Orlando Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 10

BWW Review: Encore's HAIRSPRAY is a Fabulous Demonstration of Community!
by Kelli McGurk - July 24, 2017

Welcome to the sixties, or rather to the 15th year of Encore!  Comprised entirely by Walt Disney World cast members and their families, the mega-team of volunteers took the Walt Disney Theater by storm on their opening night.  With a monstrous orchestra of over 40 musicians and a choir boasting more...

BWW Review: HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL is BIG FUN at Young Artists Theatre!
by Kelli McGurk - July 17, 2017

Heathers: The Musical, based off of the 1980's movie with the same name, has developed an even larger cult-following since it's premiere Off-Broadway at New World Stages in 2014.  Since then, the licensing of the production has resulted in the dark musical turning up in all pockets of the United Sta...

BWW Review: Kelly Pekar Shines in Mad Cow's SKYLIGHT
by Kimberly Moy - June 26, 2017

All's fair in love and politics. Maybe that's not the correct saying, but it accurately describes David Hare's SKYLIGHT. Currently playing at Mad Cow Theatre, this play focuses on the complexities of the heart. It is dramatic and thought-provoking enough to leave audiences thinking about the plot da...

BWW Review: ANIMAL CRACKERS at Mad Cow Theatre
by Clarissa Moon - June 17, 2017

Mad Cow Theatre continues its twentieth season with ANIMAL CRACKERS, a musical adapted from the Marx Brothers' film of the same name. The plot centers around a party honoring Captain Jeffrey T. Spaulding, which is attended by larger-than-life guests, originally played by the Marx Brothers. Mad Cow i...

BWW Review: Sign Me Up for MURDER FOR TWO at Winter Park Playhouse
by Kimberly Moy - June 03, 2017

Murder is always entertaining in musical theater. The construct is usually surrounds a detective and his quest to find the suspect. MURDER FOR TWO takes that to an extreme with just two men playing all roles in this murder mystery. They also accompany themselves on the piano. It's tiring, entertaini...

BWW Review: SEX ED at the Orlando Fringe Festival
by Clarissa Moon - May 23, 2017

If you're looking for great storytelling, look no further than SEX ED at the Orlando Fringe Festival. Kerry Ipema's one-woman show is a coming of age story, complete with parodies of Disney songs....

BWW Review: An Evening with Revolting Children at MATILDA
by Kimberly Moy - May 12, 2017

MATILDA is a great story with great characters, so it only makes sense that a musical would be its next iteration. Though the show closed on Broadway on January 1, 2017, the national tour still goes strong and now appears at the Dr. Philips Center....

BWW Review: URINETOWN at Annie Russel Theatre At Rollins College
by Kelli McGurk - May 08, 2017

Urinetown, the witty, clever, satirical Broadway comedy musical at the regal and historic Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College on April 21, 2017....

BWW Review: Signalling Old School Batman with UCF's Flying Horse Big Band
by Kimberly Moy - April 16, 2017

Did you know that UCF has their own big band jazz program called The Flying Horse Band? Neither did I. The Flying Horse Band lead by professor Jeff Rupert, performs nationally and has their own record label. On Friday, The Flying Horse Band along with students from UCF's acting program presented THE...

BWW Review: Laura Hodos takes on Shakespeare at UCF Celebrates the Arts
by Kimberly Moy - April 11, 2017

There is no doubt that Shakespeare's influence on theater is pervasive. No one in Orlando does Shakespeare better than Orlando Shakespeare Theater. Now combine that with the talent and resources of UCF and you get THE BARD TAKES BROADWAY. As part of UCF Celebrates the Arts, this one-night show featu...

BWW Review: An Alluring Journey with ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA at Orlando Shakes
by Kimberly Moy - April 04, 2017

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA is one of those mandatory high school reading Shakespeare classics that never gets old. Though it is a tragedy, Orlando Shakes production is glamorous, entertaining and extremely palatable. Casting, costumes, and classic story come together to make ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA the crown...

BWW Review: Ringing The Bells With THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME at The Henegar Center
by Kirsty Johnson - March 21, 2017

It's a safe bet that just about any 90's kid can remember re-watching Disney's Hunchback of ­Notre Dame over and over, rewinding the VHS until it was nearly worn out. In the Henegar Center's stage re-imagining of Disney's beloved tale and Victor Hugo's classic novel, there are no friendly goat sidek...

BWW Review: Going Through MID-LIFE! The Crisis Musical at Winter Park Playhouse
by Kimberly Moy - March 14, 2017

No one looks forward to their mid-life crisis. Known as the time when men buy expensive sports cars and women go through the dreaded menopause. Mid-life is certainly not glamorous. So if you can't beat it, turn it into a laugh out loud musical. Winter Park Playhouse presents MID-LIFE! THE CRISIS MUS...

