Charm' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
It takes a special kind of courage to buck the tide, ignore convention and march to the beat of a different drummer.
7:06 PM AKDT, June 9, 2011
Theater review: 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' from Mad Cow Theatre
For those who think Stephen Sondheim is all about deep and complex music and lyrics … well they're right. But in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Sondheim's cleverness is mixed into farce.
8:06 PM AKDT, April 21, 2011
Theater review: 'Xanadu' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions
When plans were announced for a stage musical of the movie "Xanadu," one of the most derided films of the past 30 years, theater folk mostly shook their heads in disgust.
9:42 PM AKST, March 5, 2011
Theater review: 'Shout! The Mod Musical' from Winter Park Playhouse
Based on the audience response, there is a demographic who enjoys "Shout! The Mod Musical," a revue of '60s music onstage at Winter Park Playhouse.
8:05 PM AKDT, March 24, 2011
Theater review: 'Greater Tuna' from Jester Theater Company
The little town of Tuna — third smallest town in Texas — is a mighty funny place to visit.
March 5, 2011
Theater review: 'August: Osage County' from Theatre Downtown
In Theatre Downtown's production of the critically acclaimed "August: Osage County," members of the Weston family find they are rarely alone. While marriages disintegrate, someone's straightening up around the corner. While secrets are being spilled, relatives are loafing on the sofa or playing cards nearby.
10:33 AM AKDT, March 14, 2011
Theater review: 'Murder's a Drag' from NanciLu Productions
There's something about the very funny "Murder's a Drag" that conjures the past.
7:25 PM AKST, March 11, 2011
Theater review: 'Freud's Last Session' from Mad Cow Theatre
It's no surprise that a play about two of the world's great thinkers would be thought-provoking.
March 27, 2011
Theater review: 'Into the Woods' from UCF Conservatory Theater
Fairy tales conjure up thoughts of youth. We read them as children; they relate the stories of impressionable young ladies and men. So maybe that explains the extra dash of magic in UCF Conservatory Theater's production of "Into the Woods."
11:12 PM AKST, March 3, 2011
Theater review: 'Equus' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions
Peter Shaffer's "Equus," with its mix of sexuality, obsession, religion and nudity is not an easy play to watch, neither comforting nor uplifting. So FantasyLand Theatrical Productions, which opened the Pointe Performing Arts Center last summer, deserves credit for going beyond safe, oft-seen works to try something edgier.
7:18 PM AKST, February 25, 2011
Theater review: 'Beowulf' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Where, oh where was Charlie Bethel during my high-school literature classes?
11:12 AM AKST, March 3, 2011
Theater review: 'Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type' from Orlando Repertory Theatre
Farmer Brown has a problem. All day long he hears the sound of "click, clack, moo" as his cows pound out missives on their battered typewriter instead of producing milk.
9:03 PM AKST, February 24, 2011
Theater review: 'Wicked' from Florida Theatrical Association
If you're a fan of "Wicked" — and since 2003 there have been plenty of you — the touring production camped at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre for the next few weeks will surely raise your appreciation of the show
5:04 PM AKST, February 27, 2011
Theater review: 'The Diary of Anne Frank' from Breakthrough Theatre
There's no way to watch "The Diary of Anne Frank" without feeling a knot in the pit of your stomach as the performers take the stage.
8:38 PM AKST, January 30, 2011
Theater review: 'Seven Guitars' from Seminole State College
There's a lot of crowing going on in August Wilson's "Seven Guitars."
9:11 PM AKST, January 20, 2011
Theater review: 'Twelfth Night' from UCF Conservatory Theatre
"Twelfth Night" gets its laughs at the UCF Conservatory Theatre production of the Shakespeare comedy that opened Thursday night.
6:54 PM AKST, February 12, 2011
Theater review: 'Pride and Prejudice' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," published in 1813, seasons its tangled love stories with bigger issues: morals, manners, a woman's lot in life, and the class distinctions of turn-of-the-century England.
8:09 PM AKST, February 12, 2011
Theater review: 'Shhhh!' from PB&J Theatre Factory
The mystery: How can seven actors barely uttering a word, miming absolute nonsense, keep an audience of adults — and children — chortling for two hours?
7:15 PM AKST, February 13, 2011
Theater review: 'Letters from Sala' from Rollins College
When the source material for a play is letters, the words in those letters become paramount.
9:37 PM AKST, January 29, 2011
Theater review: 'Anne Frank & Me' from Orlando Repertory Theatre
The most chilling part of "Anne Frank & Me" at Orlando Repertory Theatre is not the scene of Nazi soldiers rounding up terrified Jews in 1940s Paris.
7:41 PM AKST, January 21, 2011
Theater review: 'Five Course Love' from Winter Park Playhouse
"Five Course Love" is one of those comedies that in order to work at all, its actors need to charge through it full-tilt.
8:57 PM AKST, January 28, 2011
Theater review: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater
Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is comedy as light as the wings of the fairies that populate the story.
8:46 PM AKST, January 11, 2011
Theater review: 'Rock of Ages' from Florida Theatrical Association
The 1980s, full of bright colors, big hair and loud guitar licks, are often derided as a time when style was more important than substance. If that's true, then "Rock of Ages" is certainly a product of its time.
January 8, 2011
Theater review: "Launch 2011" from Playwrights' Round Table
Officially, there's no connecting theme among the seven plays that make up the Playwrights' Round Table "Launch 2011" program.
9:35 AM AKST, January 18, 2011
Theater review: 'Chicago' from Theatre Downtown
Eyeing the photos of the smiling actors in Theatre Downtown's production of "Chicago," I was feeling a bit skeptical.
8:01 PM AKST, January 30, 2011
Theater review: 'Aida' from Greater Orlando Actors Theatre (GOAT)
"Fortune favors the brave," sing the Egyptian soldiers in the musical "Aida," and Greater Orlando Actors Theatre must have been feeling brave indeed to take on such a show.
January 15, 2010
Theater review: 'Glory Days' from Airhead Productions
It has only been five months since "Glory Days," a one-act coming-of-age musical, was staged in Orlando. And half the four-person cast of that production are in the current one -- although in different parts.
E-mail
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon