Rhode Island Theater Reviews

STOMP's Precision Percussion Brings Energetic Rhythm to PPAC

For two non-stop, high-energy hours, the performers in STOMP drum, dance, and – yes – stomp their way through an array of impressive percussive exhibitions. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Despite Some Thorns, 2nd Story's THE ROSE TATOO Blossoms Into Solid Entertainment

Among other things, playwright Tennessee Williams is known for plays which fit into the category of "southern gothic." His works are often set in the south and tell steamy, sordid tales of love, sex, power and death. One such play, The Rose Tattoo, is set in a small town on the gulf coast, where everybody knows everybody else's business and where secrets and passions run as deep as the humidity is high. Less often produced than Williams' other plays, Rose Tattoo is currently on the stage at 2nd Story Theatre in Warren. (more...)

BWW Reviews: OSTC Stages Terrific THE KING AND I

Ocean State Theatre Company closes the inaugural season at its new Warwick location on a high note with a winning production of 'The King and I.' (more...)

BWW Reviews: Impressive Beatles Tribute RAIN Brings History and Harmony to Providence

'RAIN's' long history - dating back to the 1970s with both US and international tours, as well as a recent limited engagement on Broadway - attests to the high quality of the production. This tour boasts an amazing sound, a sharp, authentic look, and an impressively talented quintet of musicians. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Local Talent Rises to Top of Daydream Theatre's HIGHER METHODS

To paraphrase an old saying, you can't swing a dead cat in a Rhode Island theater without hitting a graduate of either Rhode Island College or University of Rhode Island. But don't worry, that's a good thing. RIC and URI have been consistently producing highly talented young theater professionals for a number of years. Local theaters, both on stage and behind the scenes, are teeming with these talented, enthusiastic, capable artists. And while there are other schools in the area producing similar talent, it seems that RIC and URI appear most frequently in the playbills of local productions. In the case of Daydream Theatre Company's current show, Higher Methods, talented young actors from the aforementioned schools happen to be the highlight of the evening. Rather than a daydream, the play is more of a fever dream, bordering on a nightmare. It is the tale of a young actor who travels to Los Angeles, Hollywood specifically, to find his long lost sister. In his efforts to hunt her down, he traces her steps, trying to experience everything she did. Along the way, he becomes lost in a strange world where little makes sense and nothing is what it seems. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Artists' Exchange Celebrates Opening of Theatre 82 with Touching OUR TOWN

Artists' Exchange gathered a solid ensemble of local actors for their production of 'Our Town,' and this group makes the most of each and every character portrayed on stage. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Riveting RACE Raises Important Questions at Ocean State Theatre Company

Modern-day questions of race are examined with unflinching honesty in David Mamet's play Race, now playing at Ocean State Theatre Company. Mamet, one of the most prolific writers working today, has written numerous plays, screenplays and television shows. He is known for, among other things, his fast-paced, rapid-fire dialogue and his talent for stripping away the layers of politeness and political correctness to get down to the dirty, brutal truth beneath the surface. Race doesn't just get under the skin of our society's racial issues, it gets into the very marrow of the bone. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Brings Intimate BODY AWARENESS to Their New, Smaller Space

Until recently, Wilbury Group was presenting their plays in an old warehouse space, which was both difficult to find and mostly uncomfortable for the audience. The cavernous space was too large, too hard to find and made it too difficult for audiences to enjoy exciting new theater. Now, the company has found new digs, on Broad Street, in the Southside Cultural Center. The space is far smaller, far more comfortable and much more intimate, allowing Wilbury to bring the audience up close and personal with exciting works of drama, from old to new, musical to straight play. (more...)

2nd Story Shines with Fully Committed ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST

Although we might like to believe that things are black or white, one or the other, they almost never are. There are many shades of gray and variations in between. And it can be a blurry distance between two extremes. A fine line between, for example, sane and insane. Who's to say what its crazy and what isn't? And who gets to decide what to do about people deemed to be at the wrong end of the spectrum? Few plays examine these issues with such depth, pathos and clarity as Dale Wasserman's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, adapted from the novel by Ken Kesey. The play, originally performed in 1963, received Tony awards when it was revived in 2001. It also spawned a movie version in 1975, famously starring Jack Nicholson, which won multiple Academy Awards, including Best Picture. (more...)

