All stories by David Dow Bentley III on BroadwayStars

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Summer Fun from GUYS & DOLLS at RTC by David Dow Bentley III

[ Click on any photo to enlarge ] It doesn’t get much better than this for residents of the once Sandy-ravaged Rockaway Beach. The pleasantly warm summer weather and low humidity have the …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 03:10AM
Tuesday, June 16, 2015

KEN HOWARD Wows ’em at The Lambs Club by David Dow Bentley III

From time to time my occasional work as a performing arts critic in Texas causes me to miss some important event here  in New York. That was never truer than on last March 9th when Marc Bar…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:44PM
Sunday, June 14, 2015

A Little LAMB Who Shines on New York Cabaret Scene by David Dow Bentley III

She is a member of America’s oldest theatrical club, The Lambs established in 1874, and those fellow Lambs who have been fortunate enough to hear talented singer and cabaret performer,…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:10PM
Thursday, May 14, 2015

THE MUSIC MAN: Fresh as Ever at Theatre Under the Stars by David Dow Bentley III

[ CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE ] Anthony Crane as Harold Hill and Sara Jean Ford as Marian Paroo with cast. Photo by Bruce Bennett, courtesy of Theatre Under The Stars.   Like the seasons…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:02AM
Sunday, May 3, 2015

A Woodlands Weekend of Wonders from Gaga, Bennett & “Chicago” by David Dow Bentley III

CHICAGO lights up stage at Lone Star College-Montgomery *Courtesy Photo*  [ CLICK ANY PHOTO TO ENLARGE ] Last weekend approached with ominous Houston-area Friday morning thunderstorms that …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:57AM
Sunday, April 26, 2015

TOMMY TUNE AWARDS : “The Biggest Celebration” by David Dow Bentley III

Whenever he was distressed about disturbing current events in the news, it was not uncommon for my late father to announce, “The world is going to hell in a handbasket!” If he could have…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:23AM
Thursday, April 23, 2015

Houston Symphony plus Peking Acrobats=Pure Magic by David Dow Bentley III

For those who witnessed the stunning Opening and Closing ceremonies of the 2008 Summer Olympics hosted by China in Beijing, the artistic talent and cultural splendor of those memorable Chine…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 05:22PM
Friday, April 17, 2015

Energy & Romance Propel MAMMA MIA! Skyward Once Again by David Dow Bentley III

It seemed more like attending some grand and joyous party than it did attending a run-of-the-mill musical. The fun began right in the elevator that took my guest and me up to the orchestra l…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 02:37AM
Saturday, March 21, 2015

Excellence Abounds at YTA Concert of Finalists by David Dow Bentley III

As the Young Texas Artists music competition entered its fourth decade of showcasing the very finest of our state’s young, classical musicians, it would be no surprise that last Saturday n…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 10:33PM
Friday, March 20, 2015

“JOSEPH” Gives the People What They Want at TUTS by David Dow Bentley III

With Spring Break underway for many in surrounding Houston areas, the Theater Under the Stars offering of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT had no opening week shortage of eager y…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 05:02AM
Thursday, March 12, 2015

ONCE Upon a Time There Was Love and Music by David Dow Bentley III

It is a story of love, and it is most certainly a story of music, and when the two come together they weave a tale as sweet as the melodies that bind together all the charms of the musical…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 03:51PM
Saturday, February 28, 2015

Romeo, Juliet, & Dance Magnificence from Houston Ballet by David Dow Bentley III

Even before the opening curtain, there was a ballet of sorts in the Wortham Center’s soaring lobby, with its steep and rolling escalator, towering windows, and the high walls adorned with …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 10:36PM
Thursday, February 26, 2015

A Comical PINOCCHIO from Disney & Class Act by David Dow Bentley III

***Click Any Photo to Enlarge*** Before curtain time at the Nancy Bock Center for the Performing Arts, the room was filled with the familiar buzz of audience excitement that one has come to …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 02:03AM
Thursday, February 19, 2015

An Exceptional SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN at Crighton by David Dow Bentley III

For lovers of musical theatre there is something incredibly important and very wonderful going on at Conroe’s Crighton Theater. Brilliantly directed by Manny Cafeo, the current production …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 02:45AM
Friday, February 13, 2015

KINKY BOOTS Are Kickin’ in Houston by David Dow Bentley III

It is a bit of a fairy tale in its own right, and that may be the source of the joy that now spreads across the theatrical world leaving smiles on the faces of everyone it touches. I refer, …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 07:08AM
Wednesday, February 4, 2015

