Recent Reviews
Review: The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs by Austin Opera
by Michael Meigs
Published on February 12, 2022
When all was sung and done, THE (R)EVOLUTION OF STEVE JOBS felt vaguely like a 100-minute product placement for Apple, scored with Bates's excitingly audacious music.
This second, redesigned and redirected staging of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs (1917) opened in Austin and will travel to Kansas City and to Atlanta. Marketing and some reviews promise a new look into the epic world of changing technology and its guru Steve Jobs (1955-2011). Austin Opera has brought in superb singing talent for all the principal roles. John Moore's appearance as Jobs convinces us, as does the stalking and glowering that stage …
Review: Deathtrap by Georgetown Palace Theatre
by Michael Meigs
Published on January 27, 2022
DEATHTRAP has a surprise or two that will whip-saw you. The combination of the meta-wit and the fiendish plotting is certainly enough to astonish and entertain. The Georgetown Playhouse production is a deft, amusing evening with an appealing cast and clever outcome.
There was plenty of suspense at the Georgetown Playhouse last weekend. The storefront playing space on the north side of the Palace Theatre block was practically full, with almost a hundred audience members closely ranked around the ground-floor thrust stage adroitly designed by Justin Dam. Most were properly masked, although I spotted some noses—including those of a couple of teenagers seated directly to my right. The ventilation was undetectable. Are we treating ourselves …
Review No. 2 of 2: Blood & Holly, Christmas West of the Pecos by Jaston Williams, reviewed by Brian Paul Scipione
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on December 31, 2021
In BLOOD & HOLLY, Jaston Williams, man and performer, serves as a golden thread connecting the present to the past, holding on to the good, the bad, the somber, the hilarious, and, most importantly, the truth.
Jaston Williams presented his touring holiday show Blood & Holly for a three-night run at Stateside at the Paramount in Austin. Originally known for plays about the fictional Texas town of Greater Tuna in collaboration with Joe Sears and Ed Howard, Williams is now just as well known—at least in Texas— for his solo works: I Saw the Lights, Don't Blame the Car, Is There Life after Lubbock?, I'm Not Lying, Clear to Partly …
Review: The 12 Dates of Christmas AND Stealing Baby Jesus by Austin Playhouse
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on December 29, 2021
These stories performed by Lara Toner Haddock and Bernadette Nason are about a personal relationship with Christmas, both elusive and ineluctable, something that cannot be yet MUST be explained.
Austin Playhouse found a new venue at Trinity Street Playhouse in time to put on two holiday offerings, and more are planned for early spring. They chose to do two one-act, one-actor plays that explore the impact of Christmas on the lives of two very different women. Or put another way, how the experiences of their lives impact their views on Christmas. The 12 Dates of Christmas by Ginna Hoben stars Lara Toner Haddock and …
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, …
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Review: Hamilton by touring company
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on December 12, 2021
This touring of HAMILTON production is certainly worth the wait and its creative, near-improvisational reworkings are a treat to old and new fans alike.
"The tension was palpable. . . ." We're all familiar with the phrase, and that was certainly the case among the audience waiting for the show to begin at the Bass Concert Hall on December 8. The stage set with stairs, risers, shipping ropes, and balconies was starkly simple, its texture complexly detailed with time-worn grey bricks and weathered wood. It was later revealed to be a rotating stage which gave …