Sunday, July 31, 2022

reviews - ON YOUR FEET! - The Phoenix Theatre Company

Adam James King and Kassandra Haddock
photo by Reg Madison Photography

highlights from local critics reviews - (click link at bottom of each review to read complete review)

Click here for more information on this production that runs through August 28

"While there have been numerous jukebox musicals that feature the songs of an artist, band or composer that use an original and fictional story, there have also been many that focus on the factual backstage and onstage careers of the recording artists set against their famous tunes. One of the most recent examples of these shows, On Your Feet!, tells the interesting story of Latin crossover artists Gloria and Emilio Estefan and features more than two dozen songs from their varied catalog. It's an energetic musical with many upbeat songs but it is also an intimate and honest drama of the story of these beloved artists. The emotional impact of the characters and the ups and downs in their rise to fame comes off extremely well in the Phoenix Theatre Company's local premiere production of this crowd-pleasing show. The intimacy of The Phoenix Theatre venue, an exceptional cast and ensemble, and clear direction provide a toe-tapping and emotionally impactful good time...."   -Gil Benbrook, Talkin' Broadway (click here to read the complete review)

"...a delicious confection exuberantly mounted by The Phoenix Theatre Company that pays homage to the great Hispanic vocal artists Gloria and Emilio Estefan...filled with excitingly energetic dance numbers that explode on the stage as the musical tribute delves into Gloria’s life and how, through driving determination, she and her husband became iconic singing artists.... throbs with dynamic excitement as expressed in director Pasha Yamotahari’s staging and especially in Sergio Mejia’s lively choreography. Alan J. Plado’s vigorous orchestra blasts the familiar tunes out for the dashingly sharp ensemble that essay the people who played critical parts in the duo’s life and success...." -Chris Curcio, Curtain Up Phoenix (click here to read the complete review)

Video Audition Submissions for FREAKY FRIDAY at Limelight Performing Arts due August 5


Auditions for Freaky Friday with Limelight Performing Arts
By Video Audition due August 5

Sign up to audition & get more details: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904094dadaa229-freaky

Rehearsals begin August 12
Performances September 22-October 2

OKLAHOMA! - Spotlight Youth Theatre - September 9-25, 2022

     
Music by Richard Rodgers
Book and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Based on the play Green Grow the Lilacs by Lynn Riggs

Based on the 2019 revival, this production leaves the original text and score intact while exploring them through a 21st century lens. This production aims to reflect the concerns of a diverse American society, and their relation to their country that reveals a darker psychological truth at its core.

Sep. 9-25, 2022
Fridays/Saturdays at 7:00 p.m.
Sundays at 2:00 p.m.
Sep. 17 & 24 at 2:00 p.m.
Ticketing info available soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

LIZZIE - Spotlight Youth Theatre - October 8-October 23, 2022



Book by Tim Maner
Music by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Alan Stevens Hewitt
Lyrics by Steven Cheslik-DeMeyer & Tim Maner

This all-female rock show makes the legend of Lizzie Borden a timeless scream!

Rock show about the legend of Lizzie Borden, performed in the new SYT Studio.

Thursday/Friday/Saturday: 7:00 p.m.
Sunday: 2:00 p.m.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

SHREK THE MUSICAL JR. - Spotlight Youth Theatre - October 21–November 16, 2022


Everyone’s favorite ogre is back in this hilarious stage spectacle, based on the hit film and Broadway musical.

Musical based on the hit Dreamworks film, performed Oct. 21 – Nov. 16, 2022.

Music by Jeanine Tesori
Book and Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Based on the DreamWorks Animation Motion Picture and the book by William Steig

Auditions: Aug. 28-29.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

THE LAST CHANCE ANGELS - Spotlight Youth Theatre - December 9-18, 2022



Book & Lyrics by Bobby Sample

A flash flood will destroy a small desert town unless the good will of their community proves enough to earn a miracle.

A new holiday musical performed on the SYT Mainstage Dec. 9-18, 2022.

Auditions: Oct. 9-10.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

DISNEY'S THE JUNGLE BOOK KIDS - Spotlight Youth Theatre - January 7, 2023


Music & Lyrics by Richard M. Sherman, Robert B. Sherman, & Terry Gilkyson
Additional lyrics / Book adapted by Marcy Heisler
Music adapted & arranged by Bryan Louiselle

Musical based on the Disney film and Kipling’s classic stories, performed on the SYT Mainstage Jan. 7, 2023.