BWW Review: TAPE Traps Audiences at Theater On The Edge
by Kelli McGurk - March 07, 2017

Stephen Belber's dark comedy Tape takes over the small black box studio at Theater on the Edge, and not only invites the audience to become a part of the story, but demands it. By trapping viewers in the four walls of the Motel 6 room in Lansing, Michigan, spectators have no choice but to become on...

BWW Review: THE GOLDEN GIRLS MUSICAL at Project Spotlight
by Geoffrey Lawrence - March 03, 2017

In its twelve years of existence Project Spotlight, the only student developmental theater organization at the University of Central Florida has finally branched out and created a full-length musical. The Golden Girls Musical, with book by Colin Brooks, music by Benjamin Walton, and lyrics by Brooks...

BWW Review: A FEW GOOD MEN at Central Florida Community Arts
by Geoffrey Lawrence - March 01, 2017

In six short years, Central Florida Community Arts, has grown from a small community choir to a much larger arts organization with a school of performing arts, multiple choirs, orchestras, and a theatre season. For their second season, they have taken on A Few Good Men, written by Aaron Sorkin and d...

BWW Review: CONSTELLATIONS at Mad Cow Theatre
by Geoffrey Lawrence - March 01, 2017

One of the beautiful things about theatre is requires varying levels of involvement. Some shows allow you to sit back and be an inactive participant, while others require you to give up control and just watch a story unfold in front of your eyes. Constellations, by Nick Payne, is the type of play wh...

BWW Review: Finding Laughs at LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST at Orlando Shakes
by Kimberly Moy - February 27, 2017

Research tells us that LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST could be Shakespeare's first comedies. It is also a Shakespearean comedy that stands the test of time with a plot that could be in any modern day romantic comedy film. While the verse is long winded, the plot is easy to follow and provides great belly laug...

BWW Review: Experiencing War in A PIECE OF MY HEART at The Annie Russell Theatre
by Kirsty Johnson - February 20, 2017

          Looking at a somewhat bare, sloped stage, the audience is warned of gunshots, explosions, and other triggering scenes: Clearly, this won't be an evening of light-hearted fun. But rather than scenes of gore and violence, A Piece of My Heart invites audiences to experience the emotions and l...

BWW Review: THE GREAT GATSBY Brings Iconic Characters to Life at the Orlando Shakes!
by Kelli McGurk - February 14, 2017

Gatsby? What Gatsby? When you hear this charming protagonist's name, what images flash through your head?  Lavish parties dripping with elegance?  An atmosphere of abandoned care filled to the ceiling with social climbers?  Pearls, fringe, and feathers that drape over the silhouettes of dancing ...

BWW Review: Figuring out why all the D'Ysquiths are dying in GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE at Dr. Phillips Center
by Kimberly Moy - February 08, 2017

With a title like A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER, you could expect a darkly toned show like SWEENEY TODD. Or perhaps something sexy like CHICAGO; or even something historic like ASSASSINS. While murder musicals have been done, you probably haven't seen something quite like this....

BWW Review: Taking an ELIXIR OF LOVE with Orlando Philharmonic
by Kimberly Moy - February 06, 2017

Just in time for the dreaded Valentine's Day is Orlando Philharmonic's Opera program ELIXIR OF LOVE. This was my first trip to see Orlando Philharmonic and Opera Orlando. I was not disappointed and glad I found this local gem....

BWW Review: Visiting Jersey with THE TOXIC AVENGER
by Kimberly Moy - January 24, 2017

Fridays are normally my bad movie night. I traded bad movie night in for bad musical night. (Not that THE TOXIC AVENGER was executed poorly.) I found it thoroughly enjoyable and well casted. This show doesn't take itself seriously and that made this bad movie into a bad musical totally work. I can s...

BWW Review: WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE Delights Audiences at Winter Park Playhouse
by Kelli McGurk - January 23, 2017

'Why Do Fools Fall in Love?' takes us back to the year 1966 to our protagonist, Millie's impromptu bachelorette party thrown by her friends Sally, Florence, and Dee Dee (who tags along, but is quickly adopted into the friend group).  The evening kicks off with alcohol, gossip, alcohol, junk food, an...

BWW Review: BLACKBERRY WINTER at Orlando Shakes
by Libby Champion - January 15, 2017

My mother is…. For many, these three little words evoke things such as "interesting," "crazy," or even "getting old." But when you hear "My mother is suffering - no not suffering - living with Alzheimer's disease," these three little words take on a whole new meaning. When your own mother starts ...