Reviews by Carol Moore

**** Recommended **** You’ve been invited to a ball in the kingdom of Other, you and all the single girls.  The prince is going to pick a bride!  Is this another Cinderella story, you might ask?  The answer would be no.  This is “The Other Cinderella”, Jackie Taylor’s magical musical version of the fairy tale.  Black Ensemble Theatre has staged “The Other Cinderella” many times, but I’d never seen it.  It’s hard to believe it was written 43 years ago, it’s so fresh and funny.  It had me laughing and/or dancing in my seat the whole show!  4 Spotlights

**** Recommended **** I really enjoyed “An Evening with C.S. Lewis”, more than I thought I would.  A few years back I saw “C.S. Lewis Onstage: The Most Reluctant Convert” starring Max Mason, and was bored stiff.  Oh, no, another C.S. Lewis I thought.  I’m happy to say David Payne’s C.S. Lewis was entirely different, more personal.  His anecdotes were funny and quite delightful, his poems – or as he called them, little ditties – displayed a wry sense of humor.  3 ½ Spotlights

**** Recommended **** I’ve never been a fan of the whole Sherlock Holmes thing, so I wasn’t all that excited about seeing “Sherlock’s Last Case”.  I think I’ve always been a bit turned off by all that arrogant know-it-all behavior, so needless to say, a play called “Sherlock’s Last Case” wasn’t on my bucket list.  Describe me as surprised, “Sherlock’s Last Case” is a quirky little mystery with a serious cliff hanger at intermission.  Sherlock is just as arrogant as always, but Watson brings him back to earth – at least for a little while.  4 Spotlights

**** Recommended **** We think we know everything there is to know about celebrities –  even celebrities from history.  On the other hand, how would their choices in life look if we had a different perspective?  Why did my child do that ________ (fill in the blank)?  That’s the point of “Mother of the Maid”, Northlight Theatre’s poignant historic drama about the mother of Joan d’Arc, played to perfection by Kate Fry.  Kudos to Director BJ Jones on an amazing production.   4 Spotlights