Phoenix Metro Theater Reviews: Best Shows & Critic Recommendations Page 6

Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD at Gammage Auditorium
by Tim Shawver - December 09, 2022

Aaron Sorkin's stage adaptation of Harper Lee's classic novel TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD is playing at Gammage Auditorium through December 6th. The book has been re-imagined by the Academy Award winning screenwriter. He's crafted a satisfying theatre experience with his trademark crackling dialogue servi...

Review: LA RUTA at Stray Cat Theatre
by Herbert Paine - December 05, 2022

The importance of LA RUTA's subject needs to be seen and the story it tells needs to be known. Stray Cat Theatre presents this stunning and disturbing production through December 17th at Tempe Center for the Arts....

Review: A CHRISTMAS CAROL at Hale Centre Theatre
by Herbert Paine - December 02, 2022

The full experience of Hale Centre Theatre's production of A CHRISTMAS CAROL is captured in this review. Runs through December 26th....

Review: A FUNNY THING Happened in a Relatively Short Play with the Unspeakably Long Title
by Robert Encila-Celdran - November 27, 2022

So here we are with a loud reminder of our mortal limits - not to mention the 'acceptable' limits of a public joke and a brazen sexual encounter - as Ms. Feiffer regards our presumed taboos with a shrewd riposte. I'm reminded of H.G. Wells' famous denouncement of the 'irreverent laugh,' man's presum...

Review: The Phoenix Theatre Company Presents Rodgers and Hammerstein's CINDERELLA
by Herbert Paine - November 20, 2022

Chosen as its holiday season family special, this regional production of CINDERELLA, directed by Michael Barnard, is a prime example of the excellence that The Phoenix Theatre Company has developed over the years. Runs through January 1st....

Review: Douglas Morrione's FAIRWAYS TO HAPPINESS Goes Online
by Herbert Paine - October 27, 2022

FAIRWAYS TO HAPPINESS is Doug Morrione's intriguing documentary that opens wider the doors of perception about happiness and the pathways to realizing it. The film goes online (iTunes, Amazon, Google Play) on November 17th....

Review: The Black Theatre Troupe Presents Robert O'Hara's BARBECUE
by Herbert Paine - October 24, 2022

Directed by Ron May and featuring a pitch-perfect cast, The Black Theatre Troupe's production of Robert O'Hara's BARBECUE is a richly intelligent play and a definite must-see. Runs through November 6th....

Review: OKLAHOMA! at ASU Gammage
by Herbert Paine - October 21, 2022

A candid review of OKLAHOMA!, re-vamped and re-imagined for National Tour, currently playing at ASU Gammage, Tempe until Sunday, October 23. It is not the Rodgers and Hammerstein of your parents....

Review: Hale Centre Theatre Presents WAIT UNTIL DARK
by Herbert Paine - October 19, 2022

The riveting machinations of Frederick Knott's WAIT UNTIL DARK are well-captured in Hale Centre Theatre's production, directed by Jim Roehr and featuring a convincing performance by Juli Buehrle as Susy. The show runs through November 22nd....

Review: FAUSTUS: THAT DAMNED WOMAN Unveils A Bold Treatment of the Classic Myth
by Robert Encila-Celdran - October 19, 2022

But while Marlowe and Goethe's protagonist utilized his diabolical powers to serve their ambitions, Johanna uses hers to make the world a better place. Surprisingly, her pact with the devil begets a deep sense of altruism as she travels through centuries to navigate human progress, conferring with f...

Review: I, PUPPET Reveals the Magical Artistry of Glove Puppetry
by Herbert Paine - October 12, 2022

I, PUPPET is Hsuan Yu Pan’s engaging short documentary, featuring Yi Wei Tsai’s glove puppetry. Its first screening is at the Voelker Orth Museum in New York on October 30th....

Review: LEGALLY BLONDE: A Showcase of Youthful Talent and Star Material at Arizona Repertory Theatre
by Robert Encila-Celdran - October 12, 2022

Not to get carried away, but in this current political storm that appears to put women on defense, it's heartening to find sisterhood as an emerging national motif. The underrated monolith is galvanizing to topple a perverse establishment - and LEGALLY BLONDE, with its tongue-in-cheek, goofy affecta...

Review: MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT at Arizona Broadway Theatre
by Herbert Paine - October 09, 2022

The joyful frolics of MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT are on stage in full armor at Arizona Broadway Theatre through November 5th....

