I’ll be honest sometimes I go into Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival with a little hesitation. I’m not the most artsy theatregoer and critic. I can appreciate artistic expression of all types but don’t tend to enjoy the experimental and original works sometimes seen at Fringe. Fortunately this year I chose well and all 5 plays I saw are approachable and narratively easy to digest. The festival continues until August 3rd so there is still time to see these shows and others (I may attend on Sunday to see a few more but I also might want to quit while I’m ahead so let me know if you recommend anything.) Anyway, here is what I enjoyed (the 5th show I saw last week at Immigrant’s Daughter- My Brother Was a Vampire)

I would give them all recommendations

The Words at the Door

The first up was The Words at the Door put on by Sackerson. This is in the Alliance Theater Blackbox and features 2 actors in a relationship drama. The couple is portrayed by Kristina Shearer and Jason Hackney and the play is written by Jesse Nepivoda. The thing that makes this drama unique is the refreshing look at Hackney’s character’s schizophrenia.

I like that the relationship is not all steeped in trauma. We see them meet and have happy even sexy times. Even when things are getting hard the narrative feels realistic and full of humanity for both characters and their experiences. The only thing I might add is a little more context as to why Shearer’s character feels like she can’t raise children with Hackney. While I can see why one wouldn’t want to pass on a genetic condition there are ways to raise children without doing that. I did like the emphasis on our different memories and how it can be a strange thing how differently we look back on the same things. Words at the Door is directed by Matthew Ivan Bennett.

Still Life

My favorite of the festival is a little 2-hander on the Alliance mainstage called Still Life. It’s a friendship story done by Tami Anderson and Beth Anne Martin. The two women are taking their annual friendship retreat together at a wine and painting night somewhere. Martin and Anderson have crafted a very funny script that touches on issues any woman (or middle-aged person) should relate with. I also appreciate that it is purely a friendship story as sometimes I feel like all female stories these days have to be queer romances (which can be great but I also love friendship stories.) One of my favorite lines is when she says “a hot flash is not a power surge”

They time the needle drops of popular 80s songs perfectly and the voice performances add just the right touch. I really enjoyed this one and it’s too bad it’s done at the festival because more deserve to see it.

A Haircut in SLC

Next up we have another insightful comedy with A Haircut in SLC. It is written by Max Ricks and stars him as a young man who is chatting with a hairdresser about their shared Mormon to gay coming out journeys. This is obviously a very personal story for Ricks and one that touches on many local themes and issues. Autumn Bay places the hairdresser and she’s very warm and authentic. In general that’s how I would describe this play- warm and authentic.

There is a point where we learn that Bruce hasn’t been honest with Stevie as he has been telling his coming out story, and I thought he was going to admit he actually hadn’t come out but she had inspired him to do so but that’s not where it goes. Still it’s very sweet and believable. It’s not trying to judge anyone harshly but be supportive and kind. I’m sure many people will be able to connect with it which makes it a great fit for a GSL Fringe.

The Rest is Silence-

I should say that The Rest is Silence is actually written by my cousin Elise C Hansen but I didn’t know that until I was looking at the poster for the show. It is put on by New World Shakespeare Company and is in the Alliance Black Box (Everything I saw at Fringe was in the Black Box except for Still Life.)

This play has a clever concept of the characters from Shakespeare coping with the afterlife at a group therapy rage session. While I don’t think the characters needed to change in Act 2 the actors are game enough and the concept is funny enough to entertain. I do think a certain understanding of Shakespeare and his characters is required to understand (which might not be obvious from the title) but aside from Anthony and Cleopatra I got most of the jokes (I’m seeing that this summer at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for the first time.)

Probably the best joke of the play is when Hamlet (Zachari Reynolds) refuses to hold the skull and shrinks away from it. It could have been funny to have the characters battle with involuntary iambic pentameter or maybe squabble on who has the most iconic lines but still it was an amusing little one act play.

I also have to give Elise credit for playing Ophelia/Queen Elizabeth and having water dumped on her at one point. The Rest is Silence is directed by Blayne Wiley and worthy of your time.

So there you have it. This year’s GSL Fringe. What sounds appealing to you? Are you going to support our local playwrights and actors? I hope so!

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Anyone who is a theatre fan has special shows that first ignited their interest in the medium. One of those for me was The Phantom of the Opera. It was the first Broadway show I ever saw with my Grandma in San Francisco around 1990.

Back then I would have been stunned to be able to participate in a youth production of Phantom (not that I had the talent to do so but still) and it’s so neat that it is currently available for teenagers to do. I love, like Hadestown, that they made it available for young people before regional theaters. I saw it last year at Kensington and that was outstanding and now I had the chance to see it The Ruth and it is a real achievement for these teens.

The biggest praise of the night has to go to the 2 leads with Amalie Strongin and Braedon Reynolds giving commanding performances as Christine Daae and The Phantom respectively. What interested me most is with Reynolds take on the character because being a young man he’s naturally smaller than a typical actor for the role. This is gave a frailness I have never seen before which is a nice juxtaposition to the towering spooky vocals.

Strongin is up for all the vocal requirements of the role including those wicked high notes in “Think of Me” and she does all she can to embody the various emotions of the character. “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” is my favorite song of the show, and she brings a soft vulnerable quality to her performance of it.

There are some challenges director Brighton Sloan had to deal with in working on their Mainstage. There isn’t much variation in the stage with only a small staircase and a few moveable set-pieces. This is tough when trying to get the feel of an opera house with a giant lair underneath. Scenes like “Masquerade” are usually performed on a staircase but they don’t have that luxury, and I was impressed with the movement and spectacle they are able to create given the restrictions (choreographer Ben Roeling.)

Unfortunately I was seated on one of the wings of the theatre which did obfuscate my view of center stage a fair amount. If you get tickets I highly recommend trying to find a center seat if at all possible. Lauri Baird does superb work with the costumes. I particularly loved blue dress Christine wears in Act 2 and pretty much anything for Carlotta (played by Malea Hyte who is completely believable with her opera voice.) This production did not feel like anything was done on the cheap for the teens. It felt lush and extravagant with everything I could want out of a local production of Phantom. I am sure all the teens learned so much about every aspect of theatre from their involvement, and I love to see that.

Sadly the run of The Phantom of the Opera at The Ruth is brief going through the 26th, but I highly recommend getting a ticket while you have the chance. I hope that teens involved and watching it will be as inspired by Phantom as I was when I saw it back in 1990. It’s a neat legacy for one of the seminal works of musical theatre.

The Phantom of the Opera features music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, lyrics by Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe with a book by Stilgoe and Webber based on the novel The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Perhaps it is just me but lately I’ve noticed particularly with plays a lot of the titles feel like the theatrical equivalent of clickbait. I get the challenges of getting people to engage with something original without the IP or music to attract an audience but it can also create an unnecessary barrier of expectation between the audience and the play they are seeing. Let’s remember that some of the greatest plays ever written also have simple titles like Our Town, Hamlet, or Doubt. Anyway, I say this because seeing the new play at Immigrants Daughter which is going to be at GSLC Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe My Brother was a Vampire I actually enjoyed the play but felt a bit hoodwinked by the title. It also has the subtitle “a horror comedy” on the poster and maybe I missed something but I saw very little of either in this play.

That’s not to say it’s bad. It’s not. As an exploration of family trauma and the manipulation of siblings I found it quite effective. Ariana Braumas Farber and Tyler Fox play a brother and sister who have dealt with abusive parents and a certain degree of co-dependence on each other that has led to addiction, underwhelming relationships and other dysfunction in their lives. The narrative starts with them in their 30s and then tells their story going backwards until ending as children in a very abusive situation. My friend who saw the play had a very different take on the brother than I picked up on but it’s definitely a character steeped in trauma. Both Farber and Fox are quite good and believable as siblings, which is key in this type of two-hander in a black box to work.

The show is written by local playwright Morag Shepherd and directed by Stephanie Stroud. The only thing I might have changed in the presentation is I wish the 2 actors had moved around a little bit more. I felt like I had Fox’s back to me for most of the play until they switched places and then I had Farber’s back to me. Creating some variety in the movement helps us see both actor’s faces more, which allows us to be more invested in the story.

I am sure audience members who have more challenging sibling relationships will relate strongly to My Brother was a Vampire. I’m lucky and mine are relatively drama-free but there’s always insight to be gained from diving into any human conflict. My Brother was a Vampire is playing at GSLC Fringe 7/25-7/27 and tickets can be purchased here and then at Edinburgh Fringe 8/1 and tickets can be purchased here. Best of luck to them at the festival

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

If the world was going to be divided into musical fairy tale camps with one side being team Into the Woods and the other being team Once Upon a Mattress I would definitely be on the latter. While both have their assets I find Mattress to be such a delightful take on the genre, and I always jump at the chance I have to see and review a production of it. The latest is being put on by the good folks over at The Empress Theatre in Magna and it’s an enchanting night of community theatre.

The key to making any production of Mattress work is the comedic timing of the cast. At the Empress this is led by the over-the-top antics of Amy Hallett as the conniving Queen Aggravain. I love comedic performances dripping with disdain and she embodies that here. Josh Starr is also a lot of fun as the mute King Sextimus.

Nora Miller and Jonas Stone have terrific chemistry as Lady Larken and Sir Harry and I enjoyed their singing voices in songs like “In a Little While” and “Yesterday I Loved You.”

It’s always fun when a couple in real life can play one on stage and that’s what we get with Sam Fraser and Beck Fraser as our two leads Prince Dauntless and Princess Winnifred respectively. I particularly liked Beck’s sexy confidence that she brings to songs like “Shy” and “Happily Ever After.”

The stage at the Empress is an unusual one but director Adam Cannon has used it to its full capacity having the action happen on both levels and into the aisles. He also brings in creative elements like an aerialist performer on a hoop (Abigail Shelley) and lively ensemble choreography (Lorelai Byers and Michelle Moore.) I love how the backdrop of the stage is the mattresses stretching from the bottom floor all the way to the top where Princess Winnifred’s bed is. It works so well for the space in telling the story!

Naturally there were a few little hiccups on opening night mostly with the sound microphones but the cast worked around any such snafus. Once Upon a Mattress would make for a great night of theater for the whole family. It’s funny, romantic, and it’s not one we see performed much in this area. Take advantage of it being at the Empress when you have the chance. It is playing through August 2nd and tickets can be purchased here.

Once Upon a Mattress has music by Mary Rodgers and lyrics by Marshall Barer and a book by Jay Thompson, Dean Fuller and Barer. (The new revival on Broadway last year has book by Amy Sherman-Palladino of Gilmore Girls fame.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Recently I had the opportunity to watch and review the TTH cast of Footloose at Hale Center Theatre in Sandy. My overall take on the performance was mixed, but I mentioned I would like to see the MWF cast because there was so much I did enjoy about the production. By chance I was available this Monday and the good folks at Hale are generous enough to permit me to see their show twice and write an additional review. Hale should be praised for allowing their work to be seen by someone who will be fair and honest but who admittedly had mixed feelings about their production. Not every company would be so open to feedback and willing to share their valuable ticket space with a critic like myself twice. In the end, I hope they will feel the gamble paid off because this second performance solved most of the issues I had with the previous night’s showing. It is an outstanding production of Footloose, and one I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys coming of age stories well told with all the spectacle and fun only Hale can put on stage.

First, I would like to speak a little bit about my previous review. I knew sitting down to write it some would be upset with what I had to say. I’ve been reviewing community theatre long enough to know that singling out a particular actor some would take as rude or unkind. It is something that in general I have learned to avoid in reviewing community theatre as most of the actors and crew are volunteering their time. In the end, what is basically a community goodwill project should be treated as delicately as possible. However, with a semi-professional company like Hale Center Theatre I would like to assume the people on and behind stage have some degree of professional aspirations and desires. I know for my career ambitions it can still sting to get feedback, but I try and push those responses away because unbridled and perhaps unearned praise would not help me to be a better critic and podcaster. Certainly if I am going to be a critic I need to be open and responsive to criticism of myself!

For people that are less accustomed to criticism and the process of being critiqued it can, however, be a quite jarring and uncomfortable experience. This is why I tried to temper my criticism with phrases like “maybe he was having an off night.” I certainly haven’t seen every night, and I don’t know the backstory to that particular performance and what might have been happening behind the scenes. I am by no means saying the actor isn’t capable of a great performance or making a judgement on their work ethic or talent in general. I am simply trying to give an honest assessment of what I witnessed on that night from that cast. I am trying to do my job as a professional theatre critic and sometimes that means saying a performance didn’t work for me. It’s as simple as that.

Anyway, I say all this to give some context to my thoughts of the MWF cast of Footloose at Hale Center Theatre. All of the many points of praise I gave of the production were of course still there for this cast. Certainly the heart and soul of the Footloose story are present in any version whether the original film or a stage adaptation. Perhaps because it is so ensconced in pop culture and music the story has more of a bubble-gum reputation than it deserves. Footloose tries to tackle some serious issues about faith, grief, censorship, forgiveness, parenting and more and it does so well. Director Dave Tinney and the entire team at Hale seem to understand the richness of the story but also don’t forget to have a great time with the spectacle I expect from this company especially at the Young Living Stage.

The MWF cast of Footloose is led by Benjamin David Tate as Ren McCormack. It’s an extremely demanding role for a young man to take on, and he does so expertly. His dancing is excellent, and he sells Ren’s emotional arc within the musical. It was also nice to see Tate with Bryndal Braithwaite who plays Ariel. I saw Braithwaite as a substitute in the TThS cast and while she was good, the chemistry wasn’t quite there. I said in the review it’s “got to be easier to have chemistry with someone you are regularly acting with” and that is definitely the case here with her and Tate. In addition, Braithwaite has a deeper chemistry with Greg Hansen playing her father Rev Shaw Moore in this cast. Collin Larsen is also a riot as Willard Hewitt and “Mama Says” is still my favorite song in the show.

To be clear, I did not have a miserable time with the other cast. I would not have seen it a second time if that was the case. It was a mixed reaction because of a performance that did not work for me. Now I have seen what I think is the best version of this production, and I can recommend it without any reservations. Especially moments like “Holding out for a Hero,” which I still won’t spoil for my readers, will be a highlight of their theatre-going year. It’s a blast and well worth your time and money. Footloose is playing through August 30th and tickets can be purchased here.

Footloose: the Musical has a stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie based on the original screenplay by Pitchford. The music is by Tom Snow with lyrics by Dean Pitchford and additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

For someone that sees as much theatre as I do one can crave more experimental and fresh approaches to the artform. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy a production of The Music Man or A Christmas Carol as the next person but it’s exciting to see something that feels innovative and new. Such was my experience at the Meanwhile Park venue in Sugarhouse with their new one act short plays Vacation and Red Devil.

Meanwhile Park is a place I had heard about but had never been invited to review until now. It’s a wonderful concept started by Jeff Paris after the pandemic (began in 2021) and the entire production takes place in a Salt Lake City backyard. The stage is a cement patio with all the lighting and other effects that one needs and they have a small group of chairs for the audience to enjoy the shows.

They truly think of everything even giving snack boxes, custom-made cocktails and bug spray wipes to make your experience comfortable. This intimacy and charm is part of why I think it would make for such a fun date night.

As far as the actual plays this is the first year they’ve done 2 one act plays that were selected as part of the Meanwhile Park Playwright Prize. Evidently there were over 170 submissions for consideration, which is kind of amazing for something out of someone’s backyard.

The first act show is called Vacation and it’s a dark two-hander where a gay couple Barrett (Alexis Baigue) and James (Dan Beecher) have taken their frustrations with each other out in very funny and violent ways. Even though this is a dark comedy it is about a relationship so again brings me back to my great date night idea. Something like Meanwhile Park could easily be a gimmick but the acting and the material are entertaining. I’m not excusing anything because of the environment it is presented in.

The second act show is called Red Devil and it’s more of a bittersweet comedy about 3 women getting treatment for breast cancer. Rose (Vicki Pugmire) and Val (Reb Fleming) are our older patients who are shocked when a young girl named Emmie (Laura Elise Chapman) comes in for treatment and has a completely different way of looking at the world. Chapman gives the most compelling performance here embodying Emmie with equal parts bubbliness and loneliness. Writer Andrea Berting writes the character well also when she could have easily been nothing but a dopey influencer. Red Devil might be too light and frothy for some given it deals with cancer but I enjoyed it. Again it balances just the right tone for date night.

With the intermission the night at Meanwhile Park will take you around 80 minutes which is perfect for this cozy, charming experience. They are rapidly selling out as there aren’t that many chairs so sign up today! It plays through July 20th and if you get to see it let me know what you think.

Vacation is written by Nathan Johnson and directed by Jason Bowcutt. Red Devil is written by Andrea Berting and directed by Teresa Sanderson.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

As a film and theatre critic I am well aware many readers want strong definitive opinions on everything. The world of Rottentomatoes has turned everything into either liking or hating whatever it is I’m critiquing. I recently experienced this with my & Juliet review which I was decidedly mixed on and yet I’m asked ‘why did you hate the show?’ Sigh. Believe me when I hate something you know! Anyway, I bring this up because I was very mixed on Hale Center Theatre’s new production of Footloose. There’s a lot to love in it but some choices that didn’t work for me and given Hale is charging $69 for each ticket it’s worth giving a well-rounded review.

Given its Utah roots most of us know the basic story of Footloose (the 1984 film was filmed here in Utah!) It’s one of those movies that is probably remembered for being more bubble-gum storytelling than it actually deserves. I watched it last year for my podcast and it goes to some darker places beyond just kids fighting town council for the ability to dance. If you haven’t seen it in a while I recommend giving it a rewatch. It’s a good film about parenting, religion, tradition, and of course the frustrations of being a teenager.

As far as the Broadway adaptation it’s pretty good in translating the script of the film to the stage and unlike projects like Pretty Woman they were able to get all of the key songs from the movie for the musical. Hale favorite director Dave Tinney has created some really fun sequences especially “Holding Out for a Hero.” I won’t spoil it for you but it had me grinning from ear-to-ear.

I am not sure if it is backlash from the obstructive stage elements of Beauty and the Beast but I have noticed Hale being a lot more careful about how they have been using their Young Living Stage. Most of the stages brought in and out are flat without any barriers that block audience view. The only exception in this show is the bridge setpiece but it was done in a way that won’t obstruct anyone. Scenic designer for Footloose is Jenn Taylor with lighting design from Jaron Kent Hermansen (he also did the video/projection design which is full of Utah imagery and a nice nod to the Utah legacy of this piece.)

One special treat for Footloose is Hale had a live band which I don’t think I’ve seen from them. Live music adds to the rock-n-roll quality of the entire experience (feels less like karaoke with it.) In general I enjoyed the cast in the TThS group with Bryndal Braithwaite subbing in for Ariel (she’s usually MWF cast) and Weston Wright stealing the show as Willard. My favorite song of the show is “Mamma Says” and Wright’s performance along with Afton Wilson’s choreography made sure it did not disappoint.

I hate to single out individual performers in community theater but sometimes a critic has to be honest with their experience. Ren Cottam did not work for me in the lead role as Ren McCormack. Maybe he was having an off night but he was stiff and felt too old for the role. He was frequently out of breath and seemed to struggle with the choreography, which is a problem when the show is literally about dancing. Since he is in almost every scene it was a major barrier in me fully embracing the production. I’m actually kind of curious to see if the MWF Ren would win me fully over but that was definitely my experience with this Ren. I am also curious to see if the MWF cast has better chemistry because Braithwaite would be in that cast regularly (got to be easier to have chemistry with someone you are regularly acting with.)

All that said, Footloose is a show for teens that isn’t afraid to tackle some tough issues and it could lead to some quality discussions for families. There is also enough spectacle from Hale with details like full size automobiles brought on stage and other details I won’t spoil. The live band adds a lot to the environment, and there really is much fun to be had with this production. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy than I’d recommend it even with its flaws.

Footloose: the Musical has a stage adaptation by Dean Pitchford and Walter Bobbie based on the original screenplay by Pitchford. The music is by Tom Snow with lyrics by Dean Pitchford and additional music by Eric Carmen, Sammy Hagar, Kenny Loggins and Jim Steinman

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing children get inspired by theatre. It brings me back to my childhood when I was first introduced to Phantom of the Opera, Shakespeare, and West Side Story. This is why even though I have my issues with Matilda I’m always going to be excited to support and cheer on any company that sets out to do it. Deep down I know this performance will be a catalyst for dozens of young people to become excited about musical theatre and that’s key to the preservation of the artform. The latest staging of Matilda comes through a collaboration between Kaysville City Musical and Hopbox Theatre at Davis High School in Kaysville. While this isn’t the flashiest version of Matilda I’ve seen, it’s entertaining and worthy of your time.

As with any performance associated with Hopebox they have a Hopebox recipient who is facing cancer and the performances fundraise to help this recipient. This is a wonderful mission, but I appreciate that Hopebox doesn’t lean on the mission. In fact, they use it as a catalyst to make passionate and wonderful theatre. I wondered if the loss of their intimate space would hurt their appeal but director Amy Turner has brought that heart and soul to the larger Davis High auditorium and one can’t help but be touched by the community spirit the cast and crew bring to the entire proceedings.

I saw the Teal Cast, and they are all very good with their roles. I was particularly impressed with Benjamin Stevens as Bruce. The song “Bruce” was a real highlight. I also love “The Smell of Rebellion,” and they do a great job with that here. Matilda is played with plucky determination by Avenley Sidwell and Tyler Bell is a very sarcastic Trunchbull. The rest of the cast is large and the choreography by Kelsey and Kayley Turner is a lot of fun.

The main critique I’d offer for the company is to work on enunciation. The microphones they are using muffle the sound quite a bit and if I was less familiar with the show I might have struggled to know what the actors were saying or singing. Also the production is simpler than I expected. I have seen both Kaysville and Hopebox put up such outstanding work I assumed the two of them collaborating would dazzle (like Kaysville’s Secret Garden was stunning, and Hopebox’s Oliver blew me away.) Instead it’s on the modern simpler side. Most of the set design is colored lighting with sets for Miss Honey and the Wormwood’s houses/Trunchbull’s office but something like the Chokey is more basic in its portrayal. Not bad just simpler than I was expecting.

At the end of the day Matilda is about the kids and their introduction to musical theatre. While I do have my issues on the musical’s book, I can’t deny kids get a story which focuses on their independent worth and value. It also can be quite funny with its over-the-top villain and ridiculous parental figures in Mrs and Mr Wormwood (Larisa Stewart and Drew Anderson respectively. ) They are all terrific here, and I’m sure the other Silver cast is equally strong.

If you want to learn more of my thoughts on Matilda (and Annie) check out this episode of my podcast.)

With it being at Davis High School this production has a shorter run than the typical month Hopebox shows receive. So get the family together and have a good time at Matilda. It’s not a perfect show but there’s still plenty here to entertain and inspire families. It plays through July 15th and tickets can be purchased here.

Matilda features music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly based on the Roald Dahl novel of the same name.

If you enjoy my writing and would like me to review your production I’d love to. I also have a patreon which is a great way to support my shorter logs for shows I don’t get to review. I have some really fun perks like bonus episodes, patron polls and monthly Q&As with actors, directors and writers. Please take a look here.