Theater reviews

10:37 PM CDT, September 15, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged)'

In the past week I've had two acquaintances tell me that Shakespeare just isn't their thing. "It's so boring," one whispered shamefacedly. "Oh, the language!" another boldly exclaimed. "Who can understand it?"

11:23 PM CDT, March 23, 2013

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Enchanted April' from Mad Cow Theatre

At the beginning of the second act of "Enchanted April," Mad Cow Theatre changes the set before the audience's eyes. The dreary palette of grim England gives way to color, light, a riot of flowers. Even the grimy brick pillars suddenly turn into graceful marble columns.

5:26 PM CDT, March 20, 2013

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Children of a Lesser God' from Beth Marshall Presents

It's not uncommon in life to hear — but not actually listen. Ask any long-married couple. Or the parent of a toddler. Or, for that matter, the parent of a teenager.

12:31 PM CDT, September 14, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Miss Saigon' at Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center

When "Miss Saigon" debuted on Broadway in 1991, it was easy to get so caught up in the spectacle — look, a giant paper dragon! A pink Corvette! A helicopter! — that the central love story was lost. And the love story at the heart of "Miss Saigon" is not the typical boy-meets-girl musical fare: The love is that of a mother for her child.

11:10 PM CDT, September 7, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Parallel Lives' from Jester Theater Company

Considering the boisterous public personalities of actress-comics Kathy Najimy and Mo Gaffney, it would be natural to assume their play "Parallel Lives" would be a knee-slapping, raucous hoot and a half.

4:24 PM CDT, August 27, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Orlando Fringe leaders join 1st Fringe World Congress

Michael Marinaccio and George Wallace, the team who run the Orlando Fringe Festival, this month attended the Edinburgh Festival Fringe — and returned with a stronger global outlook.

10:53 PM CDT, September 6, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Of Mice and Men' from Theatre Downtown

John Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men" is a story of what it means to be human: the unlikely friendships, the out-of-reach dreams, the selfish affections that make us hold onto those we love a little too strongly.

11:36 PM CDT, August 10, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Twelve Angry Men' at Mad Cow Theatre

When the Mad Cow Theatre planned its 2011-12 theater season, the name Trayvon Martin was not yet a household name. But now as the nation watches the real-life developments in the Martin case, Mad Cow presents a fictionalized courtroom drama in Reginald Rose's classic "Twelve Angry Men."

11:45 PM CDT, July 30, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'bare' at Breakthrough Theatre

Oh, those teenage years: A time of angst, bad decisions and hormones (which often cause those bad decisions). Imagine the added pressure on the church-going young. That's the interesting part of 'bare' the coming-of-age musical onstage at Breakthrough Theatre of Winter Park.

9:19 AM CDT, August 24, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Art of Murder' from Thriller Theater

The program for "Art of Murder," the first production from Thriller Theater, is pocket-sized. The cast biographies are written in teeny-tiny type — but patrons are given a mini-magnifying glass to study the page a la Sherlock Holmes as if it were a vital clue to a crime.

11:24 PM CDT, July 27, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Moon Over Buffalo' from the Princess Players

In "Moon Over Buffalo," onstage at Sanford's Princess Theater, playwright Ken Ludwig has devised a farce about the messed-up personal lives of a second-rate acting troupe, which struggles to put on a play that goes horribly wrong.

3:08 PM CDT, August 14, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Quills' from Frost/Butcher Productions

Update: Subsequent to this review being published, the producers have used risers to adjust the audience's seating to improve the view.

1:39 AM CDT, April 19, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: Broadway tour of 'The Lion King'

It's fun to imagine the reaction of Disney executives when director Julie Taymor first pitched her vision for"The Lion King": Artistic masks and costumes, though the performers' faces would be seen; African dance; chanting; some Swahili thrown in for good measure. Did the execs think "Genius!" or "Does she know this is a kids' cartoon?"

12:23 AM CDT, April 28, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Way of the Cards' from Play the Moment

To be successful at poker, one gleans during a performance of “The Way of the Cards,” a player must have a combination of nerve and focus.

1:41 PM CDT, April 23, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Boxcar Children' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

Since 1924, young readers have been following the exploits of "The Boxcar Children," four orphaned siblings who "stick together like glue," as older brother Henry likes to say.

10:58 PM CDT, August 2, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Nunsense' from Winter Park Playhouse

It's safe to say that as long as there is community theater, there will be productions of "Nunsense," Dan Goggin's excuse to have women dressed as nuns sing silly songs and crack corny jokes.

4:04 PM CDT, April 2, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Flight of the Earls'

After a terrorist attack, while the big issue is being investigated — How could this have happened? — I always find myself pondering more personal questions: What kind of people would do such a thing? How could their friends and family have been oblivious to the terrorists' plans? Why didn't they do something?

11:55 PM CDT, March 31, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Private Lives' from Mad Cow Theatre

A successful staging ofNoel Coward's"Private Lives" means pulling off a tricky balancing act with precision — several balancing acts, in fact.

6:15 PM CDT, March 26, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Praising What Is Lost' from Playwrights' Round Table

Playwright David Strauss has a thought-provoking notion in "Praising What Is Lost," the first two-act play produced by Orlando's Playwrights' Round Table: What if we could experience other people's memories as our own? Is having other people's memories better than having no memories? Would having someone else's memories turn you into someone else?

11:48 PM CDT, March 23, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Red' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

"Think! Think!" bellows artist Mark Rothko to his assistant Ken repeatedly throughout "Red," the Tony-winning play by John Logan that made its Central Florida debut Friday in an Orlando Shakespeare Theater production.

9:23 PM CST, February 29, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'What You Will' by Roger Rees

Roger Rees has titled his clever, light-as-a-feather one-man show "What You Will: An Evening By and About the Bard."

11:10 PM CST, February 24, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Hedda Gabler' from Mad Cow Theatre

Hedda Gabler is one tough cookie to love. Heck, let's set the bar lower: She's tough to like.

11:48 PM CST, January 19, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Last Night of Ballyhoo' from Theatre UCF

The characters of "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" aren't comfortable in their own skins. Boo Levy wonders why, with her math skills, she doesn't help run the family business. Her awkward daughter, Lala, tries to forget she washed out of college by dreaming of writing a novel.

11:43 PM CST, February 16, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Bury the Dead' from Theatre UCF

The saddest fact about "Bury the Dead," Irwin Shaw's anti-war play on stage in a thought-provoking production at Theatre UCF, is how relevant it still is.

February 24, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Review: New 'Blue Man Group' show at Universal CityWalk

Blue Man Group has made changes to its eclectic mix of music, comedy, improv and general madness, but fans need not fear: The entertaining show at Universal Orlando still is aimed straight at our inner child.

1:26 AM CST, February 15, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Billy Elliot' from Florida Theatrical Association

Everyone loves the idea of being true to oneself, no matter the naysayers. And everyone loves an underdog.

10:53 PM CST, February 28, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Review: 'Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour' from Cirque du Soleil

When I was a youngster and bought a new music album, it always came as a letdown if on first listen three or four tracks provided a thrill but the other music seemed like filler.

5:54 PM CST, February 5, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Dancing at Lughnasa' from Mad Cow Theatre

There's a beautifully disturbing undercurrent of change in Brian Friel's "Dancing at Lughnasa."

12:14 PM CST, February 6, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Piano Lesson' from Seminole State College

Are we always to be haunted by our past? August Wilson raises the question in hisPulitzer Prize-winning play "The Piano Lesson."

10:55 PM CST, January 20, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'I Love You Because' from Winter Park Playhouse

There's something about the dating travails of 20-something singles that makes them ripe for sitcom treatment. Think "Friends" or "How I Met Your Mother."

12:12 PM CST, February 16, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Cymbeline' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater...

Some of the best times of my life have been spent lost in an epic fantasy adventure. From "Little Red Riding Hood" (epic to a preschooler) to "The Lord of the Rings" to "Harry Potter," there's something thrilling about simple worlds where good is good and bad is bad.

4:53 PM CST, January 13, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: Playwrights' Round Table's 'Launch'

The writers contributing to Playwrights' Round Table's current shorts program, "Launch 2012," are interested in life on the edge. The collection of seven 10- to 15-minute-long plays is mostly focused on little moments in people's lives — little moments with big repercussions.

5:11 PM CST, January 12, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Hedwig and the Angry Inch' from In the Wings

Hedwig has pepped up a bit since my last encounter with the East German transsexual. The title character of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" has always been a study in dichotomy: both male and female, both happy and sad.

12:43 AM CST, January 28, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Romeo and Juliet' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

The professionalism of Orlando Shakespeare Theater was on display Friday at the opening-night performance of "Romeo and Juliet" when an injured actor meant artistic director Jim Helsinger had to take on a role halfway through the show.

