The Prom, currently running at Augustana College, is a happy, even joyous musical, even though its ripped-from-the-headlines premise is an utter disheartening downer.

Reviews by Rochelle Arnold, Jeff Ashcraft, Patricia Baugh-Riechers, Audra Beals, Pamela Briggs, Dee Canfield, Madeline Dudziak, Kim Eastland, Emily Heninger, Heather Herkelman, Mischa Hooker, Kitty Israel, Paula Jolly, Victoria Navarro, Roger Pavey Jr., Alexander Richardson, Mark Ruebling, Mike Schulz, Joy Thompson, Oz Torres, Brent Tubbs, Jill Pearson Walsh, and Thom White.

I urge you to get tickets now for director Jeremy Littlejohn's sometimes-unsettling, often-comedic, always-fascinating production featuring three superb, accomplished actors.

It’s rare to find a piece of theatre that’s endearingly sweet without being schmaltzy, but that is exactly what the Black Box Theatre currently offers with Ken Ludwig’s Dear Jack, Dear Louise.

Kitty: Conceptually, this musical is certainly a challenge. Presenting what is essentially the same material over and over again, but in a way that’s going to be interesting to the audience, is inherently difficult.

Mischa: There are also too many layers of philosophical or ideological meaning added to an essentially frivolous story, as though a light entertainment were trying to turn into Camus’ Myth of Sisyphus.

Despite this production being an excellent exhibition of both stagecraft and acting skills, Baskerville's comedy devolution did not grab me personally – though some audience members at Thursday's preview performance cheered.

K: I really loved when the British and German soldiers came together to pose for a photograph. A camera bulb flashed, flooding the group in bright light for just a split second, capturing the occasion in time. It was a simple yet powerful effect.

M: There’s another great lighting effect that comes in to enhance “Silent Night” … but I shouldn’t give it away.

Kitty: I love this musical. The 1982 movie adaptation was a favorite of mine growing up. But I had forgotten that this show takes place at Christmas! So it’s a nice little holiday treat, as well.

Mischa: True, though you'll most likely leave the theater humming “Tomorrow” or “Hard Knock Life,” not “A New Deal for Christmas.”

Both the year and the theatrical season are winding down for a long winter’s nap, and the Timber Lake Playhouse’s final production of 2024 could not offer a more pleasant nightcap. Directed and choreographed by Marquez Stewart, and featuring some surprisingly effective audience participation, Winter Wonderettes is a wonderful dose of theatre to fully get you in the spirit of the season.

Everyone knows that Christmas is a time for peace on Earth and goodwill to men. Unless, of course, you’re an ever-opinionated but lovable first-grader who, in director Kiera Lynn's Junie B. Jones in Jingle Bells, Batman Smells, is brought from page to stage, hilariously, by portrayer Natalie Scheers.

Pages