Herbert Paine

Epic, bold, and elegant in design and execution, Ballet Arizona’s production of Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s FRIDA is a sensory feast – impassioned, radiant, and breathtaking.

It’s always a risk to transplant a beloved classic film to the stage, particularly when that film is one so thoroughly embedded in its time as SOME LIKE IT HOT. Yet this latest Broadway adaptation, now performing at ASU Gammage until the 16th, with kinetic direction and crowd-pleasing choreography by Casey Nicholaw, not only succeeds in updating the story but breathes new, surprising life into its proceedings.

The Black Theatre Troupe's production of THE AFRICAN COMPANY PRESENTS RICHARD III is a triumph: a vital and illuminating piece of theater that reaffirms the stage as a battleground for justice and representation.

By allowing Churchill’s reflections – his triumphs and regrets alike - to take center stage, David Payne delivers a performance that is complex, compelling, and deeply human. CHURCHILL - at The Phoenix Theatre Company - is a theatrical experience that lingers long after the final applause.

Erin Brown Thomas succeeds brilliantly in blending genres, crafting a nuanced exploration of how boundaries become movable in the face of ambition.

Order Chaos Theater Company's production proves why THE LION IN WINTER endures. Beneath its medieval trappings lies a searing examination of power, love, and legacy that resonates across centuries. The strong ensemble and Webb's incisive direction illuminate the thorny complexities of family dynamics with both wit and wisdom.

Arizona Theatre Company's SCROOGE!, directed by Matt August, offers moments of holiday cheer and showcases talented performances, making it an enjoyable seasonal outing.

David Appleford, BroadwayWorld’s esteemed guest contributor, gives a glowing holiday tribute to Hale Centre Theatre’s inventive and inspiring production of the seasonal classic, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, directed by David Hale Dietlein.

Stray Cat Theatre's production of SWEAT, directed by Chanel Bragg, achieves a remarkable balance between the intimacy and intensity of working class folks caught in the whirlwind of economic displacement. To this end, Bragg's ensemble delivers powerhouse performances.

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of MIRACLE ON 34th STREET: A LIVE MUSICAL RADIO SHOW is a perfectly pleasant and heartwarming live theatre experience.

Written from the point of view of a theatre fan, guest contributor David Appleford provides a piece full of details and insights regarding the new film, WICKED, and how it compares to the stage musical.

In Order Chaos Theatre Company's production of Geoffrey Nauffts's NEXT FALL, Mark Alan Clemente’s astute and empathetic direction ensures that shifts between past and present flow seamlessly, that the story’s emotional stakes build dramatically, and that the playwright's goal of highlighting “the conversations we weren’t having” in everyday life is fulfilled.

While casting practices have evolved to enhance diversity (albeit, too slowly and not enough), the selection of plays remains strikingly homogeneous. We need to focus on what is produced as much as who is cast.

The Black Theatre Troupe's production of THE COLOR PURPLE is a rousing and emotionally powerful show, thanks to a brilliant cast and the keen direction of Karen Davis Jones and the musical direction of Brenda Hankins.

DIAL M FOR MURDER is classic suspense, and director Michael John Garcés has seen to it that the performances of the leads are on point, backed by a grand mix of designs that make for gripping theatre.

The national tour of FUNNY GIRL features a knock-out performance by the show's leading lady, Hannah Shankman, and culminates with an audience-pleasing big finish.

The real strength of Arizona Broadway Theatre's production of MILLION DOLLAR QUARTET is the cast – the excellent musician/performers who, while avoiding the imitation of certain obvious well-known character traits in their portrayals, manage to recreate specific elements of their real-life counterparts in a way that most of us will recognize and delight in.

As presented by Stray Cat Theatre as its 23rd season opener, THE MINUTES, a blistering satire of small-town city council meetings, begins as one thing and concludes as something completely different. And no matter what clues or giveaways you think you might have picked up on throughout the play, you won't be prepared for the emotional wallop that will eventually come. And you may not fully recover from its uncomfortable implications, either.

The Phoenix Theatre Company's production of WAITRESS...as a live musical is a testament to this unique form of American theatre... You won’t see a better production.

Written and directed by Conor McPherson, GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY doesn't feel like other jukebox musicals. If anything, with its engrossing dialog, delivered with a heightened sense of heartbreaking realism from an excellent touring ensemble, you're never quite sure how best to describe the production. Is it a jukebox musical, a drama that wants to be a musical, or a play with music in it?