Author Archives: Bill Hirschman
Riverside’s Superb Hello, Dolly! Is As Resplendent As It Gets
You don’t get any better, any more professional, any more resplendent than Riverside Theatre’s production of Hello, Dolly! This production is a dazzling bouquet of theater delights.
Maltz’s Kiss Me, Kate Is Witty And Romantic Throwback
The Maltz’s 2016 production of a 1948 classic Kiss Me Kate is a skilled homage to that post-war period of theater when everyone knew which war you were talking about. A mixture of classic theater tropes leavened with a sophisticated satirical tone, this musical-within-a-musical-within-a-musical often lets its then-hip veneer slip to expose a lushly romantic soul.
Harrowing Sexual Assault Opens Infinite Abyss’ Flawed But Troubling Extremities
Infinite Abyss’ courageous production of Extremities opens with one of the most harrowing 15 minutes in theater and ends with a troubling finale. But the challenge is the play in between, an examination of the extent human beings will go for justifiable revenge and the toll that the pursuit wreaks on our humanity.
Avery Sommers Triumphs As Bessie Smith In The Devil’s Music
A bravura tour de force by Avery Sommers is central to the success of Arts Garage’s production of The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith
Enthralling Matilda, When You Understand What They’re Saying
The national tour of the dark musical Matilda at the Kravis is enthralling for its energy and imagination — when you can understand what people are saying which is less than half the time.
Kinky Boots Has Hot Star But Otherwise Not Much Of A Kick
Kinky Boots, the droll story of a drag queen rescuing a failing shoe factory by switching its focus to thigh-high boots favored by cross-dressers was, , a well-polished evening of musical comedy with soulful ballads and glitzy production numbers. But this construction felt so manipulative, so by-the-numbers as if it, too, came off a factory production line.
Wick’s Curtains Is Musical For The Theater Nerd In All Of Us
Curtains is a show designed for anyone who loves musical comedy, or anyone who has ever played Toto in a community theater production of The Wizard of Oz. Envisioned as a no-calories hoot of a love letter to the quirky dysfunctional denizens of the theater, it is accurately promoted with tongue firmly in cheek as “A New Backstage Murder Mystery Musical Comedy.”
The Phantom Of The Opera Sings Again At The Arsht
There’s something interesting about seeing at the Arsht Center a national tour of the 30-year-old Phantom of the Opera for the who-knows-which time. It’s amazing that people who have performed show three hundred times have not lost their edge as even the best professionals do over time. Instead, they have discovered all the colors and nuances possible in the work, and deliver them with confidence and brio.
Stage Door Revives Hit Jukebox Revue ‘What’s New Pussycat’
Broward Stage Door revives its 2014 hit jukebox musical of hit tunes from the late 1950s through the early 1970s, What’s New Pussycat, with a new cast.
Punchline’s I Love You Because Indicates Promising Future
Punchline Theatre Company’s adorably scruffy puppy of a msuical comedy about modern relationships, I Love You Because succeeds because every aspect — from the performances to the direction to the material itself — is so appealingly and earnestly presented with both self-deprecating humor and unguarded heart.
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