Polls
Loading ...
Latest Reviews and Features
-
“45 Seconds from Broadway” – Lovable Characters from Neil Simon at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on May 19, 2013 | No CommentsWho would have thunk it? A Neil Simon comedy that spends more time tugging tenderly at the heartstrings than it does going for the belly laughs? True, there are still... -
“A Streetcar Named Desire” – Taut, Tense and Well-Told at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on April 22, 2013 | No CommentsBear with me. I’m going to start with the set, which says everything you need to know about this compelling production and why I felt as though I were privileged... -
“Dog Park the Musical” – Barking up the Right Tree at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on April 7, 2013 | No CommentsOnce you’ve seen this patently playful laugh-a-minute musical, you may never view your pet in quite the same way. In fact, it could very well have been subtitled, “The Secret... -
“The Unfortunates” – Real, Surreal and Riveting at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on April 6, 2013 | No CommentsMaybe you shouldn’t read this review before you see this piece of theatre. Maybe you should avoid reading the director’s notes in the Playbill or the fascinating features published in... -
“The Sound of Music” – Classic Still a Charmer at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on March 17, 2013 | No CommentsThere’s a lot to like about this production. And like it I did. Very much. Thank God for that. Because not only is “The Sound of Music” a classic in... -
“Two Trains Running” – Exceptional Ensemble Work at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on March 12, 2013 | No CommentsI didn’t get it at first. I wasn’t able to fully grasp what I’d seen. Did I like it? How would I rate it? In fact, I had no idea,... -
“King Lear” – Intense and Intriguing at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on March 10, 2013 | No CommentsWatching “Lear,” I couldn’t help but think of Joseph, whose dad, Jacob, sparked an attempted fratricide of Biblical proportions by favoring the Hollywood handsome lad over his siblings, and not... -
“Taming of the Shrew” – Swept Up in a Sensory Storm at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on February 28, 2013 | No CommentsSet a play in an amusement park, and then kick it off with raucous heavy-metal-edged rockabilly music and the near deafening sound of a roaring crowd, and you’ve raised the... -
“My Fair Lady” – Fun-Fueled, Fresh Yet Familiar at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on February 26, 2013 | No CommentsWatching the show unfold, layer after breathtaking layer, I couldn’t help being reminded of the classic pitch from those late night TV commercials for Ginsu Knives, “Wait, Wait, there’s more!”... -
“A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline” – Country Comfort Food at its Best at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on February 10, 2013 | No CommentsPatsy Cline, I hardly knew you! Perhaps the best measure of the success of this production is how much more I wanted to know about this this dynamic performer whose... -
“Amadeus” – Teriffic Work in Talent by the Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on February 3, 2013 | No CommentsUh oh. I’m in trouble. As a reviewer, I’ve been accused of being too kind to the productions I critique. While I try to rebut those accusations, pointing out plays... -
“42nd Street” – Big Broadway Feel at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on December 2, 2012 | No CommentsIf reviewing this production were an exercise in free-association, the first word to come to mind would be “lavish.” And that’s pretty interesting, since “lavish” is a word that you’d... -
“Winter Wonderettes” – The Best Thing About Christmas at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on November 19, 2012 | No CommentsMy gosh. Wasn’t Halloween like yesterday? And Thanksgiving is still a few days away. Does Christmas really have to come this early? With Costco breaking out the holiday displays long... -
“The Best Man” – Great performances are What’s Most Relevant at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on October 7, 2012 | No CommentsSure, this play is about electing a president. So it’s timely and it’s relevant, since we’re in the thick of a presidential campaign, with all eyes and ears glued to... -
“Spotlight on Linda Ronstadt” – Don’t Miss Laurelia Derocher’s Performance at Camelot Theatre Company!
