Nolan Boggess

While the characters are dealing with heavy political and personal issues, Iowa Stage Theatre Company's Rapture, Blister, Burn, directed by Kristin Larson, is a delightful and thought provoking comedy with uncomfortably relatable characters making it a must see.

From Harry Houdini, to baseball, to Booker T. Washington, to the American Dream, Des Moines Playhouse's production of Ragtime covers a lot of ground - ten years to be exact. In presenting an encyclopedic glance of these ten years from 1902 - 1912, the musical, with book by Terrence McNally, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and music by Stephen Flaherty, slowly becomes a big ball of dense nostalgia with glimpses of heart every now and then. But that seems to be a bigger problem with the intent of the show to nicely wrap up ten years of history in under three hours rather than The Des Moines Playhouse's production. Yes, The Des Moines Playhouse's production (directed by John W. Viars)  is grand, beautiful, heartfelt and absolutely delicious to listen to, which makes it an excellent season closer for the company as they head into their 100th season and a renovated theatre.

In an interview with Director Matt McIver, who is also the Co-Artistic Director of Iowa Stage Theatre Company, he provided insight as to why Miller's American tragedy was selected for the inaugural season, why it's a must see production, and what's next for the company.

Somewhere in between the high heel kicking, lap dancing, water spitting, wig switching and rocking music, I fell in love with Kata Klysmic's production of Hedwig and The Angry Inch. This feeling must have come towards the beginning of the show, as I do not remember one second where the momentum of the production loosened its grip on the throats of the audience as it catapulted into its glorious finale. It is this energy, intimate staging, and top notch performances that make this production of Hedwig and The Angry Inch the most rockin' production Des Moines has seen in years.

It is somewhat of an unspoken rule in community theatre that if it's Disney, it sells. This magic word, in combination with the team that made the Cloris Award-sweeping Young Frankenstein last summer, ought to make the Playhouse's production a surefire hit. Luckily, the math adds up for the Playhouse even if the production lacks cohesion at times and is not the best musical adaptation Disney has created.

What do you get when two undercover cops, a clueless mayor, his wife, a security guard, an accountant and the Scottish mob collide in two conjoining motel rooms set somewhere in the middle of America? The answer has to be a poorly thought out joke or the play Unnecessary Farce by Paul Slade Smith, which is the final show of Ankeny Community Theatre's 35th season. Luckily, the cast of Unnecessary Farce does great wonders with this complicated joke and provides a wild and farcical time while squeezing out every ounce of humor in this lackluster and predictable script.

Redemption is on the mind in Pyramid Theatre Company's The Amen Corner, the classic James Baldwin show that completes Pyramid's summer season. Baldwin's play often rests on questions concerning redemption, sacrifice, and spirituality making the show a fitting choice for Pyramid after two successful seasons in Des Moines. While this production is able to bring spirit and liveliness through its passionate performances, often times the delivery gets lost in Baldwin's layered script and comes across as plain confusing.

Although Urbandale Community Theatre's dedication to producing classic shows may be safer than putting on contemporary pieces, a classic must be done in a fresh way in order to convince the audience that the show must be seen. This production remains fresh enough to receive that seal of approval and entertains in spite of certain scenes that slow down the action. I will say that I wish Urbandale Community Theatre would sometimes be riskier in its selection of show, but Guys & Dolls convinces me enough that classics are here to stay.

In times of great distress, fear can make people do terrible things. It can push wives to turn on husbands, mothers to turn on children, and neighbors to turn on neighbors. This idea surrounds Mississippi Goddamn, a new play by Jonathan Norton that received its first official staging at Pyramid Theatre Company last night. Norton's new play is a force to be reckoned with, as he looks into the fear and actions of one family living next to Civil Rights Activist Medgar Evers while investigating what acts of betrayal lie under one household. Although Mississippi Goddamn could benefit from slightly tightening technical and delivery aspects, Norton's story and sincere performances from the entire cast drive the idea of fear and betrayal home to create a wonderfully tense and exciting performance.

For the past two decades, Urbandale Community Theatre has been entertaining the local community with an annual summer musical theatre production. This tradition continues this year with a new production of Guys and Dolls running July 21 - 30, 2017. Guys and Dolls, the 1950 Frank Loesser production that has been a staple of American musical theatre since its debut, also continues Urbandale Community Theatre's tradition of utilizing a volunteer cast, crew, and orchestra in combination with a professional production team to create a polished theatrical experience that reaches all areas of the Urbandale community.

This production of The Music Man will lift your spirits and remind you of a great staple of American musical theatre, even if it does need some modern rewrites.

It is a known fact that any cold heart can be warmed by a seven foot mute monster in tap shoes singing Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz". If you happen to be a fan of Mel Brooks' film Young Frankenstein, you already know this. But, if you happen to be like me and have never seen the iconic film, you need to go see The Des Moines Playhouse's production of Young Frankenstein immediately.

Amidst months of controversy and questioning, Des Moines Playhouse's West Side Story succeeds to be one of the best and emotionally charged shows Des Moines has seen in a while. That is, if one can get past the apparent lack of Latinx actors in the show. 

Hand to God is good. It is that type of good that makes you feel bad for loving it so much.

The summer theatre season in Des Moines is officially wrapping up, which means an impressive fall season is ready to launch. Whether you're a fan of classics, have children to please, or want something a little edgy, you will be pleased with one of the many shows offered in the Des Moines Metro.