• REVIEW: To Kill A Mockingbird – Broadway Across America Cincinnati
  • BROADWAY REVIEW: “Take Me Out”
  • Doubly Great – I Shall Not Be Moved & Your Negro Tour Guide
  • REVIEW: Clybourne Park
  • REVIEW: Fortune
  • REVIEW: Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind
  • REVIEW: Lady Windermere’s Fan
  • FRINGE REVIEW: seXmas Cards
  • REVIEW: The Wolves
  • FRINGE REVIEW – ZOINKS! – NOT TO BE MISSED
  • REVIEW: Association of Controlled Dreamers
  • REVIEW: Skeleton Crew
  • Full Circle: A Story of Mentorship and Collaboration
  • REVIEW: The Thanksgiving Play
  • CCM’s Transmigration an Energetic Festival of New Works!
  • REVIEW: A Doll’s House, Part 2
  • REVIEW: Our Country’s Good
  • REVIEW: Ripcord
  • REVIEW: St. Nicholas
  • REVIEW: Eurydice
  • REVIEW: Mr. Burns – a post electric play
  • REVIEW: Misery
  • THE DROWNING GIRLS playing through Monday in Northside!
  • REVIEW: Jalz
  • REVIEW: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged)
  • FRINGE REVIEW: One More Bad Thing
  • FRINGE REVIEW: The Mountains Did Quake, The Hillsides Did Tremble
  • FRINGE REVIEW: of Monster Descent
  • REVIEW: Noises Off
  • Monday Matinee 5.7.18 – This Week in Cincinnati Theatre
  • REVIEW: A Great Wilderness
  • REVIEW: Ken Ludwig’s Treasure Island
  • Monday Matinee 4.23.18 – This Week in Cincinnati Theatre
  • REVIEW: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
  • REVIEW: Sooner/Later
  • REVIEW: Red Velvet
  • REVIEW: Transmigration 2018
  • REVIEW: Buried Child
  • REVIEW: The Pillowman
  • REVIEW: The Humans
  • REVIEW: Poor Behavior
  • REVIEW: The Color of the Leaves
  • REVIEW: The House
  • REVIEW: The Earth is Flat
  • REVIEW: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
  • REVIEW: Dracula
  • REVIEW: This Random World
  • REVIEW: Frankenstein
  • REVIEW: Hamlet
  • REVIEW: Typhoid Mary
  • REVIEW: Guest Artist
  • REVIEW – Cannibal Galaxy: A Love Story
  • REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
  • THEATER OF WAR Opens a Dialogue about the Impact of Battle on Soldiers and Their Families
  • REVIEW: This Is Our Youth
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Invisible Girl
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Home
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Gen & Mabel
  • FRINGE REVIEW: God of Obsidian
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Balls of Yarns
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Busted Bumpers and Other Metaphors
  • FRINGE REFLECTION: Is That All There Is?
  • FRINGE REVIEW: The Disappearance of Nicole Jacobs, Part 1 – The Sister
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Pet Fish Are Made For . . .
  • I’m Feeling Fringe-y
  • REVIEW: Erma Bombeck – At Wit’s End
  • REVIEW: Master Harold and the Boys
  • REVIEW: On Golden Pond
  • REVIEW: Bloomsday
  • REVIEW: A Raisin in the Sun
  • REVIEW: All the Roads Home
  • REVIEW: Rabbit Hole
  • REVIEW: Jane Eyre
  • REVIEW: When We Were Young and Unafraid
  • REVIEW: This Wide Night
  • REVIEW: Her Naked Skin
  • REVIEW: Summerland
  • REVIEW: 26 Pebbles
  • REVIEW: Dragon Play
  • REVIEW: A Christmas Carol
  • REVIEW: The Second City’s Holidazed and Confused Revue
  • REVIEW: The Diviners
  • REVIEW: Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom
  • REVIEW: Jitney
  • REVIEW: The Elephant Man
  • REVIEW: Brownsville Song (B Side for Tray)
  • REVIEW: Romeo and Juliet
  • REVIEW: Disgraced
  • REVIEW: The Road Through Damascus
  • REVIEW: The Diary of Anne Frank