Workshop Dec. 26-Jan. 7: Mowgli the “man cub” learns what it means to be human in a no-cut show rehearsed as a camp during the holiday break.

Information about registration and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

ONCE - Spotlight Youth Theatre - January 20-February 5, 2023

   


Book by Enda Walsh
Music and Lyrics by Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová
Based on the Motion Picture Written and Directed by John Carney

An Irish musician and a Czech immigrant are drawn together by their shared love of music in this joyously uplifting show.

Musical based on the 2007 film, performed on the SYT Mainstage Jan. 20-Feb. 5, 2023.

Auditions: Oct. 23-24.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318


PLAYFEST 2022-’23 - Spotlight Youth Theatre - February 10-19, 2023



Three winning short plays, written and directed by students in the SYT Studio Feb. 10-19, 2023.
Feb. 10-19: Three new one-act plays in one exciting show, with the scripts that won SYT’s annual young playwrights’ contest.

Auditions: Dec. 26-27.
The winning plays are yet to be announced. Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

DISNEY'S MOANA JR. - Spotlight Youth Theatre - March 3-19, 2023



Music and Lyrics by Opetaia Foa’i, Mark Mancina, & Lin-Manuel Miranda
JR. Script Adaptation by Susan Soon He Stanton
JR. Score Adaptation and Arrangements & Orchestrations by Ian Weinberger

This one-hour musical adaptation of the 2016 film brings the adventures of Moana and her village of Motunui to life onstage.

Performed on the SYT Mainstage Mar. 3-19, 2023.

Auditions: Jan. 8-9.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

MACBETH - Spotlight Youth Theatre - April 14-23, 2023

  

Written by William Shakespeare
Adapted/Directed by Kenny Grossman

Treason, power madness, civil war… Some things never change! Shakespeare’s tragic masterpiece comes to the SYT Mainstage.

Shakespeare’s classic, performed on the SYT Mainstage Apr. 14-23, 2023.

Auditions: Feb. 19-20.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

RUNAWAYS - Spotlight Youth Theatre - April 28-May 7, 2023


Book, Lyrics, and Music by Elizabeth Swados

Intense musical constructed from interviews with homeless children and those in orphanages in 1970s New York.

Musical constructed from interviews with real runaways, performed in the SYT Studio Apr. 28 – May 7, 2023.

Auditions: Mar. 12-13.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

HANDS ON A HARDBODY - Spotlight Youth Theatre - May 19-June 4, 2023


Book by Doug Wright
Lyrics by Amanda Green
Music by Trey Anastasio & Amanda Green

Ten contestants compete to win a truck in this popular country-western musical that won SYT’s Pick-a-Season contest.

Auditions: Apr. 1-2.
Information about auditions and production details will be posted soon.

Spotlight Youth Theatre
10620 N 43rd Ave
Glendale, AZ 85304
(602) 843-8318

Saturday, July 30, 2022

UNRETOUCHED - Theatre Artists Studio - August 19-September 4, 2022​

      

by Tim Ashby

Mary’s tragedy has found a home at last in the remains of a state mental hospital, now an underfunded halfway house for indigent adults. Not to be believed is not to exist.  But try telling that to Mary’s own mother, whose enraging disbelief descends upon visiting hours like a deafening storm.


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

Edward Albee's A DELICATE BALANCE - Theatre Artists Studio - September 30-October 23, 2022

From the Treasury of American Theater comes one of Albee's classic masterpieces.  As a family and their neighbors deal with fears from without and conflicts from within, they struggle to keep that delicate balance between order and chaos.  With humor, pathos and eloquence, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a reminder that, although humanity is fragile, it's still important to the reality of our own lives.


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

THE CHILDREN - Theatre Artists Studio - November 18-December 11, 2022​



Two married and retired nuclear scientists have chosen to live their lives in isolation, until an old friend arrives with a frightening request.  This compelling and gripping story explores one's sense of social responsibility and begs the question:  What, exactly, does the older generation owe their children?  You'll be talking about this one long after the lights go out.​


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

HOLIDAY MUSIC & MUSINGS - Theatre Artists Studio - December 16-18, 2022​



A festive celebration of family, friends and community with plenty of fun and holiday wine.


