Sunday, February 4, 2018
“September” by Earth, Wind and Fire was gorgeously mashed up with Kool & The Gang’s “Celebration” and was the soaring opening number of The New York Pops’ exhilarating rhyth…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:53PMFriday, February 2, 2018
The first act is a faithful and skillful hour-long condensation of "The Seagull." The second act is a clever hour-long vaudeville-style amalgam of "The Cherry Orchard," "Uncle Vanya" and "Th…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:33PMTuesday, January 30, 2018
Classic movies such as "It’s a Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Moonstruck" are citied in the play and author June Daniel White is clearly inspired by and seeks to emulate th…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:46PMSaturday, January 27, 2018
“I never met a peanut butter junkie” is one of the many sharp zingers in Fran Handman’s romantic park bench meetup, "A New York Encounter" (directed by Elowyn Castle) between an older …
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:03PMFriday, January 26, 2018
Playwrights Kevin Armento and Bryony Lavery take the well-known facts that have been explored in documentaries and in the feature film "Battle of the Sexes" and shovel on a cascade of imagin…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:51PMWednesday, January 24, 2018
Whether bantering with the audience, displaying energetic dance moves, reciting factual details or performing Bobby Darin’s signature songs, the boyish Groff was sensational. “Splish Spl…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:09PMTuesday, January 23, 2018
Soviet born actor Ilia Volok is quite personable and definitely commands the stage; his performance is heroic but it is so intense and his accent is often intrusive. Comical and sensitive po…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:11PMSaturday, January 20, 2018
Murky, glacial and hypnotic, "Sheila" is a dreamy reunion drama among two 28-year-old women who haven’t seen each other in 10 years. It recalls the sort of off-beat female-centric play dir…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:20AMFriday, January 19, 2018
Ms. Orlandersmith skillfully organizes the material into short monologues that are revelatory, insightful and often tinged with humor. Visually striking with her animated facial features a…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:59PMWednesday, January 17, 2018
Dull, smug and interminable," The Undertaking" is a multimedia play written by Steve Cosson that explores the meaning of death. Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp and Greek mythology are trotte…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:45AMMonday, January 15, 2018
With the support of film director, screenwriter and playwright Neil LaBute, the St. Louis Actors’ Studio has held an annual festival of one-act plays since 2013. This is the third year t…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:58PMSunday, January 14, 2018
Darryl Reilly, Critic Harold Pinter “He’s a fucking fine actor,” said Harold about the actor who had just ruined an otherwise excellent production. “It’s a fucking hard job, acting…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:33AMTuesday, January 9, 2018
Playwright Robert O’Hara’s fertile premise might have made for a provocative, sober sci-fi take on gender roles, sexuality and parenthood. Instead, it’s broadly conceived and lame. The…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:11PMMonday, January 8, 2018
Shaw employs the gruff cadences of George C. Scott and Weaver has the calm and measured tone of Peter Sellers and both are thoroughly delightful. Their tremendous rapport is most evident i…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:49AMSaturday, January 6, 2018
Darryl Reilly, Critic Doric Wilson circa 2011. “Making magic out of nothing,” is how Doric Wilson described his 50-year devotion to the penury of alternative theater. Why am I writing ab…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:01AMFriday, December 29, 2017
Darryl Reilly, Critic It is not widely known that among Frank Langella’s many accolades, including four Tony Awards, there was also a hat named after him. In the winter of 2003, after Sund…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:32PMThursday, December 28, 2017
As "Rock of Ages" did for the 1980’s, "Cruel Intentions: The Musical" does for the 1990’s. This is a carefree entertainment accompanied by the revelry incited by a two-item minimum in a …
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:44PMMonday, December 25, 2017
Vince Guaraldi’s monumental jazz themes are beautifully rendered by musical director Jenny Shiroma on piano, Laura Hamel on percussion and Billie Sholen on bass. This talented trio also pe…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:10PMWednesday, December 20, 2017
Deffaa’s great achievement is joining the narrative portions with just the right song. An anecdote about encountering Florenz Ziegfeld having an office dalliance with a chorus girl is fo…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:28AMDarryl Reilly, Critic Looking back at the 128 performance reviews I wrote for Theaterscene.net in 2017, these shows were outstanding and quite memorable. My assignments rarely include Broadw…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:59AMMonday, December 18, 2017
Joni Mitchell’s “River” was given a powerful rendition by guest artist Megan Hilty. The blonde and statuesque Ms. Hilty was a glorious vision wearing a luminous white wedding dress a…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:25AMTuesday, December 12, 2017
Written by The Bengsons and Sarah Gancher, the show presents a stylized take on the couple’s love at first sight meeting, the complications it caused with their partners at the time, their…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 03:56PMMonday, December 11, 2017
Decked out in nerdy regalia of a yellow shirt, red tie and plaid pants with suspenders, Ethan Slater is terrific as SpongeBob. The immensely personable Mr. Slater wonderfully sings, dances a…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:57PMSaturday, December 9, 2017
With expressive and limber physicality, animated facial features, piercing eyes, and a smoothly resonant voice, Mr. de la Fuente vividly depicts Mr. Hirabayashi from youth to old age. Magn…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 09:01PMMonday, December 4, 2017
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania, was raised by foster families, and learned about magic by reading books at the public library. These biographical details add depth to his shaded yet sunny …
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:21PMSunday, December 3, 2017
David Gow is the show’s producer and he also plays Tommy Flowers. Mr. Gow perhaps saw this showy role as a vehicle for him to shine in and he does up to a point. Gow is an appealing, v…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 05:46PMThursday, November 30, 2017
Crumm and DeVito have a marvelous chemistry together and terrific mutual comic timing that make them seem like a real couple. Their compelling performances energize and elevate what could ha…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:38PMTuesday, November 28, 2017
With his commanding and emotionally expressive baritone voice, the eternally boyish Holbrook wearing formal wear, vividly performs a program drawn from show tunes, Hollywood musicals, classi…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 11:42PMDarryl Reilly, Critic With his characteristic philosophical drollness, Quentin Crisp’s posthumous, third volume of autobiography, The Last Word is not only an entertaining chronicle but a …
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 01:02PMWednesday, November 22, 2017
"American Idol" winner Candice Glover, "The Voice"’s Josh Kaufman, "America’s Got Talent"’s Bianca Ryan and the attractive, married couple Peter Hollens and Evynne Hollens, who are …
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 10:52AMTuesday, November 21, 2017
After his teenaged son is called a “beaner” by one of his classmates at a WASPy private school, Leguizamo is inspired to educate the rest of the United States about the overlooked achiev…
SOURCE: www.theaterscene.net at 12:31PM 
