Chris Arneson

Nearly 50 years after its inception, Sweeney Todd still feels on the cutting edge of musical theatre. With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, the production currently playing at Conifer's StageDoor Theatre is a darkly compelling tale of revenge, love, and madness. 

What did our critic think of DREAMGIRLS at LonDreamgirls is one of those rare gem musicals you don't often see produced due to its essential diversity - not an area where the Denver theatre scene currently thrives - so it's refreshing to see Lone Tree Arts Center tackle the show.e Tree Arts Center?

Her recent bio musical, nominated for nearly every Tony Award category yet only claiming one for Adrienne Warren's performance as Tina, follows Tina from her beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, all the way claiming the title of Queen of Rock and Roll. Like many jukebox bio musicals, her collection of hits is sprinkled throughout as both performances and plot devices.

You're not too late, baby, to catch Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, now taking the main stage at the Arvada Center.

There's not very many musicals like Once, which might be why you rarely see it tackled regionally. The entire cast is tasked with playing some kind of instrument, making the show feel more like an immersive folksy concert with a plot. 

What did our critic think of MEMPHIS at Town Hall? Despite the formulaic plot, it's one of those refreshing musicals that really isn't based on any prior works. With music and lyrics by David Bryan of Bon Jovi and and book by Joe DiPietro (recognizable for penning I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change), it's got an exciting and driving score, and the story is clever enough to keep the show moving nicely. 

There have been countless adaptations of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island for film and TV, but it's not too often you find a stage musical of it. While the Aurora Fox is hosting the show's Colorado premiere, this musical production of Treasure Island made its world premiere a decade ago at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, featuring a book by Brett Smock and Carla Vitale with music and lyrics by Corinne Aquilina.

The musical's heart gets a little lost in the camp of everything. There's already the added layer of adults playing children -- but when there's 3 guys bouncing between multiple roles, sometimes the same character would be played by multiple people in a single song. Just watching it was exhausting. 

Directed by Bartlett Sher, the characters are fleshed out, a little more flawed than I remember. The children are played by adults, narrated with more self-awareness. It doesn't feel like nearly 3 hours of theatre.

What did our critic think of MEAN GIRLS at DCPA?It's easy to be a bit of a mean girl when it comes to cult movies being adapted into musicals. They happen too often, and sometimes they're tragic.  Thankfully, not Mean Girls.

If you're a millenial like me, Newsies is one of those musicals that made you waita pretty long time for a stage adaptation...but man was it worth it. 

Co-created by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne along with writer Mala Gaonkar, Theatre of the Mind is an immersive piece where you follow a Guide, essentially a vessel for David to communicate with you from his funeral to his childhood.

It just doesn't feel like the holidays until you've watched a greedy old man get spooked into being nice by a few ghosts. 

What did our critic think of PETER AND THE STARCATCHER at Cherry Creek?

You probably remember a few random details of your life on the day of the September 11th attacks. Not just what you saw on the television--but who was with you, where you were, how you felt. On that day, 38 airplanes were redirected to a small Canadian town--Gander, Newfoundland--the site of a large airport the used to handle transatlantic refueling but hadn't much anymore.

Boulder County’s new 11 After Theatre Company has joined forces with CenterStage Theatre Company in Louisville to mount a new production of the longest running off-Broadway musical revue I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.

What did our critic think of HADESTOWN? It's essentially the retelling of the Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Narrated by Hermes--played by a terrifically charismatic Levi Kreiss, who infuses the role with bit of his Tony-winning performance of Jerry Lee Lewis in Million Dollar Quartet...

What did our critic think? If you've ever worked in an office, you know the corporate culture can start to feel a little culty. That's the premise behind OddKnock's production of From On High, an immersive experience set in RiNO's IMAC building.

See what our critic had to say about this production. 'I can safely say a lot of us musical nerds have been waiting far too long to see Moulin Rouge as a Broadway production, and thankfully the stage production does not disappoint.'

What did our critic think of THE WEDDING SINGER at Town Hall Arts Center? What's better than a '90s romantic comedy set in the mid 80's? Maybe if it's a musical too.