A sublime Brynn O’Malley, an excellent Rob McClure, and a top-form Tony Danza play the lead roles in the Jason Robert Brown scored stage adaptation of Andrew Bergman’s “Honeymoon in Vegas”. In a show that is one of the most all-around entertaining musicals I’ve seen in ages the score is tuneful, the jokes hilarious, andContinue reading “Hilarious and Tuneful “Honeymoon in Vegas” (Broadway – Preview review)”
Category Archives: musical theater
Side Show is spectacular in every way (Broadway – review)
The cult 1997 musical Side Show is back on Broadway, and this time around it is a sure-fire unqualified hit. 60% rewritten, the power ballads are still all there, while other songs have been cut and many others added. Relationships are better defined. Characters no longer just make irrational decisions. And what you now haveContinue reading “Side Show is spectacular in every way (Broadway – review)”
Sting’s “The Last Ship” sinking fast (Review- Broadway)
So the good news from the Neil Simon Theatre is that a group of very talented actors are singing some very good Sting songs in a very well directed (Joe Mantello) and organically choreographed (Steven Hodgett) The Last Ship. The bad news is that the storyline is slight, implausible , and that audiences are notContinue reading “Sting’s “The Last Ship” sinking fast (Review- Broadway)”
On The Town…Yazbeck, Yazbeck, Yazbeck (Broadway review)
There’s a shiny production of the musical On The Town at Broadway’s Lyric Theatre, and the shiniest star of all is Tony Yazbeck’s brilliant singing/dancing performance as seaman Gabey. He’s followed closely by the superb performances of his buddies-on-24-hour-leave Clyde Alves and Jay Armstrong Johnson, and his would be love, Miss Turnstyles Megan Fairchild. Let me alsoContinue reading “On The Town…Yazbeck, Yazbeck, Yazbeck (Broadway review)”
Lead Performances drive this “Parade” (Peppermint Creek) Review
Love it or hate it, any theater company takes a risk when producing the Alfred Uhry/Jason Robert Brown musical “Parade” — it is a hard sell to get an audience to empathize with a jewish factory manager who may or may not have committed the murder and rape of a 13-year old factory worker in 1912Continue reading “Lead Performances drive this “Parade” (Peppermint Creek) Review”
Motown the musical, Fisher Theatre, Detroit (Review)
This is another in a series of guest reviews, this week written by Wendy Wright who has a unique professional vantage point of viewing the tour of the Broadway musical “Motown.” Let me preface this by saying that I host a radio show called “From Memphis to Motown” Saturday afternoons from 1-4pm on 89.1 WEMU,Continue reading “Motown the musical, Fisher Theatre, Detroit (Review)”
Surprisingly glorious “Camelot” tour (review, Toledo)
Every now and then, you see a musical that catches you by surprise to the point that it takes your breath away — What, you ask? Another tour of that tired 1960 musical Camelot? Well, guess what, I’m here to tell you that the current national tour (non-equity) did just that this afternoon. Director Michael McFaddenContinue reading “Surprisingly glorious “Camelot” tour (review, Toledo)”
“Carrie the Musical” at Croswell…or why you should go see this flop musical (Review)
A musical theater history lesson for you today: Carrie the musical (Lawrence Cohen book, Michael Gore music, Dean Pitchford lyrics) has gone down in history as one the the biggest (and most expensive) Broadway flops ever…opening in England at the Royal Shakespeare Festival in Stratford no less (with Barbara Cook playing the mother)…written, rewritten, reworked, itContinue reading ““Carrie the Musical” at Croswell…or why you should go see this flop musical (Review)”
Extraordinary “Cabaret” at the University of Michigan (review)
The University of Michigan’s Musical Theater program in the School of Music, Theatre & Dance is generally known for producing the best local musical theater presentations. Every now and again, even they outdo themselves and their production of the revisal version of Kander and Ebb’s Cabaret is one of those musicals. Every aspect ofContinue reading “Extraordinary “Cabaret” at the University of Michigan (review)”
Luscious Wildhorn score makes Dracula at the Dio soar (review)
Running only 150-some performances on Broadway in 2004, Frank Wildhorn’s musical adaptation of Dracula has taken on a life of its own with multiple rewrites in major productions. The revised (better) version is now playing at the Dio Theatre in Pinckney, and you can instantly see what attracted him to the project to begin withContinue reading “Luscious Wildhorn score makes Dracula at the Dio soar (review)”
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