Posted on September 18, 2012 | No CommentsI can’t imagine more perfect casting: Laurelia Durocher playing Linda Ronstadt. Over the years, I’ve been advised to see the Camelot’s short-run “Spotlights” as concerts rather than as theatre pieces,... -
“Song and Dance” – Show Biz Revue Sparkles at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on September 16, 2012 | No CommentsEven at best, reviewing is no objective occupation. But in this case, I feel obliged to reveal a bias, one that was confirmed for me last week. Trusting in the... -
“Woody Guthrie’s American Song” – Moving and Moody Musical at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on August 14, 2012 | No CommentsWaking up the morning after, I found myself wondering: How can I review this musical without succumbing to the kind of cliché you don’t even have to complete? Such as,... -
“All the Way” – The Season’s Best at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on August 2, 2012 | No Comments“The making of laws is like the making of sausages; it is not a pretty sight.” – Otto von Bismarck (maybe) Truth be told, I’ve never witnessed sausage being made.... -
“Party People” – Pure Power at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on July 18, 2012 | No CommentsIt’s true, isn’t it? Attend just about any reunion of your “old gang” or graduating class and you might find yourself stepping lightly through an emotional minefield. So you can... -
“Henry V” – Macho-Muscular Performance Makes this a Must-See at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on July 2, 2012 | No CommentsWhen first we meet him on stage, seated, still and solidly ensconced on the throne of power, young Henry does not appear particularly comfortable. He appears, in fact, to fidget.... -
“As You Like It” – Magical Moments at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on June 25, 2012 | No CommentsNote to Reader: If a reviewer leads off by offering effusive praise for the portrayal of the smallest of non-speaking roles—in this case, an actress playing a sheep—you can take... -
“1776” – Rollicking Revolutionary Tale at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on June 24, 2012 | No CommentsBefore you read this review, I’d like you to imagine a musical comedy about some recent historical event, say the tumultuous debate over the Obama health care bill in Congress.... -
“The Very Merry Wives of Windsor, Iowa” – World Premiere Churns with Good Humor at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on June 17, 2012 | No CommentsWatching Shakespeare, I’ve always found myself envying Elizabethan audiences for having been in on all the Bard’s jokes and rapid-fire social and political references that I and most playgoers seem... -
“Life Could be a Dream” – Feel-Good Musical Delights at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on June 10, 2012 | 2 CommentsI’m a sucker for tales about underdogs. I love happy endings. And nothing puts a smile on my face quicker than the feel-good, age-of-innocence rock’ n’ roll from the 50s... -
“Spotlight on Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gormé” – Enchanting and Endearing at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on June 3, 2012 | 2 CommentsAs I was growing up in New York in the 50s, 60s and 70s, my parents were having this intense love affair with Steve and Eydie. They saw their club... -
“King of City Island” – LIkeable and Entertaining at Camelot Theatre Company
Posted on May 6, 2012 | No CommentsLike most Baby Boomers, I used to love Jackie Gleason’s character, Ralph Kramden, in the “Honeymooners.” What a howl it was when he raised is fist and threatened his wife,... -
“Medea/Macbeth/Cinderella” -The Holy Trinity of Theatrical Chutzpah at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on May 1, 2012 | 9 CommentsA few days before I saw “Medea, Macbeth and Cinderella,” I took my lunch at a sports bar. On one screen, I watched the Yankees; at the same time, on... -
Don’t Miss the Rogue Valley Symphony’s Season Finale This Weekend
Posted on April 19, 2012 | No CommentsIt’s a fact. My friend Martin Majkut, conductor of the Rogue Valley Symphony Orchestra, gets jazzed about each one of his upcoming concerts. His excitement is palpable. As the face... -
“Troilus and Cressida” – Big, Bold and Boisterous Behind the Lines at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
Posted on April 17, 2012 | No CommentsDon’t get me wrong. Despite what you’re about to read in the next few paragraphs, I liked this production. It was fun seeing the Greek warriors in American G.I. garb... -
“The Big Bang” – Hilarious History Lesson in Two-Part Harmony at Oregon Cabaret Theatre
Posted on April 1, 2012 | No CommentsOkay, so here’s the premise of this laugh-strewn play: “The Big Bang” is really about The Big Ask. The Really Big Ask. Two consummately creative young songwriters in a New...
