Reviews for Zach Theatre Performances
Review: Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (with Deaf Austin Theatre) by Zach Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on January 31, 2023
The glam fairy godmother delivers the theme—there's music in you—but no one hears it in this evocative production, for it's only in ASL and projected lyrics.
Produced with the Zach Theatre's usual exuberance and technical elegance, the production of Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella is a memorable evening of theatre. The audience's wildly enthusiastic reaction on opening weekend certainly confirmed that. This production also surprises and intrigues as an educational experience, thanks to the remarkable and inventive collaboration with Deaf Austin Theatre and the charismatic performances of Sandra Mae Frank and additional actors who are deaf or hard of hearing. The story …
Review: The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity by Zach Theatre
by Justin M. West
Published on October 19, 2022
Everything in Zach Theatre's THE ELABORATE ENTRANCE OF CHAD DEITY works to perfection. This uproariously hilarious participatory experience is a satire that's not afraid to sink its teeth in. Buy tickets. Now. Only one weekend left!
Ed. note: CTXLT colleague Justin M. West suffered a near knockout from the 'rona but made his way to a keyboard to deliver this review. He regrets the delay. The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity is scheduled to run through October 23, 2022. If you’re the type to skim or just read the first bit of a review to get the gist, this is for you: Stop reading. Buy tickets. Go see this show. …
Review: The Sound of Music by Zach Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on June 30, 2022
Dave Steakley succeeds with an innovative staging concept and sparkling cast for THE SOUND OF MUSIC; he mostly succeeds in tying fraught pre-Anschluss Austria to today's beleaguered United States.
Austin's Zach Theatre needed a big one to bust free of the COVID oppression that harmed this and other venues, and Dave Steakley has delivered handsomely. Who doesn't know The Sound of Music, the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical that garnered an armload of Tony awards and was the basis of the 1963 film that swept the Oscars? Steakley's challenge: use that familiar material but make it new. He succeeds with an innovative …
Review: Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Zach Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on May 15, 2022
One particular attraction of MR. HATCH, particularly for family audiences is a clever reversal of roles. Here, it's the young narrator who becomes the coach and encourager to the despondent adult.
Allen Robertson has delivered a gentle miracle at the Zach Theatre with his adaptation of Eileen Spinelli's 1991 picture book Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch. Three well-known and admired adult actors are matched by the lively young character Melanie Todd, played by a rotation of three young women from Zach's theatre program. The production takes places in the Kleberg Theatre, configured as a theatre-in-the-square, around which the audience find themselves up close and personal. …
Review: A Christmas Carol: A Rockin' Family Musical by Zach Theatre
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on December 12, 2021
Zach Theatre’s A CHRISTMAS CAROL is a wonderful response to the difficulties the Austin theater world has faced over the last few years, declaring that just as Dickens's tale is timeless, so is the spirit of creative endeavor of those who channel it.
Upon entering the Topfer Theatre at Zach to watch its first indoor production since the pandemic began, one discovered a stark reminder of the significance of this moment: a simple piece of paper on each seat stating, “This seat has been empty for 626 days.” The choice of play with its triumphant ending matched the celebratory attitude that dominated the crowd who'd made donations to purchase glow sticks to enliven the party atmosphere of singing, …
Review: Into The Woods by Zach Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on October 14, 2021
No one wants to be alone. Do yourself a favor; find an evening to spin on your axis to enjoy the music, comedy, disappointments, and tragedies. You know -- like in real life.
We've all been lost in the metaphorical woods for the last year and a half, and it's no wonder that Zach producing artistic director Dave Steakley turned to the haunting, wrenching, and perennial Into the Woods for Zach Theatre's return to live narrative performance. He's eloquent about that decision in his director's note to the intangible but nevertheless substantial program, accessible by QR code and smartphone: The idea for this production originated last year, just …