  • REVIEW: A Prayer for Owen Meany
  • REVIEW: The Legend of Georgia McBride
  • REVIEW: Slut Shaming
  • REVIEW: Thom Pain
  • REVIEW: Horizons of Gold
  • It’s Opening Night . . .
  • Cincinnati LAB Theatre’s 2016 Festival of New Works Coming in August
  • REVIEW: The Fisherman’s Wife
  • REVIEW: The Star Spangled Girl
  • FRINGE REVIEW: The 4th Graders Present an Unnamed Love-Suicide
  • FRINGE REVIEW: My Left Teeth
  • FRINGE REVIEW: The Gospel of Fat Kathy
  • FRINGE REVIEW: FURLESQUE
  • FRINGE REVIEW: We Did It, Girl!
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Cessna
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Naked Strangers
  • FRINGE REVIEW: The Midnight Express
  • WRECKED: A Play Reading That Did Me In
  • REVIEW: Bad Dates
  • REVIEW: Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Swing
  • REVIEW: The Shape of Things
  • REVIEW: Mothers and Sons
  • REVIEW: Annapurna
  • Still Time to See EQUUS
  • Transmigration 2016: Another Successful Festival
  • REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Local Director to Stage EQUUS at Miami-Hamilton
  • REVIEW: Emma
  • REVIEW: Begotten
  • REVIEW: Miss Julie
  • REVIEW: Betrayal
  • REVIEW: Ah, Wilderness!
  • REVIEW: The Revolutionists
  • REVIEW: The Glass Menagerie
  • REVIEW: Prelude to a Kiss
  • REVIEW: Native Gardens
  • REVIEW: Grounded
  • REVIEW: The Realistic Joneses
  • REVIEW: Mockingbird
  • REVIEW: This Is Our Youth
  • REVIEW: A Christmas Carol
  • REVIEW: The Aliens
  • CCM Drama Hosts Play Reading Series
  • REVIEW: Relatively Speaking
  • REVIEW: Steel Magnolias
  • REVIEW: The Mystery Plays
  • REVIEW: Mad River Rising
  • REVIEW: The Norwegians
  • REVIEW: Buyer and Cellar
  • REVIEW: Sex With Strangers
  • Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune
  • REVIEW: Luna Gale
  • Monthly Matinee: September 2015
  • Cincinnati LAB Theatre Promotes Collaboration and New Works
  • REVIEW: Lysistrata
  • REVIEW: ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Love and Information
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Fixate
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Occupational Pleasures
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Shirtzencockle
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Shelter
  • FRINGE REVIEW: Mouthy Bitch
  • REVIEW: Circle Mirror Transformation
  • REVIEW: Three Days of Rain
  • REVIEW: Outside Mullingar
  • Five Reasons to See VANYA, SONIA, MASHA, & SPIKE
  • REVIEW: You’re Welcome: A Cycle of Bad Plays
  • REVIEW: Taking Shakespeare
  • REVIEW: Xavier’s Spring Awakening
  • REVIEW: Death and the Maiden
  • REVIEW: Race
  • Know Theatre’s SERIALS Adds More Intrigue to the Concept
  • BIRD BRAIN is a Charming Must-See
  • Five Thoughts About THE TAMING OF THE SHREW
  • HEARTS LIKE FISTS Now Playing at Know Theatre
  • REVIEW: Buzzer
  • REVIEW: Detroit ’67
  • REVIEW: Peter and the Star Catcher
  • Transmigration 2015 – Adventurous Theatre
  • REVIEW: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
  • Five Things I Learned From CSC’s “Hamlet”
  • Still Seats Left for Tonight’s Opening of “Every Christmas Story Ever Told (and Then Some)
  • A Klingon Christmas Carol – Special Pricing Tonight!
  • One More Chance to See “The Crucible” on Sunday
  • Looking Forward . . .
  • Klingons love theatre, and so do you!
  • Local Schools Producing Classic Theater This Fall
  • See “Light Sensitive” This Weekend
  • Good Will Hunting
The Sappy Critic

