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“Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” at Austin Playhouse
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is based on the ridiculous 1980s movie of the same name where two con men work with each other, then work against each other, get a monkey boy involved, and eventually get beat at their own game by a better con artist than themselves. The musical, which came out in 2005-ish, isn’t…
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“Company” by Roustabout Theatre Company
The current production of Company by Roustabout Theatre – another brand-new venture in the Austin scene – is directed, music directed, and choreographed by Adam Roberts, and produced by and starring Seth David Mitchell as Bobby. I’m not really a Sondheim fan, to my husband’s chagrin, but I suppose Company would be my favorite if…
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“The Winter’s Tale” by Twelve Satyr Shakespeare
Twelve Satyr Shakespeare is one of the newest theatre companies in town (they seem to be popping up overnight), a venture started by recent Shakespeare at Winedale alums Leo Weiser and Andrew Wissman. For their first performance, Twelve Satyr staged The Winter’s Tale – an intrepid choice, as it’s not one of the Bard’s more…
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“Hamlet” by Walking Shadow Shakespeare Project
Hamlet is a hard show. It’s hard on the actors (title role especially) and the directors. Every choice a production makes, perhaps more than most Shakespeare plays, is going to garner an opinion – How long will an audience sit still for? Which lines are too iconic to cut? Should any lines be cut? How…
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“A Christmas Carol” at ZACH Theatre
I had heard of the ZACH’s Christmas Carol; it’s hard not to, since it happens annually – this year is the tenth anniversary! Last year was the first time I realized it was a jukebox musical, though, which I admit made me extremely skeptical. But they advertise that they update the show with “fresh music”…
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“Grey Gardens” by Entr’acte
This review is a few days later than I like – partly because of overbooking myself (just like I said I wasn’t going to!) and partly because, truthfully, it’s been a struggle to write. Entr’acte’s productions are truly one of a kind in the Austin area: they aren’t fully formed musicals, but musicals in concert.…
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“Waiting for Godot” by Beards of Instagram at Hyde Park Theatre
I have a confession: I had never seen or read Waiting for Godot until this weekend. Partly because I’ve never made it a priority, but partly because it seems to be one of those plays reserved for Big Professional Theaters with Big Name Actors Who Really Should Be Paired Together. I think of Robin Williams…
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OUT OF TOWN SPECIAL: “The Flick” at Gaslight-Baker Theatre
Community theater might be the most important art form in the world. Okay, obviously that is an exaggeration bourne from personal inclinations. But local theater is very important. I’ve seen bad community theater, I have seen middling community theater, and I’ve seen really great community theater – in the same way that I’ve seen bad, middling,…
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“The Three Musketeers” by The Archive Theatre
The Archive Theatre’s The Three Musketeers is a new adaptation of Dumas’ novel by producing artistic director Jennifer Rose Davis. The script moves along at a good clip and the show clocks in at under two hours, giving a sort of madcap romp feel to an old classic adventure. Much of this energy is also…
Bat City Stage Reviews
A review blog for live theater in Austin, Texas