Review: SIX THE MUSICAL at ASU Gammage
by Nathaniel Jones - October 09, 2022

Overall, these performers are out of this world. A rollercoaster of emotions, SIX The Musical makes its audiences dig deeper into self-reflection and self-worth. So much so, that this reviewer had an even harder time putting words to the page that he felt could do semi-justice to this incredible sho...

Review: Simply Put, THE LION Must Be Seen and Heard at Arizona Theatre Company
by Robert Encila-Celdran - October 09, 2022

The confluence of Ben's songwriting eloquence and his gritty tale of survival makes THE LION a worthy visit to the theater. Max Alexander-Taylor delivers a commanding performance that features a resonant tenor and a remarkable facility with five guitars. A confident actor, he has a natural gift for ...

Review: GHOSTS OF BOGOTÁ Opens Inspired Season at Stray Cat Theatre
by Robert Encila-Celdran - October 04, 2022

GHOSTS OF BOGOTÁ is the first production in Stray Cat’s intrepid lineup. Playwright Diana Burbano (also an accomplished actress), has fashioned a dark, irreverent comedy, riffing on the incongruous motif of sexual trauma and unholy exorcism. It thumbs its nose on conventions of space and time — as i...

Review: 5 GUYS NAMED MOE at Black Theatre Troupe
by Nathaniel Jones - October 04, 2022

5 Guy's Named Moe wow's audiences as the true hidden gem of the valley, Black Theatre Troupe...

Review: Order Chaos Theater Company Presents Melinda Lopez's MALA
by Herbert Paine - October 02, 2022

Order Chaos Theater Company's production of Melinda Lopez's MALA features moving performance by Angela Kabasan González as daughter caring for elderly and dying parent. Runs through October 15th at Herberger Theater Center in Phoenix....

Review: Don Bluth Front Row Theatre Presents Paul Elliott's EXIT LAUGHING
by Herbert Paine - September 25, 2022

Carpe diem! Smell the roses! These exhortations to relish life while you have it weave through the silly and reflective moments of Paul Elliott’s EXIT LAUGHING, on stage now through October 22nd at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre in Scottsdale, Arizona. Well-directed by Van Rockwell and featuring a gold...

Review: iTheatre Collaborative Presents Aaron Loeb's IDEATION
by Herbert Paine - September 12, 2022

Phoenix's iTheatre Collaborative celebrates the opening of its 20th Season with a gripping and provocative production of Aaron Loeb's IDEATION, directed by Greg Lutz and featuring a superlative cast....

Review: Invisible Theatre Opens 51st Season with THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT
by Robert Encila-Celdran - September 05, 2022

The play's timing is rather canny given our current global scrimmage with 'alternative facts.' We live in an age where information is obtained with a mere suggestion of a keyword, where unfettered access to data wields personal power but rarely makes for enlightened, critical thinkers. In certain po...

Review: The Ronin Theatre Company Presents Richard Warren's HOW I CAME TO BE BUFFALO BILL
by Herbert Paine - August 23, 2022

Ronin Theatre Company's production of Richard Warren's HOW I CAME TO BE BUFFALO BILL is an illuminating profile of the legend in the making, featuring Keath Hall's compelling performance under the direction of Lee Cooley. The show runs through August 28th at Stage Left Productions in Surprise, AZ, w...

Review: SAPAC Opens New Season With FUN HOME
by Robert Encila-Celdran - August 09, 2022

Here lies a critical distinction between Middle Alison and Bruce. In spite of the initial tumult around her sexual revelation, she revels in her transparent admission, only to discover that her father has been harboring secrets as a homosexual. His enduring shame from illicit affairs, coupled with h...

Review: PRIVATE LIVES at Don Bluth Front Row Theatre
by Herbert Paine - August 07, 2022

Don Bluth directs a well-rounded and highly entertaining production of Noël Coward's PRIVATE LIVES, running through August 27th at the Don Bluth Front Row Theatre in Scottsdale. Featuring stellar performances by Tom Koelbel, Christi Sweeney, Breona Conrad, and Jack Pauly....

Review: ALWAYS...PATSY CLINE at The Phoenix Theatre Company
by Angela Kabasan - July 17, 2022

Always...Patsy Cline is a must-see as an homage not only to the singer's music but also to the joys and love of friendship, even where you least expect it....