12:20 PM CST, December 7, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'South Pacific' from Florida Theatrical Association

The great American musical "South Pacific," for decades relegated to high-school and community theater, shone again in 2008 in a glorious Lincoln Center revival.

5:44 PM CST, December 30, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Screwtape Letters'

I couldn't resist getting in one last theatrical experience before 2011 becomes a memory so I headed over to the afternoon performance on the closing day of "The Screwtape Letters" at Orlando's Plaza Live. And I'm glad I did.

4:47 PM CST, February 3, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Next to Normal' from Greater Orlando Actors Theatre

In the past when the Greater Orlando Actors Theatre, or GOAT, has turned to musicals, the goal has been big, big shows complete with dance numbers. The results, in productions such as "Jekyll & Hyde" and "Aida," have been uneven.

12:03 AM CST, January 18, 2012

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Les Miserables' from Florida Theatrical Association

Turntable? Who needs a turntable? The current tour of "Les Miserables" might have left its most famous piece of staging behind, but with the heart, passion and care invested in this production you won't miss it one bit.

4:16 PM CST, December 6, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'The Diviners' from Beth Marshall Presents

The mournful strains of that heartland hymn "Amazing Grace" sound over the drab-colored set as "The Diviners" opens. The somber music sets the tone. For this is a land of mourning, a place where townsfolk mourn their burned-down church, a mechanic mourns his drowned wife, and a preacher mourns his faith.

4:51 PM CST, December 4, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'A Tuna Christmas' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Visiting eccentric old friends and relations is part of the bustle of this time of year for many of us. And that's what a trip to the little town of Tuna, Texas, feels like. Two busy actors play an entire community of small-town folk — male and female, young and old — in the holiday comedy "A Tuna Christmas," the latest from Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

4:54 PM CST, December 5, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) from Bay Street Players

9:59 PM CST, December 1, 2011

THE ARTISTIC TYPE: A BLOG OF THEATER, ARTS AND CULTURE

Theater review: 'Sleigh' from PB&J Theatre Factory

Remember the old movie "Sunset Boulevard" about fading silent-movie star Norma Desmond?

12:29 PM CDT, November 2, 2011

Theater review: 'The Addams Family' from Florida Theatrical Association

Charles Addams' cartoon creations are still creepy and kooky as described in the lyrics of their 1960s sitcom. They remain fond of the color black, instruments of torture, bumps in the night and screams of terror.

11:18 PM CST, November 18, 2011

Theater review: 'Anything Cole!' from Winter Park Playhouse

Is it possible to listen to the words of Cole Porter and not break out in a grin?

10:17 PM CDT, October 20, 2011

Theater review: 'The Drowsy Chaperone' from Mad Cow Theatre

"The Drowsy Chaperone" is a love letter to the good (and the bad) of musical theater told through the eyes of one devotee, speaking for all the fans of the genre.

12:08 AM CST, November 18, 2011

Theater review: 'Gem of the Ocean' from Theatre UCF

The protesters of the Occupy movement might find it surprising that they have something in common with the characters of August Wilson's "Gem of the Ocean."

October 1, 2011

Theater review: 'The Fantasticks' from Seminole State College

"The Fantasticks" holds the record as the world's longest-running musical, thanks to the original off-Broadway production that played 42 years. A community-theater staple since, it's now back off-Broadway with a revival that opened in 2006.

3:33 PM CST, November 15, 2011

Theater review: 'Quilt: A Musical Celebration' from Breakthrough Theatre

A lot has changed since the early days of the AIDS epidemic but what remain the same are the emotions that surround any death: anger, grief, regret.

4:32 PM CDT, October 17, 2011

THEATER REVIEW

Theater review: 'Phantasmagoria II' from Empty Spaces Theatre Co.

All the essential ingredients are in place for a good fright in "Phantasmagoria II," an evening of spooky storytelling and dance from Empty Spaces Theatre Co(llaboration): Classic tales of dread, creepy music, bizarre dancing and dramatic narrators weaving their spell in flickering light.

10:27 PM CDT, October 14, 2011

Theater review: 'God of Carnage' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Maintaining a polite veneer around others is what makes us "civilized," yes? But what if the gloves come off?

3:27 PM CDT, October 12, 2011

Theater review: 'Looking for Normal' from Breakthrough Theatre

Jane Anderson's "Looking for Normal" is on its surface a story about a man who after 25 years of marriage confesses he wants a sex change. But deeper than that, it's a story about how we cope with life's curveballs and most important, how we love.

