Reviews

935 results
Page 42
Olazabal & Espinosa, seen in profile facing each other, look intimate & melancholy. She touches his chin with one finger.

Two River Theater presents Nilo Cruz’s Two Sisters and a Piano

Out of tune
Playwright Nilo Cruz revisits Two Sisters and a Piano, a tale of passion and oppression in early-90s Havana, in a stagnant production at Two River Theater. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
A wide shot revealing the whole Armory, lights on the court, dim everywhere else, all players on stage.

Ross Gay and Girard College present Be Holding

Poetry on breathing, basketball, and spectacle
Ross Gay’s libretto poem Be Holding connects an iconic basketball play from Dr. J with one of the most disturbing award-winning photographs in American history. Kyle V. Hiller reviews.
Kyle V. Hiller

Kyle V. Hiller

Reviews 4 minute read
Anderson, balanced one knee, leans back dramatically under Gray’s reach. They wear lush black, white & gray ballet costumes.

Chocolate Ballerina Company presents Black Swan: A Swan Lake Premiere

Not your Petipa Swan Lake
Chocolate Ballerina Company, a contemporary community-based dance organization for artists of color in the Philly region, offered an impressive new take on Swan Lake with an all-ages ensemble. Camille Bacon-Smith reviews.
Camille Bacon-Smith

Camille Bacon-Smith

Reviews 3 minute read
The Maitlands, Beetlejuice & Lydia appear in a fantastical, misty, purple & green lit house, Beetlejuice in his striped suit.

Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Schubert Organization present Beetlejuice

Not so strange and unusual
The national Broadway tour of Beetlejuice, the musical, stopping at the Academy of Music through Sunday, June 11, sands the dark edges off the original in favor of feel-good clichés. C.M. Crockford reviews.
C.M. Crockford

C.M. Crockford

Reviews 3 minute read
6 ensemble members in a motley range of costumes appear to be having a picnic on the black floor of the stage.

Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival presents Henry IV, Part 2

The “Extreme Shakespeare” Henriad continues
Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival opens its 2023 season with Henry IV, Part 2, a joyous restaging that succeeds in ragtag style, despite a few dramatic missteps. Kiran Pandey reviews.
Kiran Pandey

Kiran Pandey

Reviews 4 minute read
Capanna and VillaMil, two white women, lie fully dressed side by side on a sofa bed, a white blanket partially covering them.

South Camden Theatre Company and the Strides Collective present Diane Son’s Stop Kiss

A Pride month miss
South Camden Theatre Company partners with the Strides Collective to produce Diane Son’s 1998 Stop Kiss for Pride month. But why do we need this story in 2023? Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 3 minute read

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9 cast members pose as if for a school picture in the gym, with bright differently styled clothes & varied exaggerated poses

Arden Theatre Company presents The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Not a winner
At the Arden, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee lingers on cheap jokes at the expense of adolescent self-discovery. Cameron Kelsall reviews.
Cameron Kelsall

Cameron Kelsall

Reviews 3 minute read
On rectangular paper measuring several feet, the score appears in startling, graceful segments & shapes, not linear bars

Orchestra 2001 presents George Crumb: Scores at an Exhibition

Beautiful music—for the ear and the eye
Philadelphia composer George Crumb, who died last year, was famous for his music as well as his hand-notated scores, art forms in themselves. Orchestra 2001 had both on display in this combined concert and exhibition. Gail Obenreder reviews.
Gail Obenreder

Gail Obenreder

Reviews 4 minute read
A smiling Eisenhower sings in an ornate blue-and-black patterned coat. She has red hair, a feathered hat, and floral handbag.

Act II Playhouse presents Michael Stewart and Jerry Herman’s Hello, Dolly!

A smaller Dolly
Act II Playhouse produces the brassy Hello, Dolly! with top-notch local talent, but does the big show suit a small venue? Josh Herren reviews.
Josh Herren

Josh Herren

Reviews 2 minute read
Nance, a Black man wearing a white shift, sits on a stool onstage and sings into a handheld mic, a spiral in light behind him

BlackStar Projects and Union Transfer present Terence Nance’s V O R T E X in concert

Finding a groove in the vortex
Terence Nance’s first performance of V O R T E X, his debut album, was full of heavy percussion and celestial harping that managed to stay tethered to the earth through balance and love. Kiersten Adams reviews.
Kiersten Adams

Kiersten Adams

Reviews 3 minute read