Past Reviews
Artist Spotlight: OKC based Artist to Star in Casa Mañana’s Grease
Emily Pace stars as Frenchy in Grease. Photo by Adriana Tomeu.
Local artist and talent Emily J. Pace is taking a brief trip down to Fort Worth for a fun springtime show. Casa Mañana Theatre’s Grease opens March 2nd through 10th and it is Pace’s second time performing at the theatre. She was recently seen there in ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas as one of a pair of Christmas Elves. A former musical theatre student at UCO, Pace is known and loved by Oklahoma City audiences. She’s recently been seen in Kismet Arts Studio’s award winning production of Oliver!,… Continue reading
It’s Practically Love for The Pollard’s Almost, Maine
timmy-renee-kris
The Pollard Theatre’s Valentine season play Almost, Maine is a love story in nine parts, featuring four actors who each portray several characters. Almost is a township that isn’t quite a town, and the citizens there are very nearly finding love on a snowy winter night. Though charming and simple, the challenge for the story is rather complex. The actors must portray four or five characters each, all of whom are only in one scene. The characters are mentioned again in subsequent vignettes, but never appear on stage after the vignette ends. Every time a scene goes dark,… Continue reading
90s Rock Musical Girlfriend Set to Premiere at The Lyric
Jimmy Mavrikes, left and Ian Marcontell, right. Photo by KO Rinearson.
The rock musical Girlfriend, inspired by Matthew Sweet’s 1991 alt rock album, is a coming of age story of young love and self-discovery. The Lyric is bringing this regional premiere to OKC and their Plaza district stage via a collaboration with Washington D.C.’s Signature Theatre. Set in early nineties Nebraska, two young men find love in a world that’s not quite ready for them. Before the LGBTQ+ movement, before Pride Week, Queer Eye, and legal gay marriage, the world was a darker place for equality and the gay… Continue reading
“Twelfth Night” Brilliantly Reveals True Shakespearean Comedy
Viola masquerading as Cesario played by Jessa Schinske in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” Photo courtesy of OSP
Kathryn McGill directs “Twelfth Night” with perfection. Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park opens their 35th Season with a splendid production of one of Shakespeare’s most amusing comedies. “Twelfth Night” or ‘What You Will’ is one of Shakespeare’s most complicated romantic comedies utilizing one of his favorite devices: mistaken identity. Shakespeare was fascinated with twins, and he uses a pair of twins in “Twelfth Night” as well as the upcoming “The Comedy of Errors” also showing this season.
“Twelfth Night”… Continue reading
“Hair” A Crowning Achievement from UCO and CityRep!
The tribe led by Sheila (Hope Chancey) protests. Photo courtesy of Mutz Photography
The University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City Repertory Theatre have been collaborating for a decade providing excellent theatrical productions, and Hair is at the pinnacle of great musical theatre. Of course, fifty years ago, Hair was a departure from traditional musical theatre, and the success of the musical was a surprise to writers Gerome Ragni and James Rado. Alongside Greg MacDermott (music), Hair became an overnight sensation. Half a century has passed and Hair remains as sensational as ever.
Hair is the… Continue reading
“The Wolves” Performed Excellently at OCU
Kaiden Lynn Matthews as #13 in “The Wolves” photo courtesy of OCU/flickr/cardinalepowell
“The Wolves” by Sarah DeLappe is a directorial success at Oklahoma City University. Courtney DiBello cast ten extremely talented students and 3 ‘swing’ members in this interesting work. The award winning play is written for an ensemble group of young actresses as they warm up for their weekly soccer game. The two act-play brings the modern approach of telling several intertwining stories rather than concentrating on one single drama and, perhaps, a subplot or two. DeLappe is a young playwright creating typical teens undergoing… Continue reading
“Barefoot in the Park” is a Big Hit for Jewel Box Theatre
David Fletcher-Hall as Victor Valasco tempts Lilli Bassett as the mother of the bride with delectable oddities as Korri Worner playing bride Corie Bratter looks on. Photo courtesy of David Fletcher-Hall, by Jim Beckel
Jewel Box Theatre kicks off the New Year with “Barefoot in the Park” one of Neil Simon’s most amusing romantic comedies. Set in New York City in 1967, “Barefoot in the Park” tells the story of a young spontaneous and vivacious bride moving into her first apartment as a married woman. Her husband is a bright lawyer, attempting to develop the persona of a… Continue reading
Come in From the Cold and Warm Your Heart with Almost, Maine
It’s cold outside! The northern U.S. is experiencing subzero temps, and even temperate Oklahoma is blustery and chilly by February. What better way to treat your Valentine than to snuggle up in a cozy theatre and warm up with a love story. Actor and playwright John Cariani’s play Almost, Maine is the perfect show for just that. One of the most produced plays in the U.S., four thousand theatre companies have produced it so far, and it has surpassed A Midsummer Night’s Dream in high school productions.
The play about the town that almost is and isn’t quite finds its… Continue reading
The Lyric Serves Up Delicious Fun with Curious George: The Golden Meatball
The cast of Lyric Theatre’s Curious George: The Golden Meatball. Photo by KO Rinearson.
The Lyric Theatre has done it again with their newest Theatre for Young Audiences show. Curious George: The Golden Meatball is a delightful musical that’s suited for the youngest patrons in the family. Geared toward kids in the pre-k through third grade age ranges, the show features the sweet little monkey on his quest to help his friend enter the Golden Meatball contest in Rome. Gavin Guthrie is little George and he’s joined by his good friends, The Man in the Yellow Hat, Chef Pisghetti, Phinneas,… Continue reading
Hedwig at The Boom is Everything You’ve Waited For
Matthew Alvin Brown stars as Hedwig in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
Renowned stage and screen writer John Cameron Mitchell and musician Stephen Trask’s Hedwig and the Angry Inch is not a musical. It’s a rock narrative, disguised as theatre, which is disguised as a drag show, and it’s all balled up into the fire and fury of one wronged woman. It’s a middle American tragedy set in the back alley dive bars that decorate our country, playing host to the down and outs and the would be rock stars on open mic nights. And it’s unapologetically and unequivocally… Continue reading