Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 27

BWW Reviews: Stages Repertory Theatre's GIDION'S KNOT is Exquisitely Taut and Intense
by David Clarke - March 16, 2014

When it comes to tense and taut one-act dramas that play out in real time, one often thinks of playwright David Mamet. With an extensive resume of work I'm not familiar with, Johnna Adams' work in GIDION'S KNOT is just as intense and intriguing as any of the David Mamet plays I've experienced. Furth...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's A COFFIN IN EGYPT is Rarely Moving
by David Clarke - March 16, 2014

Houston Grand Opera is presenting the World Premiere of A COFFIN IN EGYPT, a one-act chamber opera based on Horton Foote's play by the same title. Known for crafting touching sentimentality and riveting drama, Horton Foote's legacy is sure to be celebrated for centuries to come. However, this operat...

BWW Reviews: Mildred's Umbrella Theater Company's ROME is Unsettling, Interesting Theatre
by David Clarke - March 14, 2014

If you have ever wondered what theatre by Chuck Palahniuk may be like, then ROME is definitely for you. If you're looking for interesting theatre that will give you plenty to mull over, then ROME is also for you. If you are looking for theatre that will discomfort you to the core of your being while...

BWW CD Reviews: HIGHLIGHTS FROM BULLY (Concept Cast Recording) Introduces Listeners to Intriguing, Timely Musical
by David Clarke - March 11, 2014

This new musical by Aaron Alon is still in the process of being made. Thunderclap Productions is working on filming the musical and there are still plans to bring the show to stage as well. With relevant and timely themes, an intriguing score, and remarkable talent behind every aspect of this musica...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC is Extraordinarily Gorgeous
by David Clarke - March 09, 2014

Ever since it premiered on Broadway in 1973, Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, with a book by Hugh Wheeler, has been a favorite of musical theatre fans. The Michigan Opera Theatre was the first American opera company to present the piece in 1983, and other companies followed suit. It last gra...

BWW Reviews: Houston Ballet's THE YOUNG PERSON'S GUIDE TO THE ORCHESTRA is Captivating
by David Clarke - March 07, 2014

In celebration of Stanton Welch's tenth anniversary as Artistic Director at Houston Ballet, the company is presenting a mixed repertory program that showcases his work as a choreographer. Across the three acts, audiences are treated to stunningly beautiful stage pictures, fascinating movement, and b...

BWW Reviews: Theatre Under the Stars' THE WIZARD OF OZ is Entirely Charming
by David Clarke - March 06, 2014

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's beloved classic film THE WIZARD OF OZ has been re-adapted for the stage by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jeremy Sams. The splashy show features Harold Arlen's original music and E.Y. Harburg's original lyrics, with additional lyrics by Tim Rice and additional music by Andrew Lloyd We...

BWW Reviews: Obsidian Art Space's RUINED is Thought Provoking
by David Clarke - March 04, 2014

Lynn Nottage's RUINED was well received in New York City in 2009, and now it is making its Houston premiere in a production produced by Obsidian Art Space. A tautly constructed drama about the use of rape as a weapon in the Congolese Civil War, this fascinating and thought-provoking show is one that...

BWW Reviews: Main Street Theater & Prague Shakespeare Company's MACBETH is Wickedly Thrilling
by David Clarke - February 28, 2014

Following last year's well-received and highly praised production of HENRY V, Main Street Theater and Prague Shakespeare Company have teamed up again to produce William Shakespeare's MACBETH. For this version of MACBETH, the play is condensed to an 80-minute one act and the plot moves with breakneck...

BWW Reviews: Alley Theatre's World Premiere of FOOL Offers More Laughs Than Substance
by David Clarke - February 27, 2014

Theresa Rebeck is having her work produced at the Alley Theatre for the fifth time. She made her Broadway debut with MAURITIUS, and recently had her plays SEMINAR and DEAD ACCOUNTS produced on Broadway. However, I wouldn't expect to see FOOL playing the Great White Way in the near future. The script...

BWW Reviews: The Music Box Theater's MORE BROADWAY AT THE BOX - A Comical Revue of Broadway Favorites
by David Clarke - February 23, 2014

The Music Box Theater is proudly closing its third year with their latest musical revue MORE BROADWAY AT THE BOX. Rebekah Dahl, Brad Scarborough, Kristina Sullivan, Cay Taylor, and Luke Wrobel masterfully entertain Houston audiences with the inventive cabaret revue, earning copious amounts of cheers...

BWW Reviews: Houston Ballet's ALADDIN is an Opulent and Mesmerizing Treat
by David Clarke - February 21, 2014

Last night, Houston Ballet presented the American Premiere performance of David Bintley's spellbinding ALADDIN. The ballet, commissioned by National Ballet of Japan, had its World Premiere on November 15, 2008. For this opulent and mesmerizing theatrical treat, choreographer David Bintley pulls his ...

BWW Reviews: GHOST: THE MUSICAL is Dead on Arrival
by David Clarke - February 19, 2014

When GHOST: THE MUSICAL opened on Broadway it was met by a bevy of critical slams and was plagued by technical issues that would stall the production. Now, the troubled movie turned musical turned theme-park ride is limping, zombie-like, across the nation in a Non-Equity National Tour. Luckily, the ...

