All stories by David Dow Bentley III on BroadwayStars

Saturday, March 16, 2024

Musical Excellence Again Reigns Supreme at YTA Gala by David Dow Bentley III

By David Dow Bentley III     “The People’s Critic” Conroe COURIER March 17, 2024   [Click any photo to enlarge] It was a wondrous spring evening in Texas as classical music fans …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 05:06PM
Saturday, December 23, 2023

KENNEDY CENTER HONORS Celebrates Renée Fleming by David Dow Bentley III

One of my proudest moments as a Performing Arts critic took place two decades ago in 2003, when I received a Houston Grand Opera invitation to attend the preview performance in Texas of the …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 05:48AM
Monday, December 18, 2023

REMEMBERING SHEILA SMITH by David Dow Bentley III

It is sad to report the recent death of Broadway actress, Sheila Smith. In New York, at America’s oldest theatrical organization, THE LAMBS, Sheila was the beloved longtime partner of Lamb…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 10:12PM
Friday, July 28, 2023

Audiences are “FEELIN’ GROOVY” at The Music Box by David Dow Bentley III

[Click Any Photo to Enlarge] By David Dow Bentley III     “The People’s Critic” Houston’s MUSIC BOX THEATER continues to amaze audiences with their seemingly bottomless reservoir…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:04AM
Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Houston Symphony Soars with Cirque de la Symphonie by David Dow Bentley III

[PHOTOS Courtesy of Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. Click any photo to enlarge] By David Dow Bentley III     “The People’s Critic” They say that “Seeing is Believing,” but for…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:04AM
Wednesday, July 19, 2023

“GUYS & DOLLS” Cools the Sizzling Texas Summer Heat by David Dow Bentley III

[All photos by SPRY ART PHOTOGRAPHY. Click any photo to enlarge.] By David Dow Bentley III     “The People’s Critic” Those familiar with the witty short stories of newspaper column…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:25AM
Friday, July 7, 2023

Another STAR-SPANGLED SUCCESS for The Pavilion by David Dow Bentley III

By David Dow Bentley III     “The People’s Critic” [Click Any Photo to Enlarge] They say, “Time Flies When You’re Having Fun,” and when I think back over the many times durin…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 11:33PM
Friday, June 16, 2023

For Elvis Fans, it Seemed Like Reincarnation at Pavilion by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” [Click any photo to enlarge] As one of the world’s premier outdoor amphitheaters since Frank Sinatra was its Grand Opening star…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:04AM
Thursday, June 8, 2023

Classic Rock and Country Music Light Up the Crighton Stage by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” [Click any photo to enlarge] An assortment of out-of-town commitments had taken me away from Texas for just over two years, so it…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 07:25AM
Thursday, June 1, 2023

A Triumphant DROWSY CHAPERONE from Class Act by David Dow Bentley III

[All photos by SPRY ART PHOTOGRAPHY. Click any photo to enlarge.] By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” It was exactly one quarter-century ago when I had the first of …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 11:18PM
Tuesday, May 30, 2023

A Sensational Opening for the New MUSIC BOX Theater by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” [Click any photo to enlarge.] A brief transportation delay in reaching the new location may have caused me to miss the first mome…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 10:48PM
Tuesday, May 23, 2023

A Winning “RENT” Production for Some, But Not For All by David Dow Bentley III

[All Photos by Melissa Taylor. Click any photo to enlarge.] By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III “The People’s Critic” It was bold. It was brassy. It was rowdy. It was brazen. It was “in-your-fa…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:18PM
Friday, May 12, 2023

“ANYTHING GOES”: Another Class Act Success by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” [Photo by Spry Art Photography] It was Thomas Wolfe who famously wrote, “You Can’t Go Home Again.” But I’m thinking that …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:42AM
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

OSCAR Nods Miss the Mark by David Dow Bentley III

Only rarely do I venture into the realm of film criticism, preferring as I do, reviewing live performances of all kinds, from theatre to symphony, ballet to opera, and assorted concerts as w…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 03:36AM
Sunday, April 2, 2023

DAZZLING GUITAR WORK AND FLAMENCO DANCING CAPTIVATE PARAMOUNT CROWD AT BENISE CONCERT by David Dow Bentley III

By David Dow Bentley III “The People’s Critic” It was an electrifying way to start the Fall Season at Peekskill’s magnificent 1920’s movie palace, The Paramount. The main event wou…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 09:36PM
Tuesday, October 4, 2022

