Author Archives: burdreviews

Rodgers and Hammerstein created some of the greatest musicals to hit the Broadway stage in the 1940’s and 1950’s. “Oklahoma, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I, and The Sound of Music” are classics that live on today. Hammerstein wrote the book for each story as well as the lyrics and Rodgers created some ofContinue reading “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s A Grand Night for Singing at Act II Playhouse”

            Hercule Poirot was the famed detective created by Agatha Christiie in 1920 who then appeared in 33 of her novels and over 50 of her short stories. Many were adapted into plays and later, into movies. Her play, “The Mousetrap,” ran for 62 years before it temporarily closed in 2020 due to Covid. “Alibi”Continue reading “Alibi: An Agatha Christie Story at Bristol Riverside Theatre”

            “The 39 Steps” is one of the famous spy thrillers by Alfred Hitchcock. The 1935 film was loosely based on the novel written by John Buchan some 20 years earlier. It has been adapted many times over the years and Lantern Theater is presenting actor, comedian, writer Patrick Barlow’s creation from 2006. It isContinue reading “The 39 Steps at Lantern Theater Company”

What do you know about Chopin? It’s probably more than I do.  Let’s see… He was a pianist who composed tons of music for the piano. He was Polish and lived in the 19th century. That’s about it. So that when I heard that People’s Light was presenting a play with music, a one-man-show writtenContinue reading “Monsieur Chopin: A Play With Music at People’s Light”

            Two brothers- a good one and a bad one. One is a liberal English teacher; the other is a convicted murderer and a member of a white supremacist gang in prison. Estranged for many years, circumstances have brought them together as they try to navigate some sort of connection. Do they have any commonContinue reading “Rift, or White Lies at InterAct Theatre Company”

            Ernestine Ashworth celebrates her birthday with a birthday cake every year, from the time she was 17 until the age of 101, though the actress never physically ages. In 90 minutes on stage in her kitchen, we see her life in about two dozen brief scenes as she interacts with her mother, her husband,Continue reading “Birthday Candles at People’s Light”

Though “Dial M for Murder” was written as a stage play in Britain in 1952, most people know it from the 1954 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Grace Kelly and Ray Milland. It is a most powerful crime thriller dealing with blackmail, infidelity, and a murder plan. With a new twist by Jeffrey HatcherContinue reading “Dial M for Murder at Act II Playhouse”

William Shakespeare had written 38 plays when he died at the age of 52 in 1616. My first exposure to him was when we read “Julius Caesar in my 9th grade class. It was a challenge to read as it was written in Early Modern English, also known as Elizabethan English, which lasted until theContinue reading “Antony & Cleopatra at Quintessence Theatre”

            Quintessence Theatre is bringing two Shakespeare plays with the same cast to run in tandem for March and April.  “Antony and Cleopatra” will open this Saturday, a week after “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” one of the bard’s most popular. “Midsummer” is a comedy set in Athens with several intertwined stories about love. But thereContinue reading “A Midsummer Night’s Dream at Quintessence Theatre”

“Philly GRIT” is a series of what they call “unfiltered performances by Philadelphia based artists.” Theatre exile began the series last year and this Spring, they are presenting   two plays.  I saw the 70-minute play, “KOAL.” It was a theater experience like none  I’ve had  in years.             On the stage at the start ofContinue reading “KOAL at theatre exile”