302 stories by "Tim Dunleavy"
Time Stands Still, Donald Margulies' fascinating drama at Bristol Riverside Theatre, seems at first as if it's going to be a deep meditation on war and politics. But Margulies' characters, a…
The Blakes are not your ordinary dysfunctional family. As they gather for Thanksgiving dinner in an unfamiliar locale, everything seem fine, if a little off-kilter; they engage in their favo…
"Life is a mistake that only art can correct." That's not a line you'd expect to hear at a rock and roll show, is it? But Passing Strange isn't your typical rock show, or musical, or biog…
Morning's at Seven fits the definition of "quaint." With its elderly characters and its winsome setting " a Midwestern town in the 1930s, where everybody knows each other's problems a little…
How many versions of A Christmas Carol have you seen? Probably too many to count. But I can guarantee you've never seen one that mentions Doylestown, Lambertville and Peddler's Village befor…
Quintessence Theatre has built a strong reputation as a home for classic drama. But now they've dived into the American Musical Theatre canon in a big way by staging one of the most popular …
"Tale as old as time"? If you're the parent of a young child who has watched a certain Disney animated film on video over and over and over, it might seem that way. But when you take that ch…
The programming of music by Haydn is unusual for The Philadelphia Orchestra. The choice is even more surprising coming from conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who is more associated with mode…
The setting is ordinary " an office with two desks side by side. The desks are covered with plants, knickknacks, and piles of paperwork. The sort of thing we see every day in corporate Ameri…
The list began after her first attempt. A list of everything brilliant about the world. Everything worth fighting for. If I were to make a list of every brilliant thing about the world, audi…
What's not to like about The Fantasticks? It's always been a modest, gentle show that goes down easy. The Eagle Theatre's new production adds a few new wrinkles, putting its own stamp on thi…
Is seeing a Christmas show in November too early for you? When I went to see this show during the first week of November, I couldn't help thinking of the scene in A Charlie Brown Thanksgivin…
The Wilma Theater's Blood Wedding sets out to overpower you " and it succeeds. From its first moments, when the 11-member ensemble assembles on a long, bare, black platform, stares direct…
Red Herring is a parody of the tough film noir mysteries of the forties and fifties. But playwright Michael Hollinger has more on his mind than mere nostalgia: his play is also a romance, a …
It's been said that one of the problems with politics these days is that people talk but don't listen. Opposing political sides state their positions, but too many speak just to their suppor…
Janis Joplin was a true original. But as the musical/tribute concert A Night with Janis Joplin proves, she didn't just come out of nowhere. Joplin became a top star during the psychedelic…
There's a lot going on in Lisa Kron's life. There's her brother's upcoming marriage, a ceremony that's being held at a Jewish community center with "a wonderful design out of a 1972 James Bo…
"Your status has expired." For Canaan Muponda, these are the most fearsome words imaginable. A refugee from Zimbabwe, Canaan has spent the last five years living in Liverpool with his young …
Next to Normal isn't your standard Broadway musical. But this offbeat Pulitzer Prize-winner, now receiving a solid production at West Chester's Resident Theatre Company, shines a light on a …
Godspell has always been a show filled with spirit. Ever since its New York debut in 1971, it's been a vehicle for a lot more than a religious message. Its loose structure " John-Michael Teb…
Who was the first rock and roller? You could say it was Elvis Presley, the first rock and roll superstar. Or Bill Haley, the first rocker to have a number one hit. Or maybe it was Ray Charle…
Ripcord is the story of a cutthroat battle of practical jokes and dirty tricks between two women in an assisted-living residence for the elderly. Does that seem unlikely? Then you've neve…
"Do you want to talk, or do you want to be cryptic and weird?" Those words " which sound like they might belong in a lot of Sam Shepard's plays " appear in the first scene of Shepard's Simpa…
Want to make one of the zaniest shows of all time even zanier? Just add Frank Ferrante. Ferrante has directed the Walnut's new production of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, a…
Airswimming, Charlotte Jones' play about two Englishwomen stuck in a mental institution for no good reason, walks " or should that be swims? " a fine line between sly humor and sensitivity. …
