Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 26

BWW Reviews: Stark Naked Theatre Company's THE WINTER'S TALE Makes You Laugh, Swoon, and Cry
by David Clarke - May 11, 2014

William Shakespeare's THE WINTER'S TALE has experienced intermittent popularity. With a complex structure, the play is a tragedy, comedy, and romance. Shakespeare draws large inspiration from Robert Greene's Pandosto, and some scholars claim the play is a parallel to the fall of Anne Boleyn. As we b...

BWW Reviews: Main Street Theater's HEARTBREAK HOUSE is Thought Provoking Social Commentary
by David Clarke - May 09, 2014

George Bernard Shaw was profoundly affected by World War I. His first full-length piece following the war was HEARTBREAK HOUSE, which exposes the devastating aspects of the idle and self-indulgent British upper echelon. Main Street Theater is giving Houston audiences heavy social commentary, featuri...

BWW Reviews: Theatre Under the Stars' EVITA has Gorgeous Heart and Grit
by David Clarke - May 07, 2014

EVITA began as a rock opera concept album. The success of the album led to the 1978 production on London's West End and the 1979 production on Broadway. With a slew of regional productions, revivals, and tours, EVITA continues to capture the hearts of audiences, and the U.S. National Tour of the 201...

BWW Reviews: Stages Repertory Theatre's THE WHIPPING MAN is Intensely Riveting
by David Clarke - May 06, 2014

Matthew Lopez's drama THE WHIPPING MAN premiered in 2006 at the Luna Stage Company in Montclair, NJ. In 2011, it had its NY Premiere at Manhattan Theatre Club, which received rave reviews and extended four times due to consistently selling out. Now, Stages is presenting Houston with the Regional Pre...

BWW Reviews: University of Houston-Downtown's Original Pronunciation JULIUS CAESAR is Interesting Experiment in Language
by David Clarke - May 02, 2014

Inspired by noted linguist David Crystal's YouTube videos, Kate Pogue decided to bring an original pronunciation performance of Shakespeare to Houston. This summer, she and UH-D's O'Kane Theatre are remounting their popular production of JULIUS CAESAR, giving Houston audiences another chance to expe...

BWW Reviews: A CONVERSATION WITH BETTE MIDLER is Inspiring
by David Clarke - May 01, 2014

Houston's Brilliant Lecture Series motivates and inspires audiences by bringing in national and international leaders, roles models, philanthropists, artists, humanitarians, authors, and entrepreneurs to talk with Houston audiences. Gifting Houstonians with an hour of her time, the incomparable Bett...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's CARMEN is Sultry and Opulent
by David Clarke - April 27, 2014

Closing their 2013-14 Season, HGO is presenting Georges Bizet's acclaimed CARMEN. For this production, Award winning Broadway Director and Choreographer Rob Ashford took the reins and has created a CARMEN that is as beautiful as it is exciting....

BWW Reviews: Theater LaB Houston & Obsidian Art Space's COCK is Fascinating and Poignant
by David Clarke - April 20, 2014

With a suggestive title and a fascinating premise, Mike Bartlett's COCK is making a stir in Houston. Produced by Theater LaB Houston at Obsidian Art Space, the 90-minute one-act play that took London by storm in 2009 and received glowing reviews in New York City in 2012, lives up to its in-town and ...

BWW Reviews: TUTS Underground's MURDER BALLAD is Exhilarating and Sensual
by David Clarke - April 19, 2014

The World Premiere production of MURDER BALLAD at MTC's The Studio at Stage II took New York by storm in 2012. In 2013 it transferred to the Union Square Theatre and played 17 previews and 70 regular performances before closing on July 21. Now, TUTS Underground is producing the National Regional Pre...

BWW Reviews: Black Lab Theatre's REALLY REALLY is Intense and Phenomenal
by David Clarke - April 18, 2014

Playwright Paul Downs Colaizzo made a name for himself during New York City's 2012-13 season when the MCC presented his play REALLY REALLY. When it premiered in 2012 at The Signature Theatre, it garnered a ton of buzz, selling out the entire run. In New York, the run was extended twice and also sold...

Clear Springs High School Sweeps While Nyles Washington and Emily Lewis Grab Top Honors at 2014 TOMMY TUNE AWARDS - All the Winners!
by David Clarke - April 17, 2014

Last night, Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) celebrated the talents and achievements of local children with the 12th annual Tommy Tune Awards. Pulling up to the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, all I could see was hundreds of well-dressed and excited young adults. Their enthusiasm and nervous ene...

BWW Reviews: Classical Theatre Company's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST is a Witty, High-Gloss Production
by David Clarke - April 15, 2014

Since its World Premiere performance on February 14, 1895, Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST has been an enduring favorite of audiences. Critics recognized the play for its wit and popularity with audiences. In 2014, those same attributes hold up well. Currently, Houston's Classical Thea...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's DAS RHEINGOLD is Full-Throttle Spectacle
by David Clarke - April 15, 2014

Houston Grand Opera, which opened a lavish production of DAS RHEINGOLD this past weekend, is proudly kicking off their first Ring Cycle by Richard Wagner. Like any modern production of Wagner's Ring Cycle, Houston Grand Opera is sparing no expense. At Sunday's matinee, the audience leapt to their fe...

