BWW Reviews: PETER AND THE STARCATCHER National Tour - Peter and the Star VehicleFebruary 6, 2014Origin stories get a headstart. An audience follows deeper a familiar character. Clever, new exposition regarding established plot points is engaging and often delightful. Origin stories can be the flashback episode of a water cooler weekly serial. They can be the other side of a story like WICKED. They can be the how did the super hero discover their super-powers story or a combination of all three like PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. The show, based on Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson's book of similar name, calls itself 'a Grownup's Prequel to Peter Pan'. And in it, the devices of the origin story meet a play already propelled by a talented staging, hilarious incongruity, and impressive performances. The National Tour visits Tempe's Gammage Auditorium January 14th through 19th.
Amusing YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN Launches 2010-2011 Gammage SeasonOctober 3, 2010The new Mel Brooks musical, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, is a delightful and fun way for Tempe's Gammage Auditorium to start the 2010-2011 season. Strong performances and world-class choreography entertain despite a limited book and score.
1st National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS Continues Score-Driven CharmJune 20, 2010The 1st National Tour of IN THE HEIGHTS arrived in Phoenix this week. A talented cast performs the fantastic score expertly. But as the show gets farther from its New York roots, its generic characters and storyline are less forgivable. The show's innovative advancement of the Broadway sound still makes the show a must-see.
Actors Theatre Presents Nilaja Sun's NO CHILD Thru 4/23April 29, 2010Nilaja Sun is the author and star of NO CHILD, an off-broadway hit she now brings to Actors Theatre. NO CHILD is a fast-paced, one-woman show with plenty of laughs. It opened April 23rd and runs until May 8th. www.actorstheatrephx.org/