11:40 PM CDT, October 7, 2011

Theater review: 'A Wrinkle in Time' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

Madeleine L'Engle's teen sci-fi classic "A Wrinkle in Time" is full of strange planets, mysterious creatures and amazing sights.

8:47 PM CDT, September 25, 2011

Theater review: 'The Sweetest Swing in Baseball' from Rollins College

Playwright Rebecca Gilman wants to say a lot in "The Sweetest Swing in Baseball," the dark comedy that's opening the Annie Russell Theatre season at Rollins College.

4:56 PM CST, November 11, 2011

Theater review: 'A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

The elves at Orlando Repertory Theatre have been working overtime on staging and lighting, and the results put a dollop of holiday magic into "A Nutty Nutcracker Christmas," directed by Rob Anderson.

11:30 PM CDT, September 10, 2011

Theater review: 'Avenue Q' from Theatre Downtown

Manhattan's fictitious Avenue Q might be a rundown thoroughfare but Theatre Downtown's production of the Broadway musical "Avenue Q" is top-notch all the way from A to Z and back again.

11:51 PM CDT, September 10, 2011

Theater review: 'Oedipus for Kids' from Renegade Theater

Renegade Theater's “Oedipus for Kids”  presents a tragedy of a different sort: A ragtag trio of actors stage an obviously misbegotten version of the Greek myth to 6-year-olds. The audience, as the 6-year-olds, is encouraged to respond, mostly with quacking. (Don’t ask.)

3:32 PM CDT, September 19, 2011

Theater review: 'The Mommies -- A Musical Blog'

Most everyone thinks his or her mother is unique. Whether the best, craziest, most aggravating or most loving, Mom is usually in a class all her own.

11:46 PM CDT, September 23, 2011

Theater review: 'Next Fall' at Mad Cow Theatre

There was a time when people were taught not to discuss religion and politics in polite company. (Of course these days, the two topics so often seem to be the same.)

10:52 PM CDT, September 15, 2011

Theater review: 'Satchmo at the Waldorf'

Bubbling under the clever monologues in "Satchmo at the Waldorf, and occasionally rising to the surface lurks a time-honored question of the arts, Is giving people what they want successfully entertaining them or selling out?

11:37 PM CDT, October 13, 2011

Theater review: 'Altar Boyz' from Florida Theatrical Association

Oh, remember the good old days — the late 1980s and early '90s — when you couldn't turn on MTV without seeing five clean-cut guys crooning innocently about love or ripping through some fancy footwork? It was the giddy era of Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block, and that is the teen-dream universe that "Altar Boyz" spoofs with deadly — and deadly funny — accuracy.

11:40 PM CDT, September 21, 2011

Review: Cirque du Soleil's 'Dralion'

One of the beautiful things about Cirque du Soleil is how viewers can see as much story — or as little — as they want in a Cirque show's collection of artistically acrobatic acts.

11:45 PM CDT, September 10, 2011

Theater review: 'Bouncers' from I.D.10-T Productions

“Bouncers,” from I.D.10-T Productions, a scrappy comedy about clubbing, starts later than most shows, at 9 p.m. (None of the cool kids go clubbing early, you know.)

5:20 PM CDT, September 8, 2011

Theater review: 'Sideways Stories from Wayside School' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

How come my school days were never like this?

10:30 PM CDT, August 20, 2011

Theater review: 'The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!)' from Winter Park Playhouse

It's probably clear from the title — "The Musical of Musicals (The Musical!) — that if you like musicals, you'll like this show. If you prefer to make fun of musical-theater conventions — the divas, the plot repetition, the corniness — this nifty collection of song parodies has plenty for you, as well.

11:49 PM CDT, August 20, 2011

Theater review: 'Steel Magnolias' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions

Late in "Steel Magnolias," Truvy the hairdresser says her favorite emotion is "laughter through tears."

12:04 AM CDT, August 20, 2011

Theater review: 'Spring Awakening' from Greater Orlando Actors Theatre

The energy of youth is plainly apparent in the Greater Orlando Actors Theatre's production of "Spring Awakening." Characters don't just exit the stage — they race from it. Props are whisked on and off, actors crawl around the floor, one actor even manages double duty, acting in the show and playing guitar with the band.

5:13 PM CDT, September 22, 2011

Theater review: 'The Importance of Being Earnest' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Here are two truths of comedy: Erudite witticisms retain their humor long after faddish expressions fade away. Oh, and a man in a dress almost always gets laughs.

