Past Reviews
It’s Chilly Outside, but “The Heat is On in Saigon”
Emily Bautista as Kim and Anthony Festa as Chris in the North American Tour of Miss Saigon singing “Last Night of the World.” Photo by Matthew Murphy.
Miss Saigon is based on the opera Madama Butterfly and tells the story of a young Vietnamese woman named Kim, orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar by the infamous and slimy Engineer. On her first night, she meets and falls in love with an American G. I. named Chris, but sadly they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For three years, Kim must survive any way she… Continue reading
Carpenter Square Presents “The Mystery of Love and Sex” Tragically
Kylan L. Durant and Hannah Youngblood as Jonny and Charlotte serving a dorm room dinner. Photo Courtesy of Carpenter Square Theatre
“The Mystery of Love and Sex” by Bathsheba Doran is a sensitive and sometimes humorous exploration of adolescent discovery, sexual identity, and coming to terms with unresolved issues. It’s certain that a large part of what makes life and all the ensuing problems bearable is humor. Without joy there is no life. Rhonda Clark directs a cast of four main characters and one delightful cameo with a great deal of sensitivity, but the humor in… Continue reading
Start the New Year Right with Lyric’s The Cat in the Hat
Lexi Windsor as Fish, Josiah Brooks as The Cat in the Hat, and Eli Bradley as The Boy. photo by K. Talley Photography.
Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma produces high-quality, entertaining theatre for the whole family. Their Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA) series offers exciting, professional theatre for the youngest patrons, and it’s always enjoyable for their parents too. Children are just as deserving of memorable theatrical experiences as their adult counterparts, and the Lyric’s TYA is sure to spark a lifelong love of live theatre for all who attend.
Kicking off 2020 is the latest in Lyric’s TYA series, Dr.… Continue reading
Washington, DC Based Monumental Theatre Prepares to Open 2020 Season
D.C.’s Monumental Theatre Company opens their 2020 season in March. Photo provided.
Founded in 2015 by collaborative artists Beth Amann, Jimmy Mavrikes, and Michael Windsor, Monumental Theatre Company is an innovative and exciting young theatre in a rich treasure trove for the arts- our nation’s capital. While DC is far from OKC, the theatre scenes in these two cities have a unique connection. Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma Producing Artistic Director Michael Baron previously held an Associate Artistic Director Role at Signature Theatre in DC. Signature and Lyric frequently collaborate, and the result is a lovely relationship between many DC based… Continue reading
Amahl and the Night Visitors from Painted Sky Opera is Beautiful Christmas Message
The Three Kings of Amahl and the Night Visitors.
By: Elizabeth Hurd
On Christmas Eve, 1951, NBC premiered the first opera written for television. It was called Amahl and the Night Visitors and it became a Christmas Eve tradition for 15 years. Gian Carlo Menotti, noted Italian-born American composer, based the opera on The Adoration of the Magi by Hieronymus Bosch. Many families gathered in front of their television sets to view the opera and Amahl’s beautiful story. However, things change and in 1966 NBC decided to update their programming, but the story of… Continue reading
“Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” Provides Excellence in Theatre and Soul
Don Taylor (standing at right) as Jacob Marley arriving at the counting-house where David Mays as the Recordkeeper explains things. Photo courtesy of Christine Lanning
In 1994 noted performer and novelist Tom Mula released a slightly different take on the classic we all know and love by Charles Dickens called “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol”. Now on stage, this story is being produced by the 3rd Act Theatre as a ‘Bonus’ production for Christmas. Doug Van Liew directs a cast of four on a very minimalist set, creating Mula’s version of “A Christmas Carol” from Marley’s viewpoint and… Continue reading
“Jane Austen’s Christmas Cracker” at Shakespeare on Paseo is a Fun and Fanciful Tribute to Austen
Cassandra Austen played by Lindsey Rollins and Jane Austen played by Jodianne Loyd. Photo Courtesy of David Bricquet
Jane Austen loved to write and she wrote well, publishing her novels anonymously and gaining a measure of respect. She wrote about life as she knew it and the importance of attending the right balls and garden parties. She gave us a glimpse of what behavioral ‘dance’ young couples had to perform in attempting to find a place in their future. Her novels are beloved by many, and although women today have fewer difficulties in creating a future, everyone… Continue reading
UCO’s Snow Business is Simply Divine!
Libby McCormack and the Elves and Elfettes in UCO’s There’s No Business Like Snow Business.
UCO’s Musical Theatre Christmas concert is a lovely holiday revue featuring Christmas numbers from a variety of stage musicals. There’s No Business Like Snow Business is a gloriously festive night at the UCO Jazz Lab. The show opens with the full cast performing “We Need a Little Christmas” and then breaking into smaller ensembles and solos. There are performances from several well-known Broadway shows, and they’re sung professionally by the UCO Musical Theatre students. The titles are helpfully displayed onscreen above the stage, and… Continue reading
“Arcadia” An Important Masterpiece from Oklahoma City University
Zachary Scott Prall as Septimus in Tom Stoppard’s “Arcadia” directed by Hal Kohlman, OKCU. Photo courtesy of Bryan Cardinale-Powell
It is a delightful and never-ending source of amazement to find the artistic level of talent in the heartland of Oklahoma. We have a number of great theatre groups producing outstanding productions to rival Broadway. This, of course, begins with the inspiration and education found in universities such as Oklahoma City University (OKCU) with outstanding music, theatre, art, and dance departments. The Oklahoma City University Theatre Department is presenting Tom Stoppard’s brilliant play “Arcadia” from December 5 through… Continue reading
“It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” Lavish with Talent, Heart and Soul
Joshua McGowen as Jake Laurents and Kara Chapman as Sally Applewhite playing George and Mary Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play. Photo courtesy of Jared Blount, The Pollard Theatre
The brightest age of entertainment may well have been in the days of radio, with great shows, like “The Shadow” and “Topper,” all full of wit, humor and the listener’s imagination. Each show had a sound effects man to recreate the sounds seen during the live presentation. Jack Donovan Foley refined many of these sounds and they are used extensively in Joe Landry’s “It’s a… Continue reading