Review: VANYA AND SONIA AND MASHA AND SPIKE at 4th Wall Theatre Company
by Brett Cullum - November 29, 2024
I feel like this company, at this point in time, is simply happy to be here doing this show, and I can say the feeling is infectious. It’s not your typical holiday offering, but you can never be wrong with the wit of Christopher Durang and the magic of invoking the spirit of Maggie Smith. I’m thankf...
Review: WINTER SOLSTICE at Rec Room Arts
by Brett Cullum - November 25, 2024
The author wrote this dark piece about a liberal couple whose mother invites a conservative stranger into their house on Christmas Eve to show how easily fascism marches in politely and with charm. It’s a tense and moody winter tale and warns of the ineffectiveness of the left when faced with the ri...
Review: SHUCKED THE MUSICAL at Hobby Center For The Performing Arts
by Armando Urdiales - November 25, 2024
Shucked is a laugh-out-loud, toe-tapping triumph that plants itself firmly in your heart. This wildly original musical weaves together gut-busting humor, heartfelt storytelling, and unforgettable songs to create a truly one-of-a-kind theater experience. From the opening number to the final curtain, ...
Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Alley Theatre
by Jonathan Netek - November 19, 2024
Now in its third year under the skillful guidance of new (Remounting) Director Amber D. Gray, this Dickens classic has been freshly adapted by Alley Theatre’s Artistic Director Rob Melrose. A CHRISTMAS CAROL tells the story we all know so well: a miserly old man is visited by four ghosts who reveal ...
Review: LOVE BOMB at CATASTROPHIC THEATRE
by Brett Cullum - November 17, 2024
LOVE BOMB is a masterpiece of the absurd, but at the same time, it’s a viable Melanie jukebox musical that could command any stage in town. Yet I doubt that any company other than the Catastrophic Theatre will ever dare to do so because it asks much of its audience....
Review: PLAYHOUSE CREATURES at Lionwoman Productions
by Brett Cullum - November 12, 2024
During an interview I did with Michelle Britton a few weeks ago, she mentioned she “didn’t want to become the Alley” and that her Lionwoman Productions is “about helping people understand each other better.” Certainly, PLAYHOUSE CREATURES is right up there in rivaling the quality of the Alley!...
Review: THE DICHOTOMY OF HATTIE MCDANIEL at VINCENT VICTORIA PRESENTS
by Brett Cullum - November 01, 2024
The film first existed as a play, and Vincent Victoria wisely kept his lead actress from that production, Wykesha King, playing Hattie McDaniel. Wykesha creates a three-dimensional character who can act and sing; we believe she is a glamorous actress in the golden age of Hollywood. And we feel the s...
Review: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS at Theatre Under the Stars
by Brett Cullum - October 26, 2024
The cast here is immaculate, and LITTLE SHOP is a character actor’s dream come true. Everyone gets to play bigger and broader, and we get to see them have a ball, bringing these kooky archetypes to life. They are all pitch-perfect and create a wonderfully realized revival of this show for Houston ju...
Review: THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING at MAIN STREET THEATER
by Brett Cullum - October 23, 2024
THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING is a unique experience theatrically, and it’s certainly something to let seep into you and discuss later. I find myself just walking around the house, and a line or two will pop up in my head, and I have only seen this play once. It is that powerful, that invasive, and t...
Review: RACE is confronted by DIRT DOGS THEATRE CO
by Brett Cullum - October 21, 2024
It takes on the clash of white men, black men, and black women and fearlessly looks at all sides when confronted with a crime. Who will do the right thing? It’s a question that seems to hang over the country right now, so RACE could not come at a better time....