10:44 PM CDT, August 11, 2011

Theater review: 'Prelude to a Kiss' from Theatre Downtown

"Prelude to a Kiss" is a not-so-old-fashioned love story: Boy meets girl, they fall in love, marry within a few weeks — and then her soul changes places with that of an elderly man.

1:14 PM CDT, July 11, 2011

Theater review: 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' from Bay Street Players

The heroine of "Thoroughly Modern Millie" sings the praises of everything that's new, but there's an old-fashioned charm to this sweetly silly show that danced off with six Tony awards in 2002, including best musical.

10:27 PM CDT, July 2, 2011

Theater review: 'Rashomon' from Mad Cow Theatre

In "Rashomon," three witnesses to a murder in Japan of long ago each present very different accounts of the crime.

June 22, 2011

Theater review: 'Hair' from Florida Theatrical Association

For a show built around the most important concepts of real life — self-expression, freedom, love, peace — an air of unreality hangs over the Broadway touring production of “Hair.”

11:08 PM CDT, June 30, 2011

Theater review: 'Veronica's Room' from UCF Conservatory Theatre

On the rare occasions I watch horror movies (always in the safety of my living room), I tend to yell at the characters on the flickering screen: "Don't go out there!" "Don't do that!" "Don't let it in!"

4:32 PM CDT, June 17, 2011

Theater review: 'Media' from Empty Spaces Theater Co./Tod Kimbro

One of the criticisms of our media age is how it can isolate us as much as connect us. We're like voyeurs, watching others' problems on reality TV from afar. On Facebook and Twitter, we communicate in pithy phrases or even one word — "like" — instead of through heartfelt conversation.

11:59 PM CDT, June 10, 2011

Theater review: 'Evil Dead: The Musical' from Theatre Downtown

The first thing to know about Theatre Downtown's "Evil Dead: The Musical": There is a splash zone.

10:39 PM CDT, August 6, 2011

Theater review: 'Spring Awakening' from Breakthrough Theatre

Director Wade Hair has put together a polished production of the rock musical "Spring Awakening," the Broadway darling of the 2006-07 season.

10:14 PM CDT, August 5, 2011

Theater review: 'The Understudy' from Mad Cow Theatre

"I'm not bitter," explains the title character in thecomedy "The Understudy." In fact, he explains it repeatedly, you know, in that way that makes you doubt the truthfulness of that statement.

10:30 PM CDT, August 4, 2011

Theater review: 'Legacy of Light' from Mad Cow Theatre

I hesitate to tell you that "Legacy of Light" contains philosophical musings, references to Voltaire's "Candide," discussion of Sir Isaac Newton's science and a mini-lecture on dark matter.

11:37 PM CDT, March 25, 2011

Theater review: 'Charm' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

It takes a special kind of courage to buck the tide, ignore convention and march to the beat of a different drummer.

10:06 PM CDT, June 9, 2011

Theater review: 'A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum' from Mad Cow Theatre

For those who think Stephen Sondheim is all about deep and complex music and lyrics … well they're right. But in "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum," Sondheim's cleverness is mixed into farce.

11:06 PM CDT, April 21, 2011

Theater review: 'Xanadu' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions

When plans were announced for a stage musical of the movie "Xanadu," one of the most derided films of the past 30 years, theater folk mostly shook their heads in disgust.

11:45 PM CDT, May 17, 2011

Theater review: 'Shrek: The Musical' from Florida Theatrical Association

"I'm a bit bipolar," sings Princess Fiona in "Shrek: The Musical," a fitting sentiment for a show that seems much the same. One minute, it's delightfully entertaining; the next, it's dully plodding.

11:05 PM CDT, March 24, 2011

Theater review: 'Greater Tuna' from Jester Theater Company

The little town of Tuna — third smallest town in Texas — is a mighty funny place to visit.

12:42 AM CST, March 6, 2011

Theater review: 'Shout! The Mod Musical' from Winter Park Playhouse

Based on the audience response, there is a demographic who enjoys "Shout! The Mod Musical," a revue of '60s music onstage at Winter Park Playhouse.

March 5, 2011

Theater review: 'August: Osage County' from Theatre Downtown

In Theatre Downtown's production of the critically acclaimed "August: Osage County," members of the Weston family find they are rarely alone. While marriages disintegrate, someone's straightening up around the corner. While secrets are being spilled, relatives are loafing on the sofa or playing cards nearby.

10:25 PM CST, March 11, 2011

Theater review: 'Freud's Last Session' from Mad Cow Theatre

It's no surprise that a play about two of the world's great thinkers would be thought-provoking.