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

THE LIFESPAN OF A FACT - Theatre Artists Studio - January 13-February 5, 2023​



 by Jeremy Kareken & David Murrell and Gordon Farrell

What constitutes the truth and who gets to decide what it is?  A hyper-diligent, fact checking intern and a well known literary essayist clash in this very funny but oh-so-serious dilemma, with the fate of an important magazine hanging in the balance.  An immediate Broadway success, this superbly written, fast paced play will entertain you and demand your attention.


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

THE PERFECT PARTY - Theatre Artists Studio - March 3-26​, 2023


 by A.R. Gurney

For most of his career, Gurney has aimed his sharp, comedic arrows at the foibles and barely concealed anxieties of the privileged  class.  In this play, he explores the crises encountered by a former college professor as he tries to snare a perfect review for his "perfect party"  from an influential social critic.  Mix in some pointed satire, a touch  of farce, lots of laughs, and you have a recipe for a rolicking good time.  What makes the perfect party?  Join us and find out!


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

THE ROOMATE - Theatre Artists Studio - April 21-May 7, 2023​




by Jen Silverman

Sharon, an ageing empty-nester and recently divorced, advertises for someone to share her Iowa home and its onerous expenses.  Finding the "perfect" roommate is fraught with pitfalls and laughter.  Perfection may be in the eye of the beholder, but the "behold-ee" has her own ideas.  Where, exactly, is the "middle ground?"


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

NEW SUMMER SHORTS - Theatre Artists Studio - June 8-18, 2023​


Our Annual Short Play Festival


Original, unbridled fun and empathy  from our own Studio playwrights. You never really know what to expect!  For 16 years, this festival of short plays has been our audiences' favorite production of every season.  It's always a fresh confection of new tales from talented, local storytellers, offering unique perspectives on our human foibles, fallibilities and feats of amazing resilience.
 


THEATRE ARTISTS STUDIO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, a collaborative of Phoenix-based theater artists locally referred to as “The Studio.”  Our mission is to create extraordinary theatre in a collaborative environment that engages audiences, educates our community and explores the capacity for creative expression in each and every individual.

Theatre Artists Studio  4848 East Cactus Road, Suite 406, Scottsdale AZ 85254

photos - LITTLE WOMEN - Scottsdale Desert Stages Theatre























photos by Jason K. Walz

Act One Youth Theatre's 2022/2023 Season!


Disney's Jungle Book Kids
Performed at Guild of the Vale
200 N Macdonald, Mesa, AZ 85201
Sept 28 -Oct 1, 2022 


Les Misérables School Edition
Performed at Phoenix Center for the Arts 3rd Street Theater
1202 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004
March 9-12, 2023 


Peter Pan Jr Broadway Version
Performed at Phoenix Center for the Arts 3rd Street Theater
1202 N 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004  
May 25-28, 2023 

 
Workshops, Auditions and Rehearsals take place in Scottsdale, AZ at Open Arms Church 4640 N Granite Reef Rd Scottsdale, AZ 85251 

Check out our website for more! 

YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN - Almost Famous Theatre Company - October 21-23, 2022

Book by Mel Brooks and Thomas Meehan
Music and Lyrics by Mel Brooks
AFTC is reviving (pun intended) our first big musical production from 2014!  It’s alive.  The electrifying adaptation of Mel Brook’s monstrously funny film will leave you in stitches.

Performances are at Kroc Center for the Performing Arts
1375 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85044

 Dr. Frederick Frankestein Keith Chandler
Inga Taylor McGlone
Frau Blucher Tristin Miller
Igor Steven Settefrati
Elizabeth Benning Morgan Goldberg
Inspector Kemp Dakota George
The Monster Blake Sullivan
The Hermit Lyman Akers
Dr. Victor Von Frankenstein Phil Lehmberg
Ziggy Lincoln Hoekstra
Mr. Hilltop/Captain Cliff Alfrey
US Frau Blucher/Ensemble    Pam Crandall
US Inga/Ensemble Ellie Crandall
Ensemble Sharesa Uher
Quartet/Ensemble Michael Leeth
Quartet/Ensemble Tbd
Dancer/Ensemble Kiley Bishop
Dancer/Ensemble Melia Coury
Dancer/Ensemble Stella Parsons
Dancer/Ensemble Viv Spamer
Dancer/Ensemble Marjani Taylor


