Theresa Bertram - Page 16

HAMILTON!! HAMILTON came to Little Rock! Do I really even need to go on with this review? Ok, well, of course I knew it would 'Blow Us All Away.' Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to Celebrity Attractions and the powers that be for bringing this powerhouse of a musical to Robinson Center, 426 W Markham St, in Little Rock, which is still going on until February 20, so if you have not gotten your tickets, do not 'Say No to This!'

To wrap up my string of holiday shows for this season, I saw DISNEY'S FROZEN JR, performed by the Red Curtain Theatre, 913 W Oak Street, in Conway.

For all the Charlie Brown fans out there (and I know there are a lot of you), The Arkansas Repertory Theatre, 601 Main Street in Little Rock, performed A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS for most of December, and if you missed it, all I can say is 'good grief!' This show was almost a replica of the cartoon Christmas special on TV, right down to the 30ish minutes of the actual show.

Adapted by Arkansas playwright Judy B. Goss, produced by Vincent Insalaco, and directed by Jamie Stewart, The Argenta Community Theater, 405 Main Street, North Little Rock, version of A CHRISTMAS CAROL delighted patrons, as evident to the numerous sold-out shows. After five years of producing this classic, ACT has decided this is the last year (for now) of this adaptation, and I know their fans will be sad to see this tradition go. After all, some actors and families of actors have graced the stage more than once to tell this tale of holiday redemption.

When watching a Blackbox performance, there is this intimate feeling and up-closeness that you can't get from bigger auditoriums. If you haven't been to a production at The Weekend Theater, 1007 W 7th St, in Little Rock, you need to go this coming weekend Friday-Sunday, December 17-19, for the last showings of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE-A LIVE RADIO PLAY by Joe Landry. For lack of a better adjective, it was absolutely wonderful! The cast was cheerful, the costumes were Christmas-y and the whole format was very creative.

Before I even made it to see ALICE IN WONDERLAND at Morrilton High School, 701 E. Harding St., Morrilton, Caleb, a budding 12-year old critic, gave the show a rating of 1000 out of 10, and it was well deserved. The costumes were beautiful, the set was clever, and the cast would have made Lewis Carroll proud. Obviously created with children in mind, Thespian Troupe 3131 entertained the young and young at heart December 3-5.

After scoring 'Excellent' in One Acts at regional competition, Cabot High School, 404 N. Second St., Cabot, tackled a serious bit of history this weekend, Dec. 3-5, to a sold-out crowd with RADIUM GIRLS, written by D.W. Gregory.

Though there are not may hills in the Argenta District, North Little Rock was definitely filled with the SOUND OF MUSIC this weekend, as the cast brought the Von Trapp family story to life at the Argenta Community Theater, 405 Main St, North Little Rock. This is the first partnership with Wildwood Park for the Arts, and I hope there will be many more, because this show is so good. Seriously, I will try to verbalize how great everyone is, but honestly, you need to go see it for yourself.

Do you have a mom who you think wants to control your every move? Do you think she does not want you to live your best life? Or, do you have a daughter who you feel may not be living up to her teenage potential? Does she not want to participate in family activities? If you can relate to any of these questions, then Disney's FREAKY FRIDAY is for you, and you are in luck. Cabot High School has two more public performances of FREAKY FRIDAY at the Cabot High School auditorium, 602 North Lincoln Street, in Cabot, Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7pm, and Sunday, Nov. 7, at 2:30pm.

As I hurriedly walk into the Collins Theatre, 120 W. Emerson St. In Paragould, I was thrilled with how charming it was and mentally kicked myself for not getting there sooner so I could explore the building. Originally built in 1925, this facility takes you back to yesteryears to what theaters use to be before all the modern updates, but though the look was dated, the choosing to perform RENT, music and lyrics by Jonathan Larson, definitely was not. The people of the Collins Theatre chose a very bold, daring musical that exceeded way past my expectations, and even though they had technical difficulties early on (and what theatre doesn't have those), they reset and performed like they were on Broadway.

If you were a fan of the television show Designing Women back in the 80s and early 90s (which I was), this show is for you. If you were not watching tv back then, this is still for you. Giving off a Feminist vibe with a southern spin from the moment you enter the theatre, this production covers all of today's topics including #metoo, Black Lives Matter, COVID, and Donald Trump. There is also a nod to Cardi B and the Kardashians.

Presented at Heritage Hall, the cast, which is a mixture of kids ranging from elementary to high school, could rival some universities. Adapted from the Hans Christian Andersen 1843 story The Ugly Duckling, HONK! retails the classic through song and dance and a little tongue and cheek humor, fit for kids and adults.

It's always fun and nostalgic when I go back to my 'home' theatre, which is what I did to preview the Rialto Theater's performance of DOUBLEWIDE, TEXAS. From the writers of the Golden Girls, The Five Mrs. Buchanans, and Teacher's Pet, Jones Hope Wooten is a comedy team that can't be beat! '(The authors) put at least one character out of the Golden Girls in every play,' Assistant Director Amanda Autrey said. 'It's gonna be a grand old time full of trailer redneck humor and, you know, just a little bit everything for everyone.'

Nature versus nurture. This idea is debated throughout the world premiere of PRIMATING, written by Jennifer Vanderbes, and presented by The Arkansas Repertory Theatre August 10-29. Located deep in the sweltering, humid jungles of Africa, eh, the Little Rock Zoo, the story begins with Primatologist Desmond Hawkes (Douglas Rees) being interviewed for Time magazine by the lovely reporter Jenna Barash (Thea Foundation recipient Talley Gale). Then, past lover Eve Goodwin (Kate Goehring) shows up after 25 years to shake things up.

After 19 months of Covid Hell, theatre in Central Arkansas is opening back up, and it is EXTRAORDINARY! The Grand Re-opening of the Argenta Community Theatre and the choosing of Pippin as the season opener was just what we needed to get us back to our favorite 'corner in the sky.'

After a llllooooonnnnnggggggg hiatus from any sort of live entertainment (thanks a lot, COVID!), I finally saw my first musical this year at Cabot High School, and to quote Disney's HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL, it was 'What I've Been Looking For!' The mask mandate was lifted a few weeks before opening night, but Director Courtney Shepard and cast pushed on even during the new normal. 'It has definitely been interesting doing theatre in a masked and socially distanced environment,' Shepard said. 'Before the mask mandate was lifted, we were rehearsing in masks and keeping 6 feet apart. This was very different for the performers but they came to rehearsal every day following the rules and ready to make the best of it.' And make the best of it they did. It was noticeable that the cast was happy to be back on stage.

What do displaced actors during a pandemic do when there is no stage in which to perform? They take it to the internet, of course, and that is exactly what the company Creative Quarantine has done. CREATIVE QUARANTINE Presents LES MISÈRABLES In QUARAN-STREAM will broadcast Saturday, June 6, at 7 p.m., on their Creative Quarantine Youtube channel. Based out of Los Angeles, Calif., two dozen actors from all over the country, including Arkansas' own Piper Wallace, came together with co-founders and producers Benji Kaufman and Lara Lafferty to create a fully realized - and fully virtual - tribute to the beloved musical, LES MISERABLES.