DAZZLING GUITAR WORK AND FLAMENCO DANCING CAPTIVATE PARAMOUNT CROWD AT BENISE CONCERT by David Dow Bentley III

[Click any photo to enlarge] By David Dow Bentley III “The People’s Critic” It was an electrifying way to start the Fall Season at Peekskill’s magnificent 1920’s movie palace, The …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:55AM
Sunday, September 18, 2022

Anderson Twins’ MANCINI CELEBRATION Sets the Stage for upcoming Benny Goodman, Irving Berlin & Duke Ellington events. by David Dow Bentley III

  A VERY WONDERFUL SEASON… …of very wonderful American Jazz music, has recently gotten under way from New York’s renowned jazz virtuosos, Peter & Will Anderson. I had the pleasure…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 07:49AM
Sunday, April 10, 2022

Andersons Bring GERSHWIN Celebration to Symphony Space by David Dow Bentley III

The month began with a miserable April Fool’s Day on Friday, and wintry weather had been delaying spring’s arrival for too long. But 24 hours later, Saturday began to warm things up with…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 03:03AM
Tuesday, March 22, 2022

Stutzmann & ASO Offer Warm Tribute to Ukranian Struggles by David Dow Bentley III

It was a concert long in the planning, but who could have known the added significance Mozart’s “REQUIEM” would take on amid the swirl of cataclysmic world events that would surround S…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:42AM
Monday, November 29, 2021

Stephen Sondheim Remembered by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III “The People’s Critic“ As the world mourns the recent loss of legendary musical genius, Stephen Sondheim, I was moved to look back over the many times in the la…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 01:36AM
Monday, November 8, 2021

The Andersons Return to Symphony Space by David Dow Bentley III

Anderson Twins + Vince Giordano & Friends = Return of Musical Joy By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” It had been nearly two Pandemic years since I had the pleas…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 06:12AM
Wednesday, June 30, 2021

Texas Rep Celebrates Rosemary “TENDERLY” by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III   “The People’s Critic” They say that “timing is everything,” but after a pandemic year-and-a-half of being unable to fly back east from Texas to visit t…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:12PM
Friday, April 2, 2021

Donny Edwards Gives a Royal “TRIBUTE TO THE KING” by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III      “The People’s Critic” Last weekend, after a year of repeated pandemic-related concert rescheduling, the Crighton Theatre’s much anticipated, and lo…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 06:12AM
Friday, March 19, 2021

“FOOTLOOSE” Brings Joyous Revival to the Owen Theatre by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III    “The People’s Critic” [All photos by Trevor Hall Photography. Click any photo to enlarge.] It seems to be happening bit by bit. The pre-pandemic world we…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 07:32AM
Thursday, February 18, 2021

ODD COUPLE Offers Theatrical Light at the End of Pandemic Tunnel by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III “The People’s Critic” [PHOTOS BY: Michael Pittman. Click any photo to enlarge.] Perhaps William Shakespeare was not predicting our approaching Texas pandemic w…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 08:33PM
Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Saturday, December 5, 2020

Musical Joy Returns to the Crighton via “PETER PAN” by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III   “The People’s Critic” Peter Pan, the classic 1954 musical now playing at the historic Crighton Theatre in Conroe, Texas, is my first childhood memory of be…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:54AM
Tuesday, November 24, 2020

WHO CAN HELP? by David Dow Bentley III

 WHO CAN HELP?As we are all aware the problem of hunger in the country is becoming extremely serious and this is a perfect time to take some steps to alleviate that. Below is a link to an e…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 07:06PM
Monday, November 2, 2020

Brilliant Minnelli Performance Seems a Song for Our Time by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III “The People’s Critic” It was back in another century and another world when I first became aware of a rising talent named LIZA MINNELLI. It was a simpler time …

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:48AM
Sunday, July 26, 2020

CINDERELLA Event Supports the Actor’s Fund by David Dow Bentley III

My sources tell me that this YouTube video of the classic 1957 Rodgers and Hammerstein’s  “Cinderella,” will be available (in support of www.TheActorsFund.org/Cinderella), just today,…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 04:12AM
Thursday, June 25, 2020

Pandemic Relief from Houston’s MUSIC BOX THEATER by David Dow Bentley III

By DAVID DOW BENTLEY III     “The People’s Critic” [Click Any Photo to Enlarge] Is there musical theater after Covid-19? You betcha! And Houston’s MUSIC BOX THEATER is prepared t…

SOURCE: thepeoplescritic.com at 11:06PM

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