Veronica Bruscini - Page 5

Catchy arrangements of ABBA's familiar lyrics are very well-integrated into the storytelling, and this smart merger of narrative and song widens MAMMA MIA!'s appeal beyond that of an everyday jukebox musical.

When Pawtucket's Gamm Theatre includes Shakespeare on its season schedule, audiences know the production will meet and exceed all expectations. The company's current offering - MACBETH - is no exception to the rule. This superior staging cuts to the very core of the narrative, delving into characters' motivations and focusing on the import and resonance of Shakespeare's exquisite language.

Tony Bennett earns a standing ovation the very moment he walks out on stage. The audience's response is both heartfelt and immediate, a mark of acclaim and a fitting tribute of respect for one of the greatest musical icons in the business.

Trinity Repertory Company's OLIVER! is one of the finest and most memorable theatrical productions of Rhode Island's 2013-14 season. TRC has a bona fide hit on its hands with its talented song-and-dance performers, atmospheric sets and lighting effects, and smart direction by Richard and Sharon Jenkins.

PETER AND THE STARCATCHER has all the right ingredients to be a standout production: a solid literary foundation and engaging storyline, a top-notch cast of actors, and some truly inventive props and staging. Unfortunately, these elements never quite come together as cohesively as they should, and the overall presentation suffers from the script's lack of consistent focus.

Alton Brown's rapier wit, engaging personality, and original approach to the culinary world led him to resounding success on several of Food Network's highest-rated and longest-running programs. And though he is modest in the face of a live audience's acclaim, the same enthusiastic creativity that served Brown so well on television is immediately palpable on a theater's stage.

Food Network favorite Alton Brown - the gracious and always-witty star of Good Eats, Iron Chef, and Cutthroat Kitchen - arrives in Providence later this week with his latest project: Alton Brown Live! The Edible Inevitable Tour.

Christian Hoff, Michael Longoria, Daniel Reichard, and J. Robert Spencer aim to continue singing the great songs of the 1960s on stages across America. As THE MIDTOWN MEN, the group capitalizes on the tight vocal harmonies and snappy stage rapport that served them so well on Broadway, bringing their audiences an evening of music, entertainment and memories.

Daniel Reichard joined BroadwayWorld Rhode Island to discuss The Midtown Men's upcoming debut at the Providence Performing Arts Center.

Trinity Repertory Company hosts the Rhode Island premiere of Lynn Nottage's INTIMATE APPAREL, a superbly-crafted, utterly-captivating theatrical piece.

SEVEN KEYS TO BALDPATE, now playing UpStage at Warren's 2nd Story Theatre, provides pure theatrical entertainment of the highest order. In line after line of this thoroughly-enjoyable production, 2nd Story delivers an ever-deepening mystery, an eclectic set of engaging characters, spot-on verbal and physical comedy, and sparkling wit.

Under the direction of Tyler Dobrowsky, the Gamm's ensemble company absolutely excels in the creative environment of THE BIG MEAL.

Best of 2013 BWW Rhode Island - Critics' Picks: As Selected by Your Local Reviewers

WICKED, now playing at the Providence Performing Arts Center, revisits the yellow brick road from Munchkinland to the Emerald City and presents a heart-touching, socially- and politically-minded new vision of Oz's most familiar stories and characters along the way.

The combination of Festival's talented dancers and the company's special attention to characterization throughout THE NUTCRACKER makes this production a wonderful Christmastime tradition for theatergoers of all ages.

There may be no more merry way to ring in the Christmas season than to spend two hours in the company of the Boston Symphony Orchestra.

Though this is likely one of the smaller-scale 'Christmas Carols' offered in Rhode Island this season, Artists' Exchange does the tale proud, and the ensemble's very enjoyable performance absolutely comes from the heart.

The Opera Ghost is haunting again. Three years after the US touring company of 'The Phantom of the Opera' bowed for a final time in Los Angeles, a new anniversary production of 'Phantom' brings its curtain up in Providence, Rhode Island.

Trinity Repertory Company is at the top of its game with this year's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL, working theatrical magic to masterfully breathe new life into the familiar account of miserly Ebenezer Scrooge and the ghostly apparitions who visit him one fateful Christmas Eve.

Meir's life story and the fascinating history of Israel's nation-building provide rich, riveting material in William Gibson's award-winning Golda's Balcony, and without a doubt, Sandra Laub brilliantly meets the challenges of bringing the complex, compelling, idealistic Golda to life in 2nd Story's impressive and memorable production.