DC Felton - Page 9

It is always a jubilant evening when I get to see the Des Moines Symphony, and their most recent concert was no different. I had the pleasure of attending the Saturday evening performance of 'Simon Sings Porgy and Bess' and was treated to an evening of stunning music. One thing I appreciate about the Des Moines Symphony is the balance of repertoire with both familiar and new music, and this performance was no exception.

Are you looking for an enchanting evening out with your family? Look no farther than the Kate Goldman's Theatre production of 'Ella Enchanted.' I was fortunate enough to be able to take my friend's 5-year-old daughter to see the show, and the show didn't just enchant her, but it enchanted me as well. This is an example of children's theatre at its best. From the sets to the costumes, to the cast, Ella Enchanted will be an enchanting evening for the entire family.

One of the things I love about theatre is how it asks us to look at societal norms and challenge them. One of the ways theatre does that is by the people we see onstage. What we don't see is the people behind the stage. When you look behind the scenes, it is sad to see how few women there are designing for shows. Des Moines Young Artist is tackling that with their current production of 'Treasure Island.' They are doing the show with a full female production team. The result was a theatrical experience that those in attendance will remember for a long time.

If your theatre doesn't have a home base, it can be difficult to find places to perform your shows. Sometimes it means finding a new place to perform. This can be both challenging and exciting at the same time. Now imagine a theatre that does this for every show. That would be Open Door Rep. They find new spaces for each show as their mission is to be accessible both financially and demographically. Their current show 'Closer' by Patrick Marber, which plays through April 20, is both accessible financially with a $12 ticket price, and demographically by being held at Main Frame Studios. One of the great things about this location is that it is an art studio. While at the show, take a look at all the beautiful art that lines the hallways.

Hello Des Moines! It's time to put on your Sunday clothes because Hello, Dolly!' is here for one week only at the Civic Center as part of the Des Moines Performing Arts and Willis Broadway Series. If you don't have tickets yet to this show, get one before 'Hello, Dolly!' leaves Des Moines. This production does a beautiful job of paying homage to the original production yet finding ways to make it their own.

Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to see Ankeny Community Theatre's sizzling production of Cole Porter's "Kiss Me, Kate." Ankeny has done a great job getting the word out about this production. The tickets are hot and sold out for both the performance I was at on Saturday as well the matinee on Sunday. Not only is this production one of the hottest tickets in town, it also has amazing performances that transcend the material.

Most of the people who read this article will know what Iowa Nice is if they heard it, but I would wager that most of those same people who not know what Gander Nice is. This is going to change soon as 'Come From Away,' by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, is coming to Des Moines as part of Des Moines Performing Arts 2019-2020 Willis Broadway Series. I have been following this show for a few years, watching it become the hit that it is, and couldn't wait to see it when it comes to Des Moines January 28-February 2, 2020. So this last weekend, I traveled to Omaha to see 'Come From Away.' And I was not disappointed.

Have you ever found looking at your significant other and wondering to yourself, 'What is going on in that mind of yours'? Have you found yourself saying 'If my significant other just knew this about me then things would make life easier'? If you have found yourself saying yes to either of those questions, then I may just have the answer for you. Take a trip down to the Temple of the Performing Arts to see the latest show in the Prairie Meadows Comedy Series, 'Men are From Mars, Women are From Venus Live!' This show may just be the perfect date night for you.

After a few months of seeing the white and snow-covered ground, I think everyone is ready to have some color brought back into life. While we may be getting to that time of year outside where we start seeing color again, inside at Des Moines Playhouse, you can see a show that is 'Live and in Living Color.' On Friday, I took a ride to the Des Moines Playhouse for their production of 'Catch Me If You Can,' playing through April 14. This production was filled with color both on stage and off. This included color brought in by some amazing performances as well as the set and lighting.

This last weekend, I had the joy of taking a trip to Cherry Tree Lane to see Newton Community Theatre's production of Disney and Cameron Mackintosh's 'Mary Poppins. It's always fun to take a trip to a theatre that I have never been to before to see how the take and mold a show together. While this production might not have been 'Practically Perfect', it is truly a 'Jolly Holiday' seeing this show.

Now while this is a new production, it is the same script and songs that people enjoyed with the show before. The music was fun, and for the most part the script was as well. Act 1 still has moments that slow the show down, but the pacing in this production was much better than the original production.

Every family has issues, and for some reason those issues always appear during the holidays. In the Iowa Stage production of 'The Lion in Winter', by James Goldman family issues are prevalent as King Henry, Queen Eleanor and their three sons argue over who should take over the throne after King Henry. 'The Lion in Winter', which opened this last weekend and continues through March 3, was a true master class of what makes a great show.

As a kid we have huge dreams on what we are going to do over the summer. Usually when it comes to the end of the summer and the school year is getting ready to start, we find that those dreams haven't been fulfilled. In "Judy Moody & Stink: The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Treasure Hunt" by Allison Gregory, which was based on the book series by Megan McDonald, Judy is going into her third-grade year of school and doesn't have an adventure to tell all her classmates about. She doesn't even have a t-shirt with words to show what she did over the summer. In the Des Moines Playhouse production, which opened on February 22, Judy gets to go on an adventure, and the Playhouse takes the audience right along with her.

Why is theatre important? That is a question that everyone answers differently. For me, it is important because it is an artform that pushes us to examine ourselves and pushes us to have a dialogue about things that we might not talk about in our every day life. For me, Des Moines Young Artist Theatre's production of 'Dog Sees God' by Bert V Royal does that. It asks us to look at issues such as drug use, suicide, eating disorders, teen violence, rebellion and sexual identity. What makes this show special is that it does it by using characters that seem like they might be characters that are near and dear to our hearts.

What is happiness? I think this is something we forget about all too often. And who better to remind us what happiness is than a group of young artists performing. Happiness is… going to Des Moines Young Artist Theatre's production of “You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown”.

Weddings can be fun, or they can be full of drama. We all like watching the Bride walk down the aisle, and eating food at the reception. While it may not be the time of year for outdoor weddings, Ankeny Community Theatre is inviting us inside for "Happily Ever After: A Wedding Comedy," by Mark Dunn.

Des Moines Has been found! The tour of 'Dear Even Hansen' plays at Des Moines Performing Arts Civic Center through February 10 and this is a not to be missed production.

Sometimes, what seems like an insignificant moment, can have an amazing impact. "Ordinary Days" by Adam Gwon, this year's Dream Project for Tallgrass Theatre Company, asked us to take a look at the small moments in our life and see that they are anything by ordinary. While the show may have closed on February 3, this show will have a lasting impact on every audience member that saw it. I know it will for me. If you missed this performance, then you missed a production that there was nothing ordinary about.

The game is afoot at the Des Moines Playhouse as they continue with their 100th season. This weekend they opened Ken Ludwig's 'Baskerville: A Sherlock Holmes Mystery' and the audience was eager and ready to play along. While familiarity with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' will help with some of the humor for the show, it is not necessary. There are plenty of laughs to be had during this show.

Journeys take us to all sorts of amazing places. Some come in big sizes and are meant to be fun. Others come in the small size of a toy bunny made of china. 'The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane', takes audiences on an amazing journey with a toy bunny made of china, on a journey where he learns the true meaning of love. Why is his journey miraculous? Well that is something you will have to go to the Kate Goldman's Children's Theatre at Des Moines Playhouse to find out.