Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 4

Review: PRESENT LAUGHTER dazzles at MAIN STREET THEATER
by Brett Cullum - July 20, 2023

PRESENT LAUGHTER gets a stunning revival at Main Street Theater with a returning director and leading man remounting the show with a power packed cast. The Noel Coward classic is always an “audience pleaser” from its inception in the early forties, and this new production is like great champagne and...

Review: THE HOUSE OF PATRICK at Vincent Victoria Presents
by Brett Cullum - July 13, 2023

It fuses music, fashion shows, and simply fun lively scenes that turn THE HOUSE OF PATRICK into a … well… house party! The energy is high, and the show is a ton of fun....

Review: TAMARIE'S TOTALLY TRUE REVUE (PLUS LIES TOO!) at The Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - June 25, 2023

You see this year is all about truth and honesty, and examining what that means to Tamarie and her squad. Onstage there is a lie detector, and throughout the evening truths are revealed as are lies. And somehow highlights include dancing poop, Aristotle, an 80s PSA star, Tinkerbell, George Washingto...

Review: A MAROON'S GUIDE TO TIME AND SPACE Gets Funky with Abolition at Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - June 03, 2023

This isn’t a play, it’s some sort of intergalactic space time hiccup that just happens at the MATCH complex to kick off your summer. It’s very hip, lively, and a great dose of WTF and OMG simultaneously. Like Janelle Monae says, “Girl, this is craziness. Let me tell you!”...

Review: WICKED THE MUSICAL at Hobby Center For The Performing Arts
by Armando Urdiales - June 02, 2023

Wicked: The Musical has been enchanting audiences worldwide for years, and the current touring production is no exception. With its mesmerizing performances, breathtaking set design, and unforgettable music, this production offers a spellbinding experience that will leave you spellbound....

Review: A Celebration of Drag: THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE is Making Audiences Rise to Their Feet in Houston
by Miranda Keating - May 31, 2023

​I first read THE LEGEND OF GEORGIA MCBRIDE when I was cast to play Jo in a directing class production. It seemed like such a fun show, with sassy lines, hilarious scenarios, and endearing characters. However, the logistics of the constant costume, set, and mood shifts seemed like a nightmare. Howev...

Review: Elizabeth A.M. Keel's TOOTH AND TAIL at Mildred's Umbrella Warms Hearts with its Unique Take on the Classic Fairy Tale
by Miranda Keating - May 30, 2023

On May 10th, I had the joy of seeing Mildred's Umbrella's latest production, Elizabeth A.M. Keel's TOOTH AND TAIL. Even though the show's short run is now over, I wanted to share my thoughts about TOOTH AND TAIL to shine a light on Keel's work as well as the artistry that every person involved with ...

Review: AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY stuns at DIRT DOGS
by Brett Cullum - May 29, 2023

Dirt Dogs’ current incarnation of AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY is the finest work they have done in over eight years at the MATCH, and it is easily among the best things running this year in Houston theater. This show is cast immaculately, technical design nears flawless, and direction is tight and wrought....

Review: 4TH WALL THEATRE CO.'s SHOWS PROWESS IN EXCEPTIONAL FAIRVIEW
by Armando Urdiales - May 30, 2023

Do you ever watch a film and think about what you do in the conflict? Does your concept of that conflict change? How would you react if you were in Thano's snap or your father said you couldn't interact with the human world because you live underwater? Now add those ideas and mix them with thoughts ...

Review: THE BEST OF EVERYTHING Lives Up To Its Title At Main Street Theater
by Brett Cullum - May 22, 2023

SEX AND THE CITY certainly owes quite a bit to the source material for this play. Main Street Theater’s production of this work is adapted by Julie Kramer, and pushes THE BEST OF EVERYTHING into a satirical statement on the world then contrasted with the world now....

Review: CATHOLIC SCHOOL GIRLS at On The Verge Theatre
by Brett Cullum - May 07, 2023

The play is performed by four actresses who portray both school girls and their nun teachers over a span of seven years in the 60s at a Catholic school. It aspires to be a simultaneously funny and heartbreaking look at what it means to lose your innocence, your faith, and your youthful optimism abou...

Review: SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CAST OF THE JERSEY LILY Thrills Its Audiences with Grace and Charm
by Miranda Keating - May 05, 2023

Honestly, I did not know what to expect when I was walking into the Alley Theatre for SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE CASE OF THE JERSEY LILY; I have never been a person who goes out of their way to engage in tales of mystery. However, when this show ended, I was still on my toes and itching for more!...

Review: The Heart-Wrenching STEEL MAGNOLIAS Is Stealing Hearts Right Here in Houston!
by Miranda Keating - April 28, 2023

I felt incredibly lucky to be the recipient of the very last ticket available for the Sunday, April 23rd performance of Robert Harling's STEEL MAGNOLIAS, produced by The Garden Theatre. I was very excited to see this production, and once I saw the heartwarming tale and the exquisite production, I un...

