Heavenly Exiles Make 16-year “Journey to the West” in Search of Clues to Immortality!
Reviewed by Tom Jones
Yes, an orphaned Buddhist monk and three disciples are on a quest – searching to find sacred scrolls that hold the key to immortality. They are currently on the stage of Lincoln’s Center’s Magnolia Theater, in OpenStage’s impressive production of “Journey to the West.” Man’s search for the meaning of life, for immortality, and to bring enlightenment to the world have been themes of literature and theatre for centuries. The “search” occurs in “the Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” in “Pippin,” and even in “The Wizard of Oz!”
Continue reading Journey to the West at OpenStage Theatre →
“Miss Saigon” at Midtown Arts Center Wows Audience with Tale of the Fall of Vietnam!
Reviewed by Tom Jones
“What do you do for an encore?” Claude-Michel Schoenberg and Alain Boublil found worldwide fame with their incredible stage production “Les Miserables” in London in 1985, and in New York in 1987. They were not content to sit back and count their money, however, as they launched “Miss Saigon” in London in 1989, on Broadway in 1991 with Schoenberg again providing the music; lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr. “Saigon” went on to receive an enormous following, and a London revival in 2014 set a new world record for opening day ticket sales.
Continue reading Miss Saigon at Midtown Arts Center →
Reviewed by Tom Jones
“Wendy Ishii Triumphs as Joan Didion in “The Year of Magical Thinking” at Bas Bleu
Joan Didion and her husband, John Gregory Dunne, were both respected writers living in New York City, but with strong ties to California. Their only child, a recently-married adult daughter, had been hospitalized for five days, and was in a coma in a New York hospital. Her parents had just returned to their apartment, after visiting with the daughter, when Mr. Dunne slumped over the table at dinnertime and died.
Continue reading The Year of Magical Thinking at Bas Bleu →
Reviewed by Tom Jones, September 6, 2014
Tammy L. Meneghini Becomes Nine Different Women in “The Great Goddess Bazaar” at Fort Collins’ Bas Bleu!
Don’t let the title throw you off! “The Great Goddess Bazaar” is actually a mesmerizing one-woman show where Boulder actress Tammy L. Meneghini virtually inhabits the persona of nine different woman – just by changing shoes!
Continue reading The Great Goddess Bazaar at Bas Bleu! →
Reviewed by Tom Jones
“Terrific Dancing Lights up Candlelight Stage with “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers”
Before the show began I asked Jordan Centeno, an accomplished dancer who plays Brother Daniel, about the show’s dancing. His comment, “It is ‘heavy duty’ dancing!”
He was spot-on, as the dancing is nothing short of terrific! It was the dancing that caught the audience’s interest in the original movie musical in 1954, especially the barn-raising scene at the county social. The movie, starring Howard Keel and Jane Powell was honored a few years ago by the American Film Institute as one of the best American musical films ever made. This time around Choreographer Stephen Bertles and Dance Captain Tracey Zimmerman-Dennig have created exuberant dances, showcasing the incredible talents of a seasoned cast!
Continue reading Seven Brides for Seven Brothers at the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse →
Enjoying Theater Across Our Great State
Yes, an orphaned Buddhist monk and three disciples are on a quest – searching to find sacred scrolls that hold the key to immortality. They are currently on the stage of Lincoln’s Center’s Magnolia Theater, in OpenStage’s impressive production of “Journey to the West.” Man’s search for the meaning of life, for immortality, and to bring enlightenment to the world have been themes of literature and theatre for centuries. The “search” occurs in “the Iliad” and “The Odyssey,” in “Pippin,” and even in “The Wizard of Oz!”
