Across a dim stage, out of the (hypoallergenic) mist, a crystal-clear voice rings out, singing the old Scottish tune “Will ye go to Flanders.†The voice takes shape in a young soldier, flanked on either side by a small chorus…
Author: Kay Vandette
Review | Steel Magnolias: a warm respite from the winter cold
When you settle into your seat in the McGuire Proscenium to watch Robert Harling‘s Steel Magnolias, playing at the Guthrie through December 15th, you’ll feel instantly soothed by the pre-show announcements, read in a fitting southern drawl. Set in a beauty…
Review | The Glass Menagerie: the play dazzles if, at times, a bit dully
For the fifth time, the Guthrie has brought The Glass Menagerie to its stage one of Tennessee Williams most popular and oft-performed plays. Director Joseph Haj has helmed this latest production. With a small cast and simple set, the strength of Williams’ semi-autobiographical play lies in its characters…
Review | Ride The Cyclone: step right up for a rip-roaring good time
Every roller coaster worth its ride has thrills, suspense and a brief glimpse of your own mortality as you loop, flip, and zoom around the track. Ride the Cyclone, the mad-cap musical dramedy playing at Jungle Theater through October 20th doesn’t…
Review | Rent: makes the Orpheum rock
Is this a Tony Award-winning musical or a rock concert? For those lucky enough to catch Rent playing at the Orpheum through August 18th, get ready to cheer, clap, hoot and even moo right along with the show-stopping musical numbers.…
Review | Floyd’s: a play with heart — that will make your stomach rumble
Whatever you do, don’t go to Floyd’s hungry. Set in a greasy spoon truck stop in Pennsylvania, Floyd’s tells the story of the café’s kitchen staff, all formerly incarcerated and desperate for a paycheck (and a second chance). Floyd’s, written…
Review | Cosi Fan Tutte: buffa with a twist
To say Cosi Fan Tutte, one of Mozart’s classic opera buffas, is problematic, is an understatement. The very title, which loosely translates to “women are like that†gives you an idea of the dated and cliché subject matter. Yet, with…
Review – Dry Powder: throws you headfirst into a world of deals and moral qualms
Dry Powder, (Dark & Stormy Productions, through June 29), written by award-winning playwright Sarah Burgess, is a dark comedy set in the flashy high-rises of high finance and private equity. The play does not ease into the dizzying dance of…
Review | Marjorie Prime: evocative and poignant
What does it meant to be human? Is it the small changes in our DNA that separate us from our close animal kingdom relatives? Or is it the experiences, memories and moments we accumulate day by day, everything from the…
Review | Hello, Dolly!: Betty Buckley sparkles in a delightful production
Once proclaimed the “Voice of Broadway†by New York Magazine, Tony award-winning legend Betty Buckley is here for a short time at the Orpheum for the touring revival production of Hello Dolly. Put on your Sunday clothes and get your…