Herbert Paine - Page 22

THE ILLUSIONISTS, a stunning showcase of magical artistry and theatricality, is a breathtaking and totally fun experience, well worth the suspension of belief and reason, now onstage at ASU Gammage and continuing through January 22nd after which the tour moves on to California and Oregon.

David Ira Goldstein, in his 25th and final year as Artistic Director of Arizona Theatre Company, has mounted an intensely human and deeply moving production of FIDDLER that is exemplary both in its distinctive portrayal of characters and place and its magnificent stagecraft (Kathryn Van Meter's spirited choreography, William Forrester's exquisite scenic design, and Cynthia Savage's brilliant costumery).

Under James Rio's inspired direction, this version of CAMELOT, now on stage at Arizona Broadway Theatre, is an absorbing experience and an irresistible invitation to a momentary retreat to a world of romance and possibility. Matthew C. Thompson stands at the epicenter of the musical, drawing from his wide cup of talent and delivering a stirring and highly relatable performance as King Arthur.

We're just a fortnight beyond the Twelve Days of Christmas, but it's never too late for an Epiphany, is it? In that spirit, Don Bluth Front Row Theatre has extended the holiday season with the worthy gift of WE'RE NO ANGELS, a light-hearted homage to the blessing of random ~ and fortuitous ~ acts of kindness.

ASU Gammage has formally announced, with an appropriate level of fanfare and satisfaction, that HAMILTON will play its premiere Tempe engagement and anchor the ASU Gammage 2017-2018 Desert Schools Broadway Across America Season with performances from January 30th, 2018 through February 25th.

In the seasoned hands of Scottsdale Musical Theater Company's Founder and Executive Producer, David Hock, GUYS AND DOLLS is a fully enjoyable and light-hearted romp through the parallel flings between two guys ~ Nathan Detroit (Alex Gonzalez) and Sky Masterson (Matt Newhard) ~ and two dolls ~ Adelaide (Liora Danine) and Sister Sarah Brown (Lauren Koeritzer).

BILLY ELLIOT is a spectacle of moving proportions, a celebration of the human spirit, that in its current presentation at Phoenix Theatre leaps and bounds with heartfelt fervor. Under Michael Barnard's direction, the opus is magnum, a grand collaboration of choreography, music, scenic design, lighting, and wardrobe ~ and a lustrous cast featuring Matthew Dean and Seth Judice, alternating as Billy. A must-see to lift the Holiday Season spirits!

Arizona Theatre Company's adaptation of David Javerbaum's AN ACT OF GOD, directed by Marsha Mason and featuring Paige Davis, is mildly entertaining, short on solid laughs, and relatively painless.

If there is anyone to whom a lonely nation could turn its eyes for comfort, GARRISON KEILLOR is the man. On tour and flying solo, Keillor delivers exquisitely designed concoctions of reminiscence and commentary, revealing why he is unequivocally one of the great storytellers our time and a national treasure.

Mike Daisey's pre-Election monologue, THE TRUMP CARD, is a no holds barred diatribe to the choir about the 2016 celebrity candidate for the Presidency. Stray Cat Theatre's Ron May channels the author's snark and sarcasm with an intensity that is raw and visceral and engaging.

On her worldwide way to the Big Apple and the 60th Anniversary in January 2017 of Edith Piaf's final Carnegie Hall performance, Anne Carrere has become a legend in her own right, interpreting the Little Sparrow's iconic songs with a mix of supersonic vocals and endearing countenance in PIAF! THE SHOW.

Southwest Shakespeare Company's second offering of its 23rd Season is THE MERCHANT OF VENICE and it is, to use the Bard's words, a palpable hit. Contemporizing Shakespeare's plays isn't an original concept, but its application in the current production works especially well and reflects a series of astute decisions by director Kent Burnham that enhance the work's accessibility, relevance, and poignancy.

William Partlan's craftsmanship and reverential interpretation of Arthur Miller's THE PRICE, now featured at Theatre Artists Studio, makes for a compelling and emotionally taut experience. He has guided his top flight cast through the depths and layers of Miller's architecture, opening one door of perception after another until truth stands naked at the exit, backed by the haunting laughter of irony.

In SEDUCTION AND THE HAND OF FATE, the opening volley of the ASU Concerts Series at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts, Dr. Jeffery Meyer led the spirited and proficient members of the ASU Symphony Orchestra in an energetic and authoritative performances of John Adams's The Chairman Dances and Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 5.

Captivating performances by an extraordinary cast of young performers, under the astute and inspired direction of Kelli James, make Theater Works YouthWorks' production of LES MIS a must-see.

Phoenix Theatre has kicked off its 97th Season with a block buster production of Lin-Manuel's IN THE HEIGHTS, featuring a sensational performance by Pasha Yamotahari as Usnavi, the bard of the block, the chronicler of the community's legacy, the keeper of the community flame.

The Guys Are Dolls, the Beauty Is Bawdy, But PAGEANT Lacks Legs. The cast in Arizona Broadway Theatre's current production of the spoof does its level best ~ true troupers!

The creative mind of Liz Duffy Adams seems to know no bounds, her works a diverse and intriguing whirlpool of theatrical concepts. OR, is no exception. It is in the telling of Aphra Behn's story, witty, sexy, and sophisticated, provocative and light-hearted, elevating the power of the word. It is a masterpiece, honored now by Southwest Shakespeare Company and featuring a superlative ensemble.

THE SECOND CITY, Chicago's legendary sketch and improv comedy theater, is on tour with FREE SPEECH! (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST) ~ and the cast is a blast! In what is featured as an 'irreverent look at America's electoral insanity' the hilarious and highly talented ensemble takes no prisoners. Must see!

In the wake of an otherwise amateurish production of Marcelino Quiñonez's homage to Che Guevara, two questions beg for answers: Why Che? And, to what end? If the play is a work in progress, with aspirations for a larger stage, it might be helpful to ponder the riddles.