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Theatre -
Reviews
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Written by Mike Schulz
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Tuesday, 12 April 2005 18:00 |
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Chief among many surprises in Circa ‘21 Dinner Playhouse’s current production of The King & I is the re-discovery of just how funny the show is. For many, myself included, the news of another Rodgers & Hammerstein revival is enough to fill you with trepidation; must we sit through one of their timeless extravaganzas yet again? But it’s easy to forget that this theatrical duo is legendary for good reason. Beyond their undeniable musical talents, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein wrote strong, well-constructed shows and empathetic characters, and their productions always feature an intriguing, nearly treacherous dark side; Rodgers & Hammerstein felt no compunction about casually killing off major characters. (Every time I see The Sound of Music I have to remind myself: Oh, right. There are Nazis in this.) And although I’d be content to never see South Pacific again, a recent, invigorating production of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s State Fair at Assumption High School was a welcome reminder of the duo’s gifts, and Circa ’21’s The King & I is fantastically fine, engaging and memorable and, to a quite unexpected degree, hilarious.
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Theatre -
Reviews
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Written by Jill Walsh
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Tuesday, 01 March 2005 18:00 |
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The Drawer Boy, opening this weekend at New Ground Theatre, is not only an emotional journey through the suppressed memories of two old farmers and a unique observation of the art of storytelling; it also plays an important role in contemporary Canadian theatre history.
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Theatre -
Reviews
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Written by Jill Walsh
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Tuesday, 18 January 2005 18:00 |
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When I was in seventh grade, my chorus class took a charter bus up to Chicago to see Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. From a row near the back of the theatre, I watched the vibrant speck that was Donnie Osmond belt out the tunes “Close Every Door” and “Joseph’s Coat.” On the return trip home, while the chaperone mothers murmured in fascination over the dark-haired leading man, we chorus students amused ourselves with a Joseph sing-along. The music was just that unforgettable and appealing, even to our usually unimpressionable teenage minds.
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Theatre -
Reviews
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Written by Jill Walsh
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Tuesday, 14 September 2004 18:00 |
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Just when I was convinced that Picasso at the Lapin Agile would endure as Steve Martin’s wittiest, funniest theatre script, the multi-talented writer/actor/comedian has outdone himself, with the adapted comedy The Underpants.
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Theatre -
Reviews
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Written by Jill Walsh
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Tuesday, 24 August 2004 18:00 |
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New Ground is one of my favorite local theatre groups because it doesn’t settle for slapstick comedies, cliché-filled scripts, or sappy dramas. Instead, the not-for-profit organization with the mission to “bring the best in contemporary and original theatre to the Quad Cities” does superb work living up to that goal. New Ground’s upcoming show, Talley’s Folly, the recipient of the 1980 Pulitzer Prize for drama, is certainly no exception to the “best theatre” rule and is perhaps one of the most unconventional, intriguing love stories I’ve ever seen on stage. The production opens August 26 and runs through September 5 at Rivermont Collegiate in Bettendorf.
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