Category Archives: Broadway Musicals

The Book of Mormon…Catch Me If You Can…Sister Act…(Broadway, reviews)

I can’t remember a time I spent a few days in NYC seeing musicals that there wasn’t at least one so-so show in the bunch…instead, all three musicals I saw this past weekend on Broadway were all excellent in their own ways, with their own strengths. No doubt about it, Broadway’s hottest current ticket (andContinue reading “The Book of Mormon…Catch Me If You Can…Sister Act…(Broadway, reviews)”

“The Wedding Singer” – Dexter Community Players….or, how to make a community theater production look like a million bucks…

I’ve just completed directing and choreographing a weekend run of THE WEDDING SINGER, the musical, for Dexter Community Players in Dexter, MI. Not to toot my own horn, but the single most heard comment in the audience (besides what a fun show) was how professional the show looked and sounded. This is not a review.Continue reading ““The Wedding Singer” – Dexter Community Players….or, how to make a community theater production look like a million bucks…”

HAIRSPRAY at Croswell Opera House (Review)

Hairspray, the Tony winning musical with book by Mark O’Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Music by Marc Shaiman, and Lyrics by Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman has quickly become the most overproduced musical in the current amateur musical circuit — at last count, this is the 28th or 29th production of it in the state ofContinue reading “HAIRSPRAY at Croswell Opera House (Review)”

Les Miserables 25th Anniversary tour is, in a word, Perfect (Fisher Theater Detroit) – Review (Updated 11/11/11)

Sometimes you see a show, even a show that is now in it’s 25th year, and you just can’t describe it in any other way except “perfect” — such is the tour production currently on display at the Fisher Theater in Detroit. With a finely-tuned ensemble cast; spectacular set design that out-Les Mis’s original turntableContinue reading “Les Miserables 25th Anniversary tour is, in a word, Perfect (Fisher Theater Detroit) – Review (Updated 11/11/11)”

Professional Musical Theater – Detroit Regional Update (2011-2012)

2011 Musical Theater Seasons (local professional and tour-B contracts) Updated 2/22/11 Broadway in Detroit – Fisher Theater Burn the Floor – February 22 to March 6 Les Miserables – March 22 – April 3 Mamma Mia! – April 13 – 17 Chicago – May 17 – 22 Come Fly Away – Sept 13 – 25Continue reading “Professional Musical Theater – Detroit Regional Update (2011-2012)”

Christopher Columbus! Dexter’s Encore presents lovely “Little Women” (Review)

Watching lead actress Katie Hardy’s transformation from teenage Jo Marsh to the observant adult writer that looks back at it all is one of the joys in this intimate staging of the recent Broadway musical LITTLE WOMEN. In a production that is generally well-cast, she stands out in the role originally created by Sutton FosterContinue reading “Christopher Columbus! Dexter’s Encore presents lovely “Little Women” (Review)”

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, musical, Broadway – review

When in the course of human events (like attending musicals), one sits in the theater waiting for the music to begin, then one begins to wonder how this skit-comedy with emo-rock snippets of song came to be labeled a “musical”…at any rate, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, despite generally rave reviews, has posted its closing noticeContinue reading “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, musical, Broadway – review”

“Women on the verge of a Nervous Breakdown”, Broadway musical, review

Wildly mixed reviews have done -in Women on the verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the musical, which closes on Broadway January 2nd. Boy, am I glad I had the chance to see it before it’s gone. Starring a virtual who’s who of Broadway veterans (Patti Lupone, Laura Benanti, Sherie Rene Scott, Danny Burnstein, Brian StokesContinue reading ““Women on the verge of a Nervous Breakdown”, Broadway musical, review”

Elf the musical, Broadway, review

With plenty of scrooges in the New York media, it was with a bit of trepidation that I approached Elf, The Musical, currently playing at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre through the holidays. I’m happy to report that those scrooges were wrong, and the show is a delight. Granted, this is not Les Miz that weContinue reading “Elf the musical, Broadway, review”