Taylor Clemons - Page 2

What did our critic think of TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at Whitney Hall?

What did our critic think of GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY at Aronoff Center? Admittedly, I’m not a huge Bob Dylan fan. Not for any reasons like dislike, but generationally I was never really exposed to his music. So when I heard there was a new musical using his catalog, my expectations were tampered.

What did our critic think of WICKED at Whitney Hall? Wicked is an institution. Wicked is a brand. Wicked is the gateway drug of musical theatre, well it was 13 years ago for me at least. It’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 8 years since Elphaba flew through Louisville, but at long last Oz has returned to The Kentucky Center in all of its emerald glory.

What did our critic think of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at Drag Daddy Productions And The Chicken Coop? Every once in awhile, a show comes around that manages to wedge its self in the center of a triple vin-diagram, overlapping in critical acclaim, commercial success, and the hardest to crack, overwhelmingly beloved by the theater community. I’d venture to say that Jesus Christ Superstar is one of those rare shows to land in the center of this hypothetical chart. The theatre community adores Jesus Christ Superstar as a musical, which is part of the reason it’s had such a long life and had continued to be produced for the better part of the last 50 years. 

To Kill a Mockingbird first hit bookstore shelves in 1960, where it has since become a staple in American literature. An academy award winning film adaptation was released two years later in 1962, and is equally synonymous with the title. The story focuses on a trial in which Tom Robinson, a black man is accused of assaulting Mayella Ewell, a white woman in 1930s Alabama. Atticus Finch takes on the task of representing Robinson. The story focuses on the aftermath of that choice, told through the eyes of Atticus’ youngest child, Jean Louise “Scout” Finch. 

What did our critic think of INTO THE WOODS at Tennessee Performing Arts Center? The star-studded cast is led by Tony Award winner Stephanie J. Block and Sebastian Arcelus as The Baker’s Wife and the Baker respectively. They’re a real-life couple, so their chemistry is justly wonderful, but I cannot express how amazing their individual performances are as well.

In 2001, Baz Luhrumann's film welcomed the world to the Moulin Rouge. The film is credited as part of the resurgence of movie musicals in the early 2000s, and continues to be an audience favorite. After whispers of a stage adaptation for years and years, the dream became a reality in 2018 with an out-of-town tryout in Boston.  Moulin Rouge finally opened on Broadway in the Summer of 2019, as an instant hit. That Broadway season was cut short in March of 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but when the season resumed in the Fall of 2021, it was nominated for 14 Tony Awards (winning 10, including best musical). The show finally embarked on its highly anticipated national tour in 2022.

What did our critic think of RAGTIME IN CONCERT at Cincinnati Pops At Cincinnati Music Hall?

What did our critic think of ALICE IN DERBYLAND at Drag Daddy Productions? In years past, Thunder Over Louisville would signify the start of the Derby festivities, but now in its third year, Drag Daddy Productions' Alice in Derbyland is becoming a bonafide tradition to kick off springtime and Kentucky Derby season! Featuring local drag and theatre talent, the show opened on April 16th at Paristown and has an additional performance at Art Sanctuary on April 21st.

What did our critic think of AIN'T TOO PROUD: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF THE TEMPTATIONS at Kentucky Performing Arts?

What did our critic think of ESCAPE TO MARGARITAVILLE at Derby Dinner Playhouse?

What did our critic think of JAGGED LITTLE PILL at Aronoff Center?

What did our critic think of TOOTSIE at The Aronoff Center? As theatre innovates and reinvents, the days of the old-time musical comedies are all but behind us. But the broadway musical adaption of Tootsie (based on the 1982 film), is a welcome and refreshing musical comedy. The story is simple: an out of work actor needs a job, that actor gets hired in disguise as a woman, and deceit and hilarity ensues.

What did our critic think of ANNIE at Kentucky Performing Arts? When most people think of Annie, I'm sure the first thing that comes to mind is the 80s film, starring the iconic likes of Carol Burnett, Ann Reinking, Tim Curry, and Bernadette Peters. However, before that now-classic film, Annie started as a musical stage adaptation of the Little Orphan Annie comic strips. The show opened on Broadway in 1977, where it was a smash success in its own right, even before the film adaptation that would come later. The show and story have undoubtedly stood the test of time, what with numerous stage revivals, three film adaptations, and a live TV version broadcast on NBC. Not to mention every family-based community theatre in the country has had it as part of their seasons for the past 40 years.

What did our critic think of TWINKIE AND THE BEAST at Drag Daddy Productions?

What did our critic think of PRETTY WOMAN at Whitney Hall?

What did our critic think of TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at The Aronoff Center?

What did our critic think of BRIGHT STAR at Derby Dinner Playhouse? Derby Dinner Playhouse is known for it's crowd pleasing entertainment. While their usual fare seems to be cheesy fun; every once in a while they pick a lesser known gem of a show that audiences didn't know they would love. For example, Derby Dinner's production of Bonnie and Clyde comes to mind when I think about it in that fashion, and I'd say Bright Star falls into the category of a lesser known show turned real crown pleaser when they give it a chance.

What did our critic think of CHICAGO at The Lexington Theatre Company? Chicago the Musical is in a word , conic, especially for musical theatre types. Thanks to a wildly successful film adaptation, it's a cemented staple in pop culture. With perhaps John Kander and Fred Ebb's most recognizable score, the show has been wowing broadway audiences since 1996 and is still the longest running American musical. The Lexington Theatre company closes their summer season with the show, and while the whole of their production was indeed greater than the some of it's parts, 'Razzle Dazzled' isn't how I would describe my feelings throughout the opening night performance.

What did our critic think of ANASTASIA at Whitney Hall? The Broadway musical Anastasia finally opened in Louisville this week, 28 months after its anticipated opening in March of 2020. It also marks the final show of Broadway in Louisville's 'Welcome Back' season. The audience was buzzing as patrons filled into Whitney Hall to attend the opening night over two years in the making.