BWW Review: Rude Mechanicals NOT EVERY MOUNTAIN MesmerizesApril 25, 2019
Rude Mechanicals Co-Artistic Producers Thomas Graves and Kirk Lynn created NOT EVERY MOUNTAIN as a part of a project the theatre company is working on called Perverse Results (a name derived from a corollary of Murphy's Law.) Through the unique, collaborative method the Rudes use to create a project, Graves brought the idea to Lynn in a desire to portray appreciation for the natural world in a dance piece that involved geometric shapes. Lynn had been working on a writing prompt every morning over the years that began with, 'Not Every Mountain...'. The result was first performed here in Austin, and the Rudes were given a residency for the piece at The Guthrie Theatre, and again at Theatre Nanterre-Amandiers and Pivot Arts Festival Incubator Arts Program.
BWW Review - ZACH's A CHRISTMAS CAROL Cures The Scrooge in All of UsNovember 29, 2018Over 100 new people move to Austin every day. And before you wonder why I've started a theatre review with that statistic, it means 36,500 new Austinites have not seen ZACH's A CHRISTMAS CAROL. This perennial favorite, running at ZACH every Christmas season for the last three million years (Okay, really, what is it now, four years?) adds much merriment to the Austin holiday season, and Austin theatre in general. It showcases the best of our community, and is top notch entertainment for those looking to bask in the joy of the holiday season. It's a perfect show to share with the family in town for the holiday - and a great representation of Austin's talent for the newcomer.

BWW Review: SCHOOL OF ROCK - THE MUSICAL Schools us in Good FunFebruary 16, 2018I owe an apology to some friends. I claimed recently that SCHOOL OF ROCK the movie written by Mike White was based on SCHOOL OF ROCK THE MUSICAL but it's really the other way 'round. I'm that much of a (misinformed) theatre snob. Not so misinformed usually, but I admit Andrew Lloyd Webber isn't generally one of my favorite composers, despite my love of EVITA and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. That's why I was all the more surprised that SCHOOL OF ROCK, as it turns out, isn't all that Webber-esque. I didn't know this was a movie starring Jack Black, and I didn't know Webber quietly bought the rights for it, hoping to make it into a musical some day. Webber takes the original concept, with lyrics by Glenn Slater and book by Julian Fellowes (yes, the Downton Abbey Julian Fellowes) and voila! Somehow with a little help from Lou Reed, Stevie Nicks and Mike White, and a few others, the whole thing comes together quite nicely. I'll leave you to imagine what these guys do to a story that was directed by Richard Linklater for film. But, suffice it to say, this is Andrew Lloyd Webber, but it's not your mother's Andrew Lloyd Webber.