Houston Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 6

Review: Tensions Rise in Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress at Main Street Theater
by Armando Urdiales - October 03, 2022

Tension. Defined in the dictionary as mental or emotional strain. This simple seven letter word sums up the production of Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress currently playing at Main Street Theater. Don't be confused though, this tension that discusses race, politics, and other contemporary issues i...

Review: World Premiere Of Ken Ludwig's LEND ME A SOPRANO Invigorates Audiences At The Alley Theatre
by Miranda Keating - September 28, 2022

When I go to a theatre production, I hope for a show that whisks me away from my current worries. I crave to see spectacle and beauty in the visual elements, and I wish to be stunned by the talent. Ken Ludwig's LEND ME A SOPRANO at the Alley Theatre gave me everything I desire in a theatre productio...

Review: TUTS AIN'T MISBEHAVIN' Oozes Charisma at Hobby Center for Performing Arts
by Armando Urdiales - September 26, 2022

Fats Waller is one of the many black artists over the centuries whose music still permeates popular culture. His stylistic rhythms are part the foundation of the quintessential American sound and it is due to this that his musical revue AIN’T MISBEHAVIN’ is a tremendous work of art. TUTS season open...

Review: SCRAMBLED at Mildred's Umbrella Theatre Company
by Miranda Keating - September 25, 2022

This past weekend, Mildred’s Umbrella Theatre Company presented a visiting artist from Israel through her one-woman show that made its audience laugh and cry while educating about the struggles of infertility. Inspired by the true story of its performer, SCRAMBLED is highly physical show that is int...

Review: Alric Davis' BASHFUL, AND THE NOIZE Creates an Emotional Journey at Sankofa Collective
by Armando Urdiales - September 14, 2022

Where to begin to explain Alric Davis' semi-autobiographical play Bashful, and the Noize. Equal parts Michael R. Jackson's A Strange Loop, Pasek and Paul's Dear Evan Hansen, and Simon Stephens A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, Davis' play is an amalgamation of storylines that are equal...

Review: Creative Movement Practices' GIDEON AND THE BLUNDERSNORP Excites Adventurers of All Ages At MATCH
by Miranda Keating - September 06, 2022

The Texas Premiere of musical GIDEON AND THE BLUNDERSNORP is certain to delight anyone with a taste for adventure! The story follows a stableboy and a viscountess who must work together to fight a treacherous monster. In the end, all those who watch are reminded that, with dedication and aspiration,...

Review: NO SPEAKING LEFT IN ME at ISHIDA DANCE At The MATCH
by Brett Cullum - August 13, 2022

Unfortunately ISHIDA DANCE’s NO SPEAKING LEFT IN ME is only at the MATCH complex this weekend for Friday and Saturday night. It is a pity the company couldn’t run these works longer, because word of mouth should be strong after this amazing showcase of modern contemporary dance. It is something th...

Review: RUNAWAYS at On The Verge Theatre
by Alric Davis - August 08, 2022

Housing instability can have devastating effects on the lives of the youth affected and severely compromises their ability to evolve naturally into adulthood. On The Verge's Runaways uses songs and spoken word to bring awareness to this still relevant issue. Catch it before it runs away!...

Review: CLUE is a Breathless Murder Mystery Comedy at The Alley Theatre
by Alric Davis - August 08, 2022

After experiencing personal darkness in the recent weeks, my mother and I looked very much forward to seeing Clue and getting some much needed laughter. And boy did we laugh!...

Review: Stages 'Wakes Up Little Susie' in Season Opener DREAM: THE MUSIC OF THE EVERLY BROTHERS
by Armando Urdiales - July 29, 2022

What did our critic think of STAGES “WAKES UP LITTLE SUSIE” IN SEASON OPENER, DREAM: THE MUSIC OF THE EVERLY BROTHERS at Stages?We all have that one or two friends who know everything about a niche topic. For example, I can tell you the entire timeline of the Harry Potter books, films, and spin off...

Review: THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND at Main Street Theater
by Brett Cullum - July 21, 2022

Tom Stoppard’s THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND captures an urbane wittiness that is simultaneously droll and accessible. It’s a rare script that works on all levels with enough to analyze for the academic, and then slapstick humor to keep the childlike engaged fully. In short, it’s smart fun. It is the ...

Review: FROZEN: THE MUSICAL Brings a Snowy Escape to the Hobby Center
by Armando Urdiales - July 12, 2022

As the temperatures rise fairly quickly in our city, a musical of snowy and theatrical bliss inhabits the Hobby Center. Yes, I am talking about the much anticipated tour of the movie and Broadway hit, Frozen: the Musical. While I was a big fan of the movie, the musical takes the concepts from the fi...

