Tim Shawver

KIMBERLY AKIMBO, the 2023 Tony Winner for Best Musical now visiting Gammage Auditorium, manages something remarkable - it finds the bittersweet spot between life's joys and sorrows, letting both exist without cancelling each other out. In an era where musicals often rely on spectacle and flash to make their mark, KIMBERLY AKIMBO succeeds through pure storytelling muscle and emotional authenticity. 

The Bridge Initiative is proud to present the world premiere of 'The Flora and Fauna' by Alyson Mead at the Tempe Center for the Arts Studio Theatre. Inspired by a single line from the famous letter read in court during the Stanford rape case in 2016, Alyson Mead crafted a gripping narrative that explores the complexities of a fictional 40-year friendship and the dark secret of how the two women met.

What did our critic think of MJ THE MUSICAL at Gammage Auditorium?

In a landscape flooded with jukebox musicals, (Four of them in this ASU Gammage season!) JAGGED LITTLE PILL stands out as the first artistically and socially responsible integrated catalog musical. It is a gem that deserves recognition.

What did our critic think of BEETLEJUICE at Gammage Auditorium?

HAIRSPRAY returns to Gammage Auditorium through June 25th offering audiences a welcome revisit to the original Broadway staging of one of the most frequently produced musicals of the 21st century. Ben Brantley’s 2002 NY Times Broadway review said HAIRSPRAY is 'as sweet as a show can be without tooth decay.' Two decades later, still no cavities.

What did our critic think of DISNEY'S FROZEN NATIONAL TOUR at Gammage Auditorium?

Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is playing at Gammage Auditorium through December 6th. The book has been re-imagined by the Academy Award winning screenwriter. He's crafted a satisfying theatre experience with his trademark crackling dialogue serving a feast of material for the show's flawless cast.

Disney's THE LION KING has found its way back to Tempe nearly a decade after its sold-out multi-week visit in 2013.

HADESTOWN has arrived in Sun Devil country for a six day run at ASU's Gammage Auditorium. The 2019 Best Musical Tony Winner succeeds with an expressive, haunting score and the dark imagination of director Rachel Chavkin.

Last fall, when local companies were announcing their various seasons, one particular show made my eyes widen as I thought, 'WHO'S doing WHAT?' I'm talking about Arizona Opera bringing to Phoenix and Tucson a fully orchestrated presentation of the infrequently produced, head-shakeningly brilliant Stephen Sondheim musical, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC. Elegant, poetic, heady, romantic, A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is an exciting choice for a large-scale staging leaning into traditional opera. Arizona Opera makes the most of the moment with an enchanting, delightful treat of a show.

Don Bluth Front Row Theatre debuts their new venue with ORSON WELLES, a one-man theatrical biography of the acclaimed actor/filmmaker. It’s a pleasant 80 minutes featuring Keath Hall’s expert performance of an unambitious script. 

Arizona Theatre Company's current production hits the mark as a historical reminder and, through masterful performances by its cast of three, depicts institutionalized racism's capability to destroy even the most loving relationships.

With its spectacular American premiere production of playwright Andrew Bovell's THINGS I KNOW TO BE TRUE, Arizona Theatre Company might soon achieve its greatest impact on and thrust into the national theatre conversation.

The most producible classic American play, OUR TOWN, is thankfully one of its best. Zao Theatre's production delivers an enjoyable, well-performed production running in Apache Junction through April 13th.

ASU Gammage has capped their record breaking week of THE BOOK OF MORMON by announcing a second visit by the show in May 2017. Tickets go on sale Monday, November 9th. That's an eighteen month head start for a show that just grossed more than $2 million in the first six days of its inaugural trip to Arizona.

Gammage Auditorium fires up its impressive 2015-2016 season with the high-profile opener The Book of Mormon.

Arizona Broadway Theatre extends DISNEY'S LITTLE MERMAID for two performances in Prescott, AZ.

Tony nominees Laura Osnes and Santino Fontana present a musical theatre performance workshop January 21st in Phoenix.