Theater Review – September 24, 2022

EXCELLENT “BANDSTAND” PRODUCTION CAN’T DISGUISE A DISAPPOINTING MUSICAL

“BANDSTAND”
The Phoenix Theatre Company, Mainstage Theatre
Phoenix AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

An endlessly snappy musical tribute to returning but war shocked World War II veterans does not produce an exciting theatrical adventure in “Bandstand” at The Phoenix Theatre Company. Although TPTC’s sharply defined staging with a remarkable ensemble of singing/acting/dancing talents isn’t the issue; the uninteresting musical lets the cast and audience down.

“Bandstand” is plagued with unremarkable and easily forgettable songs that sound like cheap carbons of the era’s musical style and the story is riddled with dullard characters whose … Continue Reading

Theater Review – September 3, 2022

“THE BOOK OF WILL” AMUSINGLY EXPLAINS PRESERVING THE BARD’S PLAYS

“THE BOOK OF WILL”
The Phoenix Theatre Company, Hormel Theatre
Phoenix AZ

By Chris Curcio
Theater Critic

William Shakespeare’s plays are well known from the myriad of traditional productions presented to the host of vibrant new interpretations.  But the Bard’s plays premiered before the printing of such works was routine and before copyright laws protected the plays from illegal lifting by competing authors.  Therefore, there was a strong possibility that Shakespeare’s masterpieces could have been lost.

Lauren Gunderson’s cleverly witty “The Book of Will” provides a fascinating scenario for how the plays … Continue Reading