Reviews by Carol Moore

**** Highly Recommended **** The audience was clearly ready and waiting for The Lion King on opening night, judging by the cheers that greeted the first notes sung by Rafiki the Mandrill (Gugwana Diamini).  There were expressions of sheer awe on children’s faces as animals – everything from giraffes to elephants – walked up the aisles.  The Lion King is nothing short of spectacular!  I was fascinated by the costumes, entranced by the story.  Everything about “The Lion King” is larger than life!  I give it 4 Spotlights. 

**** Highly Recommended **** Every family has their own holiday traditions.  In my family it was A Christmas Story, my children’s favorite Christmas movie.  No matter how many times I see this nostalgic story, I always laugh!  “You’ll shoot your eye out” has become a family catchphrase.  Over the years it has become one of my favorite plays, although I was never all that fond of the musical.  Marriott Theatre’s production of A Christmas Story: The Musical has changed my mind!  4 BIG Spotlights

**** Recommended **** To open their final season, First Folio decided to reprise Jeeves Intervenes, which first appeared on the stage in the Mayslake library in 2008.  Most of the original cast members have returned too, making this a delightful evening.  Jeeves Intervenes is a comedy of manners, in a time when disputes and conflicts were settled with civility and good manners.  You can’t help laughing as Jeeves rescues that lovable twit, Bertie Wooster from family follies and his own scrapes.  Jeeves Intervenes is slightly insane and totally hilarious.  4 Spotlights

*** Recommended *** Sometimes directors have a vision for a new approach to a musical.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails   Porchlight Music Theatre’s production of Rent it didn’t just fail, it collapsed.  Rent was written as a rock opera about starving artists with all their angst and desperation.  It should be a little ragged, a little dirty, and a lot defiant.  This wasn’t.  Most of the songs were sung in one key – loud.  I really missed the emotion and nuance of Larson’s original score.  3 Spotlights