1:33 PM CDT, March 14, 2011

Theater review: 'Murder's a Drag' from NanciLu Productions

There's something about the very funny "Murder's a Drag" that conjures the past.

2:12 AM CST, March 4, 2011

Theater review: 'Equus' from FantasyLand Theatrical Productions

Peter Shaffer's "Equus," with its mix of sexuality, obsession, religion and nudity is not an easy play to watch, neither comforting nor uplifting. So FantasyLand Theatrical Productions, which opened the Pointe Performing Arts Center last summer, deserves credit for going beyond safe, oft-seen works to try something edgier.

10:18 PM CST, February 25, 2011

Theater review: 'Beowulf' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Where, oh where was Charlie Bethel during my high-school literature classes?

8:04 PM CST, February 27, 2011

Theater review: 'The Diary of Anne Frank' from Breakthrough Theatre

There's no way to watch "The Diary of Anne Frank" without feeling a knot in the pit of your stomach as the performers take the stage.

2:12 PM CST, March 3, 2011

Theater review: 'Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

Farmer Brown has a problem. All day long he hears the sound of "click, clack, moo" as his cows pound out missives on their battered typewriter instead of producing milk.

12:03 AM CST, February 25, 2011

Theater review: 'Wicked' from Florida Theatrical Association

If you're a fan of "Wicked" — and since 2003 there have been plenty of you — the touring production camped at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre for the next few weeks will surely raise your appreciation of the show

11:38 PM CST, January 30, 2011

Theater review: 'Seven Guitars' from Seminole State College

There's a lot of crowing going on in August Wilson's "Seven Guitars."

11:09 PM CST, February 12, 2011

Theater review: 'Shhhh!' from PB&J Theatre Factory

The mystery: How can seven actors barely uttering a sound, miming absolute nonsense, keep an audience of adults — and children — chortling for two hours?

March 27, 2011

Theater review: 'Into the Woods' from UCF Conservatory Theater

Fairy tales conjure up thoughts of youth. We read them as children; they relate the stories of impressionable young ladies and men. So maybe that explains the extra dash of magic in UCF Conservatory Theater's production of "Into the Woods."

12:37 AM CST, January 30, 2011

Theater review: 'Anne Frank & Me' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

The most chilling part of "Anne Frank & Me" at Orlando Repertory Theatre is not the scene of Nazi soldiers rounding up terrified Jews in 1940s Paris.

12:11 AM CST, January 21, 2011

Theater review: 'Twelfth Night' from UCF Conservatory Theatre

"Twelfth Night" gets its laughs at the UCF Conservatory Theatre production of the Shakespeare comedy that opened Thursday night.

10:15 PM CST, February 13, 2011

Theater review: 'Letters from Sala' from Rollins College

When the source material for a play is letters, the words in those letters become paramount.

9:54 PM CST, February 12, 2011

Theater review: 'Pride and Prejudice' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice," published in 1813, seasons its tangled love stories with bigger issues: morals, manners, a woman's lot in life, and the class distinctions of turn-of-the-century England.

10:41 PM CST, January 21, 2011

Theater review: 'Five Course Love' from Winter Park Playhouse

"Five Course Love" is one of those comedies that in order to work at all, its actors need to charge through it full-tilt.

11:01 PM CST, January 30, 2011

Theater review: 'Aida' from Greater Orlando Actors Theatre (GOAT)

"Fortune favors the brave," sing the Egyptian soldiers in the musical "Aida," and Greater Orlando Actors Theatre must have been feeling brave indeed to take on such a show.

11:30 PM CST, January 29, 2011

Theater review: 'Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?' from Mad Cow Theatre

It was with some trepidation that I picked up my ticket to "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

11:57 PM CST, January 28, 2011

Theater review: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" is comedy as light as the wings of the fairies that populate the story.

11:46 PM CST, January 11, 2011

Theater review: 'Rock of Ages' from Florida Theatrical Association

The 1980s, full of bright colors, big hair and loud guitar licks, are often derided as a time when style was more important than substance. If that's true, then "Rock of Ages" is certainly a product of its time.

12:35 PM CST, January 18, 2011

Theater review: 'Chicago' from Theatre Downtown

Eyeing the photos of the smiling actors in Theatre Downtown's production of "Chicago," I was feeling a bit skeptical.

January 8, 2011

Theater review: "Launch 2011" from Playwrights' Round Table

Officially, there's no connecting theme among the seven plays that make up the Playwrights' Round Table "Launch 2011" program.

