Regional Roundup: Top 10 Stories This Week Around the Broadway World - 7/10; DEAR EVAN HANSEN in DC, VANYA in Chicago & More!

This week, we go around our Broadway World to feature stories in Washington, DC, Chicago, St. Louis, Vancouver, and more. Check out our top 10 stories around our Broadway World below, which include DEAR EVAN HANSEN in DC, VANYA AND SONIA in Chicago, and The Muny's HOLIDAY INN, just to name a few.

East/Northeast

1. Central PA: Editor Marakay Rogers reviews Allenberry's DAMN YANKEES and calls it "one devil of a good time!" She goes on, "A great score, however, still needs a great cast. Allenberry's redoubled efforts at casting this year have paid off with interest in this production. In this cheery, comic retelling of the Faust legend, with baseball rather than women the subject of the bargain, the Devil is, rather than vile and reeking of evil, the sharply dressed and sharply witty Mr. Applegate, whose black-and-red tailoring betrays no trace of ash or brimstone on cuff or collar. Played with moustache-twirling flair by Craig E. Treubert, the devious "talent agent" transforms middle-aged, bland Joe Boyd (Jeff March) into handsome, young hitting powerhouse and shortstop of doom, "Shoeless" Joe Hardy (played neatly and believably by Jack O'Brien)." Read more here.

2. Washington, DC: We have full coverage of the brand new world premiere musical at Arena Stage, DEAR EVAN HANSEN. Editor Jamie McGonnigal interviews real-life moms of the show, Broadway's Jennifer Laura Thompson (Nice Work If You Can Get It) and Rachel Bay Jones (Pippin), who star as Cynthia and Heidi respectively and they've also managed to tackle being working actors and real-life mothers at the same time. Check out his interview here. In addition, Editor Ellen Burns interviews Benj Pasek & Justin Paul, who were driving to DC to begin the final stages of preparation for the July 10 first preview of the show. Check out her interview here.

Midwest

3. Chicago, IL: Editor Misha Davenport reviews VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE at the Goodman Theatre. She says, "Tony award-winning playwright Christopher Durang took elements, characters and situations from Chekhov's work, threw them into a blender and the end result is an absurdist, laugh-out-loud comedy. I imagine if Chekhov were alive today and writing for the sitcom "Seinfeld," the end results might look a bit like this." Read her full review here. Want more VANYA? Check out our photo coverage here, and highlights of the show here.

4. St. Louis, MO: Editor Chris Gibson reviews HOLIDAY INN at The Muny. He says, "I think this is a terrific show filled with eye-popping choreography, big splashy numbers, and enough romantic entanglements to please any fan of the original film. If you're looking for a perfect example of how an old wartime flick can be transformed into a lively and fun stage musical, then look no further, the MUNY has you covered with their highly enjoyable production of Holiday Inn." Read more here. Can't get enough of The Muny? We've got your covered! Check out our full photo flash here, highlights here, opening night pics here, and exclusive inside scoop from our guest blogger, Patti Murin here!

5. Milwaukee, WI: Editor Peggy Sue Dunigan says that "A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE Travels Straight to the Heart at APT." She goes on, "Real life partners Eric Parks and Cristina Panfilio inhabit Stanley and Stella Kowalski with their own animal chemistry, palpable on stage and in the audience. Panfilio's silm, toned body matches Parks' inherent display of machismo and contrasts the elegant Arnold's, which further defines the differences between the two sisters's fates even thoguh their childhoods were similar. Panfilio delvers intense affection to asauge Blanche's peculiar predicaments, while their sisterly competiton for each other remains visceral." Read more here.

West

6. Sacramento, CA: Editor Harmony Wheeler reviews BYE, BYE BIRDIE at Music Circus. She says, "Every so often a musical comes along that is just pure fun. In a humorous imitation of the likes of Elvis Presley and his fan girls, "Bye, Bye Birdie" became just such a production, followed by two film versions and earning a place in pop culture with well-known songs like "The Telephone Hour" and "Put on a Happy Face." Sacramento Music Circus adds to the entertainment this week with colorful costumes, authentic set pieces and a decked out cast." Read her full review here.

7. Portland, OR: Editor Krista Garver reviews THOROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE at Broadway Rose. She says, "The cast and crew at Broadway Rose are incredible, and I'm continually amazed at the quality of the musical theatre productions they put on. Claire Avakian is excellent as Millie. She can sing, she can dance, and she's funny. (She's also moving to New York this fall -- good luck, Claire!) " Read her full review here.

8. Los Angeles, CA: Editor Ellen Dostal says that AS YOU LIKE IT is Full of Homespun Charm at Will Geer's Theatricum Botanicum. She goes on, "What is most appealing about the production is the way Geer has brought out the shimmering sweetness in it. There is undeniable love between cousins Rosalind (the ever impeccable Willow Geer) and Celia (Elizabeth Tobias), two playful, giggling girls whose loyalty to each other is never-ending. " Read more here.

International

9. Vancouver, Canada: Editor Matt Hanson reviews MISFIT BLUES Understands at Firehall Arts Centre. He says, "Choreographer and dancer Paul-André Fortier is a true national treasure. Together with his accomplice, dancer Robin Poitras, they enlighten the meaning of onstage chemistry. Misfit Blues is a wildly intoxicating ride through the incomprehensible abstractions and piercing truths of two people experiencing themselves as a unity." Read more here.

National Tour Highlight:

10. Washington, DC Editor Jeffrey Walker reviews PETER PAN Under the Threesixty Big Top. He says, "Peter Pan (as played by the agile and charming Dan Rosales) flies, fights, tumbles, rolls, and soars, propelled by theatrical magic. Peter still flies into the Darling children's window and leads them on a high-flying journey all the way to Neverland, but this time the onstage flying effects are enhanced a fully 360-degree projected background that helps propel the story and the characters into a new level of excitement. The audience - I, for one - is likewise fully transported on the adventure. Director Thom Southerland obviously has his finger on the pulse of PETER PAN - the character and the production. The pacing is swift and there is not a wasted moment throughout the two hour running time of the production." Read more here.

This week, we'd like to welcome Siobhan O'Loughlin as our newest guest blogger!

Want to join our growing team? We have positions available in several U.S. regions and International countries! Contact christina@broadwayworld.com for more information!