Denver Theater Reviews

Review: HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH BRINGS RAW POWER AND EMOTIONAL DEPTH
by Jon Bee - August 15, 2024

What did our critic think of HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH BRINGS RAW POWER AND EMOTIONAL DEPTH TO THE ARCH at Give 5 Productions?...

Review: DISNEY'S FROZEN Brings Its Magic To DCPA
by Jon Bee - July 01, 2024

What did our critic think of DISNEY'S FROZEN at DCPA?...

Review: StageDoor's Razor-Sharp SWEENEY TODD Deserves a Nod
by Chris Arneson - June 18, 2024

Nearly 50 years after its inception, Sweeney Todd still feels on the cutting edge of musical theatre. With music and lyrics by Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler, the production currently playing at Conifer's StageDoor Theatre is a darkly compelling tale of revenge, love, and madness. ...

Review: COMPANY National Tour at the Denver Center
by Jon Bee - May 30, 2024

The breadth of Sondheim's work all have one thing in common: the thumbprint of the musical artist that is Stephen Sondheim. Once you see enough of his shows, however, you start to notice the diversity in the stories. West Side Story, A Funny Thing Happens on the Way to the Forum, and Sweeney Todd, j...

Review: WHERE DID WE SIT ON THE BUS? at DCPA Theatre Company
by Jon Bee - May 30, 2024

I often think that are lives are marked in core memories, much like how they are pictured in the movie Inside Out. Moments in time that stand out from the rest: the good, the bad, and the ugly. If you had the chance to tell the story of your childhood, what moments would make the cut? In the latest ...

Review: EMMA is Eccentric at the Denver Center
by Jon Bee - April 18, 2024

When people think of works of art that have vastly outlived their creator, especially as it relates to literature, there is no bigger name than William Shakespeare. His mark on history has proven to have an impact that will live on in perpetuity....

Review: CEBOLLAS at DCPA is a Hit and a Miss
by Jon Bee - March 08, 2024

What did our critic think of CEBOLLAS at DCPA? As the youngest of four siblings, I understand the value of family relationships, especially when catastrophe strikes. It is in these moments that familial ties are strengthened. Whatever experience you traverse with your siblings, it is sure to leave y...

Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 50TH ANNIVERSARY TOUR at Denver Center
by Jon Bee - January 26, 2024

Growing up in the church was not without its challenges. As a longtime member of the RTC (religious trauma club), I have spent much time since those days deconstructing what I was taught so that I could truly learn things for myself; so that I could learn more about myself. Although those days are b...

Review: DREAMGIRLS at Lone Tree Arts Center
by Chris Arneson - October 24, 2023

What did our critic think of DREAMGIRLS at LonDreamgirls is one of those rare gem musicals you don't often see produced due to its essential diversity - not an area where the Denver theatre scene currently thrives - so it's refreshing to see Lone Tree Arts Center tackle the show.e Tree Arts Center?...

Review: TINA - THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL at DCPA
by Chris Arneson - October 22, 2023

Her recent bio musical, nominated for nearly every Tony Award category yet only claiming one for Adrienne Warren's performance as Tina, follows Tina from her beginnings in Nutbush, Tennessee, all the way claiming the title of Queen of Rock and Roll. Like many jukebox bio musicals, her collection of ...

Review: BEAUTIFUL: THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL at the Arvada Center
by Chris Arneson - September 21, 2023

You're not too late, baby, to catch Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, now taking the main stage at the Arvada Center....

Review: A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at DCPA
by Jon Bee - September 21, 2023

What did our critic think of A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC at DCPA? The biggest theatre name in town continues to produce granduer productions - even those that have 'small' in the title. Directed by Chris Coleman, DCPA's A Little Night Music fills the space like only they can: with top notch performers and ...

Review: JAGGED LITTLE PILL Goes Down Easy at DCPA
by Jon Bee - August 22, 2023

What did our critic think of JAGGED LITTLE PILL at DCPA?...

Review: StageDoor's ONCE Succeeds with its Harmonious Heartbreak
by Chris Arneson - June 14, 2023

There's not very many musicals like Once, which might be why you rarely see it tackled regionally. The entire cast is tasked with playing some kind of instrument, making the show feel more like an immersive folksy concert with a plot. ...

Review: Town Hall's MEMPHIS Hits You Right in the Soul
by Chris Arneson - June 13, 2023

What did our critic think of MEMPHIS at Town Hall? Despite the formulaic plot, it's one of those refreshing musicals that really isn't based on any prior works. With music and lyrics by David Bryan of Bon Jovi and and book by Joe DiPietro (recognizable for penning I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Cha...

Review: THE 39 STEPS at DCPA is Chaos Incarnate
by Jon Bee - June 06, 2023

What did our critic think of THE 39 STEPS at DCPA Theatre Company?...

TREASURE ISLAND at the Aurora Fox will make you a Jolly Roger
by Chris Arneson - May 15, 2023

There have been countless adaptations of the classic adventure novel Treasure Island for film and TV, but it's not too often you find a stage musical of it. While the Aurora Fox is hosting the show's Colorado premiere, this musical production of Treasure Island made its world premiere a decade ago a...

Review: THE COLOR PURPLE Is Excellently Black at DCPA Theatre Company
by Jon Bee - April 18, 2023

What did our critic think of THE COLOR PURPLE at DCPA Theatre Company?...

Review: The Heavyweights Present a Plus-Size 'Putnam'
by Chris Arneson - April 06, 2023

The musical's heart gets a little lost in the camp of everything. There's already the added layer of adults playing children -- but when there's 3 guys bouncing between multiple roles, sometimes the same character would be played by multiple people in a single song. Just watching it was exhausting. ...

Review: National Tour of 1776 Proves that a Woman's Place is in the House of Representatives
by Jon Bee - March 28, 2023

What did our critic think of 1776 at DCPA?...

Review: TICK, TICK... BOOM! Blows it Out of the Water at Vintage Theatre
by Jon Bee - March 28, 2023

What did our critic think of TICK, TICK... BOOM! at Vintage Theatre? Jonathan Larson is one of those artists who, because they died young (and infamously), will live on through their treasured work. Rent, of course, is the big one for him. Though his lesser known work, Tick, Tick... Boom! ...

Review: National Tour of FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Establishes a New 'Tradition' at DCPA
by Jon Bee - March 16, 2023

What did our critic think of NATIONAL TOUR OF FIDDLER ON THE ROOF at DCPA? The summer after high school, I was in a local community theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof. Though the show was already an established classic, I generally remember that summer as one where I watched the other 'sons' ...

Review: HOTTER THAN EGYPT at DCPA Theatre Company
by Jon Bee - March 08, 2023

What did our critic think of HOTTER THAN EGYPT at DCPA Theatre Company? Some say the world will end in fire - they must not be familiar with husbands who can be as cold as ice. Such is the case in DCPA's latest local production, Hotter than Egypt....

Review: LAUGHS IN SPANISH at DCPA is a New Classic in World Premiere Production
by Jon Bee - February 15, 2023

What did our critic think of LAUGHS IN SPANISH at DCPA Theatre Company? Theatre is often boiled down into two things: comedy and tragedy. From there, the seeds take root and bloom into a plethora of unique stories. However, I often find the greatest stories capture both elements and therefore are th...

Review: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD At The Buell Theatre Hurts as Much as it Heals
by Chris Arneson - January 30, 2023

Directed by Bartlett Sher, the characters are fleshed out, a little more flawed than I remember. The children are played by adults, narrated with more self-awareness. It doesn't feel like nearly 3 hours of theatre....