Circa ’21’s “Winter Wonderland” gave me everything I would want in a holiday special — it was lighthearted, cute, funny and full of snowflake fluffy holiday cheer. It’s what you want in a Christmas special, and I wholeheartedly recommend it as a perfect family gift for the holiday season. Expertly produced, director/choreographer Sean McCall, musical […]
There’s a heartfelt, inspiring story both on the Playcrafters stage and off in the wacky, wonderful “You Can’t Take It With You,” a classic American comedy by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman. Due to factors beyond the control of director Vicki Deusinger and the great 18-member cast (I think the most I’ve seen in any […]
I’ve always loved absurdist comedies. From the sketch comedies I’ve written and produced to stuff I watch over-and-over like “I Think You Should Leave” and “Mr. Show,” I’ve always gravitated towards humor that seems to continually come from the far reaches of the galaxy of the mind to offer unexpected laughs, and sometimes just complete […]
The Rock Island Speakeasy’s latest incarnation of “Rocky Horror” to slink out of the lascivious basement of ill repute is an absolute must-see, a tongue in cheek, tongues in cheeks, ribald riot. Driven in particular by the wonderfully smarmy performance of narrator Doug “Dougie” Kutzli, the powerful and sexy belt of Kira Rangel as Janet, […]
He was close. He thought he was ready, but at the last moment, he stepped away. Wait — let me back up and I’ll explain. To set the stage, last weekend I knew my upcoming review would be Halloween Kills, the latest entry in the extremely venerable franchise. The film picks up moments after the […]
The Davenport church for which I play piano had a brief dedication of lovingly handmade quilts Sunday morning that really hit home. The wonderful, open-hearted pastor (Clark Olson-Smith) said these colorful quilts – to be donated around the world – are each so much more than just a piece of material, but are an expression […]
I once read that a person’s preferred 007 can be determined by when their father showed them their first Bond movie. This is not a concept that’s supported by any kind of rigorous scientific method, and I know that because of my own experiences. My father was a product of World War II and the […]
The outstanding “Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” at Playcrafters shows us the essence of excellent live theater. Just two actors – with lots of costume changes, a varied musical soundtrack and dance styles – responsible for drawing and holding our attention for an entire story of two very different, colorful, strong-willed characters. With Playcrafters […]
When I heard that the prolific, amazing Alex Richardson was updating the 1882 Henrik Ibsen play “An Enemy of the People” to a tighter, slimmer, modern version – addressing science, disease, truth, corruption, adultery and journalism – I briefly wondered if there would be a spin on one of Donald Trump’s endlessly repeated lies, the […]
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a trend-setter, and it’s kind of amazing considering the risks taken. Consider the lead of Iron Man was a troubled actor with a notable drug problem. Consider that the vast majority of people had no earthly idea who Iron Man even was. Consider that the idea of an interconnected multi-film […]