A VALENTINE FROM MAINE & THE PLAYERS by David Dow Bentley III

Ten months of family business in New York had kept me away from the Conroe theatre scene for a very long time, so it was especially nice last Saturday evening to follow dinner with a dear fr…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 06:59PM
Wednesday, January 28, 2015

“JOHNNY DEPP” Inspires Tour de Force Performance at TUTS by David Dow Bentley III

Neatly tucked away in the smaller theater of Houston’s Hobby Center one can find the unusual offerings of the TUTS UNDERGROUND. The company self-describes its productions as, “…edgy, c…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:10PM
Monday, December 22, 2014

A Jazz Age Returns with CAFÉ SOCIETY SWING by David Dow Bentley III

New York’s legendary Café Society nightclub debuted in the Greenwich Village of the late 1930’s. For many years that followed it would be the Mecca for many African American jazz greats…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 12:42PM

Beware of Missing THE DORY PREVIN STORY by David Dow Bentley III

An end-of-year musical treasure I discovered this past weekend is Beware of Young Girls: Kate Dimbleby Sings the Dory Previn Story, now playing at 59E59 Theaters. Created and performed by Ka…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 12:41AM
Monday, September 22, 2014

RTC Casts a Theatrical Spell With Its Splendid GODSPELL by David Dow Bentley III

In the last dozen years I have had the opportunity to review several productions of the ever-popular musical, Godspell, conceived by John-Michael Tebelak with music & lyrics by Stephen S…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 10:36AM
Friday, July 18, 2014

Guys, Dolls, and Fun-Filled “BULLETS OVER BROADWAY” by David Dow Bentley III

  [ Ed. Note: Click all photos for full size. ] The art deco charms of Broadway’s St. James theater surrounded the proscenium as the orchestra let loose with a jazzy musical Prologue that…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 11:49PM
Sunday, July 6, 2014

Djokovic Uses Nadal Method to Defeat Federer at Wimbledon by David Dow Bentley III

WIMBLEDON, England  6 July 2014 Neither my status as an amateur tennis player nor my record as a performing arts critic would qualify me to comment on the truly remarkable Men’s Final of…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:29PM
Wednesday, June 18, 2014

A Royal “Affair” With Anger Management Through Song by David Dow Bentley III

The terrorism of the British tabloids is well remembered from such events as the abdication of King Edward VIII (in favor of his marriage to American socialite, Wallis Simpson), or the divor…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:48PM
Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Fun Fling For Farce Fans in Texas Rep’s BOEING BOEING by David Dow Bentley III

For you followers of farce it may be time to head over to Texas Repertory Theatre to take in the latest offering, the Marc Camoletti / Beverly Cross comedy, BOEING BOEING.If the recent audie…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 12:49PM
Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Electrifying Second Act for Players’ powerful INHERIT THE WIND by David Dow Bentley III

Many readers will recall tales of the sensational Scopes “Monkey” Trial of 1925, which became a notorious clash between science and religion. Schoolteacher, John Scopes, was charged with…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 05:46PM
Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Laughs Aplenty in Texas Rep’s PRISONER OF 2nd AVENUE and more to come in BOEING BOEING by David Dow Bentley III

For theatergoers looking for relief from the stresses of everyday life and the troubling reports on the evening news, relief was just a theatre ticket away. In a recent production presented …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:31PM
Wednesday, March 12, 2014

30th Annual YTA Concert of Finalists Highlights MCPAS Season by David Dow Bentley III

Last Saturday night there was a Texas-style barbeque worthy of a scene in the classic motion picture, “Giant,” but it was so much more than that. One could sense the presence of …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:48PM
Thursday, March 6, 2014

A Truly Wonderful WIZARD OF OZ from TUTS by David Dow Bentley III

What a magical wonderland of joy awaits those lucky Theater Under the Stars patrons who have the good fortune to scoop up the remaining tickets for the current run of the new musical stage a…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 09:55PM
Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Broadway and Rebekah Dahl Return to The Music Box by David Dow Bentley III

With so many of its stars having been polished by years of Broadway musical experience with Houston’s legendary Masquerade Theatre, it should come as no surprise that the current offering …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:29PM
Monday, March 3, 2014

MARDIS GRAS Comes Early for Lone Star Lyric Cabaret by David Dow Bentley III

It may have been a week early with its billing as a FAT TUESDAY FEAST subtitled, “WAY DOWN YONDER IN NEW ORLEANS – A Musical Mardi Gras,” but the latest offering from Lone Star Lyric C…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:53PM
Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A Sensational Storybook World From Class Act’s SHREK by David Dow Bentley III

Some may recall the Sesame Street song of Kermit the frog, “It’s Not Easy Being Green,” and the recent Class Act Production of Disney’s musical, SHREK, is a case in point. It tells t…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 06:44PM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards