Author Archives: burdreviews

“Summer, 1976.” With a title like that, anyone over 65 today immediately tries to recall what he or she was doing then. I don’t even think that the theme of the Bicentennial enters one’s thoughts at first. The play by David Auburn presents us with two women who meet because their young daughters are inContinue reading “Summer, 1976 at Lantern Theater”

1812 Productions is kicking off its 30th anniversary season with a world premiere production of a show that will change every night. Yes, it’s improv which they bill as a new musical adventure. These are the Final 4. Each night, they ask the audience for bad musical titles, a strong emotion, and a one-syllable word,Continue reading “This Should Never Be A Musical”

After his sold-out engagement of “Monsieur Chopin” at People’s Light last year, Hershey Felder is returning this year with a new piece about another legendary pianist/composer, Sergei Rachmaninoff. I knew little about Chopin’s life before seeing the musical drama and I knew less about Rachmaninoff’s. So naturally, I Googled him. “Rachmaninoff is widely considered oneContinue reading “Rachmaninoff and the Tsar at People’s Light”

Although I was a young child when Dwight Eisenhower was President of the United States, I remember him rather well. I can visualize him. And I have seen the fine actor, Tony Lawton in at least a dozen plays over the years. Could he portray the 34th president and make me believe him? Yes, andContinue reading “Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground at Act II Playhouse”

For the first time since I have been reviewing theater, there were two productions of the same show that I saw in the same season- the second of which was 11 weeks after the first. The show is “Ain’t Misbehavin’,” a spirited musical review based on the music of the legendary Fats Waller. Theatre HorizonContinue reading “Ain’t Misbehavin’ at People’s Light”

It’s the third play I’ve seen about Benjamin Franklin in a year, but what can I expect in a city where he was the most famous resident. This one, “The Sound of America,” recognizes in an off-handed manner his great achievements, but the focus of it is Franklin as a struggling musician whose music isContinue reading “The Sound of America at FringeArts”

It is 1974. Steven Spielberg is in the process of directing the film based on the novel by Peter Benchley, “Jaws.” It stars Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfus, and Roy Scheider. “The Shark is Broken” is a comedic look at what happened during the filming when the mechanical shark used for the film broke down andContinue reading “The Shark is Broken at Momtgomery Theater”

How does a trio become a duo? It happens when one of the three leaves the threesome for a variety of reasons. In the case of a family, it often occurs when the couple’s child goes off to college. If the parents only have one kid, they are suddenly confronted with what we call, theContinue reading “Two Outta Three at People’s Light”

Theatre Exile is concluding its 29th season with a most unusual play. It’s the story of a Black mother and daughter guarding the grave site on the grounds of a Philadelphia/African Church where Moses Freeman has just been buried. He was the husband and father of Missy and Charity Freeman before he died. They areContinue reading “The Great Privation at theatre exile”

Five women who meet on a community center soccer team in Scotland are now on the same soccer team and about to compete for the Homeless World Cup. Coming from widely different backgrounds, this a story of friendship- female friendship, amidst troubling times in each one’s life. That is the background behind “Same Team” byContinue reading “Same Team at Inis Nua Theatre”