10:35 PM CST, November 20, 2010

Theater review: 'She Stoops to Conquer' at Mad Cow Theatre

Written more than 200 years ago, Oliver Goldsmith's British comedy of manners "She Stoops to Conquers" endures perhaps for one simple reason:

January 15, 2010

Theater review: 'Glory Days' from Airhead Productions

It has only been five months since "Glory Days," a one-act coming-of-age musical, was staged in Orlando. And half the four-person cast of that production are in the current one -- although in different parts.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: 'Wanzie's Glittering Star-Studded A Christmas Carol' from Wanzie Presents

Grown weary of Christmas traditions?

9:42 PM CST, December 2, 2010

Theater review: 'Deck Them Halls, Y'all'

Suffering from sugarplum overload? Too much holiday treacle?

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: 'A Christmas Carol' from Beth Marshall Presents

Sometimes we forget that "A Christmas Carol" is a story of ghosts and ghouls and things that go bump in the night. But Michael Wilson's adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale puts those lesson-imparting spirits front and center.

7:00 PM CST, December 1, 2010

Theater review: 'Young Frankenstein' from Broadway Across America

There's more than a whiff of the moldy around "Young Frankenstein," the touring Mel Brooks musical comedy that opened Tuesday.

October 24, 2010

Theater review: 'Dracula' from UCF Conservatory Theatre

Is it ironic to point out that 'Dracula' seems dated? I mean, the title character has been around for 500 years, we're told.

4:31 PM CDT, November 2, 2010

Theater review: 'The Rocky Horror Show' at Theatre Downtown

I thought I was prepared for the experience of seeing "The Rocky Horror Show" at a late-night performance on Halloween Eve.

4:51 PM CST, November 13, 2010

Theater review: Junie B. Jones returns to Orlando Repertory Theatre

Trouble-prone first-grader Junie B. Jones is wreaking holiday havoc in a charming production at Orlando Repertory Theatre but she wants you to know it's really not her fault.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: 'A Christmas Carol' from Theatre Downtown

It's a haunted holiday season in Central Florida -- why, in the past week alone I've seen a dozen ghosts. That's because I've taken in three performances of "A Christmas Carol" around town.

October 18, 2010

Theater review: 'The Turn of the Screw' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

Ghost stories have a bad rap these days. Thanks to slasher films, ghost stories call to mind burnt-faced men with hooks, bloody decapitations and other gruesome ends.

10:37 PM CST, December 3, 2010

Theater review: 'Festival of Lights' from Southern Winds Theatre/Seminole State College

Unlike Christmas, Hanukkah lacks theatrical traditions. There's no equivalent of "The Nutcracker," no substitute for "A Christmas Carol."

2:25 PM CDT, October 29, 2010

Theater review: 'Touch and Go' from Celery Soup

There's just no way to separate Sanford from Celery Soup's debut stage production "Touch and Go."

October 21, 2010

Theater review: 'Phantasmagoria' from Empty Spaces Theatre Co.

Something wicked this way comes in the form of "Phantasmagoria," a dance-storytelling-puppetry entertainment created and directed by John DiDonna for his Empty Spaces Theatre Co. And this pastiche of stylish costumes, lowbrow puppet humor and scary stories is quite good at being wicked.

5:35 PM CDT, October 15, 2010

Theater review: 'The House at Pooh Corner' from Orlando Repertory Theatre

Watching A.A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh characters sing through their movies or romp through the Disney parks, it's easy to forget that the original books have a less boisterous attitude.

September 29, 2010

Theater review: "Dead Man's Cell Phone"

In "Dead Man's Cell Phone," playwright Sara Ruhl seems to be saying something about while technology helps bring us together, it also drives us apart.

October 20, 2010

Theater review: 'Noises Off' from Jester Theater Company

The show must go on, the showbiz cliche goes. And that's true of every show, even in the case of second-rate touring show "Nothing On," a British sex farce.

11:15 PM CDT, October 2, 2010

Theater review: '[title of show]' at Parliament House

Written in 2004, the comic musical "[title of show]" is a reflection of these voyeuristic times we live in.

October 20, 2010

Theater review: 'Pump Boys and Dinettes' from Winter Park Playhouse

At the end of Winter Park Playhouse's "Pump Boys and Dinettes" Prudie Cupp waves goodbye, and several in the audience — adults, mind you — give a friendly wave back.