Directors: Jan Williams & Garth Wiliams
Music Director: Johnn Luke Osorio
Choreography: Janet Jones
Assistant Choreography: Mela Coury
Assistant Director: Morgan Goldberg

Kroc Performing Arts Center
1375 East Broadway Road
Phoenix, Arizona  85040

Friday, October 21, 2022 7:30pm
Saturday, October 22, 2pm & 7:30pm
Sunday, October 23, 4pm


DISNEY'S FREAKY FRIDAY - Almost Famous Theatre Company - September 23-25, 2022

    


Freaky Friday music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey.

When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. By spending the day in each other’s shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate on another’s struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter.

Performances are at Kroc Center for the Performing Arts
1375 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85044

ROALD DAHL'S MATILDA THE MUSICAL - Almost Famous Theatre Company - February 24-26, 2023







Book by Dennis Kelly
Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

The story of an extraordinary girl who dares to take a stand and change.

Performances are at Kroc Center for the Performing Arts
1375 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85044

THE PLAY THAT GOES WRONG - Almost Famous Theatre Company - March 31-April 2, 2023







Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer and Henry Shields.

Part Monty Python, part Sherlock Holmes this award-winning comedy is guaranteed to leave you aching with laughter while it brings the house down.

Performances are at Kroc Center for the Performing Arts
1375 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85044

THE PAJAMA GAME - Almost Famous Theatre Company - May 19-21, 2023






Book by George Abbott and Richard Bissell
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Ross and Richard Adler

A union strike at a pajama factory generates plenty of steam heat in this toe-tapping, comedic love story. 

Performances are at Kroc Center for the Performing Arts
1375 East Broadway Road, Phoenix, Arizona 85044


Friday, July 29, 2022

GHOSTS OF BOGOTÁ - Stray Cat Theatre - September 30, 2022-October 15, 2022

  
by Diana Burbano 
directed by Alejandra Luna
Tempe Center for the Arts Studio Theatre

Come get haunted.

A beautiful and heartbreaking dark comedy centering around three siblings, late 20s to late 30s, who return to their parents’ birth country when their grandfather dies. A universal story about family secrets, told through a very specific Latinx lens, and a story about that unique immigrant experience of never feeling fully at home in any country that can claim you. 

“Wickedly humorous at times, gut wrenching at others.” - NPR

Friday, September 30, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, October 1, 2022 7:30PM
Sunday, October 2, 2022 2:00PM
Thursday, October 6, 2022 7:30PM
Friday, October 7, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, October 8, 2022 7:30PM
Sunday, October 9, 2022 2:00PM
Wednesday, October 12, 2022 7:30PM
Thursday, October 13, 2022 7:30PM
Friday, October 14, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, October 15, 2022 7:30PM

LA RUTA - Stray Cat Theatre - December 2-17, 2022


by Isaac Gomez
directed by Chris R. Chavez
Tempe Center for the Arts Studio Theatre

A runaway smash hit at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre.

To the U.S.-owned factories in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, La Ruta is just a bus. But to the women who live, work and often disappear along the route, it's so much more than that. Inspired by real testimonies, and using live music to evoke factory work and protest marches, LA RUTA is a visceral unearthing of secrets buried in the desert and a celebration of the Mexican women who stand resiliently in the wake of loss.

“Bold, beautiful and timely piece of art....La Ruta triumphs. The setting may be Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, but the struggles of these poor, strong, beautiful women are universal. La Ruta is a must-see.” – Broadway World

Friday, December 2, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, December 3, 2022 7:30PM
Sunday, December 4, 2022 2:00PM
Thursday, December 8, 2022 7:30PM
Friday, December 9, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, December 10, 2022 7:30PM
Sunday, December 11, 2022 2:00PM
Wednesday, December 14, 2022 7:30PM
Thursday, December 15, 2022 7:30PM
Friday, December 16, 2022 7:30PM
Saturday, December 17, 2022 7:30PM