Review: TAMARIE COOPER'S LIVE IN PERSON STICKY SWEET SUMMER SHOW at Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - July 12, 2022

Tamarie is a whirling dervish, a force of nature, and a comedic genius of a performer. She rises to the challenge of playing herself admirably, and it's the kind of role she was born to play. I doubt any other actor or actress in Houston could portray her quite as convincingly....

Review: THE SOUND OF MUSIC Bursts with Spirit & Heart at A.D. Players
by Audrey Morabito - July 10, 2022

Oh, where to begin? This is the kind of show that reminds you that theatre is PLAY. And there’s simply too much genuine playfulness and joy happening over at A.D. Players for you to miss out on it. Whether you’re a diehard fan of THE SOUND OF MUSIC fan or it’s been a while since you indulged in it, ...

Review: FADE TO BLACK PLAY FESTIVAL at MATCH
by Brett Cullum - June 23, 2022

It is safe to say this is a great festival, and well worth your time over the weekend.  Happy ten years to FADE TO BLACK!  Here’s hoping for many more decades to come.  ...

Review: CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG at MAIN STREET THEATER
by Brett Cullum - June 20, 2022

What did our critic think? CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG is perfect summer fare for kids, and also for those of us who enjoy a rather crazy car story from the creator of James Bond. It’s a treat to see it here at the MATCH in Midtown, especially with such a strong cast in a handsome production....

BWW Review: NOIR Crackles with Style at the Alley Theatre
by Luke Evans - June 12, 2022

It was a cool and quiet night on the streets of Los Angeles, the City of Angels abuzz with secret lives, and an anxious shut-in was waiting to tell us a story. This is the lead-in to Noir, the new world premiere musical by Duncan Sheik (Spring Awakening, American Psycho) and Kyle Jarrow (SpongeBob S...

BWW Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL Glows with Musical Genius at The Hobby Center
by Audrey Morabito - June 04, 2022

BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL is not only a time capsule of some of the greatest hits of music history, it’s a peek behind the curtain of how they all came to be. The life story of the iconic Carole King is inseparable from her songbook. This story starts with a Carole Klein—before she was the...

BWW Review: THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT at Jarrott Productions Asks Big Questions About the Nature of Truth
by Luke Evans - June 03, 2022

At times, the show is almost painfully blunt, and I don’t mean that to be an insult. Director David R. Jarrott places the focus squarely where it belongs: the relentless and, at times, grueling search for honesty and authenticity in a post-truth world....

BWW Review: CLYBOURNE PARK at Dirt Dogs Theatre Co.
by Brett Cullum - June 06, 2022

In the end they still managed to produce a show that asks the hard questions, never flinches from the truth, and captures perfectly what it means to be human. Imperfections be damned. ...

BWW Review: INNOMINATE at Catastrophic Theatre
by Brett Cullum - June 01, 2022

INNOMINATE is a mixture of dance, puppets, images on a screen, live music, and daring staging to tell the story of creator Afsaneh Aayani as she immigrated from war torn Iran to the United States. It also deals with the effects of the COVID pandemic and extreme loss. If I told you all of this was ...

BWW Review: 4th Wall Theatre Company Dazzles Again with BETWEEN RIVERSIDE AND CRAZY
by Armando Urdiales - May 31, 2022

4th Wall finishes its amazing season with a remounting of their critically acclaimed production of Stepehn Adly Guirgis’ Between Riverside and Crazy. A dramedy of epic proportions, 4th Wall continues producing some of the most brilliant plays, raw and up close. ...

BWW Review: DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS at Stageworks Theatre
by Luke Evans - May 23, 2022

Anyone looking for a light-hearted romp with verve to start off their summer would do well to make their way to Stageworks Theatre to see their delightfully fun production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels....

BWW REVIEW: AD Players Blends Faith and Space Adventure in APOLLO 8
by Armando Urdiales - May 16, 2022

As a young boy scout from San Antonio, one of the annual trips I always looked forward to was visiting NASA'S Johnson Space Center. Partially, my move to Space City USA was because of Houston's long history and fascination with outer space. AD Players' production of their world premiere production o...

BWW Review: BORN WITH TEETH Brings High-Class Elizabethan Fan Fiction to The Alley Theatre
by Christian Gill - May 12, 2022

Everyone has those important artists they dream of seeing together, the genius writers who if locked in a room together would have some of the greatest conversations. The wonderful thing about fiction is how we can bring life to those conversations and make them just as exciting as we imagine they a...