Felicia Tassone

Finding Neverland is based off the Oscar winning film starring Johnny Depp and Kate Winslet. It tells the story of J.M. Barrie (Kevin Kern), a playwright who is seeking inspiration to write his next play. The problem, there are no ideas flowing. One day, in a park in London, Barrie sees four boys playing and they spark his interest. He has forgotten to use his imagination to write. The boys introduce Barrie to their mother Sylvia (Christine Dwyer), and as Barrie's marriage starts to fall to pieces, he grows romantic feelings for Sylvia. All the while, Barrie gets the inspiration to write his next big hit - "Peter Pan."

The year is 1940. The place is a small town in Indiana. Ralphie Parker is convinced that his life will not be complete unless he gets a Red Ryder Carbine Action BB gun for Christmas. His mother says absolutely not - "You'll shoot your eye out" - and so, with only 24 days 'till Christmas, Ralphie searches desperately for a way to change her mind.

Any show that starts with the death and mourning of the title character, whether it is good or bad, is going to leave an immediate impact.  Evita, the enduring musical biography of Eva Peron does just that, with extremely difficult music by musical theatre kingpin Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lyrics by Tim Rice. 

Are you a fan of the likes of Frankie Valli or The Temptations? How about The Jackson 5 of The Beatles? Stevie Wonder? Neil Diamond? Aretha Franklin? Marvin Gaye? The list goes on and on. If these artists are your cup of tea, you don't want to miss Motones vs. Jersey at Midtown Arts Center. Even if it is not necessarily your cup of tea, I guarantee you will enjoy it. Believe me. I speak from first hand experience.

"In a world so divided by hatred, misunderstanding and distrust, I hope Tribes will show us how we can truly commune, connect and understand each other as a global TRIBE."

Do you remember what were you doing on September 27th, 1986?  That is how long Phantom of the Opera has been on stage.  Thirty years of audiences enjoying Sir Andrew Lloyd Webbers masterpiece.  On top of the longest running production on both the West End and Broadway, there is also currently a US touring production which has landed here in Denver.

Candlelight Dinner Playhouse presents The Wizard of Oz, initially an adaptation of the 1900 book, "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," by L. Frank Baum. This Royal Shakespeare adaption is perhaps the most well-known due to how closely it mirrors the 1939 movie starring Judy Garland. 

As many of you might know, it is always a 'Jolly Holiday' with Mary. Poppins that is. This Practically Perfect Nanny first burst on the scene in 1934, in the children's books written by P.L. Travers. In 1964, the beloved Disney movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke was released. This is where most of us fell in love with Mary Poppins. Mary was once again transformed in 2004, when she was brought to life on stage in London's West End. While not especially faithful to the movie, the show morphs into a crafty Broadway musical. As with many Disney adaptations, new songs have been added, and you'd be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the iconic Sherman Brothers tunes and those penned by George Stiles and Anthony Drewe. They fit flawlessly, and the up-tempo 'Anything Can Happen' is as good as anything from the film.

Beauty and the Beast, a "tale as old as time," has landed at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.  The beloved Disney musical adaptation, based on the studio's animated 1991 Best Picture Oscar nominee, still has the ability to enchant an audience of children.  And, apparently, plenty of parents or kids at heart, too.

Sondheim.  A name which can instill both fear and awe in the mind of any actor.  Of the three shows with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine, Into the Woods has always been the most popular with theatres across the country, and also the most problematic. Many people would say the problem with the show is that it has a punchy first half, followed by a preachy second.  This is a problem with Candlelight Dinner Playhouse's current production of Into the Woods, running now through July 10th. 

Once is definitely not your typical Broadway musical. It does not implement nor does it require the razzle dazzle that is usually typical of musical theatre. Instead there is a subtle intimacy and ease to the storytelling. From the moment you enter the theatre, you are transported to another place, a Dublin bar to be exact. The show uses creative staging as the audience is able to traverse the stage to buy a drink at the bar and are then surrounded by the actors/musicians as they jam out to some Irish folk music.

What happens when you put an Alabama hurricane, a broken mechanical bull and a cardboard cutout of Dame Julie Andrews in the same show? A rip roaring good night, that's what! Dixie's Never Wear a Tube Top While Riding a Mechanical Bull... has ridden triumphantly into Denver.

The Piano Lesson is an important part of American theater.  August Wilson wrote a story that needs to be told, now more than ever.  And a story which asks the important questions like, What do you do with your legacy, and how do you best put it to use?  Are we forced to live in the shadows of our ancestors choices?

Everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were afraid to admit.'  This tagline sums up I Love You, Your Perfect, Now Change, the charming revue that is currently playing at Midtown Arts Center's black box theatre.  The show is made up of small vignettes starting with the joys of getting ready for a first date all the way through to a senior couple contemplating the possibility of dating at a funeral. 

Ring of Fire, a lively jukebox revue of the music of the Man in Black, blazes bright at Midtown Arts Center in Fort Collins, CO. There are a total of five actors, all of which accompany themselves on multiple instruments as they take the audience on a journey through Johnny Cash's discography.

There are a few shows that one can say the title of, and even a random person off the street who knows nothing about theatre would say 'I have heard of that.' Hello, Dolly! is one of those shows.

University of Northern Colorado brings Stephen Sondheim (Music and Lyrics) and James Lapine's (Book) musical, Sunday in the Park with George, to life in a production that is truly picture perfect.  The show is based off the masterpiece, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by Georges Seurat.  Seurat was a French Post-Impressionist who is noted for inventing the technique known as pointillism: a technique in art of applying small strokes or dots of color to a surface so that from a distance they blend together.

'But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks' This line from Romeo & Juliet is one of the most famous moments in theatrical history. Romeo & Juliet is arguably the most beloved and notable love story in the world. Star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, continue to evolve, with one of their most notable contemporaries as West Side Story's Tony and Maria.