BWW Review: Wildly Entertaining BLUE MAN GROUP Brings Humor, Light, and Music to Providence

The long-running 'Blue Man Group' presents a new touring production that combines smart physical comedy, brilliant visual effects, impressive musical talent, and the odd science lesson to create 90 minutes of non-stop entertainment. (more...)

BWW Review: LORD OF THE DANCE Melds Fleet Feet and Fantasy in Rhode Island

'Lord of the Dance' has a somewhat more defined story line than Flatley's other smash hit, Riverdance, and the show joins traditional forms of Celtic dance with modern styles and performance skills to tell its tale. (more...)

BWW Reviews: OSTC'S Production of FOOLS a Colorful, Fractured Fable

The Ocean State Theatre Company officially begins its inaugural season with Neil Simon's 'Fools,' a light-hearted and zany tale of breaking curses and finding true love. (more...)

BWW Reviews: GAMM Hosts U.S. Premiere of Spirited ANNE BOLEYN

Howard Brenton breathes new life into Boleyn's public persona as Queen and delves deeply into her private and fiercely-held personal faith; he also employs the characters to examine the realities and intersections of state, religious, and gender politics at work in Tudor England. (more...)

BWW Reviews: OSTC Christens New Location with Jolly WINTER WONDERETTES

The Ocean State Theatre Company opens their new Warwick performance space with carols and comedy in the tune-filled Christmastime cabaret 'The Winter Wonderettes.' (more...)

BWW Reviews: PPAC Presents First-Rate Production of Beloved FIDDLER

'Fiddler's' current touring company maintains the show's long legacy with great success. This tour boasts a polished, professional group of actors who breathe new life into the familiar story and songs. (more...)

BWW Reviews: The Gamm Theatre Examines Art and Life in RED

RED, which won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Play, focuses on the two intense years Mark Rothko spent creating a set of murals for the Four Seasons Restaurant. The Gamm's intimate performance space is ideal for this production. The smell of paint lingers in the air, and even patrons in the back rows can hear excess color dropping from brushes to spatter on the floor. (more...)

BWW Reviews: PPAC Welcomes Christmas Season with Festive ELF

'Elf the Musical' boasts a jazzy, highly enjoyable score by Doug Besterman, and traces Buddy the Elf's quest to find his biological father in the faraway land of New York City. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Wilbury Group Presents Witty, Moving LUNGS

Current world events, financial realities and personal readiness are concerns all couples grapple with when deciding if the time is right to start a family together. However, most couples do not discuss these issues with the hilarious, unrestrained animation of M and W, the engaging young duo at the center of Duncan MacMillan's LUNGS. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Trinity Rep Opens 2012-13 Season with Compelling KING LEAR

Providence's celebrated Trinity Repertory Company opens its 49th season with a powerful production of Shakespeare's tragedy, KING LEAR. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Theatre by the Sea Stages Tune-Filled HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS

Once again, the Ocean State Theatre Company has assembled a very talented cast of musical theatre performers, and 'How to Succeed's' song-and-dance numbers are this production's greatest strength. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Dolly Parton’s Colorful, Energetic 9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL Plays Theatre by the Sea

'9 to 5: the Musical' brims with infectious energy from the first notes of the title song; the production's engaging cast of characters and its madcap tale of corporate retribution keep that momentum going from start to finish. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Courthouse Center for the Arts Extends Outstanding Production of TITANIC

It's no wonder that the Courthouse Center for the Arts recently announced extended performances of 'Titanic,' this production is undeniably excellent in every respect. (more...)

BWW Reviews: 2nd Story Theatre's REBECCA - An Engaging Classic

Daphne du Maurier's classic, haunting novel Rebecca is an ambitious project to recreate on stage, but 2nd Story Theatre does the tale justice with a smart, well-paced and engaging production. (more...)

BWW Reviews: Theatre By The Sea Presents Beloved Classic THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Theatre By The Sea stages Rodgers and Hammerstein's classic 'The Sound of Music' as the second production of the 2012 summer season. (more...)

BWW Reviews: WHEN MAHALIA SINGS Makes a Joyful Sound at Trinity Rep

Mixed Magic Theatre and Trinity Repertory Company celebrate the life and legacy of legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson in 'When Mahalia Sings.' (more...)