Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 17

BWW Review: Gilbert and Sullivan's PRINCESS IDA - Well-Behaved Women Rarely Make History
by Guest Blogger: Gary Laird - July 27, 2016

'Gilbert and Sullivan?', you might say. 'Who are they? What are their last names? Are they some kind of alternative rock band, or perhaps a rap duo?'...

BWW Review: A Tangled Web - SPIDER'S WEB at the Alley Theatre
by Guest Blogger: Gary Laird - July 22, 2016

Summer Chills at the Alley Theatre is all about entertainment. There are no axes to grind; no hidden depths to plumb, which is great, because it's too hot to do much besides sit in air-conditioned comfort and watch other people exert themselves....

BWW Reviews: WICKED National Tour Continues to Defy Belief at The Hobby Center
by Bryan-Keyth Wilson - July 20, 2016

On October 30, 2003, the institution of what we call American Musical theatre would never be the same. This highly anticipated musical hit Broadway running with box office success and two stars top billed. The wickedly talented Idina Menzel (Elphaba) and Kristin Chenoweth (Galinda) were the talks of...

BWW Review: SHEAR MADNESS takes over Stages Repertory Theatre
by Brett Cullum - July 19, 2016

Stages Repertory Theatre's creation of this SHEAR MADNESS is buoyed by an outstanding cast that handles comedy and improvisation with ease. The six actors onstage are quick on their feet, and so funny they can break each other up in many instances as the story unfolds....

BWW Review: THE GRAPES OF WRATH Skims Steinbeck at Houston Theatre Group
by BWW Staff - July 13, 2016

When the Houston Theatre Company chose to present the play in The University of St. Thomas Jones Hall, a small black box venue, they bit off a lot. I admire their grit, but I can't help wondering, if they had it to do over again, would they?...

BWW Review: TAMARIE FOR PRESIDENT Fillibusters the Funny at Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - July 11, 2016

This is so much fun, and something you don't want to miss this season. It's a time when we could all use a good laugh, and Tamarie is going for broke as she does every summer with her sardonic take aimed at elections....

BWW Review: The Landing Theatre Company's TEN WAYS ON A GUN, One of the Summer's Most Unique Offerings
by Natalie de la Garza - July 05, 2016

Bolstered by the vision of director Jacey Little and a talented cast that seems to revel in the meta-irreverence of Lamb's work, TEN WAYS ON A GUN is guaranteed to be one of the most unique offerings this summer -- certainly one not to be missed....

BWW Review: A.D. Players' LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL Is the Theatrical Equivalent to Curling Up With a Good Book
by Natalie de la Garza - June 24, 2016

LITTLE WOMEN: THE MUSICAL is quite the curiosity -- a musical that isn't particularly enhanced or defined by its music. But though the music may be mostly forgettable, the voices in the A.D. Players' production are not. Neither are the performances. It is the cast that ultimately elevates this admit...

BWW Review: THE DIVINE SISTER Offers Nun Control at Celebration Theatre
by Brett Cullum - June 21, 2016

Right now the world needs a good chuckle at the pious and prissy, and this production answers that divine calling with ease. If you're a devout Catholic or easily offended, maybe this one isn't for you. But if you can appreciate gender bending joined with slapstick camp you've found your salvation....

BWW Review: SILENCE! slays the spoof at Standing Room Only Productions
by Brett Cullum - June 16, 2016

From the bodily fluid throwing Miggs to the naked and tucked Buffalo Bill, expect to see everything you witnessed in the movie recreated live onstage by a company who at times don Lambchop hand puppets to narrate the action. It's fast, furious, and like being blasted by hits of nitrous oxide constan...

BWW Review: BORN YESTERDAY Still Sizzles Today At The Alley Theatre
by Jenny Taylor Moodie - June 10, 2016

Garson Kanin's BORN YESTERDAY premiered on Broadway in 1946, and seventy years later it still entertains and gently enlightens. Regardless of the time period, the play is far more relevant than you'd think. Directed by Jonathan Moscone, the play is about wealth, political corruption, education and o...

