Jeff Davis - Page 14

To all at The Hidden Room, I hope you know that you've accomplished the impossible. You've made me like Hamlet. I know there are millions out there who consider Hamlet to be the greatest tragedy of all time, but I on the other hand consider the act of viewing Hamlet to be the real tragedy. Honestly, if I wanted to watch three hours of an unsympathetic, indecisive whiner hem and haw over decisions that will affect their entire country, I'd turn on C-SPAN and watch an entire Congress do their best imitation of Shakespeare's infamous Prince of Denmark.

If you go see W.K., the startling original play now playing at The Vortex, you may notice the following note in the program: "W.K. is a work in progress and we would love your feedback, thoughts, and ideas as we continue to develop the piece." Here's my feedback. Don't change a damn thing. As it is right now, W.K. is one of the most astonishing and innovative pieces of theater to come along in Austin in quite a while.

At the top of the second act of The Language Archive, a skilled linguist named George (Trevor Bissell) gives the audience a lesson in Esperanto, a universal language created in the late 1800s. In the span of about 2 minutes, we learn the Esperanto translations of 'I am loved,' 'I was loved,' and 'I have been loved,' among others.

In her curtain speech on opening night of Lend Me a Tenor, now playing at the Georgetown Palace, Artistic Director Mary Ellen Butler called playwright a Ken Ludwig a "comedic genius," and explained why she encouraged director Lannie Hilboldt to tackle the play. Hilboldt, a professional musician, has served as Musical Director on several productions and made his directorial debut with Georgetown Palace's recent production of Always, Patsy Cline. Until now, Hilboldt had not directed a play, but Butler urged him to direct Lend Me a Tenor because his musical ability would serve him well in finding the timing and rhythm of Ludwig's farce. "Music is math," Butler said to the opening night audience, "and comedy is math."

Austin actresses, take note. If you're not getting cast as often as you'd wish, there are two techniques you may want to try. Next time you go to an audition, come with props, specifically a dog collar and a whip. If that's not your style, then just try to emulate the incredible talents of Molly Karrasch. Those are two big takeaways from Venus in Fur, the startlingly and daring new comedy now playing at Austin Playhouse.

MAN OF LA MANCHA has entertained audiences for almost 50 years, and if the current National Tour is any indication, it will continue to do so 50 years from now.

Don't let the scattered empty seats in Bass Concert Hall fool you. American Idiot is quite possibly the biggest sell-out show in history. Billie Joe Armstrong and Co., I hope the millions you've earned by pimping out one of the greatest albums of a generation made it all worth it, and I hope it didn't hurt to see your greatest achievement robbed of all its emotion and power. Even Bono was able to contribute to musical theater while maintaining more integrity.

The new touring production of MAN OF LA MANCHA stops in Austin, TX this week, and star Jessica Norland recently answered several questions for BroadwayWorld regarding the production…

The new touring production of MAN OF LA MANCHA stops in Austin, TX this week, and star Jack E. Curenton recently answered several questions for BroadwayWorld regarding the production…

There's no question that A Christmas Story is a beloved classic. The 30 year old film gets plenty of airtime on cable channels during the holiday season, and it's inspired two stage adaptations, one musical and one non-musical. But as much as I love the 1983 film A Christmas Story and have always considered it to be a perfect family film, my opinion of the film lessens ever so slightly with every stage version that I see of it. That's not to say that the stage versions are bad. On the contrary, they're often somehow superior to the film, as is the case with Zach Theatre's hysterical and incredibly enjoyable production.

Woe to anyone who shoots their eye out, for not being able to see A Christmas Story: The Musical at the Woodlawn would be a tragedy. Though their 2012 non-musical production of the classic Holiday film was joyous, this version is superior.

Bust out the egg nog. Sam Bass Community Theatre's currently celebrating the Holiday season with an unconventional Christmas comedy, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge by acclaimed playwright Christopher Durang. A musical parody of the Charles Dickens classic, A Christmas Carol, Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge asks what if Mrs. Cratchit wasn't so goody-goody and was instead a angry, stressed out modern-day American woman who wanted out of her harsh 1840s London life.

At some point while I was en route to see Let it Be Christmas, I couldn't help but laugh. Here I am, an atheist who grew up in a half-Jewish/half-Christian household, going to see an original musical based on the nativity and featuring music by the Beatles, a band featuring John Lennon who once said 'We're more popular than Jesus.' Oh, and the show's in a church. So to recap, I'm an atheistic half-Jew going to a church to see a show about Jesus featuring songs by a band who claimed to be more popular than the savior himself.

Tomorrow night, Street Corner Artists, one of Austin's newest theater companies, will close their production of the hilarious new comedy, The North Plan.

Forget ringing bells. Every time Martin Burke takes the stage, an angel gets its wings. If you think I'm exaggerating, go see This Wonderful Life at ZACH Theatre. The zany one man version of It's a Wonderful Life is easily one of the most entertaining and inventive holiday shows you will ever see.

It's tough to think of a production in the Austin area that's been as hyped as Ballet Austin's current production of The Nutcracker. Now in its 51st year, this year's show features new sets and costumes, the first time in over a decade that Ballet Austin's Nutcracker has received such a makeover. Though the designs cost a pretty penny, I'm not sure they enhance the show as much as they could. Nevertheless, the incredible performers and outstanding choreography aren't hampered by them, either.

With The Austin Holiday Project, Austin Theatre Project closes out their first full season with their first original show. While it might not be as flashy or extravagant as other holiday offerings, its phenomenal cast and intimate, personal vibe make it a show to add to your Christmas list.

When it comes to the Golden Age of Broadway, there are few shows that are as accessible and wildly entertaining as Guys and Dolls. Since it's debut in 1950, the musical has graced Broadway six times, and there are now reports of a film remake. If the film is half as entertaining as the current production at The Playhouse, audiences will be pleased. The Playhouse's Guys in Dolls is vibrant, joyous, and entertaining from beginning to end.

While Arbery does a damn good job at illustrating the limits of virtual conversation and cleverly uses text jargon in his dialogue, the piece does fall into the trap I was warned about. If the point is that the characters can't fully connect through social media, will the audience have the same problem connecting to the characters and their story?

Last year, I saw Penfold Theatre Company's annual production of It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play for the first time. I loved the show and gave it a rave review. My reaction this year is no different. Now in its 3rd year, Penfold's It's a Wonderful Life is just as delightful as ever.