BWW Reviews: Stages Repertory Theatre's SEXY LAUNDRY is a Sweet Romantic Comedy
by Kristina Nungaray - February 13, 2014

While Valentine's Day is just around the corner, Stages Repertory Theatre is getting Houston audiences in the spirit with the Regional Premiere of Michele Riml's romantic comedy, SEXY LAUNDRY. The play focuses on Alice and Henry, a middle-aged married couple who have hung their last lingering hopes...

BWW Reviews: Pearland Theatre Guilds' FENCES is Enjoyable Despite Flaws
by David Clarke - February 11, 2014

When it comes to the development of drama in the United States, August Wilson's legacy is undeniable. His plays are recognized for being influential and sumptuously powerful. His Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning drama FENCES certainly upholds this banner. Currently being presented at Pearland's...

BWW Reviews: The Catastrophic Theatre's CLEAN/THROUGH is Hauntingly Poignant
by David Clarke - February 10, 2014

Miki Johnson took Houston audiences by storm when The Catastrophic Theatre premiered her first play AMERICAN FALLS. Now, The Catastrophic Theatre and Miki Johnson are back at it with the riveting and gut wrenching world premiere of her tautly constructed new drama CLEAN/THROUGH. The 60-minute one-ac...

BWW Reviews: Houston Grand Opera's RIGOLETTO is Sung Well but Flatly Acted
by David Clarke - February 09, 2014

Houston Grand Opera (HGO) consistently brings the best the opera world has to offer to Houston stages. Time and time again, they cast operas with incredible talent and put on productions that are visually stunning as well. Their latest production of RIGOLETTO is no exception. Everything that makes p...

BWW Reviews: Bayou City Concert Musical's CHEEK TO CHEEK: IRVING BERLIN IN THE 1930s is Spirited Entertainment
by David Clarke - February 08, 2014

Just as exciting as the annual summer concert presentation of a more-or-less forgotten hit musical from yesteryear are Bayou City Concert Musicals' fundraising cabaret performances. Kicking off their 2014 season, Paul Hope has programmed an evening of Irving Berlin's hit songs for the 1930s. In this...

BWW Reviews: Opera in the Height's DON GIOVANNI is Engaging Fun
by David Clarke - February 07, 2014

Based on the legends of Don Juan, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's DON GIOVANNI is a true staple in the operatic repertoire and is the tenth most-performed opera worldwide. The opera is often considered to be a dramma giocoso, which means that it mixes serious drama with comedy to create a melodramatic plo...

BWW Reviews: Stark Naked Theatre Company's THE GOOD THIEF is Enthralling
by David Clarke - February 06, 2014

In May of 2011 Santry Rush, directed by John Tyson, presented the Houston premiere of Conor McPherson's THE GOOD THIEF at the Mosaic Theatre Company. Since then, the duo has been seeking an opportunity to bring the show inside the loop for another staging, and was granted that opportunity by Stark N...

BWW Reviews: GIRLS ONLY - THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN is Fun Feminine Fare for All
by Kristina Nungaray - February 04, 2014

Barbara Gehring and Linda Klein's GIRLS ONLY - THE SECRET COMEDY OF WOMEN took Houston by storm during its regional premier at Main Street Theater's Chelsea Market Location in 2012. It was so well-received that it was extended twice and did not close until February of 2013. Now, back by popular dema...

BWW Reviews: Stages Repertory Theatre's FAILURE: A LOVE STORY is Full of Heart and Energy
by David Clarke - February 04, 2014

As a new year begins, we often feel that we have all the time in the world. Presenting the Regional Premiere of Philip Dawkins' FAILURE: A LOVE STORY, Stages Repertory Theatre is kindly reminding audiences that time is something precious and that it is also often wasted. This touching play, filled w...

BWW Reviews: A. D. Players' THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK is Deeply Moving
by Kristina Nungaray - February 03, 2014

The A. D. Players is in the middle of celebrating their 47th season of theatre. Notorious for providing Houston audiences with thought-provoking and inspirational pieces of theatre, they are kicking off 2014 in the same fashion with their deeply moving production of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hacke...

BWW Reviews: Standing Room Only Productions' NEXT TO NORMAL is Strong But Uneven
by David Clarke - February 02, 2014

Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey's wildly popular hit musical NEXT TO NORMAL is back on Houston stages, and audiences are packing the house. Last seen in the summer of 2012 at Stages Repertory Theatre, the almost entirely sung through musical is being produced by Standing Room Only Productions at Obsidian ...

BWW Reviews: Classical Theatre Company's DOCTOR FAUSTUS is Chillingly Mesmerizing
by David Clarke - February 01, 2014

Boldly re-envisioning classical drama is the mission of Classical Theatre Company, and their production of DOCTOR FAUSTUS, written by Christopher Marlowe and adapted by Timothy N. Evers, is theatrical magic that Houston audiences can savor. The company is breathing vibrant life into the playwright's...