Category: theater reviews

Welcome to the Renaissance, East Lansing! Without leaving their seats, Wharton Center audiences have traveled across the world and through the decades this season. And now, the Tony Award-nominated musical “Something Rotten!” takes audiences on a journey back to the 90s. Well, the 1590s, that is.

“Something Rotten!” tells the story of Nick and Nigel Bottom, a pair of brothers struggling to write a hit play in the shadow of fan favorite William Shakespeare. Out of desperation, Nick seeks the help of a soothsayer, who predicts that the next big thing in theater will be musicals. What ensues is a fun song and dance through modern musical references and plenty of in-jokes for theater lovers.

With Tony-nominated music and lyrics from brothers Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick and Tony-nominated direction and choreography by Casey Nicholaw, “Something Rotten!” is the distant English cousin of other self-aware musicals from this century, such as “Spamalot” and “The Book of Mormon”; Nicholaw was also Tony-nominated for best choreography for those productions, as well as for co-directing “The Book of Mormon.”  Continue reading “Review: ‘Something Rotten!’ is something sweet for theater lovers”

I had my first taste of “Waitress” when I saw the 2007 film, written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelly. Nearly a decade later, I fell in love with the Broadway adaptation when I saw the show in New York in 2016.

So it’s only fitting that this year, National Pie Day fell on opening night of “Waitress” at East Lansing’s Wharton Center — a timely opportunity to revisit the diner.

What’s inside this tasty delight of a musical? It’s bust a gut and break your heart, with a dreamy chiffon filling and drizzles of bittersweet chocolate.

Continue reading “Review: ‘Waitress’ has all of the right ingredients”

I’ve always known a version of Peter Pan, the boy who wouldn’t grow up. My first memories of Peter are Disney’s animated version landing on the minute hand of Big Ben, and Mary Martin magically soaring across the Darlings’ nursery. One of my all-time favorite movies, “Hook,” imagines a world where Peter leaves Neverland and — perish the thought! — grows up.

For over a century, generations have met, loved, and believed in the various adaptations of this classic character. The story of Peter Pan is such a part of our collective DNA that it’s hard to believe there was a time he was only a speck of fairy dust in J.M. Barrie’s imagination.

And yet that is where “Finding Neverland” begins, in early 20th century London, with playwright J.M. Barrie struggling to write a hit play under the pressures of time and expectations. The Broadway musical, based on 2004 film, has landed at the Wharton Center and will play to audiences through December 17.

Continue reading “For the young and young at heart: A review of ‘Finding Neverland’”