Category: Dramatic Performing Arts
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The Old Maid and the Thief and the Radio
In this staging, seen on May 22 in the historic Dock Street Theatre and brilliantly conceived by director Daisy Evans, the radio, itself, was the seed from which all else would grow. An old-fashioned radio sits alone on the stage as the work began. After the host (the playfully sardonic Patti O’Furniture, well-known in the…
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Out with the Old, In with the NW New Works
Anyone go to On the Boards’ Northwest New Works for 2026? It was eclectic, experimental, and high-quality — all in typical OtB fashion. If you didn’t go support it this year, kick yourself – and then put it on the calendar RIGHT NOW, for next year. … You big dummy….
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Magnifica Humans 2.0
To Lifschitz’s and all contemporary circus artists’ credit — the obsessive Wagner might have wanted Gesamtkunstwerk for his operas, but even he forgot to include the circus acts!
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Dido and A Circus
My review of Circa and Spoleto USA’s, Dido and Aeneas, for Charleston’s Post and Courier. What a beautiful contemporary circus / opera blend!
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Venezuela, Fidelio, and Minneapolis walk into a bar….
Gustavo Dudamel in his last season (literally passing the baton) with LA Phil, conducting a Ricardo Lorenz world premiere; followed by hot pianist Yunchan Lim performing Schumann’s piano concerto; and Tar — er, Kate Blanchett — performing as Goethe’s and Beethoven’s Narrator in Egmont’s incidental music, all with the fabulous LA Phil. (Holy mackerel, man,…
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A Very, Very, Very Fine House
People cannot sing songs or write poetry on the subject of home without it reverting to an ode to the every-day, to those simple, “meaningless,” and “ordinary” things … that are actually just so goddamn important to us. That are, it turns out, everything.
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Weirdo. Dynasty Handbag — Divine Meets Karen Finley.
Dynasty Handbag (the Doppelgoofy of performance artist Jibz Cameron), is one exaggeratedly foppish gal. She is as schmutzy-glamorous (and lackadaisical with her gowns and lipstick) as Divine, yet suddenly as combative and comedically intense as Karen Finley. Talk about a wonderful blend!
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Mother Russia, No America
Sooo…. The “great transformation” going on in the play — about Russia, and a society being slowly turned into a murderous oligarchic libertarian capitalist one –- should obviously remind us all, right NOW, of … Covid?!
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Vive Lapage! Vive Le FLIP! Vive Le Cirque!
OK, “contemporary circus” – you had my curiosity, but now … you have my attention. … Combine the cirque nouveau of FLIP with the theater of Ex Machina, and you now have a dovetailing of creative energy that blends into one of the most humorous and entertaining contemporary circus experiences I’ve ever had, with SLAM!,…
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Jinkxies! — “Get Ready Bitches ‘Cause It’s Monsoon Season!”
“Get Ready ‘Cause It’s Monsoon Season!” is what Jinkx proclaimed as she was crowned the winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race in Season 5. Well, it was a slowly increasing pitter-patter (delayed, in part, by the plague), but Jinkx is now starting to truly feel more like a downpour. I think Monsoon Season is really here…
S.E. Barcus 