Reviews for Zach Theatre Performances
Review #1 of 2: Dracula (adapted by Dietz) by Zach Theatre
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on October 02, 2019
There is a line in that play that suggests that what man recognizes as evil takes the deepest root in those that are most pure. Yet Sarah Kimberley Becker as Mina the heroine shows that there may be some so pure that evil may never truly take root in them at all.
Just in time for the spooky days of autumn and the celebrated night of All Hallows’ Eve, ZACH Theatre presents the classic story of the original vampire, Count Dracula. The plot is taken from the original Bram Stoker novel with updates by prolific American playwright Steven Dietz. Dietz has composed more than 30 original pieces and 11 adaptions. His Dracula was originally produced in 1996 but has been given a twist and restaged in …
Review #2 of 2: ANN, by Zach Theatre
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on August 06, 2019
Libby Villari was firing away on all cylinders, creating the feeling of a southern revival in the Topfer Theatre. The audience laughed, pumped up and not afraid to call out with applause and shouts of approval.
There was never any doubt Libby Villari could hold the audience entranced with her snappy accent, comically vitriolic outbursts, clever banter, and engaging storytelling, but this production of Holland Taylor’s Ann is well paired with a great set and spot on lighting design. Lghting designer Sarah EC Maines emphasized the three-act arc of the story -- pre-Governor, Governor, and post-Governor-- with a subtle but deft shi the lightfts between lighting schemes. They evojke the moody …
Review #1 of 2: ANN by Zach Theatre
by David Glen Robinson
Published on August 06, 2019
This gem is an extended encomium to Governor Ann Richards of Texas. Some of the production choices in this 100X magnification level of scrutiny of Gov. Richards are almost mysterious.
Ann Richards would have been proud to be called First Hometown Girl of Texas. That much is clear in Act I of Ann, the new play by Holland Taylor currently up on Zach Theatre’s Topfer stage. Also clear in Act I, Richards was explicitly proud to claim the title of Second Female Governor of Texas (after Ma Ferguson). Benjamin Endsley Klein directs this gem as an extended encomium to Governor Ann Richards of Texas. …
Review: Immortal Longings by Zach Theatre
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on June 24, 2019
Steven Epp's Diaghilev is unrelenting, explosive, and -- one imagines -- exhausting. He embodies the grace of a ballet instructor with a mischievous streak that enlivens his performance.
Terrence McNally was born in the 1930s and has had a distinguished career spanning multiple decades, which include four Tony Awards, an Emmy Award, four Drama Desk Awards, and two Obie Awards, only to mention a few. It is no surprise he was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame in the 90's, and yet he's still producing great work. McNally is famedfor his plays and librettos including Love! Valour! Compassion!, Master Class, Kiss …
Review: The Ballad of Klook and Vinette by Zach Theatre
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on April 29, 2019
A continuous song interspersed with plot, this BALLAD has writing that's incredibly on point, and these characters are like two meteors colliding in the vast, dark emptiness of space.
The Ballad of Klook and Vinette tells the tale of a modern love story of “lost souls” trying to find happiness after trying times. The story is regaled through a well-balanced mix of dialogue and original R and B tunes that run the emotional gamut from breezy, to seductive, to playful, to heart-wrenching. It begins with a solid dose of comedy as two strangers banter back and forth, slowly realizing that though they do not know …
Review #2 0f 2: Matilda, the musical by Zach Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on April 20, 2019
MATILDA, THE MUSICAL is a bit of a mess in the telling, especially if you've read Dahl's tale either to yourself or to a younger generation, but it's a whirlwind of entertainment. Congratulations to all those young talents on stage valiantly interpreting the story.
Austin's Zach Theatre has thrown all of its considerable artistry into the stage musical version of Roald Dahl's Matilda, and the result is a big bright shining noisy ball of fun. Directors Nat Miller and Abe Reybold scooped up young performers from the theatre's pre-professional company to assemble two casts, orange and blue, for the spectacular and demanding dancing and clowning that create this fantasy world. The young artists hit their marks and create …