Herbert Paine - Page 23

In Valley Youth Theatre's current production of Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey's award-winning musical, the ensemble of talented teens ~ plus a couple of well-placed adults ~ kicks up a storm, plays their roles true to form, and has a grand time doing so. In other words, it's a GREASEnado! A slick and cool blending of Jessi Young's choreography, Karol Cooper's costumes, and Mark Fearey's fiery musicians.

A full and diverse menu of theatrical offerings for young and old and every persuasion is on tap for the 2016-2017 Season in the Phoenix region. It is reflective of the evolution of the performing arts in the Valley of the Sun. Lots ~ old and new, comforting and provocative, comedy and drama ~ for the savvy theatre-goer to see and assess.

Arizona Broadway Theatre's staging of SHREK THE MUSICAL exceeds expectations. Mace Archer has gone beyond the norm, directing something more than a lively and exhilarating show. He's fashioned a distinctive and incredibly intimate and engaging experience that speaks with authenticity to audience members young and older. Archer is aided and abetted in this theatrical coup by a gangbuster cast, featuring the awesome foursome of Jason Simon as the 'big stupid ugly ogre,' Liz Fallon as Fiona, Deonte Warren as Donkey, and David Brumfield as Lord Farquaad.

Fountain Hills Theater has wrapped up its 29th Season with a summertime delight ~ LEND ME A TENOR, THE MUSICAL ~ proving definitively that cool community theater is the best antidote for Arizona's triple digit heat. The musical adaptation by Peter Sham (book and lyrics) and Brad Carroll (music) of Ken Ludwig's 1989 Tony-nominated comedy is a madcap affair of love and empowerment that, under the clever and crafty direction of Peter J. Hill and with an exceptionally engaging cast, left me laughing and inspired.

Ron May, Stray Cat Theatre's founding artistic director, has further propelled his arc of artistic excellence with a stunning staging of AMERICAN IDIOT, and, in turn, reveals the work's continued relevance. The production is a triumph in every sense of the word. May can lay claim to a trifecta of oomphs!

Michael Fleck's TIDE POOLS ~ a creative, contemplative, and lovely 'paean' to Steinbeck ~ is one of eight engaging short plays on themes comical and whimsical and all relevant in Theatre Artists Studio's ninth annual festival of innovations, New Summer Shorts.

SPECTACULAR is the key word for Valley Youth Theatre's current production of DISNEY'S THE LITTLE MERMAID, directed by Bobb Cooper and featuring enough pearls of talent to fill an oyster bed or two. Karol Cooper's lavish costumes, Dori Brown's sets, Mike Eddy's lighting, Mark Fearey's orchestra all add up to an exhilarating hit for the family.

The band is the essential heartbeat of rock & roll! In Arizona Broadway Theatre's current production of ROCK OF AGES, Mark Foreman (keyboards), Daniel Stotz (bass), Douglas Ramlow (percussion), and Andrew Hake and Jeff Lauffer (guitars) prove the point with an explosive and electrifying nonstop performance that plays true to the distinctive attributes of glam metal. ROCK OF AGES is a totally amped-up and vigorous medley of '80's hits wrapped around Chris D'Arienzo's otherwise very conventional and 'irrepressible love story.'

Ben Tyler's YOU CAN'T KILL A STORY: THE MURDER OF DON BOLLES is not only a moving and truly theatrical memorial to Don Bolles but it is also a compelling tribute to the power and imperative of a free and unfettered press,

While the temperatures are rising in the Phoenix Metro area, theater lovers can be assured of a cool and diverse range of theatrical offerings this summer.

With its array of accolades ~ novel, film, and musical ~ and the richness of its themes and content, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN is a treasure trove of possibility, to be mined deeply and imaginatively for its allusions to the mythology of the spider woman, cinema, and revolution. On these varied accounts, Scottsdale Musical Theater Company's current stab at the KISS falls short. The multi-talented Hector Coris directs this ambitious production, but I fear that limited resources have roadblocked him from realizing the production's full potential.

Todd Michael Isaac and Mike Traylor deliver riveting and captivating performances as two hostages, isolated in a sterile cell and united only by their shared Kafkaesque despair, in iTheatre Collaborative's gripping and compelling production of Yussef El Guindi's HOSTAGES.

Phoenix Theatre premiering WHEN YOU WISH: THE STORY OF WALT DISNEY, a highly idealized and superficial portrait of the mogul of animated filmdom that leaves too many stones of character and relationship development unturned.

Scott Carter's DISCORD is more akin to an extended SNL sketch ~ longer to the tune of ninety minutes, comprised of a series of XV scenes, and made thoroughly bearable thanks to the whirlwind performances ~ albeit caricatures ~ of its original cast, Larry Cedar (Jefferson), Mark Gagliardi (Dickens), and Armin Shimerman (Tolstoy).

If America had an award for satirist-in-chief, David Sedaris would be the odds-on favorite. If there were a garland for humorist laureate, it would rest on his head. DAVID SEDARIS on-tour proves the point in an evening of readings and commentary that is both intellectual, personal, and theatrical.

In Hale Centre Theatre's current production of the award-winning classic, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, high school ingenue Sarah Pansing plays the central character to the hilt, conferring upon the role a sensibility and sensitivity that one might expect of an old soul. Her performance is not enough however to elevate the production to its required altitude.

The National Theatre of Scotland's THE STRANGE UNDOING OF PRUDENCIA HART is wonderful ~ an innovative work of interactive drama, written by David Greig, directed by Wils Wilson, and starring the enchanting Jessica Hardwick as Prudencia, David McKay, Paul McCole, Annie Grace, and Alasdair Macrae. Richly conceived and magical in execution!

Arizona Broadway Theatre blows the roof off the THE BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS with a non-stop hit parade of Lone Star big star moments. Leading the pack is Cassandra Norville Klaphake as Miss Mona, the madam of the legendary brothel that inspired Carol Hall, Larry King, and Peter Masterson to pen the tale of tricks and treats. Klaphake delivers a commanding performance as the mother hen who guards her coop with a righteous blend of good business sense and sentimentality.

The exceptional and distinctively comedic performances of Cathy Dresbach as Sonia and Bruce Laks as Vanya are the highlights of Theater Works' otherwise uneven production of Christopher Durang's VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE.

In Theatre Artists Studio's current staging of Bruce Graham's THE OUTGOING TIDE, Michael Fleck, Judy Lebeau, and Steven Fajardo deliver stirring performances in a play that is equal parts revelatory, uplifting, and provocative.