My Year in Theatre – 2019

0

Yes, I’ve slowed down my theatre-obsession in 2019, which means that yes, there are fewer reviews.  I feel bad about it, honestly, but I also feel like I’m doing a better job taking care of myself.  I hope the reviews that I do write are thoughtful and that they help encourage artists (and increase ticket sales.)  That said, here are some highlights from my year in theatre in 2019.

  • Some of my favorite shows are the smaller, more intimate off-the-radar ones like the annual Pat and Julie Show at CCM.  Pat Linhart’s cabaret recital, accompanied by the incomparable Julie Spangler, is a must-see for me every year.  I can’t wait till January 19th to see it again this year! UPDATE: Show has been canceled this year due to illness.  I’m sad!
  • I laughed out loud at Dale Hodges and Pam Myers in Ensemble Theatre’s hilarious nursing-home comedy, RIPCORD. I don’t know if there’s been a more perfectly cast show this year.
  • Vincent DeGeorge had a pretty stellar year, with both the highly unusual YEAST NATION and his revolutionary take on THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW at CCM.  I also had the pleasure of watching one of his students, Zack Triska, perform a one-person piece originally devised by DeGeorge when he was a student at CCM.  I’m looking forward to more theatrical genius from Vince in 2020.
  • Ensemble Theatre knocked it out of the park with their presentations of the contemporary blockbusters.  Both THE WOLVES and FUN HOME featured terrific performances and stellar storytelling.  (Sara Mackie reestablished herself as a star this year with her take on the long-suffering mother in FUN HOME.)  I also adored Christine Dye’s honest performance in A DOLL’S HOUSE: PART 2.  ETC is on fire lately; D. Lynn Myers knows how to pick a season, and direct and cast it properly!
  • I didn’t get to the Playhouse much this season, but I was impressed with ONCE ON THIS ISLAND.  The vocals were sensational, and the production used surprising special effects to tell a great story.  After seeing it on Broadway the year before with an all-star cast, I was afraid I’d be underwhelmed; it was just the opposite.
  • I’m looking forward to more directing work from Susan Felder, faculty in the CCM Acting program.  While not my favorite show of all time, LADY WINDEMERE’S FAN showed that she can help her actors find the relevance in almost any script from any time period.  I also am always interested to see what Brant Russell comes up with; his production of ASSOCIATION OF CONTROLLED DREAMERS was exciting and timely.  Under the watchful eye of veteran professor Richard Hess, this program is always on the move!
  • Speaking of CCM, Aubrey Berg’s last show as Department Chair was the largescale HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME, which featured some impressive vocal performances.  New chair Diane Lala (along with tap choreographer Katie Johanigman) showed why this program is legendary with the gigantic 42ND STREET.
  • I need to get to Northern Kentucky University again this year; the timing never seems to work out for one reason or another.  Wright State, too.  I also am excited about all the great work that Stephen Skiles and his team continue to produce at Xavier University.  We live in such an exciting city for collegiate level theatre.
  • Of course, I love the Cincinnati Fringe Festival.  Discovering new artists, seeing my favorites in their element (and sometimes outside of it) – its probably the highlight of the theatrical year for someone like me who loves original and new works.  Jen Joplin’s performance in her original show, THE MILF ALSO RISES, stands out in my memory, as does the always incredible work of Trey Tatum and Bridget Leak, Paul Strickland, and Alexx Rouse.  I love Gideon Productions shows, too, and I really enjoyed the reading of Peter Marino’s DESPERATELY SEEKING THE EXIT.
  • I was blown away by Donelvan Thigpen (“Donny T”) as Prince in PURPLE REIGN in Las Vegas.  What an amazing transformation.
  • Finally, the personal highlight of the year has to be seeing my dear friend, DJ Plunkett, both in Las Vegas and St. Louis as “Boq” in the National Tour of WICKED.  I also saw my friend Jon Hacker as “Frankie Valli” in the National Tour of JERSEY BOYS.  I didn’t review these shows – I mean, it’s Wicked and Jersey Boys, we know their great – but seeing someone who I know so well do something so big…well, it’s definitely the emotional highlight of 2019.  (I’ll see WICKED again in Columbus in May; Jersey Boys is there very soon.)

I’m sure I left stuff out, and I’m sorry.  I hope to see you at the theatre a little more in 2020.  Maybe I’ll have something of my own for you to see, too.  Regardless, get out and support local artists, local productions, and local theatres and tell all your friends to do the same!

Happy New Year!

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Tags: cincinnati theatre, year in review