Review: PHOTOGRAPH 51 At Evelyn Rubenstein JCC Theatre At The J
by Brett Cullum - April 21, 2023

It’s a tale not told often enough about a Jewish woman who helped to decode the building blocks of life itself. It is even more poignant when we look across the scientific field and see how women are still marginalized and not given the same voices that men often take....

Review: Denise Fennell Captivates Her Audiences with Joy and Sentimental Reflection in THE BRIDE: OR, DOES THIS DRESS MAKE ME LOOK MARRIED?
by Miranda Keating - April 17, 2023

Walking into Stages for the first time, I was not sure what I was getting myself into. All of a sudden, Denise Fennell sprinted onto the stage in a huge wedding dress and asked the big question present in the show's title: 'Does this dress make me look married?' The wonderful rollercoaster of THE BR...

Review: TUTS BREAKS TROUPES WITH LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL AT THE HOBBY CENTER
by Armando Urdiales - April 12, 2023

We all have heard or maybe used the inappropriate phrase 'dumb blonde.' However, the musicalization of challenging this notion in Legally Blonde the Musical, currently in performances at TUTS, challenges our use of the expression with a heartwarming and uplifting tale of breaking the glass ceiling....

Review: THE OLDEST BOY at Main Street Theater
by Brett Cullum - April 11, 2023

This is easily one of Main Street Theater’s strongest offerings this year, and it is a show that is well-thought through and exquisitely paced. Sophia Watt achieves near nirvana balancing acting with design and execution in her direction. THE OLDEST BOY is about as perfect as you can manage to get i...

Review: 4th Wall Theatre Pulls at Heartstrings in Sanctuary City.
by Armando Urdiales - April 06, 2023

Immigration. The word that has been much on the lips of everyone in the last years. On both sides of the political aisle, this topic has created laws that have impacted many. An expert production at 4th Wall reveals the real-world ramifications of this legislation in Martyna Majok's Sanctuary City. ...

Review: CLYDES At Ensemble Theatre Is a Masterclass Production
by Armando Urdiales - March 27, 2023

Do you ever feel anxious at work? Tired? Maybe you are stressed because your home life is chaotic. Now add the pressure that you are formerly incarcerated, and your boss (who was also in prison) consistently uses this fact against you. On top of which, your work is making sandwiches at a busy truck ...

Review: THE BOOK OF MARY inspires the 'Diva Within' at DIRT DOGS THEATRE
by Brett Cullum - March 24, 2023

There is a short, tight list of Houston actors who could do a show about their life and have it mean anything more than a vanity project, but she is at the top of that register. There is something about Mary Hooper that Houston loves, and if you are lucky enough to catch this one woman show called T...

Review: COWBOY BOB takes her last stand at the Alley until March 26th!
by Brett Cullum - March 20, 2023

What did our critic think of COWBOY BOB at ALLEY THEATRE? Despite any narrative difficulties, COWBOY BOB is still something to see. It’s a celebration of what a daring musical should feel like. It asks tough questions, it presents us with gorgeous ballads, and it shows off truly Texan stage design t...

Review: New Sketch Musical NOW THAT YOU'VE SEEN ME NAKED Charms And Delights Its Audiences at MATCH
by Miranda Keating - March 15, 2023

Walking into one of the small, black box theater spaces at MATCH, all I knew was that I was about to watch a brand-new sketch musical about Drs. Percy Hinks and Adelaide Hibble attempt to discover a formula that reveals 'the mysterious love code'. I was not ready for the chaos that was about to ensu...

Review: Houston Ballet's Summer and Smoke Takes My Breath Away with Its Gorgeous Storytelling
by Miranda Keating - March 14, 2023

As much as I admire the art of ballet, I have never seen a new, professional ballet performance, one that no one else has seen before. To say I was excited to be in the audience for the opening night of the world premiere of Houston Ballet's SUMMER AND SMOKE is an understatement, and it was everythi...

Review: MISERY Hobbles Along at Dirt Dogs
by Brett Cullum - March 07, 2023

That Dirt Dogs would choose MISERY for their “season of love” makes perfect sense. As a company they have made a name for themselves by creating plays fueled by testosterone laden energy and provocative rough language. There is an intensity and violence that suggests MISERY would be a perfect projec...

Review: STAGES Brings Politics to The Forefront in ROE
by Armando Urdiales - March 03, 2023

Whoa! The literal words audience members exclaim after witnessing the powerful performances that are currently happening in Roe at STAGES. Houston’s prolific theater, brings Lisa Loomer’s play not only an important time but also does so with some of our city’s brilliant actors. ...