BWW Review: WORKING Reminds Us We Are More Than Our Jobs
by Alexander Garza - June 07, 2016

WORKING is based on Studs Terkel's well-known book of interviews with U.S workers, which retells the accounts of men and women and presents the meaning that these jobs bring to their lives. This classic musical was first adapted by Stephen Schwartz and Nina Faso and premiered at the Goodman Theatre ...

BWW Review: LIDLESS provides dark drama at Horse Head Theatre Co.
by Brett Cullum - June 06, 2016

This is a production that should be sought out by theatre patrons wanting something a little more powerful than a simple musical or another romantic comedy. LIDLESS is a play that looks at the darkest and lightest parts of our culture and our souls....

BWW Review: Bedlam's SAINT JOAN Is Candid And Fresh At Stark Naked Theatre
by Jenny Taylor Moodie - June 05, 2016

BWW Review: George Bernard Shaw's SAINT JOAN Is Honest And Immersive...

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL: A CAROLE KING MUSICAL SUCCEEDS WITH A STRONG CAST
by Jenny Taylor Moodie - June 01, 2016

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL: A CAROLE KING MUSICAL Is A Good Time At The Hobby Center...

BWW Review: 13 RUE DE L'AMOUR farces French style at Theatre Southwest
by Brett Cullum - May 31, 2016

This is theater by design rather than organic moments of human emotion. The director has taken her background in dance and created a show that is colorful and choreographed as any ballet or opera would be....

BWW Review: Ballet And Cacti? Yes, Please! Houston Ballet Captivates With Spring Mixed Repertory Program
by Jenny Taylor Moodie - May 28, 2016

BWW Review: Houston Ballet Presents A Riveting Collection Of Dance...

BWW Review: Winifred Is a Misstep for Theater LaB Houston and UnCommonWill Collective
by Katricia Lang - May 20, 2016

I get the idea behind WINIFRED. I really do. Winifred 'Winnie' Wagner is punished by history for being a woman with a (rumored) sexual history. I understand it, and I still didn't enjoy it or agree with its driving point....

BWW Review: Scenes From a Summer House Tell a Charming Story in The Ensemble's PLENTY OF TIME
by Natalie de la Garza - May 20, 2016

PLENTY OF TIME is a sweet romantic comedy, simultaneously looking back with nostalgia and looking forward with hope. It's not to be missed....

BWW Review: THE NETHER Disturbs and Delights at the Alley
by Alexander Garza - May 20, 2016

THE NETHER is a chilling tale about how the division between technology and our lives begin to blur, and the ethical consequences that result when access to this technology fall into the wrong hands. Engaging performances from an all-star cast, unique character development, notable set and lighting ...

BWW Review: THINGS MISSING/MISSED Gets Abstract at Obsidian Theater
by Brett Cullum - May 19, 2016

Conversations can be hard to follow, and we're never quite sure what is happening with our couple or our hermit. We're just observing them as they try to fill in the gaps in their lives with items and words....

BWW Review: Audiences Rejoice for THE CHRISTIANS at the Alley
by Alexander Garza - May 19, 2016

If you've ever walked into a service at a megachurch, then you know what's at stake for Pastor Paul in THE CHRISTIANS. The play is daring and bold. It shows us the identity crisis our society has been having when it comes to ideology, and how even the well-intentioned allow this to tear our relation...

BWW Review: I AND YOU Tugs at Hearts at Stages Repertory
by Alexander Garza - May 16, 2016

Anthony unexpectedly appears in his classmate's room to seek her help in completing a project, the night before it is due. Through an emotionally tumultuous journey, they delve into the mysteries of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass", unaware that something deeper has brought them together. I AND Y...

BWW Review: MONEY MONSTER Can't Buy Happiness, But It Is a 98 Minute Good Time
by Natalie de la Garza - May 14, 2016

Imagine an AU where CNBC's Jim Cramer, as played by George Clooney, is confronted by one of those people he (in)famously encouraged to buy stock in Bear Stearns right before it collapsed back in '08. Said person has lost everything and is understandably upset and unfortunately armed. And let's say i...

BWW Review: DOLLFACE Makes a Grand Debut at Mildred's Umbrella
by Katricia Lang - May 13, 2016

DOLLFACE, playwright Katharine Sherman's contemporary riff on the Medusa myth, marries imagination with detail beautifully in its world premiere run at Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company....