Recent Reviews
Review: Selfie, the Musical by Vortex Repertory Theatre
by Rick Perkins
Published on April 11, 2022
The powerhouse band of four players and singers, along with the superb cast of four, made SELFIE, this grooving ensemble, rock the house at the Vortex in Austin!
The title alone made me want to see this show. Got it. Selfies, we all have shared them, all too often. Just today at my weekly Friday meal with my golf buddies, I posted my lunch Especial of Chicken Enchiladas. I was certain the world wanted to see how sophisticated and luxurious my measly wasted life is these days, hey looky: #Enchiladas, Livin’ Large, ya Losers! I felt victorious then; now I’m hiding in horrors …
Review: 9 to 5, the Musical by Georgetown Palace Theatre
by Rick Perkins
Published on April 11, 2022
Who hasn’t seen the hilarious movie starring Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin? Office politics, boorish behaviors and sweet revenge among dear friends, all rolled into a confection of tasty fun for the ages. Dolly Parton sure has hit pay-dirt with her stage musical adaptation, even making an appearance via the large projection onstage. She guides us into the story and comes back for a well deserved encore to send everyone home singing the …
Review: Terminator, the musical by Fallout Theatre
by Rick Perkins
Published on April 11, 2022
Having never seen the TERMINATOR movies this clever campy romp is based upon didn’t affect my enjoyment a bit. Very impressive on so many audacious levels.
99.9% Monty! There’s a headline for online hits. I’d give huge Kudos to the clever costumes, but where to put them?! Standing outside the very well named Hidden Room Theatre last night waiting to get in, I listened to dozens of people who were down right giddy about seeing this campy fun over the top musical gem. Several had already seen it and now brought large groups of friends. Those are the honest critic’s opinions …
Review: The Catastrophist by Austin Playhouse
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on April 06, 2022
Timely but not directly about COVID, Ben Wolfe's fitfully meta solo as the virologist known as THE CATASTOPHIST is both about saving the world and about dealing with insoluble personal issues
The Catastrophist is the story of virologist Nathan Wolfe, who tracks viral pandemics. It's based on the real-life work of Dr. Nathan Daniel Wolfe and was written by his wife, playwright Lauren Gunderson (The Book of Will, Silent Sky, and Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley). Gunderson contrasts the wide world of science with the more personal story of confronting one’s own mortality. Commissioned by Marin Theatre Company in 2020, the play premiered as a digital …
Review: Amadeus by Penfold Theatre Company
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on April 04, 2022
Kareem Badr's performance as Antonio Salieri in Liz Fisher's rework of AMADEUS is mesmerizing. The chaos of the play succeeds impressively in reflecting the chaos of his character’s mind.
In the early 1990's Spanish chef Ferran Adriá came up with "deconstructed food," an approach in which a dish is served with its primary ingredients presented separately. The idea was that diners should be able to re-assemble them so as to experience the dish anew in an entirely personal experience. The essence of a classic dish is maintained but its form is broken down so one has greater appreciation of the parts that make up …
Review: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by touring company
by Brian Paul Scipione
Published on March 27, 2022
Sprinkled with new ingredients, this touring production of the familiar story of the magical chocolate factory becomes a thoroughly enjoyable evening of family entertainment. It adds intriguing new themes.
Most people in the audience have some familiarity with Roald Dahl’s classic tale of the golden ticket that makes one boy’s dreams become a reality. Dahl’s 1964 novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory inspired the 1971 movie with Gene Wilder as well as the sometimes maligned 2005 Tim Burton movie Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Johnny Depp. Interestingly, the 1971 movie’s title was Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory so as to promote a …