BWW Reviews: MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals' I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE is Mirthful Musical Candy
by David Clarke - April 14, 2014

When it comes to gleeful theatrical candy, it doesn't get much better than Joe DiPietro and Jimmy Roberts' I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE. This audience favorite holds the title of the second-longest running Off-Broadway musical. The current production by MJR Theatricals | Music Box Musicals...

BWW Reviews: Steven Fales Powerfully Bares All in PRODIGAL DAD
by David Clarke - April 12, 2014

Houston has been a great city for Steven Fales to perform in. As he is gearing up to take his Mormon Boy Trilogy Off-Broadway, we are lucky enough to get to be part of his out-of-town try-out for his third installment, PRODIGAL DAD. PRODIGAL DAD is a solo show in which Fales bares himself and his so...

BWW Reviews: Alley Theatre's COMMUNICATING DOORS is Mildly Suspenseful and Wholly Interesting
by David Clarke - April 10, 2014

When it comes to describing Alan Ayckbourn's 1994 play COMMUNICATING DOORS, the Internet proudly boasts that the science fiction comedy exists at the crossroads of Back to the Future and Hitchcock. Does the Alley Theatre's stalwart and clever production live up to that assessment? In my opinion, not...

BWW Reviews: Natalie Weiss' Personality Overshadows Vocal Talent in Houston Cabaret
by David Clarke - April 05, 2014

As a YouTube sensation, many are familiar enough with Natalie Weiss' voice and face, and the largely teenage/early 20s audience last night couldn't be more enthusiastic to see her perform live. Yet, somewhere along the way, her abrasive personality overshadowed her vocal talent....

BWW Reviews: HUSBAND FIXIN 101 Entertains
by David Clarke - April 04, 2014

Julia Kay Laskowski and Patti Rabaza are back as Mavis and Myrtle in HUSBAND FIXIN 101. My first experience with the duo of comediennes was with their holiday themed rib-tickler and I simply couldn't wait to see what they had cooked up for HUSBAND FIXIN 101. The performance earned a lot of laughs an...

BWW Reviews: The Ensemble Theatre's BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK is As Poignant As It Is Hilarious
by David Clarke - April 02, 2014

Earlier this season Houston was introduced to Lynn Nottage with a production of RUINED. Now, The Ensemble Theatre is putting this playwright on everyone's must watch list with a sterling production of her 2011 play, BY THE WAY, MEET VERA STARK. This intellectual comedy powerfully explores the legacy...

BWW Reviews: Opera in the Height's LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR is Evocative and Atmospheric
by David Clarke - March 31, 2014

Gaetano Donizetti was a tremendous influence on the operas of Giuseppe Verdi and laid the foundation for the popularity of Italian opera in the latter half of the nineteenth century. At Opera in the Heights, their rousing production of the tragic opera fully exposes audiences to why this opera has h...

BWW Reviews: Playhouse 1960's BOEING BOEING Bounces with Energy
by David Clarke - March 30, 2014

When BOEING BOEING first landed on Broadway in 1965, it only ran for 23 performances. However, in 2008 the French Comedy, penned by Marc Camoletti and translated by Beverley Cross and Francis Evans, was revised and re-opened on Broadway. This version fared much better, garnering positive reviews. Pl...

BWW Reviews: Main Street Theater's TIME STANDS STILL is Interesting, but Needs Clear Focus
by David Clarke - March 28, 2014

Donald Margulies has a lot to say about modern life in his 2009 drama TIME STANDS STILL. The multifaceted piece pins a savvy photojournalist against desires to start a family and leaves her questioning the true impact of her work. Likewise, the skillful acting that occurs on the stage at Main Street...

BWW Reviews: Theater LaB Houston's SIXTY MILES TO SILVER LAKE is a Master Class in Compelling Acting
by David Clarke - March 27, 2014

Dan LeFranc is the winner of the 2010 New York Times Outstanding Playwright Award. The Regional Premiere of his SIXTY MILES TO SILVER LAKE, produced by Theater LaB, easily illustrates why he won such a prestigious award. It initially seems like a microcosm presentation of the affects of an ugly divo...

BWW Reviews: The Texas Repertory Theatre's BOEING BOEING is Light-Hearted Fun
by David Clarke - March 24, 2014

Marc Camoletti's 1960 play BOEING BOEING was translated into English by Beverly Cross. The comedic piece found success in London, running for seven years in its original production, but it failed to capture American audiences. In 1991, it was named in the Guinness Book of Records as the most perform...

BWW Reviews: Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT Blows Houston Away
by David Clarke - March 22, 2014

Unable to see AMERICAN IDIOT in New York City, I am so happy that the Third National Tour finally brought the show to Houston, TX. This lively, youthful cast owns every moment of this explosive and exhilarating AMERICAN IDIOT, and I can't imagine any other cast performing this rollicking, raucous pi...