Regional Roundup: Top New Features This Week Around Our Broadway World - 2/17; SNEETCHES in Minneapolis, Lippa's New SNOOPY in Austin and More!

BroadwayWorld presents a comprehensive weekly roundup of regional stories around our Broadway World, which include videos, editor spotlights, regional reviews and more. This week, we feature THE SNEETCHES in Minneapolis, THE GREAT GATSBY in ORLANDO, Andrew Lippa's THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SNOOPY in Austin and more. Check out our top features below!

East/Northeast

1. Baltimore, MD: Editor Cybele Pomeroy reviews GREAT EXPECTATIONS at Everyman Theatre. She says, "Director Tazewell Thompson, handling a tale that is heavy on narrative, guides the pliable ensemble to a performance that is dynamic, touching, amusing, lively and filled with gothic foreshadowing. Every sequence unfolds a new delight, from slapstick action to nuanced characterization to the most hilarious rendition of Hamlet it has ever been my privilege to witness." Read more here.

2. Long Island: Editor Melissa Giordano reviews BroadHollow's SHE LOVES ME. She says, "First, Ms. Conner's stunning soprano voice is a perfect fit for Amalia Balash truly making you feel exactly what she is going through. Frustration, jubilance, a balance of nervousness and confidence in starting a new job... it's all there and Ms. Conner exudes each emotion exquisitely. Indeed, audience favorites from the charming Jerry Bock/ Sheldon Harnick score include Ms. Conner's adorable renditions of "Where's My Shoe" and "Vanilla Ice Cream"." Read more here.

Midwest

3. Minneapolis, MN: Editor Karen Bovard reviews THE SNEETCHES: THE MUSICAL at Children's Theatre Company. She says, "With book and lyrics by Philip Dawkins and music by David Mallamud, this energetic two act ensemble piece is ably staged by Artistic Director Peter Brosius with a company comprised of pros and area kids, supported by seven musicians in the pit. The lyrics are clever and the music is catchy. Choreography by Michael Matthew Ferrell is animated, and the whole is calibrated to keep a multi-generational audience well entertained over two acts." Read more here.

Want to watch highlights of the show? Check out the video!

4. Cincinnati, OH: New Editor Abby Rowold spotlights the Know Theatre of Cincinnati. She says, "Since Andrew Hungerford took over as producing artistic director in 2014, the Know has been focused on diversity in their casting and the playwrights they choose to produce, even reaching near, if not actual, gender parity for the last three seasons. Mr. Hungerford, loyal to those in which he sees promise, has invested in local Cincinnati artists, giving them a literal stage on which to "play," or develop their craft." Read more, including their season announcement, here.

South/Southeast

5. Austin, TX: Editor Lynn Beaver reviews THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SNOOPY at Texas State University in association with Theatre Under The Stars/Humphreys School of Musical Theatre. She says, "In this new revision, Woodstock is used to string the scenes together with his fluttering dance and comic acrobatics in a way that makes the transitions look seamless and effortless. This production is not merely sweet and nostalgic, it gets to the very heart of the characters in a way that made me grin for hours afterwards. The new song for Sally, with lyrics by Andrew Lippa, HusbandMaterial, brings in the age of smartphones hilariously and gives Charlie Brown's little sister a new voice. Some rearrangement to the order of the numbers has been made also, Friends, added during the West End revival has been moved to the top of Act II instead of Snoopy's The Great Writer. In total, three songs that were in the original, are gone and one song has been added." Read more here.

6. Orlando, FL: Editor Kelli McGurk reviews THE GREAT GATSBY at Orlando Shakes. She says, "Though the aesthetic elements of this production are immensely successful, it is ironically the humanity and realness of the characters that make this adaptation just as compelling as the original novel. The ensemble work propelled by Director Anne Hering is executed flawlessly by the principle characters: Jacob Dresch as George Wilson, Georgia Mallory Guy as Myrtle Wilson, ChristIan Ryan as Tom Buchanan, Aubrey Saverino as JorDan Baker, Kathryn Miller as Daisy Buchanan, and especially noteworthy are Buddy Haardt as Nick Carraway and Matthew Goodrich as Jay Gatsby. " Read more here.

Can't get enough? Check out all the production shots here!

West Coast

7. Los Angeles, CA: Editor Don Grigware reviews EVITA at MTW (Musical Theatre West) at The Carpenter Performing Arts Center. He says, "MTW's revival is very well done, particularly praiseworthy for its vocal artistry. Ayme Olivo (Eva), Richard Bermudez (Che), Davis Gaines (Juan Peron), Zachary Ford (Magaldi) and Ashley Marie (Peron's Mistress) all have deliciously powerhouse voices and do great justice to Lloyd Webber's rich and overpowering score. Hector Guerrreo's choreography is outstanding as an ensemble of twenty+ great singers/dancers move continuously and fluidly around the principals." Read more here.

International

8. Melbourne, AU: Editor Victoria Beal interviews Christina Bianco of DIVA MOMENTS at The Alex Theatre. Bianco says, "I have wanted to come to Australia as a tourist and also as a performer for a very long time! It's amazing to me, when I had these YouTube videos go viral, that so many of the views were from Australia. Everyone was saying "come to Australia!" but unfortunately it just never worked out so now, I thought this is the time! Before everyone forgets about me and the divas! (giggles)." Read more here.

National Tour Highlight:

9. Regional Managing Editor Christina Mancuso reviews THE BODYGUARD at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio. She says, "Fans who are familiar with the movie won't care to make comparisons. This is a one-woman, show-stealing vocal inferno, blazing out Houston's most most memorable songs.... Along with her astounding vocal chops, Cox also proves that she is an effective actress and, in my opinion, magnifies a stronger chemistry with her counterpart than the original film version." Read more here.

10. Jennifer Perry, Washington, DC: Jennifer Perry coordinates all review coverage in the Washington DC Metro Area and serves as the senior reviewer for the local area. She's been a musical theatre geek since childhood, and previously covered the DC performing arts scene for Maryland Theatre Guide, DC Metro Theater Arts, and DC Theatre Scene. Jennifer has a B.A. in Spanish (Linguistics) and Sociology from Houghton College and a M.A. in International Affairs from American University's School of International Service so she especially enjoys covering shows that explore other cultures and/or political themes. By day, she has your typical Washington job and has been known to take many a Broadway binge trip to New York every year. Fun fact: She literally met her husband, fellow BWW contributor Elliot Lanes, in front of a Broadway theatre. A little over two years after she sold him an extra ticket to "The Country Girl" in 2008, they got married!

On why she enjoys writing for BroadwayWorld, Jen says, "I really enjoy writing for BroadwayWorld because it effectively combines my interests in analysis, writing, and theatre. Washington, DC has such a rich theatre scene so there are many opportunities for me to attend all sorts of productions that each offer a unique experience. It's so rewarding to bring our readers' attention to the many theatres in our area and the work they do, no matter how big or small the company is, or how long they've been around. I also enjoy the flexibility the position offers. I work a full-time job, but it's still possible for me to cover many shows and figure out the best way to get all or most of the area's productions covered by our hardworking team of 15+ local writers."

STUDENT BLOGGERS! We'd like to feature a few of our student bloggers below!

This week, we'd like to welcome our newest contributing writer in Sarasota, Will Luera.

*BONUS* - Interested in joining our team, but not exactly sure what we do? All of your questions are answered, along with every open position from guest and student bloggers, Regional Editors, and more! Find out where we have open positions available here!