Review: BROADWAY ON BROADWAY at Rialto Community Theatre

Nestled in the charming downtown area of Morrilton along the railroad tracks sits the historic Rialto Theatre, 213 E Broadway St., that looks like something out of your history books, and to be honest, it is. The Rialto used to be a chain of movie theaters, but now only three remain: The Rialto in Searcy is still a movie theater, the Rialto in El Dorado is under construction and will be able to seat 850 people for live performances, and the Rialto in Morrilton is the live venue where I call home. This time my friends entertained me with their cabaret revue BROADWAY ON BROADWAY. Locals came out March 1-3 to celebrate and support our theatre and listen to the talented voices that this area offers.  

Broadway cabarets are so much fun. Not only do you get to sing your favorite songs from your favorite shows, but they are easy to produce and great fundraisers. This group of singers chose songs from Kiss Me Kate, Something Rotten, Wicked, Dear Evan Hansen and so much more. I loved it when the whole cast came together for the group numbers. They started with Another Opening, Another Show, which was fitting for..well...an opening number, the women joined together for Cell Block Tango from Chicago in the middle of the first ACT, finished ACT I with This is Me from The Greatest Showman, opened ACT II with Seasons of Love from Rent, and took their curtain call with Hello Dolly. The first ACT was more upbeat than the second, and there were plenty of songs for you to find your favorites, but even though I thought I was being pretty demanding, they did not give me an encore for preview night. Oh well, my loss.  

I confess this review is a little biased since I knew everyone but two people in this cast, so I will just pick a favorite from each singer. Morrilton High School student Salina Sosa shines when she hits the stage. Her voice is sweet, and I loved her ballads, but watching her sing Schroeder from You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, makes me smile. I especially loved her interaction with Caleb Purtle, who was intent on playing his piano. Speaking of Caleb, he has a great voice. He is definitely an asset to the Rialto. He put a lot of feeling into his songs, and I know he loved his song from Dear Evan Hansen, but I am old school, and I loved his delivery during Maria from West Side Story. Also, he was part of the trio for Learn to Do It from Anastasia. Joining him were Jesse Burgener (who you can hear on the weekends with his band Maximum Overdrive) and Stephanie McQueen (who brought my favorite cast member out on stage—her son Orion, who just turned one year old). Stephanie had quite a few songs, but my favorite, since I’m choosing, was Neverland from Finding Neverland. She delivered that one with a lot of heart. Jesse really surprised me with Mr. Cellophane from Chicago, so much so that I would love to see him do that whole role at some point.  

Casey Brinkerhoff is a powerhouse performer and watching her sing is such a delight. As she sang Memory from Cats, I envisioned her in the ratty fur coat waiting to be taken away for her next life. Patricia Loera is a musical genius, and I am so happy she is onboard with the Rialto. She didn’t sing as much as I would have liked, but her duet Benny’s Dispatch from In the Heights with newcomer Patrick Rogers was super cute. And, speaking of super cute, I don’t know how Patrick discovered our little theatre, but I hope he stays. He is amazing, and a great addition to The Rialto’s leading man category. The other new addition is Erin Love, who has a phenomenal voice and presence. She really made her mark as the lead during This is Me from the Greatest Showman. I was also thrilled to get a glimpse of my girl Sara Duvall. She didn’t have a solo for this show, but I’m sure she was amazing on the nights that she did. 

I was thrilled to see Director Boen take a song. Fairly new to the community, she has taken The Rialto and has livened it up with ideas and inspiration, and her delivery during I Dreamed a Dream from Les Misérables was powerful. She proved why she was the director. 

Ok, so not that I want to make anyone jealous, but if it happens to be, then so be it. I love Jackson Flowers. He is my favorite. You can’t change my mind. Every time he performs, I have starry heart eyes for him. As the Chicago ladies exited the stage, I loved how he tipped his hat and said ladies as he was entering to sing Oh What a Beautiful Morning from Oklahoma. It was subtle, charming, and cracked me up. Again, during the second ACT, he donned a high school jacket and sang Sandy from Grease, and when he hit those John Travolta notes at the end, I about died. Then, for Suddenly Seymour from Little Shop of Horrors, he duetted with Patricia, and I was able to see him transform into a leading man. It was awesome! 

Rumor has it that there may be another Broadway on Broadway soon, but that has yet to be determined. Until then, The Rialto will be working on JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT—auditions will be in April. For more information, visit their website at rialtomorrilton.com. 

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