Paul Batterson

The stellar cast accommodates theater goers on both sides of the Diamond spectrum and by the end of the two-act musical the average music fan will be surprised by how many Diamond songs he or she knows by heart and how good some of those songs truly are.

Noted reviewer Leonard Maltin gave STOP MAKING SENSE four out of four stars and called it  one of the best concert films. The staging was ambitious: set pieces float in and out of the frame while screens project random images and words behind the band.

Iris is somewhat of a entertainment marvel. For a performer who makes his living with his voice, the Pittsburgh native doesn’t use any sort of vocal gymnastics or care regimes to keep his vocal cords robust. A cigar aficionado, you can find Iris hosting monthly gatherings at bars in Pittsburgh.

There’s at least one line that either Jamie or Kathy says that everyone can relate to.' Hunter Minor. Minor and Sierra navigate the emotional terrain of Jason Robert Brown's two-person musical.

Sonny Paladino distinctly remembers when Judgement Day arrived for the show A BEAUTIFUL NOISE: THE NEIL DIAMOND MUSICAL. After months of rehearsing, Paladino, the music supervisor, arranger, and orchestrator, and the cast of the Neil Diamond bio-musical faced their toughest critic in January 2020 when Diamond himself walked into the room.

Foster possesses the uncanny ability to choose a set list from musicals and pop songs to reveal who she is as a performer. Is there anything that Sutton Foster doesn’t do well?

The play, BOBBY AND THE CHIMPS, made its world premiere on April 3 and runs through April 12 at the Abbey Theater of Dublin (5600 Post Road in Dublin). In some ways, Phillips’ version of the debate of teaching evolution vs. creation is truer to life than its forerunner.

“We couldn’t be more excited to share this new season with all our loyal Broadway fans. The season really does represent the last several years of Broadway at its best, freshest, and most creative, alongside two beloved classics.” CAPA President Chad Whittington

A Chorus Line is the perfect vehicle for SNS, which has a seemingly endless supply of actors capable of carrying a show individually, but who are willing to work as a unit to pull one off.?

According to British playwright James Phillips, inspiration can be found anywhere: a photograph, a fragment of a story, a sentence, or in the case of BOBBY AND THE CHIMPS, a winetasting. Phillips’ play makes its world premiere April 3-6 and 10-13 at the Abbey Theater of Dublin (5600 Post Road in Dublin).

The Contemporary Theatre of Ohio is currently performing the Pulitzer Prize-winning play March 6-23 at Studio One at the Riffe Center. Check here for more details.

Ijames reinvented the Shakespearean tragedy into something far more accessible for modern-day audiences. Instead of a dark tale of murder and revenge set in a dreary Denmark castle, Ijames brilliantly updates it into a backyard barbeque, replete with a karaoke machine, a gas grill, and a game of charades.

When it is at its best, ROCK THIS WAY is not just a cruise ship karaoke offering of the two rock bands; it’s a history lesson.

Robert Cooperman may not remember her first name, but he is forever grateful to Mrs. Barlas, the Jamaica (N.Y.) High School English teacher who introduced  him to playwright Eugene O’Neill.

The road to success for Hannah Shankman has had plenty of roundabouts. Many a time she thought she was headed one way, and then she seemed to be veering in another, only to return to her original path.

Laura Overby had one of those “pinch me, I must be dreaming” moments when she found out she was going to be performing with Laura Bell Bundy at the Short North Stage’s gala 8 p.m. March 1 at the Garden Theatre (1187 N. High Street in downtown Columbus).

What did our critic think of & JULIET AND WEST SIDE STORY at At The Ohio Theatre?