Central Pennsylvania Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 24

BWW Review: ON GOLDEN POND Sparkles at Oyster Mill
by Marakay Rogers - March 09, 2018

The classic play-turned-film is no clone at Oyster Mill, where it has a life of its own...

BWW Review: Go INTO THE WOODS at the Belmont Theatre
by Marakay Rogers - February 24, 2018

The Sondheim send-up of fairy tales takes on new life at the Belmont, with an evil witch that's a delight to meet....

BWW Review: OUR TOWN Is a Lot Like Us, At Gamut
by Marakay Rogers - February 18, 2018

Tom Weaver brings a witty, properly non-styled production of Wilder's classic play to the Gamut stage....

BWW Review: AKEELAH AND THE BEE at Open Stage Of Harrisburg
by Andrea Stephenson - February 17, 2018

Akeelah and the Bee was first seen on the big screen in 2006. Written and directed by Doug Atchison, the film follows the journey of a young girl, Akeelah Anderson, who overcomes a variety of challenges to participate in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The film was adapted for the stage by playwr...

BWW Review: RING OF FIRE at Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
by Andrea Stephenson - February 11, 2018

In 2006, Ring of Fire, conceived by William Meade and created by Richard Maltby, Jr. appeared for the first time on Broadway. Its Broadway run was short-lived, but a revised version of it has found popularity in the theatre world, particularly in an intimate setting where the audience can find thems...

BWW Review: Go to GO BACK FOR MURDER at Oyster Mill
by Marakay Rogers - February 03, 2018

There's nothing like seeing a theatre do what it does best. When it comes to Oyster Mill, it's Agatha Christie....

SOMETHING ROTTEN is Fresh at Hershey Theatre
by Marakay Rogers - January 27, 2018

The Bottom Brothers are struggling to compete with rock star playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Can they come out on the cutting edge of the 1590s or will they stay bottom forever?...

BWW Review: THE IRISH...AND HOW THEY GOT THAT WAY at Fulton Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - January 26, 2018

Only a week ago, in my review of The Mousetrap, I praised the Fulton in their decision to bring a drama back to the mainstage. I will now 'double-down', and share how much fun it was to attend a musical in their intimate fourth floor theater....

BWW Review: GOD OF CARNAGE at Theatre Harrisburg
by Andrea Stephenson - January 20, 2018

God of Carnage sounds like it could be the next Quentin Tarantino film. While there is a lack of actual physical carnage, Yasmina Reza's satire peels back the layers of forced civility, conventions of politeness, and good intentions. Underneath these layers God of Carnage illuminates humanity's cons...

BWW Review: THE MOUSETRAP at Fulton Theatre
by Rich Mehrenberg - January 19, 2018

Agatha Christie's The Mousetrap marks the welcomed return of drama to the Fulton Theater's mainstage. For far too long, the company has produced one big, splashy musical comedy after another. It is good for a theater to have some variety, something different now and then, and The Mousetrap fits the ...

BWW Review: Laughs at The Belmont With PLAZA SUITE
by Marakay Rogers - January 18, 2018

Director Joel Persing takes you to Neil Simon's infamous Suite 719, where anything can -- and does -- go on....

BWW Review: GALLATHEA Brings Happiness All Around At Gamut
by Marakay Rogers - January 18, 2018

As the show's producers advertise, love is love is love, even when it's pre-Shakespearian comedy. Love wins out over virgin-eating monsters in the middle of Tudor England in GALLATHEA....

BWW Review: TRUE WEST at Susquehanna Stage Company
by Rich Mehrenberg - January 14, 2018

Considering it only has four characters and one setting, Sam Shepherd's True West has a lot going on. It is a show about the creative process, sibling rivalry and an exploration of the idea that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. The show is a character study, it has moments of great ...

BWW Review: SOMETHING'S AFOOT at Dutch Apple Dinner Theater
by Rich Mehrenberg - January 12, 2018

There haven't been many popular mystery musicals over the years. I suspect it has something to do with a conflict of genres. Effective mysteries are cerebral. Audience members must perform mental gymnastics in order to outwit the detective. Musicals (with the exception of Sondheim) often prioritize ...

BWW Review: A Green Light for THE OLD TIME GOSPEL RADIO CHRISTMAS
by Marakay Rogers - December 19, 2017

Servant Stage delivers another helping of what it does best: singing, dancing, preserving tradition, and bringing on the fun in theatre....

BWW Review: HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING at Susquehanna Stage Company
by Allison Rambler - December 16, 2017

Susquehanna Stage Company, although tucked away in the small town of Marietta, has proven time and time again to be a great source of spectacle, talent, and all-around entertainment. They display their musical prowess once again with their current production of HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REA...

BWW Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL Brightens Season at TAFE
by Marakay Rogers - December 13, 2017

TAFE, Theatre Arts for Everyone, puts on a big, bright, shiny A CHRISTMAS CAROL...

BWW Review: THE WIZARD OF OZ at EPAC
by Rich Mehrenberg - December 08, 2017

There's no place like home and there's no place like the Ephrata Performing Arts Center for the holiday season. EPAC sidesteps the glut of 'A Christmas Carol' productions performed at community theaters this time of year, and instead, puts on Decembers shows that are big, fun, and targeted for the e...

BWW Review: SHE KILLS MONSTERS at William Penn Senior High School
by Christy Brooks - November 28, 2017

William Penn Performing Arts Institute (WPPAI), an outreach educational program of the Appell Center for the Performing Arts, presented SHE KILLS MONSTERS by Qui Nguien on November 17th and 18th, at William Penn Senior High School. SHE KILLS MONSTERS is a comedic insight into the world of the fantas...

BWW Review: OLIVER! Glorious OLIVER! at The Belmont
by Marakay Rogers - November 24, 2017

Director Rene Staub brings the Dickens and Leonard Bart classic to the Belmont mainstage. Jeff Gilbert's Fagin steals wallets, jewelry, and the show, but don't miss the women's singing in this production....

BWW Review: WHITE CHRISTMAS at Dutch Apple Dinner Theater
by Rich Mehrenberg - November 18, 2017

Dutch Apple's production of White Christmas is a great night of theater for those wishing for some nostalgic memories of holidays from long ago. Simply put, If the Ghost of Christmas Past had a favorite musical, this would be it....

BWW Review: A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM at Theatre Harrisburg
by Allison Rambler - November 14, 2017

The name Stephen Sondheim is one that conjures excitement in many a theatre enthusiast. His most popular works, such as INTO THE WOODS and SWEENEY TODD, thrive on scathing social commentary and twisting melodies that only the more experienced musicians can follow. However, as this reviewer has come ...

BWW Review: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE at Gamut
by Marakay Rogers - November 07, 2017

Director Clark Nicholson gives the Tennessee Williams classic fresh life and a sterling cast....

BWW Review: JEEVES INTERVENES at Oyster Mill
by Marakay Rogers - November 06, 2017

Jeff Wasileski reprises his role as the greatest valet of all time in Oyster Mill's latest production...

BWW Review: SWEENEY TODD at Ephrata Performing Arts Center
by Rich Mehrenberg - October 28, 2017

Sean Young and Bobbi Bear play Sweeney Todd and his partner in crime, Mrs Lovett. Young's singing and speaking voice has a clear deep register that is especially adept in expressing menace. Bear's voice and demeanor is complimentary with a more energetic, bubbly quality. The pair have good chemistry...