11:22 PM CDT, October 1, 2010

Theater review: 'The Maids' at Mad Cow Theatre

There's something wrong in "The Maids," the Jean Genet thriller onstage at Mad Cow Theatre. It's wrong in that way one says, "That's so wrong!" about something oddly outside the norm.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: 'The Crucible' at Theatre Downtown

Lies. Gossip. Accusations. Spite.

11:14 PM CDT, September 17, 2010

Theater review: 'The 39 Steps' from Orlando Shakespeare Theater

"The 39 Steps" is the kind of silly show that goes for a laugh by playing three chords lifted from a hokey melodrama — bah, buh, BAAAAHHHH — when the play's title is mentioned.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Fuddy Meers' at Parliament House's Footlight Theater

Fuddy Meers is just the right sort of show to help Parliament House's Footlight Theater, best known for drag shows and gay-themed entertainment, branch out into full-length, more-mainstream fare.

September 30, 2010

Review: 'Little Shop of Horrors' at IceHouse Theatre

Years before Alan Menken and Howard Ashman turned to cutesy dancing dishes in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" and singing seafood in "The Little Mermaid" they wrote a cautionary tale of greed and ambition, "Little Shop of Horrors."

1:16 PM CDT, September 12, 2010

Theater review

Review: 'Pippi Longstocking' at Orlando Repertory Theatre

Pippi Longstocking takes command of the musical named for her even before the curtain is raised. In fact, she helps hoist the curtain herself -- then she directs the audience to applaud her.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Macbeth' at Mad Cow Theatre

At the heart of Mad Cow Theatre's three-actor version of Macbeth is a rich vein of twisted malice.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'The Unexpected Guest' from Sands Theater Company

THE UNEXPECTED GUEST: One of the nice things about Agatha Christie's Unexpected Guest is how expected so much of it is. There's a reason in the publishing world such mysteries are called "cozies." The mysterious butler. The mysterious stranger. The mysterious heroine. Christie's stock characters are all on hand, and the Sands Theater Company's players keep the puzzle ticking along.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Children of Eden' at Breakthrough Theatre

Long before "Wicked" but after he composed "Godspell," Stephen Schwartz wrote the music and lyrics for "Children of Eden," a retelling of the Old Testament stories of Adam and Eve and Noah's ark.

10:56 PM CDT, June 18, 2010

Theater review

Theater review: 'Shipwrecked!' at Mad Cow Theatre

Toward the end of Shipwrecked, the man known once as the world's greatest liar poses the eternal question "What is truth?"

September 24, 2010

Theater review: 'The Chimes' at UCF Conservatory Theatre

Adults like to tell children that some of life's most important lessons are learned at school — but not in the classroom.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Vampire Lesbians of Sodom' at Theatre Downtown

VAMPIRE LESBIANS OF SODOM: Watching this show was like seeing an Orlando Fringe Festival production rise from the dead. At about 75 minutes long, Charles Busch's comedy is suitably Fringe-length. Plus you have the men in drag, the campiness of it all, the topless guys.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Let's Face the Music' at Winter Park Playhouse

I wish my grandmothers could have been with me Friday night at Winter Park Playhouse's "Let's Face the Music -- A Tribute to Fred Astaire." How they would have enjoyed themselves.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: '9 Parts of Desire'

Is it that daunting to be a woman?

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater review: "Sordid Lives" at Theatre Downtown

People are people, the platitude goes, and in Del Shores' comedy Sordid Lives, we peer into a family similar to many.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Xanadu'

'Xanadu' is dippy, trippy fun with charming leads ... who skate!

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow Is Enuf' at Breakthrough Theatre

There's something beautiful and universal about the human spirit that shines through pain and indignity -- even when the humans in question might not be of your race or gender.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Review: 'Waiting for Godot' from Relevant Theatrics Theatre Company

I took in Waiting for Godot, presented by Relevant Theatrics, last night and there was a very small audience -- a shame as this is a tight little production of the absurdist comedy.

June 16, 2010

Theater review: 'Chicago' at the Bob Carr

Like the well-oiled machine it is, Chicago rolls along, its air of sexy decadence never changing. Of course, people don't change much either.

4:48 PM CDT, August 9, 2012

Theater Review: 'Spring Awakening'

'Spring Awakening' boldly and creatively mixes the old and the new in a story of teen angst and alienation.

8:05 PM CDT, June 6, 2010

Theater review: 'The Cradle Will Rock'

Theater is about telling stories. And though we think mostly of telling stories to children, the Mad Cow Theatre's gripping, bare-bones production of The Cradle Will Rock is a bedtime tale for grown-ups.